There were many puzzled when they saw linebacker Denzel Perryman on the field late in the third quarter.
Perryman, who’s listed as the starting middle linebacker on the depth chart, was playing when the third and fourth-team were out there. It’s only preseason action, but there had to be a reason why he wasn’t playing earlier on with the starting unit.
Coach Anthony Lynn was asked why the former Miami product didn’t see the field until late in the game and he told reporters that he was playing in the fourth quarter with younger players because he’s a little rusty coming off the knee injury and the team is trying to get him more reps to get him caught up, per ESPN’s Eric D. Williams.
Regardless if the field had starters or backups in this case, that didn’t stop Perryman from being the player that we all know.
When the Saints were close to scoring in the fourth quarter, Perryman wasn’t going to let it happen.
Running back Devine Ozigbo took the handoff, and as he tried to cut, Perryman met him in the backfield for one of the biggest hits that we’ve witnessed this preseason. The tackle was so forceful that it jarred the football out.
