THE ONSIDE KICK

Saints Execute Encore Record Performance

2012-01-01T18:27:00.000-08:00

It cannot be said that New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton played his starters out of pure vanity.

It seemed that the Saint Louis Rams were within striking range of doing the job Seattle Seahawks quarterback Tarvaris Jackson fumbled last week. But it's been standard procedure for the Rams organization to frustrate the Saints one way or the other, punt returned Az Hakim excepted.

The Saints go into the post season a bit sooner than preferred but with momentum they haven't had since the Jim Mora era.

Last year the Saints limped into Seattle, one of the toughest venues to visit in football, with a banged up secondary, tight end and decimated ground game, the very recipe the league's first ever division winner with a losing record needed to deny the Super Bowl champs a Two Dat.

During the 2009 "super season", the Saints backed into home field advantage on a three game losing streak and was reminded by the sports media ad nauseam that teams that bumble into the playoffs in a such a fashion don't win Super Bowls.

And the Saints made history proving that they do now.

Speaking of history, the Black and Gold made plenty of it against the pesky Carolina Panthers, the Bill Clinton-era expansion team that own a winning record against a New Orleans franchise that dates to 1967.

Though they're not going to the palyoffs, the Panthers had turned their team around after finishing worst in the NFL last year largely due to the prize they reaped from that dis-stink-shun.

Quarterback Cam Newton ought to be the hands down selection for rookie of the year and perhaps should have received a free trip to Hawaii in a few weeks.

The Saints were lucky to escape with a win against the Panthers in Charlotte earlier this season but in the Mercedez-Benz Superdome on Sunday, even the cats proved to be just another victim of the NFL's most prolific offense in history with a defense that's not too bad either.

Quarterback Drew Brees extended his own NFL single season passing record to 5,476 (Brees had 389 in the game) and stayed ahead of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who played on Sunday as well and ended the regular season with 5,235 passing yards, trailing Brees but besting Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino's long standing benchmark.

Almost forgotten in the mix was Saints running back/punt reurner/kick returner Darren Sproles's own NFL record day as the free agent broke Derrick Mason's single season record for all purpose yards.

Saints second year tight end and first time Pro Bowler Jimmy Graham exchanged the tight end single season receiving yards record with New England's Rob Gronkowski. It seemed that Graham would own the record but a Buffalo Bills turnover gave the Patriots a late opportunity to get the ball back in Gronkowski's hands, beating Graham out by 17 yards.

San Diego Chargers Hall of Fame tight end Kellen Winskow had set the mark during the 1980 season with 1,290.

Though the Saints set many other league and franchise season records on Sunday, there is one important state of note that should be cited Brees now has 40,742 career passing yards, moving him past Hall of Fame quarterback and eternal Saints nemesis Joe Montana for eleventh on the all-time passing yards list.

Brees can achieve first ballot induction status in Canton come February if he is able to add another piece of jewelry to his hand.

Brees Extends Legacy, Saints' Winning Streak

2011-12-26T23:23:00.000-08:00

NOTE: The Onside Kick has been on "political reserve" most of the 2011 NFL Season due to time spent running for office and recovering from that exercise. Postings for the remainder of this season will likely be sporadic.

Brees Extends Legacy, Saints’ Winning Streak

It’s now called the Drew Brees record.

At least for this week.

There was much excitement and anxiety in the stands of the Mercedes Benz Superdome on Monday night and it had little to do with the Saints winning their division.

The Black and Gold had the game put away in the third quarter and their hold on the NFC South was secure, the question that was on everyone’s mind was whether quarterback Drew Brees would finally break the Dan Marino passing record that eluded him on the final play in the 2008 season.

Appropriately enough, it came on Brees’s final pass of the game. Even more appropriately enough, the record-breaking throw was for a touchdown to fellow San Diego Chargers castaway Darren Sproles.

And then the dome erupted with joy comparable to Garrett Hartley’s NFC Championship game winning field goal.

While it seemed after the first half the Marino passing record of 5,084 passing yards would be easily shattered in the third quarter, an interception, a big kickoff return by Darren Sproles, a clock eating Atlanta offense and a stiffening Atlanta defense that forced two punts made it appear that it would not happen until the season finale.

But with just over five minutes left on the clock, the Saints defense forced the Atlanta offense off the field at the Dirty Birds’ own 33 yard line. Brees needed just over two dozen yards at the beginning of that drive to do it.

Head coach Sean Payton helped facilitate Brees’s pursuit by calling four straight pass plays after a one yard gain by running back Pierre Thomas.

With this latest milestone, Brees further increased his already legendary status in the Crescent City while also making a greater case for league MVP and later enshrinement in Canton.

Winning a second Super Bowl would virtually guarantee him a golden jacket, though continuing his prolific passing on top of what he has already accomplished should be enough for a balloter who is not stuck in a major media market mindset.

With the history-making Brees-to-Sproles touchdown pass, the Black and Gold polished off a 45-16 drubbing of the NFC rival whom the Saints may host again in two weeks during the playoffs in the event Atlanta goes to the post-season and New Orleans is unable to secure the second seed and first-round bye.

In order for the Black and Gold to grab the second seed, the Saints would need to defeat the Carolina Panthers next Sunday and the 2-13 Saint Louis Rams would need to defeat the 13-2 San Francisco Forty-Niners on New Year’s Day.

Though the Rams are playing at home, the Niners will be a heavy favorite and highly motivated, especially with post-season positioning on the line.

Payton will have to make a decision whether to risk his playing starters next weekend as he did with terrible consequences last season when he was in a similar situation.

Also worth considering is that New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has racked up 4,897 passing yards this season and is in striking distance of the Dan Marino Drew Brees record.

I would imagine the Saints head coach will have an eye on which quarterback takes the field for the Patriots at Gillette Stadium on Sunday before deciding how long or if he lets Brees amend his own mark in the gridiron history books.

The Most Important Game of the Year...for Me

2011-09-13T22:58:00.000-07:00

I have had the Chicago Bears visit to the Louisiana Superdome etched in my mind since January 2007.

Due to the NFL’s brilliant (no sarcasm here…seriously) schedule rotation, the Monsters of the Midway were not due to visit the domed confines of Poydras and Loyola for four years after the Saints’ first trip to an NFC Championship game.

Everything about that Soldier Field experience was miserable.

The weather.

The Saints’ ball handling.

The final score.

And most especially the Bear fans, or as I like to call them, Chicagoons.

I wasn’t optimistic about the Saints’ chances of winning at Soldier Field, which is a surprisingly loud venue considering it’s an open air stadium. I didn’t think the Saints would adjust to the field and weather conditions without practicing in a similar environment.

But I also wasn’t going to miss what was then the biggest game in Black and Gold history.

The first omen of the misery to come was in the form of a pair of jackasses in Bears gear merrily pasting orange letters on a large blue sandwich board sign that read: Bears Finishing What Katrina Started.

I felt an impulse to capture that image, so I turned my black and gold Saints hat around, walked up to tweedle-jack and tweedle-ass and asked to photograph the fruit of their labors. They happily obliged. After taking the picture, I turned my gold fleur-de-lis cap around to the front and commented “I’m going to make you famous” and walked off.

Despite the best efforts of the Chicago Tribune to track the pair down, they remain anonymous to this day. But their “artwork” came to symbolize the abusive behavior more than a few Saints fans received at Soldier Field, including this one.

Growing tired of the threats of physical violence and Katrina taunts from screwballs whose blood alcohol levels were increasing with the Bears’ score, I did what I rarely do: I left a Saints game early. Being a longtime Who Dat, I can stand losing a game..I just wasn’t game to losing teeth.

And so I trudged out on to the frozen tundra along Lake Michigan, still happy about what the Saints had accomplished in the 2006 season though bitter about the lack of class and decency of Bears fans.

Now, I would be remiss if I did not mention that the Bears players (not the fans) made it up in 2009 by defeating the heavily favored Minnesota Vikings, which contributed to the Saints’ securing homefield advantage during the playoffs. That game marked the first time I had cheered for Chicago in anything since the 2007 NFC Championship game, however my love for the Saints trumps my dislike of any team. Even the Dirty Birds.

This week tens of thousands of Who Dats will have that Soldier Field experience on their mind as they stream into the Superdome. Doubtlessly the several thousand or so Bears fans who made the road trip to the Big Easy are also cognizant of what happened in the stands that day.

I encourage Saints fans attending the game to be passionate this Sunday about their team not hostile to the visiting Bears fans. Show them how the best fans in the NFL behave and act. That’s not to say smacktalk is off-limits.

That said I almost pity the Bear fan, who having had one too many hurricanes or handgrenades, decides to work in Katrina cracks into his rhetoric.

The Saints fan being taunted might very well have lost more than his Archie Manning jersey in the storm.

So I will close this with one request for the Saints: if you can’t bring back a second Lombardi Trophy this season at least beat the Bears.

"Sack Happy" Saints Hope to Jump Start Offense Against Texans

2011-08-18T21:41:00.001-07:00

The “new” New Orleans Saints showed something different in their exhibition game against the San Francisco Forty Niners last Saturday.

Beyond stifling the opposition to a total of 3 points, the Saints defense played like quarterback headhunters en route to racking up six sacks. Last season, the Saints ranked 18th in sacks with 33 or an average of just over 2 per game.

Though Heisman Award winner and first round draft pick running back Mark Ingram found the end zone, the Alabama product didn’t overawe in relatively limited action. Ingram had six carries for 23 yards, including his 14 yard score.

The longest run by a Saints player on offense was the scrambling backup to Drew Brees, Chase Daniels, who had a 19 yard run. As a passer, Daniels completed 13 of his 21 attempts (62%) for 129 yards.

The big stars of the game (Brees as not amongst this group completing a single pass out of his mere four attempts before being yanked) were kick returner Courtney Roby (though not as a kick returner) and wide receiver Joseph Morgan (as a kick returner).

Roby’s future with the team looked tenuous after running back/return specialist Darren Sproles (a relative of Roby) was inked after running back Reggie Bush was traded to the Miami Dolphins. Roby was the team’s leading receiver against the Niners making four catches for 42 yards.

Morgan, a rookie free agent who played two seasons at Walsh University (North Canton, Ohio), returned six punts, averaging 16 yards per return. Morgan’s big play was a 78 yard return to the end zone. Though still a long shot to make the Saints’ roster, Joseph helped attract notice in his first opportunity to shine in live fire.

Running back Joique Bell had an impressive punt return for 28 yards and led the team’s ground game with 52 yards on 9 carries (5.7 yard average). Bell was signed by the Saints last season to supplement the team’s grossly depleted running back corps in the postseason though he saw no action in the playoff game at Seattle.

Bell, Roby, Joseph and others who are playing for either roster spots with the Saints or with other teams have three “scrub” games left before the roster goes down to 53 players while Brees will have another opportunity to get comfortable with his changing offensive line.

The Saints visit the Houston Texans on Saturday at 7:00 PM.

Saints Hold on to TE David Thomas

2011-08-02T20:31:00.001-07:00

The New Orleans Saints announced on Tuesday evening that they have reached an agreement with reserve tight end David Thomas.

Though very much in the shadow of hot prospect Jimmy Graham, who impressed the Saints organization so much they released Jeremy Shockey prior to the lock out, Thomas has been a key player in helping quarterback Drew Brees move the chains.

The tight end backed up the oft-injured Shockey during the team’s Super Bowl run and also subbed in as fullback when Heath Evans went down during the week six road game against the Miami Dolphins.

Thomas was pursued by the Saints front office after tight end Billy Miller suffered a season ending injury in an exhibition game against the Houston Texans in 2009.

Though not as spectacular as his recent first round swaps in the 2011 NFL draft that bagged defensive end Cameron Jordan and running back Mark Ingram, the Thomas trade is perhaps one of general manager Mickey Loomis’s best deals.

The Saints received the regular contributor from the New England Patriots for a 2011 6th round draft selection.

In a recent interview, Brees publicly expressed his wish for Thomas’s retention with the team.

Thomas’s re-signing is the latest step taking by the team to preserve the core of their offense. Center Jonathan Goodwin and fullback Heath Evans are the only two key players from the offense that have yet to sign contracts with the Saints.

Saints Ink Last of Their “Big Three”, Hold on to Harper

2011-07-29T21:58:00.000-07:00

The New Orleans Saints continue to score in the brief free agency period scooping up the last of their critical three unrestricted free agents, signing strong safety Roman Harper to a multiyear contract.

The Saints organization had not released the details of the pact but media reports have it valued at $28,000,000.00 for four years with most of it guaranteed.

The Saints had previously reached deals with wide receiver Lance Moore and left tackle Jermon Bushrod.

Though Harper was brutally victimized by the Seattle Seahawks’ offense in the wild card playoff game, the former University of Alabama standout has generally played well for the Black and Gold, particularly under defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.

Of the Saints’ free agents, Harper’s departure would have been the most difficult to address prior to the start of the regular season.

The Saints still have a number of positions to fill and a few more key personnel to try to retain, the most notable being starting center Jonathan Goodwin and backup tight end David Thomas.

Extending guard Carl Nicks’s tenure with the team is another priority though as a restricted free agent, the Saints have the final say on his departure for the 2011 season.

Harper, a second round selection in the 2006 NFL Draft, has gone to the last two Pro Bowls.

Reggie Who?- Saints Make Big Special Teams Move

2011-07-29T05:37:00.000-07:00

Reggie Bush wasn’t gone from the New Orleans Saints more than 24 hours before the organization had a replacement signed.

Former San Diego Chargers running back Darren Sproles inked a four year deal with the Saints, further bolstering the team’s already potent running back corps but more importantly filling the void Bush left behind as punt returner.

While defense has received much attention in the draft, the Saints have also acted to improve their special teams personnel in both the draft, the Bush trade with Miami (in which the Saints received one of the Dolphins’ top coverage players as part of the swap) and now with Sproles’s signing.

Sproles in a black and gold uniform likely means the end of wide receiver Courtney Roby with the team, who was primarily used as a kick returner and gunner.

In other free agency news, the Saints signed one of the “big three” priorities by coming to terms with left tackle Jermon Bushrod. The team also held on to starting outside linebacker Scott Shanle and reserve linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar.

Free agents back-up free safety Usama Young and occasional starting defensive tackle Remi Ayodele will not be returning to the Saints having signed contracts with the Cleveland Browns and Minnesota Vikings respectively.

Bye, Reggie, Bye

2011-07-28T21:30:00.001-07:00

I figured the Saints organization would have parted with the celebrithete after the Black and Gold’s Super Bowl victory due to his expensive contract, though the front office surprised this observer retaining him under the same terms.

With almost $12,000,000.000 due to Reggie Bush this season, the conventional wisdom was that the running back would either renegotiate his deal or be cut.

Head coach Sean Payton has been Bush’s biggest fan and steadfastly defended the former Heisman Trophy winner’s value to the Saints’ turbo-charged offense.

Granted Payton couldn’t cite the stat sheets as solid evidence on this count, since linebacker distraction is not a quantifiable statistic.

Bush’s greatest gift to the organization was his very presence.

His selection by the Saints with the second overall pick in the 2006 draft signaled a new way of doing business on Airline Drive, that the organization was not going to shirk from picking an expensive fan favorite.

Unlike the ridiculous Ricky Williams-Ditka deal, the Saints didn’t mortgage the future to acquire Bush; those rights were paid upfront by Jim Haslett’s club.

It wasn’t a head coach who stood anonymously in line at a drug store in post-Katrina New Orleans nor the newly signed still recuperating quarterback who could barely raise his Saints jersey at the press conference when the team signed him who sold out the Superdome on a season-ticket basis for the first time in the history of the franchise.

It was Bush who created an unprecedented level of excitement and energy.

It was after he was picked that I made the decision to become a season ticket holder again. If the club was going to step up by giving the fans what we wanted, then I felt it fair to reciprocate by reinvesting in an organization that was no longer going to be content with mediocre play.

I don’t know if any player could have lived up to the stratospheric expectations that were assigned to Bush with his own complicity.

I remember not long after the draft a typically objective observer gushed that the Saints had the best running game in the league just by having him in a Saints jersey and I’m sure there were those who were ready to give him his gold jacket before he his first NFL snap.

Reggie Bush did not earn his considerable pay by what he did on the field but how he packed the stands and created an electric atmosphere.

Oh, he also shut up that obnoxious Bears fan I had the misfortune of being seated near with his spectacular 88-yard reception run during the otherwise miserable NFC Championship game in Soldier Field.

Both sides are winners. The Saints got a load of badly needed salary cap relief, a talented special teams player and a fourth round draft pick, the last two being modest prizes but more than what the organization had ended up with had they just cut Bush.

And short of an unlikely Saints-Dolphins Super Bowl matchup, the Black and Gold defense won’t face him in a regular season game until 2013. That they denied a potential conference or worse yet divisional rival of his services is a victory of sorts.

For Reggie, Miami marks a new beginning where he will enjoy more sun no longer being in quarterback Drew Brees’s shadow. In addition to playing on grass, which is easier on running backs than man-made turf, he’ll fit better into the Dolphins culture, which attempts to fill the Hollywood hole left in a Los Angeles-less league.

Bush will also have a final chance to prove that he is a featured running back as oppose to an infrequently deployed gimmick player.

Hopefully Bush is cognizant of the love New Orleans had/has for him. How Saints fans stood by him during his not so productive games and the Heisman fiasco. New Orleanians know all about tough times and public embarrassment and there was probably no city that would have been more supportive of him during his public tribulations.

When the Saints picked him, we didn’t get the Hall of Famer most unreasonably hoped for; but we did pick up one of the key ingredients of a new Saints team.

Thanks Reggie, it’s been fun.

Saints Retain Key Offense Component

2011-07-27T22:28:00.000-07:00

The New Orleans Saints took a big step in their uphill battle to retain the core of the team’s high octane offense with the re-signing of wide receiver Lance Moore to a multiyear deal.

The news was announced by Moore via his Twitter account, in which the undersized yet reliable receiver tweeted “"Welp, its been real new orleans........But let's make the next five years even more real. I'm coming back baby!!! #whodat"

Moore was considered one of the three most important free agents for the team to hold on to in the abbreviated signing period, the other two being strong safety Roman Harper and left tackle Jermon Bushrod.

Moore has been a consistent contributor as a wide receiver and is a favorite target of quarterback Drew Brees, who made no secret about his desire to see Moore’s services retained.

Moore has also handled punt return duty when running back Reggie Bush has been injured or “punished” for poor performance. Moore returned 11 during the 2010 season for 112 yards though he had yet to return one for a touchdown in his career.

The wide receiver’s best season with the Saints was in 2008 when he caught 79 passes for 928 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Though his time on the field was limited due to injuries in 2009, Moore made a key contribution in the Black and Gold’s quest for the Lombardi Trophy. Moore caught a two-point conversion during Super Bowl XLIV, which was initially called an incomplete pass but after being reviewed it was ruled a reception.

Moore largely returned to his 2008 form in 2010, catching 66 passes for 763 yards and 8 touchdowns.

Are You Ready for Some Football?

2011-07-26T21:26:00.000-07:00

With the clock running down on the off-season, NFL owners and the players they locked out came to terms on a new ten-year collective bargaining agreement.

The deal came at the relatively insignificant cost of the “fifth” preseason Hall of Fame game (sorry Canton, but your throwaway exhibition game will not be missed) though the long drawn out back and forth and legal maneuverings took a toll on the fans’ collective stomach linings and perhaps their enthusiasm for the multi-billion dollar sports enterprise.

Though the owners played hardball in their tactics, the agreement they adopted proved, at least upon the review of this non-lawyer/sports agent, to be a reasonably fair working arrangement.

The biggest losers being the sports agents who took delight in reaping the dividends of ludicrously loaded draftee contracts and the annoying gamesmanship that kept their rookie charges out of training camp.

While an argument can be made that the massive payouts are “almost” justified as collegiate stars view first round money as the reward for their largely uncompensated effort on the university gridiron, this Saints fan is still emotionally scarred from the 2003 Jonathan Sullivan fiasco.

The Saints invested millions of dollars and two first round draft picks for the sixth overall selection in the draft and received the pauper’s sum of 1.5 sacks out of the bargain.

The second overall pick in the 2006 draft hasn’t performed at the level of his considerable keep either but I imagine this story will be coming to a head sooner than later.

A major concession to the players was the once assured scrapping of two of the four preseason games. The NFL postured as looking out for the fans on this matter though nobody was ignorant of the increased financial windfall to the league by going to an 18-game season.

Attendance at preseason games lags greatly behind contests that count however expanding the season would increase the chances of players becoming hurt, wreck season statistical achievements and make it harder for undrafted rookies to crack into the 53 man roster.

Though the matter has not been definitively resolved, the switch from a 16 game season to a 18 game season has been shelved to at least 2013 and then can’t be implemented without the players’ consent. Hopefully the players will vote with their brains (and knees) and not their pocketbooks when the issue is revisited.

More than a few NFL owners are struggling with stadium debt and needed an uninterrupted 2011 season worse than their most notoriously spendthrift players. And maybe that’s why the deal was more equitable than I suspected it would be.

We’ve seen where owner-labor disputes can cause serious damage to professional sports entities.

The NBA is in the midst of its own lockout.

And this one-time confirmed baseball fanatic never fully recovered the love I had for Major League Baseball after the strike shortened season and the resulting obnoxious financial victory by the players.

During tough economic times, one thing America didn’t need is to be denied its favorite three hours of escapism because of a fight between billionaires and millionaires.

So a tip of my fleur-de-lis cap to both sides for getting a deal done with a relative minimal amount of disruption.

Defensive Back Sammy Knight to Join Saints’ Hall

2011-05-16T19:34:00.000-07:00

Retired Safety Sammy Knight, a six-year veteran with the Black and Gold, will be inducted into the New Orleans Saints’ Hall of Fame later this year.

The news of Knight joining the likes of Archie Manning, Joe Horn and the Dome Patrol in the Saints’ hall comes as no surprise and it was a matter of when he was inducted and not if as Knight was one of the best safeties in franchise history.

Knight, who joined the team as an undrafted free agent in 1997, is third in the team’s record books in interceptions with 28 picks. Knight also had 464 return yards during his time in New Orleans.

Knight represented the Black and Gold in the 2001 Pro Bowl and made six picks his second season with the Saints (1998). Knight would tie that career best in single season interceptions with another six in 2001.

After leaving the Saints in 2003, Knight would play for the Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars before playing his final season with the New York Giants in 2008. Knight made 42 interceptions in his 12 years in the NFL, bringing four of them back to the house.

Knight literally had a big hand in the Saints’ first ever playoff victory in 2000, intercepting Saint Louis Rams quarterback Kurt Warner twice, including one in the Saints’ red zone.

The Onside Kick's Post-Draft Interview with Mike Detillier

2011-05-15T20:41:00.001-07:00

The Onside Kick is once again happy to have with us WWL AM radio college football expert and NFL draft analyst Mike Detillier. In this installment of the wide-ranging post-NFL draft interview, Detillier offers his take on the NFC South’s draft class, how he knew the Dirty Birds were going to make a big move in the first round, Saints quarterback rumors and why LSU standout Patrick Peterson, considered by many the best player in the draft, wasn’t selected in the top three slots.

TOK: Before we get to the Saints and the draft in general, I got to ask you a few questions about the Dirty Birds’ draft. Before the Carolina Panthers picked, you announced that a source had reported to you that Atlanta was aiming to trade multiple picks to land either A.J. Green or Julio Jones. The night before the draft you had the story for The Sporting News Radio Network with Todd Wright. Without compromising your source, how did you get that kind of intel?

MD: I originally got the info from an agent on Tuesday night, but I couldn’t confirm it until Wednesday during the day.

That second confirmation was from a strong league source, so I went with it. We spoke about it during the day on WWL-Radio, but I knew the information was accurate. It had many of the earmarks of the Ricky Williams deal and that Atlanta was hunting hard for a partner to deal with, (Cincinnati, Arizona, and then Cleveland) before someone would make the deal. The Saints hunted for days to find a partner in the Ricky Williams trade to ensure that they would get Williams and everyone, but Washington, turned them down, and then you had to make sure Ricky would still be there. It was the same with Atlanta on making sure either A.J. Green or Julio would still be on the board. I would rather keep that league source private. He might get into some trouble if I named him.

TOK: That information was not something being talked about until late, so you had a scoop on that one?

MD: I just got good information on that one. Draft day trades normally don’t happen until that day, but this was brewing a few days earlier.

TOK: Saints GM Mickey Loomis kind of confirmed that by saying Internet reports or forums that teams had talked to the Saints days before the draft about a deal involving a quarterback (Andy Dalton/Ryan Mallett or Colin Kaepernick) on some sites were not accurate and just gossip?

MD: I think there was speculation that some teams may call and Mickey said he expected to get those type calls, but again normally when you pick that far down the call comes on draft day or in the moments leading up to your pick to ensure you that you get your guy. The trade is normally based on the player still being there.

TOK: Now for the ten-million dollar question: did Atlanta pay too much for Julio Jones?

MD: No, I don’t think so. They needed someone else to open up their offense.

The Saints really drew the blueprint up during the season by double-teaming All-Pro wide receiver Roddy White and bracketing TE Tony Gonzalez, forcing the Falcons to beat them with halfback Michael Turner. Green Bay ripped that page right out of the Saints defensive playbook and they were scoring pinball wizard points in that playoff game.

Julio is a tremendous football player and he is an excellent fit for the Falcons. His physicality is a great plus for him and while he needs to focus better when making a grab, he is a real big-time talent. Well worth the cost and when you make a deal like that you have to get concessions from the owner that he will spend a little more money in free agency to fill the gaps. Arthur Blank wants to win now and they got that approval.

TOK: You always say that the final game of the season tells you plenty about what you need to improve upon. Was that shellacking by the Packers the trigger that made Atlanta go for a top-end receiver?

MD: You better believe it. You never forget how the season ended when you are a playoff team or someone close to getting into the playoffs. That whipping was the driving force behind the Julio Jones deal and once free agency starts they will go hard after a top defensive end. They really would like to get Minnesota Vikings defensive end Ray Edwards, but that will be something determined on who is considered an unrestricted free agent. Edwards is someone I know they really like.

TOK: You said on draft night that you thought that Philadelphia Eagles QB Kevin Kolb would be dealt to Arizona, once this labor stuff gets settled. Do you still feel that way?

MD: Yes, he is the perfect gunslinger for that team. I think Seattle has an interest, but they don’t want to give up what the Eagles are looking for in exchange for Kolb. It will be multiple high draft choices for Kolb and the Cardinals really want him.

TOK: You and a few other media outlets graded LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson as the best player in the draft though he fell to 5th overall. You pegged that right on the money to Arizona, but why did he fall?

MD: It was the position, not the player. Quarterbacks and defensive linemen or pass rushers have premium value in this league. Peterson is one of the four guys that if I had to pick a sure shot performer in the NFL he would be one of them along with A.J. Green, Julio Jones and Von Miller. Peterson is a younger version of Charles Woodson, now in Green Bay.

Great size, quick feet, tremendous recovery speed and Patrick has outstanding ball reaction skills. That is what separates him from the rest. He dropped to the fifth spot because of the position, not the talent.

Who Dat Going to Toronto, Eh?

2011-05-05T21:35:00.001-07:00

The Saints maintain that the news out of Canada was much ado “aboot” nothing.

The story/non-story was born when Toronto councilor (councilman) Doug Ford predicted to a sports writer that the NFL would act to move teams to Los Angeles (the second largest media market in the US) and then Toronto, which has a population of over 2.5 million people.

When speculating the two likely teams to move, Ford, whose brother Rob is Toronto’s mayor, postulated that Jacksonville’s franchise would be the first then the Saints.

Vice-president of communications for the Saints Greg Bensel panned the councilor’s speculation in a statement sent to the media that “Reports about the Saints as a potential team moving to Toronto are completely false. The New Orleans Saints are committed to the city of New Orleans.”

News that the franchise was even in consideration came as quite of surprise to the Black and Gold faithful, when considering the massive and expensive renovations taking place at the Louisiana Superdome, the team’s strong post-Katrina support by area fans and the lengthy waiting to list for season tickets.

The idea of the Saints relocating to the Great White North seemed even more far-fetched as Canada’s largest city already “borrows” the Buffalo Bills for a regular season game. And though it requires a trip through passport control, Buffalo is only a two-hour drive from Toronto.

In fact there’s an image of the a Bills player plastered on the side of the Rogers Centre (the former Toronto Sky Dome) and Canadians already comprise a significant share of the Bills’ fan base. I would bet on the Bills trading out of their small market and old stadium (The Ralph) and heading one hundred miles northwest before any other team would make the jump over the border.

That said, the Saints have certainly been part of the franchise relocation discussion in the past.

Talk of moves to Los Angeles, Mississippi, San Antonio and even Albuquerque, New Mexico were not uncommon prior to the 2006 season.

In 2001 when the Saints faced the Minnesota Vikings in a preseason game in San Antonio, locals joked that one of the visiting franchises would likely end up being the home team. Ten years removed, the Vikings’ future in Minnesota is not firm.

Minnesota’s stadium issue received greater prominence after the collapse of a portion of the Metrodome’s roof that forced the Vikings to play a night game against the Chicago Bears in the University of Minnesota’s open air football stadium in late December.

Team owner Tom Benson did his part to stoke anxiety about the franchise’s future in the Crescent City, which has been well-documented in Times Picayune Saints beat writer Jeff Duncan’s book From Bags to Riches.

And then after Katrina, San Antonio made an aggressive move to retain the Saints after the team played three “home” games in the Alamodome after the Superdome suffered major damage.

While the team’s agreement with the state, Superdome renovations and the Super Bowl-capped post-Katrina success of the franchise have mostly buried the prospect of a team move, I do find it peculiar that the Saints were mentioned when there are more likely candidates (some with cause) to abandon their current digs to go to greener if not colder pastures in Canada.

Justice is Achieved in Bin Laden's Final Moments

2011-05-02T21:46:00.001-07:00

On September 11, 2001 Osama Bin Laden brought his fanatical Islamist war against the West in an unprecedented attack on our shores.

Almost ten years later, the United States brought the war of vengeance to his living room in Pakistan.

Americans have not celebrated the death of an individual with such jubilation since Adolf Hitler’s suicide in the fuhrerbunker.

Osama Bin Laden wasn’t just an enemy; he personified evil, the greatest villain in the first decade of the 21st century.

When then-President George W. Bush launched a war of retribution against al-Qaeda and the Afghan regime that offered him safe harbor, Bin Laden had to live the life of a fugitive.

It appears Bin Laden wasn’t exactly roughing it as his last surroundings were not in a cave in the wilderness near the Afghan-Pakistani border but in a comfortable well-protected mansion in an upscale urban area not far from Islamabad.

For that our Pakistani “friends” have a great deal of explaining to do and exemplifies the need for the United States to take unilateral action and deal with the politics of upsetting diplomatic sensibilities later.

Apparently Pakistani officials were not so much concerned with an injury to national pride through the violation of their sovereignty but uncovering their complicity to aid and abet an international criminal.

Had Bin Laden not possessed a Leona Helmsley-like mentality that “only the little people” martyr themselves for Allah, he would have made a point of being taken alive and thus given his greatest forum yet to encourage uprisings and inflame the hearts of his fellow Islamic radicals.

The Navy SEAL team that killed Bin Laden spared Americans the specter of a circus trial that would have followed. Where should it have been held? What rights would he have had? Should Bin Laden appear before an international tribunal or an American military court? Not to mention establishing procedure.

Bin Laden did the world a favor by resisting capture and justifying the use of lethal force.

Bin Laden’s guilt was beyond doubt; he needed no trial, just a swift execution and a quick disposition of his remains in a place in an inaccessible location. Dropping his body off into the sea was ideal, though it’s a shame his body was afforded any religious courtesies en route to splashing down to a watery grave. Bin Laden’s remains should not have been shown the least shred of dignity.

Relatives of those who died on September 11th and Americans in general should take some satisfaction in this: moments before the fatal bullet hit him, the al-Qaeda terrorist mastermind experienced something similar to that of his organization’s victims on the top stories of the World Trade Center: absolute terror.

Those trapped between the jet fuel-fed flames that engulfed the Twin Towers’ midsections and the buildings’ roofs experienced the anguish that they would be dead in a matter of minutes before escaping the inferno raging around them by leaping to their death over a thousand feet to the concrete plaza below.

There’s the real justice: not just that Bin Laden was killed but that he was overcome with the same dread that a condemned man feels en route to the gallows. Bin Laden knew what was going to happen and that an American was going to have the honor bagging the trophy.

Also Bin Laden died with the knowledge that he did not get away with his crimes, that he suffered a brief spate of mental hell before transitioning to an eternity of spiritual hell.

While almost all Americans would have settled for a quick air strike if it would assure Bin Laden’s demise, President Barack Obama was right to authorize this particular action and wise to not pay a courtesy call to Pakistani officials.

The operation carried great risk and could very well have turned into another Desert One. The president should be credited for having the guts to pull the trigger.

Two decades of terrorist attacks and video taped taunts were trumped by American perseverance and military might. Though the pursuit was met with years of frustrations and feelings of futility, we didn’t give up and kept hunting.

While Bin Laden is dead, the al-Qaeda network isn’t. That said, its members and affiliates are more convinced today that the United States will relentlessly pursue them across the globe and charge into their legally protected sanctuaries. And that has to make people who claim a willingness to die for a cause to think twice.

America’s enemies should pay heed to the results of the Navy SEAL raid on Bin Laden’s Abbottabad compound.

Islamist terrorists might not understand western civilization, they comprehend determination and power and the United States projected both in the ten-year pursuit in the hunt for the terrorist mastermind.

Grading the Saints' 2011 Draft Picks

2011-05-01T21:41:00.000-07:00

No risk. No reward.

The New Orleans Saints’ front office proved to the league they could be every bit as daring as the Atlanta’s “trade the house for Julio” team executives but came out with far greater value in the end.

Value being a key word to describe this draft since Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis stretched his organization’s six draft picks to the limit and came out with three potential starters, two reserves likely to make the roster and a “casino chip” from Pitt that might pay out big dividends in 2012.

Those six picks helped address three of the team’s biggest concerns: the lack of quarterback pressure and sacks; relatively poor special teams coverage; and a once formidable running game that devolved into a shell of their Super Bowl champion self that quickly hobbled the team out of the playoffs last season.

To be sure, this draft was conducted with an eye on a potentially catastrophic free agency situation, as the team could have as many as 28 players departing in the event the players’ score a major negotiation or court victory that allows all personnel not under contract to walk.

How many players on the roster are wondering whether their spot was filled in the draft and are already mentally moving on?

Running back Reggie Bush has been the most conspicuous of this group, particularly after his post-Mark Ingram “moment of resignation” tweet in which he said “It’s been fun New Orleans.”

Both Loomis and Saints Head Coach Sean Payton have publicly declared their desire to see #25 remain with the team, though at significantly reduced pay. Considering the astronomical money Bush has made on the front end and modest stats he’s produced on the field during his injury-riddled time with the team, Bush should be willing to give his time and patience further with a team that has invested so many millions in him.

But that’s assuming Reggie wants to be reasonable.

More on this later as the story grindingly drags out to its inevitable conclusion.

It’s hard to imagine a time when a team’s second pick of the draft so overshadowed the first selection. I never thought Cal defensive end Cameron Jordan would still be on the board when the Saints selected, settling for Purdue’s Ryan Kerrigan as the likely optimal pick up.

