OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SAINTS CARDINALS PRESEASON GAME
 

Saints defeat the Cardinals 16-14 in State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona. Please discuss your thoughts on this thread. Rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler led the Saints on a successful two-minute drill to beat the Arizona Cardinals 16-14 on Saturday in Glendale.

Arizona took a 14-13 lead with 1:55 to play.

Rattler, a Phoenix native, then led the Saints on a 56-yard drive that finished with a 37-yard field goal from Charlie Smyth.

DISCUSS...

Re: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SAINTS LOSS TO THE CARDINALS…
 

I STAND CORRECTED! (But I DID get your attention, no?)

Still, please do discuss…

Re: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SAINTS LOSS TO THE CARDINALS…
 

1. Pass rush looks great. That was the missing piece to add to an already, elite secondary. That type of defense can win us a lot of games.

2. Derek Carr processes to slow for me. I said it last year and it seems like the new coordinator won’t be remedying that. Almost threw a pick when Olave was clearly open. Almost threw two picks actually. I’m done with Carr.

3. Spencer Rattler is clearly the future of this franchise. The ball jumps out of his hands with velocity. He scrambles effectively and efficiently as well. Can we trade Carr for an offensive lineman? Rattler needs to start.

4. I like James Robinson. I also like big bro Nacua. Holker looked great as well. Kool Aid? A dog.

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ALL FOUR POINTS… TOTALLY ON POINT.

Re: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SAINTS LOSS TO THE CARDINALS…
 

The bad …

Carr still has no control of this offense.
Trevor Penning has slow feet & still lost. LT, RT, he’s not good at either spot.
Isaiah Foskey is super stiff. Has no moves & seems to fade at the point of attack.

The good

Kool aid is a good looking rookie DB
Chase Young is impressive off the edge
Bresee is disruptive
Collectively, the defense played well
It’s early but Rattler looks the part

Re: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SAINTS LOSS TO THE CARDINALS…
 

Maybe if Carr has trouble processing, the latest cutting edge offense designed to confused defenses will confuse him too. Maybe Pete Carmichael had to dumb down the offense for Carr too.

If the Saints traded Carr and he waived whatever no trade clause he has, the trade partner would only pay $1.2mil this year, as the rest of his base salary has already been converted to a bonus check the Saints already paid. However, Carr is due $10 million guaranteed roster bonus and $30 million non guaranteed base salary next year. If the Saints cut bait on Carr, the trade partner would be stuck paying him $10 million to not play or $40 million to play next year. But if Carr got hurt playing for this other team, and was injured on 3/17/25, his $30 million salary would also guarantee. So, I dont think a team would risk trading for Carr. Its the same reason the Raiders cut Carr and the Broncos cut Wilson. If you want to move on from a player, their value is down, and nobody wants to risk triggering guarantees on a bloated contract if they are hurt.

The best move with Carr if and when the Saints decide he is not the answer is to sit him on the bench for the rest of the season and designate him a post-june-1 cut before the $30 million guarantee triggers.

If Kool Aid and Holker look good, it could make sense to consider moving on from Lattimore and Johnson. They might never be healthy anyway.

Re: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SAINTS LOSS TO THE CARDINALS…
 

“Maybe if Carr has trouble processing, the latest cutting edge offense designed to confused defenses will confuse him too. Maybe Pete Carmichael had to dumb down the offense for Carr too.”

BINGO ^^^

Re: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SAINTS LOSS TO THE CARDINALS…
 

I can't believe the first preseason game of 2024 is in the books. While always excited for the start of a Saints season, I hate thinking summer is almost over. That being said, I enjoyed seeing the team on the field, checking out the rookies, and having a cold one.

Who played well
1. Willie Gay (quick to the ball, you guys told me he's a dog )
2. Brian Bresee (wow!, hope he stays healthy)
3. Kool Aide (covers like a blanket, our secondary is stacked, bring Simmons)
4. Tony Jones, Jr. (crap, wrong team, James Robinson)
5. A.T. Perry (despite the stories from camp)

Who didn't
1. Isaiah Foskey (seems confused, slow to the ball)
2. Penning (saw a couple nice run blocks, but going to get a QB killed)
3. Dennis Allen (clock management at the end was F'd up)
4. The TV coverage (man they were all over the place warped)
5. Second half Run Defense

:bng:

Re: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SAINTS LOSS TO THE CARDINALS…
 

Kool-Aid didn't look that good to say let's trade our best CB, I wouldn't want him starting at nickel just yet. He was beat b2b on crossing routes when Clayton was at QB not super alarming but the lack of adjustment makes me want to see more the good was very good though I do agree. Sidebar Clayton Tune looked sharp. Didn't cath the firt team O but I heard they didn't look week 1 ready and didn't even go up against Arizona #1 defense

Re: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SAINTS CARDINALS PRESEASON GAME
 

36,30,6,34,99,28,58,59,17,Kolker all looked good

55,27,74,Penning looked rough. Foskey can go I just don't see it Saints can't draft a decent linemen to dave their life.

