7 takeaways from the Saints' preseason rout of Rams

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Stupendous Stupar
Nate Stupar had one of the most impressive preseason performances in recent memory, making huge plays throughout the night in the New Orleans Saints' rout of the Los Angeles Rams in the preseason finale Thursday (Aug. 30) at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

Seven tackles. Three sacks. Three tackles for loss. One interception. One fumble recovery. It’s an incredible stat line, especially for a player who was on the bubble coming into the preseason finale.

Stupar didn’t have a perfect night as he had a penalty on one punt defense and fumbled the ball after his interception, but those errors are easy to overlook because of his other incredible plays.

The 30-year-old linebacker always seemed to be in the right spot and timed his blitzes well. Based on this performance, it’s going to be tough for the Saints to cut Stupar, even if they keep five other linebackers.

Linebacker lineup
The most surprising aspect of Thursday’s game was that Demario Davis and A.J. Klein started. The majority of the starters that had been healthy throughout the summer received the night off, but coaches clearly wanted Davis and Klein to get some extra work after some issues with the run defense last week.

And the run defense wasn’t exactly great to start the game as the Rams had gains of 16 and 9 yards on their opening drive while Davis and Klein were on the field.

Linebacker Alex Anzalone had an interception to end that opening drive, but as the season approaches, there are some legitimate concerns about the play of the likely starting linebackers.

Meanwhile, in addition to Stupar, Craig Robertson had a fantastic game, using his speed to make plays all over the field. Robertson finished with three tackles, one for loss, one sack and one pass defensed.

Davis and Klein are presumed to be the primary linebackers this season with Anzalone or Manti Te’o as the third guy in base defense, but Robertson made a case to have a role.

Taysom's talent
By trading for Teddy Bridgewater on Wednesday (Aug. 29), the Saints sent a clear message that they’re not ready to entrust the backup quarterback job to Taysom Hill, but that news clearly didn’t affect Hill on Thursday (Aug. 30) as he had a dazzling performance in the first half.

Hill finished 10 of 17 for 159 yards with a touchdown and a 109.7 passer rating, and a couple of his passes were beautiful, including one down the seam to tight end Dan Arnold in the second quarter.

Hill also added three carries for 31 yards, including an 18-yard scramble that converted a fourth down. The second-year quarterback was efficient both with his arm and legs, and once again showed why the Saints are so enamored with his talent.

With the Saints adding Bridgewater, Hill will likely be the No. 3 quarterback and play heavily on special teams, but he showed growth throughout the preseason.

McEvoy's intro
The Saints didn’t waste any time seeing what newly-added wide receiver Tanner McEvoy could do. McEvoy, whom the Saints signed Wednesday, was on the field covering the opening kickoff.

The 6-foot-6 receiver didn’t play any offense, which is understandable considering he had just one day with the team, but coaches obviously wanted to see how he could handle duties on kickoff, though nothing really stood out Thursday.

Special teams is probably a key reason the Saints added the third-year pro, who previously played for the Seahawks. He blocked a punt in 2016 and had four special teams tackles last year.

Secondary stars
Before Thursday’s exhibition, the Saints were going to have some tough decisions to make about which defensive backs to keep. After the game, those calls are even closer.

Cornerback Arthur Maulet and rookie safety Kamrin Moore both had impressive games, and in close competitions, their big plays Thursday could help them stick around.

Maulet certainly looked like a lock early in training camp, but then an injury hurt his chances. On Thursday, he had two passes defensed, including one great jump on a pass that could’ve been an interception. He also had a tackle for loss.

Moore, the sixth-round pick, also dealt with an injury this summer that limited his opportunities, but he flashed his potential Thursday. In addition to a forced fumble on defense, he had three tackles on special teams, and his ability to help in the kicking game could be his ticket to a roster spot.

Cam's comeback
Cameron Meredith said he wanted to make a catch and take some hits in the preseason to feel more comfortable after sitting out all of last season with the Chicago Bears. Well, Meredith got his wish on the second drive as he hauled in a 56-yard catch after a double move that helped him run past cornerback Taurean Nixon.

Later, Meredith caught a 16-yard touchdown, bringing his total on the night to two catches for 72 yards.

Meredith still needs to prove he can make this kind of impact against a first-team defense, but this was definitely a step in the right direction for his long injury recovery.

Backup running backs
Jonathan Williams didn’t have many opportunities in the third preseason game, with just three carries that lost a total of three yards, but he bolstered his case for an early-season role on Thursday.

Williams had 64 yards on 16 carries and looked like the kind of efficient, between-the-tackles runner the Saints could use while Mark Ingram serves his four-game suspension to start the season.

Rookie Boston Scott looked really good, too. He had 12 carries for 68 yards and a touchdown. Scott might not have an offensive role to start the year, but he looks capable of handling duties should injuries arise.

Shane Vereen had a couple nice plays early, including an 11-yard run, but he left late in the second quarter after trainers were looking at an apparent finger injury.