New Orleans Saints’ Win Over Bills Their Most Impressive of The Season

Who Dat?! Who Dat?!

Who Dat say they gonna run the ball with authority, play great defense, and win on the road despite a sub-par game from Drew Brees?!

The Saints? Really?!

They did just that as they defeated the Buffalo Bills 27-7 to move to 3-0.

In the process, Sean Payton’s team is proving that they are not the same ol’ Saints.

The Saints may have scored more points in each of their first two games and won by more points against Philadelphia, but their week three victory over Buffalo may later prove to be one of the defining games of the season.

Before you scoff at such a notion, take into account some of these facts:

• The Saints were playing in their second of back to back games on the road, both more than 1,200 miles from home.
• Drew Brees (16 for 29, 172 yards, zero touchdowns, sacked twice, lost a fumble) was merely average.
• Lynell Hamilton, the Saints’ fourth running back, scored the game’s first touchdown.
• Buffalo scored a touchdown on a fake field goal.
• The Saints punted on four straight possessions (not including the one play to end the first half).
• Despite all of this, the Saints still won by 20.

One of the knocks against Sean Payton’s Saints is that they weren’t mentally tough and couldn’t close out games.

This label was well-deserved. New Orleans lost six games last season by seven points or less.

The defense seemed to always allow the big play at the worst possible time (see last season’s losses at Washington and Chicago).

The Saints began shedding that label by outscoring the Bills 17-0 in the fourth quarter and holding Buffalo to 243 total yards, more than 100 below their average.

They extended a 10-7 lead to a 27-7 final margin.

The defense held running back Fred Jackson, who came in averaging 164 total yards from scrimmage, to 97 yards and 3.9 yards per carry.

Charles Grant, (yes, Charles Grant) led a fierce pass rush that recorded four sacks, 14 quarterback hits, and helped hold quarterback Trent Edwards to a passer rating of 56.4.

The defense had a total of eight tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

Offensively, the Saints proved that they are not just Drew Brees and 10 other players.

Each of the Saints’ three running backs averaged at least 4.8 yards per carry. Pierre Thomas gained all of his 126 yards and two touchdowns in the second half.

New Orleans ran the ball 38 times for 222 yards and three touchdowns while passing 29 times for just 172 yards (not including sacks) and no touchdowns.

All of this while playing much of the second half with third-string left tackle Zach Strief.

When did the Saints offense decide to start imitating the 2008 Baltimore Ravens?

As the two teams combined for 11 punts and three turnovers in the first 49 minutes of the game, I know that I was thinking what most other long-suffering Saints’ fans were thinking:

Just how long can this suddenly impenetrable defense hold out against a team that came in averaging 28.5 points per game?

Turns out, the defense did just fine.

They allowed just one play longer than 18 yards, and that was the 25-yard touchdown off the fake field goal.

Trent Edwards was held to 4.5 yards per pass.

Jabari Greer and Will Smith combined to create one of the game’s biggest plays.

With the Saints clinging to a 10-7 lead late in the third quarter, Edwards had driven the Bills 70 yards to the Saints 27-yard line and faced a third and three.

Edwards’ pass, intended for Terrell Owens, was tipped by Greer and intercepted by Will Smith.

From that point forward, the defense allowed just 18 yards on 16 plays, while the offense scored 17 points to put the game away.

New Orleans, if only for one game, has shown they can win with defense, a running game, and mental toughness.

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Saints-Bills: Three Keys To a New Orleans Win at Buffalo

How do you like me now?

That has got to be the New Orleans Saints’ attitude in regards to the national media and non-Saints fans after their 2-0 start.

After posting 45 points against the Detroit Lions, many critics said, “Yeah, that was good, but it was against the Lions. You won’t match that against the Philadelphia Eagles’ defense.”

48 points later, not only did they match it, but they surpassed it on the road in a hostile environment.

Unfortunately, the Saints will have to march into Buffalo without running back Mike Bell. Bell is fourth in the league in rushing and has one touchdown.

Pierre Thomas, now back healthy after suffering a sprained MCL in the preseason, will have to carry the load for the Saints’ running game.

 

The Saints will win if…

1) The passing game can flourish even in the wind and rain

The entire New Orleans Saints organization, not just the offense, relies so much on quarterback Drew Brees.

Brees has had ideal passing conditions in the Superdome and at Lincoln Financial Field. Now he must go to Buffalo, a town known for giving opposing quarterbacks a difficult time.

The forecast in Buffalo calls for a windy, wet afternoon.

