Welcome everyone to the third edition of #4Downs. In this edition, I’ll break down the Saints preseason matchup against the Houston Texans.
1st Down: Costly Penalties
One recurring issue in the preseason is that the New Orleans Saints are having too many costly penalties. During last week’s game, it seemed that the problem had been slightly taken care of. This week, the Saints had 11 penalties for 148 yards. And a lot of these allowed drives to be either extended or gave the Texans a fresh set of downs. This looks to be a recurring theme throughout the preseason that the Saints will need to clean up in the final preseason game against Green Bay.
2nd Down: Offensive Line Issues
With the exception of the first few drives for the Saints, the offensive line seemed to be out of sync. Luke McCown looked to be under pressure constantly. Rookie Garrett Grayson didn’t look as out of place as McCown, but it was still an issue. The Saints first team O-Line looks solid, giving Drew Brees more than enough time in the pocket to scope out the situation and get a pass off, or in the case of the run game, give the running backs a solid blocking path allowing them to get down the field for a first down. If a similar situation like last year where offensive linemen drop like flies, the Saints could be in major trouble because of inexperienced players like Andrus Peat who has been showing signs of not adjusting well to the pro game.
3rd Down: McCown vs Griffin
This battle for the second string QB is becoming less and less interesting. McCown over the last three weeks has put up decent numbers, but doesn’t seem to be working out for the Saints currently. The same could be said for Ryan Griffin who went one-for-three with a pick in the closing seconds, but McCown recieved significantly more reps than both Griffin and rookie QB Garrett Grayson. But, when the time comes for the 53-man roster to be finalized, don’t be surprised if Luke McCown is released from the team, especially after a shoddy performance.
4th Down: Position Battles Now Clearer
The only real positive out of this preseason matchup is that some of the position battles and players that could make that final 53-man roster are becoming more clear. One battle that seems to be in favor of one player is the position of kick returner and punt returner. If this were based only off this game, then Marcus Murphy deserves this spot on the team. The seventh-round pick out of Missouri really got a chance to showcase that natural speed with a huge 46-yard punt return that was wiped away off of an unnecessary roughness penalty. Nothing against Jalen Saunders who has also looked good in preseason, but Murphy looks to possibly be the next Darren Sproles. Another role that could be resolved is in the position of kicker. Both kickers have been tremendous in training camp, being consistent throughout, but Zack Hocker has really pushed himself to the front of the line with a huge 53-yarder at the end of the half to cut away at the lead. Both Hocker and Hopkins will have to prove themselves on Thursday in an outdoor setting in Lambeau for the preseason finale. Willie Snead is another player that has really looked terrific throughout preseason. Snead has almost solidified himself as one of the wideouts that will be with the team once the team’s roster is finalized.
Thanks for reading this week’s edition of #4Downs!
-Clint Domingue