That was almost too close for comfort. The Los Angeles Chargers’ reserves had the New Orleans Saints defense on the ropes, somehow converting a massive fourth down with 23 yards to go, only to end the game with an interception off of backup quarterback Easton Stick. Saints defensive back Lonnie Johnson Jr. jumped the route on another fourth down later in the series, picking off Stick’s pass to seal the win.
So who rose to the occasion? Who fell short of expectations? Let’s break it down in our preseason Week 2 Studs and Duds:
STUD | DE Niko Lalos
Three cheers for Niko Lalos — that’s how many sacks the backup defensive end had in this game. Lalos had a standout performance, totaling 5 tackles (4 solo, 4 tackles for loss) along with his 3 sacks and 3 quarterback hits, plus 1 pass deflection. He was a tough out for the Chargers offensive tackles in the second half. If he wants to earn a roster spot, big performances like this are his best shot at it.
DUD | Penalties
Penalties were a problem again this week, with the Saints drawing 14 fouls for 141 penalty yards — and there wasn’t really any rhyme or reason to it. The offense and defense were both penalized throughout the game on both the second- and third-string units. The coaching staff needs to make clean football a greater point of emphasis over the next week of practice.
STUD | RB Kendre Miller
Miller had a much better game than ins debut a week ago — though he rushed for just 23 yards on 10 carries, he scored his first career touchdown run and caught all 3 of his targets for another 36 yards, validating much of the self-promoting he did over the summer. It’s a very encouraging step forward for the rookie running back.
DUD | WR Bryan Edwards
Bad things happened when the play flowed Edwards’ way this week. He was fouled on two pick plays that nullified touchdowns scored by his teammates, and he later alligator-armed a pass down the sideline that he had a chance to catch. It looked like he was climbing the depth chart after last week’s game but this was a substantial step backwards for the veteran wideout.
STUD | LB Jaylon Smith
Smith had himself a game — he immediately made an impact in run defense by engaging the Chargers offensive line at the line of scrimmage, rocking a blocker back on one of his first reps to clog a rushing lane and help his teammates clean up the tackle. Later Smith broke up a well-thrown pass down the sideline to deny a third down conversion. He’s the real deal as far as an experienced third linebacker who can back up Demario Davis and Pete Werner.
DUD | Red-zone execution
This was messy, and several factors were at play. Passing-game coordinator Ronald Curry had the headset this week, not Pete Carmichael, which isn’t a bad idea. It’s a professional development opportunity for him and an added layer of security for the Saints in case Carmichael were to miss any time during the season. But in addition to Curry being on the mic we had an officiating crew calling some ticky-tac fouls on wide receivers blocking in space and an inexperienced quarterback in Jake Haener, who had to sub out for concussion protocol during a red-zone series. The end result? The Saints kicked a couple of short field goals and lost touchdowns scored to untimely penalties. They need to work on this phase of the game.
STUD | Defensive takeaways
Turnovers were hard to come by last year, so we’ll take progress where we can find it and not think twice. And the Saints defense came through in several big moments. Defensive linemen Payton Turner and Bryan Bresee teamed up on a sack-fumble recovery. Defensive backs Isaac Yiadom and Lonnie Johnson Jr. both intercepted Chargers quarterback Easton Stick. Sure, it’s just preseason, but this is exactly what you want to see: an opportunistic, feisty defense that competes for every catch.