Brees and his receivers are going to have to turn up their concentration levels even higher than usual in order to be successful.

Jeremy Shockey’s impact should be substantial in this game. Patriots tight-end Benjamin Watson exploited the Bill’s defense for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter in New England’s thrilling fourth quarter comeback victory in week one.

Look for Brees to take advantage of Buffalo’s 31st ranked pass defense.

 

2) The defense slows down running back Fred Jackson

Fred Jackson has been a big reason why the Buffalo Bills are averaging 28.5 points per game.

Jackson leads the team in both rushing and receiving yards. He has more catches (11) than wide receivers Lee Evans and Terrell Owens have combined (nine).

Jackson has been getting the carries that suspended running back Marshawn Lynch usually gets, but I don’t see him ceding the carries to Lynch when he returns in week four.

As Jackson goes, so does the Bills offense.

 

3) New Orleans limits Buffalo’s big plays

The Saints have surrendered big plays in each of the first two games. Luckily, the Saints have been able to overcome them with big plays of their own.

Buffalo has big-play ability all over the field.

Wide receivers Lee Evans and Terrell Owens have the ability to break a play wide open and score a touchdown.

Roscoe Parrish, the Bills’ ace return man, has returned a punt for a touchdown in each of the past three seasons and has led the NFL in yards per return the past two years.

On paper, the Saints appear to be the more talented team, but they can’t allow the Bills to gain momentum with big plays.

 

Three questions for New Orleans headed into week three…

1) How will the running game look?

The offseason expectations for Pierre Thomas were high. He had over 900 yards in total offense to go along with 12 touchdowns last year. He hasn’t played more than a few downs this season as he makes his way back from injury.

 

2) How will Jabari Greer perform in his return to Buffalo?

Greer spent his first five seasons in Buffalo before moving to New Orleans this past offseason. As a Saint, he has been playing as one of the top two corners on the roster.

Players always get extra pysched up when they face their old team. It’ll be interesting to see how Greer reacts to playing in his old stadium.

 

3) How will the Saints handle the Bills’ no-huddle attack?

The Saints use the no-huddle but only in certain circumstances. The Bills use the no-huddle constantly.

Last week the Saints allowed the Eagles to hold the ball on one drive for over eight minutes but were given the opportunity to sub in players on that drive because the Eagles used a huddle.

They won’t have that luxury against Buffalo.

 

Prediction…

New Orleans 28, Buffalo 24

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Don’t Overlook This Player When Talking About the New Orleans Saints

Devery Henderson, for the vast majority of his career, has been a “yeah, but…”

“Yeah, Devery’s got great speed, but he runs poor routes.”

“Yeah, Devery’s led the league two of the past three seasons in yards per catch, but he has too many drive-killing drops.”

Yeah, but not anymore.

When Henderson became an unrestricted free agent this past spring, I thought he was long gone. In my mind, the Saints would not want to spend a lot of money for someone who had been no better than their third wide receiver, and Henderson’s speed would make him a tempting commodity for any team that badly needed to upgrade their wide receiver corps.

Man, was I wrong.

Not only was Henderson one of the first free agents to re-sign with the Saints, but he did it to the tune of four years, $12 million.

Now I know that’s not a whole lot in today’s NFL, but it is for a guy who catches the ball twice a game.

Even tough he seemed to have improved upon his career-long concentration issues in 2008, Henderson’s signing was one of those things that made me go “hmmm.”

He should have had more than 32 catches in a season in which Marques Colston, Jeremy Shockey, and Reggie Bush all missed considerable time.

Lance Moore’s 2008 emergence, the expectations placed on former first round pick Robert Meachem, and Sean Payton’s infatuation with Adrian Arrington seemed to have Henderson no better than fourth on the depth chart and possibly fifth.

Wrong, again.

The Saints waived Arrington when rosters had to be trimmed to 53 and Henderson opened the season with five catches, 103 yards, and a touchdown against the Lions.

He followed that up with three catches for 71 yards against the Eagles secondary.

More importantly, he has yet to drop a catch-able ball during this young season.

He is second on the team with 12 targets. Drew Brees is 8-12 for 174 yards and one touchdown when throwing to Henderson this season.

Expect Henderson’s productivity (and fantasy value) to improve as the season wears on. Two of the three catches he had against Philadelphia came on third and long, and Brees values receivers he can count on in big-time situations.

If he can continue to come through in the clutch, he will turn himself into a “yeah!” receiver.

No buts about it.

 

 

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New Orleans Saints Pluck Eagles on the Road, Move to 2-0

All week long, the New Orleans Saints heard the noise.

