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Eye ON THE SAINTS |
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June 2009
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September 2007 ArchivesWith the Saints headed into their bye week so early, Sporting News columnist Mike Florio says he knows exactly what's ailing the team and how to cure them of these woes. Among the suggested solutions: Sign free agent running back Corey Dillon.Read more. ...Count Fox Sports columnist Jason Whitlock among those in the "Reggie's overrated" camp. Whitlock, best known for his social sports commentaries, joins Ron Jaworski and Mike Freeman who share the same opinion. Read more. ...In an interview with '60 Minutes,' the Titans quarterback said he's thinks he's always better than the Saints running back. Note: The interview, which airs Sunday, was conducted months ago before the season began (and well before their Week 3 match-up). Read more. ...If you're not overly familiar with Mandarich, here's all you need to know: he's one of the all-time great draft busts. And Mike Freeman of CBS Sportsline has the audacity to compare Mr. Mandarich to Reggie Bush. Read more. ...Courtesy of the Associated Press: It had been a while since the Saints had heard anything in the way of boos, but they started coming in the first half against the Titans, as the Saints, offense, so prolific in Courtesy of the Associated Press: Saints running back Pierre Thomas was a long shot to even make the Saints roster coming into training camp. ...Courtesy of the Associated Press: Young safety Chris Reis, called up off the practice squad for Monday night's game against Tennessee because of Jay Bellamy's ailing left ankle, remains on the active roster -- even though Bellamy, who was briefly waived, has been brought back. There was room on the 53-man roster to keep Reis after the Saints placed McAllister on injured reserve because of his season-ending knee injury.... The following are 'Power Rankings' culled from major sports web sites. And one of these lists has the Saints dead last in the NFL. ESPN. 0-3 start; losing your workhorse running back to a season-ending knee injury; the suddenly anemic offense. Yep, Peter King believes it's time to panic in the Crescent City. Read more. ...SI's Don Banks says the Saints are not the inspiring team of the 2006. I'm sure a lot of fans would greet that statement with a resounding, "Well, duh." Read more. ...Sean Payton said it is 'too early' to talk about how the torn left ACL would affect Deuce's career. Payton said Deuce is the type of guy who has the conviction and belief in his ability to fight back. ...Aaron Stecker will get more reps and Pierre Thomas will play some with Deuce out for the season, according to Sean Payton. He also said that Reggie Bush's role would change. He said Reggie would still return some punts and line up some at receiver. ...Sean Payton said the offensive line is looking bad because the team has become more one-dimensional due to falling behind and having to pass. He said his offensive line hasn't become 'bad' overnight. ...The Sporting News has the Saints as the best winless team in the NFL, still they are no better than 28th in the latest power poll - at least I think my math is good. ...The Saints appear to be a one year wonder, according to FOX Sports' Alex Marvez. ...Following the Saints game, head coach Sean Payton said the turning point was the Titans go ahead score. 'Once they scored on that go-ahead drive, it just got away from us. I take responsibility for going for it on fourth down in the first half. I was trying to create some momentum, which is something we haven't been doing.' ...Under questioning from Tony Kornheiser, analyst Ron Jaworski replied in the affirmative when asked if Reggie Bush was 'overrated' as a running back. The consensus seemed to be that he was a great talent, but that he was not capable of carrying the mail at running back, which could be a concern with Deuce out with a sore knee. ...Courtesy of the Associated Press: New Orleans Saints reserve safety Jay Bellamy won't play Monday night when the Tennessee Titans visit the Louisiana Superdome. The Saints listed the veteran defensive back as out for the game because of a sore ankle. Defensive tackle Kendrick Clancy is listed as questionable with turf toe, while safety Josh Bullocks is listed as probable. Bullocks sat out yesterday's (Friday) practice with a s... SI's Don Banks interviews various players and personnel to get to the bottom of the drop off. Read more. ...Lack of an effective pass rush will ultimately kill you on defense. Give any quarterback enough time in the pocket and he'll make solid throws every time out. Charles Grant understands this; and he knows that's unacceptable. Read more. ...Coming into this season, you'd have to believe the Saints