 |
 |
|
|
Eye ON THE SAINTS |
|
June 2009
Categories
More WWL-TV Blogs
|
December 2007 ArchivesFrom Sean Payton's press conference: "This isn't the same old Saints. I read that somewhere this morning. We're changing that. Obviously there's disappointment. We're shooting for the Super Bowl and that's where our expectations are set.' 'The job I did was 7-9. We're measured in wins and losses. The great thing about our job is the next week you get to do it again. You've got a nucleus here, starting with the quarterback, that... Head coach Sean Payton said that top draft pick Robert Meachem - who didn't play at all this year - will be 'in the mix' for next season. He said the coaching staff is excited about how Meachem has played on the scout team the past few weeks. Payton said it would be unfair to evaluate the '07 draft class for another year or two. He said it was tougher for this group to break into the lineup because it was a 10-win team coming b... Saints rookie running back Pierre Thomas raised some eyebrows Sunday with a record performance for the Saints. ...Sean Payton attributed the loss to mistakes and penalties and said one of the mistakes was punting to Devin Hester. Here is a sampling of his post game comments. "We did the things that get you beat - turnovers, we've been pretty good on penalties (this year) but today we weren't. We allowed big plays over our head and on special teams." "We have a lot of work to do. A lot of work." "He (Pierre Thomas) did a rea... Towards the end of the Saints game with the Bears, Jim Henderson had some pearls of wisdom including: The Saints really are not a playoff team. The Saints got nothing out of their draft. Brian Urlacher has five interceptions this season, Saints linebackers all together have zero. Why did the Saints pick up Kevin Kaesviharn and Brian Simmons and not play them? Were Josh Bullocks and Mark Simoneau so much better?<... In a contest destined to determine which team has been a bigger disappointment this season, the Saints and Bears play in a rematch of last year's NFC Championship Game. Read more. ...Where have you been, Robert Meachem? A fan base turns its lonely eyes to you...woo-woo-woo... Not the best "Mrs. Robinson" rip job, but hey, the question is certainly valid. Has there been a precedent for a first rounder to miss every single game of the regular season by being on the inactive list? Don't answer, Brady Quinn. Read more. ...Courtesy of Sheldon Mickles and the Baton Rouge Advocate: "If the New Orleans Saints were not going to be in control of their own destiny in the regular-season finale Sunday, they got the next-best thing." Read more. ...Courtesy of the Biloxi Sun-Herald: "Steve Weatherford came up with his own unique strategy of how to keep Chicago Bears return specialist Devin Hester from ever touching the ball Sunday." Read more. ...Courtesy of the Associated Press: METAIRIE -- Reggie Bush won't return to the scene of his end zone somersault in last season's NFC championship game. At least not in uniform. ...Quick note: it's not the Saints. Sports Illustrated blogger Dominic Bonvissuto ranks the 32 NFL teams on their "watchability" versus their actual greatness. Another quick note: the Patriots aren't the top team, either. Read more. ...Courtesy of FOXSports.com: "When the New Orleans Saints visited Chicago last January, their surprising 2006 season came to a disappointing end. "On the verge of joining the defending NFC champions at home for the postseason, the Saints look to avenge last year's playoff loss to the Bears and get some help to keep their 2007 season alive when they return to Soldier Field on Sunday." >> Continue reading: Saints still looking for payback against Bears Third-string quarterback Kyle Orton gets the start in the season finale against the Saints. The Chicago Daily Herald reports Orton's focus is to play well enough to ensure his future either with the team or in the league. Read more. ...Having an "off year" would be putting it mildly for some Saints fans, but Jason David's lack of success has been quantified for analysis thanks to the Football Outsiders. According to them, David is worst in the league defending against the pass. Yikes. By contrast, Mike McKenzie ranked fourth highest against defending passes. Just makes that injury all... Third-string tailback Aaron Stecker, who started his first game of the season at Atlanta in week 14, will possibly miss the season finale against the Bears with turf toe. With Pierre Thomas the only healthy running back on the roster after the Eagles game, the Saints signed two new backs: Artose Pinner and Chris Barclay. Pinner has played five years with the Detroit Lions. Barclay is a second year pro who was claimed off waive... Courtesy of the Associated Press: LAKE FOREST, IL -- The last time the Bears and Saints played each other, a trip to the Super Bowl was on the line. This year, the Bears are out of the playoff hunt and the Saints are a long shot for the final wild card spot. "What a difference a year can make," Bears linebacker Lance Briggs said