The only reason they were able to score 45 points in week one is because they were playing the Detroit Lions at home.

No way they’d be able to match that on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Well, they didn’t match it. They surpassed it.

Drew Brees and his offensive machine rolled up 41 points on the Eagles, and safety Darren Sharper added a late touchdown on a 97-yard interception return to lead the Saints to a 48-22 victory over the Eagles.

The Saints opening drive, just like last week’s, culminated with a touchdown pass to Marques Colston. This one was right over the head of Pro Bowl safety Asante’ Samuel.

Colston now has three touchdowns in two games. I’d say he is back from last year’s injury.

Devery Henderson later abused Samuel in the second quarter. On third and 12 and on their own side of the field, Henderson hauled in a 16-yard pass right in front of Samuel to keep the drive alive.

That drive later ended, though, when linebacker Akeem Jordan made a leaping, one-handed interception deep in Saints’ territory.

While the Saints held just a 17-13 lead at the half, they bust the game wide open in the third quarter.

New Orleans forced and recovered a fumble on the second half kickoff. Eagles’ quarterback Kevin Kolb, making his first career start, threw an interception to Scott Shanle on the Eagles’ second play from scrimmage in the second half.

The Saints turned both turnovers into easy touchdowns, and a 17-13 lead exploded into a 31-13 lead.

The defense pressured Kolb throughout the day. Even though they only registered two sacks, they forced Kolb to check down to tight end Brent Celek and to throw the ball away to the sidelines on several occasions.

Celek was impressive, as his physical play helped him to a 104-yard receiving day.

The defense did allow 463 yards, but 130 of those yards came on four fourth-quarter drives after the outcome was no longer in doubt.

By the way, the only points on those four drives were scored by Darren Sharper.

 

In my Saints-Eagles preview, I listed three things the Saints must do to win. Let’s re-visit them:

 

1) Cut down on turnovers.

Check. The Saints turned it over just once and never fumbled the ball.

 

2) Improve drastically on special teams.

There was an improvement, but it wasn’t perfect.

Positives: Forced and recovered a fumble on a kickoff return. Held DeSean Jackson to just five yards on two punt returns after he torched the Panthers for an 85-yard touchdown. Thomas Morstead averaged 52 yards on three punts.

Negatives: Allowed a 63-yard kickoff return which led to a fourth-down touchdown. Morstead kicked the ball out of bounds on an early kickoff.

3) Run the ball effectively between the tackles.

Check again. Mike Bell, who is the anti-Reggie Bush in that he rarely bounces the ball outside behind the line of scrimmage, was good for 86 yards and touchdown.

The only question I have is this: Why is Sean Payton risking a safety by handing the ball off to Bush from the Saints’ own 1-yard line?

 

I also posed three questions for the Saints as they headed into week two. Let’s see how they were answered them:

 

1) Will Jermon Bushrod improve in his second career start?

He improved but still gave up a sack to Trent Cole. He will have his hands full again next week against Buffalo’s Aaron Schobel.

 

2) How effective will the pass rush be?

The stat sheet will show that the Saints got just two sacks on Kolb, but it won’t show how many times he had to get rid of the ball quickly by throwing it out of bounds.

All in all, the pass rush was about average and needs to steadily improve over the course of the season.

 

3) Does Reggie Bush bounce back after a poor performance?

Bush had a better game than he did last week when he fumbled the ball twice. He managed 76 total yards and a touchdown. He also had a key 29-yard reception that led to Colston’s second touchdown.

He was ineffective, though, as a punt returner. He lost six yards on one of his two returns.

 

Overall, you can’t ask the Saints to play much better than they did against the Eagles.  New Orleans committed just three penalties for 13 yards and held Philadelphia to just one touchdown in five trips to the red zone.

They scored 48 points and won convincingly against a good NFC team that was celebrating its home opener.

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Saints-Eagles: Three Things New Orleans Must Do to Beat Philadelphia

Both the New Orleans Saints and the Philadelphia Eagles came into the season surrounded by playoff expectations.

They did nothing in week one to dispel those feelings as they defeated their opponents by a combined 46 points and forced 10 total turnovers.

The two teams should provide each other with much better competition in week two.

A win in Philadelphia would be huge for the Saints. If the Saints want to establish themselves as an elite team in the NFC, they need to win on the road against the league’s best.

Sunday’s victor will have a leg up on the other as they battle throughout the season for a playoff spot and a possible first-round bye.

The Saints’ 2006 regular season victory over the Eagles proved to be pivotal in race for a playoff bye.