knew they'd have a target on their backs. But things have gotten away from the team thus far. Sheldon Mickles of the Baton Rouge Advocate has five things the Saints must do to NOT ONLY beat the Ttitans, but to turn their season around. And yeah, some of these suggestions seem a little obvious, but when you're 0-2, sometimes people have to point out the obvious things to turn t... Courtesy of the Associated Press: After Monday night's game against Tennessee, the Saints head into their bye week. Payton said they'll report to team headquarters on Tuesday for a review of the previous night's game, just as they normally would on a Monday after a Sunday game. Payton also intends to hold practice on Wednesday before giving players the rest of the week off. "I've already given them the schedule... Courtesy of the Associated Press: Only two players on the active roster missed practice on Thursday. One was defensive tackle Kendrick Clancy (right toe), who has been starting ahead of Hollis Thomas at defensive tackle. The other was reserve safety Jay Bellamy (left ankle). Guard Jonathan Goodwin, who did not practice on Wednesday because of a sore back, returned to action. (Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. Al... Courtesy of the Associated Press: Deuce McAllister returned to practice on Thursday after being given Wednesday off, and coach Sean Payton hopes to get him more action against the Titans than he saw in the first two weeks. ...Courtesy of the Associated Press: Four players sat out of Wednesday's practice, including running back Deuce McAllister. Payton said McAllister would be fine and that the team simply wanted to take the chance to give him an extra day of rest since the Saints do not play until Monday night. ...Courtesy of the Associated Press: Since the NFL went to a 12-team playoff system in 1990, 18 teams have made the playoffs after beginning 0-2. In 1993, Dallas started 0-2 while running back Emmitt Smith was in a contract holdout but ended up winning the Super Bowl after he came back. ...If you're like me, you love the release of weekly Power Rankings across the websites. And, if you're still like me, you dread finding out how far the Saints have fallen since dropping a game against the Bucs. Click on the following corporate name to take you to their own rankings: Despite poor performances to start the season, Saints wide receiver Devery Henderson will stay in the starting lineup for the Monday night game against the Tennessee Titans. Read more. ...Following the loss to the Bucs, fans flooded the phone lines of Saints HQ on Airline Drive. Not to demand Coach Payton's head, but apparently calling on the organization to stage a rally for the team. These are the real fans. Read more. ...Courtesy of the Biloxi Sun-Herald: Coach Sean Payton called it a "little gut-check," Charles Grant predicted the Saints would rebound and "win 12 games this season," even Jason David promised the team would finish with a winning record. The long and short of it is that the Saints are not going to let a pair of losses early in the season cause them great concern or worry. >> Continue reading: Saints not panicking about 0-2 start I think it's funny that City Business scribe Mark Singletary put in the "if we still, the column remains relevant anyway" note. Anyway, here's the latest "Saints are important part of the rebuilding/recovery process" column. It's a good read. ...ESPN's Len Pasquarelli got the scoop: tight end Mark Campbell has suffered an "undisclosed disc problem" and will miss the remainder of the season. Read more. ...Texans, Packers and 49ers are 2-0? Cleveland upsets Cincinnati in a possible 'Game of the Year' with over 1,000 total yards of offense? But according to NFL.com's Vic Carucci, the biggest story coming out of week two is the Saints suffering blowout losses in back-to-back weeks. Read more. ...Courtesy of Jon Sancero, USA Today: "It's only Week 2 of the NFL season, but it's not too early to suggest that football panic levels are rising dramatically down in the bayou. The league's No. 1 offense from a year ago has sunk below sea level. Fans of the New Orleans Saints, preseason Super Bowl favorites of some pundits and prognosticators after unexpectedly reaching the NFC title game a year ago, are singing the blues." <... Bless Don Banks' heart. In his 'Snap Judgments' column on the NFL Week 2, Banks somehow manages to find a few rays of sunshine from the clouds gathering over the team. More power to him; the fans definitely need a boost. Read more. ...Comments from Sean Payton following the loss to Tampa. What I told our team is that we’ve had no consistency on offense for two weeks now - balls on the ground - you can’t operate like that. That’s something we have to correct and that’s going to bite us in the butt if we don’t. The defense then gets all the pressure. It’s going to be hard to win in any game, when you put it on the ground. We did that four times. You’re... FOX Sports announcers just said that since 1970, teams that start out 0-2 have a one percent chance of making the NFL playoffs. 