On Saturday night, the New Orleans Saints will play their first preseason game in Houston against the Texans. Both sides open the season with new head coaches as they establish new regimes and identities. Sean Payton, the Saints' longtime head coach, left the team this summer, and Dennis Allen is now in charge. Lovie Smith, who is defensively focused, will serve as the Texans' next head coach this season.

The Dennis Allen era gets underway in New Orleans against the Texans. After an unsuccessful two-plus-year tenure as the head coach of the then-Oakland Raiders, Allen will be in charge as head coach for the second time. Allen's record as a head coach was only 8-28, but after working as the Saints' defensive coordinator under former head coach Sean Payton since 2015, he now takes over a squad he is much more familiar with.

Allen is knowledgeable about his team and the Saints' typical offensive scheme. Jameis Winston is also returning to New Orleans this year after suffering a knee injury that ended his season last year. Under Payton, Winston started to realize his full potential, especially in terms of his decision-making. We'll see if he will fully blossom this year under Allen.

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Saints Preseason Week 1 Predictions

4. Kaden Elliss starts at LB

Before the game on Saturday, the Saints unveiled their first depth chart, with Kaden Elliss listed as the first SAM linebacker alongside Demario Davis and Pete Werner. In the linebacker group, Davis stands out as the most excellent defender, and perhaps his skills will filter down to the young, inexperienced players like Elliss, Zack Baun, and D'Marco Jackson.

This season, Elliss will play a significant amount of snaps in the critically depleted Saints linebacker group. That was left vacant by the free-agent departures of Kwon Alexander and Kiko Alonso. With a solid performance against the Texans, the seventh-round pick from 2019 may get off to a strong start in his fourth season in the NFL after earning praise so far in training camp.

Elliss saw action in 13 games last season but only started one. He compiled a meager 17 tackles and one sack during that time. The Saints linebacker's future may be in good hands if he and Werner both significantly raise their levels of play.

3. James Hurst wins the LT battle… for now

Is Trevor Penning capable of overtaking James Hurst, who is presently listed as the starting left tackle for the next season?

Most likely not. Hurst should start on Saturday against the Texans, but he'll need to put together a few standout outings to demonstrate his worth and dependability. With a strong showing against the Texans, Hurst, who currently enjoys a big edge over the youngster, may easily claim victory in the battle for left tackle.

Experts prefer to see Hurst firmly establish his starting left tackle position and act as a reliable pass-protector and run-defender in the preseason. Eventually, though, Penning can develop into a starting-caliber offensive lineman in due time.

In 2022, the Saints' fierce LT competition will have a significant impact. Although Trevor Penning still has to improve in many areas of his game, NOLA selected him with the hopes that he would eventually win the starting role this year.

2. Chris Olave should be exciting

Take note that the Saints traded up in the draft to select Ohio State wide receiver Chris Olave. He gives Jameis Winston another tool in their pass-first system. Olave should be one of Allen's main weapons in this game, mainly because seasoned players like Jarvis Landry and former Pro Bowl receiver Michael Thomas won't play in the preseason opener.

In the upcoming exhibition game between the Saints and Texans, Olave should get his first NFL plays. This may actually be the beginning of the young receiver's strong start this season. Olave's consistency throughout camp thus far has been nothing short of remarkable.

The rookie receiver has shown that everything that was reported about his route-running prowess throughout the draft process is accurate. He moves really well, has an incredible ability to switch from subtle to explosive, and is highly agile. His relationship with quarterback Jameis Winston has grown during the first two weeks of camp. We'll see if he will connect as well with Case Keenum likely under center against Houston. There is real anticipation for what he can provide to the offense.

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JC Latham (Alabama), Chris Braswell (Alabama not Jaguars), Cornelieus Johnson (Michigan) in action behind a New Orleans Saints logo with a 2024 NFL Draft background.

Dylan Bruton ·

1. Andy Dalton will lead under center

Jameis Winston, who just underwent surgery, is not expected to play in the opening preseason game. Veteran Andy Dalton and former Notre Dame QB Ian Book will be the backups. For a Saints club that struggled at the quarterback position last season when Winston went down, Dalton is a blessing.

As he adjusts to the Saints scheme, Dalton will likely see plenty of action in the first half. The second half, though, will presumably go to Book.

This season, Dalton has been a reliable backup for NOLA. Pundits will scrutinize his performance against the Texans for a variety of reasons. Keep in mind that Dalton is, among other things, Winston's primary reliever. Dalton is anticipated to step up and put together a couple of victories if Winston suffers another injury and must miss time during the regular season.

Recall that Dalton spent majority of his career in Cincinnati, where he had a 62 percent pass completion percentage. His most recent position was with the Chicago Bears, where he passed for 1,515 yards, eight touchdowns, and nine interceptions in eight games.

Regardless, Dalton will serve as the Saints' main backup quarterback in 2022, and it will be interesting to watch how he can exploit a possibly very porous Texans secondary.