Ironically Washington Redskins with the 16th selection picked Kerrigan, six slots ahead of the Saints’ pick.

Though Jordan was not a “sexy” pick, the Saints got outstanding value by snagging one of the top three ends of the draft late into the first round. The Saints need to establish a pass rush and Jordan can help with quarterback pressure. Also with defensive end Will Smith probably missing the first four regular games of the season, Jordan will have a chance to step up when the team needs him most.

Ingram’s board longevity was another surprise. I rated the Alabama running back as the player the Saints needed to target first because of the Black and Gold’s lackluster running game (28th in rushing yards in 2010) and how Ingram could be the bulldozer the Saints offense needs to pick up the short-yard first downs. Between Brees and his receivers and Ingram in the backfield, opposing defenses will be vexed in goal line and other short yard situations.

After passing over the linebacker position in the 2010 NFL Draft (to my utter consternation), the Saints grabbed two teammates form the University of Illinois, picking up Martez Wilson in the third round and Nate Bussey with their compensation pick in the seventh round. Wilson was one of the highest rated linebackers in the draft and he ran the fastest 40-yard dash of any linebacker at the combine. Payton has made no secret about Wilson getting a shot to contribute early on the strong side.

It should be noted that starting linebacker Scott Shanle is an unrestricted free agent and reserve linebacker Marvin Mitchell is also a free agent. It could be inferred that the Wilson and Bussey additions by the Saints could spell the end of Shanle and Mitchell’s time in a Black and Gold uniform. At a minimum, the team has some serious leverage in the event the team is interested in retaining their services.

The dapper Bussey, who wore a tie to class every day starting with his sophomore year in high school, is expected to get his break in special teams, an area where Mitchell saw a lot of action.

Though the Saints’ kick and punt return coverage did not surrender a single touchdown in the 2010 regular season, they paled in comparison to other teams’ units. The Saints’ kick off coverage ranked 24th in the NFL, giving up an average of 24.1 yards per return. The Saints struggled more covering punt returns, ranking 28th in the league with an average of 11.9 yards allowed on punt returns.

Payton and Loomis’s comprehensive draft solutions to addressing the team’s outstanding issues from last season is commendable. If the offensive line can return to their 2009 selves, the Saints should be in contention to score a Two Dat in Indianapolis.

Finally, a few words about Pittsburgh defensive end Greg Romeus, whom the Saints grabbed with their first pick in the seventh round. Though he’s unlikely to make an immediate impact as he continues his recovery from a torn ACL, Romeus could end up being another “Marques Colston seventh round find” come 2012. While the Saints were in the midst of their Lombardi Trophy run, Romeus was tearing it up as a junior in the Big East making eight sacks and 43 tackles and forcing three fumbles. Instead of cashing in, Romeus stayed at Pitt and experienced one of the worst years imaginable for any college athlete . Romeus suffered from back spasms that limited his early participation and then endured the loss of his mother to cancer before tearing his ACL.

One has wonder how many juniors who had productive seasons think of scenarios like what Romeus endured and decided to pursue decent money now rather than risk it all with an extra year on the collegiate gridiron.

Had Romeus left as a junior, there’s little doubt he would have been picked in one of the first three rounds and would have walked off with a much more lucrative contract than he will receive in 2011. Knowing the Saints organization’s emphasis on character and their awareness of his potential, it’s safe to say Romeus will be afforded every opportunity to regain the lost glory and big money potential by proving his worth.

On paper the Saints front office gets an A for their 2011 draft picks. We'll see later how those picks actually pan out.

Saints Have Modest, Productive 2nd Draft Day

2011-04-29T22:28:00.000-07:00

It was a relatively quiet night at the Saints’ headquarters on Airline Drive on Friday with the Black and Gold armed with two third round picks.

The Saints had the 56th overall pick in their second round before dealing that selection the day before as part of the surprising trade with the New England Patriots that resulted in running back Mark Ingram being picked up by the Black and Gold.

With their first selection of the third round (72nd overall) the Saints selected Illinois linebacker Martez Wilson. Both USA Today and WWL AM Draft analyst Mike Detillier had Wilson going in the second round, with the former rating him the second best linebacker in the draft and the latter the top inside linebacker.

Most significantly, Wilson is quick, having run the fastest 40-yard dash of any linebacker at the combine.

In his post-round press conference, Saints head coach Sean Payton said he would utilize Wilson as an outside linebacker at the “sam” (strong) side. Payton compared Wilson’s physique with that of former Saints olb Scott Fujita.

The Saints grabbed Louisville cornerback Johnny Patrick with their other third round pick (88th overall). USA Today ranked Patrick as the 11th best cornerback in the draft while Detillier had Patrick as the 12th.

Though the Saints are fairly well-stocked at cornerback with starters Jabari Greer and Tracy Porter in addition to the team’s first round selection in last year’s draft, Patrick Robinson, the Patrick pick can be attributed in part to front office’s desire to upgrade their reserves in that area.

In his post-third round comments, Payton shared that he envisioned Patrick contributing on special teams as a gunner.

Overall the Saints got value while addressing some of the team’s needs on defense and on kick coverage.

Falcons Pull a Ditka While the Saints Pull a Rabbit

2011-04-28T22:25:00.000-07:00

A tip of my fleur-de-lis cap to NFL Draft expert Mike Detillier.

Prior to the Carolina Panther’s first overall selection in the 2011 NFL Draft, Detillier shared that the Atlanta Falcons were aggressively pursuing a major move to scoop up one of the top two wide receivers in the draft, with the likely trading partner being the Cincinnati Bengals.

Detillier was off only by two picks as the Falcons unloaded their first round draft pick (27th overall), second round draft pick (59th overall) and fourth round draft pick (123rd overall) in the 2011 draft plus their first and fourth round picks in the 2012 draft to land Alabama wide receive Julio Jones.

While it wasn’t exactly to the scale of the infamous Ricky Williams trade that Saints coach Mike Ditka recklessly engineered in 1999, though it’s almost on par. The Falcons have sacrificed a good part of their future on a single player, which as Saints fans know is a scary prospect. The Jones deal certainly adds greater appreciation for the Saints 7th round selection in the 2006 NFL Draft.

With the 24th overall selection the Saints front office ate up over eight minutes of the draft clock before picking defensive end Cameron Jordan of California, who wasn’t expected to remain on the draft board by the time New Orleans made its choice.

The addition of Jordan should bolster the Black and Gold’s pass rush and his presence will be especially needed when starting defensive end Will Smith finally serves his four game suspension next season stemming from the Star Caps case that began in 2008.

Jordan, considered one of the top three defensive ends in this year’s draft, was conventional pick by the Saints and the fans attending WWL Am radio’s Draft Fest, the unofficial viewing party for the Black and Gold faithful, warmly received the news of his selection.

Minutes later the reaction of Saints fans would be off the charts, as General Manager Mickey Loomis executed one of the boldest draft maneuvers in his career with the team.

The New England Patriots were supposed to make the 28th selection in the draft but the Saints ended up with pick after shipping their 2nd round pick (56th overall) and 1st round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. And with that selection, the Saints made a move that will have major inclinations for #25.

Like Jordan, Alabama running back Mark Ingram wasn’t supposed to be on the board when the Saints picked though the stout halfback certainly was on the minds of Saints fans and apparently the Saints front office as well.

With the return of Pierre Thomas and Chris Ivory, the addition of Ingram on the roster will go a long way towards reestablishing a ground game that paid huge dividends in 2009 yet faltered in 2010 in no small part due to injuries and with no small consequences.

The odd man out is likely- scratch that- certainly Reggie Bush. In fact, #25 has said as much on his Facebook page, stating simply “it’s been fun New Orleans”.

Loomis should be credited with having the vision and guts to swing such a big deal at a relatively fair price. The team addressed their two biggest needs in one draft day, developing a pass rush and bringing back a rushing attack.

While the actual value of these gambits will not be ascertained until the players take the field, on paper they look good.

It's Draft Day!

2011-04-27T18:53:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite days on the sports calendar is the first round of the NFL draft.

Today marks the beginning of process where team scouting departments prove their value to their organizations and where struggling teams either secure the cornerstone for their franchise’s return to greatness (Cleveland and Detroit excepted) or waste millions of dollars via signing bonus on a player who excelled on the college level but busted in the pros.

Drafting a player in the first round is as much a crapshoot as it is an investment.

The NFL Draft has become a major media event over the years, with the league turning what was once a weekend affair into a 72-hour sports drama with the first two days being conducted before millions of fans on prime time television.

Best Player Available v. Addressing Specific Needs v. Retention Probability

One of the biggest arguments about the draft has to do with the question of whether teams should choose the best player available versus addressing a hole on the roster with the best player available at that position.

Building (and maintaining) a team doesn’t happen in a vacuum.

In the back of every general manager’s mind is free agency. A great player on a roster today might end up being a great player on some other team next season. Also there’s the matter of durability.

Popular yet oft-injured tight end Jeremy Shockey’s days on the Saints’ roster were numbered when Saints general manager Mickey Loomis managed to score the U’s Jimmy Graham in the third round. The Saints made it official when they cut after a few seasons the very player Loomis and head coach Sean Payton had so aggressively pursued and bought off the New York Giants’ roster for the princely sum of second and fifth round picks.

What the Saints Need

In 2009 the Saints swaggered into the playoffs with the best record in their conference; in 2010 they hobbled into post-season play and humbled out courtesy of the Seattle Seahawks. The Saints ended their bid for a Two Dat with their entire pre-season running back corps on crutches and it showed in the stats. After enjoying unparalleled success with a balanced offense in 2009, the Saints finished with one of the weakest running games in the NFL in 2010

Though the front-office finally came to terms with Pierre Thomas with a longterm deal and a renegotiated contract with Reggie Bush is likely, the Black and Gold might make a move to provide more depth for their running game. A second or third round pick for a mid-level running back is probably in order.

The other major deficiency with the 2010 Saints was their lack of an effective pass rush. The Saints made a big move signing defensive tackle Shaun Rogers prior to the lockout though there are concerns at defensive end as Will Smith isn’t getting any younger or more consistent in racking up sacks.

The linebacker corps has been a point of concern for most of the Sean Payton era. Nobody will ever confuse them for the Dome Patrol and little has been done to shore it up. One of the big surprises in last year’s draft was the Saints decision to not use one of their selections on a linebacker.

Another point of concern is free safety. While Malcolm Jenkins has stepped up and established himself at the position, veteran Darren Sharper’s role with the team is still up in the air. What if Jenkins goes down with an injury, as he did in the regular season finale against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? Usama Young is not the answer.

Draft expert Mike Detillier has also beat the drum for the Saints to pursue a high-caliber kick/punt returner in the draft, bearing in mind that Courtney Roby, who has handled kick returns, will be a free agent.

To Trade or Not to Trade

The Saints don’t have a lot of trade bait if they wanted to leap ahead of their 24th slot, though arguments have been made for both jumping and dropping back.

Quality players will still be available when the Saints pick and there might be no point in using a 1st round selection on a player that may very will be around in the 2nd round. It’s like paying $100,000 for a house today when you can spend $75,000 on it tomorrow.

And with no picks in the 4th, 5th and 6th rounds, the Saints might want to diversify their options in the 2011 draft. I could easily picture the Saints giving up their late 3rd round pick for two picks further down but in the first half of those rounds.

I suspect a trade down is more likely than a trade up, but one rarely knows what lurks in the complicated mind of Mickey Loomis.

First Round Options: Best Available

If the following players (listed in order of preference) are available come the 24th pick, the Saints should make a selection and not a deal.

Mark Ingram Running Back I’d be shocked if the best half-back available in the 2011 Draft fell down this far, but if the 2009 Heisman Trophy winner is still on the board when the Saints pick, their front office would be fools to not grab him. As I mentioned earlier, the Saints’ ground game needs help and I believe the ex-Alabama running back can inject some nitro into the Black and Gold’s high-powered offense. Furthermore, selecting Ingram would make Bush either expendable or less expensive in the event the team wanted to retain his services. That said, I don’t see how Ingram would get past the Miami Dolphins, who have the 15th overall pick.

Cameron Jordan, Aldon Smith, JJ Watt or Ryan Kerrigan Defensive End The acquisition of one of these players would address a major need for the Saints, who need to develop a pass rush if they want to once again hoist the Lombardi Trophy outside the practice facility.

Akeem Ayers Outside Linebacker Ayers would be a major addition to the Saints often battered linebacker corps. While middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma is an outstanding player, there are questions on his flanks. Jonathan Cassillas was supposed to start on the weak side but was lost for the season after injuring his foot in an exhibition game against the Tennessee Titans (at least he didn’t get run over by their mascot). Veteran linebacker Scott Shanle is a free agent and his status with the team is unknown. Regardless of Shanle’s future with the Saints, the team is going to need to make some upgrades at outside linebacker with an eye on the future.

If other teams have scooped up the aforementioned, it might be a good idea for Loomis to spend some time on the phone with teams looking for a second first round pick, either trading for their later picks in 2011 or their first round selection next year.

It’s unlikely franchises that picked early will be picking late in the 2012 Draft so a first round swap might end up laying a strong foundation for the team’s future.

So What’s Likely to Happen

I’m going to assume Loomis will be uncharacteristically conservative in the 2011 Draft and will not make as many deals as has in the past. Bear in mind I was totally off in last year’s predictions, only getting the 7th round selection of a revolving door quarterback right.

Round 1 (24th) Muhammad Wilkerson DT Temple
Round 2 (56th) Brooks Reed OLB Arizona
Round 3 (72nd) Jabaal Sheard DE Pittsburgh
Round 3 (88th) Shane Vereen HB California
Round 7 (226th) Richard Gordon TE Miami
Round 7 (243rd) Best available kick-punter returner

What Should Happen

Round 1 (24th) Ryan Kerrigan DE Purdue
Round 2 (56th) Brooks Reed OLB Arizona
Round 3 (72nd) Lawrence Guy DT Arizona State
Round 3 (88th) Mark LeGree FS Appalachian State
Round 7 (226th) Leon Berry WR/KR Mississippi State
Round 7 (243rd) Richard Murphy RB LSU

Pre-Draft Interview with Mike Detillier, Part II

2011-04-26T18:32:00.000-07:00

In the second part of The Onside Kick’s pre-NFL Draft interview with WWL AM radio sports commentator and college football expert Mike Detillier, the draft analyst examines positions of need for the Black and Gold, the value of running back Mark Ingram to the Saints, where LSU standout defensive back Patrick Peterson will be drafted and whether the “Son of Ironhead” will be sporting a fleur-de-lis on his helmet in the 2011 season.

And a reminder, those still interested in acquiring Mr. Detillier’s 200-page draft guide, which also contains valuable information for Fantasy Football aficionados, can order the book from www.mikedetillier.com.

TOK: What would you say is the number one priority for the New Orleans Saints to address via the 2011 NFL draft?

MD: First, always look for players that fit what you do best offensively and defensively, but the top need for the Saints is to upgrade the defensive line at both end and tackle. This team needs to generate a better and a more consistent pass rush. All season long the Saints could not get a good pass rush unless they brought extra people and they need to get someone who can get that extra push from the middle or off the edge.

TOK: You have LSU’s Patrick Peterson as your top rated player in the draft, what do
you think would be the lowest selection he could fall to?

MD: I gave him a lot of consideration at the #2 spot to Denver and I have him going to Arizona at the #5 spot, but I don’t think he gets pass the #7 spot and if Arizona doesn’t take him I expect a team, like the Houston Texans, to try and trade up to select him. The 49ers would love to land him if he falls that far down to the #7 spot.

TOK: You were one of the very first to say that Cam Newton would be the first pick
overall pick in the draft. How much of a certainty is he going with the top pick?

MD: It came down to him and Blaine Gabbert. The Panthers need help at quarterback and it just came down to the upside and the “Wow” factor around Cam. He is still rough around the edges as a passer and his accuracy wanes at times, but he has the tools to develop into a big time performer, if the commitment on his part is there. He reminds me a lot of a more athletic version of what the Buccaneers have in Josh Freeman. Carolina needs a “buzz” player and in this draft Cam is it.

I feel pretty strongly that Cam will be the top guy, even though Peterson, Von Miller, Marcell Dareus, and A.J. Green are higher rated players. Every quarterback picked in this draft early will be overdrafted and that includes Newton and Gabbert.

TOK: You are a big fan of Mark Ingram and I have heard you believe he will be a top
NFL back. Why are people on ESPN and the NFL Network bashing him so much and
trying to put others at the top running back spot?

MD: I really don’t get it to be honest. The guy has been a terrific college player and even after coming back from a minor cartilage repair on his knee he still averaged over 5 yards per rush. He reminds me so much of Emmitt Smith when he came out of Florida. He also is a very good receiver coming out of the backfield and he has been well drilled in pass protection sets. He is a three down back and you don’t find many like that. Ingram is also one of the most competitive guys you will ever meet.

He is a Top 20 type player, but this stuff about the knee and other items are being fed to many by agents who want to lower his draft stock and increase the stock of their own players. There is also the devaluation of the running back position today because it is manned by committee. His knee is fine.

TOK: With that said couldn’t you get real good value in rounds 2 and 2 at running back?

MD: Yes. That is part of what has happened to Ingram and every other back looking to sneak into Round One. It is the feeder system today, college football, that has turned into running back by committee and you just won’t find an Adrian Peterson-type player often and the value of the halfback spot has diminished.

TOK: I would love to be a fly on the wall if Ingram, Iowa’s Adrian Clayborn and
Muhammad Wilkerson are all on the board when the Saints pick at 24.

MD: I agree. Do you go with the bigger need and pick the defensive lineman knowing that you can get a good back later or do you go with the top back in this draft and cut loose Reggie Bush for good. Bush is just too injury-prone in my opinion to pay the top dollars for.

Also you know those defensive linemen will get swooped up quickly and you may not get a shot a highly rated lineman ,even late in Round 2.

TOK: Would the Saints be interested in Cameron Heyward at 24? It seems you and most
others have him going late in Round One instead of in the mid-20’s.

MD: I would say no at 24, but if they traded down it would be a strong possibility. Cam is a good kid, big, powerfully built, but he is inconsistent. He has looked really good at times, but he has looked very average other times. He is versatile, could play defensive tackle or end, but it is his inconsistent nature that will drop him late into Round One or real early in Round 2. He also doesn’t have a mean streak in him. That is something his dad had that he doesn’t. He needs someone to light his fire on a consistent basis.

TOK: Does having running back Pierre Thomas under contract mean the Saints won’t be
looking at a running back in this draft?

MD: Saints will be looking at the running back spot in this draft. No question about it. They don’t have one healthy back on the squad. Pierre, Chris Ivory, Lynell Hamilton and Reggie are all rehabbing injuries or surgeries. You never have enough good backs. That was evident on this team last season. Pierre’s new deal will not affect their thinking on picking a back in this draft. The real value of backs is going to be in Rounds 3 and 4. They are going to have a host of productive NFL backs picked in that section this year.

TOK: Will the Saints pursue a kick returner in this draft?

MD: Yes, it may be early if a receiver like Randall Cobb-Kentucky, Jerrel Jernigan-Troy or even a Titus Young is available. They need a good slot end who can spread the field and help out in the return game. If not, later on someone like Louisiana Tech’s Phillip Livas is a strong possibility late. I covered Livas at South Terrebonne High School and he was a terrific running back there. He has become a good slot end, punt and kickoff return man and he could play halfback in a pinch. He reminds me a lot of another South Terrebonne product who excelled in that same slot/return game portion of the game in the pros in Clarence Verdin. This team needs to get a quality return man.

TOK: Which position is more of a priority for the Saints to address, defensive end or outside linebacker?

MD: Good question and you could have a strong debate on either side, but I side with defensive end. Nothing is more important in the 4th quarter than a pass rush and when you run a 4-3 defense you want that pressure from the defensive ends.

I would look for this team to add a quality starting veteran outside linebacker once free agency starts up, whenever that is.

TOK: With the release of tight end Jeremy Shockey and with David Thomas a potential
free agent, will the Saints pursue a tight end somewhere in the draft?

MD: Yes. This team loves the multiple tight end sets and there is room for another tight end on the roster. Ideally with a young talent and a potential star player like Jimmy Graham you would like to bring in a veteran player, but with no free agency yet I could see them get a tight end, especially with one of the two 7th round picks. With the first four picks in the draft I expect the Saints to pick a defensive lineman, an outside linebacker, halfback and wide receiver.

Mike Detillier 2011 NFL Draft Interview Part I

2011-04-25T22:32:00.000-07:00

The Onside Kick is once again happy to spend some time with WWL AM radio’s college football expert Mike Detillier, author of one of the most comprehensive NFL draft guides in the country.

In this installment, Mr. Detillier shares some thoughts about last year’s draft, what went wrong with LSU’s Al Woods, a favorite Buddy D anecdote and a few other stories. The second part of the interview, focused on the 2011 NFL Draft, will be posted on Wednesday.

TOK: Would you rate Patrick Robinson, the team’s number one pick in 2010, a bust player?

MD: I think it is too early for that, but he struggled with the technical part of the game and he has always been a bit of a guesser. He has excellent physical tools, but he struggled with the technical part of the game and his footwork to turn and run with receivers was sloppy.

TOK: That is almost exactly what you wrote about him in your 2010 draft report and was that the reason you didn’t rate him a first round choice?

MD: That is the main reason. He was very inconsistent at Florida State and while he had the talent of a first round pick he didn’t play up to that level from week to week. He needs to become a more disciplined player, no doubt, and Gregg Williams really rode him hard last season in the training camp period and throughout the season when he was healthy.

TOK: Last draft day you thought the Saints gambled big on a player that was not a
productive college player in Al Woods. Why didn’t he pan out?

MD: I personally really liked Al and he is a very likable young man, but he lacks great football instincts and he is slow to react to what is breaking down in front of him. In high school he was bigger, stronger and faster than anyone else he played against and he dominated. That was not the case at LSU and with the Saints. He was built like someone carved him out of stone, but he just couldn’t get that body to react to what was happening quickly. It wasn’t because of effort. He tried hard. Al was just not a very instinctive football player.

TOK: Your draft guide is 200 pages cover to cover, includes bios of hundreds of players, has the 4 round projections-you did in mid-March, a great section on the top current players in the league, fantasy football and etc. People that work with you say that you spend countless hours going over film, breaking down film, getting info from various college sources and you get a constant barrage of calls from players, coaches, people in the front office of NFL teams and such. How much time do you spend with the report?

MD: Too much. I guess that would be the best reply, but it is something I truly love to do. You can’t do this halfway, you have to give the full commitment. On a holiday I won’t do anything, but I would guess 340 days a year, and I can’t count the hours.

TOK: Are you also involved with some college recruiting services looking over and
evaluating talent for some also?

MD: Yes. It gives me a heads-up on the top talent heading into the college football world and eats up any free time I have in the spring and summer. It does keep me in touch constantly with players, coaches and high school coaches on the top talents they have and who they play.

TOK: I’d like to go back to Iron Mike’s “Reign of Error” with the Saints. Who talked Mike Ditka into selecting Chris Naeole in the 1st round?

MD: Dick Stanfel was the chief influence on that pick. Stanfel came out of retirement to coach the offensive line for the Saints under Ditka and he loved Chris and he talked Mike into drafting him in Round 1.

TOK: When was the first time you heard Buddy D say Donte Stallpepper?

MD: The first time was at a lunch with Buddy, Randy Mueller and I on the Wednesday before the draft. We were talking about the upcoming draft and Randy told me he didn’t think Stallworth would be there when they picked and he had saw my draft report where I projected Donte to New Orleans.

During the conversation Buddy said Stallpepper twice and Randy and I looked at one another and I jut knew he would repeat it again. Sure enough. The Saints picked him and he blurted it out. When I told him about his comment was, “ No way I could have said that”, and then he turned back said “Maybe I did say it.”

TOK: Your call of the Saints pick of Ricky Williams was memorable, but you, Buddy D. and everyone else never thought the deal would get done right?

MD: That is right-on correct. General manager Bill Kuharich told me the day before the draft that no team was biting on any move and that they had basically given up on the deal to move up to acquire Ricky and they were going to draft UCLA quarterback Cade McNown.

The morning of the draft Terry O’Neil, the Saints salary cap man for the Saints, told me that he was 99% sure that no deal would get done and he was thrilled that it wasn’t going to happen. He actually stood up to Mike and voted against the deal.

Two Saint assistant coaches before we started Draft Fest told us no deal would happen for Williams and they were happy about it. When Buddy asked them if they rejected Williams in front of Mike Ditka the response was the same. “No way we are saying anything bad about Ricky in front of Ditka. We like our jobs.”

We had numerous national reporters calling us to see whom the Saints would draft because the Williams deal was dead.

Even Ricky Williams told us the next day that he didn’t think he would be in New Orleans. He actually thought either the Indianapolis Colts were going to pick him or that the Cleveland Browns were going to try and trade back into the top-5 to get him.

With all that we both strongly felt the deal to acquire Williams was not going to happen. The crowd that day went wild when the announcement came down. There actually were people crying tears of joy about that pick. I have never seen anything like it, even the Reggie Bush pick didn’t match that moment.

TOK: You had the Saints picking Malcolm Jenkins in your mock 1st round of the book
two years ago and never wavered, but who would they have selected had Jenkins been
picked? Would it have been Clay Matthews?

MD: No, it would not have been Matthews, but his USC teammate OLB Brian Cushing- who the Texans took right after the Saints selected Jenkins. The Saints liked Matthews, but they liked Cushing more.

TOK: With the draft coming up this weekend, can fans still order a copy of the report?

MD: Yes, they can log on to MikeDetillier.com and we can get them a copy out quickly.

2011 New Orleans Saints Draft Preview: The Picks

2011-04-24T22:22:00.000-07:00

Due to trades made in 2009 and 2010, the Black and Gold enter the 2011 NFL Draft without their full complement of selections, though they will have better access to quality college players than last year when their victory in Super Bowl XLIV had the Saints picking dead last in the first round.

Thanks to their early demise in the last season’s playoffs, the Saints will have the 24th pick in the first round, picking just ahead of the team that facilitated their ignominious exit, the Seattle Seahawks.

In addition to the 24th pick in the first round, the Saints will have the 56th overall selection in the second round, the 72nd and 88th overall picks during the third round and the 226th and 243rd overall selections in the seventh and final round.

The relatively early selection in round three, eighth in the actual round, stems from the Jammal Brown trade the Saints made with the Washington Redskins. The Saints received the Redskins’ third round pick in exchange for the Pro Bowl tackle and the Black and Gold’s fifth round selection (155th) in this draft.

The Saints surrendered their fourth round pick (121st overall) to the Jacksonville Jaguars in a trade for the cats’ 5th round selection (158th overall) in last year’s draft. The Saints used that pick to select center Matt Tennant, who the front office sees as a solid contributor in the near future.

The Saints organization is finally paying the tab to the New England Patriots in a deal that was consummated in 2009 when the Pats sent over reserve tight end David Thomas for New Orleans’ sixth round (189th overall) pick in the 2011 draft.

Considering Thomas’s contributions to the team as both tight end and as a backup fullback after starting fullback Heath Evans went down with a season ending injury against the Miami Dolphins in the midst of the team’s Super Bowl run in 2009, his acquisition for a 6th round pick is one of Saints general manager Mickey Loomis’s best swaps in terms of overall value.

The Saints held on to their original seventh round selection in this year’s draft and was awarded an extra seventh round pick as compensation for the loss of outside linebacker Scott Fujita as a free agent to the Cleveland Browns in 2010 offseason.

As the league determined he was not replaced on the roster by a free agent of an equal or greater value, which is calculated through a complicated formula, the Saints were eligible to receive the bonus pick, which cannot be dealt to another team. The Saints final pick is the 12th to last selection in the draft.
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The Onside Kick will be updated daily during draft week. Stay posted for a two part interview with NFL Draft expert and college football analyst Mike Detillier (whose guide is still available at www.mikedetilier.com) and other information related to the draft.

NFL Deals Saints Favorable 2011 Schedule

2011-04-19T22:08:00.000-07:00

The Who Dat Nation should offer thanks to the NFL scheduling fairies for the 2011 regular season itinerary.

The just released game line-up has the Black and Gold playing in four nationally televised games, with three of them in the climate controlled confines of the Louisiana Superdome.

The team’s lone road contest before a national audience will be at Green Bay for the NFL regular season kickoff, the same game the Saints hosted last season, as the league- to nobody’s surprise- paired this year’s defending Super Bowl champions against the previous year’s.

That the Saints were included in the marquee game is a blessing for if there is a time the Black and Gold would want to play in Lambeau Field, it’s in early September long before the winter turns the stadium’s turf into frozen tundra.

The league also decided to make two of the three nationally televised home games “family affairs” with the Manning brothers. Peyton will seek to avenge his Super Bowl loss against his father’s first team on Sunday night, October 23rd while his younger brother Eli and the New York Giants will play in the Superdome on the Monday Night Football game after Thanksgiving, November 28th.

The Saints will play their only “cold weather” game in 2011 when they travel to Nashville to take on the Titans on December 11th. The temperatures in Music City average in December between 30 and 40 degrees.

Though the Saints’ schedule is relatively more favorable than last season’s two December games in Cincinnati and Baltimore’s open air stadiums and a late road trip to Atlanta, it won’t be a walk in the park.

The kickoff game against the Green Bay Packers could set the tone of the season and potentially act as a tie-breaker if both teams were to be in contention for post-season homefield advantage in the playoffs.

After an extended rest the Saints will face the defending NFC North champion Chicago Bears on September 18th, which would be the first visit by the Monsters of the Midway to the Superdome since the infamous NFC Championship game.

Bears fans who generally travel to their team’s road games might want to consider skipping this one as the tickets will be as hot as the Who Dat Nation for that contest.

The Saints will host the Houston Texans’ high-octane offense the next week before going on a three game road trip to Jacksonville, Carolina and Tampa Bay followed by the Colts visit to the Superdome.

From there the Saints will travel to Saint Louis, return to New Orleans to take on the Buccaneers and then head up to the ATL in week ten.

Last season the Saints spent Thanksgiving Day playing in Jerry Jones’s palace in north Texas; this season the team will have some time off with a late bye in week eleven before suiting up to host the Giants on November 28th.

Even if the Saints were to stumble out the gate, they’ll have plenty of time and opportunities to catch their breath and rally towards the season’s end. The Black and Gold will host a still rebuilding Detroit franchise on December 4th before making consecutive trips north to Nashville and Minneapolis to face two teams that are just starting to rebuild.

In a game with divisional title and/or playoff implications, the Saints will host the Falcons the day after Christmas on Monday Night Football before closing out the season with a New Year’s Day afternoon game at home against the Panthers. Hopefully that game will end being the equivalent of a fifth exhibition contest.

Until the labor contract with the players, free agency rules and team personnel moves are resolved and the NFL Draft has come to pass, it would be pointless to speculate how the Saints will finish though prognosticating a winning record at a minimum would not be that great of a stretch with the core of the team’s offense returning.

The combined record of the Saints opponents from last season is 130-126, giving the Black and Gold the 14th toughest schedule in the NFL.

The Competition’s Schedule

The Dirty Birds start the season out in Soldier Field before hosting the Philadelphia Eagles the next week. On week four they go to the site where the Two Dat died in Seattle and host the Packers in week five. In week nine the Falcons fly into Lucas Oil Stadium to face the Colts. The tougher Falcons schedule is more the result of the fixed schedule rotation than game placement. While the NFL website claims that the Falcons have an easier schedule than the Saints, I believe the road trips to Chicago, Seattle, Indianapolis and Houston will prove to be challenging.

In contrast, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the only other threat to the Saints for the NFC South division title, caught some lucky breaks with their schedule. By virtue of their third place finish last season, the Bucs will play the Dallas Cowboys at home and travel to San Francisco. Though the Bucs ended up drawing the short straw in the league’s attempt to internationalize things by having their home game against the Bears moved to London in late October. That said, even with an easier schedule the Buccaneers are going to have to have success against NFC South opponents if they want to avoid being once again just shy of a playoff berth.

Not Many Frequent Flyer Miles in 2011

The Saints won’t be able to blame jet leg if things don’t work out for them this season. The Saints will play only one game west of the Mississippi River and then just barely outside the shadow of the Gateway Arch when they face the Rams. The two longest road trips of the regular season are to Minneapolis and Green Bay, roughly two and a half hour flights straight north. With the next two farthest road trips being Saint Louis and Charlotte, Tom Benson will have one of the smallest gas bills of any NFL owner.

NFL Releases New Orleans Saints' Regular Season Home Schedule

2011-04-19T18:58:00.000-07:00

September 8th @ Green Bay Thursday, 7:30 PM NBC
(League kickoff game)

September 18th vs. Chicago Sunday, 12:00 PM Fox

September 25th vs. Houston Sunday, 12:00 PM CBS

October 2nd @ Jacksonville Sunday, 12:00 PM Fox

October 9th @ Carolina Sunday, 12:00 PM Fox

October 16th @ Tampa Bay Sunday, 3:15 PM Fox

October 23rd vs. Indianapolis Sunday, 7:20 PM NBC

October 30th @ Saint Louis Sunday, 12:00 PM Fox

November 6th vs. Tampa Bay Sunday, 12:00 PM Fox

November 13th @ Atlanta Sunday, 12:00 PM Fox

November 20th BYE

November 28th vs. New York Giants Monday, 7:30 PM ESPN

December 4th vs. Detroit Sunday, 12:00 PM Fox

December 11th @ Tennessee Sunday, 12:00 PM Fox

December 18th @ Minnesota Sunday, 12:00 PM Fox

December 26th vs. Atlanta Monday, 7:30 PM ESPN

January 1st vs. Carolina Sunday, 12:00 PM Fox

Nationally televised games: @ Green Bay and the Indianapolis, New York Giants and Atlanta home games.

Cathcing the Boys of Summer in the Spring

2011-04-03T19:29:00.001-07:00

While the NFL owners and players haggle over television revenue and the length of the regular season, I temporarily traded in my Saints hat for a Houston Astros cap to catch a bit of Major League Baseball spring training.

Spring Training takes place in two of the country’s outstanding vacation destinations, Florida and Arizona. Now for the uninitiated, the latter might conjure images of a coyote on rocket skates chasing a swift blue bird though the Grand Canyon State has more to offer than just…the Grand Canyon (though that alone is a pretty big deal- pun intended).

In addition to having year-round warm weather, southern Arizona has some of the best golf courses in the country and is home to a number of swanky spa resorts. Another added bonus is that the spring training camps are closer to each other in the Cactus League (the sobriquet for the Arizona-based facilities) than they are in the Grapefruit League (Florida).

After leaving my 9 to 5 (technically 8:30 to 4:30) two weeks ago, I jumped in my truck and was east bound and down to the Astros training facility in Kississimmee, which is just southeast of Orlando, about a 10 hour and $5 toll drive from New Orleans.

Having never been to a Spring Training game, I didn’t know what to expect.

One way to describe it as watching major league players hit and field at minor league prices…with a few exceptions.

The Astros facility charged $7 to park out in an open field and while walking up to the stadium, a scalper (or perhaps it would be more accurate to call him a “knee skinner” since there’s only so much profit that can generated on this scale) warned me that my section 200 ticket was “far away” from the field.

