The New Orleans Saints will head to Inglewood to face the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium in Week 2 of the 2026 NFL preseason. To break it down, Evan Craig of Turf Show Times joins us to preview this weekend’s matchup.
NJ: With Ty Simpson’s strong debut in the books, what stood out most about his performance, and what are you hoping to see from him against the Saints?
EC: Ty Simpson had quite a special debut, even if he was mainly going against third- and fourth-stringers. He was incredibly efficient, with only four incompletions and a pair of touchdown passes against the Chiefs. Simpson demonstrated quite a bit of poise and command of the offense, more so than many fans had expected to see from him. It was everything you
could’ve wanted in a rookie quarterback’s debut. Ahead of the game, I mentioned that Simpson might be under pressure, considering that fellow high-profile QBs from this year’s draft class like Fernando Mendoza, Carson Beck and Drew Allar had been performing well so far this preseason. We’ll definitely have to see more from him, but it was a heck of a way for him to kick things off.
All I’m hoping to see from Simpson is whether he can build on his debut. He doesn’t have to play as well as he did in KC, but it would be nice to see him maintain a level of consistency, even if the games are ultimately meaningless. Also, not that you ever want to see your quarterback make mistakes, yet I’m curious to see how he bounces back from mistakes or a tough series of plays. That will give fans a better understanding of his mental makeup, especially when looking ahead to whenever he takes over for Matthew Stafford long-term.
NJ: Which Rams position battle or group of players has the most to gain from the additional preseason reps against New Orleans?
EC: Wide receiver is one of the most glaring question marks on the roster, given it’s very top-heavy.
The Rams have a clear hole at the WR3 spot behind Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, so many of the younger players on the roster have as good a chance as any to join them on the field this season.
It was a good sign when Brennan Presley led LA with 58 receiving yards on four receptions, including a 23-yard catch in the first quarter against the Chiefs. Jordan Whittington and rookie CJ Daniels are two other options at the No. 3 position. The Rams don’t have a shortage of talent at that spot; there’s just a shortage of experience there, combined with too many mouths to feed, which has forced LA to lessen its emphasis on addressing wideout compared to other positions on the offense.
NJ: What are you hoping to learn about the Rams from Saturday’s matchup against the Saints, and what did you learn from training camp and the preseason opener that you’d like to see the team build on?
EC: From the preseason opener at least, we learned that the Rams have a quality defense from top to bottom. Myles Garrett (and potentially Aaron Donald) shouldn’t be the only headlines the defense grabs ahead of the season. Even if the Rams and Chiefs were engaged in a backup battle, Los Angeles managed to hold Kansas City without a touchdown. Additionally, they held KC’s three quarterbacks under 200 passing yards. Defensive issues have contributed to the Rams falling short in the playoffs each of the last two years. They need all the depth they can get, and Saturday proved they’ve got enough, which will be needed if their season goes as long as they hope.
Also, the opener showed Rams fans that the team has plenty of young talent to work with. Rookie tight end Max Klare is an excellent example of that, as the Ohio State product led the team in receptions and demonstrated that he can be a quality pass catching option in an already crowded TE room. General manager Les Snead has done such a phenomenal job in stocking the roster with a promising array of youngsters.
NJ: Who is one Rams player you think Saints fans should keep an eye on Saturday—someone who may not be receiving much national attention but could make a strong impression?
EC: Keep an eye on undrafted running back Dean Connors, who caught both of Simpson’s two touchdown passes and added 22 yards on the ground Saturday. He is vying for a spot in a crowded Rams running back room, and will certainly be a difficult player to keep off the roster when final cutdowns happen. Expect to see him in the backfield a lot this weekend.
NJ: According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the Saints (-132) are currently 1.5-point favorites over the Rams (+112) in Sunday’s matchup; what is your final score prediction?
EC: I expect this to be a pretty competitive game throughout. Simpson should receive many of the reps at quarterback in this one. This one will be defined by whether the Saints’ depth can outlast the Rams’ and I think they have a good chance to do so. I’m expecting Simpson to still play well, but he’ll have one or two hiccups that power New Orleans to a close win.
Saints 23. Rams 22.
Thank you again to Evan Craig for joining us to preview this week’s matchup! You can check out the rest of his work here.
