Sean Payton will have some interesting decisions to make about his final 53-player roster
Tennessee piled up 466 yards of total offense to beat New Orleans 27-24 Thursday night in the preseason finale, but the loss could end up being much more costly for the Saints.
Running back Chris Ivory, who has come on strong during camp and the preseason, left the game with an undisclosed knee injury that will be evaluated later Friday.
Most of the Saints starters sat the game out, giving the backups and players still trying to lock up roster spots on the team a final chance to stand out.
All teams must cut down to 53 players on Saturday.
Backup quarterbacks Patrick Ramsey and Chase Daniel, who are locked in a duel for the team’s NO. 2 quarterback behind Drew Brees, split time.
Ramsey started and played the first half. He completed 11 of 16 passes for 98 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. Daniel was 10 of 18 for 137 yards with one touchdown and one interception in the second half.
Daniel was driving the Saints down the field late, but his bid for a game-winning score came up short in the closing seconds when Gerald McRath intercepted a pass intended for Tyler Lorenzen.
LaDell Betts led the Saints with 37 yards rushing.