Saints vs. Chiefs 2013: What To Watch

Tonight the New Orleans Saints take off the kid gloves and slip on their game jerseys as they host the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2013 preseason opener for both teams.

Since it's preseason, the final score is not the most important factor, but there will still be plenty to focus our attention on in regard to this game, so let's not dilly dally and get right to HansDat's Hot Reads so you can know what I'll be watching for in this clash of titans.

Saints vs. Chiefs Headquarters

Complete game coverage and everything you need to know about the Saints' first preseason game against the Chiefs.

Primary Option

Since Protect Brees has just about taken up primary residence in this here spot, you can bet your sweet bippy I'll be most closely scrutinizing the performances of the procession of new faces at Left Tackle. Charles Brown, Jason Smith, and Terron Armstead, you'd better show me something, or I'll eviscerate you in my Hot Reads Review later this weekend.

Checkdown # 1

Joe Morgan's out for the season, so right now things are Wide Open at WR3, and the competition is filled with contenders, pretenders and camp stiffs, but just who will be whom when the dust settles? Steve Breaston was signed this week. Kenny Stills is the speedster rookie out of OOOOOOOOOklahoma! who has been impressing a bit thus far in camp. Nick Toon is the second year man coming back form injury who's been catching mostly everything thrown his way. There's also the Great White Hope/Dark Horse Andy Tanner Bandwagon that's developing momentum among some of the fan base. Time to step up or shut up, boys.

Checkdown # 2

Now on to the defense, and I don't even know where to begin, so I'll just write the three levels of defense (secondary, LBs, DL) on index cards, mount them on the wall, blindfold myself, and throw a dart at them to see which one I'll focus on first in this game. OK, here goes. "OUCH!" Oops, sorry Mrs. H, that's gonna leave a mark. But you were standing too close to "secondary" so we'll call that close enough for government work.

My eyes and ears will be on the New Additions to this New Edition of the Saints Secondary. Keenan Lewis was brought in to lock down one of the corner spots, and while it's not yet clear who exactly Kenny Vaccaro will supplant, it looks like he'll be manning the "wild card" position at first, trying out numerous spots all over the field as he finds a home.

Safety Valve

Following closely behind the secondary in the "race for the worst" in 2012 was the absolutely porous defensive line that couldn't bring pressure or stuff the run. So, seeing just how and how well FF Rob Ryan Plugs the Holes on DL will be a big part of seeing any improvement in 2013.

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OK, now that I've shown you mine, it's time for you to show me yours. What will you be watching for in this game?

More from Canal Street Chronicles:

• Saints Training Camp Recap: Is Anyone Really Blaming Kenny Vaccaro For Joe Morgan's Knee Injury?
• Performance-Enhancing Drugs in the NFL: We Simply Don't Care
• The Rise of New Orleans Saints Linebacker Junior Galette
• Saints Lose Joe Morgan and Kenyon Coleman for the 2013 NFL Season
• Saints vs. Chiefs 2013: Scouting the Enemy