Wednesday. "Who knew we'd be here?" ...The majority of rankings mentions the fact that the Saints couldn't score a TD from one yard out on a pivotal drive in the third quarter. Seems to be a good way to summarize the season: so close, yet so far away. ESPN. Courtesy of the Biloxi Sun-Herald: "Do the Saints pine for a running back who turns 29 next week, will try to return next season from a second torn ACL in each knee in the last three seasons, and is scheduled to make $3.6 million in base salary next year? "From what Payton said this week, McAllister will return and it's realistic that the Saints tailback will be ready for training camp." >> Continue reading: McAllister expected to be back in '09 Just when you thought...you know the rest. Mike McKenzie tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee and will be out the remainder of the year. Read more. ...The expectations were so high and perhaps that's whythe swift fall of the Saints, followed by the agonizingly long elimination process proved to be such a dud. ...Yes, believe it or not the Saints still have life and so do two other teams in the NFC and two in the AFC as the season winds into its final week. ...2:51 p.m. Saints scoring drive - 8 plays, 36 yards, 3:57 TOP Philly 31, Saints 23, 7:19 4th Q ...Courtesy of the Biloxi Sun-Herald: "Philadelphia ranks in the top third in the league in both offense and defense, yet will enter its last two games thinking about next year despite toppling Dallas at Texas Stadium last week." Read more. ...Will the Saints blitz more against the Eagles? Any chance of the Saints giving up the big play? What do the Eagles have to do to beat the Saints? Eyewitness Sports Director Jim Henderson gives his answers. Read more. ...Brees near perfect passing performance against the Cardinals earned him the award, along with two other players. Read more. ...Win out or miss the playoffs. The Saints have known the score since their loss to Tampa Bay at home, according to Sheldon Mickles of the Baton Rouge Advocate. Read more. ...Courtesy of the Associated Press: PHILADELPHIA -- Takeo Spikes needs surgery on a torn rotator cuff, and the Philadelphia Eagles said Wednesday they will place the veteran linebacker on injured reserve. ...Sean Taylor makes the Pro Bowl posthumously, along with 11 Cowboys and 8 Patriots...but no Saints. Read more. Henderson: No surprise Saints come up empty in Pro Bowl voting. ...Slightly better than 'middle of the pack' -- that seems to be the consensus of the rankings this week. ESPN. Defensive tackle Brian Young has contracted pneumonia and will miss the rest of the season after the New Orleans Saints placed him on injured reserve Tuesday, according to Larry Holder of the Biloxi Sun-Herald. Read more. ...On his first carry of the game Sunday, Aaron Stecker carried the ball for a considerable distance...only to cough up the ball on a fumble. He certainly made up for it, though: over 140 total yards of offense and two touchdowns to help lift the Saints over the Cardinals. Read more. ...Courtesy of the Baton Rouge Advocate: "The last week was a hectic, yet remarkably eventful, seven days for New Orleans Saints strongside linebacker Scott Fujita. "In that span, Fujita helped the Saints win two games to remain in the thick of the NFC wild-card playoff hunt and he also became a father for the first time when his wife, Jaclyn, gave birth to twin girls Thursday morning." >> Continue reading: Win over Cards caps hectic week for Fujita At least one Internet football guru thinks the Saints are the only team that can catch the Vikings for the final wildcard spot. However, tell that to Washington, which plays the Vikings next week and could be tied or one game behind them. Also, Minnesota might want to look at catching the Giants, who fell Sunday night and could be heading back to the pack. They finish the season at Buffa... Now this is what the Saints had in mind when they picked up Kevin Kaesviharn and drafted Roman Harper a secondary that picks off some passes and makes big hits. ...Yes, Drew Brees is red hot. He was 26 of 30 in Sunday's contest and he has quietly gotten back into the race for the Pro Bowl. After a lousy start that had him throw 9 interceptions and one touchdown in the first four games, Brees has since throw 24 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. That's one reason I took exception to last we... 2:55 p.m. I think, with New Orleans leading by seven and owning the ball with first-and-10 from the Cards' 25, this one is all but over barring some strange event. You know, like an ill-timed reverse. ...Courtesy of the Arizona Republic: "The Cardinals need to win their last three games to have a legitimate shot at the playoffs, yet they are dealing with more injuries than they have all year." Read more. ...You wouldn't know it from the 6-7 record, but Coach Sean Payton has seriously improved this team's red zone offense. They rank first in the league in scoring a TD once inside the 20 -- better than Arizona and New England. Read more. ...Drew Brees is one of 64 NFL