Both teams finished the regular season with 10-6 records, but the Saints’ victory allowed them to have a first-round bye. New Orleans then defeated Philadelphia at home to advance to the NFC championship.

The Saints can beat the Eagles whether Donovan McNabb plays or not. In order to win, though, they must play better than they did against the Detroit Lions.

 

Three things the Saints must do to beat the Eagles.

 

1) Cut down on the turnovers.

The Saints were able to defeat the Lions easily despite three turnovers because Detroit lacked production from the their running game and their defense. It also didn’t help the Lions that they were starting a rookie quarterback.

New Orleans will not beat Philadelphia if they commit multiple turnovers, because the Eagles’ defense won’t allow the Saints to score 45 points.

 

2) Improve drastically on special teams.

The Saints special teams play was unacceptable last week against the Lions. Among the miscues were two fumbles (one lost), a blocked field goal, and allowing two returns that gave the Lions field position inside the Saints’ 15-yard line.

These mistakes took three points from the Saints and gave the Lions another 10. If you gift wrap 13 points for a good team like the Eagles, you will get crushed.

Wide receiver DeSean Jackson had an 85-yard touchdown return for the Eagles against the Panthers. The Saints must neutralize him in order to win the field position battle.

The lone bright spot for the Saints on special teams was kickoff specialist/punter Thomas Morstead. He booted several kicks for touchbacks and his two punts averaged 48 yards.

 

3) Run the ball effectively between the tackles.

One of the pleasant surprises we saw from the Saints last week was their ability to run the ball up the middle consistently. Not only did Mike Bell run with authority, but the offensive line opened huge running lanes.

The Saints most effective play is the play-action pass. In order for it to be effective, though, there has to be some threat of a run.

An effective play-action pass slows down the pass rush and sucks in linebackers and safeties to give the wide receivers one-on-one matchups.

Three questions for New Orleans heading into week two.

 

1) Will Jermon Bushrod improve in his second career start?

Even though the left tackle did not allow a sack against the Lions, part of that was because of Brees’ pocket awareness. Brees often had to scramble within the pocket because Bushrod was getting beaten by his man.

 

2) How effective will the pass rush be?

The Saints pass rush produced just one sack and four quarterback hits on Matthew Stafford. Some of the credit goes to the Lions for calling numerous three- and five-step drops for Stafford.

The Saints’ front four only got two of the four quarterback hits, both from Will Smith.

 

3) Does Reggie Bush bounce back after a poor performance?

Bush was one of the few offensive players who had a bad game for New Orleans. His personal box score read as follows:

Seven carries for 14 yards, five catches for 55 yards, three punt returns for 11 yards, and two fumbles (one lost).

While the offense as a whole averaged 7.46 yards per play, Bush averaged just 5.75 yards from scrimmage.

 

Predictions

Running backs Mike Bell and Pierre Thomas will have 30 carries and at least 130 yards on the ground.

Robert Meachem will lead the team in receiving yardage.

Drew Brees will pass for over 250 yards but less than 300. He will throw three touchdowns and one interception.

Jabari Greer and Darren Sharper will each have an interception.

The Saints will allow fewer points against the Eagles than they did against the Lions.

New Orleans 31, Philadelphia 24.

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Saints-Lions: Brees Tosses Six Touchdowns as Saints Tame Lions, 45-27

Saints quarterback Drew Brees tied a career high with six touchdown passes as the New Orleans Saints defeated the Detroit Lions, 45-27. Brees tossed touchdowns to five different receivers, including two to tight end Jeremy Shockey.

In my Saturday preview, I asked five questions about the Saints as they headed in to week one. Here are the answers.

 

How will the running game look with Pierre Thomas out of the lineup?

Mike Bell had a career game even though he didn’t score a touchdown. He set career highs for yardage (143) and carries (28). Bell was key on the Saints’ last drive when they were trying to run out the clock as he gained 28 yards on six carries.

Bell’s one negative play came in the third quarter when he was stood up for a loss and fumbled the ball away. The Lions returned the fumble 65 yards for a touchdown.

 

 

Is Reggie’s knee finally healthy?

Bush did not appear injured but probably had the worst game out of anybody on the field. He fumbled the ball twice on punt returns and didn’t gain yardage running the ball until late in the fourth quarter.

I expect wide receiver Rod Harper to be activated next week against the Eagles in order to return punts.

 

How often will Gregg Williams dial up a blitz for rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford?

I was surprised at how little Williams blitzed the rookie, but that’s probably why he’s coaching in the NFL and I’m sitting on my couch.

