A blistering first half from the Saints offensive starters on Saturday night stole the show for us (and many others), regardless of the game’s final outcome. However, while Saturday’s performance emphatically answered any questions surrounding a potential “Drew Brees decline”, it wasn’t quite as useful in helping solve the increasingly complex puzzle forming further down the Saints’ offensive the depth chart. In this edition of our offensive stock watch and analysis, we try our best to unpick parts of that puzzle. First up though, it’s the obligatory stock watch table for those who simply don’t have the time to read through our rather lengthy musings below:



As always, do read on if you want to get into the nitty-gritty of the Saints offensive performance against New England – including our now world renowned “BoiLa’s Take” segments following their debut in this week’s defensive stock watch and analysis. (Be sure to give that a read, too).



Offensive Line

Agile. Powerful. Intelligent. That’s just three of the complimentary adjectives which prefaced various notes regarding the play of the Saints starting five on Saturday night. After a fairly mundane showing against Baltimore, Drew Brees returned under center, instantly raising the game of his five man protection agency. With the Saints employing a heavy dosage of HB screens and outside rushes in the first half, it provided the O-Line a perfect opportunity to show what they can do at the second level – and they didn’t disappoint.

Jahri Evans and Max Unger stood out as the pick of the bunch, absorbing anything the Patriots brought up the middle, while also powering into the second level on numerous occasions. Both men made pivotal blocks on Khiry Robinson’s 17-yard screen play, with Unger successfully executing a cut block while Evans engaging a linebacker in providing Robinson clear passage downfield. Although left guard Tim Lelito may not look quite as comfortable moving down the field (the play where he slipped over while trying to execute a chop block during an Ingram swing pass a prime example), he made up for it with an impressive showing in the run game. Lelito looked stout at the line of scrimmage, particularly when getting enough push to allow Austin Johnson to convert on a pivotal 3rd and short during the Saints first touchdown drive.

On the outside Zach Strief and Terron Armstead were solid throughout, creating a sizeable pocket for both Brees and McCown to work within. The Saints’ 1s stayed in for the whole of the first half (34 snaps each bar Strief who played 28), and should be largely satisfied with their dominant performance.

The remaining 30 offensive snaps the Saints had on the day were marshaled by the second string offensive line. A largely unremarkable performance this time round for the 2s was punctuated by some more noticeable plays from first round pick Andrus Peat; highlighting both the worst and best of the former Stanford Cardinal. The right tackle was beaten badly by a swim move from Jabaal Sheard, allowing the Patriots left end a clear shot on Ryan Griffin. On the flip side, Peat did exhibit his strength when run blocking, especially when getting out of toss plays for both Mark Ingram late in the 2nd, and Marcus Murphy in the 4th.



As far as the rest of the unit is concerned, Bryce Harris will have drawn the ire of the coaching staff after costing the Saints 15 yards on a blatant holding penalty. Mike McGlynn and Senio Kelemete both put in solid shifts for the second week running, while Sean Hickey came in to replace the injured Cyril Lemon. With the Saints only using two layers of the OL depth chart on Saturday night, it meant some of the less than impressive third stringers from last week’s trip to Baltimore (Mike Golic Jr, Antonio Johnson, Cole Manhart) were not offered the chance to redeem themselves.

The BoiLa’s take – Barring any unfortunate injuries, the starting O-Line looks set in stone (Armstead – Lelito – Unger – Evans – Strief). As far as depth is concerned, the Saints will most likely carry three additional linemen. The most important of those could well be the back-up swing tackle spot, a role in which Bryce Harris racked up 393 snaps last season. As a first round pick, Andrus Peat may well occupy that spot by default despite his obvious rawness. Senio Kelemete’s versatility means he looks a near lock to also make the 53, and we’re big fans of the solid depth he provides at both guard and center. This potentially leaves just one further offensive line spot for up for grabs, with Harris (T), Hickey (G), Lemon (G) and McGlynn (G) the most likely contenders. Out of the four, McGlynn arguably holds the edge due to his NFL experience, however we also liked what we saw from Cyril Lemon before his injury against the Ravens. If Lemon can return to the line-up for the Texans, he may well still have a shot.

