USA Today/The Saints Wire: Best 3 player performances in Saints' loss to Cardinals

jeanpierre · 08-19-2018, 12:00 PM

jeanpierre · 08-19-2018, 12:04 PM

By: John Sigler | 15 minutes ago

The New Orleans Saints lost their second preseason game, but a number of players still put up good tape. Here’s the top performers from the preseason home opener against the Arizona Cardinals:

Ryan Ramczyk, OT

New Orleans’ starting right tackle looked Pro Bowl-bound against Arizona, winning nearly all of his 16 snaps and leaving with Pro Football Focus’s highest run-blocking grade of the week. There was one play on the second drive where Ramczyk took off to the second level, buried a hapless Arizona linebacker, and then moved further upfield to seal off another defender to keep running back Mark Ingram on his feet. Ramczyk led the Saints in snaps played last year (1,037) and figures to be even better in his second season.

A.J. Klein, LB

Klein looked like the linebacker New Orleans thought he was in last year’s free agency period, though most of his 21 snaps were spent on the second-string defense. Klein showed efficient flow to the ball and didn’t get exposed in coverage. He read his keys quickly and was often the first man to meet the Cardinals’ running backs at the line of scrimmage. For now he’s penciled in as the starting strongside linebacker and second-string middle linebacker after Manti Te’o, but I expect Saints linebackers coach Mike Nolan will continue to move Klein around to find his best fit.

Henry Mondeaux, DL

It’s fine if you’re not that familiar with Mondeaux, but his performance Friday night suggests that maybe you should be. The big defensive end went undrafted out of Oregon but made the most of his 16 snaps last week, ranking in Pro Football Focus’s top 10 run defenders at the position. He also bagged a few pressures on rookie quarterback Josh Rosen with the second-string defense, but picked up an ugly roughing the passer penalty on a Cardinals third down to extend the drive. New Orleans may only have one or two spots available at the bottom of their defensive line depth chart, and Mondeaux did all he could to earn one.

jeanpierre · 08-19-2018, 12:09 PM

After Unger, Ramczyk is our best offensive linemen and should've gotten at least a ProBowl nod last season as a rookie, even before Warford...

Glad to see Klein's play improving; as I posited on another thread, I really believe Klein had more injuries than Payton disclosed last season...

Really happy to see Mondeaux able to turn it on, especially for a guy stricken with Diabetes; hoping for our sake we can keep him on PS...

Also thought OL Will Clapp, RB Boston Scott, RB Jonathan Williams, and CB Justin Hardee turned in some great game film...

Keith Kirkwood made an amazing grab with a defender in near-perfect coverage - we really need to keep him as well...

jeanpierre · 08-19-2018, 01:51 PM

And it also seems the entire Saints media is ignoring how well Max Unger is playing, again...

Rugby Saint II · 08-19-2018, 06:26 PM

Klein still can't tackle well though......

The Dude · 08-19-2018, 11:48 PM

Originally Posted by jeanpierre

And it also seems the entire Saints media is ignoring how well Max Unger is playing, again...

No. They have just come to expect it. He’s rock solid and will probably wind up being the best trade steal we’ve ever had.

K Major · 08-20-2018, 01:08 PM

Originally Posted by Rugby Saint II

Klein still can't tackle well though......

I saw a slight improvement in Klein however Davis is the only quality starter we have at LB so far. Teo & AJ are simply limited athletically & Anzalone (has athletic ability) struggled with tackling as well.

On the replay of game 2 of p/s, I zero'd in on Demario Davis. He has the instincts, speed & strength at the position. Once he starts to "gel" with his new team mates, expect him to pick up where he left off last year while with the Jets.

Rugby Saint II · 08-21-2018, 08:05 PM

Originally Posted by K Major

I saw a slight improvement in Klein however Davis is the only quality starter we have at LB so far. Teo & AJ are simply limited athletically & Anzalone (has athletic ability) struggled with tackling as well.

On the replay of game 2 of p/s, I zero'd in on Demario Davis. He has the instincts, speed & strength at the position. Once he starts to "gel" with his new team mates, expect him to pick up where he left off last year while with the Jets.

I dang sure hope so!

08-19-2018, 12:00 PM	#1
jeanpierre Site Donor 2018 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Thibodaux Posts: 43,543 Blog Entries: 39	USA Today/The Saints Wire: Best 3 player performances in Saints' loss to Cardinals Twitter

