The New Orleans Saints will visit the Green Bay Packers on Friday night at Lambeau Field in the second preseason contest for both teams. New Orleans was defeated 17-13 on the road by the Houston Texans last Saturday, failing to cover as a one-point favorite. Green Bay also dropped its preseason opener on the road by a 28-21 score to the San Francisco 49ers on Friday as a 2.5-point underdog.
This is the 10th preseason meeting between these teams with Green Bay winning seven of those so far, although the last one came back in 2015.
A new era began on Saturday for the Saints as they had their first game action under new head coach Dennis Allen following the departure of Sean Payton after 16 years, with the offense getting off to a lethargic start. Andy Dalton led a successful first drive that ended with a nine-yard touchdown pass to Dwayne Washington, but that would be the only time New Orleans found the end zone all night, and the Texans scored the game-winning touchdown with 25 seconds left.
Dalton was the bright spot, finishing his lone drive 5/5 for 51 yards and a touchdown as he looks the part of a capable backup. Rookie Abram Smith carried the ball seven times for 30 yards, while Dai'Jean Dixon recorded three receptions for 33 yards.
“I saw a lot of things I really liked out there,” Allen said via ESPN. “There are some things we've got to get cleaned up. The ball was on the ground too many t imes. We've got to get that aspect cleaned up, but I was pleased with the way the first units went in there and played. Offensively, we scored a touchdown, and defensively, we had two three-and-outs so that was encouraging. “
As starting quarterback Jameis Winston is coming off a torn ACL, we shouldn't expected to see him this preseason, and Dalton probably won't get more than a quarter in any game. That means a lot of Ian Book, a second-year quarterback out of Notre Dame who went 15/22 for 121 yards and a touchdown on Saturday.
Allen, who coached the then Oakland Raiders from 2012 to 2014 before coming the defensive coordinator in New Orleans, is now 4-9 in his career for the preseason. The Saints went 1-1 in the preseason last season, with the two games getting decided by a combined five points.
Smith, an undrafted free agent who set Baylor's single-season rushing record with 1.601 yards in 2021, will be a player to watch in the preseason as he tries to establish himself on the depth chart. With not a lot solidified on the wide receiver depth chart for New Orleans, Marquez Calloway could be a big factor in the preseason as he tries to recover from a disappointing 2021.
Tight end Dylan Soehner (undisclosed), safety Smoke Monday (torn ACL), offensive tackle Jared Hawkins (undisclosed), linebacker D'Marco Jackson (undisclosed) and offensive tackle Ethan Greenidge (knee) are out. Linebacker Zack Baun (hamstring), linebacker Pete Werner (groin) and tight end Taysom Hill (ribs) are listed as questionable.