Quarterbacks

Yes, it was only pre-season. And, yes, the Patriots were playing some pretty vanilla D. But still, Drew Brees was exceptional on Saturday night. The 36-year-old looked in perfect harmony with his 2015 supporting cast. The 29-yard touch pass to Mark Ingram on a wheel-route kicked off proceedings, and from then on Brees was faultless, totalling 159 yards and two touchdowns. He found Ben Watson down the seam for a 10-yard touchdown score, before lifting the roof off the Superdome with a 45-yard bomb that hit Brandin Cooks right in stride. If there were any lingering questions about Brees’ regression, or his arm-strength, he answered them emphatically in Saturday’s showing.

In contrast, a question which is very much still lingering over the 2015 Saints is that of who will be backing up #9 come Week 1 of the regular season? Incumbent Luke McCown got the first bite of the cherry on Saturday night, coming in to replace Brees on the Saints fourth offensive series. The main perk of this for McCown being it allowed him to operate behind the Saints starting O-Line. However, McCown struggled to take advantage, missing a couple of throws whilst the Saints succumbed to consecutive three-and-outs. However, just when you thought McCown was starting to lose his grip on that QB2 position, the veteran produced a pinpoint two-minute-drill (strangely reminiscent of Ryan Griffin’s one week previous), culminating in a Josh Hill touchdown on a play-action bootleg. McCown finished the day 4-6 through the air, with 49 yards and a touchdown.

After leading the Saints quarterbacks with 30 snaps last week, Ryan Griffin had to make do with just 13 this time round. “RG4” was again efficient, showing some particularly pleasing touch on long completions to Josh Morgan down either sideline. Unfortunately for Griffin, his most promising drive was abruptly cut short after Morgan fumbled the ball following the aforementioned 31-yarder. Although Griffin didn’t blow anyone away against New England, he’ll most likely be pleased to have not done his cause any harm either.

Garrett Grayson drew praise from The BoiLa last week for the way he acquitted himself under pressure when working behind a porous third string O-Line. Therefore, when we saw the rookie trot out to play behind the second string this time, we were excited to see what the Colorado State standout could produce when afforded more time in the pocket. However, the extra time appeared to have far from the desired effect – with the young signal caller attempting to force the issue at every opportunity. Grayson was lucky to escape with a 0 in the INT column after an overthrow to Willie Snead could well have been picked off, while a force into the endzone on a long broken play probably should have been. Such growing pains are undoubtedly expected of a rookie quarterback, but with Grayson currently embroiled in a heated battle for the Saints backup job, on that level you have to think his stock may have fallen slightly following Saturday night.

The BoiLa’s take – Although there was never any doubt, we can confirm Drew Brees is safe as the starting QB. There is still considerable doubt over who may be Brees’ deputy, though. Based on pre-season play, we’ve been most impressed by Ryan Griffin, and therefore have RG4 just about pencilled in as the current QB2. The next two weeks will be pivotal for Griffin though, as no doubt any slip ups from him could see the pendulum swing back in favor of the ever dependable Luke McCown. Garrett Grayson has shown us a little bit of everything through two preseason cameos, and we’re definitely excited to see how he develops in the future. In the present, a spot at QB3 looks the most likely outcome for the 24 year-old. It seems highly likely the Saints will indeed carry three QBs this year in order to keep hold of their third round investment.



Wide Receivers

When Coach Payton let slip in the lead up to Saturday’s game that Brandon Coleman would be getting comprehensive playing time alongside the 1s, it opened the doors for the masses to well and truly board the Coleman Express hype train. A number of articles and comments followed almost instantaneously, revealing how Coleman was now a lock for the WR3 spot, all but guaranteed to break out as Jimmy Graham’s redzone replacement. Impressive stuff, we thought, especially from a second year undrafted free agent without a regular season game, let alone grab, to his name.