Despite that pitch, I kept my cheap ticket and my money, since the best way to enjoy spring training is standing up.

Upon entering the stadium I saw that the “nosebleed” $15 tickets were a mere dozen steps from the main concourse. After looking at the chair, I walked towards the concourse adjacent to left field.

One of best aspects about the Spring Training experience is the close degree of interacting fans can have with the players and staff, though I’m not talking about the Susan Sarandon-type from Bull Durham, though the baseball groupies are most conspicuous.

The smaller stadium provides accessibility between the fans and the pros that’s unthinkable in a major league stadium. The crowds are less than 10% of a regular season game. For instance, there were 3,442 in attendance at Saturday’s game and 4,117 on Sunday.

The dugout is only marginally removed from the stands and the bullpen consists of a narrow strip of dirt between the meter-high stadium wall and the first and third base lines. The coaches, catchers and relief pitchers warm up only a few feet away from the fans, allowing for banter.

And because the starters generally don’t play a full game, unless they’re just coming back from injury, they typically retire to the clubhouse early down a path where fans can talk to them and score autographs.

Granted the Astros facility is probably fan friendlier (and emptier- half of those in attendance on the Saturday and Sunday games were sporting the opposing teams’ gear) than the New York Yankees training camp in Tampa, I saw practically every starter who are still part of the team from last season’s line-up interact with the fans over the two day period.

One notable exception was retired first baseman Jeff Bagwell who told fans he would accommodate their autograph requests shortly after a visit to the clubhouse though the maybe-future-hall of famer never returned.

The most accessible person in uniform was team manager Brad Mills. Despite being on the losing end of two big losses, Mills exhibited the patience of Job and talked with everyone lined up near the clubhouse, signing every baseball, baseball card and poster until every fan, collector and eBay seller got his or her fill.

For die-hard baseball fans, a weekend visit to either the Grapefruit League or the Cactus League should find its way to a “life list” along with pilgrimages to Cooperstown, Wrigley, Fenway and Chavez Ravine.

Hornets Partially Re-Brand Franchise

2011-03-31T23:39:00.000-07:00

New Orleans Hornets officials on Thursday announced that they will soon take steps to improve the local marketability of the franchise, with the first step being what will doubtlessly be considered a controversial alteration to the mascot. Vice-President of Marketing Linus van Pelt said that Hugo, the popular blue and purple giant bee will get a new name and partial makeover in the off-season. “Hugo as a name just doesn’t work down here,” said van Pelt. “When you google ‘Hugo’, you get sites about the dictator of Venezuela. We’ve been looking at an alternative for some time.” According to the team’s marketing executive, the idea for the new name came to him on Mardi Gras night and inspired by one of the city’s most noted carnival float designers. “I was having trouble falling asleep despite being out with the family along Saint Charles Avenue since 5 AM and was looking for something that would knock me out. That’s when I turned on WYES and started watching the meeting of the courts. Just as I was about to zonk out, I see this bespectacled guy in a white tie and tails and it hit me.” “So I was thinking instead of ‘Hugo the Hornet’, why not give him a full name like ‘Henri Hornet’ and give the last name a French pronunciation, kind of like what Stephen Colbert does” said van Pelt. What other changes do the Hornets have install for their mascot, whose name will be pronounced “On-ree Or-nay”? “We’ve had a few graphic design artists try to give him some more pizzazz and character. One proposal is to give him a goatee and a beret to give him a French-beatnik look. We’re still evaluating costume adjustments and we have a marketing team consulting with selected season ticket holders.” This wouldn’t be the first rebranding for the team that moved to the 504 from Charlotte in 2002. The Charlotte Hornets were originally named the Charlotte Spirit though area fans didn’t take to that name. The Hornets sobriquet came from a reference British General Cornwallis made about the city of Charlotte as “a veritable nest of hornets”. The NBA has a knack for maintaining team nicknames that are downright absurd in their current environs. Utah Jazz and the Los Angeles Lakers are such franchises. Franklin Schroeder, who dons the giant bee costume at home games, isn’t pleased with the changes but will abide to the dictates of the front office. “What can you really do,” said Schroeder, “it’s April Fool’s Day.”

Mike Detillier Interview, Part II

2011-03-30T20:30:00.000-07:00

This is the second installment of The Onside Kick's interview with college football expert and NFL Draft analyst Mike Detillier. Mike covers the Saints' past season, the upcoming NFL Draft and head coach Sean Payton's recent move to north Texas. TOK: Were you surprised about Jeremy Shockey’s release? MD: I thought he would be back but at a reduced price, so yes. TOK: Are the Saints going to aggressively try and sign Lance Moore, Roman Harper and Jonathan Goodwin? MD: I think they will aggressively try and resign Moore and Harper. Drew trusts him immensely and he is the most consistent receiver they have on the roster. Harper is someone who progressed more than anyone under Gregg Williams. He had a horrible game against Seattle, but he is good football player. You can’t judge him on one game. On Goodwin I think they would like to get him to sign a short term deal. They really love Matt Tennant. They really like him, but Jonathan is solid as a starter and he is versatile. He is getting up in age and it may be a money issue, but I think if it is close, he stays on a short term deal. Lance and Roman need to be back. You never get better by losing good players. TOK: How about Randall Gay? MD: No , he doesn’t return. Too much money and age and injury concerns. TOK: How much of a factor do you think the first-round bye would have had for the Saints? Would it have changed anything or simply delayed the inevitable elimination? MD: I don’t think it would have changed much. You just weren’t good enough this season and they couldn’t overcome the weaknesses on both sides of the ball come playoff time. TOK: Do you expect Jonathan Casillas and Lynell Hamilton to make comebacks next season? MD: I like them both. On Casillas it is can he hold up. He has been banged up quite a bit in just two years and you wonder if his body can hold up in the NFL for a 16 or an 18 game season. He has the talent to start and play well in this league, but it is a health issue, just like Chris Ivory. Lynell was a Sean Payton favorite. He raved about him before the start of last season. He is built like he is carved out of stone, and it is a shame he got hurt in those practices against New England. He is a tough runner, good field vision and body lean and he catches the ball well. Yes, I think he bounces back and he is a good football player. TOK: You and Hokie Gajan talked a lot about this in the off-season. Gajan loved Chris Ivory and you agreed, but brought up that he had a host of injury problems in college and you wondered if he would hold up in the NFL. That turned out to be correct? MD: Well, Chris is a good player, but he wasn’t picked at draft time because of a lack of talent or any trouble he got into in college. He didn’t get picked because teams were afraid he wouldn’t hold up in the league. I wish I was wrong on that feature, but it has turned out to be accurate. I love his aggressive nature and he is super physical, but as much as he gives out, he takes. That doesn’t add up to a long NFL career at running back. TOK: Let’s stay at running back. Do you think Reggie Bush will remain with the Saints on a new deal or will he play elsewhere next season? MD: I think he stays, but at a much reduced price. If he insists on staying at a super high pay level, then he goes, but he is more valuable to this team than any other and Coach Payton loves him. In my opinion he has been given the chance to excel and really not produced at the level you want and need from him. He is hurt way too often, he has not been super productive and when given the chance not stepped up his play. Pierre Thomas doesn’t have his talent, but he is a much better NFL player. I think he stays, but at a much lower number and then write the incentives in playing time and production. You can’t pay him big bucks on potential anymore. TOK: Regardless of Bush’s status with the team, do you think the Saints need to pursue a running back in the draft or free agency? MD: Yes and Yes. The Saints need a veteran back, someone with some mileage and pass catching and pass blocking skills, but with some experience and a young back that can carry the rushing load. They need to use their 2nd or one of their 3rd round choices on a back. It is all about competition and finding the right mix. You never have enough good backs. Never. It is a high impact spot and one you need numbers. Just look at the Green Bay Packers and the Saints at that spot. TOK: Can Adrian Arrington help this club and where does he fit? MD: He is not a starting NFL type end. He can help as a #4 or a #5 wide receiver. He has matured as a person and he finally was healthy for the most part last year. In the way the Saints use multiple receiver sets..he can help. But he is not a starting type end. TOK: Which player was unjustly snubbed from the Pro Bowl? MD: Malcolm Jenkins…. Best player the Saints have on defense. He can play the free safety slot, some cornerback, cover the slot guy and can play all the nickel and dime packages. Terrific football player and he deserved to play in the Pro-Bowl. TOK: In your draft book a few years back you predicted the Saints selecting Jenkins and you stuck to that pick throughout the process. You really liked him didn’t you? MD: Yes… early on I had the Saints taking Ohio State LB. James Laurinaitis in a trade down, but once Jenkins didn’t blaze the trail at the Combine, I had a feeling he would be there. I thought he could be an All-Pro back then and I know he is one now. TOK: Back then there was a caller on WWL-Radio that would call and ask about DT.B.J. Raji from Boston College every week. You really liked him, but you thought he would be picked before the Saints selected him. He has turned out to be special, right? MD: Yes, that gentleman was a Boston College graduate living in New Orleans and he insisted that B.J. would last until the Saints picked. I had him going 5th overall to Cleveland, but I knew that he could fall a little because of some off-the-field concerns and he had some weight and conditioning issues, but there was little chance he could fall to 14. We laughed every week because I knew he was going to ask about Raji. Someone on another web site wrote that I said the Saints would pick him and he called and laughed it up about how some have some comprehension problems. I would figure someone could tell the difference between my voice and someone from Boston, but apparently not. Raji has turned out to be outstanding for the Packers and his work ethic and maturity has really been lifted. The big guy is a load in the middle. In a 3-4 you need a very active and tough man in the middle to take on blockers and tie up the inside so the linebackers have a free shot at the running back in the hole. He can do it. TOK: Will Smith had a Pro-Bowl year in 2009. What happened this year? MD: He got a lot more attention in blocking schemes and he had a tougher time getting off of blocks in 2010. Will is a very good NFL starter, but he is not an elite pass rusher like Mario Williams, Jared Allen, Dwight Freeney, Julius Peppers or John Abraham. The Saints were running in the left hand lane in 2009 and that gave him more chances to really pin his ears back and get after the quarterback. The games in 2010 were much closer and his extra opportunities to gain sacks disappeared. TOK: Why didn’t Gregg Williams interview for the Tennessee Titans job? You wrote during the season that he was very close to Titans owner Bud Adams. MD: Two things. One it was a timing issue. His closest friend in this business is Jeff Fisher and he had great respect for what he brought to Tennessee. But Gregg got caught in a bad position in Buffalo and I can tell you that the Titans aren’t loaded with talent on defense and they have a huge void at quarterback. Had Fisher been fired right after the year I bet he goes for the interview, but it was real late and it would have been hard for him to piece together a strong staff that late. I was in Mobile at the Senior Bowl when that story broke and that is late in the process and I think he didn’t want to get caught up in another muddled organizational issue like what happened to him in Buffalo. He is close to Bud and he told he probably would have taken the defensive coordinator spot in 2009 with the Titans, but he insisted that he could work with his son and Adams didn’t want close relatives on the same staff and that opened the door for the Saints to land him and his son. He wants to be a head coach again, but it has to be the right spot. He knows what it is to fall short and I think the Titans job was appealing because he knew everyone inside the organization, but the timing was bad and just look at that roster and you can see that it will take some time to retool that team. Jeff squeezed all the lemonade out of that orange. TOK: What do you make of the Sean Payton to Dallas-moving issue? MD: I don’t cover his personal life. I don’t really care where he lives. All I want is for him to win games in New Orleans. I grew up here and didn’t leave a few years back because I had both of my kids in high school. They didn’t want to relocate and my wife didn’t really want to leave either, so I stayed in Louisiana. I understand other people’s feeling on this issue, but to me it’s a non-issue. All I know from being married for almost 30 years is that when the wife and kids aren’t happy then it doesn’t make any difference how much money you make. Your life is not easy when those events occur. Ed Orgeron is a friend of mine and when he left the Saints to coach at the University of Tennessee his wife and kids stayed in Louisiana. He is in his second year at USC and his family still lives here. He commutes weekly from Los Angeles. What some people don’t realize is that in a coaches’ life you hardly see your family at all during the season. It’s not a 7 to 5 job. It’s 6:AM in the morning until midnight or later during the week. It’s a personal decision and it doesn’t concern me. The one thing that is news worthy is to hear the coach say he would not be a lifer as a head coach. He has two more years on his contract and I wonder today just how much longer he will continue to be a head coach in the NFL after that. TOK: Do you think Jerry Jones would offer him the GM position in Dallas. MD: No.. Jerry is a lifer as general manager in Dallas. The only person Jerry gives the GM job to is his son Steve Jones and that may be quite a while before that happens. TOK: How can they order the draft book? MD: They can log on to MikeDetillier.com or Saintsreport.com and pre-order the book. It will be out soon.

Interview Mike Detillier, Part I

2011-03-21T18:22:00.000-07:00

Below is Part I of an extensive interview with NFL Draft guru and College Football expert Mike Detillier. In this portion of the interview, Mr. Detillier covers a great deal of ground, ranging from the Two Dat that didn't happen and some of the top prospects in the 2011 NFL Draft.

In addition to being a frequent contributor on WWL 870 AM's Sports Talk program, Mr. Detillier produces an annual NFL Draft Guide, which can be ordered from his website, www.MikeDetillier.com.

TOK: What was the key factor in the Saints not getting the “Two Dat” ?

MD: The lack of a real strong and consistent pass rush was the main reason. Bottom line. They didn’t get it most of the year and it came back to haunt them against in the playoff game against Seattle.
An inconsistent running game, and a lot of that involved injuries was a factor, but they have to get better rushing the quarterback. They weren’t talented enough to hide those weaknesses. To win it all you have to have it all. That wasn’t the case this year.

TOK: The offensive line didn’t perform up to the same level as last season, why?

MD: Part of that involved injuries to the running backs. In part more and more emphasis was placed on Drew Brees throwing the ball and opposing teams understood this. He felt more pressure, blitz wise, than ever before. Early on I felt Jahri Evans wasn’t playing even close to being the best guard in the business, but he played real well late. Jon Stinchcomb didn’t play really as well as a year ago. His pass protection skills fell off.

TOK: Jermon Bushrod struggled in 2010, why wasn’t 2nd round pick Charles Brown given an opportunity to play in his place?

MD: I thought Bushrod played better this season than in 2009. He has really improved as a pass protector. He wasn’t the weak link. He’s a good player. It shows up more on the left side because he rarely gets help. He is out on an island, like a cornerback and he can make 52 great blocks and then on play 53 he gives up a sack and people say he sucks. I like what I saw from Bushrod last season.

Now in watching Brown in the summer practices and in preseason he got much better, but he needs work improving his overall body strength. He is still a football puppy at the tackle spot. He was recruited as a tight end at USC and played that spot early on in college. He has a chance to be a real good player in this league. It wouldn’t surprise me someday down the line to see Bushrod at right tackle and Brown on the left side, but I thought Jermon played pretty well in 2010.

TOK: Was letting Bobby McCray go a very wise move in retrospect?

MD: Bobby isn’t playing anywhere. If he was a real good player someone else would have swooped him up real quick and that didn’t happen. He was a bit player, nothing more than that. People always will remember him for the big hit on Kurt Warner in the playoff game, but he was not a real consistent pass rush force for the Saints and his work habits weren’t great either. No real football loss with his release. Jeff Charleston is a better football player than McCray.

TOK: Where was the long ball with Drew Brees this year?

MD: Good question. It had to do with just missing on a few early on, especially some real deep throws to Devery and some of it was Drew just being a little off and the receivers were dropping passes more than any other year I could remember. Robert Meachem was never completely healthy also and that showed up on the deeper throws. He just wasn’t able to get the separation we saw a year ago. But the big reason is that Drew was hurt in the Atlanta game and there was a time early and into the middle of the season that they tried to protect him from sitting in the pocket longer. Some of it was that teams were giving them the short pass and guarding better against the deep throw, but it came down to early disappointments throwing deep and Drew having the knee injury against Atlanta.

TOK: Do you believe that Drew was injured more than he and Coach Payton let on?

MD: No question. It was not as serious as others made it out to be, but he fought through it. Throwing the ball is such a timing issue and he went through a stretch where the injury had an effect on his throws, but we all saw him get progressively better as the knee healed. Great competitor. Just terrific to fight through it and play through the injury, but without a real healthy wheel it has an effect on your throws because it is the set-up issue. But it was more serious than the coach made it out to be, but I understand the camouflage. I would have handled it the same way once I got the medical “good and bad” from the doctors.

TOK: Let’s jump to the draft quickly. You have said for quite some time that LSU’s Patrick Peterson is the best player in the 2011 NFL draft. Do you think he will go with the top pick?

MD: Yes and no. I have him the highest rated player in this draft and I think he is the best cover-cornerback I have seen come out of the SEC since Champ Bailey came out of Georgia, but I don’t think he will go Number One. I think Nick Fairley from Auburn or Da’Quan Bowers from Clemson will claim that top spot. Once Andrew Luck decided to stay, then Peterson vaulted to the top spot. He also adds great value as a return man.

Let me add that in my 27 years doing this Peterson is the best football player I have seen come out of LSU. Great prospect. Only one cornerback in my time evaluating college talent has graded out higher at the cornerback slot and that was Deion Sanders when he came out of Florida State.

TOK: You and Bobby Hebert have differed on thoughts on Peterson, right?

MD: A little. I like him better than Bobby does yes, but he is an old quarterback so he goes in the direction of offense. (Laughing) He would like to see him be a more physical player, but he played with Deion Sanders so he understands what they pay Peterson to do.

TOK: Let’s get back to Andrew Luck. During the summer you did a feature article on Andrew Luck, it was picked up nationally by just about everyone at the Manning Camp, and I remember you saying he was the best college quarterback you have seen since Troy Aikman came out of UCLA.

MD: The crazy thing was that he pretty much stayed sitting alone for almost the complete hour in the media room. When I walked up to ask for the interview he had no other reporter around him. There was much more attention paid to Kellen Moore from Boise State and Greg McElroy from Alabama than Luck. We did a television shot with him for the local television station, HTV, and twice he told me he was coming back for his senior season. It’s his poise, his intelligence, his accuracy skills and his ability to lift a team up not just a notch, but two or three notches that make him special. He’s the best college quarterback I’ve seen since Aikman.

TOK: I heard your reports from Mobile at the Senior Bowl and you said that defensive linemen will dominate the first round, so that is the strength of this draft class?

MD: No question…. I put out a mock draft in mid-to-late January and I have 9 defensive ends going in Round One, and three defensive tackles going in Round One and so there will be a pretty large amount of defensive tackles in Round One also. Ryan Kerrigan from Purdue and Cameron Jordan from California were the two best defensive linemen in Mobile. Both really aided their draft stock. But OLB./DE. Von Miller was the best pass rusher in Mobile.

TOK: Do you think Von Miller is a top 5 pick?

MD: Yes… no question. The guy didn’t have a huge impact in the Cotton Bowl against LSU, but he is a terrific pass rusher from the edge, outstanding football instincts, great motor and a top five pick.

TOK: I saw since your list and your mock draft came out plenty of others nationally are saying the exact same thing, but after the fact?

MD: It’s pretty obvious to see what is the real strength of this draft class is so I think you figure it out quick.

TOK: How would you rate Patrick Robinson’s performance: is he worth the first round pick or not?Will he blossom in the future or be the next Alex Molden?

MD: He has great talent, but it is the structure of his game. He minds flutters around and he needs to concentrate more on his techniques and not freelance as much. He is exactly what you would love to have in a cornerback. He has great size, quick feet, good recovery skills and he has great leaping skills. But it is the mental toughness to excel at the spot that is in question. He is an undisciplined technical guy and still is right now.

TOK: That is exactly what you said about him on draft day and why you didn’t have him ranked as a first round pick correct? You had him an early to mid 2nd round pick grade.

MD: Yes… Now Gregg Williams really was on him about his techniques and his focus all training camp and in the practices. It’s way too early to label him an Alex Molden guy. Alex had no ball reaction skills. Patrick has good ball skills. It is just the consistency part and the focus that is lacking right now.

TOK: Do you see Darren Sharper on this team in 2011?

MD: No… Age, money and injuries say he is gone.

TOK: How about Scott Shanle?

MD: Yes, he returns, but I think he moves to the strong side spot.

NFL 2011: Greed 1 Fans 0

2011-03-16T19:45:00.000-07:00

There was a time when my world revolved around baseball.

It was during the late eighties, an era before the internet, 24-hour sports channels with constant sports score crawlers and automatic text messages giving inning by inning play.

In order to learn how my Houston Astros fared in their rainbow-bright uniforms, I would feverishly flip channels during the 10 PM news. When really desperate I would turn on an old shortwave radio to pick up an armed services channel carrying a game and hope that the commentators would pass a score along.

The first thing I would do in the morning when arriving at school was make a bee-line for the library to peruse the USA Today Sports section (which contained more finals than the Times Picayune).

I was pretty damned obsessed but I was cured by Donald Fehr, head of the Major League Baseball Players Association. The union chief called a players’ strike over owners’ plans to implement a badly needed salary cap.

While I do still love the game, the fire that was once a conflagration is now a votive candle for the passion I once had for baseball.

The union “won” and played resumed slightly delayed the following season though the game suffered. 1994 could have been one of the most special seasons in the modern era.

So it goes without saying that I am not exactly sympathetic to player unions.

There is a single exception.

The bull the NFL owners are trying to pull over the players is ludicrous. The owners are demanding a free billion dollars, a rookie pay scale that shifts the savings back to their pockets and not deserving players who signed on the cheap and have played above their compensation level and my least favorite aspect, the 18-game regular season.

What’s disgusting is how the league has dressed the latter up as “something for the fans”. Are they serious?

If the owners wanted to be generous to those who fill the stadiums, buy their merchandise and pay $4 for a fifty-cent bottle of water, they could bring concession prices down. But that’ll happen when Al Davis gets awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (though they’ve given it to less deserving).

Their “favor” would generate additional television revenue off of week three and four preseason contests that go largely ignored. The 18-game season was a gambit intended to win the fans over to the owners’ side, though their self-interest in the matter is so blatant that there hasn’t been a tidal wave of “thank you” notes pouring into team headquarters from fans.

And what are the players asking for? The exact same deal that’s worked out so well for one and all for the past several years. And if things are not going so swell as the NFL claims, then full financial disclosure proving that this billion-dollar entertainment juggernaut is somehow just scrimping by.

I think only the folks at Arthur Andersen could produce books that say that, if you catch my drift.

The owners will probably win the standoff. First, they have more resources at their disposal from either their accrued wealth or from their other business endeavors.

By contrast, I would imagine quite a few players have lived beyond their means in the expectation that they will make more later. Or in the case of the extremely naïve, that they will actually see the full return on their incentive laden contracts.

Secondly, the owners can control the debate better than the players. They also have their own in-house spokesmen and media operation (the NFL Network). As there are only 32 owners, it’s easier for them to get on the same page while there are thousands of players out there who have had trouble reining in their tweets during football contests. To say nothing about their equally loose-lipped agents, who are also feeling the pinch.

Though times will be tight, I think the players can win this war of wills if they have discipline, curtail their personal spending and have everyone saying the same thing and nothing more, reminding the fans that unlike 1987, the players are not on strike but are being locked out by management.

Sports talk radio has simplified this dispute as a fight between billionaires and millionaires; I don’t think that’s fair since not all players see the big money. It’s about trusting but verifying and not surrendering ground just because the owners think this is a capital time to get a larger piece of the pie at the expense of shorter playing careers and defiling impressive statistical achievements by some of the games greats.

I often ask myself why I spend so much money annually to watch something in person when I could watch the same thing from the comfort of my home for free…and in the case of my nosebleed seats, with a better view as well.

There’s something about being there. When I pay my $70 or so per game ticket, I’m not just there witnessing, I’m participating. I’m making noise to disrupt an opposing offense’s huddle or contributing my fair share of racket to make the other team’s defensive line jump early. I go there to not only give energy but to immerse myself in it.

There’s an intangible I get from attending Saints games that can’t be described and it can’t be bottled. It can only be experienced.

As the owners begin sitting on our hard-earned money and obtusely dig in for a protracted hold out, they run the risk of hundreds of thousands of fans starting to ask themselves why they spend money there and not somewhere else. If you’re the NFL owners, that lucidity is no good, since they make billions off of our emotions.

Kill the season and you roll the dice on killing the magic.

Just like the MLB players did in the nineties.

I know baseball isn’t the NFL; but a long standoff might make people half the fans they used to be and it might be possible to measure that in dollars with enough financial data.

Is it wise to haggle over an extra billion on the front end if you end up losing billions on the back end?
We’re about to learn how stupid everyone is, owners, players and fans.

Letter from Roger Goodell to the Fans

2011-03-11T18:46:00.000-08:00

Below is an email that NFL Commissioner Roger Goddell has sent to NFL season ticket holders.

Dear NFL Fan,

When I wrote to you last on behalf of the NFL, we promised you that we would work tirelessly to find a collectively bargained solution to our differences with the players' union. Subsequent to that letter to you, we agreed that the fastest way to a fair agreement was for everyone to work together through a mediation process. For the last three weeks I have personally attended every session of mediation, which is a process our clubs sincerely believe in.

Unfortunately, I have to tell you that earlier today the players' union walked away from mediation and collective bargaining and has initiated litigation against the clubs. In an effort to get a fair agreement now, our clubs offered a deal today that was, among other things, designed to have no adverse financial impact on veteran players in the early years, and would have met the players’ financial demands in the latter years of the agreement.

The proposal we made included an offer to narrow the player compensation gap that existed in the negotiations by splitting the difference; guarantee a reallocation of savings from first-round rookies to veterans and retirees without negatively affecting compensation for rounds 2-7; no compensation reduction for veterans; implement new year-round health and safety rules; retain the current 16-4 season format for at least two years with any subsequent changes subject to the approval of the league and union; and establish a new legacy fund for retired players ($82 million contributed by the owners over the next two years).

It was a deal that offered compromise, and would have ensured the well-being of our players and guaranteed the long-term future for the fans of the great game we all love so much. It was a deal where everyone would prosper.

We remain committed to collective bargaining and the federal mediation process until an agreement is reached, and call on the union to return to negotiations immediately. NFL players, clubs, and fans want an agreement. The only place it can be reached is at the bargaining table.

While we are disappointed with the union's actions, we remain steadfastly committed to reaching an agreement that serves the best interest of NFL players, clubs and fans, and thank you for your continued support of our League. First and foremost it is your passion for the game that drives us all, and we will not lose sight of this as we continue to work for a deal that works for everyone.

Yours,

Roger Goodell

Saints Make Big Moves As Lock-Out Looms; Shockey Joins Panthers

2011-03-03T21:07:00.000-08:00

The New Orleans Saints had a busy few days, signing a new defensive tackle and inking two key components from the 2010 Super Bowl championship team to multi-year deals.

DT Shaun Rogers, an eleven year veteran, had been released by the Cleveland Browns and met with a few suitors before accepting a one-year deal with the Black and Gold. Though Rogers has 37.5 career sacks, his last two seasons have not been impressive, bagging only four sacks.

The Saints are gambling that a new scheme and environment will rekindle Rogers’s productivity.

Rogers reportedly passed up more money to come to New Orleans because of the Saints’ use of the 4-3 defensive alignment and the franchise’s prospects of success.

Rogers’s last two teams were the Detroit Lions and the Browns.

The Saints also moved to retain the services of two starters, signing running back Pierre Thomas and kicker Garrett Hartley to new contracts.

The Thomas signing was somewhat of a surprise for many observers due to his injury-plagued 2010 season and refusal to participate in the early part of last season’s training camp stemming from the team’s failure to offer him a long term deal to his liking.

Pending on the terms of the agreement the NFL owners reach with the players union, Thomas could have been either a restricted or unrestricted free agent in 2011.

Though less of a shock than Thomas’s deal, the Saints’ decision to hold on to Hartley is a strong vote of confidence in a kicker who had a frustrating 2010 season and at times rode the pine.

Thomas signed a four-year contract and Hartley signed a five-year contract.

The Thomas deal likely ends any chance of the Saints selecting Alabama running back Mark Ingram in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft.

The addition of Rogers brings a critical piece of the Saints’ defensive line. Defensive tackle was considered a position of need for the Saints going into the draft. With Rogers on the roster, the likelihood that the team will pick the best defensive end available in the first round has increased significantly.

Shockey Joins Cats

It looks like the Who Dat Nation has not seen the last of released tight end Jeremy Shockey, even if he will be sporting different colors the next time he trots out on the Superdome’s FieldTurf.

According to the Associated Press, the ex-Saint signed a one-year deal with the Carolina Panthers. As a division rival, the Saints face the Cats twice in the regular season, playing one game in the Superdome and one game in Charlotte.

Merci Beaucoup

2011-02-23T18:41:00.000-08:00

Unlike the Dallas Cowboys, the management of The Onside Kick (moi) has an automatic renewal clause for our domain name so there was no interruption of service when the anniversary of this site passed last week.

It’s been an interesting year for the Saints- actually every year is interesting for the Black and Gold though sometimes fitting the purported Chinese connotation of the word.

And while there was no “Two Dat” the past year has not been dull.

The seemingly never-ending celebration of Saints Super Bowl championship, the opening of Champions Square outside of the Louisiana Superdome, the 2010 draft class, the mowing down of our running back committee, the emergence of undrafted rookie Chris Ivory and the ignominy of being ejected from the postseason by the NFL’s first playoff team with a losing record are some of the stories that defined the season.

And then there were Willie Roaf’s near election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the release of tight end Jeremy Shockey.

If there was such a thing as a Who Dat force, Obe Wan Kenobi would have sensed tens of thousands of female Saints fans crying out in heartbreak after that bit of news was delivered.

Hell even Super Bowl Sunday was exciting for Saints fans, though not for good reason.

The Black and Gold faithful got a lesson in geography when the posh north Texas town of Westlake splashed into the news.

With the prospect/likelihood of an NFL lockout on the horizon, Saints fans might also learn something about antitrust law and collective bargaining before the first coin is tossed midfield…whenever that may be.

For those of you who have honored me with your visitation (and return reads), please accept my most sincere thanks.

Covering the Saints as a fan-journalist is a labor of love and I’d probably do it even if nobody clicked on the site. For me, it’s part reporting, part catharsis.

I’d also like to extend special thanks to www.TheDeadPelican.com, the New Orleans Saints organization and NFL draft guru Mike Detillier for their access and cooperation.

In the case of the latter, the most knowledgeable man on college football not employed by an SEC school is one of the best individuals in sports journalism and is a total class act.

Next week I’ll post an extensive interview I conducted with Mr. Detillier. Also there are a few other new angles I intend to include in my coverage. Stay tuned.

Once again, merci beaucoup.

No Shockey: Saints Cut Starting Tight End

2011-02-22T21:56:00.001-08:00

After the New Orleans Saints front office spent months pursuing a trade with the New York Giants in 2008 to land Jeremy Shockey and swapping 2nd and 5th round picks in the 2009 draft to finally close the deal, the organization released the emotionally charged tight end on Tuesday.

Shockey, one of the more popular players on the team though not known for being overly engaging with the fans on a one-on-one basis, had his ups and downs with the Saints.

In his first season with the Black and Gold, Shockey didn’t catch a single touchdown reception and fumbled the ball twice. However in the 2009 season, Shockey caught three touchdowns and had a touchdown reception in the Super Bowl. He also made three touchdown catches in the 2010 season.

Shockey never achieved the consistent level of production with the Saints that he enjoyed with the Giants, where in his rookie season had caught 74 passes for 894 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Shockey’s best season was in 2005 in his fourth season with the Giants, when he made 65 receptions for 891 yards and 7 touchdowns.

In comparison, Shockey’s most productive season with the Saints, during the team’s Super Bowl run, was below that of five of his six seasons with the G-men. Shockey was also hobbled with injuries throughout his three years with New Orleans.

When the Saints picked tight end and fellow “U” product Jimmy Graham in the third round of the 2010 NFL draft, Shockey’s spot on the roster in the longterm became less secure.

Between his time on the bench, the large salary he would command in 2011 and Graham’s big plays as a substitute for the oft-injured tight end, many speculated that Shockey’s days in a Saints uniform were numbered shortly after the team was eliminated in the playoffs.

Even with his questionable durability, Shockey brought a level of stability to the position of tight end, which had been a revolving door of starters in recent years.

When healthy, Shockey had good hands and got the check downs the Saints offense needed to keep drives alive and their defense off the field. He represented a potent offensive weapon that kept opposing defenses guessing, which played into the hands of quarterback Drew Brees when his offensive line provided him with good protection.

Oh did I mention he added intensity to the team?

Despite his contributions to the team, Shockey simply wasn’t worth $4,000,000+ for the 2011 season. Just business, Jeremy nothing personal.

To Shockey’s credit, he had kind parting words for the Who Dats that cheered him and sported his #88 jersey, tweeting “always will remember my time in New Orleans. What a city, you all welcomed me like one of your own, and we had a great run. Onto the next chapter, the Deep Unknown.”

Shockey’s last comment is applicable to both his new free agent status and an NFL season that is up in the air.

Benson, Loomis, Payton Issue Statements on Personal Real Estate Transaction

2011-02-08T14:00:00.000-08:00

SAINTS OWNER TOM BENSON
“Sean is our head coach. Like we do with everyone in our organization, we support them when they need to make tough personal decisions. Sean is making a decision in the best interest of his family and he needs our support and he will get it. What I do know is that Sean is completely focused on bringing our team back to a championship. We continue to move in that right direction and I look forward to 2011.”

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT/GENERAL MANAGER MICKEY LOOMIS
“Sean and I have discussed his decision to move his family to Dallas and like with any personal decision, it is important that he does what is best for his family. This is a personal family matter for Sean and his family and after discussing it with him, I support his decision. We spoke of numerous other coaches that have done the same thing successfully. I am confident that Sean will continue to be an excellent head coach for the Saints for many years to come and he remains steadfast to get our team back to the Super Bowl and bring the Lombardi Trophy back to New Orleans.”

HEAD COACH SEAN PAYTON
“When my wife and I relocated our family from Dallas, we had always dreamed of someday settling there. We feel that now is the best time to do this. It’s a decision that I’m sure many families have to confront, and I don’t know if there is any one right or wrong decision – just the best one you can make for your own family.”

From Home Team to Commuter Team: Payton Packs Up

2011-02-07T20:04:00.000-08:00

Attention respectable sports writers: please don’t hate the blogs.

Seriously.

We don’t have the same professional liability as you so we’re able to cavalierly jump the gun with the only risk being that of tarnishing our clever message board screen name.

But then again, we also don’t get paid beyond GoogleAdSense banner spots and do all our travel on our dime and not a company’s.

And for the record more than a few of us who post under our legal names try to be responsible in our postings.

And as my source observed where there’s smoke there’s fire, even if the flames are not where everyone thought they were.

Here’s a rundown on how I arrived at a tidbit of news that made Black and Gold heart rates across the metro area accelerate.

Unlike other sports message boards that went running full steam on speculation, my source wasn’t part of a stampede but arrived at this destination independently.

At about 2:32 PM on not-so Super Sunday, I received an e-mail from someone dropping a nickel on the Payton family exodus to Dallas.

Now something seemingly so outrageous typically leads one to check a calendar to verify that this news was not arriving in the vicinity of April 1st before posting. However, I had no reason to question the integrity of my source, who is related to someone familiar with the Payton family’s presence in Mandeveille.