quarterbacks in this tournament slapped together by ESPN.com. Click here to see where Drew Brees finished. ...Courtesy of the Baton Rouge Advocate: "Veteran cornerback Mike McKenzie has been selected as the New Orleans Saints’ candidate for the 2007 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award." Read more. ...Hey there readers, welcome. I know, I know. This is the "Eye on the Saints" blog. We had to make an executive decision and use the space available to us here at WWL-TV.com. Ignore the date, by the way. It's actually Jan. 1, 2008. Oh, and Happy New Year! Most interesting part of the pregame: The fans all booing honorary guest C. Ray Nagin. ...The Saints secondary has had its fair share of troubles with second-string quarterbacks (the Jaguars, Bucs, Panthers and Falcons immediately spring to mind...), so what's to stop former NFL MVP Kurt Warner from lighting up the sky in the Superdome? Read more. ...Courtesy of FOX Sports.com: "The Arizona Cardinals and the New Orleans Saints are both still alive in the NFC's playoff race, but injuries to key players might prevent these clubs from qualifying for the postseason. "New Orleans will likely be without Reggie Bush again, while Arizona hopes its receivers are healthy enough to make an impact when the teams meet at the Superdome for the first time in 10 years Sunday. "Both... While they wouldn't go on the record with the Monroe News-Star, several Saints did say off the record that Petrino's move didn't sit well with them. Read more. ...I know the headline is an overstatement of the obvious, but the fact remains the Saints will likely have to win out to qualify for the postseason. Read more. ...Ranking all the quarterbacks, ESPN's Insider (this is said to be a free preview) has the expected players at 1 and 2 - Drew Brees is 8th, which is a little low in my opinion. Brees is currently 10th in the NFL in passer rating, but that's after an abysmal start. He started off with just 1 TD and 9 picks in the first four games, and since has 22 TDs and only 6 pic... At his weekly news conference Tuesday, coach Sean Payton singled out, among others, safety Kevin Kaesviharn, running back Aaron Stecker, and wide receiver David Patten. Read more. ...The Saints have placed Olindo Mare on the injured reserve list, effectively ending the kicker's season, according to WWLTV.com's Bradley Handwerger. Mare suffered a hip injury during the team's win over the Atlanta Falcons Monday night. The Saints have signed Martin Gramatica (formerly with the Cowboys and Bucs) as a replacement. ...Don Banks of Sports Illustrated presents his list of the year's All-Bust Team. Five Saints players are mentioned, either as a starter at the position or as a "dishonorable mention." The tally: 3 defensive players, 1 offensive player and a special teams player. Read more. ...Of the five polls listed below, which one actually dropped the Saints in the rankings? ESPN.com. Sean Payton was adamant that he would prefer having Reggie Bush in the lineup, even though the team had a good offensive output without him Monday night. Payton said there was no change on Bush's status and that an announcement would be made Wednesday. "The team is better off with Reggie Bush and Deuce McAllister," said Payton. "Those guys are an important part of what we do. I'd much rather have Reggie Bush healthy and in our... Kevin Kaesviharn got a lot of playing time last night. Know why? Cause Josh Bullocks injured his quad muscle (leg) during pregame warm-ups. Read more. ...When questioned by WWL-TV Sports Director Jim Henderson about whether or not anything could be read into the Saints running a reverse to Devery Henderson on their first offensive play, Drew smiled, winked and said, "What do you think?" Brees said the Saints are an aggressive team and hinted that the call was to show people that they would remain an aggressive team. ...Saints quarterback Drew Brees was effusive after the game, telling ESPN in an interview that, "You can't win four in a row until you win one in a row." Brees has been telling people all week that the team can still reach the playoffs, and he went out and took it upon himself to get them there with 328 yards passing and three touchdowns. Brees said that when the offense clicks, it's a special feeling. He said even without Deuce and Bush... Saying he would stay aggressive, Sean Payton was good to his word, going for it on 4th and about a foot on his own 33-yard line. The Saints didn't convert but the ESPN announcers took less exception to it than they did to last week's late game runningback-receiver reverse. ...Atlanta's small 'can-do' back has rushed for over 10,000 yards in his career and ESPN's Outsiders say Reggie Bush can learn a thing or two by watching Dunn in action. ...Joe Horn, who was very quiet prior to facing the Saints in the Superdome, is now sounding off, blaming Sean Payton's ego for the Saints' struggles. Of course, Horn hasn't exactly been smoking since signing a reported 4-year, $19 million deal with the Falcons. Even with their quarterback problems, Horn's