The New Orleans Saints traveled to the sunny West Coast, and handed the Los Angeles Chargers a loss in their preseason game. A few players stood out more than others — some for the wrong reasons, while others enjoyed success. Here are seven studs and duds from the second week of the Saints preseason.
Studs
QB Taysom Hill: Hill looked like a superhero in this comeback win, leading the Saints offense to score 16 points in the second half. He led the Saints through the air (136 passing yards) and on the ground (53 rushing yards), accounting for both of the team’s touchdown passes in the 19-17 victory. The Saints have known Hill can run, but the improved touch and timing on his passes in this game was very encouraging to see. Hopefully he can keep it going throughout the preseason.
LB Kaden Elliss: The rookie got the starting nod in place of injured linebacker Alex Anzalone, and Elliss didn’t disappoint. His lateral agility was on clear display throughout the afternoon and he did a lot to contain a strong Chargers running game when they tried to gain traction out on the perimeter. Elliss led the defense in both snaps played (38) and tackles (six, with four solo stops) in his bid to make the roster. Two other Saints linebackers (A.J. Klein and Colton Jumper) recorded interceptions, but it feels like only a matter of time before Elliss comes up with his own turnover.
DE Trey Hendrickson: It’s not over yet, but this might be the strongest summer Hendrickson has put together for the Saints. He’s been a pass-rushing terror in practice and preseason games, and has made moves to cover his long-running weakness as a run defender. His ability to hold his own out on the edge and eagerness to crash inside and drop runners for loss of yards has been a marked improvement. He’s also developed a fiery streak with a habit of staying aggressive until the whistle. He’s clearly the team’s third-best presence on the edge behind Cameron Jordan and Marcus Davenport.
DB Vonn Bell: Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen let Bell loose on the Chargers, and he rewarded the Saints with a great performance: two clean open-field tackles, several quarterback pressures, and an impressive, acrobatic pass breakup where he correctly diagnosed the play and crossed the field to swat the ball away at the perfect moment. If this is a sign of things to come, Bell might end up earning Pro Bowl votes. That said, first he’ll need to record his first career interception as a pro.
Duds
QB Teddy Bridgewater: It was a day to forget for Bridgewater, even if Sean Payton handwaved his ugly outing to an undisclosed illness. Bridgewater completed just five of the dozen passes he threw, gaining only 40 yards, and he looked shaky throughout the afternoon. Between his off-target throws and poor pocket awareness, it was a big regression from what we’ve seen out of him previously. Hopefully he can get back to full health and get back on track next week.
WR Emmanuel Butler: Butler was thrown to three times, but he saw only saw one real catchable target in this preseason game. And it deflected painfully off of his visor and into the crowd of Chargers lining the opposing sideline. The training camp beast still hasn’t made his presence felt in the preseason, but he’s suited up for just one contest so far. He’ll have more chances to make an impression and strengthen his case to make the team.
G Andrus Peat: Peat was rusty in this one, having missed time in practice after exiting the first preseason game with an injury. He was getting worked in pass-protection early on, pressuring Bridgewater into several ill-advised decisions. When the Saints tried to run the ball — normally Peat’s area of strength — he was too slow to track his opponents at the second level and wasn’t able to adjust as linebackers knifed through his gaps to drop the runners for mediocre gains. He has to play better if he’s going to start over Nick Easton, much less earn a new deal after this contract year.
