One of the oldest themes in the NFL is closely watching the dome team go on the road to play a game outdoors in a cold weather city. That was the narrative on Saturday as the New Orleans Saints visited the Green Bay Packers. Fortunately for New Orleans, weather was not a factor during the preseason game, but the pristine temperatures were not enough for them to get a victory. Green Bay defeated New Orleans by a final score of 20-10.
New Orleans Saints Takeaways
Because of the number of question marks surrounding the organization, the New Orleans Saints are not being taken too seriously as a possible playoff team, or contender in the NFC. Time will tell as to whether quarterback Jameis Winston will start the season healthy, or whether running back Alvin Kamara will be able to avoid being suspended for part of the 2022 season. Even though they did not beat Green Bay on Saturday, there were positive performances that remind fans just how deep this Saints team can be.
2022 first round draft pick Chris Olave appears to be highly thought of by the coaching staff, and played well against Green Bay. The former Ohio State star caught a 20 yard touchdown pass in the game, and will be an interesting part of the offense this year. New Orleans is welcoming back a healthy Michael Thomas, as well as solid veteran Jarvis Landry, so it will be fascinating to see how Olave will fit into the mix.
On defense, Taco Charlton played well for the Saints. He had four tackles and a sack on Saturday, and is a wild card player for New Orleans. The former first round pick hasn’t quite lived up to the hype so far in his NFL career, but is still young and talented heading into his sixth professional campaign.
Green Bay Packers Takeaways
The consistent narrative surrounding the Green Bay Packers this offseason is how they plan to replace All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams. There have been reports that quarterback Aaron Rodgers would like to see a triumvirate of veterans start in Green Bay this season, namely Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb and Sammy Watkins. He also spoke about the need for the younger receivers to play more consistently, because his trust in them will ultimately factor into whether they get a chance on the field.
One young player to keep an eye on this season is rookie wide receiver Romeo Doubs. He has been the subject of many glowing training camp reports, but appears to be in the group Rodgers referenced that needed to be more consistent with their play.
For the second straight game, Doubs made a positive impact, catching another touchdown from reserve quarterback Jordan Love against the Saints. Although he is playing with and against reserves during the preseason, results have been there for Doubs, and it will be interesting to see if he can make inroads into the starting receiver set for Green Bay as the regular season unfolds.