Fast forward to Saturday night, and almost inevitably, Coleman failed to live up to his substantial billing. Despite featuring on 33 snaps, Coleman received just one target, proceeding to drop a well-placed Brees pass with Devin McCourty breathing down his neck in the endzone. Regardless of the tight coverage, it’s a pass Coleman knows he has to hold onto. The 6″ 6′ wideout was presented with a subsequent chance to redeem himself on a two point conversion, but this time failed to haul in a Luke McCown jump ball that was admittedly thrown to his wrong shoulder. A tough day through the air, but Coleman did at least impress us with his run blocking, as #16 comprehensively engaged his opposite number on both Brandin Cooks’ 7-yard reverse and a 6-yard Khiry Robinson sweep. For the most part however, you have to admit it was an uninspiring performance following the superlative-laden build up.

Don’t get us wrong, we love the potential of Brandon Coleman. The reports from training camp, and subsequent endorsement from Sean Payton, are certainly very encouraging. However, until that same kind of production can be replicated on the field during live action, it seems a touch premature to crown Coleman as the Saints de-facto WR3 for 2015.

What will most likely ensure that Coleman retains that WR3 spot for Sunday’s clash with Houston however is that apart from the impressive Willie Snead, every other candidate hoping to scale the hotly-contested WR depth chart also had a forgettable night against New England. Josh Morgan initially showed some good chemistry with Ryan Griffin, hauling in two 28 and 31-yard grabs in quick succession. Unfortunately for the 7-year pro, that 31-yard grab culminated in Morgan having the ball punched loose as he ran up the left-sideline, the Patriots recovering for an untimely turnover. Seantavius Jones had a golden opportunity to get one up on Coleman by successfully hauling one in in the endzone, but the former Valdosta State reciever couldn’t haul in his potential TD catch either. Joe Morgan had a bad drop when taking his eyes off the ball too soon while trying to run too soon on an underneath crossing route, while Nick Toon only lasted six plays before suffering a high ankle sprain that will likely keep him out for the rest of the preseason (and arguably the final 53).

It wasn’t all doom and gloom however, as two men (currently) at differing ends of the WR depth chart did stand out for the right reasons. Brandin Cooks looked every bit a bonafide No. 1 NFL wideout as he torched the Patriots for 117 yards and a TD, catching all four of his targets. Willie Snead on the other hand would be delighted just to be described as an NFL wideout. The emerging talent picked up where he left off last week in Baltimore, making sure his crisp route running and soft hands were again on full display. If the Saints are looking for a wideout who can mimic the patterns of the 626 snaps vacated by Kenny Stills this year, on the evidence we’ve seen so far, Willie Snead could well be the best man for the job.

The BoiLa’s take – Beyond Cooks and Colston, it’s still a very crowded picture at WR. Both Toon and Coleman have had a chance to roll with the 1s under the lights this preseason, yet neither have take advantage. Coleman appears to have the most upside of the two, and with Toon’s recent injury, you’d imagine Payton will give Coleman another extended outing against the Texans. A standout performance from Coleman could well solidify his place at WR3 – while another as bad (or even worse) than Saturday could go as far as putting him right back on the bubble. That’s how tight we see this WR battle. So far, out of the full group of Coleman, Morgan x2, Toon, Jones, Saunders and Snead, it seems only Wille Snead has been willing to take the fight by the scruff of the neck in live action. With Snead’s snaps limited to the final quarter thus far, it looks as if Sunday against Houston could be the ideal opportunity to test the former Ball State Cardinal in more meaningful “earlier” snaps, pitting him against a higher caliber of opposition. If he succeeds in that, Snead’s position on the roster could be all but guaranteed come Week 1.

Tight Ends

Josh Hill was again the most eye-catching tight end on Saturday, putting together a strong 37 snap salvo after a similarly impressive showing against Baltimore the week before. Most encouraging was Hill’s continued improvement as a blocker. A prime example was in pass protection, when Hill did a great job engaging the Patriots LE to give Ryan Griffin enough time to launch the 31-yard “fumble play” to Josh Morgan. In the running game, although there were no stand-out blocks, nothing took our eye for the wrong reasons, either. Hill punctuated his performance with a 7-yard TD grab on a PA bootleg from Luke McCown at the end of the second quarter.

