3 Things to Watch When Saints Face Rams in Preseason Week 2

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The New Orleans Saints face the Los Angeles Rams in their second preseason game at 3 p.m. Saturday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

New Orleans is coming off a 24-20 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in its preseason opener, while the Rams won their first preseason game 20-12 over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Key storylines for the Saints include the ongoing backup quarterback competition and the emergence of potential roster locks. Saturday's matchup offers a critical look at the following three areas as training camp continues.

#1 - Who’s Starting Saturday at QB?

That is question No. 1 for a lot of people, and for good reason.

Spencer Rattler was the backup quarterback to Tyler Shough heading into the first preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, Zach Wilson outplayed Rattler in that game, which ultimately led to a change in the rotation, with Wilson taking the first snaps with the second-team offense.

After that, Wilson took the first reps with the combined second- and third-team offense. Is that a sign that a rotation has taken place? Well, Wilson may be expected to go on the field first, but he still has to outplay Rattler if he wants to win the backup quarterback job and make the final 53-man roster.

#2 - By Any Means Necessary for Bub

SaimSaint — Oct 13, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Bub Means (16) scores a touchdown during the second quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

In a crowded receiving corps, standing out by any means necessary is essential — a challenge wide receiver Bub Means is actively meeting.

During last week's preseason matchup against the Jaguars, Means paced the offense with four receptions for a team-leading 77 yards. His performance featured a 28-yard reception that initially appeared to be a touchdown before being overturned on video replay.

Pro Football Focus (PFF) named Means the Saints’ highest-graded wide receiver against Jacksonville last Saturday, with an 81.0 grade. Beyond his receiving numbers, he impressed the coaching staff with the finer details of his game. He also earned a standout 84.7 run-blocking score from PFF, trailing only left tackle Asim Richards.

#3 - Who Steps Up This Time?

Last week, Means and Wilson were the breakout stars offensively, as their connection in the passing game drew extra attention to them for the rest of training camp.

Defensive end Michael Heldman has been a training camp darling, but his two sacks against the Jaguars last week have made some predict him as a lock for the 53-man roster.

Linebacker Jaylan Ford and defensive back Jayden Price also locked in their place among the second team.

Now, who is it this week?

With the injuries in the running back room, could Kendre Miller and Devin Neal remind people they are still here? Can Ty Chandler show the Saints that the 86-yard kickoff return to open the game last week was no fluke?

Could we have a breakout performance from wide receivers Kevin Austin or Trey Palmer?

We will find out on Saturday.

New Orleans Saints Preseason Schedule

Sat. Aug. 15: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (L 24-20)
Sat. Aug. 22: @ Los Angeles Rams, 3 p.m., FOX
Fri. Aug. 28: @ Dallas Cowboys, 7 p.m., FOX

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