Saints Look Sharp vs. Cardinals in HOF Preseason Opener

The New Orleans Saints looked surprisingly sharp in most phases during their first preseason warmup of the year tonight as they defeated the Arizona Cardinals by a score of 17-10 in the NFL's Hall of Fame game. The replacement referees however...not so much.

As far as the starting offense is concerned, they haven't missed a beat. Drew Brees and the gang were in mid-season form, steamrolling over the Cardinals in their one and only series. It was wonderful! I hope the other teams in the league have been studying up this offseason.

The defensive starters looked pretty good as well, much better than usual in the first preseason game of the year. Martez Wilson shined, Curtis Lofton looked quick and Malcolm Jenkins ended their first series with an interception.

Your offensive standout of the night was, without a doubt, rookie running back Travaris Cadet who had 8 catches for 80 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore LB/DE Martez Wilson, meanwhile, is your defensive player of the game with two sacks.

Make the jump for the rest of my quick thoughts from tonight's game. Keep in mind I've had a LOT to drink because I played the Saints Bountygate drinking game while watching.

• It's still early but it looks like the Football Outsiders were dead on balls accurate when they listed Martez Wilson as the NFL's No. 2 top prospect. Wilson notched two sacks and looked sharp tonight, both against the run and rushing the passer.
• Fact: the Saints are simply loaded with awesome running backs. Where the hell did Travaris Cadet come from? He just earned himself a spot on the practice squad after tonight's game.
• Adrian Arrington was mysteriously missing. He never made an appearance in the game and Kristian Garic tweeted that he couldn't find him on the sidelines. Weird.
• Dear NFL, sign the regular referees NOW! Give them whatever they demand! Love, Everyone.
• Just in case you were concerned, Thomas Morstead was definitely worth every penny of that sweet six-year contract he just signed.
• Chase Daniel looked pretty good tonight in spite of throwing an interception at the end of a nice, long drive. I still think he holds on to the ball a little too long and needs to make quicker decisions.
• Forget the black pants, what the hell is with the vampire collar on the new jerseys?
• Tyrunn Walker also made his mark late in the game with one sack and four tackles.
• We've heard a good bit about wide receiver Andy Tanner thus far during training camp and he didn't disappoint tonight, despite his fumble. Not sure there's any room for him on the roster, though.
• Good to see Joseph Morgan getting some snaps with the starters tonight and making the most of them. He looked real tough on one run after the catch.
• Names we didn't hear called enough tonight: Johnny Patrick and Marquis Johnson.