The Saints’ second preseason game comes with a different kind of pressure.
With joint practice against the Los Angeles Rams in the mix, New Orleans won’t be rolling out its starters again. That shifts the attention where it belongs in August: on the roster fights that are actually live, the jobs that can still be won, and the players who need to prove something right now.
At quarterback, Zach Wilson is suddenly the name to watch. There’s a real chance he gets the start in preseason Week 2, and if that happens, he’ll be trying to push ahead in a backup battle that barely existed a week ago.
Wilson was working with the third team earlier in camp, but his showing in the opener earned him reps with the second unit this week for the first time this offseason. The next step is simple: keep that momentum going no matter which group he’s playing with.
That puts Spencer Rattler in a tougher spot. Wilson’s performance didn’t just help him - it applied direct pressure on Rattler, who went from a possible trade piece to a legitimate contender for the QB2 job in the span of one game.
Rattler now needs a cleaner outing to change the conversation. Last week included a fumble tied to poor ball security, and he wasn’t consistently pushing the ball downfield.
He had low lows and average highs, and this week he needs to sharpen at least the latter.
Bryce Lance is in a different lane. He’s not in danger of losing anything, but he does need to show that the camp buzz is real.
Lance has been stacking strong practices, including two touchdowns in joint work against the Rams. He doesn’t need to duplicate that in the game to validate it.
A couple of solid grabs, the kind that simply back up what’s been seen in practice, would do the trick. With Jordyn Tyson out for 2 months, Lance’s strong start matters even more.
Bub Means is one of the receivers whose performance could directly affect the roster picture. He flashed last week with a 27-yard catch and a 37-yard catch downfield, both on throws from Zach Wilson.
That connection has shown up in practice too, and it carried into the preseason. With Tyson’s injury likely pushing the Saints toward keeping six receivers, Means, Kevin Austin Jr. and Trey Palmer are all part of the same conversation.
Means led the team in receiving yards last week, and another productive night would strengthen his case.
Then there’s Isaac Yiadom, the defensive player in the group, and the one with the most to clean up. Camp has not gone well, and neither did his preseason debut.
Barion Brown’s best moments have often come with Yiadom in coverage, which is not the kind of pattern a veteran corner wants attached to his name. Yiadom came into camp as a former starter expected to provide useful depth, but he hasn’t played to that level.
At this point, the only thing helping him is that there are still question marks behind him. If the struggles continue, the Saints may be looking for another corner after cutdowns.
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Jason Whitlock used the postgame spotlight to go after that decision, criticizing the networks and framing Songs role as part of a broader shift he sees around who gets hired for these jobs. The Rams still move on to the rest of their preseason slate and then the regular season, but the buzz from this one has left an off-field debate hanging around a game the Saints would probably rather file away and forget. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Backfield Depth Just Took Another Hit With Devin Neal
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Neal had also missed time earlier in training camp with a hamstring injury, making this latest problem especially discouraging for a player trying to carve out a role. He was one of several Saints to leave the game hurt, with Lorenzo Styles, Bub Means, Moliki Matavao, Torricelli Simpkins III and Brien Taylor also dealing with injuries, adding to the sense that New Orleans is piling up absences at an inconvenient moment. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Backups Just Created A Preseason Problem Fans Cant Ignore
The Saints got another long look at the bottom of the roster against the Rams, and it was not a flattering one. Los Angeles controlled the game from the start, built a 20-0 halftime lead and never let the outcome feel in doubt, with the Rams backups and depth players making the stronger case throughout the night.
Alex Cooks pick-six, Jarquez Hunters touchdown run and solid work from Wesley Bailey, Stetson Bennett, CJ Daniels, Austin Blaske and others turned the preseason meeting into a reminder of how much can swing once the starters are gone. For New Orleans, that is the part of August that matters now, because the challenge is no longer just finding flashes, but deciding which reserves can actually help when the games count. [Read more 🡒]