Who Impressed and Who Disappointed In Saints Preseason Clash Against Cardinals

Here's who stood out and who created cause for concern for New Orleans in their preseason opener against Arizona.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler (18) passes against the Arizona Cardinals / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The New Orleans Saints emerged from their first preseason game with a 16-14 road victory at the Arizona Cardinals. New Orleans was outstanding defensively, carrying the way to a 6-0 halftime lead, holding the Cardinals to just 112 first half yards, and forced a turnover on downs twice.

It was a forgettable night for an offense led by new coordinator Klint Kubiak, but one with some moments to build momentum. Both backup quarterbacks, Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler, led impressive two-minute drives at the end of each half.

Haener's was a 73-yard march for a field goal where the second-year quarterback completed four of five throws, including a 58-yard strike to WR A.T. Perry.

Rattler took the Saints on a 15-play, 46-yard drive in the waning moments of the fourth quarter that ended with a game-winning field goal from Charlie Smyth. The rookie quarterback completed six of his 10 throws on the drive, patiently working the defense underneath.

More important than a preseason win is which players and positions put on an impressive showing. There were a few but also some cause for concern in some areas, even with the mindset of a first preseason outing.

RELATED ARTICLE: Exciting Highlights And Notes From Saints' Preseason Kickoff

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STOCK UP

New Orleans Saints wide receiver A.T. Perry (17) catches a long pass against the Arizona Cardinals / neworleanssaints.com

• A.T. Perry, WR
• Chase Young, DE
• Willie Gay Jr., LB

Perry caught all four of his targets for a game-high 85 yards, including that crucial 58-yard play where he got great separation for Haener. His slow start to camp created some initial concern, but Perry has come on strong recently. After a promising finish to his rookie year, he's starting to show why the Saints didn't put a heavy priority on trying to find another top-tier wideout to go with Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed this offseason.

Young led a starting New Orleans defensive line that created havoc during their limited reps. Bryan Bresee, Carl Granderson, Nathan Shepherd, and Payton Turner made plays too, but Young's performance had to be the most encouraging. It's still early, but Young looked like a player that will force teams to use multiple blockers against him and still may not prevent him from making plays.

Gay was the defensive star of the night. Yes, the Saints played extremely well up front, but Gay flew around the field like a man possessed. He seems to have a firm grasp of the defensive scheme already and shows both the instincts and athleticism to be a playmaker in every situation.

RELATED ARTICLE: Inside Scoop: Key Takeaways from Saints' Preseason Triumph

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STOCK DOWN

New Orleans Saints running back Jamaal Williams (21) runs against the Arizona Cardinals / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

• Trevor Penning, OT
• every other offensive lineman not named Taliese Fuaga
• backup linebackers

Making a move from left tackle to right tackle this offseason, Penning still looks overwhelmed by the NFL. He's helpless against speed rushers, especially on his inside shoulder, and hasn't shown the footwork to deal with counter moves or set a base against power rushes. Penning has flashed some decent run blocking skills, but continues to be a potentially major liability for a line that has no answers if this move to right tackle doesn't work.
Penning's poor play stood out, but Landon Young and Olisaemeka Udoh were no better at tackle when they were in the game.

Additionally, no one is taking control of the competition for a starting role at left guard. Again, it's early, but the Saints weren't able to establish the run, have two potentially major holes up front, and zero reliable depth if something happens to any of their three promising starters up front.

Demario Davis, Pete Werner, and Gay look like they'll be the best trio of linebackers that the Saints have had in decades. The competition for the rest of the linebacker spots is still close, but none of them stood out against the Cardinals. Arizona QBs Desmond Ridder and Clayton Tune broke containment or were able to extend plays several times against the second and third team linebackers.

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ENCOURAGING STARTS

New Orleans Saints quarterback Jake Haener (3) throws against the Arizona Cardinals / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

• Taliese Fuaga, LT
• Spencer Rattler, QB
• Jake Haener, QB
• Dallin Holker, TE

You'd like to see more reps from Fuaga, but he already looks like a strong fit at left tackle. His footwork is terrific, he plays with nice strength and solid technique, and is not overwhelmed by the NFL despite also playing a new position from college.

Haener and Rattler both still have a lot to prove. However, each showed different yet encouraging traits that could grow rapidly in the offense. It's a battle that's still way too close to call, but should be a fun one to watch over the next few weeks.

Holker was an early camp sensation and it's easy to see why. He adds nice athleticism to the tight end spot, combined with impressive route awareness. Holker, who caught three passes for 24 yards against Arizona, still has some work to do to solidify a spot, but took a big step in doing so on Saturday.

RELATED ARTICLE: Saints Backup Quarterback Battle: Who Has The Edge After Defeating The Cardinals?

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JURY OUT

Saints running back James Robinson (26) spins for extra yards against the Cardinals defense / Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

• 1st Team Offense
• backup wide receivers
• safeties

With the offensive line issues, it's hard to see what this unit can do. However, competent blocking is obviously a critical part of a successful offense. We didn't see a ton of motion or different formations from an otherwise vanilla game plan, but saw enough to know this will be a vastly different unit this season. One such play was a beautifully executed play-action bootleg pass from Haener to Holker in the second quarter. Expect to see more of those kind of plays in the next few weeks.

Undrafted rookie Mason Tipton (hamstring) unfortunately missed this game after a sensational start to training camp. Cedrick Wilson, Samson Nacua, and Kevin Austin got some nice separation on a few instances, but the unit in general needs to make some more plays.

The Saints met with All-Pro free-agent safety Justin Simmons this week, but parted without a contract. If you're looking for a reason why the Saints don't need Simmons, then this wasn't the game to watch. It's not like the New Orleans safeties had a bad night. Jordan Howden, Will Harris, Ugo Amadi, and Johnathan Abram were simply ordinary. Unless Simmons has ridiculous contract demands, then this is a deal we could see happen this week.