The man that Drew Brees insists is still the Saints TE1, Ben Watson, also found the endzone. Watson ran a lovely route on the play, evading the coverage of Pats LB Jonathan Freeny with a quick inside step. That scoring play aside, Watson was a little sloppy during his 25 snaps, committing a false start penalty and missing a couple of blocks in the run game.

Orson Charles (12 snaps), Alex Smith (2 snaps) and even fullback Toben Opurum (3 snaps at TE) appeared at tight end against the Patriots on Saturday, but none of the trio had any lasting impact.

The BoiLa’s take – We alluded in last week’s offensive rundown that we could see the Saints filling the TE3 spot with someone who isn’t currently on the roster, and we think that still may be the case. We were interested in at least seeing what journeyman Michael Egnew had to give against New England, but without even gracing the field, he’s now been replaced by a new free agent signing, baller-turned-tight-end, Chris Manhertz. Whether Manhertz has more luck in seeing the field than Egnew, remains to be seen. If he does get playing time, then you’ve got to say it won’t take much to win that job. However, as the Saints continue to comb what appears a barren free-agent TE market, you get the feeling the final TE on the 2015 Saints roster could well still be “to be confirmed” for a while yet. And, yeah…. Watson and Hill will be the starters.

Running Backs

Mark Ingram and Khiry Robinson broke a couple of big gains at the Superdome on Saturday, just not quite in the way that would have first come to mind. Having both taken a page out of the textbook for “Pierre Thomas 101”, Ingram racked up a 29-yard gain on an deft wheel route down the right sideline, before Khiry Robinson took a “classic” PT screen 17-yards, patiently waiting for Unger and Evans to engage the blocks in front of him before proceeding. With CJ Spiller on the sideline, we may well be seeing more of this in the weeks to come. Regardless of that though, if Ingram and Robinson can start making more plays through the air, it certainly opens up the Saints playbook, both in terms of utilising each RB to their full potential, and helping disguise the tendencies of different personnel packages.

Ingram and Robinson aside, it was a quiet day for the running backs. Tim Hightower only carried three times this week, while Marcus Murphy featured on a couple of toss plays late on. Murphy still appears to be leading the battle for the Saints kick returner however. Jalen Saunders appears his main competition at the moment, but was consigned to watching a string of touchbacks sail over his head on Saturday night. Murphy remains in the ascendancy for now, with time fast running out as far as Saunders is concerned.

Regarding the situation at fullback, Austin Johnson again got the starting nod on Saturday. Johnson featured on 10 snaps, which included one carry where he converted a clutch 3rd and short to keep the Saints first TD drive alive. In contrast, Erik Lorig only featured on 6 snaps, looking rather sluggish in the process. Johnson appears firmly in front of Lorig on the depth chart so far, and if our 2014 grades were anything to go by, we can’t really argue with that.

The BoiLa’s take – Ingram and Robinson continue to look a devastating, and now even more versatile, 1-2 punch. Behind them, the continued absence of CJ Spiller is worrisome, but the veteran’s place as RB3 on the depth chart is all but guaranteed. Beyond that, the Saints under Payton have long been proponents of carrying four active half backs on gameday. At the moment, it seems Marcus Murphy, when also taking his return ability into account, is the best fit for the Payton “RB4” mould. Tim Hightower’s attempted return to the NFL looks destined to end sooner rather than later, while Edwin Baker is almost certain to follow him out the door. At fullback, Austin Johnson appears in a good position to win the starting job. Whether the Saints carry two fullbacks again this season may well be open to debate, but you’d imagine Lorig has to first show the Saints a reason to keep him on the roster before anyone even begins to entertain the discussion.

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Enjoyed our offensive stock watch and analysis? You can read our latest take on the Saints defense by clicking below: “From the Notepad” – Our updated stock watch and analysis on the Saints D against the Patriots.

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