stats - 22 receptions for 203 yards an... Reuban Frank of Sports Illustrated said the Texans, mocked by many after taking Mario Williams first in the 2006 NFL Draft, may have the last laugh. Read more. ...Courtesy of the Baton Rouge Advocate: "Quarterback Drew Brees said the extra day was nice to get Sunday’s setback out of their minds. But he said a number of players were in the facility to get treatment, lift weights and watch film — a sign they were eager to get back to work." Read more. ...During a media briefing Friday, Coach Sean Payton said running back Reggie Bush has a torn PCL in his left knee and is listed as questionable for Monday night's game against Atlanta. Contrary to published reports, Payton does not believe Bush will miss the rest of the season. ALSO: Payton said he has not been contacted about the Michigan head coaching vacancy, despite reports circulating that the university had contacted him. ...The Detroit News says the University of Michigan has an interest in the Saints Sean Payton. There's little more than that in the article, but expect Payton to be asked about it at his Friday press briefing. ...Courtesy of the Baton Rouge Advocate: "The 2006 NFL Coach of the Year was kicking himself for the gadget play that went awry with just more than 3:30 remaining in Sunday’s 27-23 loss to the Tampa Bay Bucs in a game the Saints simply had to have." Read more. ...If Kevin Kaesviharn starts Sunday's game, it could mean the bench for Roman Harper. Read more. ...The Atlanta Falcons will start their 3rd different quarterback this year when Chris Redman suits up against the Saints Monday night. ...From the Biloxi Sun-Herald: "Kaesviharn took part in more than 40 defensive plays during Sunday's loss to the Buccaneers." Read more. ...More Reggie backlash following Sunday's loss. Tom Mantzouranis of AOL Sports is the latest to ask if #25 is slowly wearing out his welcome in town. Read more. ...John Czarnecki of FOXSports.net writes that no team has fallen further in 2007 than the Saints. Picked to make the Super Bowl by several national sports pundits and the like, New Orleans' season has been a disaster from week 1. Read more. ...That headline comes courtesy of Larry Holder of the Biloxi Sun-Herald. Read through it, let him what you think, and then tell us your thoughts. Read more. ...Courtesy of the Biloxi Sun-Herald: "There's this finality at times that each team hits throughout the course of the season if they're not going to make the postseason," Payton said. "We haven't hit that finality." Read more. ...Everybody seems to be calling this an unfortunate turn of events that will ultimately keep the Saints out of the playoff picture. ESPN.com.
Jere' Longman of the New York Times says that what was once thought to be a promising season for Reggie Bush is now going down the tubes. ...ESPN's John Clayton called Sean Payton's 'Superdome Special' perhaps the worst play call since 1978. ...Am I crazy? I must be the only person who doesn't think Sean Payton's call was a bad decision. Yes, it's a bad play because it didn't work, but as a Saints fan I've watched too often as coaches have played 'not to lose' instead of playing to win. If Payton's call had been properly executed and the Saints had gotten the first down, the team could have basically run down the clock and clinched the game. Payton would have been a 'genius' ... Saints quarterback Drew Brees said the reverse play was supposed to be a flip to Reggie Bush who would then toss it to Devery Henderson. Brees said the team worked on the play in practice and that Payton told them it would be used at a critical point in a game. Brees said it was the players’ job to execute on the play and they didn’t. He said that if they execute the play, they get a pivotal first down and maybe need one more t... Head coach Sean Payton came right down to the post game media press conference and immediately took blame for the loss. "This is the worst job I've done as a head coach since I've been here," he said. "Obviously I regret the play call that resulted in a fumble and cost us the game. I shouldn't have called the play in that situation." Payton said it was a short-yardage play and he called it trying to get what he believed was a s...
Hey there, Saints fans. Welcome back to WWL-TV's gameday live blog. Glad you could join us today. We'll - and by we'll, I mean me - be updating as often as possible through the end of the third quarter and into the fourth quarter. Come back for stats and observations. And really, thanks for reading. As always, you can comment below, or email me at bhandwerger@wwltv.com ...Bucky Brooks of Sports Illustrated writes a brief game plan for both the Bucs and Saints, as well as other games across the league. Read more. (Note: You'll have to scroll down to the third game on the page). ...From the Lafayatte Daily Advertiser: "The Saints' offensive line ranks first in the NFL with fewest sacks allowed with eight. To put that number into perspective, the next closest team is the New England Patriots at 13." Read more. ... |
|
|
 |
|