Saints Training Camp Day 4: Defense Claps Backs with INTs

By Ross Jackson

METAIRIE, La. – It was a back-and-forth battle between the New Orleans Saints offense and defense on Sunday. The offense found several scoring opportunities, but often in goal-to-go situations. Otherwise, the team’s defense found ways to pester its young quarterbacks. Spencer Rattler, Tyler Shough and Jake Haener each threw touchdown passes, but also found themselves under duress on many occasions. It was the first day with multiple takeaways and contextually a big day for the defense.

The team practiced in shells Sunday before Monday’s first scheduled full pads workout.

Defense Stands Tough Again in Red Zone

While the quarterbacks found their plays, credit goes to rookie linebacker Danny Stutsman and newly-acquired safety Julian Blackmon for a pair of big interceptions during Sunday’s practice, but there were several defensive standouts. Even on some of the biggest offensive days could have been sacks in live action. There was a ton of pressure brought upon by the edge rushers and the defensive interior had a solid day against the run.

The offense still made some plays, but on another day of red zone work, the defense took advantage of the truncated field and didn’t surrender much at all. 

Biggest Plays of the Day

• Quarterback Tyler Shough had a nice keeper run on a read option that looked like in live action would have picked up some decent yardage. The Saints continue to show designed runs throughout the early portion of camp.
• In 7-on-7 red zone drills, quarterback Spencer Rattler tried to get the ball over the top in the middle of the field to wide receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. However, Stutsman was able to sky up underneath and snag a leaping interception. The rookie linebacker out of Oklahoma saw increased first team reps with Demario Davis having an excused absence from practice. 

Spencer Rattler (with 1’s today) throws INT to rookie LB Danny Stutsman in 7-on-7 red zone drills @WWLTV pic.twitter.com/gqcJl3iGpr

— Ricardo LeCompte (@RLeCompteTV) July 27, 2025

• Wide receiver Rashid Shaheed has been one of the stars of camp so far. On Sunday, he skied over UFL star Jayden Price for a big airborne grab on a slant pass from Jake Haener.
• Tight end Juwan Johnson keeps scoring touchdowns and making big plays. He ran a great route in team red zone drills on a simulated second-and-seven that resulted in a touchdown grab against cornerback Isaac Yiadom at the front pylon. It would have been a nine-yard touchdown strike.

Spencer Rattler hits Juwan Johnson for the TD in red zone team drills @WWLTV pic.twitter.com/kbynLytmd7

— Ricardo LeCompte (@RLeCompteTV) July 27, 2025

• Safety Julian Blackmon skied above undrafted rookie wideout Chris Tyree for an impressive interception during Haener’s 7-on-7 developmental drills. After the play, defensive coordinator Brandon Staley shouted “I’ve been waiting five years for that!” A nod to Staley’s appreciation for Blackmon’s talent and why the Saints had been in touch with him throughout the season.

Quarterback Battle

On Sunday, Rattler reclaimed first team reps while Shough moved back up to second team and Haener ran with the threes. Haener also received additional developmental reps after practice in the indoor facility.

Rattler Rep Charting:

First Series of Team Drills (First and second down work)

• First-and-10: Alvin Kamara run left
• First-and-10: Chris Olave jet sweep left
• Second-and-five: Rattler complete to Olave (Carl Granderson in coverage) short right off the play action
• Second-and-five: Kendre Miller run up middle

7-on-7s (Red zone, down and distance work)

• First-and-10: Rattler complete to Brandin Cooks (Chase Young nearest defender) short area left side.
• Second-and-five: Rattler complete to Juwan Johnson (Alontae Taylor in coverage) short right area
• Third-and-three: Rattler intercepted by Stutsman on a target to Cedrick Wilson Jr. over the middle
• Third-and-goal (four-yard-line): Rattler incomplete to Bub Means (Kool-Aid McKinstry in coverage) likely a throwaway out of the back of the endzone.

