The New Orleans Saints third preseason felt weird because while watching it I thought to myself, “The Saints starting defense is getting run on, they are sort of getting shoved around, Drew Brees threw an interception, and this is definitely not great for the practice football game everyone says is almost practically but not really like an actual football game that matters.”
The Saints also defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 36-7. We are drowning in first world football problems when the Saints are winning any game 36-7 and the general reaction is “Looked ok. Starting defense was kind of shaky though, allowing other paid professionals to actually do positive things.”
The Chargers had 166 total yards for the entire game? Their four quarterbacks combined for 62 yards passing? It sure felt Philip Rivers was moving the ball better and Chargers first team was doing stuff though right?
The funniest part of preseason is two Charger run plays of 21 and 12 yards change our entire feelings on the game. Overreaction is so fun though. For a split second I expected to see sad Rob Ryan on the sideline yelling at no one in particular like an old man confused about how to use an app on his phone as if it was 2015 all over again.
It’s probably because as Saints fans we are like a person who escaped our terrible past of horrible defenses and even the hint of the possibility of going back triggers horrible memories of Brandon Browner getting roasted and running backs wandering through the Saints defense without a care in the world. We are a scarred people when it comes to defense, even two bad plays in the preseason gives us the shakes.
Don’t lie; I’m not the only one who felt that.
2012-2016 were difficult times for Saints fans watching defense. Opposing teams scoring a field goal felt like a gigantic victory and the Saints forcing a punt seemed like an out of body experience.
Times have changed and the Saints 2018 roster is suddenly ridiculously deep. The Saints are going to have to cut NFL quality defensive players, which is preposterous considering in 2015 the roster had guys like Bobby Richardson, Kaleb Eulls, Kenny Phillips, and Obum Gwachum. Gwachum was a guy the Saints scooped off waivers and for like 5 minutes we talked ourselves into believing he’d really help the pass rush. 2015 was a dark desperate time where any defensive player above room temperature felt like a solution.
You’d be hard pressed to ask any team to transform their roster like the Saints have in two years even if you gave them multiple picks in the top 10 for two years. The 2017 Saints draft is a superhero, riding a unicorn, handing out money to the needy. Is there nothing it can’t do?
The Saints biggest problem this preseason will be, “Which NFL quality players do we cut so other teams can have them?” The Saints are the newly super rich guy having to decide which Rolex he’s going to donate to the Goodwill. Ok, not a Rolex, but a very fine watch most people would be happy to have. How deep is this Saints roster? 3 weeks ago 99 percent of us couldn’t identify Devaroe Lawrence if our life depended on it. Now? If somehow he doesn’t make the Saints 53 man roster, 31 other NFL teams will be rushing the waiver wire to claim him faster than 10-year-olds at the local mall for a Build-A-Bear promotion.
As for the actual game Saturday, Marcus Davenport is clearly the football science project product of the combined DNA of Rickey Jackson, Reggie White, Lawrence Taylor, and Mean Joe Greene. Did you see that one tackle in the open field? Amazing. I’m not saying you should book a room in Canton around 2035 for his Hall-of-Fame induction, but I’m not saying you shouldn’t.
It’s August and if I want to pretend Davenport is going to amazing in 2018 and not struggle, you need to let me have my dream. I don’t know if he’ll be any good and in reality he’ll probably struggle but he showed Saturday why the Saints moved up to get him. If we created a defensive end from scratch in Madden ’18 he’d be Marcus Davenport.
Also, I’m pretty sure the Saints are going to keep all three quarterbacks because Tom Savage has managed to look very ‘not terrible’ in a Luke McCown kind of way and Taysom Hill is so good and fun on special teams Sean Payton should be obligated to keep him for entertainment purposes only.
The fake punt with Hill might as well been a public service announcement to the NFL by Payton smirking and laughing, “Just letting you know on 4th and less than 3 anywhere past my own 35, I’m probably breaking out the gigantic 3rd string quarterback who runs like Michael Vick so you might just wanna play regular defense.“ Payton’s reckless arrogance never gets old. The man doing whatever he likes at any time is a joy. Even in games that don’t count.
So the Saints have wrapped up the preseason in fine style. By ‘fine style’ I mean no major injuries. This week’s game will be played by Saints who won’t be factor in 2018 season. I hate the fourth preseason game so much I just completely ignore it and the next time you hear from me I’ll be giving you an absurd season preview.
Ralph Malbrough is a Saints fan living in Houston. Email him at saintshappyhour@gmail.com, find him on Facebook, or follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SaintsForecast or download his podcast at Itunes.