Now this being secondhand hearsay, I was hesitant to post anything about it. However, I did see that Canal Street Chronicles, one of the best Saints oriented blogs, had something on it and personally knowing my source to be a reputable individual, so I ran with it prefaced with the word RUMOR. And I have no regrets.

I felt there was something to the story even if it all didn’t make sense.

After all, why would Sean Payton abandon head coaching duties in New Orleans, where he possesses a great deal of latitude, to go to Dallas as either a head coach, unlikely since the Cowboys had just awarded in January then-interim-head coach Jason Garrett a four year contract as the permanent head coach, or as general manager, the more probable job, where owner Jerry Jones can at times resemble mad King George III in his team management?

Well it turned out Payton’s move to Dallas had nothing to do with either intensely speculated reason.

The Saints organization, which amazingly exhibited surprise by the frenzy, have only themselves to blame for not anticipating how their franticly loyal fan base would react to even a hint of Payton potentially leaving New Orleans, for either residential or professional reasons.

The Saints fans finally have winners (for the first time) on their side of the field and they’re naturally jealous of anyone who would covet the talent, players or coaches.

So what of the move?

Word that escaped Airline Drive indicates that Payton intends to keep his residence on the northshore though his primary residence will be in the exclusive Vaquero Club (home of the Jonas Brothers) and that he will fly in from north Texas when necessary.

While calming the frayed nerves of Saints fans afraid that the coach was moving on to “greener” pastures, it does raise a few questions.

Is Payton’s departure to the Cowboys in some sort of capacity now a matter of when rather than if?

And secondly, what does it say about the Payton family’s attachment to New Orleans.

And for that matter Payton’s sincerity towards the Crescent City, considering he titled his autobiography Home Team.

The first point first. I think at some juncture in his career, Payton will rejoin the organization where he served as an assistant coach prior to assuming head coach duties with the Saints. This is my personal speculation here. We’ll see in a half-decade, plus or minus a year, whether this comes to pass.

The second point perhaps stings our collective psyche the most leaving the feeling that we’re just not good enough for them.

That’s the read I’ve picked up from fans who have taken the move as a personal affront.

Now perhaps I should deliver the following words from behind the protection of a chicken-wire fence but, so what?

If the Payton family wants to retire to Dallas after he hangs up his visor and clipboard, then that’s they’re choice. New Orleans isn’t for everyone.

And does anyone REALLY consider Mandeville New Orleans?

Nothing against Mandeville but Lake Pontchartrain and the once longest bridge in the world act as much of a buffer against the city’s problems as they do its soul.

Our feelings shouldn’t be hurt nor should we take this as a slight. They tried the gumbo and it’s just not for them.

If anything, I’m thrilled Beth Payton allowed her husband to invest in our community at a time when things were at the nadir.

This wasn’t simply taking a job but relocating his young family from one of the glitziest cities in America to K-ville. Trading the swanky Neiman Marcus North Park to the recently looted Saks Fifth Avenue.

Could you imagine standing in Payton’s sneakers having to make that sale to his Indiana wife? Payton provides a glimpse of it in his book under the chapter title “Move Where?”.

Imagine the honey-dos he had to sign off on to make that happen even if the Payton family have been richly rewarded for coming to New Orleans.

So if this is indeed a case of Beth Payton wanting out, no offense taken. I totally understand even if I am more of a Lafcadio Hearn mindset.

But what about that book, might you ask. You know HOME TEAM.

Well if you read the book, you’d know that the title had as much to do with the Saints securing the number one seed to own home field advantage in the playoffs after the debacle in Soldier Field during the NFC Championship than anything else.

I think Coach Payton loves the city and its people. However it’s apparent the relocation is a family decision. Some Saints fans might not respect him as a coach and figure in the Saints for it, but I respect him as a husband and a father for making what was going to be a tough public relations move.

So long as the Lombardi Trophy stays in the 504 area code and Payton keeps chewing his Juicy Fruit while sporting a fleur-de-lis, I think fans need to respect his decision and not discuss the matter any further now that Payton is just relocating and not defecting.

Rumor Alert Rebutted: Saints Claim Payton Stays

2011-02-06T18:55:00.000-08:00

The New Orleans Saints organization has refuted the rumor that head coach Sean Payton would leave the team to take a position with the Dallas Cowboys.

WWL radio has a story on their website with comments from organization officials about the rumor that spread across the internet during the opening minutes of the Super Bowl.

The story was fueled by sources in Mandeville who allegedly know the Payton family that claimed to have heard that they were poised to move to Dallas in early March.

It should be noted that this site and the Canal Street Chronicles, another Saints oriented blog, both prefaced stories about reported Payton's departure as a rumor.

Rumor Alert: Payton to Dallas?

2011-02-06T17:09:00.000-08:00

Word on the street is that Saints head coach Sean Payton might be leaving New Orleans for "greener" pastures.

A rumor of not significant credibility has emerged that the Payton family will be moving to Dallas in the next few weeks. Payton worked as an assistant coach with the Dallas Cowboys before accepting his first head coaching position with the Saints.

If true, this could be the reason why defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, a former head coach himself, has not actively pursued head coaching opportunities with franchises with vacancies.

Stay tuned.

Putting the "Foot" in the Pro Football Hall

2011-02-02T21:03:00.001-08:00

While tens of millions of Americans are huddled around ginormous plasma televisions on Super Bowl Sunday, I will be sitting in a mostly empty Roman Catholic Church fulfilling my weekly obligation.

The Super Bowl for this football fan isn’t very “super” if the New Orleans Saints aren’t playing. Beyond seeing the latest talent offered by the nation’s marketing minds, a Black and Goldless Super Bowl is a reenactment of the Hall of Fame game involving two teams I am indifferent towards.

The big excitement for me this weekend is when the inductees for the 2011 enshrinement class for the Pro Football Hall of Fame are announced on Saturday.

There’s no shortage of outstanding athletes being considered for gridiron immortality, though I will be rooting the most for longtime Saints tackle Willie Roaf.

Until linebacker Rickey Jackson was finally voted in last year, many Saints fans pegged Roaf to be the first “True Dat” to have his bust unveiled in Canton, Ohio. Hopefully Roaf will be the “Two Dat”.

Roaf, one of the best offensive lineman to play the game, is assured of election, either this year or in the future when there isn’t such a glut of talented players up for consideration.

However I would like to take this opportunity to beat the drum a bit for someone who isn’t a finalist for the hall but is certainly induction worthy, punter Ray Guy.

Guy was a semifinalist this year but missed out on the last cut.

Punters aren’t the stars of the game as they’re more likely to make a highlight reel by running down a punt returner than by excelling at their job.

Though punters don’t score points but they can determine an opponent’s field position through the distance, accuracy and hangtime of their kicks.

A good punter can neutralize a return threat by booting the ball out of bounds at the ideal hash mark or buy enough time for the coverage to force a fair catch.

I remember when Saints fans went apoplectic when the team drafted a punter in 2009, though that pick turned out to be a stroke of genius that paid dividends throughout the season especially in Super Bowl XLIV, though Tom Morstead’s critical play was not a punt. Still, “ambush” proved that not all big plays come in the form of immaculate receptions, broken tackle touchdown runs and pick-sixes.

Ray Guy was the first punter ever picked in the first round (23rd overall selection in the 1973 Draft). The Southern Miss product was an All-Pro for six straight seasons and played in seven Pro Bowls. The career Raider also has three more Super Bowl rings than Dan Marino.

I know, that’s not nice but then again neither is denying Guy his rightful place in the Pro Hall of Fame for all of these years.

Add to Guy’s resume the following: he never had a punt returned for a touchdown and hitting the video screen gondola that formerly hung from the center of the Louisiana Superdome during the 1976 Pro Bowl.

Guy’s feat of foot reemerged in the news last year when Tennessee Titans punter A.J. Trapasso hit the giant video screen suspended over the field during an exhibition game in new Cowboy Stadium.

Prior to the 2010 NFL season opener in New Orleans, I had the opportunity to chat with Hall of Fame running back Marcus Allen. I asked him about whether he thought his fellow Raider deserved enshrinement, which Allen answered in the affirmative.

During Saints training camp I asked Morstead the same question. He also concurred.

There isn’t a single pure punter in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. There are only three placekickers.

It seems that the hall voters keep forgetting the first four letters of the game’s name, which is disrespectful to the position and the athletes who play it. One wonders if a mascot will make it into the hall before a punter does.

While punters and kickers don’t “look” like football players, they do win games.

Ray Guy deserves this long overdue honor as does the position he played better than anyone else.

So good luck Willie on Saturday and better luck for Ray in 2012.

I'll even say a prayer to Saint Jude's intercession on Super Sunday.

Saints 2010 Review/2011 Preview

2011-01-11T22:11:00.000-08:00

Is it all Garrett Hartley’s fault?

I know, it doesn’t seem fair to pin everything on the jersey of a single player when so many members of the New Orleans Saints team contributed to an embarrassment of an ending. Maybe it’s not, but there is one fact that is indisputable: had the kicker connected on his field goal attempt against Atlanta in the third game of the season, things would have played out very differently for the Black and Gold.

For example, the Atlanta Falcons secured the NFC South title and first seed in the NFC playoffs with a 13-3 record. The Saints had to settle for a wild card slot with their 11-5 record.

However had Hartley made what should have been an easy field goal, the NFC South, the first seed in the playoffs, homefield advantage and first round bye would have been decided in the Georgia Dome the Monday after Christmas. With both teams finishing the season 12-4, the Saints would have possessed the head-to-head tie-breaker over the Falcons.

Beyond having the NFC playoffs once again run through the Superdome and avoiding a flight across the country to play the Seahawks in the loudest stadium in the NFL, there would have been one other considerable benefit for winning the division in Week 16: the Saints could have rested their starters in Week 17.

The game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was far more costly than just adding another notch in the Saints’ loss column as the Black and Gold lost three key players (free safety Malcolm Jenkins, tight end Jimmy Graham and running back Chris Ivory) before halftime.

With homefield, a healthier team and a first round bye, it’s likely the playoffs would have played out far differently for the Saints. I’m not saying they would have won the Super Bowl; just that they would have gotten closer to it.

To Hartley’s credit he played well towards the end of the season and the loss to the Falcons in week could have been made up had the Saints defeated the underdog Arizona Cardinals on the road and the Cleveland Browns at home. Those losses were team efforts.

The sour note the Saints ended their drive for a “Repeat Dat” will light a fire under the entire organization, from the front office to the coaching staff to the players.

If “finishing strong” was the mantra of the 2009 team, then “starting angry” might just be mentality of the 2011 Saints.

The New Orleans Saints team that traveled to Seattle for the wild card playoff game reminded me of the Black and Gold squad that went to Minneapolis ten years and two days ago.

While that team was coached by Jim Haslett and led on the field by quarterback Aaron Brooks, individuals vastly different from their opposite numbers, there was a big similarity between the teams: both were severely hampered by injuries to their ground game.

The 2000 Saints lost theirs when running back Ricky Williams went down in the Carolina Panthers game in week 11. Williams was the Saints’ entire ground offense and didn’t return to the field until the divisional (second) round against the Minnesota Vikings- and then Mike Ditka’s most infamous draft pick carried the ball only 6 times for a grand whopping 14 yards. The Saints only had 69 rushing yards in the 34-16 defeat.

Looking back, it was an omen of things to come when bruiser Lynell Hamilton went down in practice before the Saints’ first pre-season game. By the time the playoffs rolled around, the Saints had lost five running backs, not including Reggie Bush who spent most of the season healing a broken leg suffered in week two. During the playoff game against the Seahawks, Bush and Julius Jones went down.

Though Seahawks fans might be stoked at the thought of their 7-9 team eliminating the defending world champions from the post-season, in actuality they beat a team that was being held together with duct-tape and bubble gum.

While the 2010 season disappointed most of the Black and Gold faithful (I wasn’t- I picked Atlanta to win the division and the Saints to not go far as a wild card) by not achieving the much hoped for “Two Dat”, the year was hardly a total failure.

They beat the Minnesota Vikings to start the season off on the right foot, back when defeating them meant something, and managed to achieve a tough win over the Pittsburgh Steelers and Ben Roethlisberger in a nationally televised Halloween night game that also set a Guinness World Record for a costume party (giving New Orleans positive publicity).

Both of those games were won thanks to stellar play by the defense, which found a new way to beat opponents without forcing turnovers.

Finally, the Saints did make it to the post-season and had the second-best record in the NFC; unfortunately the team with the best record was in the same division, not that was particularly new for the Saints after being trapped with the San Francisco Forty-Niners in the NFC West for three decades.

2010 also marked the first time since the Jim Mora era that the Saints made the playoffs in consecutive seasons. Remember when just making it to post-season was a big deal?

On the other hand, the Saints did not acquit themselves well in other contests against lesser teams, even in victory.

Could a Super Bowl hangover legitimately be attributed to the flat performances?

Did the Saints suffer, as a friend of mine from Seattle speculated back in July, from the Rocky III mentality of getting blinded by the klieg lights and pummeled by the league’s lesser “Clubber Langs”?

Also was Drew Brees playing with a hurt knee, as fullback Heath Evans speculated to the Boston Globe? Head coach Sean Payton dismissed that his star suffered a significant injury, though the way Brees has thrown the ball in 2010 indicates something was off as his passes didn’t look as crisp.

I would imagine the rest of the story will make its way out to the public in the coming weeks.

Not to be a pessimist, but 2010 probably marked the Saints’ best opportunity to win a second Lombardi Trophy.

With the core of the team still together and in certain instances upgraded, the 2010 Saints on paper looked to have been superior to the roster that won the Super Bowl. The Saints dropped defensive end Charles Grant and picked up free agents Jimmy Wilkerson and Alex Brown and attempted to upgrade the linebacker corps by letting Scott Fujita chase riches in Cleveland and adding Clint Ingram.

The former worked out better than the latter.

Brown and Wilkerson were hits though Ingram, who didn’t play a single snap, never fully recovered from an injury suffered from the previous season. Further complicating matters was that Jonathan Cassillas, who was pegged to start as the weakside linebacker, was placed on injured reserve after getting hurt in the team’s final pre-season game.

The Saints benefited from a number of key players being retained on the roster as restricted free agents due to the uncapped year as the front office was able to hold on to the likes of Pierre Thomas, Lance Moore, Anthony Hargrove and Roman Harper via relatively modest one-year contracts.

In the event there isn’t a lockout, the cleat will be on the other foot come free-agency as the RFAs will become UFAs free to market their talents to the highest bidder.

And speaking of money, comes the biggest question mark: will the Saints pay Reggie?

I say this is the biggest not necessarily because of Bush’s value to the team but the amount of money he has commanded and will be owed if the Saints organization honors his contract as is.

Last season I went on a limb and predicted Bush would be gone; I underestimated the front office’s willingness to pay number Twenty-Five a truckload of money.

In 2011, I feel a lot more confident projecting that one of two things will happen: a new deal will be worked out between the Saints and Bush or Reggie will be wearing a different jersey.

Assuming a new cap is put in with a new labor agreement, Bush’s fifth year under his contract becomes not only extremely expensive but also comes with a severe opportunity cost, consuming salary space that’s going to be needed to better compensate those players the Saints would like to keep and to compete for the services of other free agents.

Bush knows that there’s not a team in the NFL willing to shell out $11,000,000+ in 2011, so he’ll either be inking a new deal with the Saints or will be cut. The celebrithete claims he would like to stay in New Orleans and is happy with the team and head coach Sean Payton obviously is a big fan. We’ll see what kind of paycut Mickey Loomis is going to offer and what Bush will accept.

And then there’s defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who has been rumored to be a head coach candidate in Denver. Williams wasn’t in New Orleans a year before speculation began about his departure for somewhere else in large part due to the changes he brought to the Saints defense. With so many vacancies out there, the defense’s poor performance in Seattle is unlikely to hinder Williams’s ability to land a head coach gig…if he wants to leave.

With so many contracts coming up, next season’s New Orleans Saints will most likely look very different from the squad that took the fieldturf in the past two seasons.

A few years ago a Buccaneers fan told me that one of the worst things to happen to then Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden was winning the Super Bowl. I was floored by such logic.

How could winning the Super Bowl EVER be a bad thing? (Unless of course you’re a Cleveland Browns fans watching the Baltimore Ravens win one in 2001).

The Buc booster said that it raised expectations to a point that Gruden’s teams did not meet.

I thought about what I had heard but could not wrap my mind around it. Though the Saints had some outstanding squads take the field over the years and were only a game away in January 2007, the very thought of the Saints winning the Super Bowl seemed hard to conceive; that local fans would come to despise the head coach that delivered to the Crescent City a Lombardi Trophy even less so.
Though Payton has made play calls that have infuriated the fans on occasions (damned Devery double reverses) and I will nit-pick on decisions that simply make no sense (short kicks in the Seattle game and letting Hartley handle kickoffs over punter Tommy Morstead), I’ll always be grateful for the 2009 season.

Always.

The 2010 season could have always been better, though anything short of a run that equals that of the 1972 Miami Dolphins won’t have the magic or meaning of the 2009 season.

Time and defeat will eventually erode the goodwill and love Payton and Brees have been showered by the community in the heady days after the Super Bowl win. If kids can angrily declare they hate their parents in a fit of range then inebriated Saints fans can do (have done) the same about the victors of Super Bowl XLIV.

As I write this in early 2010, I wonder when in the future I’ll refer back to this column when Payton inevitably digs himself a hole not even his vivid imagination can find a way out of or when Brees starts to play like Dave Wilson towards the end of his career.

“Payton’s nuts and has to go”, “Brees needs to realize his time is up” and “We’re over paying him” will be the catcalls, perhaps prefaced with a smattering of kind words for past services rendered.

With distance, some might even dope themselves into believing that a Saints Super Bowl win was as “inevitable” as the collapse of the Soviet Union.

It’s not a question of if but when. Granted it won’t be anytime soon, but as I noted in a previous write-up, even Tom Landry received walking papers.

A few months ago, Aaron Brooks made a visit to Metairie for wide receiver Joe Horn’s induction in the Saints Hall of Fame. Brooks, who was reviled by practically all Saints fans by the time the 2005 season spiraled to a close, didn’t look comfortable and acting a bit like he was trying to hide from people while attending the function. As I walked into the ballroom for the luncheon, I shook hands with Brooks and thanked him for helping win the Saints’ first ever playoff game in 2000.

I wasn’t just being polite. I meant it.

Only the Super Bowl win was greater in my mind than the December 30, 2000 contest against the Saint Louis Rams. And Brooks was the star of the show throwing four touchdowns on that day.

But like the rest of the Saints fans in Saint Bernard, I was doing a happy dance inside a gutted house with a blue tarp on the roof when word came that his time with the team had ended in 2005. Fame and success are both fleeting.

Maybe the team basked too long in the shadow of Super Bowl XLIV.

That’s understandable.

Saints fans will be basking in that triumph for decades to come.

Rather than slamming the Saints for the disappointing 2010 season, I’ll close this column by saying “thanks again for 2009”.

Wild Card Review: Dat's Over

2011-01-09T22:37:00.000-08:00

Another loss to feathered fiends.

The defending world champion New Orleans Saints concluded their drive for a "Two Dat" losing to the NFL's first division winner with a losing regular season record, despite the visiting Black and Gold being a heavy favorite.

The game in a lot of ways was a microcosm of the entire season: injuries, a battered running game and poor play by the offensive line. The only thing that was different was an atrocious performance by the Saints defense, which generally bailed out the team's struggling offense during the season and was expected to be the difference maker.

Seattle's 41 points represented the most the Saints' defense surrendered all season and the most the Seahawks' 23rd ranked offense scored all season long.

The loss marks for the Saints their fourth straight conference road playoff game, having never won one.

Give the Seahawks and their "12th Man" (the rowdy loud louts in the stands) credit for retrofitting what had been up until Seattle won had been an ignominious entry into the post-season.

Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck once again had a big day against the Saints' defense, but on this occasion in a successful effort. Hasselbeck completed 22 of 35 passing attempts for 272 yards, including several key indefensible passes perfectly in front of his receivers, for four touchdowns and a pick.

And just when it looked like the Saints were rallying, running back Marshawn Lynch earned his place in not only this week's highlight reel but perhaps an ESPY for his “back and tackle” breaking 67-yard touchdown run that extinguished the Saints' hopes of retaking the lead.

I suspect some of those "broken tackles" were rooted in the defense’s attempts to knock the ball out Lynch's hands once he had picked up the first down, though tackling wasn't just a problem on Lynch's big run but throughout the game.

Strong safety Roman Harper had what might have been the worst game of his career, being burned by the Seattle passing game for big plays, especially a possum play by Seattle’s tight end. Cornerback Jabari Greer joined Harper on having an uncharacteristically awful day. As for 2010 first round draft Patrick Robinson, Saturday was more the rule than the exception as the young cornerback continued to struggle to make a substantial contribution to the team and justify the substantial investment by the Saints’ front office thus far.

Drew Brees's "bodyguards" failed to protect the number Nine and didn't buy him the time he needed to keep the offense, which was once against riding disproportionately on his shoulders, on the field. The targets of his passes didn’t help Brees either, as there were a few dropped balls, including what would have been a certain touchdown catch by running back Reggie Bush.

Wild Card Preview: Will the NFC South’s Second Best Beat the NFC Worst’s Best?

2011-01-06T23:06:00.000-08:00

A year ago, the Black and Gold faithful were blue going into the divisional playoff game because the team lost their last three regular season games.

In 2011, the Saints themselves are black and blue going into the post-season’s first round after three starters were hurt in the regular season finale.

Unlike last season when they stormed into the second round of the playoffs as the conference’s top team with juggernaut offense and a ball-hawk secondary, the New Orleans Saints hobble into Seattle in 2011 as a competitive squad with a severely imbalanced offense and a defense that has shut down opponents through resilience instead of making highlight reel takeaways.

In terms of personnel, this season’s squad is practically the exact same team that won the Super Bowl but has played, in part due to necessity, a totally different style.

On paper, the Saints are a vastly superior team to the Seattle Seahawks, who have been derisively treated like the Rodney Dangerfield of playoff teams that somehow bumbled into a homefield game.

The Saints’ offense is 6th (372.5) in the NFL in total yards and 11th (24) in points scored per game. The Seahawks’ offense isn’t in the same league, 28th (297.8) in total yards and 23rd (19.4) in points scored per game.

The gulf between the teams is worse on the defensive side of the ball.

The New Orleans defense, arguably the strongpoint of the team in the 2010 season, ranks 4th (306.2) in yards allowed and 7th (19.2) points allowed per game. In contrast, Seattle’s “d” gets an “f”: 27th (368.6) in yards allowed and 25th (25.4) in points allowed.

The Saints should be able to do to the Seahawks in this playoff game what they did to the Arizona Cardinals in last season’s.

But then again a far less talented Cardinals squad than the one that played in the Superdome last January embarrassed the Saints in the 2010 regular season. The game doesn’t always play out the way it looks on paper.

The good news for the Saints is that many of their missing hands will be back. In his post-practice press conference, Saints head coach Sean Payton shared with the media that wide receiver Marques Colston and tight ends Jeremy Shockey and David Thomas were full. Though the Saints’ receiving corps is well-stocked, the tough to guard Colston has been quarterback Drew Brees’s favorite target since 2006.

Also with third-round draft pick Jimmy Graham not practicing after being injured against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, the return of the recuperating first and second string tight ends is a good sign and provides Brees with a plethora of options to spread the pigskin around.

The bad news for the Saints is that starting free safety Malcolm Jenkins, who injured a knee in the first quarter against Tampa Bay, did not practice, nor did linebacker Danny Clark, who’s having hamstring issues.

Perhaps the biggest problem for the Saints has been at running back. The Saints have not established much of a ground game this season, mostly due to injuries that have resulted in five running backs being knocked out for the season, including the two most recent additions to the injured reserve list- Chris Ivory and Pierre Thomas.

To supplement the depleted backfield, the Saints have re-signed DeShawn Wynn, who had been on the team earlier as a special teams player, and inked a running back with the last name Bell from the Philadelphia Eagles’ practice squad…but not the one most fans had hoped.

Joique Bell, a Division II star, has bounced around the NFL in 2010 with the Saints becoming his fourth employer after originally being signed as an undrafted free agent by the Buffalo Bills.

Though he has been on the active roster of the Eagles and Indianapolis Colts, Bell did not carry the ball once in the regular season. The Wayne State product played in four pre-season games, rushing for 152 yards on 27 carries (5.6 yards average) with two touchdowns. He did not fumble a single time.

Though behind running backs Reggie Bush and Julius Jones on the depth chart, it’s likely that Bell will see the field in some capacity, especially since Payton is wary about “overplaying” number twenty-five.

With the Saints running game largely grounded and the Seahawks’ defensive being particularly vulnerable to pass (27th in the league, giving up 249.6 yards per game), fans should expect an aerial circus from Brees & Co.

And with the limelight on him as the lead running back in a nationally televised game against the man who coached him at the institution of higher learning the NCAA forbids me from associating with him, Bush could put on the same show he pulled off against the Cardinals in the divisional playoff game.

Ideally, the Saints should put the Seahawks away quickly in order for Bell to get in some live-fire. I don’t know who you are Mr. Bell, but you’re about to get the audition of a lifetime on Saturday afternoon.

The earlier humiliation in the desert is proof that an upset can happen. Qwest Field is one of the toughest venues in the league because it’s one of the loudest, despite being an open-air stadium.

And while it’s unlikely even the most fervent blue and gray painted fan has booked a flight to north Texas in February, the Seahawks are playing for respect and to give some dignity to the 2010 NFC West Champions banner that will hang from the rafters of their stadium. Beating the defending World Champions when it matters most would certainly take some of the stench away from Seattle’s “dis-STINK-tion” as a 7-9 playoff team.

The Seattle offense is unimpressive so much so that their running game is actually worse than the Saints. Head coach Pete Carroll announced on Thursday that Matt Hasselbeck, who sat out the season finale against the Saint Louis Rams, will start on Saturday in lieu of Charlie Whitehurst, who guided the team to the division championship.

Hasselbeck has not been magical, completing about 60% of his passes while throwing five more interceptions (17) than touchdowns (12). However, Hassebeck did have a good game statistically in a losing effort against the Saints in November, completing 32 of 44 passes for 366 yards and a touchdown.

The Seahawks’ defense is just as unlikely to pick off a quarterback as the Saints’ secondary (which ranks LAST!) and their front seven are about average in sacks but since the Saints’ offense is almost certainly going to be very pass heavy, the prospects for interceptions increase.

A pick-six or two by the Seahawks would fire up the crowd producing an environment conducive for mistakes by the Saints offensive line.

Another threat to the Saints is kick returner Leon Washington; if all possible, punter Tommy Morstead needs to boom as many of his kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks.

Turnovers and good field position courtesy of Washington are the foundation of a Seahawks upset while the Saints need only minimize mistakes and hope that the offensive line buys Brees enough time to spread the ball around to pick up the win.

In a match-up between two teams that both over-rely on passing, the Saints have a major advantage.

While a Two-Dat is very much in doubt; a “one-and-done” is equally unlikely.

What Says Vegas?

USA Today oddsmaker Danny Sheridan chalks the Saints as a 10-point favorite. When the Saints last played the Seahawks, New Orleans won 34-19…IN the Superdome. Since then, Seattle has lost by double-digits to Kansas City, San Francisco, Atlanta and Tampa Bay.

Normally I get a bit squeamish about dishing so many slices of cheese, especially on the road, but I think the Seahawks are going to play every bit like team that won its division with a losing record.
Give the points.

Does a 7-9 Team Deserve to Host a Playoff Game?

2011-01-05T23:05:00.000-08:00

Gridiron fans angrily speculated about the prospect of a 7-9 team not only making the playoffs but also hosting a post-season game. And then it happened when the Seattle Seahawks, benefiting from tie-breakers, won the NFC West with a losing record.

For Saints fans, this bit of sanctimonious outrage is new; it’s not for Indianapolis Colts fans, whose 12-4 team in 2008 had to travel to southern California to play the 8-8 San Diego Chargers. The Colts were even further annoyed when the obviously inferior Chargers had the temerity to ruin Peyton Manning’s season by winning in overtime 23-17.

The debate about whether Seattle belongs in the post-season or hosting a playoff game begs the question: do divisions matter? I say yes.

The NFL divisions have been shaped by a combination of tradition, geography and expedience. After all, the Cincinnati Bengals have to be placed somewhere.

Longstanding rivalries have defined some of the divisions, thus defying the divisional names.

As a grade schooler who could read a map, I thought it was odd that the New Orleans Saints were in the NFC West while the Dallas Cowboys were in the NFC East. Yet who would let geography (which is also one of Americans’ worst subjects anyway) diminish the rivalry between the Redskins and the Cowboys?

Currently, the Indianapolis (nee Baltimore) Colts are in the AFC South while the Baltimore Ravens (nee Cleveland Browns) are in the AFC North despite the fact that Maryland provides the southern border of the Mason-Dixon line and Indiana is very much a northern state. In fact there’s a large monument in downtown Indianapolis putting one and all on notice to which side they favored in the War Between the States.

It should also be noted that Cincinnati is well south of Indianapolis but resides in the AFC North.

That said, I would prefer locationally fudged division names to having divisions haughtily dubbed “legends” and “leaders”. Only a fool would do something like that.

So if divisions do matter, then should winning the division be worth something? Absolutely. And the prize is hosting at least one playoff game.

The divisions nurture rivalries by guaranteeing two games against the other teams in the division. Don’t tell me that the intensity isn’t higher for the Chicago Bears when they play the Green Bay Packers as opposed to when the Monsters of the Midway face the Arizona Cardinals.

The wild card playoff slots serve as a counter-balance to disparity of divisional strength (which is common with college football’s conferences) as it is entirely possible that the best two teams in the AFC might very well occupy the same division.

One proposal would seed teams in each conference by record instead of division standing, though I believe this would add an unneeded degree of complexity while also undermining the status of winning the divisions, which would consequently take a bite out of the league’s merchandising sales.

How many Saints fans own a t-shirt and hat from each the team’s division, conference and championship milestones? I would wager plenty since I had trouble finding an NFC South t-shirt after the Super Bowl.

Another alternative to the status quo is the pre-1969 Major League Baseball system where there were no divisions and the teams with the best record in each league simply met in the World Series. But that’s not as much fun nor is it nearly as profitable.

More has been made out of Seattle’s playoff appearance than necessary. The fact that this the first time an NFL team with a losing record won its only proves that the system works far more often than not.

So why the outrage?

Furthermore, Seattle accomplished a mighty feat that the defending Super Bowl Champions could not: they beat the awful Arizona Cardinals. Twice.

Rather than grumbling about how the Black and Gold has to make the long journey to Seattle, Saints fans should be thrilled to be playing such a weak team. I’d much prefer the Saints take an extended road trip to the Pacific Northwest than a shorter run to the City of Brotherly Shove.

If anything that was a big incentive for the Saints to play their best against Atlanta in the regular season’s penultimate game. The division wasn’t so much on the line realistically as the opportunity to face the weakest division winner. The Saints achieved their goal and will reap their reward on Saturday afternoon while the Green Bay Packers visit the House That Booed Santa Claus.

And if the Saints do drop the game to the Seahawks, then it would be as much of a reflection on our post-season worthiness as the home team’s.

Week Seventeen Review: Saints Walk the Plank into Postseason

2011-01-03T07:51:00.000-08:00

In the end, the game was officially meaningless.

The Atlanta Falcons sent John Fox out feet first as the Carolina Panthers’ head coach as the Dirty Birds won the NFC South on their own while the Green Bay Packers stifled the visiting Chicago Bears en route to securing the bottom wild card spot (sixth seed) in the NFC playoffs.

Had the Saints won on Sunday, it would not have affected their seeding, though the game will most certainly affect their capacity to compete in the post-season.

Starting free safety Malcolm Jenkins, running back Chris Ivory and tight end Jimmy Graham all left the game with injuries.

None of these players are easily replaceable. Jenkins took over the role of starter from the aging future Pro Football Hall of Famer Darren Sharper and has been referred to by the coaching staff as the best defensive player on the team. Though his path to the gridiron came at the expense of severe injuries to the four running backs penciled ahead of him in training camp, Ivory’s hard running style can’t be replicated by anyone else on the roster.

And the 2010 third round draft selection likewise found himself advanced quickly through the ranks due to injuries to first and second slotted players, but with his good hands and towering height, Graham has emerged as a favorite target for quarterback Drew Brees as of late. The Saints are running out of players for that position.

The stats from this game really don’t matter much. Well Brees’s matter to the record books as number nine continues to move the chains of his statistical legacy with the Saints franchise. What matters most is the injury report coming out of the regular season finale that had as much value as an exhibition game.

Like the inexplicable loss to the Arizona Cardinals in the first half of the season, the Saints seemed to be in control but then got sloppy as the mistakes compounded themselves and narrowed the team’s ability to slip out with a win.

The game changed on a Julius Jones fumble at the Buccaneer four yard line that was recovered by the Tampa Bay defense. Twelve plays, including a tipped ball that was caught by wide receiver Maurice Stovall for 38 yards, combined with a bone headed offsides penalty on cornerback Tracy Porter that converted a Buccaneer field goal into a first down, resulted in a touchdown pass from quarterback Josh Freeman to wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe.

Sure the officiating was awful as certain penalties were committed against the Saints that were not called, but that’s no excuse for the defending world champions to have dropped a game in their own stadium to a team loaded with rookies.

Brees was picked off for the 22nd time this season, the most in his professional career and was sacked three times, for a total of 25 in the 2010 regular season, the most while playing for the Saints. Brees also fumbled the ball on one hit.

It’s not a coincidence that the Saints lost every game this season when Brees was sacked three times.

The Saints’ offensive line, which received an award last season, isn’t earning their considerable pay in 2010. They’re not opening holes for running backs nor are they giving Brees the protection he needs to get the ball down the field.

In contrast the defense performed well, sacking Freeman three times and largely containing running back LeGarrette Blount, limiting the hurdling rhinoceros to 66 yards on the ground, Blount’s lowest rushing game since week 12 in Baltimore. It should be noted that Blount broke the 1000 rushing yard mark on Sunday despite having seen either limited or no playing time in the first five games of the season.

Even the Buccaneers’ two best receivers, wide-out Mike Williams and tight end Kellen Winslow didn’t have that great of a day.

Once again, errors and subpar play by the offense decided the Saints’ fate.

Though Payton should have benched his starters no later than halftime, the injuries to Jenkins, Ivory and Graham all happened at the earlier portion of the game.

Whether any of the Saints’ key starters should have taken the field at all since a Carolina upset of Atlanta was highly unlikely is another matter altogether.

Going into the playoffs, Marques Colston’s knee isn’t the only thing that needs to be cleaned up.

Welcome to the Field Mr. Arrington

Wide receiver Adrian Arrington, who had been on and off the Saints roster and practice squad since being drafted in the seventh round in 2008, got his first playing time in a regular season contest and made the most of it. The lanky Michigan standout led the Saints in catches (7) and receiving yards (79) including a long of 17 yards.

It was revealed prior to the game that Arrington had received active roster offers from other teams though the wide receiver declined to leave the team’s practice squad, perhaps an indication that the coaching staff has big plans for him in 2011.

Back-up quarterback Chase Daniel threw his first NFL passes, completing two of three for 16 yards.

