The New Orleans Saints will wrap up the 2023 preseason in the Caesars Superdome versus the Houston Texans. Many people shrug off the end of the preseason, and the majority of the final preseason game, because starters aren’t playing. Don’t be that person.
There is much intrigue to be found from players towards the middle and bottom of the roster. We’ve already broken down the specific players you need to watch in the game. Here are the storylines in the preseason finale versus the Texans:
Players fighting for a roster spot
That’s what this third preseason is all about. You aren’t going to see the majority of the starters. You have guys like Shaquan Davis who has picked up a lot of steam lately. He’ll have one last opportunity to make his case for a roster spot. There are many players in that same situation as he is. Sometimes, getting hot late leaves a lasting impression on the coaches. This will be handled similarly to the fourth preseason game of old. With the majority of the starters out, the main purpose is to get a detailed analysis of the players on the roster bubble.
Can Isaiah Foskey finish plays?
Foskey spent some time working with the first-team defense this week in practice during Cameron Jordan’s vet rest day. Though public perception of Foskey is low at the moment, head coach Dennis Allen says he’s seeing development. The next step of that process is finishing plays. Foskey still has a way to go, but he also has the time to develop. He’s a rookie second-round pick. He isn’t fighting for a roster spot, however, you still look for him to flash more than he has thus far. If he can answer Allen’s call to finish plays and turn pressures into sacks, you’ll see more flashes out of Foskey.
Can the Saints limit the penalties?
Allen said the Saints have played cleaner football this week in practice than we saw in their second preseason game. He was quick to point out the team played clean football during practice last week as well. The team then turned around and made the yellow flag an honorary Saint for the day against the Los Angeles Chargers. Penalties have been a problem for the first two weeks of the preseason, especially procedural issues before the snap like false starts. It hasn’t been the starters who are guilty of it, but this problem must be cleaned up nevertheless. Too many guys competing for jobs could be out of work if they can’t clean it up.
A special guest appearance
— Luke Johnson (@ByLukeJohnson) August 26, 2023
Could Drew Brees lead the pregame Who Dat chant on Sunday night? That’s what team reporter John DeShazier hinted at, in a social media post that Brees shared to his own followers. Brees has been around the team catching up with old friends and was recently in New Orleans promoting his pickleball league venture. This would be a really nice gesture for No. 9 as he continues to enjoy retirement.
