New Orleans Saints fans may not have seen the starting unit this offseason, but that doesn't mean no one die. Former Los Angeles Rams offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth was present at the joint practice between the Saints and Rams. Though he was there for the Rams, his comments about the Saints and Tyler Shough suggests the Saints are ahead of schedule.
The former LSU offensive tackle said the Saints "looked like they belonged." It's a small but very valuable compliment for a team that's still growing with a batch of young players. Shough is the headliner of those young players, and Whitworth is a believer.
"I really liked him," Whitworth said of Shough. After the practice, he, Shough and Matthew Stafford came together and simply talked ball. Whitworth walked away impressed with Shough's football intellect and just how passionate the Saints quarterback was about the game.
Saints are clearly taking steps in the right direction
The offseason hype around the team can make it easy to lose sight of where this team is at currently. They have an exciting young quarterback and made multiple splashes in free agency and the draft. Playoffs feel almost like an expectation from the fan base.
With the conversation around the team, the Saints begin to feel less like a rebuilding team at times, and more like a team that is a potential sleeper. The quick turnaround and success of the Washington Commanders and New England Patriots have blurred the lines a bit.
Even if the Saints aren't the next Patriots or Commanders, there can be success without reaching the NFC Championship Game or Super Bowl. Whitworth's comments are a good representation of that.
Looking like they belong on the field with the Rams is a sign of growth from last year. Whitworth doesn't mean it in a sense of two professional teams. He's laying out a visual of a team that more than held their own against the Super Bowl favorite.
That's saying a lot, especially when factoring in what the game looked like a year ago between the Saints and Rams. The Saints didn't look like they belonged at all with the Rams in Week 9. The Saints were thoroughly dominated in that game and had an embarrassing 16:07 time of possession.
Whitworth's description is a far cry from that debacle, so to hear things looked different should speak volumes to the fan base. Nothing is for certain, but that certainly sounds like a definitive sign of growth.
Seeing the team not look outclassed by any opponent is a step in the right direction in the second year of the Kellen Moore era. As the team looks to reach for new heights, that could be one of many benchmarks along the way. Additionally, that level of play translating into the regular season should result in many victories.
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