The Los Angeles Rams head to SoFi Stadium for the second week of preseason action against the New Orleans Saints. This will be LA’s only preseason game in front of the Ramily, and won’t play in front of the home crowd until Week 2 in a Monday Night Football date with the New York Giants.
New Orleans is coming off a 6-11 season and a finish in the NFC South basement. Both teams faced off last November, with Los Angeles securing a 34-10 win. Then-rookie quarterback Tyler Shough made his first NFL start and watched a masterclass as Matthew Stafford threw four touchdown passes in the rout. Things are projected to be much different in NOLA this season.
Ahead of the Rams’ second preseason bout, I spoke with Nic Jennings from Canal Street Chronicles to learn more about the Saints’ worst-to-first odds, Kellen Moore’s growth ahead of his second season in charge and more in this week’s Q&A.
Q – What did you learn about the Saints following their preseason opening loss to the Jaguars?
A – One of the most important things I learned from the opener and training camp as a whole is that the Saints and Mickey Loomis appear to have done it again. New Orleans may have another talented rookie class on its hands, with several players already showing the potential to make an immediate impact.
Whether it’s Barion Brown, Jeremiah Wright, Oscar Delp, Christen Miller, Michael Heldman and Lorenzo Styles putting together strong training camps and preseason debuts, or Jordyn Tyson, Bryce Lance and T.J. Hall making their presence felt throughout camp, the Saints have seen encouraging signs from their rookie class.
It looks like New Orleans may have another impactful group of young players on its hands as the Saints look to take the next step.
Q – Who have been some training camp/preseason standouts on offense that Rams fans should know? What about on defense?
A – On offense, it has to be Barion Brown. For a sixth-round pick, Brown has established himself as one of the stars of training camp and put together a solid debut Saturday against Jacksonville.
His teammates and coaches continue to rave about him, with All-Pro receiver Chris Olave even comparing him to former Saints standout Rashid Shaheed.
“They’re basically the same player. He reminds me a lot of him,” Olave said.
New Orleans triple-dipped at wide receiver in this year’s draft, and it looks like each of them has the potential to become a major contributor in this league. Jordyn Tyson, Barion Brown and Bryce Lance have all shown encouraging signs early on, giving the Saints plenty of reason to be excited about their young receiver room.
On defense, it has to be defensive back Jayden Price. The 26-year-old defensive back posted one tackle, one quarterback hurry, a pass breakup and an interception while not allowing a single reception on three targets. Price only played 21 total snaps, all of which came in the slot. He earned a team-high 95.3 overall defensive grade from Pro Football Focus for his performance, along with a 94.6 coverage grade.
Price has already put together a strong training camp to this point, and back-to-back strong performances could help earn him a roster spot when it’s all said and done.
Q – Kellen Moore did a respectable job in the Bayou during his first season as head coach. Where would you like to see Moore grow entering Year 2 on the job?
A – It will be interesting to see how Moore is able to get off to a hotter start this season now that his roster more closely fits his scheme rather than the one he inherited last offseason.
The Saints finished strong once the quarterback Moore and his staff selected in the draft took over, which gives me no reason to believe they can’t start strong this season after adding playmakers across the board and giving Moore a full season and offseason as an NFL head coach under his belt.
Q – After starting 2-10 last season, New Orleans won four of their final five games to finish 6-11. They even had slight playoff hopes near the end, thanks to playing in the painfully weak NFC South. The team has been projected as a dark horse worst-to-first candidate, so how do you anticipate their season playing out in 2025?
A – Considering the vibes around the facility and the talent on paper, the sky’s the limit for this Saints team. If Tyler Shough can build off his strong finish to his rookie season, I think this team will go as far as he can take them.
For me personally, I see a division title in sight. Time will tell if they can achieve that and turn it into a deep playoff run, but so far, Kellen Moore appears to be doing all the right things and has his team ready to compete in 2026.
Q – What is something you’re hoping to see out of the Saints in LA this week?
A – I’ve said similar things in recent weeks and nothing has changed after the preseason opener. Someone has to win this kicking competition, and so far, neither Charlie Smyth nor Tanner Brown has really established himself.
Smyth has the leg power, but he’s dealt with consistency issues throughout camp and missed a kick against the Jaguars on Saturday. The Irishman was expected to enter the season with a firm lead in the battle as he heads into his third season with the team, but Brown has kept the competition alive.
If both kickers struggle again against Los Angeles, it could force New Orleans to explore the veteran market at the position. That’s probably the biggest thing I’ll be watching throughout the game.