Some things went really, really well for the New Orleans Saints in their preseason win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Other things didn’t. Some players had the worst day imaginable, while others reached heights no one expected of them.
It was as dramatic a finish as fans could hope for in the preseason opener. Things are going to shift wildly in the month ahead, so let’s recap everything with our biggest and boldest overreactions after the first week of the preseason:
The best rookie Saints RB wasn't a draft pick
It was a really tough day for Kendre Miller. The third-round pick didn’t make any headway behind the second-team offensive line, picking up just 5 yards on 4 carries before an injury forced him out of the game. He didn’t get many opportunities to flash his skills as a receiver, catching his lone target to gain a single yard.
Then Ellis Merriweather stepped in. In a vacuum, his final line isn’t that impressive — 9 carries for 24 rushing yards and a couple of receptions for 17 receiving yards. But within context of him working behind a Saints offensive line that couldn’t open lanes and against a Chiefs defense known for rallying to the ball, it’s nice to see. If nothing else the narrative that he stood up when the team needed him, short-handed at running back and trailing by seven points, strengthens his case.
After the game Dennis Allen said Miller was dealing with a knee sprain, which could put him on ice for the rest of the preseason. That’s going to open up a lot of opportunities for Merriweather that may have not been there before. He’ll get more work on passing downs as a receiver and blocker. If Merriweather continues to make the most of those reps it’ll be hard to keep him off the 53-man roster in September. Is this another Antonio Pittman-Pierre Thomas situation?
The kicker competition is closer than we expected
Both kickers have been solid through training camp, but it was Blake Grupe who got the nod to try the game-winning field goal. Maybe that means something — did Dennis Allen trust him more than Wil Lutz from 31 yards?
It probably means nothing, or at most just that Allen wanted to give Grupe a chance in a high-leverage situation. It doesn’t get more critical for a kicker than a game-winning field goal as time expires, and that had to have been a great experience for the rookie kicker.
Lutz still got the first nod to go into the game, and that confidence in him paid off. The veteran connected on both of his extra-point attempts as well as a 36-yard field goal. We’ll see if Grupe gets more early-game situations to prove himself, but he’s off to a good start in keeping this roster battle tight through the next month.
Offensive line depth will be this team's downfall
No position has lost more players to injuries at Saints training camp than the offensive line, and that lack of depth was exposed against the Chiefs. Kansas City’s backups and reserves on the second- and third-team units consistently won the line of scrimmage whenever New Orleans had the ball in the second half. The Saints don’t have the depth to withstand more injuries in the trenches.
It’s a consequence of poor drafting and development in recent years. The Saints swung and missed on late-round prospects like Rick Leonard and Will Clapp (2018) while investing too many picks in trades for dead-end prospects like Adam Trautman and Tommy Stevens (2020). All of the draft capital invested in them could have been put to better use restocking the line with players who, well, could play at a professional level.
The good news is that the Saints won’t face many situations in the regular season where their depth could get exposed. Either Andrus Peat or James Hurst will be coming off the bench with the other starting at left guard. The team only dresses seven or eight linemen on game days, and the top of the depth chart is solid. When backups with no business being out there are forming the entire lineup, well, you get botched snaps on critical two-point conversion attempts.
Bryan Bresee is a rare asset at defensive tackle
You hear it said often in the NFL, but there really aren’t many people Bresee’s size who move as easily as he does. He was immediately disruptive when he stepped into the game in the second quarter, pressuring Chiefs backup quarterback Shane Buechele into a poorly-advised throw which Alontae Taylor deflected and Ugo Amadi intercepted. He continued to hold his place at the line of scrimmage into the second half and forced the Kansas City passers into winding up to throw quicker than they’d like. His inside spin move is already dangerous.
But this comes back to a common line with Saints draft picks: he’ll be a problem if he can just stay healthy. There were players I liked better than Bresee who also enjoyed strong debuts like Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Keeanu Benton, but all Bresee needs to do to be great is continue putting in the work and staying on the field. He’s already off to a great start. It isn’t hyperbole to say he’s the best athlete the Saints have had as a three-technique defensive tackle since they drafted Sheldon Rankins back in 2016.