08-19-2018, 12:04 PM	#2
jeanpierre Site Donor 2018 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Thibodaux Posts: 43,543 Blog Entries: 39	Re: USA Today/The Saints Wire: Best 3 player performances in Saints' loss to Cardinals By: John Sigler \| 15 minutes ago The New Orleans Saints lost their second preseason game, but a number of players still put up good tape. Here’s the top performers from the preseason home opener against the Arizona Cardinals: Ryan Ramczyk, OT New Orleans’ starting right tackle looked Pro Bowl-bound against Arizona, winning nearly all of his 16 snaps and leaving with Pro Football Focus’s highest run-blocking grade of the week. There was one play on the second drive where Ramczyk took off to the second level, buried a hapless Arizona linebacker, and then moved further upfield to seal off another defender to keep running back Mark Ingram on his feet. Ramczyk led the Saints in snaps played last year (1,037) and figures to be even better in his second season. A.J. Klein, LB Klein looked like the linebacker New Orleans thought he was in last year’s free agency period, though most of his 21 snaps were spent on the second-string defense. Klein showed efficient flow to the ball and didn’t get exposed in coverage. He read his keys quickly and was often the first man to meet the Cardinals’ running backs at the line of scrimmage. For now he’s penciled in as the starting strongside linebacker and second-string middle linebacker after Manti Te’o, but I expect Saints linebackers coach Mike Nolan will continue to move Klein around to find his best fit. Henry Mondeaux, DL It’s fine if you’re not that familiar with Mondeaux, but his performance Friday night suggests that maybe you should be. The big defensive end went undrafted out of Oregon but made the most of his 16 snaps last week, ranking in Pro Football Focus’s top 10 run defenders at the position. He also bagged a few pressures on rookie quarterback Josh Rosen with the second-string defense, but picked up an ugly roughing the passer penalty on a Cardinals third down to extend the drive. New Orleans may only have one or two spots available at the bottom of their defensive line depth chart, and Mondeaux did all he could to earn one.
	It's not that my way is the right way, I just make the right way my way...

08-19-2018, 12:09 PM	#3
jeanpierre Site Donor 2018 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Thibodaux Posts: 43,543 Blog Entries: 39	Re: USA Today/The Saints Wire: Best 3 player performances in Saints' loss to Cardinals After Unger, Ramczyk is our best offensive linemen and should've gotten at least a ProBowl nod last season as a rookie, even before Warford... Glad to see Klein's play improving; as I posited on another thread, I really believe Klein had more injuries than Payton disclosed last season... Really happy to see Mondeaux able to turn it on, especially for a guy stricken with Diabetes; hoping for our sake we can keep him on PS... Also thought OL Will Clapp, RB Boston Scott, RB Jonathan Williams, and CB Justin Hardee turned in some great game film... Keith Kirkwood made an amazing grab with a defender in near-perfect coverage - we really need to keep him as well...
	It's not that my way is the right way, I just make the right way my way...

08-19-2018, 01:51 PM	#4
jeanpierre Site Donor 2018 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Thibodaux Posts: 43,543 Blog Entries: 39	Re: USA Today/The Saints Wire: Best 3 player performances in Saints' loss to Cardinals And it also seems the entire Saints media is ignoring how well Max Unger is playing, again...

08-19-2018, 06:26 PM	#5
Rugby Saint II Bounty Money $$$ Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 5800 Airline Dr. Metairie, LA. Posts: 24,073	Re: USA Today/The Saints Wire: Best 3 player performances in Saints' loss to Cardinals Klein still can't tackle well though...... K Major likes this.

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08-19-2018, 11:48 PM	#6
The Dude 5000 POSTS! + Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 9,050	Re: USA Today/The Saints Wire: Best 3 player performances in Saints' loss to Cardinals Originally Posted by jeanpierre And it also seems the entire Saints media is ignoring how well Max Unger is playing, again... No. They have just come to expect it. He’s rock solid and will probably wind up being the best trade steal we’ve ever had.
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08-20-2018, 01:08 PM	#7
K Major Site Donor 2019 Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Bedford, TX Posts: 24,622 Blog Entries: 3	Re: USA Today/The Saints Wire: Best 3 player performances in Saints' loss to Cardinals Originally Posted by Rugby Saint II Klein still can't tackle well though...... I saw a slight improvement in Klein however Davis is the only quality starter we have at LB so far. Teo & AJ are simply limited athletically & Anzalone (has athletic ability) struggled with tackling as well. On the replay of game 2 of p/s, I zero'd in on Demario Davis. He has the instincts, speed & strength at the position. Once he starts to "gel" with his new team mates, expect him to pick up where he left off last year while with the Jets. Rugby Saint II likes this.

08-21-2018, 08:05 PM	#8
Rugby Saint II Bounty Money $$$ Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 5800 Airline Dr. Metairie, LA. Posts: 24,073	Re: USA Today/The Saints Wire: Best 3 player performances in Saints' loss to Cardinals Originally Posted by K Major I saw a slight improvement in Klein however Davis is the only quality starter we have at LB so far. Teo & AJ are simply limited athletically & Anzalone (has athletic ability) struggled with tackling as well. On the replay of game 2 of p/s, I zero'd in on Demario Davis. He has the instincts, speed & strength at the position. Once he starts to "gel" with his new team mates, expect him to pick up where he left off last year while with the Jets. I dang sure hope so!

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