The Long Road to the Two Dat

With the Seattle Seahawks defeating the Saint Louis Rams on Sunday night at Qwest Field, the 7-9 NFC West champions will host the Saints in the first round of NFL playoffs. It was announced before the NFC West showdown that the match-up between the NFC’s 4th and 5th seeded teams would be on Saturday afternoon, 3:30 PM local time. Bear in mind for those thinking about flying to the game that’s 1:30 PM Seattle time.

Tickets to the game are available on ticketmaster.com and other secondary ticket sites.

The Franchise Player’s All-Time Franchise Stats

Brees had his worst game of the 2010 season but still grew his all-time franchise records a bit. Brees now has 2,020 completions, 22,918 passing yards and 155 touchdown passes in a Black and Gold uniform.

Week Seventeen Preview: Playoff-bound Saints Host Bucs, Pray for Panthers

2010-12-31T08:38:00.000-08:00

When the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers last met during week six in Raymond James Stadium, the results were not pretty for the home team with the visiting Saints winning 31-6. New Orleans dominated the Buccaneers on both sides of the ball, with the Black and Gold defense limiting the Bucs offense to a single score- and that was in the fourth quarter.

The Saints’ offense was as prolific as the score implies. Quarterback Drew Brees completed 21 of 32 passes to ten players for 263 yards and three touchdowns and was picked off once.

Most notably, undrafted rookie free agent Chris Ivory had a huge day, rushing for 158 yards on 15 carries and had a 17-yard reception.

Last year, the Saints also beat down the Bucs in Tampa by a 38-7 margin. However, it was a different story when the Buccaneers came to the Superdome in week 16. Tampa Bay’s record was 2-12 and appeared to be a mere speed bump for the Saints en route to securing the first seed in the NFC playoffs, yet Tampa Bay slipped past the NFC South division champions with an overtime win.

Tampa Bay is still in the hunt for a trip to the post-season, surprising most football observers with their strong record (courtesy of sweeping the weak NFC West, a pedestrian task the Saints could not perform) and will arguably be hungrier than the Saints.

The Buccaneer offense has played well with the emergence of young talent including 2009 first round draft pick quarterback Josh Freeman, 2010 fourth round draft pick wide receiver Mike Williams and undrafted rookie running back LeGarrette Blount.

Freeman has had an impressive sophomore season, passing for 3,196 yards, 23 touchdowns and only 6 interceptions. Freeman has also rushed for 353 yards. Tight end Kellen Winslow, in his seventh year, has had a strong season with 63 receptions for 702 yards and 5 touchdowns.

The Buccaneers’ offense ranks 20th in points per game (21.2), 18th in total yards per game (336.3) with an average of 208.5 yards in the air (21st in the NFL) and 127.8 yards on the ground (7th in the NFL), with Blount accounting for a plurality of the Buccaneers’ rushing yards.

The Tampa Bay defense has been relatively stout, ranking 12th in points allowed per game (20.3) and 15th in total yards allowed per game (334.5). The Buccaneer defense has been stronger against the pass than the run, ranking 6th in the former (201.1 ypg) but a lowly 28th (133.4 ypg) in the latter.

One major blow to the Buccaneer secondary was when cornerback Aqib Talib, who had 6 interceptions in 2010, was injured in the Atlanta game and was placed on injured reserve. The Buccaneers are tied for seventh in the league in picks with 18.

The Saints’ offense has been pass heavy with Brees’s arm and his receiving corps’ hands and legs accounting for 75% of the offense. The Saints’ offense ranks 10th in scoring average (24.7) and 6th in yards per game (377). The Saints are 2nd in the NFL in passing yards (282.8) per game and 27th in rushing yards (94.2) per game. Ivory, the Saints’ top running back, hasn’t played since straining his hamstring during the Saint Louis Rams game in week 14 but practiced “full” on Thursday so he will likely see some playing time on Sunday.

One key Saint nursing an injury is Brees’s favorite target, Marques Colston. The tall wide-out hurt his knee against the Falcons and received a scope on Tuesday. Though Saints head coach Sean Payton didn’t rule him out for the Tampa Bay game, it’s unlikely Colston will play with the playoffs around the corner.

Kick return specialist Courtney Roby, who had suffered a concussion against the Seattle Seahawks, was placed on injured reserve, ending his season. Roby, who is also slated as a wide receiver but rarely used in that capacity, was replaced on the roster by wide receiver Adrian Arrington, who has spent most of 2010 on the team’s practice squad. Payton conceded that the former Michigan star was brought up due in part to Colston’s injury.

The Saints’ defense has allowed the 6th fewest points per game (18.9), 5th in yards allowed per game (305.5), 2nd in passing yards allowed per game (191.3) and 18th against the run (114.2). Despite the improved defense in terms of yards given up, the Saints are not the ballhawks they were last season, thus far ranking 30th in interceptions with nine.

The Saints’ defense must contend with an opposing quarterback who can pick up yards with his feet and arm and a running back who has been averaging 5.2 yards per carry and ran for 164 yards last week against Seattle.

Brees should be able to exploit Talib’s absence and though Colston will see limited if any action, the Saints quarterback is known for spreading the ball around. Expect wide receiver Lance Moore, number Nine’s second favorite target, to have an expanded role.

The Other Games That Matter

The Saints’ playoff path will be impacted by two other games. If the Atlanta Falcons lose to the visiting Carolina Panthers and the Saints beat the Buccaneers, then the Black and Gold would win the NFC South and clinch the first seed in the conference playoffs. However if either the Saints lose or the Falcons win, then New Orleans would retain their status as the fifth (top) seed wild card team traveling to the winner of the Seattle Seahawks-Saint Louis Rams contest.

And the Bookies’ Picks?

USA Today oddsmaker Danny Sheridan chalks the Saints as an 8-point favorite and the Falcons as a 14.5-point favorite over the Panthers. With the Buccaneers playing for a shot at the post-season and the Panthers looking to send coach John Fox out of Carolina with a win, I’d take the points in both games, though both New Orleans, especially with their full complement of running backs active, and Atlanta will likely win their games outright.

Visiting Saint Louis is currently a 2.5 favorite over Seattle and starting quarterback Charlie Whitehurst.

Memo to Carolina Panthers Coach John Fox

2010-12-29T22:35:00.001-08:00

Attention John Fox.

As your career with the Carolina Panthers comes to an end, you have much to be proud of.

Sure your team currently stands at 2-13 and will finish with the second-worst record in franchise history, but conditions were beyond the control of even the most gifted head coach. The expectations for the 2010 season were low after losing the longtime anchors of your offense (Jake Delhomme) and defense (Julius Peppers) to free agency.

Short of pulling a rabbit out of his headset, your days in Carolina were numbered before the Panthers kicked off their first game, as the quality of your team decreased in a division with the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints and a strong Atlanta Falcons club that was a much better team than their 2009 record indicated.

But you did enjoy success as coach of the Panthers, the high-water mark coaching the Panthers’ in Super Bowl XXXVIII. It should be noted that the expansion Panthers played their first season in 1995 and that you inherited a 1-15 club from George Seifert two years before.

Even the great Tom Landry received walking papers and there could be as many as a dozen new coaches in 2011 NFL season.

And through no credit or fault of yours, you will leave your team with the number one selection in the 2011 NFL Draft. In the case of some coaches, that’s about all they leave behind.

So as you enter your final game of a terrible season as the most successful coach in the history of the franchise, you could enhance your chances for employment with another team by engineering the mother of all upsets by defeating the Falcons on Sunday.

And if the 2010 NFL season ends up being defensive coordinator Gregg Williams’s last with the Saints by succumbing to the entreaties of a number of NFL clubs looking for a new head coach, Sean Payton might end up with a big vacancy on his staff.

So if you’re looking to score points with the Saints front office, I would imagine facilitating home field advantage for the playoffs would go a long way with a head coach who handed over part of his paycheck to land the defensive coordinator he wanted.

Week Sixteen Review: World Champions, Reaffirmed

2010-12-27T23:29:00.001-08:00

The folks in Atlanta had to keep those NFC South Champion t-shirts and caps in the boxes for at least another week as the New Orleans Saints upset the Atlanta Falcons in their home nest on Monday Night Football, 17-14.

Though the Saints still need a gridiron miracle from the Carolina Panthers in addition to beating the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers next Sunday in order to win the division, the victory in the Georgia Dome was important.

First and foremost, the win sends the Saints into post-season for the second year in the row. The Saints haven’t appeared in the post-season in consecutive years since the Jim Mora era (1990-1991-1992).

Secondly the Saints will fare no worse than finishing as the fifth seed in the NFC, which means the Black and Gold will face the winner of the Seattle Seahawks-Saint Louis Rams NFC West (worst) showdown next Sunday. And while there have been no “automatic” wins for the Saints this season (remember the Cardinals), it goes without saying that the team would rather face whatever team that emerges from the weakest division in the NFL.

Third, there’s always the remote possibility of the Panthers winning next Sunday and the Saints potentially having homefield advantage throughout the playoffs.

But perhaps the most notable benefit of the Saints victory on Monday night was that it was a reaffirmation for the defending Super Bowl champs as they proved they are as good as the conference’s best team by record.

And they achieved the win by digging themselves out of the hole that was dug through errors and flukes.

While quarterback Drew Brees completed 71% of his passes for 302 yards and a touchdown, number Nine once again had to carry a disproportionate amount of the offense. Brees was picked off twice, with the first returned for a touchdown. Brees however made a good defensive play after his second interception, quickly tackling defensive end John Abraham, saving big return yards. The Falcons ended up having to punt after that turnover.

Running back Pierre Thomas also had a big game, getting yards on the ground late in the game and helping ice the victory for the Saints late in the fourth quarter. Thomas racked up 63 rushing yards plus a touchdown on 19 carries for an average of 3.3 yards. Thomas accounted for practically all of the team’s rushing yards on the day.

The big stars of the night were the Saints defense, who tackled well, forced punts and snagged two loose balls, including a key fumble from Atlanta running back Michael Turner’s hands caused by defensive end Jeff Charleston and retrieved by linebacker Marvin Mitchell on the Saints one yard line. Turner had not fumbled a single time in the 2010 season until then.

The Saints defense largely stifled the Atlanta offense. Falcon quarterback Matt Ryan barely completed a majority of his passes, Turner was held to a mere 48 yards and most remarkably when considering how he tore the Saints up earlier this season, tight end Tony Gonzalez was limited to a pair of catches for 12 yards.

Wide receiver Roddy White, who is making a big to supplant Cincinnati’s Chad Ochocinco as the league’s leading Tweet-Twit, proved more prolific at running his mouth leading up to the game than making plays on Monday night. The NFL’s leading receiver in yards had a touchdown but caught only three passes for a mere 43 yards.

Though Ryan was sacked only once (by defensive end Will Smith), the Saints defense successfully contained one of the NFL’s top scoring offenses.

Finally, accolades should also go out to special teams. Kicker Garrett Hartley booted a 52 yard field goal, punter Thomas Morstead gave the Saints’ defense good field position thanks to some good punt bounces and two touchbacks on kickoffs and the kick/punt coverage was solid.

Black and D’oh Moments

Brees went to the well one too many times while under pressure. After making an awkward toss to Thomas, who managed to bring the ball back to the line of scrimmage, the Saints quarterback made a bad toss that was grabbed by defensive end Chauncey Davis and brought back to the house.

And then there were the flags, eight for almost the distance of the field (92 yards).

Cornerback Leigh Torrence didn’t help his team’s cause with an unnecessary roughness penalty for ten yards on a punt return.

Tackle Jermon Bushrod was saved from becoming the resident goat thanks to the victory. Between playing doormat to the Atlanta pass rush and penalties, including a false start that negated a Brees touchdown pass, Bushrod didn’t play well and remains the weakest link on a Saints offensive line that is not playing to the same high level of last season.

Moving the Chains and His Record

Brees further advanced his franchise records for pass completions, yards and touchdowns on Monday night. Brees’s new Saints all-time records stand at: 1,998 completions, 22,722 passing yards and 154 touchdowns.

Week Sixteen Preview: Chasing Atlanta

2010-12-26T22:47:00.000-08:00

Back in Week Three, I predicted that a New Orleans Saints loss to the Atlanta Falcons could be the difference between a first round bye and having to settle for a wild-card spot.

Thirteen weeks later and voila!

As the Saints enter the penultimate game of the 2010 NFL regular season, the Black and Gold finds itself likely going to the playoffs, but not in the preferred manner.

Since kicker Garrett Hartley missed on THAT occasion, the Saints have been staring at red and black tail-feathers the entire season. And a win by the Saints in the Georgia Dome, a place where the Dirty Birds haven’t lost a game all season, will help the defending world champions’ swagger, but might be irrelevant in terms of the NFC South division.

Without getting too detailed, the Saints need to beat both Atlanta and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers while the Falcons must also lose in their final game against the hapless Carolina Panthers.

I’ll take “Things That Aren’t Going to Happen” for $1000 Alex.

More than likely, the Monday Night Football game could end up being the first of two trips by the Saints to the Georgia Dome before the Super Bowl is played in Jerry Jones’s palace sans Jerry Jones’s team.

A win by the Saints on Sunday would assure the team of faring no worse than being the 5th seed in the NFC, which would still give them a shot at hosting the conference championship game. More than likely, Saints season ticket holders who “invested” in 2010 playoff tickets will have done nothing more than made an early deposit on next year’s season tickets, AKA provide Tom Benson with an interest-free loan.

Atlanta is arguably the best team in the NFC, if not in the entire league. They have the same record as the AFC’s supermen, the New England Patriots, and are one of the most well-rounded teams in the league, having the NFL’s 5th best offense in points scored (26.4) per game and the 7th best defense in points (18.6) allowed per game.

Led by quarterback Matt Ryan and possessing the league’s 5th ranked running back in rushing yards (Michael Turner- 1,256) and the league’s top wide-out in receiving yards (Roddy White- 1,284), the Falcons’ offense can slice opposing defenses in the air and the ground.

Atlanta’s defense is almost as good. Defensive end John Abraham is in his 11th season and has shown he still has it in him to make big plays. The veteran defensive lineman is third in the NFL in sacks with 12. Middle linebacker Curtis Lofton leads his team in tackles with 87 solos and has forced three fumbles, made two sacks and has an interception.

The Falcons’ defense has had more success stopping the run (106.1 yards per game, 12th in the league) than they have containing the pass (226.8 yards per game, 21st).

The Black and Gold defense is going to have their hands full with Ryan, Turner, White and future Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez, who is second on the team in receptions with 62 and touchdown receptions (5).

While White had a relatively pedestrian game against the Saints (5 catches for 69 yards and a touchdown) in their earlier meeting this season, it was Gonzalez and Turner who victimized the Black and Gold defense. Turner ran for 114 yards on 30 carries (3.8) and a touchdown while the veteran tight end had eight receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown.

It should be noted that Ryan was not picked off once; the same could not be said for number Nine.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees threw for a lot of yards (365) and three touchdowns but was intercepted twice, which tends to happen when your quarterback accounts for too much of your team’s offense.

The Saints rushed for a mere 43 yards in the same game where running back Pierre Thomas was injured. The game wasn’t good for future star running back Chris Ivory, who rushed for all 13 yards on 7 (!) carries and coughed a fumble up to the Falcons’ defense.

Since that most unfortunate performance, the undrafted rookie fill-in has emerged as the team’s leading running back in 2010, going from a last-ditch substitute to a key component in the offense. After straining his hamstring against the Saint Louis Rams and sitting out the entire game at Baltimore last Sunday, it appears the hard running half-back will play in Atlanta on Monday Night Football.

The key for the Saints is to keep their defense off the field by trying to re-establish a balanced offense by reintroducing the running game. Too much of Brees will inevitably lead to too picks.

Defensively, they need to stop Turner from having big runs while not allowing Gonzalez to beat them.

404 v. 504

The Falcons lead the Saints in the series, 45-37 though head coach Sean Payton has only lost the Falcons twice in nine games.

What Say the Numbers

USA Today oddsmaker Danny Sheridan has the Falcons as 2-point favorite. I know Atlanta is playing with a lot of momentum and that they’re home and that they’re playing for the first seed, etc., etc., etc. but I think with the Black and Gold’s full complement of running backs playing together and a need to make a statement, I see the Saints winning this game straight-up…and I’ve been more bear than bull on the them this season.

The Onside Squib: Saints Still Have a Chance at NFC South

2010-12-22T19:42:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week, I erroneously stated on this site that with the Saints’ defeat in Baltimore, that the Atlanta Falcons had won the NFC South division by having the tie-breaker over the Saints.

The news I reported of the Black and Gold’s divisional demise apparently was greatly exaggerated with the Ravens loss being virtually an exhibition game in terms of its overall effect on the division.

If the Saints defeat the Atlanta Falcons in the Georgia Dome on Monday Night Football on December 27th and defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Superdome the following Sunday AND (key conjunction) the Carolina Panthers, yes the 2-12 Carolina Panthers, beat the Falcons in the Georgia Dome on January 2nd, then the Saints would win the NFC South (and hold the first seed and first round playoff bye) by having a better division record than the Falcons. Under this rosiest of scenarios, the Saints would be 5-1 in the NFC South while the Falcons would be 4-2.

Now back to reality.

The Panthers’ two wins came at the expense of the lowly Arizona Cardinals (who embarrassed the Saints earlier in the season) and the San Francisco Forty-Niners, who at 5-9 could still win the NFC Worst…sorry, West.

The Panthers rank 32nd in points scored (AKA LAST), 32nd in yards gained, 32nd in passing yards but a relatively excellent 12th in rushing yards. Their Julius Peppers-less defense is marginally better.

The Falcons are 5th in the league in points scored, 12th in yards gained, 14th in passing yards and 7th on the ground. Defensively they’re 7th in points allowed and average in yards allowed.

Most significantly, the 12-2 Falcons are undefeated this season at home.

If Carolina defeated Atlanta’s starters in the season finale, it might be an even bigger upset than Detroit’s victory over Green Bay. Note that I qualified the aforementioned with the word “starters”. If the Falcons beat the Saints in MNF, then Atlanta wins the division and would likely bench their stars against Carolina, with the Panther first-team taking on the Falcons’ scrubs…and even then I would imagine ATL would be the heavy favorite.

Regardless of whether the Saints win or lose on Monday night, they will still be playing for something on Sunday pending the results of the Tampa Bay, Green Bay, Philadelphia and New York Giants. If the Saints beat Atlanta, they will have locked up not only a wild card spot at a minimum (and keep their chances of winning the division alive until the Panthers-Falcons kickoff), but will have secured the fifth playoff seed in the NFC.

This is relevant in that if the 6th seed wild card team wins their two playoff games (and if the Saints also win theirs), then the NFC Championship Game would be played in the Superdome. Bear in mind that in the NFL, playoff opponents are not determined by bracket but by seed, with the highest seed hosting the lowest seed.

The playoff picture should be clearer after MNF; but then again, I also prematurely awarded Atlanta the NFC South.

Week 15 Review: Pendulum, Ravens D Swings Against the Saints

2010-12-19T18:20:00.000-08:00

They can't blame it on the weather.

When the NFL scheduling sprites (won't call them "gods"- any entity that awards a Super Bowl to an open-air stadium in Jersey merit no such moniker), slated the New Orleans Saints to visit Baltimore in mid-December, I figured between the weather and the Ravens' defense that the black birds would be a favorite.

On Sunday it was all defense as a stifled Saints offense couldn't stay on the field while Baltimore running back Ray Rice picked up 153 rushing yards by himself and fellow running back Willis McGahee's 53 yards was more than the Saints' combined rushing yards (a pitiful 27 when factoring in Reggie Bush's -4 overall on the ground).

Who'd have ever thought the Saints would so sorely miss a certain undrafted rookie free agent from Tiffin with both Bush and Pierre Thomas back in action?

The Saints' offense had to rely almost solely on quarterback Drew Brees' arm and his receiving corps' capacity to make catches and his offensive line's ability to protect him. That's never a good situation for the team to find themselves in, especially when neither did very well- though tight end Jimmy Graham caught a pair of touchdowns and "Mr. Reliable" Lance Moore had great hands and toes on an end zone edge catch that was sustained after further review.

With the poor ground game, the Saints had less than 300 yards of total offense.

There were occasions where the Ravens were trying to give the game away, committing ten penalties, but the Saints offense could not take advantage of these "gifts". And then there was one fowl foul, a blantant block in the back, that was not called that helped keep a Baltimore drive alive. Perhaps the refs got tired of throwing flags?

To Brees's credit, things could have been much worse. After spending too much time trying to find open receivers, the Ravens knocked the ball out of his hands twice, with number nine recovering one of the fumbles himself (which is how he ended up with a mangled shoulder in his final game with the San Diego Chargers).

The Saints leader in positive passing records and accolades completed 29 of 46 passing attempts for three touchdowns and a pick while trying to pull off yet another last minute rally. This time the well had done run out of magic.

The Saints travel to number one seed Atlanta for Monday Night Football next week.

Mr. Consistent?

Saints kicker Garrett Hartley made his only field goal attempt of the day, a 47-yarder. Hartley has hit 13 of 15 field goal attempts since being released from "time-out" earlier in the season and has been perfect in his last seven tries.

Pierre Returns to His Roots

Thomas filled in for the injured Courtney Roby as the Saints' kick returner, averaging 22 yards a return. The running back broke in with special teams before succeeding Deuce McAllister as the team's primary tailback.

I-10 Runs Through Nola; the Playoffs Don't

With the Saints' loss in Baltimore, the Atlanta Falcons secured the NFC South division title. And for another season, no team has been able to win that division two years in a row. The best the Saints can hope for now is to win the NFC's top wild card spot (5th seed), which the Black and Gold currently occupy. The Saints currently have a two-game lead over Tampa Bay and Green Bay and a one game lead over the New York Giants before delving into the world of tie-breakers.

The only way the Saints would host a playoff game is if they secure the fifth seed and win the wild card game and divisional game on the road and that the other wild card team also runs the table. In that high;y unlikely scenario, the NFC Championship game would be played in the Superdome.

If the Saints do hold on and end up the fifth seed, they would play the wild card round game in whichever NFC West (worst) team limps out as the winner (dare I use such a term as no team can have a winning record in that professional football ghetto). Unless I am mistaken, Saint Louis, Seattle and amazingly enough 5-9 San Francisco are still in the hunt.

If you paid your playoff ticket invoice by last Friday, consider it a downpayment on next year's season tickets- unless of course there is a lock-out- which is more likely than the Saints hosting a playoff game.

For the Birds

File this one under least relevant statistic, but of the Saints' now four losses on the season, three have been against teams who have birds for mascots. Another reason to hope that the Saints won't have to make a road trip to Philly in the post-season.

Week Fifteen Preview: Pondering the Ravens

2010-12-14T21:26:00.000-08:00

In honor of the New Orleans Saints visiting the city most associated with the American literary legend Edgar Allan Poe and the poem from which Baltimore’s franchise takes its name, I have written by game preview as a poem.

Not being much of a romantic, I haven’t even attempted to write a poem since I was forced to do so in grade school with the only guidelines then being a prohibition on the inclusion of the line “roses are red” and any reference to the island of Nantucket.

I have learned from this experience that finding a word that rhymes with “Flacco” is as frustrating as finding one that rhymes with “orange”. I don’t recommend you try doing either. It’ll only make your brain hurt.

I hope you enjoy reading this opus and if any English graduates feel compelled to pen a critique, you are free to send them over whilst on break from stacking books at Barnes & Noble.

Week Fifteen

On an afternoon most dreary, the Saints will face a team most leery

Both clubs fighting for their division, will heighten further the collision

Saints must get a win that day and also need help from birds of gray

Trailing to the men of Steel, the Ravens still nip on their heels

Baltimore, star spangled city, K-ville’s known for being gritty

They eat big crabs caught from the sea, we once had fish before BP

But we have jazz, parade and joy

They’ve got Poe, we’ve got Po-Boys

Beyond the fowl of blackened feather, the Saints must deal with nasty weather

A tougher challenge far from home, without the protection of their dome

Black birds are favored in gambling dives, a spread that stands at two point five

With a chance of snow on this coming Sunday, if I were you, the points I’d lay

The offense has been improved through a series of shrewd moves

Drafting smart and making trades, the Ravens even signed Donte

While Joe Flacco is no Trent Dilfer, for Baltimore he has delivered

And when the Ravens need to pound, Ray Rice can get yards on the ground

The Ravens defense was once most fierce, offensive lines they often’d pierced

It doth not take a learned sleuth, to see that they are long in tooth

Ray Lewis, T. Suggs and Ed Reed, they’re not the men they used to be

On Monday night they gave up scores, the Ravens barely flew out the door

But Who Dats cannot really brag, not the way we’re drawing flags

Twelve men on field was not so nice, just when the game looked to be on ice

Cincy came back, the Bengals roar’d, Saints fans attending were all floored

But saved they were by an early sally, which helped complete the Drew Brees rally

The week before in north Texas, had the Who Dats hurling hexes

A big lead blown in Jerry’s palace, the Saints were blessed to win in Dallas

And when our chances looked like zero, Malcolm Jenkins played the hero

THE Ohio Buckeye chased Williams down, forced a fumble and turn’d things around

And while the temperature is bad, there are reasons to be glad

The time elapsed has brought good health, the running corps- a source of wealth

Pierre is back and Reggie’s healed, on Sunday they’ll be on the field

Another player we won’t lack, our future hall of fame d-back

The Saints o-line must protect Brees, lest they bring us to our knees.

On Colston’s hands our hopes will ride, if number Nine hits him in stride

As playoff hopes burn like embers, too bad this game is in December

The toughest contest on the slate, to be fighting champions is their fate

Brees must avoid forcing throws, a pick-six there’s a mortal blow

Punt returns Bush cannot bumble, and pray that Ivory doesn’t fumble

And not to be an orn’ry nag, Jahri Evans should avoid the flag

And if Hartley’s kicks go wide right, Two Dat chances won’t look so bright

Early setbacks had us down, who’d have thought we’d lose to Browns?

Gainst the Cardindals we did not shine, Max Hall beat us in his first time

And with the loss to ATL, the playoff path looks road trip hell

And if New Orleans Saints drop one more, a repeat as division champs?, nevermore!

Week Fourteen Review: Saints Sacrifice Rams

2010-12-12T23:12:00.001-08:00

The New Orleans Saints had one of their best performances of the 2010 regular season in a game where they made big plays on both sides of the ball.

Heavily favored over the NFC West leading Saint Louis Rams, the Black and Gold comfortably exceeded the expectations of the oddsmakers thanks in large part to starting free safety Malcolm Jenkins.

Jenkins, who executed what was the team’s most remarkable play of the year in Dallas, had the best day of his professional career against the Rams with two picks on the day, one returned for 96 yards for a touchdown.

Quarterback Drew Brees had a better day than most other quarterbacks but a little off for him, completing 25 of 40 passes (62.5%) for 221 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Brees also gained some yards with his feet, scrambling for seven.

The Saints offense was well balanced, gaining 132 yards on the ground. Returning running back Pierre Thomas, who had missed much of the season with an injury, received more touches than expected due to running back Chris Ivory going down with a hamstring issue.

Thomas had 39 yards on 12 carries and 29 yards on 4 receptions. Running back Reggie Bush had a decent day picking up 39 rushing yards on 9 carries and 22 receiving yards on 5 catches.

Wide receiver Marques Colston continued to have greater success in the season’s second half. Though the “Quiet Storm” only had 5 catches for 46 yards (one his lower totals in yards this season), the big receiver had two touchdown catches for the second time in the last five games.

Considering that the Rams defense is one of the league’s better squads at sacking quarterbacks, the Saints offensive line played well only allowing Brees to be sacked once.

And while the offense piled up the points, the Saints defense had a great outing after disappointing play in Dallas and Cincinnati. The “d” held the Rams to two field goals and a touchdown. Most significantly they had three takeaways, with Jenkins’s two picks and a forced fumble by strong safety Roman Harper that was recovered by cornerback Jabari Greer.

Harper also had one of the Saints’ three sacks against Saint Louis Rams quarterback and likely rookie of the year Sam Bradford. Middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma, the quarterback of the Saints defense, had a sack, a forced fumble and led the team with tackles with seven.

About the only things that didn’t go right for the Saints on the day was a kickoff fumble by return specialist Courtney Roby, who was seriously injured on the play and left the game on a stretcher, and the Atlanta Falcons’ win over the Carolina Panthers.

Atlanta maintained their 1.5 lead over the Saints (when factoring the tie-breakers) with three games left on the schedule. The Saints would have the top wild card seed if the playoffs began today, sending the Black and Gold, ironically enough, to Saint Louis.

Raising the Bar

Brees expanded his franchise records on Sunday increasing his totals for pass completions to 1,934, passing yards to 22,153 and touchdown passes to 150.

Week 14 Preview: Saints Host Bighorn Sheep

2010-12-09T22:19:00.000-08:00

On Sunday afternoon the New Orleans Saints will be visited from an old rival from the Black and Gold’s days in the NFC West when the Saint Louis Rams come to town.

Though they’re no longer in the same division, the Saints have faced the Rams more than any other team with the Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco Forty Niners excepted, having squared off on 68 occasions, with the Rams winning 38 of them.

One of the biggest victories in Saints history came against the Rams in 2000 when the New Orleans franchise won their first ever playoff game. However the Rams avenged that indignity seven years later when they beat the Saints for their first win of the season after dropping seven in a row.

When the two teams met in 2009, the 1-7 Rams came very close to breaking the Saints’ eight game winning streak, but thanks to a Courtney Roby kick return for a touchdown and a last second deep pass incompletion, the Saints slipped out of the Edward Jones Dome with their undefeated record intact.

The Rams team the Saints will play against on Sunday will be a much better team than last year’s.

With the first overall selection in the 2010 NFL draft finding his stride as quarterback, the Rams no longer need to rely on running back Steven Jackson to carry the offense almost solely on his shoulders.

Quarterback Sam Bradford has completed 60% of his passes, throwing for 2,653 yards, 17 touchdowns and 10 picks, which aren’t bad numbers for a first year pro and the reason why Bradford is the leading choice for rookie of the year honors.

And while Jackson is no longer the end all, be all for the Rams offense, he still constitutes a large part of it, handling almost all of the rushing duties and currently 15 yards shy of breaking 1000 ground yards this season. The running back is also a receiving threat, ranking third on his team in catches and fifth in receiving yards.

The Rams’ defense has performed adequately, allowing the 9th fewest points in the league per game (19.8) and 14th fewest yards (333), per capita surrendering more in the air (229.5 average- 19th overall) than on the ground (103.5 average- 14th overall).

One area where the Rams’ defense has performed well this season is going after opposing quarterbacks. The Rams sack total (35) is one shy of the NFL lead. The team is also +5 in turnovers.

The Saints’ offense is starting to increasingly resemble its high-powered former selves…though the unbalanced 2008 version in lieu of the 2009 championship edition. The offense remains pass heavy and the running game ranks 25th on the ground with an average of 98.5 yards per game. Hopefully the rushing numbers will pick up with the much-anticipated return of running back Pierre Thomas, who was injured in week 3, to the line-up.

And while the Saints defense has overall been stingy, they’ve given up 27 and 30 points in their last two games against subpar opponents. We’ll see if defensive coordinator Gregg Williams has made the necessary adjustments to prevent a repeat.

One area where the defense has seriously lacked compared to last season is in takeaways. The Saints secondary aren’t the ballhawks they were in 2009; the Saints are tied for second to last in the NFL in picks with 7, only one above last place. And though the Saints defense have forced 20 fumbles (3rd in the league), they’ve only recovered 11 of the loose pigskins.

The Saints enter the contest at a healthy peak with a slim injury report and almost all of their starters ready to play; the Rams’ secondary as been battered with injuries, a gapping weakness that Brees can exploit.

Welcome Back Karney

Former Saints fullback Mike Karney will be making a return visit to the Superdome on Sunday. Karney, who was one of the more popular players on the team in his role as running back Deuce McAllister’s “bodyguard”, signed with the Rams when the Saints released him after the team inked New England Patriots fullback Heath Evans.

And the Numbers?

USA Today oddsmaker Danny Sheridan has the Saints as a 9.5 favorite over the Rams. With injuries to Rams secondary and Brees starting to connect on the longball, a blow out is not out of the question. However, the Saints have won their last two games by four points or less. Though those games were on the road, the Saints have played better away from the Superdome than they have inside of it. The Saints have not beaten the Rams by 10 points or more since 1998 and the Black and Gold have a habit of playing to the level of their competition. Also bear in mind that the Rams are playing for their division. I’d take the 9.5 as a reaction to the defense’s inability to close out games as of late.

Week Thirteen Review: We Dey

2010-12-05T23:33:00.000-08:00

After almost being defeated by their own “twelfth man”, the New Orleans Saints rallied back from a late deficit after leading most of the game to defeat the host Cincinnati Bengals along the banks of the Ohio River.

Though the snowstorm many Saints fans feared didn’t materialize, the weather conditions were hardly typical for the dome-based Black and Gold. The temperature hovered in the low thirties and there was light sleet throughout the contest.

With the victory, the Saints have extended their current winning streak to five and have given head coach Sean Payton his first consecutive winning seasons. In another accomplishment worth noting, quarterback Drew Brees had a franchise-record setting day, surpassing Archie Manning (21,734) for most passing yards in a Saints uniform.

Brees threw for 313 yards, completing 24 of 29 passes (82.8%) with two touchdowns and an interception.

Brees already holds the franchise records in pass completions and passing touchdowns but trails Manning’s record for attempts, 3,335.

Kicker Garrett Hartley had a mixed day, perfect as a field goal and extra point kicker but lacking on the kickoff. One of his kickoffs went out of bounds, resulting in a penalty while his other kickoffs were well short of the end zone and were returned by the Bengals for good field position.

Undrafted free agent running back Chris Ivory didn’t help injured running back Pierre Thomas’s bargaining position for a better contract. Tiffin’s finest had another outstanding performance, rushing for 117 yards on 15 attempts and two touchdowns, including one for 55 yards. Ivory did cough the ball up once though his fumble was recovered by tight end David Tomas.

Wide receiver Robert Meachem reminded everyone the wisdom of General Manager Mickey Loomis’s decision to pick him in the first round of the 2007 draft. Though Meachem only had three receptions, the wide receiver racked up 106 yards and a touchdown on the day.

With the Bengals offense scoring 30 points, it could be said the Saints defense, the strong point of the team for most of the 2010 season, was bailed out by the offense. The Bengals were forced to punt only twice. However the defense did make some good plays, though they didn’t have any takeaways in the contest. The Saints sacked Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer three times and allowed the Bengals to convert only 5 of their 14 third downs. They also forced the Bengals to have to settle for field goals

By far the ugliest moment for the Saints was drawing a penalty for having twelve men on the field when the Bengals were punting in the fourth quarter while sitting on an eight point lead. The inexcusable penalty kept the Cincinnati drive alive as they scored a touchdown and succeeded with their two-point attempt to tie the game up at 27 all.

The Bengals also had their “messy” moments. In the first quarter a running into the punter penalty set the Saints up for a Hartley 48-yard field goal. And then there was the costliest “bungle” losing a game of fourth and two chicken on the Cincinnati seven yard line that set up a Brees to Marques Colston touchdown pass on the next play.

Ocho-Stinko?

