What to watch in Saints vs. Vikings

SmashMouth · 08-08-2019, 01:36 PM

Observers of Friday night’s preseason opener between the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome shouldn’t blink too hard or they might miss the starters.

The exhibition games are a tool for the Saints coaching staff as part of the evaluation process before the team establishes the initial 53-player roster for the regular season.

And with so many clear starters on an already loaded roster, the Saints’ upcoming preseason slate should feature plenty of backups commanding playing time while jockeying for position on the depth chart.

TEDDY TIME

With Drew Brees and the rest of the Saints’ established starters not likely to play much –– if at all –– Friday night, other players should see extended action on the field. With just three quarterbacks on the roster, Teddy Bridgewater and Taysom Hill project to see plenty of playing time.

Of the two signal-callers, Bridgewater provides plenty of intrigue outside of facing his former team. He’s coming off his first full offseason with the Saints and has enjoyed strong performances with a variety of throws during 11 days of training camp practices.

While the Saints brought back Bridgewater on a one-year deal in March, the path to a potential long-term deal in New Orleans effectively starts now.

RUNNING BACK DEPTH

Alvin Kamara and Latavius Murray project as the top two running backs, and Dwayne Washington currently pencils in at No. 3.

Washington, whom coach Sean Payton recently pointed out is having a good camp, originally joined the Saints practice squad in early September 2018 before being elevated to the active roster. He faces competition from rookie Devine Ozigbo, recently signed Jacquizz Rodgers and Matthew Dayes, who has missed the past two practices for undisclosed reasons.

Ozigbo has quietly had his moments, including a play during the night practice at Tulane when he picked up a blitzing linebacker to allow Brees time to step up and find wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith for a touchdown during 11-on-11 drills at the goal line.

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08-08-2019, 01:36 PM	#1
SmashMouth I donated, did you? Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Mandeville, LA Posts: 38,479 Blog Entries: 29	What to watch in Saints vs. Vikings Observers of Friday night’s preseason opener between the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome shouldn’t blink too hard or they might miss the starters. The exhibition games are a tool for the Saints coaching staff as part of the evaluation process before the team establishes the initial 53-player roster for the regular season. And with so many clear starters on an already loaded roster, the Saints’ upcoming preseason slate should feature plenty of backups commanding playing time while jockeying for position on the depth chart. TEDDY TIME With Drew Brees and the rest of the Saints’ established starters not likely to play much –– if at all –– Friday night, other players should see extended action on the field. With just three quarterbacks on the roster, Teddy Bridgewater and Taysom Hill project to see plenty of playing time. Of the two signal-callers, Bridgewater provides plenty of intrigue outside of facing his former team. He’s coming off his first full offseason with the Saints and has enjoyed strong performances with a variety of throws during 11 days of training camp practices. While the Saints brought back Bridgewater on a one-year deal in March, the path to a potential long-term deal in New Orleans effectively starts now. RUNNING BACK DEPTH Alvin Kamara and Latavius Murray project as the top two running backs, and Dwayne Washington currently pencils in at No. 3. Washington, whom coach Sean Payton recently pointed out is having a good camp, originally joined the Saints practice squad in early September 2018 before being elevated to the active roster. He faces competition from rookie Devine Ozigbo, recently signed Jacquizz Rodgers and Matthew Dayes, who has missed the past two practices for undisclosed reasons. Ozigbo has quietly had his moments, including a play during the night practice at Tulane when he picked up a blitzing linebacker to allow Brees time to step up and find wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith for a touchdown during 11-on-11 drills at the goal line. read more on NOLA Attached Thumbnails jeanpierre likes this.