New Orleans Saints: 3 Standouts from Preseason Week 1 vs. Vikings

The New Orleans Saints were defeated by the Vikings in their preseason debut but who were the standouts in the losing effort?

We get it, NFL preseason games don’t really mean anything. It’s all rehearsal as players try to carve out roles and coaches aim to make determinations. Even still, the New Orleans Saints got their 2019 preseason slate off to a sour start on Friday night, falling the Minnesota Vikings at the Superdome, 34-25.

There was a mix of good and bad for the Saints on Friday night, though they didn’t play all of their heavy hitters, Drew Brees being the most notable of those not seeing action. Of those who did play, the secondary had their share of issues throughout the night and Dan Arnold, though he scored a touchdown, made one of the ugliest missed-catch-turned-pick-sixes you’ll see.

Yet, the good is where we’re going to focus on, seeing which players were able to rise to the occasion in the first game action of the year and make an impact. These players are of varying importance to this team in the 2019 season. However, they all made something happen in whatever opportunity they had on Friday night.

These are the standouts from the New Orleans Saints in Week 1 of the preseason.

Notable Omissions

Latavius Murray was impressive in his first time suiting up for the Saints. The veteran running back took just three carries for 14 yards but New Orleans intentionally got him involved in the passing game. He performed admirably, catching all three of his targets for 22 yards.

Rookie wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey also stepped up with a strong game, posting two catches for 42 yards and a touchdown. For a player that has been mundane at best in training camp, he made his presence felt in this preseason tilt.

Finally, Deonte Harris and Cyril Grayson Jr. flashed in the return game, averaging 34 and 40 yards per return, respectively, on the night. Now, let’s get into the actual standouts for the night.