 |
 |
|
|
Eye ON THE SAINTS |
|
June 2009
Categories
More WWL-TV Blogs
|
October 2007 ArchivesCourtesy of the Associated Press: JACKSONVILLE, FL -- The Jacksonville Jaguars signed defensive tackle Grady Jackson to a one-year contract today and placed defensive tackle Tony McDaniel on injured reserve. ...Their turnarounds could best be explained by their ability to create turnovers, says Skip Wood of the USA Today. Read more. ...Despite a below-.500 record, one national sports media outlet has the Saints near the Top 10 in their weekly NFL Power Rankings. Guess who? ESPN.com. Sean Payton praised the Saints' offense, defense and special teams ability against the 49ers, but said the team still had a long way to go toward making the post-season, and was not looking beyond Sunday's opponent: the Jacksonville Jaguars. Read more. ...Daniel Brown of the San Jose Mercury News - perhaps a bit biased as the team he covers was just trounced by the Saints - said that the team now has its swagger back. That might be debatable, but there's no question it isn't the same team that looked so bad starting 0-4. ...A few things to consider for those giddy Saints fans who are looking for a win against Jacksonville this weekend (yes, I know Garrard is not playing and his backup did not look too good this weekend). First, the Saints are 1-5 against the AFC under Sean Payton, winning their first game against Cleveland in the 2006 season opener, and losing 5 straight since by margins of 13, 15, 7, 31 and 17. Second, the Saints are only 5-6 at ... Of course it is FAR too early to get back on the Saints bandwagon, but consider this: After the game against Jacksonville this week, the Saints final eight games come against only one team that currently sports a winning record (Carolina 4-3) and the total won-loss mark is 21-39! That's got to be the worst in the entire league. Here's the ugly eight and their current record. St. Louis 0-8 As if the 49ers needed to add a degree of difficulty to their game against the Saints. Read more. ...Drew Brees hasn't been sacked in three weeks. Opposing teams are rushing for fewer yards. Les East of the Baton Rouge Advocate says credit the offensive line. Read more. ...Courtesy of the Associated Press: When tight end Eric Johnson began his NFL career with the 49ers, he enjoyed San Francisco and hoped to spend his whole career there. But when the Niners made tight end Vernon Davis their top draft choice in 2006, it became clear to Johnson that he might have better opportunities elsewhere. ...Courtesy of the Associated Press: METAIRIE -- Saints starting center Jeff Faine's left pectoral injury could cause him to miss this Sunday's game at San Francisco. ...From Sheldon Mickles of the Baton Rouge Advocate: "The Saints converted 4-of-12 third downs (and 1-of-3 fourth downs), and the Falcons converted 9-of-18 third downs and didn't attempt to convert any fourth downs. That disparity contributed to Atlanta running 12 more plays (68-56) and holding the ball for nearly 11 more minutes (35:27-24:33) than New Orleans." >> Continue reading: Payton: Off. must improve on third down Couresty of the San Jose Mercury News: "An expression of respect from an opposing coach finally persuaded the 49ers to give wide receiver Ashley Lelie some playing time. Now, an injury to Darrell Jackson might provide Lelie with a starting assignment." Read more. ...Alex Smith, Vernon Davis and Frank Gore are banged up; the offensive line can't seem to stop the pass rush and the defense has trouble with the opposing running game. Things are adding up in the Saints' favor. Read more. ...The Saints made enough noise the last two weeks to be noticed. But don't expect to be moved up more than a few spots. ESPN.com. Courtesy of the Biloxi Sun-Herald: "Being 2-4 after an insalubrious beginning to the 2007 season won't stop Payton from dissecting and correcting the Saints' mistakes, including his own." Read more. ...New Orleans City Business says the city and its fans remain staunchly behind the Saints despite their struggles this season. ...According to Randy Benson of the Louisiana Gannett News Service the Saints are still a work very much in progress. ...Joe Horn and Morten Andersen, two of the most popular Saints players of all-time were both booed on their return to the Superdome Sunday. ...Head coach Sean Payton was a little more expressive after the Saints win Sunday against Atlanta than he was last week when they got their first win over Seattle. Payton said it was a big win, especially against a division opponent, but he said the team still needs to do a better job of playing well at home. He admitted things weren't perfect and that the team's lack of success on third downs made for a lopsided Time of Possessi... With a rivalry game against those pesky Falcons looming tomorrow, it's about time we break out Archbishop Hannan's 1968 "Prayer for the Saints." Read more. ...Courtesy of the Biloxi Sun-Herald: "There's no question he's a great player and a Pro Bowler who makes a lot of plays," Brees said of Hall. "Obviously we are aware of where he is at all times, just like you do any good defender on the field." Read more. ...After making some graverobbing jokes(?), Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal Constitution says the Saints should outplay the Falcons, a team relying on Byron Leftwich to turn their season around. Read more. ...Courtesy of the Biloxi Sun-Herald: When the New Orleans Saints signed safety Kevin Kaesviharn during the offseason, free safety Josh Bullocks figured to be the odd man out. Bullocks saw what was developing and based on his play last season, admittedly grasped his job was on the line during training camp. Read more. ...Courtesy of the Associated Press: Saints linebacker Scott Fujita has played before against Byron Leftwich, who will start for Atlanta on Sunday in the Louisiana Superdome. ...Courtesy of the Associated Press: The Saints had no new injuries to report after practice on Thursday. Even Jason David was on the field in pads, although he is not expected to play on Sunday. David fractured his left forearm against Tennessee in Week 3 and was expected to miss at least a month. He participated in his first practice with a cast on his arm and is essentially trying to get back into game-shape before ret... Courtesy of the Associated Press: Reggie Bush, coming off by far his best game of the season, said his teammates deserve as much of the credit as he does. ...Portfolio.com has an executive feature on the Saints owner/executive vice president, examining her grace under pressure during the Katrina crisis and its aftermath, as well as her plans for the future of the franchise. Read more. (Note: This story was originally linked at SaintsReport.com. ...Going from the northwest back to the central time zone after a late night Sunday game will usually have the affect on a team. Read more. ...Courtesy of the Associated Press: Atlanta Falcons coach Bobby Petrino named Byron Leftwich to replace Joey Harrington today as the starting quarterback. ...Ned Macey, in a special column for AOL Sports, asks that question, and says part of the problem is the Saints offense seems like its looking for the next big play. Read more. ...Here there are, new NFL Power Rankings from across the net: ESPN. The offense found its spark Sunday night, writes Larry Holder of the Biloxi Sun-Herald. Read more. ...Having been anemic on offense through the first four games, Sheldon Mickles writes that the Saints couldn't have picked a better time to find themselves. Read more. ...Courtesy of the Associated Press: "Talk about bad omens. An overhead NBC television camera mounted on wires collapsed onto the turf during a timeout early in Sunday night's game between the New Orleans Saints and Seattle Seahawks, almost hitting two Seattle players and causing a 10-minute delay." Read more. ...Following the game, head coach Sean Payton would have nothing of any talk of the team 'turning the corner.' 'There is no corner,' he said tersely. 'We're 1-4. We won one game and that's a good step.' ...If you were like me, you asked a few questions during Sunday's game. For instance, when the NBC crew pointed out that the Saints hadn't been calling 'pressure defenses' during the season and that they were going to start tonight, did you ask, 'Why not?' Why would a team that had so few sacks and turnovers this year not call more pressure defenses? Did you wonder where the downfield passing game had been all year? Where Patten a... Courtesy of the Baton Rouge Advocate: "Considering the New Orleans Saints are 0-4 and Henderson has dropped almost as many passes (seven) as he's caught (eight), it's been a tough early-season stretch for the former LSU standout." Read more. ...Courtesy of the Biloxi Sun-Herald: "Bush said he's more fazed by the Saints' 0-4 start more than anything else as he and the team will travel to Seattle tonight to face the Seahawks on Sunday night." Read more. ...Larry Holder of the Biloxi Sun-Heraldactually has this silver lining to the Saints' dismal start: at least they're getting better at stopping the run. Read more. ...Courtesy of the Baton Rouge Advocate: After a disappointing and frustrating 0-4 start, things don't get any easier for the New Orleans Saints this week. The Saints have to travel all the way to the Great Northwest to try to secure their first win against the Seattle Seahawks (3-2) in a nationally televised game Sunday night. Read more.... Courtesy of the Associated Press: SEATTLE -- Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck says he's not sure why the New Orleans Saints are struggling this season. Despite their 0-4 record, Hasselbeck says on film the players still look like the team that went to the playoffs last year, and he expects a tough game in the Sunday night matchup in Seattle. Hasselbeck also told KIRO Radio two new Seattle starters are ready... Embattled Saints kicker Olindo Mare will test his leg again Thursday to see if he's fit to play Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. If not, Coach Sean Payton will have to sign a new kicker in a short timespan. Read more. ...ESPN coulmnist Jeffri Chadiha predicts when the Saints, Dolphins and Rams will get their first win of the season. We won't have to wait too long... Read more. ...Les East, in a special for the Baton Rouge Advocate, writes that no roster addition or subtraction will turn the season around for the Saints. Read more. ...Courtesy of the Associated Press: The Seattle Seahawks are