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The New Orleans Saints opened their 2026 preseason with a 24-20 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. New Orleans carried a 20-6 lead into halftime before being outscored 18-0 over the final two quarters. The result doesn't matter much, especially with most of the Saints' starters sitting out. Individual performances stand out — and several players strengthened their roster cases while others missed an opportunity. Here are the studs and dude from the Saints' preseason opener.
Wilson made a strong impression in his Saints debut. He completed 11 of 16 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown pass to rookie tight end Oscar Delp. He pushed the ball downfield very well, connecting with several receivers for explosive gains, and finished with a 118.0 passer rating.
Rattler completed eight of his 11 attempts, but those completions produced just 42 yards. He also took two sacks and lost a fumble. It could have closed the gap that Rattler had over Wilson in the QB2 competition, which will be something to watch out for over the coming weeks.
The undrafted rookie continued building on his strong training camp with an outstanding preseason debut. Heldman recorded six total tackles, two sacks, and three tackles for loss. He'll continue making a serious push for a place on the 53-man roster.
The Saints failed to score in the second half after taking a 20-6 lead into the break. Hunter Dekkers nearly completed a game-winning drive in the closing minutes, but the Saints just couldn't finish it.
Means led the Saints with 77 receiving yards on four catches, including gains of 37 and 28 yards. The latter brought New Orleans to Jacksonville's 1-yard line to set up Oscar Delp's touchdown reception. As a player who could be on the outside looking in on the Saints' final roster, having a productive first preseason game will help Means
Smyth converted both of his extra-point attempts but missed his only field-goal try from 52 yards out. Tanner Brown made kicks from 49 and 29 yards as he added to the lead that he established early in training camp.
Chandler immediately changed the first half for the Saints with an 86-yard return on the opening kickoff, setting up Audric Estime's touchdown on the next play. He also rushed six times for 24 yards, giving the Saints another reason to consider keeping him in a crowded backfield.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Studs and duds from the Saints' preseason-opening loss to the Jaguars
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Stud: Zach Wilson
Wilson made a strong impression in his Saints debut. He completed 11 of 16 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown pass to rookie tight end Oscar Delp. He pushed the ball downfield very well, connecting with several receivers for explosive gains, and finished with a 118.0 passer rating.
Dud: Spencer Rattler
Rattler completed eight of his 11 attempts, but those completions produced just 42 yards. He also took two sacks and lost a fumble. It could have closed the gap that Rattler had over Wilson in the QB2 competition, which will be something to watch out for over the coming weeks.
Stud: Michael Heldman
The undrafted rookie continued building on his strong training camp with an outstanding preseason debut. Heldman recorded six total tackles, two sacks, and three tackles for loss. He'll continue making a serious push for a place on the 53-man roster.
Dud: Second-half offense
The Saints failed to score in the second half after taking a 20-6 lead into the break. Hunter Dekkers nearly completed a game-winning drive in the closing minutes, but the Saints just couldn't finish it.
Stud: Bub Means
Means led the Saints with 77 receiving yards on four catches, including gains of 37 and 28 yards. The latter brought New Orleans to Jacksonville's 1-yard line to set up Oscar Delp's touchdown reception. As a player who could be on the outside looking in on the Saints' final roster, having a productive first preseason game will help Means
Dud: Charlie Smyth
Smyth converted both of his extra-point attempts but missed his only field-goal try from 52 yards out. Tanner Brown made kicks from 49 and 29 yards as he added to the lead that he established early in training camp.
Stud: Ty Chandler
Chandler immediately changed the first half for the Saints with an 86-yard return on the opening kickoff, setting up Audric Estime's touchdown on the next play. He also rushed six times for 24 yards, giving the Saints another reason to consider keeping him in a crowded backfield.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Studs and duds from the Saints' preseason-opening loss to the Jaguars
Continue reading...