It seems the wide receiver formerly known as Chad Johnson has been more prolific on Twitter than he has been on the field. After engaging in smack talk that referenced a recently gunned down New Orleans rapper via Twitter, #85 had five receptions for “nueve siete” yards and “cero” touchdowns.

No Comment?

The Onside Kick had a chance to shout a question to punter Tom Morstead while he was boarding the team bus concerning why he has been relieved of kick-off duties. The fan friendly player turned around, gave a shrug of the shoulders and continued walking to team bus.

A Little Help? Please?

The Saints will go into week fourteen once again staring at black and red tailfeathers. The Atlanta Falcons overcame a late Tampa Bay Buccaneer lead to stay ahead of the Saints in the NFC South by a game (and a half when factoring ATL’s tie-breaker advantage).

Week Thirteen Preview: Saints Hope to Not Bungle Playoff Chances in Cincy

2010-12-03T05:42:00.000-08:00

The New Orleans Saints begin the final and toughest part of their schedule when they visit the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

While the Bengals’ record is 2-9, tied with the Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills for second worst in the NFL, Cincinnati lost some close ones, including five games by a touchdown or less.

The Bengals have a talented quarterback in Carson Palmer, who has thrown for 2,760 yards and 19 touchdowns. But despite having two outstanding wide receivers on the Bengals roster, Palmer has struggled, with a completion rate of 59.5% (the second lowest in the USC standout’s professional career) and having been intercepted 15 times.

Free agent wide out Terrell Owens is tied for fourth in total receptions (65), third in receiving yards (914) and eighth in touchdowns with eight. Fellow receiver Chad Ocho Cinco (or however he runs his adopted surname together) has not shared in TO’s success.

Number eighty-five is tied at 33rd in receiving touchdowns (4), 26th in receiving yards (628) and 20th in receptions with 54. In other words, he’s having an “ocho stinko” 2010 compared to the other seasons where he played in most of the games on the schedule.

The Bengals’ air attack ranks 11th in the NFL, averaging 237.5 passing yards a game but are 25th in rushing with an average of 92 ground yards, with an overwhelming majority coming from running back Cedric Benson. In terms of scoring, the “Who Deys” are 21st with an average of 20.5 points per game while the “Who Dat’ 6th ranked defense has been surrendering 17.9 points per game.

Gregg Williams’s secondary are going to have their hands full with Owens and #85, though the Saints defense has had some recent success with the former. When the Black and Gold played the Buffalo Bills last season, Owens, who was playing for his fourth team thus far did not make a single reception, snapping a 185 game-catch streak that began in 1996.

The Saints’ last meeting with the Bengals’ “second” or “dos” receiver during the 2006 season did not go so well. Playing under his birth name Chad Johnson, the wide receiver burned the Black and Gold secondary for six receptions for 190 yards and three touchdowns, the longest being for sixty yards. The former Mr. Johnson had his season best yards per catch game in the Superdome, averaging 31.7.

The good news for the Saints is that the team is the healthiest it has been since the beginning of the season. The recent injury reports contained only three names- with tight end Jeremy Shockey and free safety Darren Sharper not appearing on the dubious list. The Saints are most complete at the very point of the schedule where the heaviest lifting is to be done if they want a shot at repeating as NFC South Champions or making the playoffs.

Historically, the Saints have enjoyed relative success against the Bengals. As of 1994, Cincinnati was one of the few teams New Orleans had a winning series record against. 1994 was also the last time the Saints beat them. Since then, the Black and Gold has dropped three in a row. The most infamous of those was on a road trip there in 2002, when the Bengals were plain awful, so much so that the sports page of the Times-Picayune mocked them in a story referring to them as the “Bungles” and featured a picture of a black and orange striped skunk.

The Bengals were 1-13 with their lone win being against the expansion Houston Texans while then-coach Jim Haslett’s Saints were 9-5 and needed only a single win in their remaining two games to make it to the playoffs. In my mind that game was the beginning of the end of Haslett’s tenure in New Orleans after giving the Bengals their second win of the season with a 20-13 score, courtesy of the Bengals’ stout run defense. The Bengals currently lead the series 6-5.

The Oddsmaker v. the Scheduling Fairies/Weather Gods

Danny Sheridan has the Saints as a 6.5 point favorite over the Bengals. The dome-oriented Saints have not had a lot of success in cold weather, especially under coach Sean Payton. Also quarterback Drew Brees had trouble passing the ball in Candlestick Park earlier this season, meaning the Saints will have to get yards on the ground. With running backs Reggie Bush back on the field and Pierre Thomas continuing to make progress in his own recovery, the Saints should have all of their primary ground weapons suited up and ready to go.

If this game would have been played in September or October in Cincinnati, I would feel better about the Saints’ chances. But it’s not. When the 2010 schedule was released, it looked as if the league was going to make a point of making a “Two Dat” more of a challenge.

Maybe I’m still haunted by the Saints’ 2002 disastrous trip to Cincinnati, concerned about weather conditions (The Weather Channel is currently projecting a high of 37 degrees with snow showers on game day), shaken from the last three road trips to frigid Soldier Field and a kicking game that’s questionable in the climate controlled confines of the Superdome, but I can see the Bengals winning this one. Take the elements and the points

Roaf Named a Semifinalist for Hall of Fame

2010-11-30T17:37:00.000-08:00

Retired NFL offensive tackle Willie Roaf, who played for both the New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs, was announced as a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

According to NFL.com, Roaf was one of 26 semifinalists selected from a pool of 114 preliminary nominees by the hall’s selection committee.

Other notable nominees for election are running backs Jerome Bettis, Curtis Martin and Marshall Faulk, cornerback Deion Sanders, punter Ray Guy and former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue.

Roaf was selected with the eighth overall pick of the 1993 NFL draft, a selection that was acquired along with a four round pick from the Detroit Lions for linebacker Pat Swilling. The Saints later dealt Roaf to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2002 amidst a cloud of controversy involving a family matter.

Roaf was selected to eleven Pro-Bowls, seven while with the Saints.

Considered to be one of the greatest offensive lineman to play the game, Roaf’s eventual election to Canton was considered a certainty after he retired.

The former Louisiana Tech standout would be the second Saints player who spent the majority of his career with New Orleans to have his bust included in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the first being 2010 inductee linebacker Rickey Jackson.
Roaf was inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame in 2008.

Statement from Saints Defensive End Will Smith Regarding His Arrest

2010-11-30T17:10:00.000-08:00

The New Orleans Saints released the following statement from defensive end Will Smith, who was arrested early Saturday morning in Lafayette and was charged with domestic abuse and simple battery after an altercation between him and his wife at a nightclub.

"During the past weekend, my wife Racquel and I were visiting her family in Lafayette, Louisiana for the holiday weekend. Early Saturday morning, an unfortunate misunderstanding led to my arrest.

My wife was not injured as reported and this was not a domestic issue. I am confident that the legal process will bear this out. Both Racquel and I look forward to having the legal process play out and will cooperate fully. Until then, and based upon legal counsel, I will not be able to make any further comment on this matter.

Racquel and I are both extremely thankful to everyone that has offered support through this trying time."

Smith and his wife were featured in a televised Thanksgiving segment during the Saints game in Dallas.

Week 12 Review: Indian Giving on Saintsgiving

2010-11-25T21:46:00.000-08:00

How many Saints fans suffered from severe indigestion on Thursday afternoon unrelated to Aunt Gracie's turkey dressing?

After jumping out to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter, the New Orleans Saints began giving the game away allowing and at times facilitating a Dallas comeback that had the Cowboys leading 27-23 with possession of the ball with just over three minutes remaining in regulation.

And then safety Malcolm Jenkins, who was listed as questionable going into the game, made an amazing play against Dallas wide receiver Roy Williams that later led to another amazing play by the Saints offense that put the Black and Gold up for good, as they reclaimed victory from the jaws of defeat.

The Saints, playing in their first ever Thanksgiving Day game and in the new Cowboys Stadium, moved up a half-game above the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (not counting the Saints' tie-breaker advantage) and trail the Atlanta Falcons by a half-game (also not counting Atlanta's tie-breaker advantage). Both teams play on Sunday, with Tampa Bay visiting the Baltimore Ravens and Atlanta hosting the Green Bay Packers.

The Saints had no shortage of heroes on Thursday. Quarterback Drew Brees had an impressive (first half) though not optimal (second half) day, completing 23 of 39 passing attempts (59%) for 352 yards, a touchdown and an interception that was tipped by his intended receiver (rookie tighe end Jimmy Graham) into the hands of a Cowboys defensive back Gerald Sensabaugh.

Helping Brees make some of the tough completions was deep threat wide-out Devery Henderson, who made a number of impressive catches, including a sliding reception for 57 yards that got the Saints into the Dallas red zone on the fourth offensive play of the game.

Wide receiver Marques Colston also had a good day, making 6 catches for 105 yards. Though wide receiver Robert Meachem only had one catch in the game, it was a critical 55 yard catch on 3-10 on the Saints' 33-yard line that set up a Brees touchdown pass to wide receive Lance Moore on the very next play.

Though a certain running back returned to the active lineup, who's name will not be mentioned- at least at this point, undrafted free agent Chris Ivory and ex-Cowboy Julius Jones rushed for a combined 83 yards. Ivory added to his young career touchdown total with two on the afternoon while Jones led the team in ground yards with an average of 4.5 per carry.

The kicking game was strong, if not scary at times. Though often not cited because of the non-scoring nature of his job, punter Thomas Morstead, who is making a play for the Pro Bowl, had a great game, booming one punt for 64 yards. Kicker Garrett Hartley went 3 for 3 in the field goal department with a long of 50 yards, which came close to the side of the goal post. Hartley also had some luck on a kickoff that just bounced out of bounds past the end zone pylon.

The defense played very well in the first half but was worn down in the second half, especially due to the turnovers by the Saints. Dallas quarterback Jon Kitna picked on Saints rookie cornerback Patrick Robinson by throwing in his direction.

Saints defensive end Will Smith had a good game with a sack, an interception and a forced fumble. In fact, the Saints "d" forced three fumbles and the Cowboys coughed the ball up four other times, though they were able to recover those, yet another example of the ball literally not bouncing the Saints' way this season.

The Saints fell victim to a trick play early in the third quarter when Dallas wide receiver Miles Austin rushed 60 yards for a touchdown, thanks in no small part to a blatant hold by a Dallas player on Jenkins.

But the Saints free safety got his revenge in the end and has the distinction of earning the 2010 edition of the "Robeert Meachem Man of Steal Award". Though Williams had already secured a game icing first down reception in Saints territory with three minutes left in the game, the Dallas receiver tried to stretch it to the end zone. Enter Jenkins, exit the ball and the Cowboys' almost certain upset.

Finally there was the goat, AKA the most anticipated return of an injured Saints player. After dropping what would have been a touchdown reception that led to a Saints field goal, one whole yard rushing and fumbling a Cowboy punt that set them up for a touchdown that put them back in the game, one has to wonder if George W. Bush isn't more popular in New Orleans these days than Reginald A. Bush.

Adding insult to injury for number 25 was that his ex-girlfriend Kim Kardashian's new boyfriend, Miles, had a better day rushing the ball than Bush- and Miles isn't a running back.

On Thanksgiving afternoon, the Saints started strong, then played sloppy, then desperate before Jenkins's made some magic. After that, the Saints offense returned to their earlier form executing the big play and then the score.

In addition to whatever morale boost the players receiving from upending the team that snapped their 13-game winning streak last season, the Saints salvaged a conference win that will help come tie-breaker time and keeps the Black and Gold in the hunt for the division while also solidifying their position as a playoff team, wild card or otherwise.

Though the final score wasn't as pretty as the first quarter score, the Saints helped their chances of getting a return date in Jerry Jones's palace of sport in February.

Week 12 Preview: Guess Who Dat’s Coming to Thanksgiving Dinner?

2010-11-23T20:53:00.000-08:00

The New Orleans Saints will play in their first ever Thanksgiving Day game on Thursday when they travel to Jerry Jones’s Palace near Dallas.

For the Dallas Cowboys, it’s been the worst of times and the slightly better of times as of late.

After aspiring to become the first team to play in a Super Bowl in their home stadium, the 3-7 Cowboys can expect to do little else this season than run the tables for a winning record and help new coach Jason Garrett, the eighth in franchise history, hold on to his job for the longterm.

The Cowboys are last in the NFC East, trailing the third place Washington Redskins by two games, the second place New York Giants by three games and the first place Philadelphia Eagles by four games. With the division title appearing to be out of reach and strong bids for wild card spots by the 7-3 Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Green Bay Packers, the Cowboys will be watching the big game from either home or through the league’s player ticket allocation from the stands.

After a 1-7 start, Jones had enough after a 45-7 blow out at the hands of the Packers and dispatched head coach Wade Phillips, who briefly coached the Saints in 1985. Under Garrett, the Cowboys have won two straight games by double-digit margins.

The Cowboy offense has had trouble establishing a running game, ranking 29th in the league with 83.9 ground yards per game. Their reliance on the pass suffered a major blow when quarterback Tony Romo was injured and was replaced with 14 year veteran Jon Kitna in their fifth game.

Kitna, who is on his fourth team, has completed 63% of his passes for 1,223 yards, 10 touchdowns and 7 picks.

If the Cowboys 17th ranked scoring offense has been disappointing, their 28th ranked defense in points allowed per game (27.1) has been an embarrassment, where they rank 21st (235.1 ypg) against the pass and 22nd (117.3 ypg) against the run.

Though the Saints have experienced their own resurgence as of late, starting with a Halloween night victory over the mighty Pittsburgh Steelers, the injury bug has taken more than a few bites out of the starting line up.

Running back Pierre Thomas is expected to miss yet another game and eight other starters had limited participation in Tuesday’s practice, including running back Reggie Bush, who missed out on playing before his old college coach last Sunday.

The Saints offense has finally found its groove, ranking 5th in total yards per game (382.3), heavier on the pass (3rd in the league with 286.3 ypg) than on the run (26th with 95.5).

Even if Bush plays in a limited role, undrafted free agent running back Chris Ivory once again proved to be able to carry the load.

The Black and Gold defense has consistently outperformed the offense, even though they haven’t had anywhere near the success they enjoyed last season regarding takeaways, interceptions in particular.

The Saints secondary gave up some deep passes last Sunday against the Seahawks and with the Cowboys making no secret of their strong inclination to throw the ball, the safeties and cornerbacks will be challenged whenever their offense is on the field.

As the Saints are still two games behind the Atlanta Falcons (because of the tie-breaker scenarios at this juncture), this is another must-win for the Black and Gold. A conference loss would factor heavily in tie-breaker scenarios that could make the team a high seed with a first round playoff bye to a wild card team that will have to win on the road through the Super Bowl.

The formula for the Saints is pretty basic: the offense needs to score touchdowns and avoid making mistakes while the defense has to make the Cowboys settle for field goals when in scoring and range and the secondary must contain the longball.

The Spread

USAToday oddsmaker Danny Sheridan has the Saints as 3.5 favorite. I can more easily see the Saints losing a close one than winning a close one as the Saints offense ought to be able to exploit the Cowboys defense.

Though nicked up, the Saints ought to win this game by a comfortable margin, giving the new Cowboys coach an unwelcome reality check. Also the Black and Gold has an outstanding score to settle: it was the Cowboys that broke the team’s 13 game winning streak last season.

I think interceptions will be a big factor in this one, favoring the Saints. Give the points but don’t send me an invoice if it doesn’t work out.

Week Eleven Review: Brees Shreds Seahawks, Team Records

2010-11-22T22:09:00.001-08:00

New Orleans Saints Quarterback Drew Brees further increased his place in the franchise’s history while keeping his team in the hunt for an opportunity to play in the post-season on Sunday afternoon, as the Black and Gold handily beat the NFC West’s top team.

Of course that’s a relative assessment as none of the teams in that division have a winning record.

Brees threw for 382 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. His 29 completions advanced him past Archie Manning for the team record in that category. Manning’s benchmark was 1,849. The newly established record by Brees now stands at 1,862.

Brees overtook Aaron Brooks for the team record in career touchdown passes last season, which number 9 currently holds at 144.

Brees now trails Manning for the franchise’s passing yards record by 467, a milestone the Super Bowl MVP should achieve within the next three games at the latest, barring injury.

Though the Saints quarterback had an outstanding game, other players contributed in the rout.

Running back Chris Ivory, who has almost single-handedly carried the slack left by the team’s injured starting ground corps, rushed for 99 yards and scored his first career touchdown. The undrafted Ivory has the distinction of having helped the Saints the most out of all of the rookies on the roster.

Wide receiver Marques Colston also had a great game, with eight receptions for 113 yards and two touchdowns.

And though the defense didn’t make any sacks and gave up a few deep passes by Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, they did pick up two Seahawk fumbles and limited their opponents to a single touchdown.

But the game had its ugly parts for both teams.

Saints kicker Garrett Hartley missed his lone field goal opportunity, a pedestrian 27 yard attempt. Ex-Saint kicker Orlindo Mare had success in the Superdome he didn’t enjoy when he wore a Black and Gold uniform, converting all four of his field goal attempts.

That the Saints are still chasing the Atlanta Falcons from behind is largely due to Hartley’s failure to make an overtime kick against the Dirty Birds. One must imagine that Saints head coach Sean Payton’s patience are already thin and that future misses by Hartley will result in something more sincere than a “time-out” session.

Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch didn’t help his team’s cause, fumbling the ball twice and dropping screen passes that would have resulted in positive yardage as the Saints defense didn’t have him adequately covered.

One local sports personality, whose name I won’t mention in this forum, mused on his Facebook status that Lynch must have bet on the game to perform so poorly.

Overall it was a very good game, giving Payton his second post-bye win of his career (last season was his first) while some members of the team continue to recuperate from injury.

A win over not only a conference opponent (which is a key component in tie-breakers for the playoffs) but a team that has as good of a chance as any of winning the NFC West will benefit the Black and Gold immensely if they can pole vault past the Falcons.

Halftime: Saints Still Looking at Falcons’ Tail Feathers

2010-11-14T21:46:00.000-08:00

The good news is that if the NFL season ended today, the New Orleans Saints would be in the playoffs.

The bad news is that the Black and Gold would make it as a wild-card team.

That they’d be the higher ranked of the NFC’s two non-division winning playoff team doesn’t matter unless both the Saints and the Green Bay Packers made it to the conference championship, thus sparing the cold weather averse Saints team from making the trek to Lambeau Field.

It’s not that 6-3 is a bad record. The Saints didn’t start out the 2007 or 2008 seasons that well at the end of nine games.

But that said, it’s not good enough when chasing the fast flying Atlanta Falcons, who not only lead the Saints by one and a half games (by virtue of the head-up tiebreaker) but are also currently the best team in the conference by record and thus would claim the number one seed in the playoffs if the season ended today.

Having the second best record in the conference means little if the team with the best record is in your same division.

The Jim Mora-era Saints are most familiar with this unenviable position, doing well in the conference but always being stuck behind the San Francisco Forty-Niners in the NFC West.

Right now the Falcons seem to have the same mojo the Saints had last year. Five of the Dirty Birds’ wins have been by a touchdown or less. Their impressive last second comeback against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night is the latest example of how they’ve found ways to win games from behind.

The Saints are in a tough spot in terms of overtaking the Falcons in the division. If the Saints swept the remaining games left on the schedule and the Falcons only dropped their Monday Night Football home game against the Saints, Atlanta would still have the edge according to the NFL’s tie-breaker rules.

Though the Saints and Falcons would have the same head-up and division, the third procedure relates to best won-loss percentage in common games.

Currently the Saints are 5-3 while the Falcons are 7-1, since the latter dropped a game to the Philadelphia Eagles (who the Saints do not face) while all of the Black and Gold’s were to common opponents.

So in addition to winning, the Saints need help. And Baltimore was supposed to be one of the teams that was expected to lend a hand.
In addition to their post-Christmas MNF game against the Saints, the Falcons host the Green Bay Packers and the Carolina Panthers and visit the Saint Louis Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Panthers and the Seattle Seahawks at Qwest Field, one of the toughest and loudest venues in the league.

The Saints on the other hand have to travel to Baltimore and Cincinnati in December and to Arlington on Thanksgiving afternoon. The Black and Gold return from the bye week next Sunday when they host the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, the Rams in December and close the regular season out with the Buccaneers in January.

Under new management, the Dallas Cowboys humbled the New York Giants in East Rutherford and might be a tougher opponent for the Saints than most fans thought they would be.

And the Saints will have to contend with frigid elements along with tough teams when they take on the Bengals and the Ravens.

Short of a meltdown in the ATL, the road to the Two Dat will go through other team’s stadiums. But that might not be a bad or insurmountable thing.

The Saints only road loss last season was a “trash game” against the Panthers in a contest where head coach Sean Payton wisely benched his starters. And of the Saints three losses in the 2010 season, only one (Arizona) was on the road.

And wild card teams have not only gone to the big game; five left with the Lombardi Trophy as well, with three wild-card Super Bowl champions winning all of their post-season playoff games on the road.

Payton titled his Super Bowl story/autobiography “Home Team” as a reference to the importance he placed on snagging the one seed.

But if the Saints can beat Atlanta in December in the Georgia Dome, then the Saints can compete in any other stadium in the league.

The way things stand it looks like the traveling Black and Gold faithful will end up dropping a few c-notes on Stub Hub and some travel sites if the team makes the playoffs.

Week Nine Review: Saints De-Claw Panthers on the Road

2010-11-07T22:47:00.000-08:00

The New Orleans Saints have finished the first half of their season strong, going into their bye week with a one-sided road victory over the Carolina Panthers.

The 34-3 win was the team's strongest performance of the year on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Drew Brees completed 27 of his 43 passes (63%) to eight different receivers for 253 yards, a pair of touchdowns and an interception. The Saints second-strong running back committee (minus its two super stars who continue to recover from injuries) racked up 165 yards on the ground, including a 54 yard run by late-addition Julius Jones. 2010 third-round draft pick Jimmy Graham hauled in his first touchdown catch of his professional career after having one taken away from him in Tampa a few weeks ago.

Kicker Garrett Hartley was once again perfect booting two field goals (31, 36 yards) and all four extra points.

And while the offense showed the latest flash in 2010 season of their former selves, it was the defensive players who were the stars of the show.

Facing three (3!) quarterbacks, the Black and Gold defense held the Panthers to a season low in points scored. Cornerback Jabari Greer victimized Carolina quarterback Jimmy Clausen with a 24-yard pick-six, the first for any member of the Saints defense this season. Linebacker Jonathan Vilma forced a fumble that was recovered by free-agent defensive end Alex Brown. Strong safety Roman Harper, cornerback (!) Leigh Torrence, defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis and defensive end Jeff Charleston each had a sack. Harper also led the team in tackles with nine.

After disappointing losses that challenged the faith of Saints fans, the Black and Gold faithful are seeing a few things.

One, the offense is starting to become more productive. The team is coughing up the ball less and Brees has been getting his passes into the end zone...in the hands of Saints receivers specifically. And Hartley can't miss field goals he's not attempting if the offense is coming away with touchdowns.

Secondly, the NFC Championship Game hero and Super Bowl point contributor has become consistent...in a good way. Hartley field goal attempts no longer cause Saints fans to hold their breath and cross their fingers.

Thirdly, the offensive line has offered Brees more protection. Is this is a result of protecting the quarterback against less pressure or a sign of improvement by the o-line? Brees was sacked only once on Sunday.

Fourthly, we've seen a different side of the Gregg Williams defense. While not the ball-hawks of 2009, the 2010 Saints defense has done a better job stifling opposing offenses. Also the Saints defense hasn't been burned as much by big running plays.

The Saints defense has so far this season outperformed the Saints offense, keeping the Saints in the game long enough for the offense to find their groove.

Finally, the Saints have had more luck on the ground despite struggling with injuries to their featured backs. The young, hard running Chris Ivory has curbed his former fumblitis and is a lock to remain on the roster and given opportunities to contribute after running backs Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas return. Fellow b-sstringers Jones and Ladell Betts have also helped take some of the load off of Ivory, thought their tenure with the team is less certain.

The Carolina game proved that the Saints deserve to once again be considered one of the top teams in the conference despite trailing behind Atlanta and remain in the hunt for a playoff spot, their division and a coveted first-round bye.

Week Nine Preview: Saints Travel to Charlotte, But Which Team Shows Up?

2010-11-04T21:28:00.000-07:00

Oh hell…the Saints are playing an awful team on Sunday.

Seriously, the New Orleans Saints have had somewhat of a schizo season thus far, beating what was arguably the best team in the NFL on Halloween night after having dropped two “easy” games to third-ranked teams.

And if the Saints struggle against struggling teams, then they might be in trouble against the 1-6 Carolina Panthers.

Historically, the Black and Gold have never had a lot of success against the Cats. After picking up a win against them in the Superdome this season, the Saints are now 14-17 all-time against one of the NFL’s newer teams.

But even a jinxed Saints team would have to commit a lot of mistakes to lose to the Panthers. Even on the road.

In fact, to paraphrase a certain high school math teacher who reveled in his reputation as having an easy class, the Saints would have to almost work to fail.

The Panthers, led by quarterback Matt Moore who has thrown two picks for every one touchdown, are offensively sleeping with the catfishes. They’re last in scoring with an average of 12.1 points per game and also dead last in yards per game, 251.4, almost equally bad on the ground (31st with 85.6 yards) as they are at passing (28th with 165.9 yards).

The Saints’ defense, 8th in the league in points (18.5), 3rd in yards (287.2), 3rd in passing yards and 16th in rushing yards (108.6) allowed, should be able to contain the Panthers’ offense without too much trouble, especially with starting cornerbacks Tracy Porter and Jabari Greer expected to return, replenishing the team’s badly depleted secondary.

The Saints offense might have running back Reggie Bush back in the lineup, though that has not been determined. Bush has practiced on a limited basis this week and with the Saints facing a weak opponent this weekend and a having a bye the next, Bush’s immediate return isn’t as pressing.

The Saints offense has enjoyed somewhat of a comeback, starting against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and then reappearing in the second-half in last week’s game against the defensively potent Pittsburgh Steelers. The Black and Gold offense is 17th in points scored per game (20.9), 9th in yards (365.1) having more success with the pass (5th in the league with 280.4 yards) than they have had with their battered running back corps (29th in the NFL with 85.8 yards per game).

Granted the rushing numbers are going to look bad after facing the Steelers, who excel at stopping opposing team’s running games.

The Carolina defense has performed better than their offense. They’ve allowed 21.4 points per game (18th) and have allowed the 4th fewest overall yards (301.7) and passing yards (182.7). However, the Panthers defense has been relative porous against the run, (21st in the NFL, allowing 119 rushing yards per game). Their defense is 25th in the league in quarterback sacks with 11 and is 6th in interceptions with 10.

Unfortunately for the Saints, as the stats show, their running game isn’t the same it was last year, especially since most of the people who ran the ball in 2009 have spent most of the season sitting on the bench.

Running back Chris Ivory will have another opportunity to shine in Carolina, much like he did in Tampa Bay while quarterback Drew Brees needs to play with more composure than he did against the Arizona Cardinals and Cleveland Browns. When things are going bad, Brees needs to be patient and not compound problems.

At 5-3, the Saints have one of the better records in their conference and if the playoffs started tomorrow, the Black and Gold would be the lowest seed wild card. A Saints win in Carolina would advance them to second in their division since the two teams ahead of them in the NFC South, Atlanta and Tampa Bay, face each other this weekend.

As the Dirty Birds currently have the tie-breaker over the Saints, a Buccaneer win would go a long way to helping the Black and Gold’s chances of winning their division. A loss by Carolina would put them in a hole they probably cannot climb out of regarding their post-season chances and head coach John Fox’s odds of returning to the Panthers next season.

The Saints are the better team and only self-inflicted wounds would tip the balance to the Panthers, even in the mild confines of Bank of America Stadium.

What Says Vegas?

First, let me apologize to anyone who has been taking gambling advice from me. Granted, free safety Darren Sharper’s hands saved last week’s game, but that’s how the ball bounces.
USA Today oddsmaker Danny Sheridan has the Saints as a 6.5 point favorite. The Saints are capable of winning the game by a touchdown and a field goal, but if you lay some money down and things don’t work out (as they haven’t on most of my predictions), don’t send me the bill. That said, give the 6.5…at your own risk.

Week Eight Review: Saints' D Puts the Gris Gris on the Steelers

2010-10-31T22:54:00.000-07:00

Free safety Darren Sharper’s hands were once again the salvation for the New Orleans Saints as number 42 recovered a Steelers’ fumble in Saints territory in the 4th quarter that set up eight plays later a touchdown pass from quarterback Drew Brees to wide receiver Lance Moore.

If last weekend’s defeat was the one none of the pre-season prognosticators projected than this was the win nobody predicted.

Facing arguably the best team in the NFL, the Saints offense put up 20 points while the defense played strong with the exception of only one Steeler drive as the 2010 Super Bowl champions defeated the 2009 Super Bowl champions.

As expected, the toughest run defense in the league bottled up the Saints ground game though eventually Brees found his receivers in the second half. Brees was picked once and sacked twice, including a lost fumble that kept the Steelers in the game. The Saints quarterback completed 34 of 44 passes for 305 yards, two touchdowns and an INT.

Most importantly, Brees didn’t compound his frustration as he did against Arizona and Cleveland and outlasted the Steeler defense.

And since his misses tend to get a lot of attention, it should be noted that kicker Garrett Hartley was perfect, booting two field goals and two extra point conversions.

But the story was the defense.

Though not the ballhawks they were last season, the Saints defense has done a better job frustrating offenses. Perhaps their finest moment of the night was a goal line stance that came about after Saints head coach Sean Payton challenged a Steeler touchdown in the first half.

The Saints defense also got to Steeler quarterback Ben Rothlisberger, sacking him three times and picking him off to ice the game in the fourth quarter.

Though the win doesn’t have same “playoff’ value as a victory over a division or conference opponent, beating the Steelers is a tremendous boost to the team and fans’ morale as the Saints remain in the playoff hunt.

Costume Report

New Orleans got another win on Sunday night as the folks from Guinness World Records were on hand to determine whether the nationally televised game would achieve record status as the largest Halloween costume party. Both New Orleans and Pittsburgh fans showed up in costumes and masks to set the new record.

Some of the costumes seen at the game included a legion of young women dressed as sexy referees, a flock of Colonel Sanderses, a conquistador, Ike Turner, a graveyard’s worth of zombies and voodoo figures, a family of Super Mario Brothers and the usual decked out fans who go to every home Saints game in garb.

Happy Birthday!

November 1st marks the anniversary of the birth of the New Orleans Saints, when NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle announced that the Crescent City was awarded an expansion franchise in the Pontchartrain Hotel on All Saints Day of 1966.

Week Eight Preview: Saints Face Scariest Opponent of the Season

2010-10-31T09:25:00.000-07:00

The New Orleans Saints will face what is arguably their toughest opponent of the 2010 NFL regular season when the Pittsburgh Steelers take to the field-turf on Halloween night.

The Steelers are number one in ESPN and Fox Sports' Power Rankings and second behind the New York Jets in CBS Sports'. And while these arbitrary assessments tend to shift on a weekly basis, they do reflect what the currently reality is: the Steelers are the team to beat.

The Steelers offense improved with the return of two-time Super Bowl champion quarterback and league enfant terrible Ben Roethlisberger from his suspension. In the two games he's played in the 2010 season, Big Ben has thrown five touchdowns and an interception.

And though their offense's stats are not overly impressive, largely due to Roethlisberger's MIA status, the Steelers have done well on the ground, ranking 11th in the NFL in yards per game (118.8). It's their defense that has them on top of the league: 1st in fewest points allowed, 1st against the run and 4th in yards allowed per game. Their only weakness, relatively speaking, has been against the pass, 24th overall surrending 235.7 yards per game. And bear in mind that number is high because opposing teams HAVE TO throw against them as their run defense is too tough.

Expect to see Saints quarterback Drew Brees passing a lot on Sunday night, especially since the Saints' two top running backs, Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas, are still out with injuries.

The fate of the Saints' hopes to turn the spiraling season around in what is billed to be the world's largest costume party will be on the offensive line: can they keep the Steeler defense away from Brees? So far this season, the O-line has played like the NO-line.

Vegas Says...

USA Today oddsmaker Danny Sheridan has the Saints...please don't spit up your coffee...as a one point favorite. Either the boys in Vegas know something I don't or they're just trying to stimulate the economy by putting more money in the hands of the wagering class.

Take the point and start thumbing through Christmas ads.

Week Seven Review: Browns (and Yellows) Humiliate Saints

2010-10-25T05:38:00.000-07:00

On Sunday afternoon the Brees Dream Foundation made their most substantial contribution to the less fortunate, as the Saints quarterback “donated” four…FOUR…that’s FOUR interceptions to the downtrodden Cleveland Browns.

The only good things I could say about the game is that it was nice seeing free safety Darren Sharper finally back on the field, Garrett Hartley made all of his point kicks and running back Chris Ivory didn’t fumble the ball.

Everything else was awful. Unless you were an ex-Saint.

Ex-Saints linebacker Scott Fujita played better against his former team than he did while with them, leading his team in tackles and snagging a pick and a sack. Practicing an entire year against the Black and Gold’s o-line gave the most educated man in the NFL excellent preparation for the match-up, knowing the playbook and most importantly the players.

The Saints offense choked when it mattered and the special teams unit looked like a mark playing three-card monte, biting on a clever and brilliantly executed “lateral” en route to a 62 yard return and then falling for a fake punt that resulted in a 68 yard gain.

Sure the Browns used a lot of gimmick plays, but that’s what they thought it was take to defeat the defending world champions. And to their credit, the Browns pulled them off flawlessly…perhaps with the admiration of coach Sean Payton.

In addition to the Brees interceptions, penalties also helped the Saints dig their own grave, calling back a Lance Moore touchdown reception while giving the Browns better field position.

While the win made the Browns’ season (as Bobby Hebert pointed in his pregame comments, Cleveland had defeated the two previous Super Bowl champions, with the Saints being their third straight victory), the loss may very well have marked the end of the words “two dat” in the local lexicon.

The Saints have now as many losses in week seven than they had during the entire 2009 regular season. And it’s only going to get harder.

The Saints face what is arguably the best team in football on Halloween night when they take on the Pittsburgh Steelers. Add to that a trip to the Palace in Dallas on Thanksgiving Day and December road trips to Atlanta, Baltimore and Cincinnati.

And the Saints don’t do well in cold weather away games.
I’ll defer to coach Jim Mora all questions related to the Black and Gold’s chances to making it to the post-season.

Week Seven Preview: Saints Host Fujita, Browns

2010-10-23T12:18:00.000-07:00

The New Orleans Saints welcome to the Louisiana Superdome the very team that Head Coach Sean Payton defeated to mark the beginning of a new era of Black and Gold football in 2006 when the constantly struggling Cleveland Browns take on the defending world champions on Sunday afternoon.

Most significantly the Saints will face an old friend who had a lot to do with the re-establishment of the New Orleans franchise in linebacker Scott Fujita.

Fujita, who was the first free agent to sign with the post-Katrina Saints and has made the promotion of adoption and restoring Louisiana's fragile wetlands pet causes that he did not leave behind before heading to northern Ohio, has had a great season thus far with the Browns, in addition to the lucrative contract he inked with the team after the Saints didn't show matching interest in retaining his services.

