New Orleans Saints clean up play in preseason finale, prepare for roster cut Sunday

Aug 29, 2026

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Arlington, Texas – Things Coach Kellen Moore was hoping to see from New Orleans Saints second- and third-teamers during preseason games, he saw in abundance against Dallas in the first half Friday night, in the final preseason game before Sunday's roster cutdown from 90 to 53.

New Orleans led 17-9 at halftime against the Cowboys in AT&T Stadium, and it was as crisp and precise as the Saints have been in a preseason game.

"These are challenging games, a lot of decisions have to be made after this game," Moore said. "Everyone knows that. But for our guys to lock in and just play with really good effort, just proud of them."

It wasn't perfect, but a solid compilation of positive plays that provided some balance for the previous preseason result, a 34-0 loss to the Rams.

There was much to like in the 27-24 victory, including:

RATTLER STRIKE: If the race for No. 2 quarterback still was open, Spencer Rattler did all he could to close it. He completed eight of 10 passes for 79 yards, carried twice for nine yards and a touchdown, and directed two touchdown drives in the half. He started and looked comfortable despite several pressures, one that resulted in a sack. Taking care of the ball is paramount but leading the offense to touchdowns while doing so is the sought after combination. His touchdown scamper is an added bonus; Rattler is capable of making plays with his legs and it's always good to see when he does.

BACKFIELD IN MOTION: The Saints will miss running back Alvin Kamara, the franchise all-time leader in rushing yards and touchdowns, while he recovers from a knee injury. Kendre Miller and Audric Estime will help ease the sting of the loss, especially if they continue to build off Friday. Miller carried nine times for 42 yards in the first half and Estime totaled 46 yards on four carries – including a 33-yarder that preceded Rattler's touchdown run – to lead a ground game that gained 119 yards and scored two touchdowns on 18 carries in the first half. New Orleans finished with 169 yards on 32 carries, and Miller and Estime look like worthy options behind starter Travis Etienne. Each can operate between the tackles and bounce outside.

RUN BARION: We've seen a good bit of what Barion Brown can do as a receiver; on Friday, he provided a glimpse of what he adds as a runner. Brown carried twice on jet sweeps in the first half and gained 19 yards, including a 7-yard touchdown run. It's a play that the Saints have run occasionally against their defense in practice, with results not as sparkly as Friday night. But both were positive against the Cowboys: A 12-yard run on the first play from scrimmage, and the touchdown run where he read his blocks, cut back inside and powered into the end zone for an impressive finish.

CLEAN UP: New Orleans committed 12 penalties in the preseason game against the Rams. It finished with four against the Cowboys, and two were committed on the first offensive drive. Fantastic clean-up job by the players and coaches.

KICKED UP A NOTCH: Here are some indisputable facts and reasonable deductions regarding the Saints' competition at kicker: Charlie Smyth and Tanner Brown left open the door enough for the Saints to sign former two-time All-Pro Daniel Carlson on Monday, giving Carlson one practice and a preseason game to make a winning impression; the Saints had conversations with Carlson and gave space to him for months so that he could make up his mind; in Friday's preseason game, Carlson made 38- and 53-yard field goals – the latter proving to be the game-winner – and an extra point, while Smyth and Brown made extra-point attempts. Make of that what you will, but it's reasonable to assess that if the Saints were satisfied, Carlson would not have been added and in his one preseason game, he was perfect (Smyth and Brown each missed a field goal attempt in the previous two games). We'll know the thought process for certain Sunday.

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He's done it -- Kellen Moore won his first preseason game as New Orleans Saints head coach, and he did it against the team he came up with as an NFL play caller. Moore guided the Saints to a 27-24 win on the road against the Dallas Cowboys on Friday night, finally getting that monkey on his back after going 0-4-1 in his first five exhibition games, dating back to last year. Good for him. But what did we learn about the Saints in their fourth-quarter rally in Dallas? To put a pin in the preseason, we're asking and answering a couple of key questions after the Saints' win over the Cowboys: What went right? What went wrong? And what's the bottom line? So what comes next? What went right? Penalties weren't nearly as big of an issue this week. After drawing a dozen flags in their last preseason game, the Saints were fouled half as many times in Dallas, and only four of those penalties were accepted (one of them being a weak call against Danny Stutsman early in the game). New Orleans actually had fewer penalties for less penalty yardage (three flags for 39 yards) than the Cowboys themselves (six flags for 45 yards). The team rallied back from a lopsided loss and played disciplined, methodical football. Even if it's preseason, that's worth acknowledging. Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY. They also did a great job running the ball. Rookie wide receiver Barion Brown added some juice to the run game on jet sweeps, but Audric Estime tallied 46 rushing yards on just four attempts (and a healthy 4.3 yards per carry even if you take out his 33-yard sprint). Kendre Miller and Zamir White both averaged well over four yards per attempt and short-yardage back CJ Donaldson had some chunk plays, too. The Saints might be better in the trenches than we thought. And, hey: Daniel Carlson proved he could hit a field goal from 50-plus yards out. New Orleans might have its kicker. What went wrong? The Saints nearly choked. They didn't have an answer for Sam Howell's deep shots to rookie wide receiver Jordon Hudson over the top of their defense; Howell got into scoring position with a 52-yarder to Hudson before going his way again on a 26-yard strike. That cut into New Orleans' 24-6 lead and opened the door for Dallas to tie it up. Their depth at cornerback was tested in this game, and for the most part, it was found wanting. But a win is a win. But it wasn't always pretty. While the run defense did its job, the pass rush came away with just two sacks on at least 35 dropbacks by the Cowboys quarterbacks (who scrambled a couple of time, too). We haven't seen the team's best pass rushers get into a game yet. They also haven't gone up against an opponent's best blockers in a live game. We've got to see it to believe it. And what's the bottom line? Maybe this Saints team isn't as bad as we feared after they got shut out by the Los Angeles Rams last week. Maybe they're on the same level as a Dallas Cowboys team that missed the playoffs last year. Maybe they're better. We finally got a look at the team with Kellen Moore calling plays and Brandon Staley running the defense after they handed the headsets to assistants in previous weeks. We still haven't seen the Saints at full strength with all of their offseason upgrades in the lineup, but we've seen enough to feel encouraged about them. If Friday night's game is any indication, this should be a fun season. So what comes next? The worst part of pro football is going to dominate the news cycle this weekend: roster cuts. Teams have until 5 p.m. CT on Sunday, Aug. 30 to trim their rosters down from 90 players to 53, meaning dozens of guys are going to be let go, some for the final time. But the work won't stop there. The Saints will be calling around to see if the right opportunity for a trade or a free agent pickup is out there, and they've got numerous injuries to sort through before determining who could return early this season and who may need more time. It's going to be a busy couple of days. Keep up with all of it right here at Saints Wire.