Second Series of Team Drills (Red zone, down and distance work)

• First-and-10 (20-yard-line): Rattler complete to Kamara, screen run in for a touchdown. Davon Godchaux may have had a sack here.
• Second-and-8 (18-yard-line): Kamara right right
• Third-and-seven (16-yard-line): Penalty: False Start
• Third-and-seven (16-yard-line): Rattler incomplete to Shaheed (McKinstry in coverage) quick out to the right.
• Third-and-four (13-yard-line): Kendre Miller run up middle

Third Series of Team Drills (Red zone, down and distance work)

• First-and-10 (12-yard-line): Cam Akers run up the middle, looked like it could have been a touchdown. Well-blocked
• Second-and-seven (nine-yard-line): Rattler complete to Johnson (Isaac Yiadom in coverage) out-breaking route on right side, Johnson caught at front pylon and in for the touchdown
• Third-and-four (six-yard-line): Rattler incomplete to Dante Pettis (Jordan Howden in coverage) low throw on the out-breaking route at the goal line.
• First-and-goal (three-yard-line): Rattler play action run around left edge – touchdown

Fourth Series of Team Drills (Red zone, down and distance work)

• First-and-10 (20-yard-line): Rattler complete to Kamara, swing right, Granderson in position for an immediate stop
• Second-and-eight (18-yard-line): Kamara run up middle
• Third-and-five (15-yard-line): Rattler throwaway
• First-and-goal (nine-yard-line): Miller run up middle
• Second-and-goal (five-yard line): Rattler complete to Miller (Alontae Taylor nearest defender), Miller ran up right sideline for touchdown
• Third-and-goal (three-yard-line): Timeout, re-huddle
• Third-and-goal (three-yard-line): Rattler throwaway, pressure by Granderson up middle, knocked over Miller in pass protection
• First-and-goal (two-yard-line): Rattler incomplete to Treyton Welch (Blackmon in coverage) out-breaking route, right side at goal line

Rattler found ways to still have perhaps the most positive day of the quarterback despite the defense’s relentlessness. He contributed to four scores either as a passer or rusher. But the tale of the first team as a whole came down to Young and Granderson’s havoc and disruption along with Stutsman’s takeaway. It was a better back and forth for the first unit than for others.

Shough Rep Charting:

First Series of Team Drills (First and second down work)

• First-and-10: Clyde Edwards-Helaire run to the right
• Second-and-five: Shough play action, scramble up middle
• First-and-10: Shough read option to the left
• Second-and-five: Shough complete to Seth Green (Rico Payton in coverage) play action screen, Payton in the area quickly

7-on-7s (Red zone, down and distance work)

• First-and-10: Shough complete to Olave (Ugo Amadi in coverage) Shough pumped and then delivered on a slant
• Second-and-five: Shough complete to Welch (D’Marco Jackson in coverage) short over the middle, enough to pick up a first down.
• Third-and-three: Shough complete to Edwards-Helaire (Jackson in coverage) over the middle, short for a touchdown
• Third-and-goal (four-yard-line): Shough incomplete to Kevin Austin Jr. (Quincy Riley in coverage) might have been a throwaway

Second Series of Team Drills (Red zone, down and distance work)

• First-and-10 (20-yard-line): Shough incomplete to Brandin Cooks (drop, might have been low) slant, Khalen Saunders with pressure
• Second-and-8 (18-yard-line): Neal run up middle
• Third-and-seven (16-yard-line): Shough incomplete to Wilson (Amadi in coverage) pressure by Isaiah Foskey
• Third-and-four (13-yard-line): Shough complete to Pettis, quick pass to the right, Payton on the stop

Third Series of Team Drills (Red zone, down and distance work)

• While Rattler was doing team drills on one practice field, Shough was on the parallel field at the same time. We’ll give a hat tip to Nick Underhill at NewOrleans.Football for contributing to this report by sharing that Shough was 3/6 with a pair of drops in these red zone team drills. Per head coach Kellen Moore, Shough saw eight total reps during this period.