In six games in the 2010 season, Fujita has blocked a field goal, forced a fumble and sacked opposing quarterbacks 2.5 times. In contrast, Fujita, who played in a 4-3 scheme with the Saints but now plays in a 3-4 in Cleveland, hasn't racked up that many sacks since 2007.

While the Saints have had some instability in their linebacker corps thus far this season due to injuries, it would be hard to argue with Saints general manager Mickey Loomis and coach Payton's decision to go in a younger, cheaper direction. Also Fujita brings leadership qualities more in demand in Cleveland than Nola.

In the long run the Saints, the Browns and Fujita are all better off for the move.

Expect fans to give him the welcome and love he deserves on Sunday.

Game Breakdown

Thanks in large part to running back Chris Ivory, the Saints offense has finally started to resemble their previous high-powered selves in last week's road trip to Tampa.

The Saints offense is now 13th in the league in points scored per game (21.7) but 8th in total yards (368.2), the disparity being due to red zone struggles, turnovers and missed field goals. Quarterback Drew Brees has brought the Saints to 5th in passing yards (269.8) and Ivory has almost single-handedly breathed new life to the running game, in which the Saints now rank 21st, after previously being near the bottom of the league a few weeks ago. The offensive line has contributed significantly to both the passing and running improvements.

The Browns might be the weakest team on the schedule, next to last in the NFL in points scored per game (14.7) and 23rd in overall yards (305.7). The Browns running game is about as mediocre as their revolving door passing game. The same applies to their defense. The defense has allowed 20.8 points per game, which is 17th in the NFL.

The Saints defense has been one of the consistent bright spots for the team, improving greatly against the run. The are 8th in points allowed (18 per game), 7th in overall yards allowed (301.5), 7th against the pass (195.5) and 15th (106 yards per game- which is progress). The Saints defense also hasn't been as victimized against the big run as they were last year.

If the Saints have trouble winning this game, then there's something wrong. They're at home and they've proven to themselves that they can play at the high level on both sides of the ball last week. Expect rookie quarterback Colt McCoy, number three for their team in this early part of the season, to play with poise and to make safe throws.

The Arizona Cardinals game proved that being fresh doesn't mean a game is a lock.

What Say the Numbers Man?

USA Today oddsmaker Danny Sheridan has the Saints as a 13.5 favorite. After finally beating the spread in game 6 and the Browns lackluster play in 2010, the Saints should easily win by a minimum of two touchdowns so long as they don't cough the ball up....much. That's on you Mr. Ivory.

Joe Horn Joins Saints' Hall; Brooks Makes Surprise Appearance

2010-10-22T17:29:00.000-07:00

Hollywood was back down south on Friday afternoon as retired wide receiver Joe Horn, one of the most accomplished players with the New Orleans Saints, was inducted into his former team's Hall of Fame.

The ceremony, held at the Landmark Hotel in Metairie, marked the return of the passionate and talented playmaker whose leaping catches and fancy footwork bedeviled opposing defensive backs.

Prior to saying his piece, Horn's father-in-law, a church deacon, shared with the assembled a story of Horn's well-known generosity, once selling his primary means of transportation to a church for fifty cents.

Though quite the talker on the field, Horn delivered a relatively brief speech praising his family, friends and God for the blessings that allowed him to excel on the gridiron. Horn also had some words for Saints owner Tom Benson, who also sat on the dais. While acknowledging previous hard feelings between him and the Saints organization related to his release from the team in 2007, Horn offered thanks and praise for Benson for the years he spent with the team.

Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis, the official who cut Horn, also attended the luncheon.

While a number of Saints luminaries and team hall inductees were on hand, two of Horn's longtime Saints teammates were present, retired kick returner and Saints ambassador Michael Lewis and ex-Saints quarterback Aaron Brooks. Brooks's appearance was a surprise to both Horn and the Saints Hall of Fame administrators, who hastily set up another chair on the dais for the quarterback and his primary receiver to be joined together one last time.

Horn expressed his appreciation for Brooks's presence durig his induction address. Horn didn't know Brooks was present until he ran into him in the hotel lobby. Upon seeing Horn, Brooks, who now lives in Virginia, said that he wanted to be there for his receiver's big day.

Horn also expressed his deep gratitude to Saints fans, even commenting on the opinion of more than a few that he should have received one of the 2009 team's Super Bowl rings. While he appreciated their thoughts, Horn said it would be inappropriate for him to have that honor as those who received the coveted diamond rings from the 2009 team earned them.

At the conclusion of Horn's comments, the portrait of him that will hang in the Saints Hall of Fame was unveiled, a close-up of Horn with an intense expression wearing a Saints helmet. Horn stuck around at the end of the festivities to sign autographs and pose for pictures with his numerous fans.

Also honored on Friday were longtime Saints equipment managers Dan "Chief" Simmons and Silky Powell, who received the Joe Gemelli "Fleur de Lis Award" for dedication to the organization. In tribute to both of these veteran employees of the team, former players that were present quickly stood up in unison and loudly applauded when Simmons and Powell were recognized.

Week Six Review: Saints Silence Bucs' Guns

2010-10-17T19:00:00.000-07:00

On what I figure to be the north end zone in Raymond James Stadium is a mock pirate ship that the Tampa Bay organization rents to corporate sponsors. According to a staffer at the stadium, there really isn't anything inside of it. Just a place for people to hang out, throw Mardi Gras beads (how original) and blast t-shirts from a launcher.

There's also a cannon that fires every time the Buccaneers score.

On Sunday, the Saints largely silenced the Bucs' guns as the Black and Gold offense stayed on the field and the defense (aided by two Buccaneer missed field goals) kept the home team in check.

Though not nearly as opportunistic as last season's ball-hawk secondary, the 2010 Saints defense has improved greatly in stopping the run, though they haven't made much progress in terms of sacking opposing quarterbacks.

The Black and Gold offense started to finally resemble the powerhouse squad that wowed the league under head coach Sean Payton and quarterback Drew Brees, scoring the most points of the 2010 regular season and combined with the defense's play, finally covered the spread.

But the real star of the game was undrafted rookie running back Chris Ivory, who went from practice squad potential to starting running back as the next four people ahead of him went down with injuries starting with the first pre-season road trip.

Ivory racked up an amazing 158 yards on the ground on 15 carries, including a long of 33 yards.

But the day was not all roses for the unheralded, yet now much loved Tiffin product. Ivory coughed up the ball on a fumble for the third time in four games. Fortunately the ball went out of bounds and the Saints did not lose possession.

Despite his challenges with ball control, the quick yet hard-running Ivory is a shoo-in to remain on the 53-man roster when fellow running backs Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush return to good health. However, a good run is quickly negated by a fumble and his shaky hands don't inspire a whole of confidence in key situations.

A player whose job appeared secure going into this game was kicker Garrett Hartley, who had spent the past two games in "Time-Out" as veteran kicker John Carney returned to the team to temporarily assume field goal and extra point duties.

After making a 27-yard field goal in the second quarter, Hartley missed wide-left a 33 yard field goal. He made all of his extra-point attempts, which there were many thanks to Brees finding the end zone three times.

The Saints did themselves a huge favor with the big win, even if against a subpar team....after all didn't the Saints lose to a sub-par team the week before?

The Black and Gold now has the same record as the Dirty Birds in the NFC South, though Atlanta has the tie-breaker until the Saints get a chance to even things on Monday Night Football after Christmas.

Conference wins are big; divisional wins are critical. Hopefully this was the game that helps set the tone for establishing the type of play for the remainder of the season.

Week Six Preview: Saints Try to Salvage Season in Tampa

2010-10-14T21:58:00.000-07:00

Two phrases Saints fans haven’t been shouting much lately are “Who Dat” and “Two Dat”.

The former because the hated division rival Atlanta Falcons was the first to “beat dem Saints” and last week’s loss to the not-so-good Arizona Cardinals have given fans and the Saints organization a harsh reality check.

The Saints find themselves in a tough spot to achieve the unprecedented by repeating as winners of their division let alone doubling their Lombardi Trophy collection.

If the defending world champion Saints can fall to a rookie quarterback starting an NFL game for the first time in his life, who can’t beat the Saints?

In the Dome Patrol days, the joke was that the defense would ask the lackluster offense to just score a dozen or so points and they would take care of the rest.

Under the Sean Payton era, the turbo-charged offense has been the team’s strongpoint. But that hasn’t been the case in the 2010 season.

The offense’s red-zone frustration from either a failure to score touchdowns or score at all due to an inconsistent kicking game has plagued the team. The Saints defense, while not being the ball hawks they were last season, has held opponents to an average of 20.4 points, well below the scoring capacity of past Drew Brews-led offenses.

Regrettably for the Saints, their offense has yet to score more than 25 points so far in 2010 and I must once again mention their biggest margin of victory was the five points that separated them from the Minnesota Vikings in the NFL’s opener.

Injuries have taken their toll as the Saints have to rely on scrubs for the running game and their 2010 first round draft pick to play more than probably anticipated.

But mistakes of all varieties have cost the team dearly, whether it be poor clock management, play calling, drops, ball handling, penalties and throws.

The NFC South third-place Saints will travel to Raymond James Stadium this weekend to take on the division’s second-place Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Hopefully the Black and Gold defense will keep that ridiculous pirate ship’s cannon discharges at an absolute minimum. I think they even fire it when the Bucs get a first down.

Though they handed the Saints their second loss of the season last year, the New Orleans organization has had a lot of success against Tampa. The Saints have led the series between the two teams since 1984, which currently stands at 21-15. For many many seasons, Tampa was the only team the Saints had a winning record against.

The weather is supposed to be gorgeous on Sunday, in total contrast to the tropical depression that drenched the fans and added to the Saints misery in 2008.

The Buccaneer offense isn’t any great shakes as a friend of mine in Jersey would say.

They’re 21st in points per game (18.5), 21st in total yards (313.8) and equally mediocre on the ground (18th -103.5 yards per game) as they are in the air (19th –210.2 yards per game).

Quarterback Josh Freeman isn’t likely to be starting anyone’s fantasy team, having thrown five touchdowns and three interceptions. Freeman has been sacked nine times.

But Freeman is a threat with his legs. The quarterback is the team’s second-best rusher with 112 yards, averaging 7.5 per scramble. As the Saints defense has not had much success chasing after a running quarterback, expect to see a lot of our front seven lunging in the dust of his cleats.

The defense, which the team invested heavily in during the 2010 draft picking two defensive tackles within the first 35 selections, has played better than the offense. The Bucs defense has picked off opponents 9 times already though have only four quarterback sacks. Brees is going to have to through carefully against the Buccaneer secondary, which means his offensive line needs to step up to buy #9 some time,

The Buccaneer defense has been weak against the run but then again, the Saints have been weak on the run.

If Brees can avoid being picked off multiple times, the Saints should be able to win. Otherwise it will be a replay of the Arizona game. The Saints’ defense has shown this season that they are up to the task of containing Tampa’s low-grade offense.

What Are the Numbers?

USA Today oddsmaker Danny Sheridan gives the Saints a four point edge. My first inclination would have been to make I would have make the Bucs a 3.5 favorite. Just as the 2008 road trip to Tampa provided Payton with the epiphany that he needed to back off the pass for the next season, perhaps this visit to Florida’s west coast will be where the Saints finally rid themselves of the gris-gris that’s been hanging over their helmets.

If the Saints win, they’ll probably win by more than four. Bad luck haunted them last week as the offense gave away a game the defense had mostly kept them in. As analysts wiser than me in this realm seem to believe the Black and Gold has gotten their act together, I say take the chalk.

But be forewarned: I have thrown a lot of good money trying to get bad cars fixed in the past. Bottom line is we will know what kind of team the Saints are after this weekend, for better or for worse.

Week Five Review: Plucked

2010-10-10T22:14:00.000-07:00

Well Dat sucked.

Let's see: reckless quarterbacking, bad coaching, poor time management. Miscommunication. Failure to execute. Sounds like a summary of an LSU win but wait, it's the story of a New Orleans Saints loss.

In a game against an awful opponent, Sean Payton's team once again played up to the level of its competition proving that they could play every bit as terrible as the Arizona Cardinals and then some.

The Cardinal is passerine bird, more commonly known as a songbird, but the ones in the University of Phoenix Stadium proved to be more like raptors forcing four turnovers, which in the end decided the contest.

Sure it's only the 5th game of the season. Sure the Saints have a lot of players hurt. And yes it was very loud in the stadium. But in these past five games I've seen a sputtering offense that has had to rely on a defense playing above their talent.

This is the same kind of play their fans have been subjected to five weeks in a row. I'll become an optimist when I see a different Black and Gold team take the field.
Apparently the boys in Vegas had the Saints sized up just right.

Against one of the worst defenses in the NFL, the Saints racked up a total of 358 yards of offense. And the Cardinals D had the distinction of picking Brees off three times and recovering a Ladell Betts fumble. Considering he was starting the first game of his professional career, rookie quarterback Max Hall performed adequately, completing 17 of 27 passes for 168 yards and one interception.

The one good thing that came out of the game for the Saints was their defense's performance against the run. The Saints held the Cardinals to a grand total of 41 yards on the ground, the area one would have thought Arizona would have victimized the Saints the most.

Special teams coverage was poor as well. Cardinals kick returner LaRod Stephens-Howling (what is it with these law firm named players?) had two big returns, one for 60 yards and another for 50 yards.

The defense cannot be blamed for this one as it was the offense that committed suicide by shooting themselves with a gatling gun. The aforementioned three INTs and fumble, the missed field goal, the dropped passes, bad communication on the field, bad clock management and settling for field goals...pardon...field goal attempts in lieu of touchdowns.

And the sad irony is that the Saints had a shot to come back in the final minute of the game thanks to an Arizona mistake. But the Cardinals never really suffered for their errors.

Next Sunday the NFC South's "third team" Black and Gold could dig themselves even deeper when they face divisional rival Tampa Bay at Raymond James Stadium.

A loss there would give the Saints their second loss in the division and would make snatching a wild card bid their most likely entree into the playoffs.

The S.S. Two Dat is taking on water quick. The Saints need to figure out soon what is holding them back. Judging by the close margins they have managed to eke out wins by, it appears their opponents have.

Note of Recognition: Saints Fans

The Black and Gold faithful showed up in numbers and to their credit stayed to the bitter end of a miserable game at time when being present at University of Phoenix Stadium was like being in the middle of a prison riot in the wrong uniform. Kudos to the Saints fans who made the trip and stood by the team until Brees took the knee.

Week Five Preview: Saints @ Cardinals

2010-10-07T17:58:00.000-07:00

The Black and Gold could not have made it to the soft quarter of their schedule (at least relatively speaking) at a better time as the roster looks like a MASH unit.

Reserve safety and Super Bowl on-side kick hero Chris Reis is out for the season.

Starting cornerback and Super Bowl INT hero Tracy Porter is out for two to four weeks with a knee injury.

Running back Reggie Bush is going to be out for several more games and starting running back Pierre Thomas did not practice on Thursday, nursing an ankle injury. Also not practicing was starting defensive end Will Smith, who may not play on Sunday.

While the Arizona Cardinals are 2-2 and are atop the NFC West (Worst?), nobody is projecting them to be in contention for a trip to the Super Bowl. The Cardinals two wins came against bottom of the barrel teams: the Oakland Raiders and the Saint Louis Rams and both games were close.

Their losses, however, were spectacular surrendering 41 points to both Atlanta and San Diego.

Their division might as well be determined by a raffle drawing. The winless San Francisco Forty-Niners still have enough space on the schedule to win the division.

The red birds have not known stability this season. After future hall of fame quarterback Kurt Warner retired after the Saints eliminated his team from the playoffs last season, back-up Matt Leinart was expected to step up and be their quarterback of the future.

Unfortunately for both, the future wasn't very long.

The Cardinals organization cut the former first round draft pick before setting their 53-man roster on the eve of regular season play. Rookie quarterback Max Hall will start for the first time in a regular season game on Sunday. Hall threw 14 passes against the San Diego Chargers last weekend, connecting on 8 and was picked off once.

The Arizona offense is ranked 29th in the league in points per game (14.5), 31st in yards (251.5 per game) faring better on the ground with an average of 99 yards per game (18th in the league) but struggling in the air with an average of 152.5 passing yards per game (29th in the NFL).

With their passing game far from set, expect the Cardinals to try to exploit the Saints' 26th ranked run-defense (giving up an average of 138.2 yards on the ground).

The Saints offense SHOULD have a field day against the oft-victimized Arizona defense. Their D is 31st in points allowed (29.5 per game), 29th in overall yards (388 average) proving weaker against the run (154.8 yards per game- 30th in the NFL) than against the pass (233.2 through the air- 23rd in the league).

The bad news for the Saints is that their rushing attack , which hasn't done much this season, is largely riding the pine. The Saints are 30th in the NFL on the ground, rushing for 73.2 yards per game while quarterback Drew Brees's aerial show ranks 5th, throwing for an average of 270.8 yards per game.

Thus far this season, the Saints have won ugly. Even though they're on the road, here is the team's best opportunity to light the board up offensively while their defense will be challenged mostly on the ground.

This game could also be an important milestone for Saints running back Chris Ivory as either the contest that solidifies his standing with the team or the place where chronic fumblitis marks the beginning of the end of his time in a black and gold uniform.

In other words, the Saints shouldn't be winning this game off of John Carney's foot.

What Say the Boys in Vegas?

USA Today oddsmaker Danny Sheridan has chalked the Saints as 6.5 favorites. If the Saints cover, it'll mark their largest margin of victory for the season. The low spread could be because of the battered defense and their questionable running game. Also the Saints tend to play at the level of their competition- remember the close shaves against the Washington Redskins and Saint Louis Rams last season? But I'm a believer this week. Give the points. Saints should win by double-digits.

Will the Sun Roof Be Open?

Head coach Sean Payton confidently predicted that the roof at University of Phoenix Stadium will be closed during his Thursday post-practice interview.

Brees Advances to Second on Saints’ All-Time Passing List

2010-10-06T18:39:00.000-07:00

Largely lost in the team’s narrow escape from the claws of the Carolina Panthers last Sunday was New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees supplanting former Black and Gold quarterback Aaron Brooks on the franchise’s record books.

Brees was a mere 2 yards shy before the Saints hosted the Panthers.

Brees passed for 275 yards against the Cats, bringing his season passing yards total to 1,131. Brees’s career total in four and one-quarter seasons with the Saints is 19,429.

Brees trails Saints all-time leading passer Archie Manning by 2,305 yards. Assuming Brees remains healthy throughout the season and continues his current pace, number nine should set a new mark before the end of the year.

Not that the 2010 Super Bowl MVP doesn’t already have the distinction of being the Saints’ greatest quarterback ever.

Brees is already the organization’s all-time leader in touchdown passes, a continually increasing record that stands as of this moment at 129.

First Quarter Review: Disappointing Success

2010-10-05T17:53:00.000-07:00

Is there such a thing as a bad 3-1 start in the NFL?

After all, the New Orleans Saints have the same record as three other teams at the top of their conference.

The organization has started the first quarter of a season with at least 3 wins on nine other occasions in the 43 years they’ve taken the field.

Yet in those nine quick start seasons, they made the playoffs only three times.

Or put another way, the Saints have had trouble “finishing strong” for most of its history.

And though the Black and Gold has the same record as the Atlanta Falcons, the Saints are staring at red and black tail feathers as the Dirty Birds have temporary ownership of the tiebreaker.

While panning for nuggets of good news, it should be noted that the Saints have managed to win the close ones, the same contests that bedeviled head coach Sean Payton’s squad in the 2008 season.

Unfortunately, they’ve all be close games. Luck has had as much to do with the team’s relative success as their offense, which went from being the league’s most prolific to being as potent as a 90 year old patron of the Chicken Ranch.

The Saints have not beaten the spread in 2010 with their largest margin of victory coming in the NFL kickoff game against the Minnesota Vikings, which was decided by 5 points thanks to kicker Garrett Hartley.

In points scored/allowed, the Saints are a net +7 in which Drew Brees’s offense has scored fewer points than the winless Detroit Lions. The team’s ground game is lacking as well, standing at 30th in rushing yards- in glaring contrast to last season where the team hovered in the neighborhood of the top five in running.

The offense has been bailed out thus far by their stretched-thin defense. The defense has been somewhat stingy in the first four games ranking 13th in points allowed per game (18) and 11th in defending the pass. However, the team continues to struggle against opposing team running backs as the Saints defense has given up an average of 138 per game, ranking them 26th in the NFL.

Those kind of numbers are only going to further encourage opponents to keep the ball on the ground and out of the grasp of the Saints’ ball-thieving secondary.

After a relatively rough start, the Saints will have ample opportunity to finally get the kinks out. The team’s first quarter is amongst the toughest on their schedule until the final quarter; their second quarter is the softest.

Fumbles, dropped passes, missed field goals and subpar pass protection and run blocking need to be addressed and fixed during the second quarter, where the Saints take on the Arizona Cardinals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cleveland Browns before hosting their toughest opponent of the period, the Pittsburgh Steelers, on Halloween night.

They say offense wins games and defense wins championships.

Add to that saying, luck wins a wild card berth.

If the defending champions don’t improve their play, the Saints better pack their long johns if they some how make it to the post-season, because they won’t be playing in the rowdy confines of the Louisiana Superdome.

Week Four Preview: Saints Host the Panthers

2010-09-30T23:41:00.001-07:00

As this is election season (my other passion aside from Saints football), this preview is a bit abbreviated….kind of like the Saints’ offense as of late.

Amazingly enough the boys in Vegas had the Saints as a 15 point favorite at one time. USA Today oddsmaker Danny Sheridan has the Black and Gold giving the Panthers 13.5, a sign that the money is moving to Carolina. I would feel a lot more comfortable giving the 15 points, though a shy under two TDs and two extra points might also be a safe proposition.

I know the Panthers are awful and they are in the early stages of rebuilding and they have a quarterback controversy…or something along those lines.

But how about this for a reality check: the New Orleans Saints offense, the turbo-charged big playmakers of the past four seasons, haven’t scored more than 25 points this season and their two wins were by margins of 5 and 3. Granted all three of Carolina’s losses/games played were by 13 points (an unlucky coincidence for soon to be departing head coach John Fox).

The Saints found ways to lose to Atlanta and needed lucky breaks out of the boardgame Mousetrap to slip past the San Francisco Forty-Niners. And while the Saints don’t have a quarterback controversy, they do have a kicker controversy.

The Saints offensive line have not provided quarterback Drew Brees with the protection he needs to launch the ball, his receivers (Lance Moore and Jeremy Shockey excluded) have been suffering with a case of the “Deverys” and the running back corps has been decimated by injuries.

The defense has not had much success stopping the run and have not broken through to opposing quarterbacks regularly.

A winning record might be accomplished through some very ugly wins in this season.

Though the Carolina franchise is only 15 years old, they’ve compiled a winning record against the Saints in 30 contests. Saints head coach Sean Payton has only 2 wins against the Panthers.

Expect the Panthers to test the Saints’ front seven on the ground, though the Saints offensive line should have some success keeping the Panthers off of Brees now that Julius Peppers is in Chicago. Though he had some touches last weekend, including an unfortunate fumble, rookie running back will see a lot of action if only be default. Kicker Garrett Hartley isn’t the only player on the bubble right now and the Saints front office will drop Ivory from the roster before Hartley.

Ivory made the best of the opportunities that fell his way in training camp when players ahead of him went down with season ending injuries. Here’s the undrafted rookie free agent’s chance to parlay those breaks into something.

While the Panthers are desperate for a win, the Saints are desperate not to lose. Dropping another intra-divisional game with the Falcons leading by one would dig a deeper hole for the defending world champions.

However the Panthers could be the softies the Saints could exploit to establish themselves and gain some confidence.

While the Saints should win on Sunday, it could end up being closer than most fans nerves can handle…at least sober.

They Did WHAT?!

2010-09-29T21:08:00.000-07:00

The New Orleans Saints brought back to the fold veteran kicker John Carney to shore up the team’s kicking game, though the move came at great cost.

In order to make room for the oldest active player in the league and the player who has scored the third most points in NFL history, the Black and Gold cut wide receiver Adrian Arrington.

Don’t get me wrong; the Saints needed to do something about 2009 hero/2010 57%er Garrett Hartley, who has missed three of his seven field goal attempts this season, most infamously botching what would have been the game winning field goal against NFC South division rival Atlanta Falcons on Sunday afternoon.

The state of the Saints' kicking game right now is as questionable as it was after the front office’s unwise decision let go Carney after the 2006 season.

Carney reaffiliated with the Saints at the beginning of the 2009 season to sub for the suspended Hartley but ended up remaining on the active roster for a little while after Hartley was allowed to rejoin the team.

When the Saints decided to keep only one kicker on the roster after Week 12, the Saints retained Carney as a kicking consultant for the remainder of the season.

By bringing in Carney, the Saints showed confidence in Hartley. The other kicker the Saints worked out was ex-Houston Texan Kris Brown. If the Saints were interested in making a long-term move on the position, the team would have not signed a 46 year old and would have instead inked the younger player who is out of work because of a bad 2009 season.

The Carney signing is a quick-fix as he is expected to both mentor Hartley and light a fire under the struggling kicker. He is not a replacement, at least at this time.

As referenced in a previous column, big game heroes aren’t assured of job security with the Saints or for that matter any other team in the league. Sentimentalists might not like this reality, but “what can you do for me this week” trumps “what have you done for me last season” in the NFL.

Hopefully Hartley will resolve in the very near future whatever problems that have plagued his ability to perform at a high level.

While I was glad the team brought back the Notre Dame alumn (who’s been somewhat of a good luck charm for the Saints,) I don’t agree with their decision to cut Arrington to make room for Carney.

Though the Saints are loaded with receivers at the present time (though not necessarily with receivers who have consistently caught the ball- Lance Moore excepted!), Arrington was developing into the high-payoff player many fans felt he would become with some time and coaching.

Arrington had a strong pre-season and is a smart player. I’ll be shocked if he clears waivers, though if he does, the Saints should make a point of putting him back on the 53-roster ASAP. He won't be out on the street long.

The Saints risked losing a player with a big upside in the years to come in exchange for a kicker whose affiliation with the team might not make it past the season’s mid-point. Surely there were less attractive players on the roster to temporarily put out on the market than Arrington.

Hartley’s inconsistent kicking will have done more damage than simply costing the franchise a divisional game if the Saints were to lose Arrington to another team.

Week Three Review: Two and D'oh

2010-09-26T20:41:00.000-07:00

Saints fans now know what Niners fans/gang members felt on Monday.

Despite giving the ball up on an interception and a fumble on plays originating in Atlanta Falcon territory and allowing another turnover on a trick play, the New Orleans Saints still almost pulled it off.

Kicker Garrett Hartley's missed field goal attempt to win the game in overtime still didn't eliminate the team's capacity to win.

The Saints last gasp came when Saints head coach Sean Payton uwisely decided to "ice" Atlanta's kicker, whose first try was blocked. After an Atlanta penalty pushed the Dirty Birds back, kicker Matt Bryant still managed to give his team the win and a lead in the NFC South over the defending World Champions.

While it's easy to single out Hartley for the loss, the defeat was a team effort.

The front-seven struggled to put pressure on Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan, who played like his nickname "Matty Ice", cooly keeping his team in the game and picking on Saints' first round draft pick cornerback Patrick Robinson.

The Saints D also couldn't shut down future Hall of Famer/ tight end Tony Gonzalez, who caught 8 passes for 110 yards and a touchdown.

Even the great Drew Brees had a mixed day, having a completion rate of 78%, 3 passing touchdowns and 365 yards in the air, but also notching his first two interceptions of the 2010 regular season, one of them costing the Saints what could have been a game changing touchdown or...dare I speculate...field goal.

Brees wasn't helped by his offensieve line, which gave up two sacks, and failed to provide him with the protection he needed to execute on his usual high level.

In the first Reggie-less game of the season, the Saints ground attack was abysmal, with the team collecting a mere 43 total yards in the rushing department.

While the Saints could have won this game, one might question whether they should have.

The team have played sloppy and the coaching staff hasn't fared better in play calling or clock management. Credit Atlanta had coach Mike Smith for perfectly working the 1st half time to his team's advantage. While the Saints committed errors and costly penalties, the Falcons were nearly flawless in their performance.

It seems the only Saints players who played at a high level on Sunday were wide receiver Lance Moore, tight end Jeremy Shockey and kick returner/gunner Courtney Roby.

You learn more from a loss than a win. That could be the only nugget from this game. In addition to losing to the hated Dirty Birds, Atlanta is largely in the driver's seat for the division. The Saints won't have a chance to even up the head-to-head series until late in December in the Georgia Dome, where the Falcons have won far more often than they have lost in the past two seasons.

The Saints have not played like champions thus far this season, with the offense sputtering and a close to non-existent rushing game.

And while Hartley will always have a Super Bowl championship ring and will be remembered as the player who hit the blankety-blank fleur-de-lis in the conference title game, the kicker needs to settle down and become consistent quick lest he gets dropped off from more than just people's fantasy football teams.

Just ask ex-Saints Brian Milne and Steve Gleason how far their careers with the team were extended by big game heroics.

Though it's still early in the season and there's a lot of football to be played, fans should be cognizant of how the chase for the first seed in the playoffs lasted until Week 16. Atlanta is a solid team with a smart and patient coach.

The Saints now find themselves in a hole and they need to go into their late season rematch at Atlanta with a two game lead in order to be secure in the divisional standings.

Just like the Saints didn't want to have to travel to Minneapolis for the NFC Championship game last season, the Black and Gold don't want to play for the division in the Georgia Dome.

Otherwise, the team will find itself in the all too familiar position of needing other teams to lend them a hand to nail down a wild card spot.

Week 3 Preview: Saints Host the Falcons

2010-09-23T22:23:00.000-07:00

The New Orleans Saints, after a short week that was even shorter since the team didn’t land in Kenner from San Francisco until the next day, will face their archrival on Sunday afternoon when the Atlanta Falcons swoop into the Superdome.

Any game against Atlanta has great meaning to Who Dats, even when the Saints have been eliminated from the playoff picture. Defeating the Dirty Birds has been the shred of solace many Saints fans have clung to during the bad seasons.

But this particular matchup has more meaning than emotion. It could very well be the biggest regular season game the Black and Gold plays in the 2010 season.

Forget the trip to Palace in Dallas on Thanksgiving afternoon. Nevermind the Halloween night face off with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Sunday’s game with the Falcons is last season’s Patriots’ game.

Though the Black and Gold currently lead the Falcons in the NFC South, with the Saints being 2-0 and the Falcons 1-1, the Saints will have an opportunity to extend their lead by 1.5 with a win or slip behind Atlanta by a half-game if they lose.

While the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are also 2-0, their early success THUS FAR has been attributed to facing weak opponents. The Bucs will face their first tough game on Sunday when they host the Steelers on Sunday.

Most people who follow the game recognize that Atlanta is the only team standing in the way of the Saints repeating as NFC South division champions, a feat that has yet to be accomplished by any team in the division.

After losing a close one in overtime at Pittsburgh, the Falcons dominated the Arizona Cardinals in the Georgia Dome blowing out the redbirds 41-7.

Atlanta is a much better team in 2010 than they were in 2009 having made big investments in defense in this years draft, most notably landing linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, a player the Saints coveted, with the 19th overall selection.

In the Arizona game, the Falcons defense snagged three interceptions and Weatherspoon led his team with eight tackles and got one of the Falcons’ two sacks. The Atlanta offense ran all over the Cardinals defense, accumulating 221 yards on the ground. Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan connected on over 66% of his passes for 225 yards and three touchdowns.

The Dirty Birds will not be pushovers.

If the Saints were to drop the game, the Falcons would have a temporary head-up tie-breaker advantage until the two teams meet again, December 27th on Monday Night Football in the Georgia Dome.

The Falcons were 6-2 at home in 2009 and 7-1 in 2008. The Saints do not want to have to play for the division championship in the Georgia Dome two nights after Christmas.

Thus far in the 2010 season, the Saints offense has not been the powerhouse they’ve been in the in recent times. They currently rank 16th in the league in points (19.5), 21st in total yards (297.5), 12th in passing yards (233) and a pitiful 31st in rushing yards (64.5).

Granted the Saints had two difficult opponents, facing the Minnesota Vikings’ potent defensive front seven in the NFL season kickoff and then taking on the San Francisco Forty-Niners in the unfriendly confines of Candlestick Park in a Monday Night Game.

The good side is that the Black and Gold defense has stepped up in a way. They rank 10th in points allowed (15.5) but 23rd in total yards surrendered (335) giving up an average of 218.5 in the air and 116.5 on the ground.

Can the Saints offense finally breakout against an improved Atlanta defense?

Will the Saints’ front seven contain Atlanta’s running game?

Will the Saints ground game finally gain some traction in Week 3 with running back Reggie Bush out?

Can the Saints offensive line give quarterback Drew Brees the protection he needs to connect the long ball with his receiving corps?

Will running backs Ladell Betts and Chris Ivory establish a strong between the tackles ground game?

One other thing worth mentioning: head coach Sean Payton has had a lot of luck against the Falcons. Under Payton’s watch, the Saints have lost to Atlanta only once (2008 in the Georgia Dome). The Falcons haven’t beaten the Saints in the Superdome since 2002, though Atlanta leads the overall series 37-44.

This game might not have the appeal of the Steelers and Cowboy games, the consequences of a loss to the Falcons on Sunday will be greater than any other game until the post-Christmas rematch.

Starting the season 2-1 might not seem like much of a hole, it could later prove to be the difference between securing a first round playoff bye and settling for a wild card spot.

What Say the Boys in Vegas?

USA Today oddsmaker Danny Sheridan favors New Orleans by four. Take the points. I predicted just before the regular season kickoff that Atlanta would continue the revolving state of NFC South division champions and this is the game the Dirty Birds stake their claim. Also the short week won't help the Black and Gold.

Courtney Roby to Appear on Saints Player Show on Thursday

2010-09-22T20:41:00.000-07:00

New Orleans Saints kick returner/kickoff gunner will appear at Hooters in Metairie on Thursday at 6 PM for the weekly Saints Player Show broadcast on WWL 870 AM.

Roby, who also plays wide receiver, is in his seventh year in the NFL and has been with the Saints since 2008. Roby recovered a muffed punt return by San Francisco that set up a Garrett Hartley field goal in last Monday night’s game.

Players participating in the weekly program are generally available for autographs during the hour-long show.

Week Two: The Ugliest Win

2010-09-20T22:43:00.000-07:00

More Saints have been martyred in Candlestick Park than in the Roman Coliseum. Yet on a night when the defending World Champion New Orleans team played before the eyes of the very men (Montana, Lott, Craig, Young and Jerry Rice- whose jersey was retired that evening) who manhandled the Saints in their old NFC West days, it was the San Francisco Forty-Niners who agonizingly gave away a game that they should have won.

It was as if the cleat was on the other foot.

Though Saints quarterback Drew Brees had a decent night, going 28-38 for 254 yards with two touchdowns, the long ball was missing tonight with wide receiver Marques Colston snagging the Black and Gold's longest reception at 30 yards.

Was it the wind? Was it the pressure? Brees's O-Line didn't look like award winners, allowing the signal caller to get sacked twice.

