Man, talk about a rough night! The New Orleans Saints got absolutely flattened, suffering a brutal 34-0 shutout loss to the Los Angeles Rams in their second preseason game on August 22, 2026. Seriously, nothing to cheer about there, right? But even in a game where the offense looked totally lost, one player actually made some noise: second-year tight end Moliki Matavao.
Matavao Delivered Big in Limited Snaps
This kid, Moliki Matavao, came into that matchup with everything to prove, battling in a super crowded tight end room. And prove it, he did. The 23-year-old out of UCLA wrapped up the game with three receptions for 34 yards, snagging first down conversions and even making a sick contested catch. What’s wild is he did all that in just eight total snaps! Eight! He still somehow managed to pull off a team-high 93.8 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, plus a 93.1 receiving grade. That’s insane production for such limited time on the field.
From Breakthrough to Big Question Mark
For a player fighting for a roster spot in a room packed with veterans like Juwan Johnson, Noah Fant, and Oscar Delp, this was *exactly* the kind of performance Matavao needed to stand out. He was on an uphill climb, and he showed everyone he could contribute. But then, disaster struck. The biggest concern coming out of the game? Matavao exited with a knee injury after making his impact felt, putting a huge halt to what should’ve been nothing but an encouraging night.
Now, the Saints are stuck in limbo, waiting to see whether that knee injury is significant. That’s the whole ballgame for Matavao heading into the final preseason game. We saw his potential against the Rams, he can play, but he needs to be on the field to build on it. If this injury is minor, he’s got one last shot to make his case before those brutal roster decisions drop. Fingers crossed, because that performance was way too good to be derailed now.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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