The Saints host the Patriots in Week 2. Here’s what to watch for when New Orleans plays tonight
Tom Brady will be watching “Monday Night Football’’ tonight, like most NFL fans.
And he’ll have a keen eye on one participant — the New Orleans Saints, who host the Patriots in a Week 2 matchup.
In the Saints’ matchup against the Minnesota Vikings tonight, here are a few things to keep an eye out for in preparation for Sunday’s New England-New Orleans contest:
The rookies
The Saints have a handful of rookies on the roster who are poised to make meaningful contributions in their regular-season debuts, including first-round pick Ryan Ramczyk, who will start at left tackle in place of the injured Terron Armstead (shoulder).
Safety Marcus Williams, cornerback Marshon Lattimore, and linebacker Alex Anzalone will likely also see significant time.
Lattimore is expected to start, Williams will get a nice chunk of snaps, and Anzalone could start on the weak side. With slot receiver Willie Snead suspended for the first three games, running back Alvin Kamara, who caught 74 passes for 683 yards and 7 touchdowns his last two seasons at Tennessee, could be utilized in the passing game.
Ramczyk will likely have tight end and running back help to protect Drew Brees’s blind side, but he will be going against a formidable Vikings pass rush, which had three players — Danielle Hunter (12½), Everson Griffen (8), and Brian Robison (7½) — register at least 7½ sacks last season.
The secondary
New Orleans finished last and second-to-last in the league in passing yards allowed per game the past two seasons, giving up 273.8 per game last year and 284.0 per game in 2015.
“Nobody believes in us,’’ safety Kenny Vaccaro said last week. “There’s only a ‘we can only go up’ mentality and I think we’re desperate this year. I think our defense is hungry and we have a desperate mentality.’’
The Saints drafted Lattimore, the cornerback out of Ohio State, in the first round and Williams, the safety out of Utah, in the second round to bolster the unit. Lattimore is penciled in to start at cornerback and Williams will likely rotate in, as Vaccaro and Vonn Bell are expected to get the starts at safety.
With cornerback Delvin Breaux sidelined while he recovers from surgery to repair a fractured fibula, P.J. Williams will likely start opposite Lattimore, with cornerback Sterling Moore rotating in when needed.
Not only does the unit tout two rookies, but Bell, De’Vante Harris, and Ken Crawley are in their second seasons, and P.J. Williams is in his third season. It is a young group dotted with experienced veterans like Moore, in his seventh season, Vaccaro, in his fifth season, and backups Rafael Bush (seventh) and Chris Banjo (fourth).
“We have a lot of rookies playing,’’ said Moore. “But any time you have a majority of guys in their second year in the system, you’re looking for that drastic jump and it’s something I think we’ve showed.’’
Notable free agents
This is Adrian Peterson’s first season in New Orleans after 10 years in Minnesota.
Of course, Monday marks Adrian Peterson’s Saints debut and his return to Minnesota, where he spent the first 10 years of his career. Peterson, the Vikings’ all-time leading rusher with 11,747 yards, signed a two-year contract with the Saints in April and expects to split carries with Mark Ingram, the Saints starter last year who accumulated 1,362 yards and 10 touchdowns on 251 touches.
The Saints also picked up linebacker A.J. Klein and receiver Ted Ginn Jr., both of whom are expected to start.
“I don’t expect Klein to suddenly be an All-Pro player, but I think his communication skills as well as instincts will help the defense perform better as a whole,’’ NOLA.com’s Josh Katzenstein wrote over the weekend.
Katzenstein also wrote that Ginn “and his ability to run the ball in gadget plays will help allow for more creativity.’’
The former Patriots
Three former New England players are on the Saints roster: Moore, tight end Michael Hoomanawanui and rookie receiver Austin Carr.
It has been a couple years since the Hoo-man suited up for the Patriots. But it will be interesting to see if and how Carr is used in this offense. Considering the Patriots are now thin at receiver, and that Carr has had a strong preseason and resilient story, a productive start to the season could make his release from New England sting. Moore played for the Patriots in 2011 and 2012.
The absence of Willie Snead
Snead is suspended for the first three games for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. That leaves a big opening at the slot that the Saints have to fill. Ginn will start alongside Michael Thomas, who had a breakout rookie season a year ago, catching 92 passes for 1,137 yards, and 9 touchdowns.
Brandon Coleman and Tommylee Lewis, who is primarily a returner, could see an uptick in their usage. Carr could also fill in. Coleman, in his third season, recorded 26 catches for 281 yards and three scores a year ago. Ingram had a career-high four receiving touchdowns last season. And rookie Kamara could be another target for Brees.
Quick hits
The Saints have ruled out rookie defensive end Trey Hendrickson (illness), linebacker Nathan Stupar (hamstring), and Armstead (shoulder).
Want to read more on Saints-Vikings? Here is a scouting report from The Advocate’s Nick Underhill and three things to watch from NOLA.com’s Katzenstein. And check out their full coverage of the Saints here and here.
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