What we learned from the Saints' preseason win at Jets

Drew Brees threw a touchdown pass in the first quarter and Deonte Harris scored on a punt return in the fourth.

Drew Brees really doesn’t need much seasoning.

The New Orleans Saints quarterback came out after one possession and eight plays in a 28-13 win against the New York Jets, the last play being a touchdown pass to Michael Thomas in the end zone.

He completed four of six passes for 68 yards in what should be his only preseason action. The eight plays were his fewest in the last three preseasons. Last season, he played 17 snaps in three possessions against the Los Angeles Chargers. In 2017, he played 27 snaps over five possessions against the Houston Texans.

In addition to Brees and Thomas, the Saints also pulled running back Alvin Kamara and left tackle Terron Armstead after the opening possession.

Certainly, the Saints’ first-team offense looked ready for Week 1 against the Texans.

• Cornerback Marshon Lattimore made the biggest play on defense. His forced fumble and recovery on the opening possession set up a field goal by Wil Lutz -- one of his four against the Jets -- that put the Saints ahead 10-0. Most first-team Saints defenders stayed on the field through three possessions, and the Sam Darnold-quarterbacked Jets remained scoreless until a touchdown on their fifth possession. 

• Tight end A.J. Derby might have made a case for a roster spot. The mid-training camp addition caught one pass for 14 yards in the first half and had another catch overturned after a replay review. The three-year NFL veteran came in after Garrett Griffin departed with an apparent leg injury. He walked off the field and was later carted to the locker room. Dan Arnold, another tight end, also was active with five receptions for 83 yards, perhaps good enough for another roster spot.

• The Saints want to see what more of what Deonte Harris can do. The undrafted rookie return specialist played his first snaps on offense this preseason and caught a late-half pass for 17 yards. The Saints signed veteran Marcus Sherels in the offseason, but his inactivity has opened a spot for Harris, who can ill-afford to have the ball punched out of his grasp like it was on a kick return in the second half. At least he made up for it with the punt return touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Deonte Harris making a strong case to be the #Saints returner with this 79-yard punt return for a TD. @FOX8NOLA pic.twitter.com/Z07wdk1Zbc

— Garland Gillen (@garlandgillen) August 25, 2019

• Keith Kirkwood could be a strong No. 4 receiver option if he stays healthy. He caught one pass for 11 yards against the Jets after missing the first two preseason games due to injury, but then went to the locker room in the first half and did not return. Undrafted rookie Emmanuel Butler might also have a roster spot with three first-half receptions for 24 yards. That duo plus Austin Carr could round out the crop of receivers behind Thomas, Ted Ginn Jr. and Tre'Quan Smith.

• Taysom Hill really is a good passer. The quick-footed quarterback did well to keep his eyes looking downfield on a big pass gain to Arnold in the middle of the field in the third quarter. Although quick, his first instinct isn't necessarily to run. He had a rushing touchdown taken off the board because of one of the more than 10 accepted penalties against the Saints.

• Teddy Bridgewater looked more like himself. One week after playing while sick, the 26-year-old replaced Brees after the opening series and played through the end of the half. He completed 15 of 26 for 143 yards. His final drive ended with the first missed field goal by Wil Lutz this preseason. Bridgewater also faced a lot of pressure, as the Jets got five QB hits on him.

• Backup right tackle Patrick Omameh had a rough third quarter. First, he bumped into Derby as the tight end set up for a screen pass and kept him from catching the ball. Later, his holding penalty nullified the rushing touchdown by Hill. With some backup positions on the offensive line still to be claimed, mistakes like those can be costly.

• Among all the penalties -- 31 in total and 14 by the Saints -- the helmet-to-helmet hit by Jets linebacker Brandon Bryant on Saints running back Dwayne Washington was the ugliest. Washington immediately went to the sideline and was reported soon after that to have a concussion. Washington's play on special teams is some of the reason why he has the No. 3 running back job secured. There's no telling how much impact the head injury will have on the three-year veteran.