New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore reacts against the Los Angeles Rams in the second half at SoFi Stadium
Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
You're bound to make mistakes in the preseason, and the final score doesn't really count. But after losing 34-0 to the Los Angeles Rams, the New Orleans Saints have numerous questions to answer.
While the Rams feature a strong team, even if many of their starters were rested, Saints head coach Kellen Moore noted that plenty of New Orleans' mistakes were self inflicted. He'll have plenty of material for film sessions leading up to the preseason finale, via Grant Chachere of Sports Illustrated.
“Yeah. Just a lack—lack of discipline, lack of detail,” Moore said. “A lot of them are under our control. You know, 12 penalties in a football game is—you're not going to win football games. And I feel like we've talked a lot about that, and it was obviously a step back from the progress that we felt like we've made. So it's going to be a lesson.”
With starter Tyler Shough not playing, backups Spencer Rattler and Zach Wilson had an opportunity to impress. That didn't come to fruition, as Rattler completed 14-of-23 passes for 141 yards and an interception that was returned 100 yards for a touchdown. Wilson completed six-of-12 passes for 55 yards and a pick.
Outside of their quarterback play, the Saints lost 96 yards on their 12 penalties. They allowed 405 yards of total offense compared to their 293. Overall, it was a game New Orleans hopes to use as an example of worst-case scenario.
But Moore also sees it as a teaching example. Obviously, their plan was unsuccessful against the Rams. But once all of their starters are back in the lineup, the Saints will be more well equipped to diagnose their issues and move forward as a franchise.