The preseason battle between offensive juggernauts New England and New Orleans came to a not-so expected conclusion on Thursday. The two teams engaged in a defensive struggle all evening, leading to a 7-6 Patriot win. The game left both sides with both positive and negative views on where their particular teams stand.
PASS OFFENSE: C-
The Saints’ passing game was uncharacteristically off for the entirety of the game. Drew Brees threw only four passes, connecting on one, for an inconsequential four yards. It didn’t get much better for New Orleans; the team played four quarterbacks in all, and were only able to pass for 188 total yards.
The biggest red flag coming from the dismal passing performance of the Saints is not the lack of yardage, but the presence of costly turnovers. In a game where offense of any sort was at an absolute premium, Saints quarterbacks threw two interceptions that ended drives with a thud.
The one bright spot for New Orleans in the passing game? The performance of WR Courtney Roby, who might sneak in as the Saints’ fourth option at wideout. He caught five passes for 85 yards against the Pats, showing vast improvement as a route-runner from a year ago. With Nick Toon and Adrian Arrington’s injuries and Joe Morgan’s inconsistency, Roby could be a significant cog in the Saints‘ passing machine.
Andy Tanner also had a very good game, but with the aforementioned depth at wide receiver, it might be very difficult for him to find significant playing time past the preseason.
RUN OFFENSE: C-
Mark Ingram did not play against the Patriots (his absence was undisclosed by Coach Vitt), leaving most of the work for undrafted rookies Joe Banyard and Travaris Cadet, who totaled 27 and 26 yards, respectively. Running lanes for the backs were virtually non-existent, having the backs move across the field vertically to try to find room. That strategy proved to be ineffective, as New England defenders wrapped up Saints running backs quickly. Travaris Cadet continues to be an interesting player (his effort on both special teams and in the offense jumps out automatically), but running back is one of the deepest positions talent-wise on the roster, leaving his future on the Saints somewhat up in the air.
PASS DEFENSE: B+
The New Orleans pass defense was impressive for a second consecutive week, keeping constant pressure on the quarterback for much of the game, and leading to a rare Tom Brady turnover early on. The pressure generated from the interior of the defensive line has been perhaps the biggest eye opener; that aspect of the defense has been missing from quite a while.
The defense’s great performance against the pass was not limited to the defensive line. The secondary, a unit that has questionable depth past the starters, showed up very well. New England was limited to 153 total passing yards, averaging 3.6 yards per pass; the secondary’s play had a ton to do with that statistic. CBs Johnny Patrick and Corey White led the charge, keeping with the Patriot receiving corps very well throughout the game. White, a rookie from Stamford, played exceptionally well, and will see more playing time as the preseason rolls along.
RUSH DEFENSE: C-
As it did a week ago, the Saints’ run defense has some noticeable holes. Patriots RB Shane Vereen gouged New Orleans for an impressive 64 yards on 11 carries. Stevan Ridley contributed with 40 yards of his own. The 4.1 yard per carry average allowed New England to sustain drive, keeping the game close throughout. Although this is still the preseason, defending the run will need to be corrected in order for the Saints to be competitive throughout the year.
SPECIAL TEAMS: C+
P Thomas Morstead continues to be impressive. His value was highlighted throughout the game by pinning New England deep with his long punts. Morstead continues to be a viable, field-position changer for the Saints, and that skill is certainly valuable in close games such as this one.
The kicker battle between John Kasay and Garrett Hartley changed very little, if at all. Kasay missed one of his two field goals, but he did hit on an impressive 46 yard strike. Hartley looks fine, and has totally returned from injury.
The low grade for the special teams this week is due to the return game, which was nonexistent. There were no kickoffs returned by the Saints, and the five punt returns fielded netted a total of five yards. Ouch.
COACHING: B
The coaching staff looked ok for a second straight week. As hard as it is to evaluate players during the preseason, it is ten times more difficult to judge coaches, as the normal rotation of personnel isn’t even close to what it will be during the regular season.