'So you say there's a chance!' ...The Sports Network previews Sunday's Saints-Bucs game, breaking down what both sides will do when they have the ball and predicts a score for the game as well. Read more. ...Courtesy of the Baton Rouge Advocate: "The New Orleans Saints still don’t know if they’re going to face Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Carnell 'Cadillac' Williams when the two NFC South rivals meet Sunday in Raymond James Stadium." ...From the Biloxi Sun-Herald: Jeff Garcia has experience giving the Saints and their fans cause for concern. Last season, Garcia pushed the Saints to the wire during the Eagles-Saints playoff game in the Superdome. Read more. ...Longtime Saints kicker John Carney, released in the off-season by the organization, has landed with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Should make that November 4 game versus the Jags even more exciting, right? Read more. ...Sheldon Mickles, writer for the Baton-Rouge Advocate, makes his case that the Saints must not simply put game one behind them, but rather learn from their mistakes and build on the things they did accomplish. Read more. ...Courtesy of the Associated Press: Tight end Mark Campbell missed practice once again on Thursday, meaning he likely won't play on Sunday. He has been struggling with back pain for several weeks now and Payton typically will not dress a player who practices sparingly in the week leading up to a game. However, the Saints are relatively healthy. All of their other starters and key reserves are expected to play. >> Continue reading: Campbell likely won't play Sunday Courtesy of the Associated Press: Saints running back Deuce McAllister said he ought to get more carries than the 10 he received last week, but said coaches were not to blame for the shortage as much as a lack of execution by the players on the field. ...Courtesy of the Associated Press: Saints coach Sean Payton talks often about three things that sustain offensive drives and help teams win. First is not committing mistakes such as turnovers and penalties. Second is being productive on first and second downs to set up short-yardage situations on third down. And finally, there's the all-important conversion of third downs. ...To be sure, the NFL is king. In Forbes latest rating of the value of all sports franchises, the NFL has 32 of the top 33 spots. The Yankees are the only non-NFL team in the top 33. The Saints, they rank 26th, and though at a hefty value of $627 million, they pale in comparison to the Cowboys and Redskins. ...Drew Brees concedes that while everybody tries to get an edge up on their opponent, he's never heard of somebody using a video camera to tape signals. Read more. ..."Still a work in progress." That might be the nicest thing any national media outlet has said about the Saints since last week's loss to the Colts. Here are the AOL Sports NFL Power Rankings. ...Courtesy of the Associated Press: METAIRIE -- The Saints have signed veteran defensive end Renaldo Wynn, who was cut at the end of the preseason by the Washington Redskins. ...FOX Sports columnist Jason Whitlock says he's willing to admit when he's wrong, and said he was "tragically wrong" when predicting that the Saints would pull off a stunning upset against the Colts. Read more. ...You had to see this one coming. As week 1 unfolded, teams played well enough to earn a spot in the top 10 while the Saints, um...at least they showed up, right? Read more. ...The Saints loss to the Colts caused them to drop to 9th in this week's power rankings. ...From The News Star: The good news for Saints fans is that the Bucs are not the Colts. The Bucs aren't even a likely playoff team. But they are a division opponent, and wins within the division normally don't come easily. Read more. ...CBSSportsline's Greg Doyel slammed Saints rookie Reggie Bush for what he called - bad offseason priorities and he said Bush's fascinatiion with being a media star was behind his first game play. ...All of a sudden, fans and the media in Charlotte see the Saints as vulnerable and they point to the team's last two losses - by an average score of 40-12 - as evidence. ...Patrick Magee of the Hattiesburg American writes, "The New Orleans Saints' 41-10 shellacking at the hands of the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday was a far cry from last year's feel good story on the bayou." Read more. ...Banks says the Colts looked like the same team that dominated the Bears in Super Bowl XLI while the Saints looked flat. Read more. ...Neal McCready of the Alabama Press-Register draws parallels to the Saints performances against the Colts in the 2007 season opener and against the Chicago Bears in the NFC Championship Game. Read more. ...Gregg Doyel doesn't mince words. He calls Reggie Bush out for his off-season activities and blasts him for not getting it done on the field in last night's opener. Read more. ...Quarterback Drew Brees on loss: 'Am I disappointed? Absolutely. Is the season over? No, it's just one game. Everything happens for a reason. Maybe we deserved to get our butts beat.' ...Sean Payton said cornerback Jason David is a tough player and will rebound from his outing against the Colts. 