This week of NFL preseason action will culminate with a nationally televised game between the New Orleans Saints and the San Francisco 49ers. FOX will televise this contest between the two former NFC West arch-rivals.
Unlike many of their meetings in the mid-1980s and early 1990s, it doesn’t matter who wins this matchup between the Saints and 49ers. However, there is still plenty to see when these two former division foes take the field tonight. Several position battles and spots in the standings are still up for grabs.
Many of New Orleans’ healthy first-team players could see significant action, especially after scheduled scrimmages between the two teams were canceled this week. Still, there are certain units on both sides of the ball to keep a close eye on against the 49ers, who are considered Super Bowl contenders this season.
Of course, most eyes will be on New Orleans’ offensive line, which played poorly against Arizona last week and most of training camp after underperforming last season. The quarterback spot is also certainly crucial. Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler have played well, but more important will be how Derek Carr and the starters fare against a stellar San Francisco defense.
Other positions may not attract as much attention, but are worth paying special attention to in the game against the defending NFC champion 49ers.
Rashid Shaheed (foot/toe) and AT Perry (ankle) are unlikely to play. Chris Olave will play and face a San Francisco secondary led by CB Charvarius Ward, who led the NFL in interceptions last season. Olave wants to take the next step into the league’s elite wideouts, and to do so he will need to show he can consistently make good plays as Derek Carr’s target despite a depleted receiver corps.
It will be an even bigger opportunity for the other wideouts on the roster. John Hendrix of the Saints News Network pointed out that Samson Nacua and Kevin Austin Jr. both had some good practice appearances. According to Hendrix, Austin played 42 times against the Cardinals last week, while Nacua played 17. Both made some plays, but Nacua had the stronger game. Both will certainly see plenty of action tonight and potentially a chance to earn a spot on the roster.
Veterans Cedrick Wilson, Equanimeous St. Brown and Stanley Morgan Jr. will try to keep Nacua and Austin at bay. Wilson was slowed by an injury early on and hasn’t been able to consistently excel in the competition with AT Perry for the third receiver spot. St. Brown is the big wide receiver the Saints covet, but has also spent more time on the bench than on the field. New Orleans would like a more experienced receiver corps, but Wilson and St. Brown are having a hard time earning their spots.
This should also be the first game appearance for rookie Bub Means, a fifth-round pick who has also been battling some injury issues. Undrafted rookie Mason Tipton has been the catcher for most of training camp, but Tipton is unlikely to play because of a hamstring injury. Means, a good athlete with excellent skills as a contested catcher, is a bit behind the other receivers but could make up a lot of ground with a good performance against the 49ers.
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The Saints defensive line dominated the trenches against the Cardinals. New Orleans recorded four sacks and three crucial short yardage stops while consistently penetrating the Arizona backfield.
Ends Chase Young, Carl Granderson and Payton Turner were outstanding against the Cardinals, as were tackles Nathan Shepherd and Bryan Bresee. Not only were outstanding performances in the top rotation, but backups Niko Lalos, Jack Heflin, Khristian Boyd and Kendal Vickers were also successful. The challenge now is to remain effective against the 49ers’ physical offense.
Chase Young has been exactly the kind of disruptor the Saints hoped for when they signed him. Granderson and veteran Cam Jordan will form a strong trio with Young, and a hopefully healthy Turner will add depth to the unit. Bresee could be a rising star for a potentially underrated three-man team with Shepherd and Saunders after a strong rookie year.
The top rotation on the outside and inside will try to keep up with San Francisco’s physicality. New Orleans will also have to monitor the development of second-year DE Isaiah Foskey, who has shown little potential thus far.
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San Francisco wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is unlikely to play as this saga continues. However, the 49ers still have a number of weapons and a system that tests the defense both sideline-to-sideline and vertically. Stopping the run and forcing quarterbacks to make hasty throws falls under the purview of the defensive line, but New Orleans’ secondary will be tested several times tonight.
Top corner Marshon Lattimore won’t play and Paulson Adebo probably won’t see much action. That gives the Saints a chance to showcase their rare depth at the position with Alontae Taylor and rookie second-round pick Kool-Aid McKinstry. Additionally, recent performances from Rico Payton, Shemar Jean-Charles and Rejzohn Wright make it difficult to leave any of the three off the active roster.
Safety is a key position the Saints should look at tonight, especially after the recent failure to sign Justin Simmons. Tyrann Mathieu is a sure candidate for one spot, but the other is still wide open. Jordan Howden, Will Harris and Johnathan Abram have all proven their chances at the job. However, the inconsistency of all three and the inability of any of them to control the competition has piqued the Saints’ interest in Simmons.
Tackling issues on defense gave the Cardinals some opportunities in the second half of last week’s game. San Francisco tests the tackling ability of any team they face. Aside from the second safety, New Orleans’ secondary is as strong as it gets. As the game progresses, Payton, Jean-Charles, Wright, Abram, Harris, Howden, and safety hopefuls Millard Bradford and JT Gray will have to prove that the Saints have the depth to compete with the deeper receiver units that will be on their schedule this season.
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