Re: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SAINTS CARDINALS PRESEASON GAME
 

Haener looked pretty good. That bomb to Perry was nice. Should be a good confidence boost for Perry as well. With him as a 3-4 WR I think the corps can be pretty solid.

Rattler looked good to. Would like to see the two switch groups for the next preseason game to see what happens.

Re: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SAINTS CARDINALS PRESEASON GAME
 

-Young looks dominant.
-Kool-Aid is legit.
-Holler can make plays.
-Rattler has the arm talent.
-Gay Jr. was a great signing.
-Perry is a gamer for sure.
-Clutch, powerful kick for the win.
-Everyone competed.

Re: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SAINTS LOSS TO THE CARDINALS…
 

Abhorrent field conditions for an NFL field. Looked like a HS field.

I'm with Rez, trade Carr for an OL. Who would want him is the problem .

Both Haener and Rattler had their moments. Their style of play differs. Haener showed flashes of his Fresno St production and bravado. Rattler looks more fluid and comfortable. Did we see a Brett Farve-esque hard ass throw no one else in that QB room can perform? He might be the closest thing to Mahomes (that's too high an evaluation at the moment).

Defense looks improved.

The kicking game also.

Round 2 next week.

Who's going to Yulman's stadium for that scrimmage?

Re: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SAINTS CARDINALS PRESEASON GAME
 

Re: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SAINTS CARDINALS PRESEASON GAME
 

We should be done with Carr after that terrible deep ball he threw to Olave down the right sideline. I’ll have to go back and see if his arm was hit on the play. That’s the only explanation for such poorly thrown ball.

Payton Turner was disruptive and left the game healthy.

Re: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SAINTS CARDINALS PRESEASON GAME
 

The Good:
- Fuaga.... DAYUM! His first step on pass protect is Pro level already! Nice pick up for the blindside!
- Gay....as my Grandmother would say, he's like horse $#it on a farm! He's all over the place!
- Defense as a Unit.... Top 5 even without a lot of our starters!

The Bad:
- Carr...I agree with several others. His reaction to progressions seems slow. I hope this is a result of Kubiak toning down the Offense until the regular season.
- DA... clock management at the end of the game was kind of weak. That pass rush is going to be something special!
- TE stable... Non-factors. We need our starters bad.

The Ugly:
- Non-starters on D... Run D and Pass D were both lacking for being against 3rd stringers.
- Penning... his footwork is atrocious. He's a run blocker only at this phase. He's going to get his QB murdered if they don't watch how he's being used.

Other Things on Notice:
- Nacua 2.0... Watch him. He's got talent.
- Kickers... Instead of going for it on 4th, let's see if they have some accuracy from 50+
- Special Teams... Looks like there are some opportunities with the new Kick Off rules. Rizzi has them looking pretty tight right now.
:bng:

Re: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SAINTS CARDINALS PRESEASON GAME
 

Guard and Tackle are still huge question marks. Patrick wasn't great but Penning moves on the field like an Australian Olympic Break-dancer.

It's the first preseason game so I'm eager to see if/how every bounces back.

Did Foskey or Turner make plays?

Re: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SAINTS CARDINALS PRESEASON GAME
 

Those two positions are legit concerns.

Foskey shows very little. When he engages at the point of attack, seems to be stuck in mud. Slow. No rip or swim moves. Nothing.

Payton Turner was good. Very good last night. Hopefully he stays healthy.

Re: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SAINTS CARDINALS PRESEASON GAME
 

Yeah, the very poor throw that got tipped/batted is a disaster waiting to happen. Not a pass a presumably seasoned highly paid hurler should even remotely think of letting go.

Hate to even utter that WutTheFoskey is earning his sarcastically adorned moniker. Is this a ND talent pool issue? It just seem that of late all ND talents don't pan out in the NFL. Hoping still that WTFoskey proves us all wrong. He needs to step up bigly.

Re: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SAINTS CARDINALS PRESEASON GAME
 

Re: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SAINTS CARDINALS PRESEASON GAME
 

Re: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SAINTS CARDINALS PRESEASON GAME
 

Re: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SAINTS CARDINALS PRESEASON GAME
 

With Penning, Foskey, or Carr, I wouldn't be surprised if we learned one day that there was a substance abuse issue. We know these things happen in the NFL and often big busts are attributed to them, but nobody usually ever finds out until after the bust is out of the league. New Orleans has had these problems before with Bird Man. Jamarcus Russell's problems may have started at LSU. It's reasonable to wonder.