The Saints defense gave up a lot of ground to both running back Frank Gore, who averaged over 5 yards per run and ended the day with 112 rushing yards and a touchdown, and quarterback Alex Smith, who scrambled for 28 yards on 4 carries, The nugget of good news was that the Saints defense didn't give up the dreaded big run from last season, with Gore's longest rush being 20 yards, though the running back was getting it done on a smaller scale.

The Saints front seven didn't do a good job putting pressure on the Niners quarterback. Smith wasn't sacked once in the game and found time to get the ball to his receivers. The defense allowed Smith to march his team from their own 18 yard line to the Saints' end zone in eight plays in less than a minute. Perhaps too efficiently, though that was hardly the plan by the Saints defense.

When considering the numerous mistakes committed by the Niners throughout the game, the turbo-charged Saints offense should have won the game handily. Instead it was nail-biter that went down to the final play.

Running back Pierre Thomas didn't have a good day, running 18 times for 46 yards and no scores. His fellow running back Reggie Bush had a better day statistically but a far worse day overall, leaving the game with a knee injury after trying to recover a botched punt catch.

Saints kicker Garrett Hartley may be the only Saints player satisfied with his effort, going 3-3 on field goals, even if he had some accidental help on the game winner. Hartley, who missed all of his field goal attempts against the Minnesota Vikings season kickoff, had to be relieved to have come out on top and once again been the hero.

Overall the Saints didn't play like a Super Bowl winner. They didn't execute offensively while the defense struggled to force their opponents to punt the ball (three times compared to the Saints punting six).

The Saints did a remarkable job taking away the football, though one could argue that some of those turnovers could be better described as give-aways. Where the Saints came up short was doing something with those "gifts".

In a lot of ways this game resembled last seasons' road contests against the Washington Redskins and Saint Louis Rams, where the better team escaped with a win at the very end. With a short week, the Black and Gold face a big challenge as they host divisional rival Atlanta Falcons, who convincingly won their home game against the Arizona Cardinals 41-7.

I am going to say it now and repeat it Friday: you can forget Dallas, Sunday's showdown with the Falcons is now the most important regular game of the season for the Saints.

There was some good from the game. The Saints pulled in a win in a very hostile environment going 2-0 in consecutive seasons for the first time in franchise history. And I should add the Saints succeeded against a very motivated team looking to avenge their embarassment from last week's game against the Seattle Seahawks and play well before the team's legends.

The Mardi Gras team finally got to rain on Jerry Rice's parade in front of their tormentors from the 80s and 90s. For pre-Haslett-era Who Dats, this win was special.

Secondly, despite being stifled on both sides of the ball, the Saints didn't get flustered and didn't make the mistakes the Niners committed. Brees wasn't picked off once, though he had a close call, and the only time a member of the Black and Gold coughed up the ball, he recovered it.

The Saints kept their cool, were patient and found ways to win- which is precisely what Montana and Young did during those halcyon quarters when it appeared that the Saints were en route to defeating the Niners yet only to finish on the short end of things.

Perhaps the game was an exorcism for the Saints, a violent and intense experience yet finally overcoming the demons of the past (see the aforementioned list of Niner Pro-Bowlers).

Though the win was ugly, the Saints remain first in the division, tied with Tampa Bay (!), which hasn't faced the caliber of opponents the Saints have.

Not to be as effusive as the ESPN radio broadcasters in their post-game assessment of the Forty-Niners, but the team did show resilience in the midst of sloppy play and began to live up to the hype about winning their division this year, even though they start the young sesaon 0-2.

When considering the overall weakness of the division, the Niners have plenty of time to rebound...which makes this win that much more important to the Saints if San Francisco ends up winning the NFC West.

Saints-Niners Preview: Lot of History, But That's in the Past

2010-09-17T11:43:00.000-07:00

For old school Saints fans, there were two red and gold Evil Empires in the eighties: the Soviet Union and the San Francisco Forty-Niners.

While the New Orleans franchise’s longest standing rival are their neighbors to the east in Atlanta, the Saints have an equally long and far less pleasant history with Frisco.

For most of the Saints’ history, they were the Washington Generals to San Francisco’s Harlem Globetrotters, most notably frustrating the Saints’ ambitions to win the NFC West during the Black and Gold’s unprecedented run in 1987.

A common lament amongst Saints fans back in the day was that the team would have attained success had they been in the AFC or just in another division. But that's just a bad excuse. Would Who Dats trade the their one Lombardi Trophy for the Buffalo Bills' numerous Super Bowl appearances? I would think not.

There's a line from Will Ferrell's Talladega Nights that is almost Will Rogers-esque: if you're not first, you're last. If the Saints couldn't beat the Niners in divisional games, why should anyone expect them to have more success in an NFC Championship game or the Super Bowl?

New Orleans' series record against San Francisco isn’t pretty.

The Saints have met their old NFC West divisional opponent on seventy occasions, more than any other team outside of the Falcons, with the Niners winning forty-five times or almost 66% (there were two ties). The Saints never beat the Niners back-to-back until 1978 even though the two teams first played in the Black and Gold’s inaugural season in 1967.

Under the NFL’s current scheduling it would take the Saints an estimated forty-four years of consecutive wins against the Niners to even the series.

But the era of Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and Ronnie Lott are long gone from Candlestick. Just as the 2010 defending World Champion New Orleans team isn’t your daddy’s Saints nor do the 2010 San Francisco squad remotely resemble the team that tortured Saints fans twice a season.

San Francisco was embarrassed last week against the Seattle Seahawks, under ex-USC coach Pete Carroll, losing 6-31. 2010 is supposed to be the comeback season for the Niners, who were expected to contend in a division where every team could be described as being in a rebuilding mode. Yet from early appearances, San Francisco still has some work to do.

San Francisco quarterback Alex Smith made the Seattle defense look good, as the signal caller was picked off twice and running back Frank Gore was held to a paltry 38 yards on the ground.

The Drew Brees-led Saints will be facing shadows of what was once the greatest team in the NFL, though that's not to say it will be a cake-walk.

The Niners will be playing with some motivation. San Francisco great and recent Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Jerry Rice (the greatest receiver in the game) will have his jsersey retired at the game and the Forty-Niners could have no better opportunity than to defeat the Super Bowl champions to reassure their fans that they are for real.

Besides the talented Gore, who will test the Saints’ defensive front-seven, San Francisco has one of the best tight ends in the game with Vernon Davis.

The Saints offense doubtlessly would like to demonstrate against a less challenging defense than the Minnesota Vikings that they should once again be considered the tops in the league after being limited to two touchdowns last Thursday night.

The key for the Niners will be forcing turnovers and converting them into points. Windy conditions at Candlestick will also go a long way towards grounding Brees' aerial circus offense.

And What Say the Boys in Vegas?

USA Today oddsmaker Danny Sheridan favors the Saints by 5.5. Even though they will be on the road, I have a tough time believing that New Orleans will “escape” with a win. I see this game as Brees and Co.’s opportunity to show that they still have it after the low-scoring NFL Season kickoff against the Vikings.

I’ll be surprised if the Saints win by less than double-digits. Give the points.

Reggie Gives Up the Trophy

2010-09-14T18:59:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago I made my first of what I hope will be many trips to South Bend, Indiana to see the Fighting Irish kickoff their season.

Though I would have liked to have spent more time strolling across Notre Dame’s history rich campus, I figured I should make an effort to get over to the NCAA College Football Hall of Fame since it won’t be in South Bend much longer as the facility honoring collegiate gridiron greats will be relocating to Atlanta in 2013.

Two things in the hall were of particular interest: the Heisman Trophy exhibit and what kind of presence USC standout and 2005 Heisman Award winner Reggie Bush had in the museum.

It didn’t take long for me to notice that the former #5 was well represented in the hall. A large poster of Bush was prominently displayed in the gift shop and a few minutes into the tour I saw Bush’s USC jersey hanging prominently in the Heisman Trophy section (at least for a few more hours).

In the aftermath of Bush’s decision to surrender the prestigious award to the Heisman Trophy Trust, the running back will likely get the Stalin treatment long before the hall moves south as his name and image will be bowdlerized from the Heisman display and probably from all other corners of the place.

And that’s unfortunate since Reggie Bush earned his trophy and his place in the hearts and minds of college football fans.

Bush cheated a flawed student-athlete system, not the game. He didn’t use drugs that allowed him to play better. He didn’t take money to fumble the ball at a convenient moment so USC wouldn’t cover the point spread. And he didn’t kill anyone.

O.J. Simpson’s Heisman Trophy wasn’t taken from him by the Heisman Trophy Trust but was seized by creditors as part of the “wrongful death” judgment.

Adding to the absurdity of it all, the NCAA needed FIVE years to figure out that “A” USC player was getting his palm greased on the side. Such news was about as genuinely surprising to college football fans as evidence of gambling was to the Vichy French officer in Casablanca.

Let’s be grateful that these intrepid sleuths don’t work for the Department of Homeland Security.

Some have said that Bush’s conduct has brought disgrace to college football and his university. That’s arguable.

What isn’t in dispute is that he made his alma mater and the NCAA’s most notorious sweatshop a lot of money. Hundreds of thousands of people paid to see Bush play in college stadiums across the country and millions of Americans tuned in to watch Bush perform electrifying runs on television. Kids bought his jersey in droves.

USC and the NCAA profited far more from his toil and talent than he and his family did from the gifts they unwisely accepted from an agent who saw an opportunity to take advantage of their financial situation and the pressure that comes with being a glamorous “celebrithete” in southern California.

Clearly Bush and his family made bad decisions, especially since it was obvious early in his college career that he was going to be multi-millionaire in a few years short of a freak injury. They shouldn’t have taken an advance on his future financial success. And Bush is paying a heavy toll for his greed and that of others.

The Bush-USC-Heisman story shows how quickly life can call an audible even on the rich and famous.

Though Bush couldn’t keep up with the Kardashians and has endured the public humiliation of turning over the most coveted individual award in college sports, Bush has his health and a diamond studded gold ring that Dan Marino would trade his appearance fee from Ace Ventura to have won.

Bush might be persona non grata on the University of Southern California campus these days, though the pylon-magnet running back is still loved in New Orleans and remains not only one of the most popular players on the Saints roster but in the entire NFL.

Most importantly, Saints general manager Mickey Loomis and head coach Sean Payton love having him on the team for the 2010 season, even at eight-figures.

And one has to think losing a trophy is preferable to the fate that his fellow USC team mate, first round draft pick and 2004 Heisman trophy winner suffered when the Arizona Cardinals cut quarterback Matt Leinart from their roster.

There’s no better place for a prodigal athlete like Bush to play and live than the prodigal city of New Orleans. Louisianans tend to be tolerant of (and at times inclined to elect) scofflaws of all varieties.

Perhaps losing both trophies (Kim and Heisman) will provide the psychological grounding Bush needs to build upon the success he has thus far attained on the professional level.

Rather than sulk about the tarnishing of his collegiate glory days, Bush should develop the maturity, patience and determination to work towards having a lengthy and productive NFL career. If Bush plays a decisive role in accumulating for his team and refuge city multiple Lombardi Trophies, he could end up in a more lucrative museum yet…and I’m not referring to the one located near Gate B of the Superdome’s Plaza level concourse.

Giving up the Heisman is a dark chapter in the life of Reggie Bush, but if he contributes to putting more jewelry around the knuckles of Tom Benson and Rita Benson LeBlanc his story might yet have a happy ending.

Reggie Bush's Statement on Giving Up the 2005 Heisman Trophy

2010-09-14T15:55:00.000-07:00

Statement provided by the New Orleans Saints:

One of the greatest honors of my life was winning the Heisman Trophy in 2005. For me, it was a dream come true.

But I know that the Heisman is not mine alone. Far from it.

I know that my victory was made possible by the discipline and hard work of my teammates, the steady guidance of my coaches, the inspiration of the fans, and the unconditional love of my family and friends. And I know that any young man fortunate enough to win the Heisman enters into a family of sorts. Each individual carries the legacy of the award and each one is entrusted with its good name.

It is for these reasons that I have made the difficult decision to forfeit my title as Heisman winner of 2005. The persistent media speculation regarding allegations dating back to my years at USC has been both painful and distracting. In no way should the storm around these allegations reflect in any way on the dignity of this award, nor on any other institutions or individuals. Nor should it distract from outstanding performances and hard-earned achievements either in the past, present or future.

For the rest of my days, I will continue to strive to demonstrate through my actions and words that I was deserving of the confidence placed in me by the Heisman Trophy Trust. I would like to begin in this effort by turning a negative situation into a positive one by working with the Trustees to establish an educational program which will assist student-athletes and their families avoid some of the mistakes that I made.

I am determined to view this event as an opportunity to help others and to advance the values and mission of the Heisman Trophy Trust.

I will forever appreciate the honor bestowed upon me as a winner of the Heisman. While this decision is heart-breaking, I find solace in knowing that the award was made possible by the support and love of so many. Those are gifts that can never be taken away.

Week One Review: Saints Make Great Leap Towards Two-Dat

2010-09-09T23:43:00.000-07:00

Remember that list of ten concerns I posted yesterday…assuming you read it. Well the Saints addressed all of it and then some.

Kick and punt coverage was vastly improved. Head Coach Sean Payton demonstrated that he is committed to a balanced offense by utilizing the run. The Saints special teams blocked a Minnesota Vikings’ extra point. And the defense won the game the old fashioned way, not through a plethora of takeaways, but by forcing the visiting team to punt. The Saints defense didn’t give up a big run.

Sure the score wasn’t pretty. That said, I saw a defense that played better in this game than they did most of last season- and in this case against a quality team.

The offense struggled but it should be noted that Minnesota had one of the best defenses in the league last season, racking up 48 sacks- tops in the NFL. The Saints’ offense will get back to their explosive ways soon enough but I really hope that I see the defense that played on Thursday night show up for the rest of the games this season.

The nine points allowed by the Black and Gold “D” was the fewest since the Saints beat Tampa Bay 38-7 on November 22, 2009.

The Saints’ defense allowed only 91 yards on the ground and kept Vikings running back Adrian Peterson from making the kind of big run that plagued New Orleans much of the 2009 season. Peterson’s best run was for 14 yards.

Minnesota quarterback Brett Favre showed his age or lack of preparation (perhaps both), completing 15 of 27 passes (55%) for 171 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Saints quarterback Drew Brees didn’t have a Pro Bowl performance but did well, connecting with 27 of 36 passes (75%) for 237 yards, a touchdown and no INTs. As usual, Brees spread the wealth amongst his talented receiver corps, with eight players making at least 2 catches.

Though running back Pierre Thomas averaged less than 4 yards per carry, PT did have one of the team’s two touchdowns and provided a key first down late in the fourth quarter. His 19 rushing attempts in the face of Minnesota’s talented front 7 indicates that the head coach is cognizant of how his team succeeded in 2009 and that he aerial circus that allowed Brees to challenge Dan Marino’s single season passing record won’t be reappearing in 2010.

The biggest drawback of the game was the two missed field goals by Garrett Hartley (you might have to remember his game winning field goal that advanced the Saints to the Super Bowl in order to restrain yourself from pelting the ex-hero with vitriol). Hopefully the game was an aberration for Hartley. If it’s not, then his career with the Saints will be an aberration.

The Saints’ victory over the Vikings, regardless of the modest margin, should be a point of great joy. The win puts the team two games over the Vikings for the post-season tiebreaker while also showing that the defense has continued to improve under coordinator Gregg Williams.

Of the five critical games at the front of the 2010 season, the Saints defeated what is arguably their toughest opponent, building momentum for the next four games while taking a major step towards achieving the Two Dat.

In precisely the kind of game the Saints used to find exotic ways to lose, the Black and Gold made adjustments, played small ball and came up big.

And What Say the Experts?

2010-09-08T21:47:00.000-07:00

Some area sports commentators were kind enough to offer their takes on the 2010 season:

Mike Detillier, college football expert, WWL 870 AM contributor and SaintsReport writer:

The Saints to win the division with an 11-5 record, beating out the Falcons, who I have with a 10-6 mark..Saints win the NFC South championship.... the Carolina Panthers with an 8-8 mark and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a 4-12 mark..the Saints to play the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championshio game and for the Saints to then play the New York Jets in the Super Bowl...Saints Two-Dat.. Sains beat Jets in Super Bowl.

Gerry Vaillancourt, New Orleans Hornets radio WRNO 99.5 FM, nola.com, hornetsreport.com

NFC East- Giants-Redskins-Dallas ( yup the go boom and crash!)-PhillyLove Giants new def cord Perry Fewell.NFC North= Packers-Vikings-Bears-Lions- Gree bay will rock with that offense..NFC South- Saints-Falcons-Panthers-Bucks....can Saints get that defensive pressure back like last year? health?...NFC West- Arizona-San Fran-Seattle-Rams- ...cards big sleeper pick..Beanie Wells! QB play???AFC East- Jets-Pats-Fins-Bills-are Jets real? hardknock team or legit?AFC North-Ravens-Cinn-Pitt( ben is out for 4 games)Flacco and Boldin spark Ravens!AFC South- Colts-Texans-Titans-Jags- Manning etc etcAFC West- San Diego-Chiefs-Raiders-Denver-coaching staff in KC will help this team..Thomas Jones...Dexter McCluster/KC offense..how good will their defense be???

KeyAFC Title Game- Indy vs Baltimore

NFC Green Bay vs New Orleans

Green Bay beats Indy..Super Bowl

My Predictions for the 2010 NFL Season

2010-09-08T21:01:00.000-07:00

In 2009 I fearlessly believed the Saints would go all the way. I even bought my plane ticket to Florida well before the playoffs.

So will the team achieve the Two Dat?

Let me first say that the first five games will determine the position the team finds itself in come December as the Saints open up against two division rivals and three teams that will be in the hunt for their divisions...which matters when it comes to determining tie-breakers for home field advantage.

By virtue of winning the NFC South, the Black and Gold will face the other three NFC division winners, as set by the NFL's logical and brilliant schedule rotation system (which will go the way of the Dodo in part if they expand the season to 18 games- but that's another rant).

The Saints open up against the team they defeated for the NFC championship, the Minnesota Vikings, who are considered the consensus team to repeat in the NFC North. Then the Black and Gold travels to Candlestick (or whatever that call the oddly shaped stadium near San Francisco) to face the Forty-Niners, picked by many to win their division.

Then it's back home to take on the Dirty Birds and Panthers before visiting the Arizona Cardinals, who won the NFC West in 2009 and might contend for the division's top spot if they can get their quarterback situation settled.

While Atlanta is the team’s lone threat in the NFC South, a loss to Carolina is very relevant in the event of a tie-breaker as divisional record would come in play if the Saints and Falcons split their two games. Then again, the rebuilding Carolina franchise could surprise people in the same way the rebuilding Saints did in 2006. Either way the Panthers game is going to matter on at least two levels.

A loss to any of the five teams would put the Saints at a disadvantage for homefield advantage in the post-season. Am I getting ahead of myself worrying about playoff positioning? No. Winning the division isn’t enough anymore. We won’t matching Lombardi trophies and gold and diamond encrusted knuckles on our players, coaches and training facility ground keepers.

Don’t get me wrong, it could all go to hell in a handbasket and Sean Payton will remain the greatest Saints coach in the history of the franchise just for what he did in 2009 (what he did in his first season arguably qualified him for that distinction- though I maintained it was Jim Mora until the Super Bowl win). But while we have the talent and the coaches, we might as well win, win, win.

And while the Saints did well on the road (losing only a throw-away game to Carolina in the season finale), I don’t think the Black and Gold would have made it to Miami in February had the team needed to detour to Minneapolis first. If you haven’t been to a road game (or the hostility standard, Soldier Field for the NFC Championship game), you don’t know what it’s like to play in someone else’s house.

A loss to the Vikings would in essence put the Saints two games behind them, as the other Purple and Gold would have the head-up tiebreaker. Short of a repeat of their late season collapse, the Saints will have a tough time catching up.

An early loss to Atlanta would jeopardize the team’s homefield advantage prospects but winning the division. The rematch will be on the Monday Night Football game after Christmas in the Georgia Dome, where the Dirty Birds were 6-2 last season. The Saints barely snuck out of the ATL with a win and you can bet the Georgia Dome won’t look like Saints-occupied territory if the Falcons are still in contention come December.

While expecting perfection in 2010 is unreasonable, a loss to Atlanta, Minnesota or San Francisco will put the Saints in a hole they will need to work hard to dig themselves out of and need a little help along the way.

And then there’s the Thanksgiving Day game at Jerry Jones’s Palace in Dallas. A loss there could mean the Saints fare no better than second seed and having to go back there for a second time in the playoffs…and perhaps a third time if they win that one.

Questions at linebacker and defensive tackle and the defense’s capacity to force teams to punt linger, especially since free safety Darren Sharper will be out for a third of the season, if not longer. And the Saints are on thin ice at running back if Pierre Thomas goes down.

While I think the 2010 Saints are a better team than the 2009 Saints, I don’t think they’re deeper. And once the injury bug bites them, the Saints might not be able to stop the bleeding.

Overall I see the Saints finishing 11-5 in a tie with Atlanta for first in the NFC South.

The Falcons have made improvements on the defensive side of the ball and if their talented offense rebounds, they are going to give the Black and Gold a run for their money.

So here are my calls:

NFC South

Atlanta
New Orleans
Carolina
Tampa

NFC East
Dallas
New York
Washington
Philadelphia

NFC North

Chicago
Green Bay
Minnesota
Detroit

NFC West

San Francisco
Arizona
Seattle
Saint Louis

Wild Cards: New Orleans, Green Bay

AFC South

Indianapolis
Houston
Tennessee
Jacksonville

AFC East

New York
New England
Miami
Buffalo

AFC North

Baltimore
Cincinnati
Pittsburgh
Cleveland

AFC West

San Diego
Denver
Oakland
Kansas City

Wild Cards: New England, Cincinnati

NFC Championship: Green Bay v. Dallas

AFC Championship: Baltimore v. New York

Super Bowl: Dallas v. Baltimore

World Champion: Baltimore Ravens (the most complete team in football)

Ten Variables En Route to the Two-Dat

2010-09-08T20:59:00.000-07:00

The defending world champions go into the 2010 NFL season with their team largely intact. Over 70% of New Orleans Saints’ Super Bowl roster is returning for the NFL regular season kickoff against the Minnesota Vikings and most of the players that were either cut or lost to free agency or injury were back-ups.

There are certain things I suspect will remain constant. First, a healthy Drew Brees will throw north of 4,000 yards and bushels of touchdowns. Second, the much under-appreciated (thank you fantasy football) receiving corps will continue to make the plays that made the New Orleans franchise the league’s top offense over the past four years. Thirdly, that defensive end Will Smith will play at the high level he’s paid. Fourth that the Pro-Bowl offensive linemen will keep playing like All-Stars and give Brees the protection that allows him to be one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. And fifth, that the kicking game that bedeviled the team in 2007 and 2008 will be as reliable in this year as it was in the past season.

But what about the variables? The 2009 season was a lot scarier watch play out than it is to view in retrospect. What if wide receiver Robert Meachem doesn’t recover that interception against Washington? What if the Saint Louis Rams had ended the Black and Gold’s unbeaten streak early? And then what if the hated Chicago Bears don’t perform the ultimate service to the Saints by beating the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field in December?

Any one of those three scenarios could have resulted in the Saints road to the Super Bowl going through the Metrodome instead of the Superdome. In both Drew Brees and Sean Payton’s autobiographies, the importance of possessing home field advantage for the championship game is emphasized.

Below are ten variables that would alter the team’s quest for the Two Dat.

1) What If HE Goes Down? Forgive me for stating the obvious but quarterback Drew Brees IS the franchise player. Brees was the MVP of the Super Bowl and should have been awarded MVP for the league. But it’s hard for even someone of Brees’s talent and media market to win over sportswriters who find Peyton Manning just so “dreamy”. The worst thing that could happen to the team is for Brees was lost for the season due to an injury. The front office made the right moves letting his backup Mark Brunell get away in free-agency (the season finale at Carolina was like a horror movie preview) and keeping Chase Daniel instead of Patrick Ramsey. Though Daniel is no Brees, the Saints will need him to be a vast improvement over Brunell if the unimaginable happens.

2) Can Malcolm Jenkins Be Half the Safety That Darren Sharper Was? Sharper was the best free-agent pick-up for the Saints since Brees joined the team in 2006. The future Pro Football Hall of Famer snagged nine interceptions and brought three of them to the house. The last Saints to rack up that many INTs was the late great Dave Waymer in 1986. If the team’s 2009 first round draft pick can grab five, he’d be contributing in a big way. On a side note, props to the team for not cutting Sharper and instead temporarily shelving him as Physically Unable to Perform. Whatever Sharper gets paid in 2010 should be considered his bonus for out-performing his one-year deal.

3) Is Head Coach Sean Payton Committed to the Ground Game? Payton claimed he learned his lesson after the 2008 road game to Tampa Bay, but then again he still likes to call the double-reverse. The decision to balance the offense between the ground and the air made the team less predictable and harder to defend while also giving our own defense more time to rest between changes of possession. A quick 3 and out from dropped passes doesn’t give a linebacker much of an opportunity to catch his breath.

4) Can the Defense Adjust to Fewer Take-Away Opportunities? The Saints defense was third in the NFL with 26 interceptions. Even without Sharper in the lineup, opposing teams are going to be wary about throwing the ball too much against a team that won the conference championship and the Super Bowl due to picks. Can the front seven force opposing offenses to punt? A large part of the team’s success will be decided by the defense’s ability to get the ball back the hard way.

5) What if Pierre Thomas Gets Injured? Originally this was titled, “Will Chris Ivory Step Up”, though the Tiffin product himself was injured, though was not lost for the season like third running back Lynell Hamilton and fourth running back P.J. Hill. Since Reggie Bush is not an every down running back, a PT-less Saints offense will have to rely on Ivory and fourth back DeShawn Wynn, who wasn’t even on the roster a few weeks ago. In 2009, Mike Bell seamlessly filled in for an injured Thomas and Hamilton in turn carried the load after Bell went out. Lack of depth in this position could haunt the Saints later in the season and could be the number one “bitching point” by fans if the season ends on a sour note.

6) Will the Linebacker Corps Get It Together in Time? The depleted linebacker corps faces a similar problem. A productive player was let go in free agency and injuries and cuts have thinned the ranks. While starters Scott Shanle (a little love for this man finally?) and Jonathan Vilma (best trade EVER) are back, there are some questions about the third spot. Initially, the team surprised people by tapping Jonathan Cassillas as the weak-side linebacker and shifting Shanle over to Fujita’s old slot but then Cassillas went down during the pre-season. Trading one of the team’s six receivers for a proven linebacker has bubbled up and could be a reason why Adrian Arrington will finally start a season off on a 53-man roster. Again, another area Saints fans thought would have been addressed in the draft but went completely ignored until after the last round.

7) Can the Defense Stop the Run? The folks at WWL AM radio like to say turning down the television volume and turning up the radio call during games is a New Orleans tradition. Add giving up 50+ yard runs at some point in the game. Ironically fans don’t even panic over it anymore- kind of like how Londoners KBO’d during the Blitz. Unlike the mellifluous voice of Jim Henderson, this tradition is not welcome and needs to come to an end. Can the front seven finally “make it stop”.

8) Will Jeremy Shockey and Reggie Bush Stay Healthy? Same question I asked last year; same question I will ask this year. Will these two brittle yet valuable players get through the season on the roster and not on the injured reserve list. When they play, the Saints are a better team as the other side doesn’t know who the ball is going to. They’re the third-down killers that keep the offense on the field.

9) Will Jermon Bushrod Continue to Be the O-Line’s “Weakest Link”? No need to add further commentary beyond mentioning his replacement is waiting in the wings.

10) Thin at the Fat Boy Spot Defensive tackles are amongst the heaviest people on the team; and forgive the pun, the Black and Gold are awfully thin at the spot. The team tried to do something about it in the draft but ended up cutting Al Woods, though I felt the position deserved enough of a priority to be selected in the first round, even trading up to get value. General Manager Mickey Loomis went in a different direction investing in a foundation for later seasons, picking players who had no chance at starting barring unforeseen injuries. Are Sedrick Ellis, Anthony Hargrave and Remi Ayodele able to remain healthy and improve on what they accomplished last season? I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say you can forget homefield advantage for the playoffs if Ellis goes down for the rest of the season. Ellis is only behind Brees on the list of irreplaceable players.

Flash from the Past: Predicting Victory in 2009

2010-09-08T19:50:00.000-07:00

Below is the prediction I made in September 2009 about the Saints going all the way. I'm not a yahoo who swears a re-enactment of the Miami Dolphins never duplicated perfect season but felt that the Black and Gold had the right tools at the right time to achieve greatness.

And they did. After I penned the below column, a "dead"skins fan replied mockingly that I shouldn't "stop believing".

I never did.

Voila.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Will This Be the Year for the Saints? Yes. No...Really?
Will this be the year that the Saints finally go all the way or will this just be the latest installment of a post-2006 season “great pumpkin-esque” Super Bowl vigil?As a longtime follower of the Black and Gold dating back a tad prior to the team’s first taste of success in 1987, pessimism comes natural. And after the heady days coming from the team’s first conference championship appearance, the pattern is pointing to another let down.I like what I saw this off-season with the moves made in free-agency (no undersized cornerbacks acquired at a premium this year) and to a lesser degree with the draft (defense, defense and special teams). And I like the play calling I saw on both sides of the ball in preseason. To hell with heartbreak as it’s hard not to be optimistic, especially since the NFL’s most potent offense from last season is returning intact. Mostly.Deuce McAllister, the best running back in team history, is gone as his “bodyguard” fullback Mike Karney. However, Deuce’s last year was more of a sad farewell tour as he played sparingly and Karney had his least productive year with the team. However both of these letdowns could just as easily affixed to Head Coach Sean Payton’s play calling than the cut duo’s capacity to play.Another missing piece, albeit temporary, is Pro-Bowl Offensive Tackle Jammal Brown, who will be out of the first four to six games of the season. Brown’s presence will be missed as he contributed to a line that provided the protection that helped make Drew Brees one of the most prolific passers in NFL history.But there’s a big upside to this season’s offense.Running back Reggie Bush and tight end Jeremy Shockey go into the new season healthy and hopefully the injury prone “celebri-thetes” will avoid spending too much time on the back of a golf-cart heading towards an x-ray room. Wide receiver Marques Colston seems to have returned to old form after struggling in 2008 with a finger injury and Lance Moore, who largely filled the receiving vacuum when Colston was sidelined, appears to have rebounded from an injury he sustained while lifting weights in the off-season.Devery Henderson, whose reliability has steadily improved, and Robert Meachem, who has shown the stuff that led the team’s front office to use a first-round draft pick on him in 2007, give Brees the plethora of targets that will further confound opposing secondaries. The return of John Carney as kicker should give the team the kind of stability they have been lacking since the infamous Orlindo Mare “upgrade”.The biggest offensive concern for the Saints was the running game, which was underscored by the team’s interest in making a trade to land Buckeye running back Beanie Wells in the latter part of the first round in this year’s draft. Wells was the last person I felt the Saints should have been pursing due to questions about his durability hovered over him during the draft and that the Saints should not have even considered mortgaging a future first round draft pick and complicating the team’s salary cap picture when they already possess the necessary talent at that position at a bargain.Running back Pierre Thomas still holds the distinction of being the only Saints player to have achieved 100 yards of receiving and 100 yards of rushing in a single game and in my opinion was not given ample opportunity to prove his worth, but that problem was not the fault of Thomas but the man doing the play calling. The Saints ranked 21st in average yards per carry but were 26th in rushing attempts. Payton’s refusal to balance the offense and obsession with a gunslinger approach resulted in a lack of clock control that kept his own defense on the field longer than they should have been. Though Thomas will likely miss the first game of the season, Bush will be complemented with heavy-duty backs Mike Bell and Lynell Hamilton, the latter could prove to be a true diamond in the rough if his preseason performances are any indication of his talent.The biggest problem for every Sean Payton team has been the defense, which declined with every passing year. Last season they allowed 393 points. This year they finally did something about it.To Mickey Loomis’s credit, the front office was fairly aggressive in addressing the team’s most glaring weakness, landing Gregg Williams as the new defensive coordinator- perhaps the most highly anticipated assistant coach in the history of the franchise, thinking defense and special teams in the draft, cutting players in the secondary that didn’t get the job done and bringing in new…scratch that…different players in free agency.The Saints’ secondary has been virtually remade with two new cornerbacks and two new safeties in addition to shifting former cornerback Usama Young to safety. Cornerback is no longer the Achilles heel of defense and the two veterans (Darren Sharper and Pierson Prioleau) that were brought in would be hard-pressed to do worst than their predecessors, even if they’re short-term fixes. Though defensive ends Charles Grant and Will Smith are suspended four games their presence won’t be terribly missed if they don’t improve from their combined 6 sacks in 2008, equaling what part-time defensive end Bobby McCray accomplished by himself last season. Grant hasn’t broken into double-digits in sacks since 2004 and Smith hasn’t since 2006. Any improvement at all would go a long way for the Saints defense. The Saints seem solid at defensive tackle with Sedrick Ellis continuing to justify the trade Loomis made to leap ahead in the 2008 first round to draft him.Perhaps the greatest area for concern is at linebacker. While there is no questioning the ability of Jonathan Vilma at middle linebacker, outside linebackers Scott Fujita and Scott Shanle have not exactly set the world on fire with their play. What’s ironic about the pair is that despite Shanle having made two sacks last season while Fujita had none, Fujita continues to enjoy wide popularity with the fans while Shanle has assumed the role of team “goat” now that the Black and Gold faithful no longer have Fred Thomas and Jason David to kick around anymore. Hopefully linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar, who seemed to be a one-man army in the final preseason game against Miami, will have an opportunity to prove his value to the team during the year.The team that will take the field against Detroit on Sunday will be a vastly improved squad over the one that opened up last season. Loomis has without much fanfare put together the pieces needed to compete at a higher level.When looking at the schedule, which is hardly a walk in the park, I can still see this team finishing 11-5 and contending for the NFC South, which will be a duel with the rival Atlanta Falcons. If ever there was a Saints team on paper that looks Super Bowl worthy, it’s this one.Keys to success:1) A healthy Drew Brees (teams that lose their star quarterbacks end up finishing behind teams like the Dolphins)2) A commitment to running the ball to use the clock against opponents3) Jeremy Shockey and Reggie Bush being healthy and productive, if only for distractive purposes in terms of opposing defenses and not tabloids4) Putting more pressure on opposing quarterbacks so they all don’t look like Michael Vick5) Converting on the 3 and 1’s that were the bane of the team’s existence last season
Posted by Mike Bayham at 10:36 PM

Choose Wisely: Concert or World Championship Unveiling

2010-09-08T19:42:00.000-07:00

The 2009 celebration officially comes to an end with the unveiling of the World Champion banner in the Superdome at 6:30 PM Thursday night. It should be noted that Saints officials are warning fans that if you attend the concert (or parade) that you will not make it inside in time for the unveiling. So if seeing a piece of local sports history is more important than Taylor Swift or Dave Matthews (sic?)- in my case a replay of Mid-South Wrestling qualifies as a more valuable use of time- then get your Black and Gold behind in the Dome before 6 PM. Think Atlanta home opener lines.

According to the Saints organization, festivities begin in Champions Square at 4ish and the parade along the river, starting at Elysian Fields, begins at 5ish.

Plan accordingly.