preparing to play New Orleans this Sunday. But even though the Saints are winless, the Seahawks are going to have to make some adjustments with the loss of two key players. But coach Mike Holmgren says not to worry. He says simply --quote-- "We'll bounce back." ...Neal McCready of the Mobile Press-Register and AL.com says Saints fans may want to begin debating who the team will pick if they end up with the top overall choice. He's pondering between LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey and Arkansas running back Darren McFadden. ...Not necessarily earth-shattering news here, but the Saints are a consensus 30th ranked team of the NFL pile. ESPN. In a story posted on Charlotte.com Saints running back Reggie Bush gave himself an "F" for his performance Sunday against the Panthers. ...David Wharton of the Los Angeles Times praises Saints fans in an article that highlights their resiliency over the years while cheering for a moribound franchise. ...Larry Holder - in an article appearing in the Biloxi Sun Herald, says the Aints are back in a big way. ...Sean Payton's overall coaching record with the Saints is now 11-11 including postseason games, 10-10 in the regular season. Also, the Saints are 4-6 at home in the regular season and have lost their last 4 regular season home games (two last year and two this season). The Saints did disrupt that skid with a win at home in the playoffs last year. ...Terry Bradshaw and Jimmy Johnson said that you had to write off the Saints season, while analyst Howie Long left open the fact that a team 'making a good run' in the NFC has a chance. Long said the FOX crew said that Reggie Bush is dead last in the league in going down after first contact. The point was made as they talked about Deuce McAllister's absence, though one of the analysts pointed out that the Saints were winless with McAllis... Head Coach Sean Payton said after the game that the Saints have a 'handful of positions' they need to look at to see if they are playing the right people. He said that Olindo Mare is struggling and that the kicking position is a lot about confidence. He said he didn't want to put all of the blame on the kicker. 'It's sickening,' he said of the team's play on Sunday. 'I told the players that if we continue to make the dumb mista... Once a symbol for the city's recovery and rejuvenation, the Saints have since fallen on hard times, entering a bizarro-like word in which they're at polar opposites from where they were one year ago. Read more. ...A full breakdown of the Saints and Panthers. What both teams will do on offense and defense. Read more. ...Quote from the Winston-Salem Journal: "I jumped up and everyone was on top of me. We celebrated for like 20 minutes. I’m surprised we didn't get fined. That's probably the greatest feeling those fans and that city had in a long, long time. And to be part of that was special." >> Continue reading: Saint turned Panther Deloatch remembers blocked punt Don Banks of Sports Illustrated looks at every team with a losing record in the NFL and determines if they realistically have a shot at making the playoffs. Read more. ...Courtesy of the Associated Press: While unable to participate fully at practice because of his sore right ankle, Fujita spent much of the day at the Saints' headquarters wearing a pink baseball cap with a Saints logo on the front. ...From the Associated Press: Aaron Stecker remembered a week back in 2004 before a game in St. Louis. Deuce McAllister was out that week, and there were constant questions about how the Saints were going to be able to move the ball on the ground against the Rams. ...Courtesy of the Associated Press: David Carr appears likely to making his second straight start at quarterback for the Carolina Panthers after Jake Delhomme missed practice again Thursday. ...According to Mike Tanier's week 5 NFL rundown, the Saints have one last chance to right the ship before the season is totally lost. Read more. ...Courtesy of the Baton Rouge Advocate: "The New Orleans Saints were without three defensive starters Wednesday when they held their second practice since returning from their bye week on Monday." Read more. ...You know the drill by now: I gather various power rankings from across the World Wide Web, and you look at them for watercooler discussions. Enjoy. By the way, one of these blogs has the Saints buried in last place. AOL Sports. Troy Aikman might know a thing or two about football talent when he sees it. And he might know about coming back from a rocky start to the regular season. While it'll be hard for the Saints here on out to make the playoffs, he says don't bet against them just yet. Read more. ...Sheldon Mickles, columnist for the Baton Rouge Advocate, suggests four reasons why the Saints have opened the season without a victory. Read more. ...Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme could be facing season-ending elbow surgery, though that is something he is trying to avoid. ...USA Today points out that the four NFL teams that received byes last year are all struggling and struggling mightily. ...Dan Pompei of the Tribune says that after having all offseason to study the Saints offensive success in 2006 their weaknesses have been exposed. ... |
|
|
 |
|