The Saints’ preseason loss to the Rams was ugly enough on its own, but the part that really jumps off the page is what happened once they got near the goal line. New Orleans reached the red zone three times and came away empty, a reminder that this offense still has a major issue to clean up inside the 20.
That kind of failure is hard to shrug off, especially because red zone problems were already one of the biggest concerns throughout the offseason. It was one of the first things the offense showed improvement on during joint practice with the Jacksonville Jaguars, which helped ease some of the early camp worry. Saturday’s game, though, put the issue right back in view.
The Saints didn’t just stall out. They actively gave points away.
Spencer Rattler threw a 100 yard pick 6, Ty Chandler fumbled the ball and Tanner Brown missed a 39 yard field goal. Those three plays turned a rough day into a scoreless trip through the red zone.
It’s fair to say the starters didn’t create that mess, and that matters. The Saints are hoping Rattler and the now-injured Chandler won’t be central pieces in that area, and signs point to Brown looking for work elsewhere.
Still, the larger concern doesn’t disappear just because backups were involved. This was an issue last season too, and fans need more than “it was the backups” before they can fully trust it won’t show up again.
What has helped ease the concern is what the first group has shown in practice. In joint sessions, the Saints starters have looked sharper in the red area, with play calling and execution both landing where they need to be. That’s a big reason the preseason stumble can be filed under warning sign rather than full-blown panic.
There have also been individual bright spots. Shough connected with Bryce Lance multiple times versus the Rams, and Chris Olave was a problem all over the field, red zone included. That kind of work in practice suggests the offense is trending in the right direction, even if it hasn’t fully carried over into game action yet.
The numbers from last season underline why this keeps coming up. The Saints scored touchdowns on just 20 of their 45 red zone possessions, a 44.4% rate that was worse than even the New York Jets. To get up to the league average of 57.1%, they would have needed six more red zone touchdowns.
So yes, Saturday was mostly about backups and a preseason game that got away from them. But it also served as a blunt reminder of the Saints’ most frustrating flaw.
The signs in practice suggest improvement is real. The game tape says there’s still work to do.
In Other News...
Saints Finally Made The Kicker Move Fans Were Waiting On
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Carlson arrives with eight seasons of experience from his time with the Raiders, giving the Saints a veteran leg and a much clearer track record than the competition they just moved on from. For a team that has spent the summer searching for reliability in the kicking game, the addition is less about flash than certainty, and that is exactly what New Orleans has been chasing. [Read more 🡒]
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For New Orleans, the move is less about the headline player than the broader backfield picture it creates. Whites arrival gives the Saints another runner to sort through as they continue evaluating depth and fit, and any addition this late in the process tends to say something about where the team sees room to adjust. The trade may look straightforward on paper, but it leaves a bigger question hanging over how the Saints want the rest of the roster to settle. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Make A Backfield Move With Alvin Kamara Suddenly In Focus
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White arrives after recently signing with San Francisco as a free agent, while Jones brings a long league rsum that includes stops with multiple teams and contract restructures along the way. For New Orleans, the deal is less about the defensive side of the exchange and more about shoring up a position that has become more fragile with Kamaras status hanging over the offense. [Read more 🡒]