Penning came from a very small town, high school class of 40, went to a small rural school, no NIL or big parties, and suddenly he is a top pick in the NFL, tons of money and fans, in New Orleans, then he gets hurt, gets pain killers, has nothing to do. From interviews you can tell he is not the sharpest tool in the shed. That mean streak that was on all his scouting reports in the draft, that bully attitude, sometimes that comes from a place of pain and anger, and sometimes people with a lot of money, access to parties, pain, and anger, find a solution they can buy. You look at how Penning plays, then you think about how a young Ram might play if he was on meth or fentanyl, and thats about what we are seeing out of Penning. You know what will slow your feet? Some heroine. If there has ever been a Saint who looks like they are playing through opioid induced constipation it is Penning.

Foskey, very similar. Went to a religious school. Now he's in a party city. Looks like something is slowing him down.

Carr is always super jittery and fidgety and awkward in interviews. I know he is a religious family guy but it could be a mid life crisis. I think Vegas with Henry Ruggs, Antonio Brown, John Gruden, Josh McDaniels, etc is a place someone could pick up bad habits. And then in New Orleans he has been constantly injured and maybe needed something to take the edge off. Sometimes he is slow to process, sometimes he jumps and makes the wrong decision instantly. My uncle is a Raiders fan and described Carr as sometimes playing great but sometimes going into 'Carr Mode' where he plays like he doesn't know where he is. I completely would not be surprised if Carr was powdering his nose on gamedays LT style.

With Penning, there could also be the steroid angle. He was not highly recruited out of high school. He had the size, but was not strong at all. Suddenly in college he becomes Mr. All World RAS and playing very angry. I don't know how thorough the testing is at the FCS level and how easy it may be to evade. One would think the NCAA might put its A team on FBS since there is far more money, gambling, and media attention there. There is probably a lot of access to vet medicines in Iowa for horses and such. Maybe Penning beat the easy security at Northern Iowa, roided up to put muscles on that frame, got his draft money, and is off the juice now.

Re: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SAINTS CARDINALS PRESEASON GAME
 

LOL!

Re: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SAINTS CARDINALS PRESEASON GAME
 

Back to reality.

Looks like we may not see any of the actual new offensive scheme until the regular season. At least not in preseason games.

Re: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SAINTS CARDINALS PRESEASON GAME
 

Foskey … meh.

His ceiling may be special teams.

Re: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SAINTS CARDINALS PRESEASON GAME
 

I didn’t watch game last night, but after reading everyone’s chat about how ****ty the offensive line was (Penning in particular) and how underwhelming Carr was, it didn’t make me very excited for the season.

I know the offense is going to be vanilla but I would’ve like to have read that Carr was picking up where he left off at the end of last season. I know there’s still a chance of that, but the chatter isn’t making me very confident.

Re: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SAINTS CARDINALS PRESEASON GAME
 

Notice Fuaga's footwork and hand placement.

Re: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SAINTS CARDINALS PRESEASON GAME
 

They revealed a **** ton. They showed their offensive line can’t even do their job in a vanilla offense, nevermind one with a complicated scheme. They don’t have the basic fundamentals to block for a high school team. Loomis needs to get on the phone to Petermans agent because if either one of our young Qb’s go in when Carr gets hurt their confidence is gone for good.

Re: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SAINTS CARDINALS PRESEASON GAME
 

They also revealed that Klint Kubiak is not the long awaited messiah.

Re: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SAINTS CARDINALS PRESEASON GAME
 

Turning water into wine is easier than turning Penning into a serviceable starting tackle. ;-)

Re: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SAINTS CARDINALS PRESEASON GAME
 

It’s only year 2 but Bryan Bresee stands out to me.

He’s quickly becoming a force & potentially a 3 down DT.

IMO he will become dominant.

Re: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SAINTS CARDINALS PRESEASON GAME
 

They reportedly didn't even run any of the "Kubiak" offense in the game, nor are they likely to until the regular season.

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Re: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SAINTS CARDINALS PRESEASON GAME
 

Re: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SAINTS CARDINALS PRESEASON GAME
 

Freaking brilliant. Hold back your “Kubiak” Offense during Preseason, and then “test” it to see if it works during the Regular Season, so that we can make adjustments in the next Off Season. So tricky, I’m sure Derek Carr and the “Offensive” line will be baffled.

Re: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SAINTS CARDINALS PRESEASON GAME
 

Carr Gotta Go! :beatnik:

Re: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SAINTS CARDINALS PRESEASON GAME
 

Excess Carrgo. Indeed.

Re: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SAINTS CARDINALS PRESEASON GAME
 

He is kinda awkward in front of a mic, isn't he? I don't have a clue how I missed this up until now. I guess I never bothered to listen to an entire DA presser!

Wow.

Re: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SAINTS CARDINALS PRESEASON GAME
 

He’s a “Ummm”… DUD. “Ummm”…