Saints vs. Packers: Previewing New Orleans' Preseason Week 4 Matchup
The New Orleans Saints will wrap up their 2015 preseason with a Thursday night road matchup against the Green Bay Packers.
This contest comes just four days after New Orleans' Sunday afternoon home loss to the Houston Texans, while the Packers are coming off a Saturday night loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Starters typically don’t receive much, if any, playing time during the fourth preseason outing, but the final exhibition game still holds a certain degree of importance for most NFL teams, including the Saints.
Multiple roster spots are still up for grabs, and this contest will provide players on the bubble with one last chance to impress coach Sean Payton and his staff.
Read on for a preview of the Saints matchup with the Packers, which kicks off Thursday at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT.
Week 3 Recap
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The Saints hosted the Houston Texans in Sunday’s contest, and the visitors came away with a 27-13 victory.
Although No. 1 units normally see lots of action in the third preseason game, New Orleans opted to rest a good many of its starters.
Quarterback Drew Brees only played one series, and he led the Saints on a 75-yard march that resulted in a field goal on the Saints opening drive. Luke McCown took the remaining first- and second-quarter snaps, and New Orleans failed to reach the end zone for the duration of the half.
The Saints defense, meanwhile, allowed the Texans to march 80 for a touchdown on their first drive, and the visitors added a field goal on their second possession.
Houston added a second 80-yard scoring drive to open the second half, thus taking a 20-6 lead.
New Orleans finally found the end zone on a 45-yard third quarter touchdown run, as Edwin Baker gained the left edge and sprinted down the sideline, much to the delight of the home crowd at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
Houston would go on to add a third 80-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter against a New Orleans defense composed largely of second- and third-teamers.
Despite the loss, numerous Saints had productive offensive performances, including running backs Baker and Marcus Murphy, as well as wide receiver Willie Snead.
On the defensive side, Tyeler Davison and Ashaad Mabry stood out up front, while edge defender Kasim Edebali and safety Kenny Phillips also had solid outings.
News and Notes
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Saints Make Roster Cuts
Tuesday was the deadline for NFL teams to trim their rosters down to 75 players. As a result, multiple Saints players were released, according to Nick Underhill of the New Orleans Advocate.
Most notable among the cuts was wide receiver Nick Toon. A fourth-round draft choice of New Orleans in 2012, Toon tallied 21 career receptions for 283 yards and a touchdown.
For the past three years, the Saints waited patiently for the former Wisconsin standout to step up and seize a primary role in the team’s high-octane offense. Although he demonstrated flashes, particularly in the latter portion of last season, the 6’4” Toon was unable to carve out a spot for himself in the passing game.
Another offensive player cut was fullback Erik Lorig, who came up short in his bid to beat out Austin Johnson for the starting position. Lorig was a heralded free-agent acquisition in 2014, and as a converted tight end, he was expected to bolster the Saints’ short passing game.
Other notable releases included outside ‘backer Ronald Powell and safety Vinnie Sunseri, both of whom were selected in the 2014 draft.
Meanwhile, veteran defensive end Anthony Spencer and rookie cornerback P.J. Williams were placed on injured reserve.
Jalen Saunders Traded
In the midst of the flurry of cuts, New Orleans also parted ways with wide receiver Jalen Saunders. According to Underhill’s report, the Saints traded Saunders to the New England Patriots in exchange for a conditional seventh-round draft pick in 2018.
The 22-year-old journeyman joined the squad last November after brief stops with the New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks. He quickly made an impact in New Orleans with a 99-yard kickoff return against the Atlanta Falcons, and he was heavily featured in the return game last week against the Texans.
But with the emergence of rookie return man Marcus Murphy this preseason, Saunders apparently became expendable.
Injury News
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The injury bug has bitten the Saints rather hard over the past few weeks, and on Wednesday, the team was hit with even more unfortunate news.
Cornerback Keenan Lewis underwent hip surgery Tuesday, according to Ian Rappaport of NFL Network, and the Saints No. 1 cover man is expected to miss four to six weeks.
Former CFL star and nickel corner Delvin Breaux is likely to replace Lewis as the starter on the outside. The rookie displayed impressive cover skills during his home debut last week, but there’s no denying the loss of Lewis hurts the Saints.
As for Tuesday’s practice, running backs C.J. Spiller and Khiry Robinson were both still out with injuries according to ESPN.com’s Mike Triplett. On the defensive side, safety Jairus Byrd and linebacker Dannell Ellerbe were also absent.
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What to Watch for
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Saints Penalties
New Orleans has been docked 334 yards in penalties through three games this preseason, and Payton’s club will be looking to cut down on the miscues in its final tuneup.
The Saints drew 16 flags for 143 penalty yards in their first contest at Baltimore, and they trimmed that number down in their follow-up game against New England.
New Orleans regressed Sunday night, however, as it piled up another 148 yards in penalties against the Texans.
Mistakes are undoubtedly going to happen in the preseason, but the Saints’ inflated penalty yardage numbers have drawn the concern of the head coach.
Payton voiced his displeasure with the situation after Sunday night’s game, and he was quoted as follows by Nick Underhill of the New Orleans Advocate:
“There’s areas that you look at each week and say, hey, this is something that’s got to be better. The penalties jump out.”
New Orleans Pass Rush
After generating very little pass rush in its first two exhibitions, New Orleans demonstrated some improvement Sunday night.
In fact, the Saints recorded their first sack of the preseason against Houston, and they registered five hits on Texans quarterbacks.
The New Orleans defensive front will look to continue its progress in this area Thursday night, as the September 13 season opener against the Arizona Cardinals draws near.
Players to Keep an Eye on
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Ryan Griffin
With Drew Brees and 2015 draft pick Garrett Grayson locks to occupy roster spots this season, there’s only room for one more quarterback on the final New Orleans roster.
Luke McCown has backed up Brees for the past two seasons, but he’s received some stiff competition this preseason from Ryan Griffin.
Standing 6’5” and possessing a live arm, Griffin is a former undrafted free agent who has made big strides during his two years with the Saints. The time is now, however, for the Tulane product to either seize the No. 2 job or seek a fresh start elsewhere.
Griffin delivered solid performances in the Saints’ first two preseason games, but his playing time was dramatically reduced in the Texans game.
Look for him to see lots of action against the Packers Thursday night, as he looks to unseat McCown for the coveted backup role.
Ashaad Mabry
Starters John Jenkins and Kevin Williams will hold rosters spots at the defensive tackle position, and rookie Tyeler Davison is a safe bet to make the team, as well.
Behind them, undrafted rookie Ashaad Mabry is coming off a solid outing, and Thursday’s game gives him a final opportunity to show what he can do.
The 315-pounder turned heads with six tackles and two TFL against the Texans a week ago, and he’ll be looking to make a lasting statement with another solid outing against Green Bay.
Willie Snead
With Toon and Saunders no longer in the picture, the Saints wideout position is a little less muddied than it was when camp opened a month ago.
After Marques Colston, Brandin Cooks and Brandon Coleman, two, possibly three, roster spots are yet to be claimed, and Willie Snead is in the mix to lock one of them down.
The former Carolina Panthers practice squad player has consistently delivered for the Saints offense this preseason, and he’ll definitely be someone to follow on Thursday night.
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