4 takeaways from New Orleans Saints' shutout preseason loss to Rams

The New Orleans Saints just had one of their worst combined performances in a long time, falling 34-0 to the Los Angeles Rams in their second game of the preseason. Nothing went their way, down to a missed field goal at the end of the fourth quarter to keep them off the scoreboard.

Usually there are a few positives and a few negatives to take away from each game. This is a preseason game full of backups; no one is expecting perfection. Instead, there is just a big list of mistakes and corrections to make, with virtually nothing to celebrate.

Here are some overall takeaways from the loss for the Saints to focus on:

New Orleans better hope that the starting lineup stays healthy

Head coach Kellen Moore went so far as to say, after the game, that the preseason didn't matter. He did acknowledge that it was a missed opportunity, but it might have been a bigger one than he seems to realize. The Saints know as well as any team in the NFL that the injury bug can strike at any time. The Saints aren't that far from seeing a lot of these players take serious snaps. Injuries have already decimated depth across the team to the point where players like Danny Stutsman and Barion Brown are sitting out the second preseason game.

If the worst-case scenario happens, Saints need another backup QB

To this point, neither Spencer Rattler nor Zach Wilson has been very promising to start this preseason. Rattler had the better opening to camp, but looked off against the Jacksonville Jaguars, while Wilson had the better first game. This time, both had bad interceptions and nothing very positive to say. Rattler will likely win the job due to having more experience in the system and being relied on in a pinch. If the Saints end up in a situation where Tyler Shough misses multiple weeks in a row, and they are in a position to compete, they wouldn't be able to feel too confident in Rattler, though.

Similar to when the Cincinnati Bengals traded for Joe Flacco last season, it would be smart to bring in a veteran with a bit more winning experience from somewhere around the league.

New Orleans must keep an eye on the kicker market

Charlie Smyth had a nice day off, but that shouldn't be what he wanted after missing his only field goal attempt of the first game. Granted, it was a 52-yarder, but those are becoming commonplace in modern-day NFL. Tanner Brown went 2-for-2 at home against the Jaguars, but missed a back-breaker from 39 yards out to keep the shutout in place against the Rams.

New Orleans waited too long to make a change last season with Blake Grupe, and it cost them. They might need to keep an eye on the kicker market as early as when teams cut down their rosters. There will be a more solidified option available, but the question is if the Saints make the move.

Jayden Price might be the real deal

Price made one of the biggest plays last week and now followed it up with another solid performance in this game. Pro Football Focus has him as being targeted five times, allowing just two catches on five targets. He was a star for the North Dakota State Bison in college, but didn't find a consistent opportunity after that until signing with New Orleans last year. Now, he looks to be in line to make the starting lineup as someone with inside-out versatility in a pinch. They have the starters locked down, but Price has been the best backup that has played.

This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: 4 takeaways from New Orleans Saints' shutout preseason loss to Rams