Haener Rep Charting:

First Series of Team Drills (First and second down work)

• First-and-10: Miller run left, Foskey and Jaylan Ford on the stop for a short gain
• Second-and-five: Haener complete to Olave (Payton in coverage) right sideline, Fadil Diggs pressure Penalty: defensive pass interference presumably on Payton
• First-and-10: Busted run play attempt, looked like a miscommunication between passer and running back as to what side the handoff was supposed to go to. Khristian Boyd and Vernon Broughton on the stop
• Second-and-five: Akers run up middle

7-on-7s (Red zone, down and distance work)

• First-and-10: Haener complete to Green (open) short right area
• Second-and-seven: Haener complete to Shaheed (Jayden Price in coverage) slant, great leaping grab by Shaheed
• Third-and-five: Haener complete to Jack Stoll (Tyreen Powell in coverage) short middle area
• Third-and-goal (four-yard-line): Haener complete to Chris Tyree at the front pylon, touchdown

Second Series of Team Drills (Red zone, down and distance work)

• First-and-10 (12-yard-line): Jet sweep for Olave
• Second-and-eight (nine-yard-line): Haener complete to Moochie Dixon (JT Gray in coverage) middle of the field, touchdown
• Third-and-four (six-yard-line): Haener complete to Means (Amadi in coverage) jump pass to the middle of the field for a touchdown
• First-and-goal (three-yard-line): Marcus Yarns run up middle, Boyd stop

Developmental Period 7-on-7s (Red zone, down and distance work)

• First-and-10 (20-yard-line): Haener complete to Dixon 
• Second-and-seven (16-yard-line): Haener complete to Velus Jones Jr.
• Third-and-five (14-yard-line): Re-huddle
• Third-and-five (14-yard-line): Haener intercepted by Blackmon on target to the back corner of the endzone to Tyree
• First-and-10 (12-yard-line): Haener complete to Yarns (Isaiah Stalbird in coverage)  short outside
• Third-and-four (nine-yard line): Haener incomplete to Yarns (Stalbird in coverage) pass breakup by Stalbird
• Third-and-goal (four-yard-line): Haener incomplete to Donovan Peoples-Jones (Price in coverage) pass breakup by Price at the right, front pylon

Quarterback Rep Distribution (excluding re-huddles):

Rattler: 23

Shough: 20

Haener: 18

Practice Situation

It was another day of red zone drills for the team, but also some down and distance work all throughout. We didn’t see as much uptempo work as had been seen over the first three days. Quarterbacks kept the pace up in between plays, operating the huddle with a sense of urgency.

Passing Attempts/Completions (Running Total); 

Rattler: 7/15, four passing touchdowns, one rushing touchdown, one interception (32/44, six passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and two interceptions)

Shough: 5/10, one passing touchdown (16/30, three passing touchdowns)

Haener: 10/13, three passing touchdowns, one interception (25/36, four passing touchdowns, one interception)

Attendance

Every Saints player was spotted throughout the day except for linebacker Demario Davis who was out with an excused absence. Tight ends Foster Moreau and Taysom Hill again did not participate (as expected) but were present at times during the practice. Hill worked with training staff off to the side as practice began.

Charlie Smyth Kicks

Smyth struggled again to hit within the 40-50 yard range going 3/5 on the day. He is now 5/10 throughout his first two days of field goal opportunities.

He made his kicks from extra point distance, 37 yards out and 48 yards out. His two misses came from 41 and 46 yards away.

Smyth has now missed kicks from 40, 41, 46, 47 and 49 yard tries.

James Burnip Has a Huge Leg

One of the easiest observations I’ll make every other day throughout training camp is that undrafted free agent kicker James Burnip out of Alabama has a booming leg. He booted five punts that tallied a hangtime greater than 4.5 seconds with two of them exceeding five seconds. His gunners get a world of time to get to the returner the way he hangs his punts.

4.16s, 4.16s, 4.91s, 4.69s, 3.87s, 4.28s, 4.47s, 5.15s, 5.22s and 4.68s

Punt Returners

The Saints cycled through a litany of punt returners throughout Sunday’s practice.

Rashid Shaheed, Dante Pettis, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Chris Tyree, Ugo Amadi, Moochie Dixon, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Cam Akers, Kendre Miller, Marcus Yarns, Jayden Price, Velus Jones Jr.

Revisit Previous Observations

DAY ONE – Rattler perfect in passing

DAY TWO – Defense takes control

DAY THREE- Rattler, offense bounce back

By Ross Jackson

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