<span>Annually the third preseason game for the majority of NFL's teams represents the opportunity for the coaching staffs to get longer looks at the starters and witness how they make adjustments not usually seen in preseason games one, two or four.
Saints Head Coach Sean Payton stated today after the team's practice that he plans on running parallel to that axiom when the team lines up on Saturday afternoon in Oakland when they Saints face the Raiders.
"I want to give the starters a full half and then see where they're at in the third quarter and give them some reps coming out of the locker room like we've typically done,'' Payton said. Kickoff is slated for 3:00 p.m. CT and will be aired on the CST, FOX 8 and heard over the Saints Radio Network (870 WWL is the flagship).
The Saints' head coach also indicated that he may shorten his quarterback rotation to two players, starter Drew Brees and top reserve Mark Brunell, who will most likely enter the game in the third quarter.
The Saints and the Raiders will be meeting in the preseason for the first game since the final game of the 2005 preseason, a game which was also held in Oakland.
