The New Orleans Saints offense passed their first big test of the offseason in joint practice against the Jacksonville Jaguars. After an offseason of praise and hype because of additions like Travis Etienne Jr. and Jordyn Tyson and the rise of Tyler Shough, a slow start to training camp had the offense’s backs against the wall. The pressure was on to rise to the occasion in joint practices, and that they did.
The starters won't play in the preseason game Saturday, so this was an important practice. Shough was efficient and led the offense to a successful red zone period, an area the offense had notably struggled in last year and at camp.
One snag the offense did see is Jordyn Tyson leaving practice with a hamstring injury. It's not believed to be major, but any injury has fans cautious due to his experience. We'll wait and see but that was the bronze lining to what was a strong day for the offense.
Saints fixed one major flaw vs the Jaguars and showed life in the run game
The red zone has been a struggle for the offense in camp, an unfortunate continuation from last season. The Saints had a 44.4% red zone touchdown percentage in 2025. Since it's carried over into training camp, there was a lot of attention on how the Saints would fair against the Jaguars inside the 20.
The Saints' first team offense responded with three touchdowns in the red zone and a debatable touchdown catch from Chris Olave. We put a lot of weight on red zone offense, and this was one of the Saints' best days yet in that department.
The Saints also had a strong day running the football. Etienne and Alvin Kamara should give the Saints the best rushing offense in recent memory, and it should be a core part of the Saints' offensive success.
The Jaguars aren't just any team either. They had the best run defense in the league a season ago and were stout from a total yards and yards per carry standpoint. The Saints having a good day against them is encouraging for a group with promise and importance.
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