'It's a tough life at corner,' said Payton, who said David would work hard and make adjustments. ...Head coach Sean Payton said there was much to lament in the Saints performance. He said it wasn't just the secondary and Jason David who were the problem. He decried the lack of offense. 'I thought our defense needed a break,' he said. 'What was frustrating was our inability to convert on a few third downs.' ...Fox Sports columnist Jason Whitlock, formerly an AOL Sports columnist and, prior to that, an ESPN Page 2 columnist, has written his '10 Truths for the 2007 NFL Season' column. His top point: The Saints are winning the Super Bowl. Also, bonus points to Mr. Whitlock for creating a new nickname for Saints players: the 'J5' -- as in the offensive line (Jammal, Jamar, Jeff, Jahri and Jon ). Rea... The electric running back filled his off-season with workouts and plans to improve not just his own in-game performance, but the team's destiny as well. For Reggie Bush, his focus is the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Read more. ...Each year everyone makes predictions about the upcoming NFL season and each year those predictions are always completely wrong and ridiculed. The only thing I know that will almost certainly happen in 2007 is half the teams that made the playoffs last season won't make it this year and one of the eight last place teams will rise up and make the playoffs. So for this year's prediction, I'm going in a completely different directi... Courtesy of the Associated Press: While the Saints will counter the Colts' best pass rusher with a Pro Bowl player in Brown, Indianapolis will have a far less experienced player protecting quarterback Peyton Manning from the blind side. ...Courtesy of the Associated Press: Saints defensive tackle Brian Young missed all of training camp and the entire slate of preseason games with a broken foot, but coach Sean Payton grew more confident in Young's ability to see significant playing time against the Colts as the week wore on. ...NFL beat writer Bucky Brooks of Sports Illustrated picks his best & worst of the upcoming season. Among them: Best & Worst divisions Pete Prisco, CBS Sportsline reporter, files his rankings headed into Week 1 of the season. The Saints are not even in the Top 5, and are behind NFC teams Dallas and Philadelphia. Read more. ...Fox Sports' Adam Schein projects the Saints will finish the season with an 11-5 record and should triumph in the NFC Championship game over the Bears for a dose of sweet revenge. Read more. ...In an NFC preview column for the Times Colonist (a Canadian news outlet), sports writer Bob Birge says the Saints certainly have the talent to be the class of the conference, but cautions that a number of teams are ready to assume that mantle should the team falter. Read more. ...Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne, a New Orleans native and John Ehret alum, is a lifelong Saints fan and says Eric Martin was his favorite player growing up. Wayne said he plans on bringing extra effort to Thursday's nationally televised game. Read more. ...It won't be your average football game. No, Indianapolis is pulling out all the stops to celebrate their Super Bowl championship. The Saints will be running into an emotional juggernaut similar to what the Falcons ran into in New Orleans last year. ...Will Smith, Charles Grant and the rest of the pass rushers will have their hands full trying to contain Peyton Manning, while the secondary will be busy covering Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne. Read more. ...Sports Illustrated's annual football preview has the Saints picked to beat San Diego in the Super Bowl in February. They also rank the top players - Peyton Manning is number one. ...Reggie Bush prepared for the coming season in an unusual way. ...Les East pens an article for the Baton Rouge Advocate he contends the Saints are ready to show the league their offense is just as good as Indy's. ...Courtesy of NewOrleansSaints.com: Twelve players were cut Saturday as the Saints trimmed the roster down to 53 players. S - Curry Burns Jay Glazer of FoxSports.com has this story. Read more. ... |
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