Canal Street Chronicles
As some players guaranteed their spot on the roster, poor performances from others have opened questions.
The New Orleans Saints dropped their final preseason game in a high-scoring 30-27 loss to the Tennessee Titans. As the Saints head into the regular season, they have hard roster decisions ahead. Some players have excelled during the preseason, guaranteeing themselves roster spots, while others have created questions about their reliability and contributions to the team.
Spencer Rattler shined in the team’s final preseason matchup against the Titans. The rookie quarterback finished the day completing 7/13 of his pass attempts for 105 yards and a touchdown. Each of the Saints three touchdowns would come with Rattler at quarterback including a beautifully thrown 21-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown.
Both Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener weren't getting much help from their surrounding cast with plenty of drops from their receivers and penalties taking touchdowns off the board. Still, Rattler’s performance on Sunday has provided many fans with hope for the team’s future. The Rattler vs. Haener battle has been more than just a fight for who will be the team’s QB2 for the season as both guys hope to inherit the offense in coming years after Derek Carr.
The rushing attack looked solid during the Saints preseason matchup with the San Francisco 49ers, but during Sunday’s loss against the Titans, the rushing attack was the best we’ve seen all preseason. Each running back averaged over 4.7 yards a carry including Jordan Mims who averaged 6.6 on five attempts. The best-looking runner of the day was former Louisiana Rajun Cajun’s running back Jacob Kabodi, finishing the day with 12 carries for 59 yards, 2 touchdowns, and averaged 4.9 yards an attempt. Veteran James Robinson added 14 yards on the ground in just three carries
The Saints finished the 2023 season with the 26th-ranked rushing attack, mostly due to the team’s injuries. Alvin Kamara was suspended to start the season and both Jamaal Williams and Kendre Miller suffered injuries that kept them out for a chunk of the season. The positive performance from all the running backs throughout preseason adds hope that the New Orleans ground game will be more effective in 2024 and utilize Klint Kubiak’s offensive scheme efficiently.
Second-year running back Kendre Miller hasn't appeared in a preseason game for the Saints in 2024 after suffering an injury on the first day of training camp. Head coach Dennis Allen has expressed frustration when talking about Miller saying “I know he’s talented, but I don’t know if he can learn the system. I don’t know if he can pick up the system because I haven’t seen him out there.” Miller also missed 9 games in 2023.
The Saints running backs looked good during Sunday’s loss and Miller’s inability to stay on the field has brought up questions about the former TCU running back’s chances of making the final 53-man roster. Jordan...
