The NFC South’s preseason storylines took a sharp turn in Week 3, with Atlanta delivering the loudest statement, Tampa Bay finding another win, Carolina bouncing back, and New Orleans enduring a night it would rather forget.
Tampa Bay’s trip to Kansas City was low on points but high on encouraging signs. The Buccaneers still walked away with the win, and QB Jalon Daniels once again stood out as one of the brightest pieces on the roster this preseason.
He impressed in Week 1 and carried that momentum into this victory in Week 2. First-round pick Rueben Bain Jr. also made his presence felt, including one snap where he completely took over the opposing right tackle.
There was also movement off the field in Tampa Bay. Since last week’s state of the NFC South, DT Vita Vea signed a contract extension, though it was only for one year. The expectation is that he stays in Tampa Bay, but that could shift if the year goes sideways.
Carolina flipped the script after last week’s two-score loss to Buffalo. This time, the Panthers came away with a win against Jacksonville, and their quarterback group handled the day well.
Kenny Pickett, Bryce Young, and Kyle Trask all took part, with Pickett serving as the main QB and finishing with 137 yards and 1 touchdown. Carolina’s starters saw some action in the third preseason game, and there’s a chance they’ll get even more work in the final one.
That final preseason matchup will be against the Houston Texans.
Atlanta had the biggest day of any NFC South team. The Falcons rolled past the Indianapolis Colts by 28 points, and rookie QB Jack Strand turned heads again.
The UDFA has been one of the most impressive parts of Atlanta’s preseason and could be a legitimate dark horse QB going forward. The final preseason game should bring more attention, too, with Michael Penix beginning to ramp up toward being able to play and Tua Tagovailoa ready to suit up again.
New Orleans, meanwhile, took the roughest result of the week. The Saints were blanked 34-0 by the Rams in a game that was as ugly as the score suggests.
Even with the caveat that it’s still preseason, it was the kind of performance that sticks with you. Injuries only made matters worse, and there wasn’t much to learn from the position battles.
Zach Wilson and Spencer Rattler both struggled, and neither is set for a major opportunity in Week 3. The backup quarterback race is still wide open, and if both come up short again, the Saints could be looking to add another arm to the room. Kellen Moore and the staff have already moved quickly to bring in new players and reinforcements, but the work may not be done yet.
In Other News...
Kellen Moore Sounds Just Like Saints Fans On This Strange LSU Move
Zxavian Harris never got the chance to suit up for the Saints after landing on the NFI list, and now the former undrafted free agent is heading back to college football with LSU. The move is an unusual one on its face, but it fits into a broader trend of players who have taken a step into the pro game and then found their way back to campus, with Harris part of the 2022 high school class granted a fifth year of eligibility.
Kellen Moores reaction sounded a lot like the one plenty of Saints fans probably had when the news surfaced, because the whole path raises questions about how these decisions are handled and how much regulation really exists around them. For New Orleans, it is another reminder that roster-building and player movement are not always clean, linear processes, especially when a young players career can veer back toward college after already entering the NFL orbit. [Read more 🡒]
Three Saints Have Forced Their Way Into The Roster Conversation
With the preseason winding down against Dallas, the Saints have a few roster decisions that suddenly look a lot less straightforward than they did a few weeks ago. Bub Means, Jayden Price and Jaylan Ford have all taken advantage of their chances in camp and preseason action, forcing the coaching staff to take a hard look at where they fit heading into cutdown day.
Means has come back from injury and immediately made noise, leading New Orleans in receiving yards in the preseason opener. Price has helped himself in the secondary with steady play and an interception, while Ford has stood out at linebacker with tackles and a pick, enough to factor into the Saints decision-making and even help prompt the trade of a veteran linebacker. The final preseason game should tell the rest of the story, but all three have already done plenty to change the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Saints May Have Finally Fixed A Problem Fans Know Too Well
The Saints spent another offseason trying to settle one of the quieter but most frustrating issues on their roster, and this time they may have found a real answer. Ryan Wright arrives in New Orleans after four seasons with the Vikings, where he entered the league as an undrafted punter in 2022 and quickly established himself as one of the more reliable legs in the NFL.
For a team that has dealt with too much turnover and uncertainty at punter since Thomas Morstead moved on, Wrights four-year contract signals a real commitment to stability. New Orleans has been searching for a clean fix in a spot most fans only notice when it goes wrong, and Wright gives the Saints a chance to finally stop treating the position like a yearly problem to solve. [Read more 🡒]