NFL Preseason: Studs and Duds from the Hall of Fame Game

We know that looking too much into the preseason is a cardinal sin for football analysts and fans alike. Even if the game is one played under the "primetime" preseason lights of the Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio. 

But with the game being the end to a six month drought of football, there sure were a lot of people watching. There was also no shortage of story lines and drama. 

How would Drew Brees and the Saints look on the field without their head coach, Sean Payton? Who would look better among the quarterback competition for the Arizona Cardinals? How does the game change with new referees?

Following is a list of studs and duds from the Hall of Fame game.

Stud: David Carter

Defensive tackles are always hard to judge by stats, and Carter had just two tackles on the night. But that doesn't begin to talk about how much space he ate up in the middle. This guy has had people gushing about his talent, motor and size all throughout training camp. We got a little bit of a glimpse into what he could do. 

While the Cardinals offense may fizzle under a bad quarterback, their defense will certainly hold up their end of the bargain. 

Stud: Chase Daniel

Chase Daniel is physically similar to Drew Brees in terms of height. No one is suggesting he is Brees, but Daniel looked serviceable on Sunday, throwing for 203 yards on 15-of-20 passing with a touchdown and an interception.

He looked near perfect until the pick, which came in the red zone. He was staring down his receiver in obvious fashion on the play action and got burned for it. Other than that, he did what he needed to do to keep his offense on the field. 

He was flushed out of the pocket a bunch but showed the mobility to run for the first down. He had decent accuracy on downfield throws and knew when to check down.

It wasn't a Matt Flynn performance, but Brees' backup isn't half bad.  

Stud: Travaris Cadet

People want to talk about how loaded the Saints' passing attack is. Fair enough, but have you seen their backfield?

Travaris Cadet was a stud, piling up 80 yards catching the ball out of the backfield with a touchdown. He was deadly in the screen game and when he was in space, made people miss and looked like a playmaker. 

By the way, he's not even one of their top-four backs. Darren Sproles, Pierre Thomas and Mark Ingram form a four-headed rushing attack with Chris Ivory in there, as well.

I don't think they can keep all five backs. Cadet was the stud here tonight, but I'd say that the real winner is any team scouring the potential waiver wire and practice squad pool for a third down back.   

Dud: Kevin Kolb

One of the major story lines heading into this game was the Kevin Kolb-John Skelton battle for the starting quarterback spot in Arizona. Well, given that Kolb is being paid $7 million, this job was his to lose, right?

A preseason game like this very much represents a lose-lose situation for Kolb. If he played well, it wouldn't have meant much because it was a preseason game. If he didn't play well, it raises red flags about his ability to be the starter because a preseason game is much easier than the regular season.

Kolb's first pass was an interception, followed by an incompletion, and a first down to his fullback. Then, he got a rib contusion on a hit from from New Orleans defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis, and had to leave the game.

Literally, his day could not have gone worse. 

Dud: Arizona's Offensive Line

Kolb looked terrible reading simple disguise coverages by Steve Spagnuolo's defensive unit, but how about his protection? It's not necessarily his fault that he's trying to make his read through his progressions and he doesn't have enough time to find anyone, right?

Arizona's offensive line looked awful in this one. They allowed three sacks, but that's not the whole story. In the beginning of the game, the starters on the Saints were playing against the starters on the Cardinals, and even though there's no Gregg Williams to call pressure every time, it sure felt like there was for the Cardinals. 

Dud: The Referees

The regular NFL referees are locked out in a labor dispute with the league. We have to give these replacements a bit of a break, but how hard is it to have a coin toss to start the game?

For the most part, it was a clean game and there needed to be no penalties called until the end of the first half. However, I felt like there was a lot of hesitation on these replacements to call what needed to be called.

I saw multiple members of both teams jump the line and no flags were thrown. There was lots of movement along those lines. Another was Kevin Kolb's incompletion before he got hurt. Many felt that play should have been a safety due to holding on the left tackle in the end zone.