New Orleans sacked Stafford just once but intercepted him three times.

Even though the team allowed 27 points, much of that came because of a fumble return and poor special teams play. The Saints held the Lions to just 231 yards of total offense.

 

How well will the Saints defend against wide receiver Calvin Johnson?

Overall, Saints fans should be pleased with the coverage against Johnson. He caught just three passes and 64 of his 90 yards came when he was being covered by rookie Malcolm Jenkins. Jenkins was covering Johnson only because Tracy Porter was on the sidelines momentarily with a minor injury.

Johnson was thrown to 13 times and was blanketed most of the day by double coverage.

 

Can the defense keep up the turnover pace it set in the first three preseason games?

In a word, yes.

Darren Sharper had two interceptions and Scott Shanle had one. Surprisingly, the Lions, who fumbled the ball 31 times last year, did not fumble once against the Saints.

 

Three Other Observations

1. The Saints special teams were awful. Twice the Lions started drives inside the Saints’ 20-yard line because of big kick and punt returns. Poor offensive line play got a Saints’ 34-yard field goal blocked at the end of the second quarter.

The special teams ruined a good performance by the defense.

2. Except for the missed tackle on Calvin Johnson’s 64-yard reception, the Saints pass defense did an excellent job keeping everything in front of them.

Critics who just look at the scoreboard are going to give this defense less credit than they deserve for this game. When the Lions started on their own side of the field, they only scored 10 points.

3. Saints tackle Jermon Bushrod, subbing for the injured left tackle Jammal Brown, did an outstanding job in his first career start. He did not commit a penalty. Bushrod more than held his own while opening up running lanes and holding off the Lions’ pass rush.

 

A Glance at Next Week

The Saints head to Philadelphia to play the Eagles next week. The Eagles blasted the Carolina Panthers, 38-10 much thanks to Jake Delhomme’s five turnovers. Brees will not turn the ball over nearly that much.

Also, the Eagles’ quarterback Donovan McNabb cracked a rib diving for a touchdown Sunday and his status for next week is currently unknown.

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Saints-Lions Preview: Five Questions For New Orleans Against Detroit

The start of the regular season is upon us.

Finally.

It has been eight and a half months since the Saints have played a game that was worth something.

Hopes are high in New Orleans because of Drew Brees and new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. With all the anticipation, though, we really don’t know what to expect.

Will the offense stay healthy this year? Will the running game get going or will Brees again have to drop back and throw it 40 times per game?

Is the defense ready to make a leap forward and be an asset? Is Sean Payton going to stick with the same punter for the whole season or is he already scanning the waiver wire?

While these questions will be answered throughout the season, here are five questions for week one.

 

How will the running game look with Pierre Thomas out of the lineup?

The Saints announced on Friday that Pierre Thomas, the Saints’ starter at running back, is out for Sunday’s game. Thomas sprained his MCL during the preseason.

To be honest, the Saints don’t need him against the Lions.

While it would be nice to have all of the starters ready for the opening game, Mike Bell should fill in nicely as Thomas’ replacement. There is no reason to risk Thomas given the arsenal at Drew Brees’ disposal. Save him for next week in Philadelphia.

I expect Bell to be the main guy carrying the ball. He should get anywhere from 15-20 carries while Reggie Bush takes 10-12.

Speaking of Mr. Bush…

 

Is Reggie’s knee finally healthy?

Reggie Bush touched the ball just three times in the preseason and hasn’t played in a game in four weeks. Bush has has health issues as he has missed ten games over the past two seasons.

The Saints have been very cautious with Bush during training camp. He has been held out of several contact drills and is often seen icing his surgically repaired knee.

While the Saints don’t need him to beat the Lions, it would be a good opportunity for him to shake off the rust. I expect Sean Payton to give him around ten touches just to get Reggie back into the groove of playing football.

 

How often will Gregg Williams dial up a blitz for rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford?

The opportunity to face a rookie quarterback on a bad team in his first NFL start had got to be a defensive coordinator’s dream. Fantasy becomes reality for Gregg Williams as he puts the finishing touches on what should be an aggressive game plan.

For all the talent he faced in the SEC, Matthew Stafford has never faced the complexity of an NFL defense. To confuse Stafford, I’m looking for Williams to call a number of blitz packages.

The Saints can afford to blitz often because the Lions possess just one vertical threat, wide receiver Calvin Johnson.

Speaking of Mr. Johnson…

 

How well will the Saints defend against wide receiver Calvin Johnson?

As terrible as the Saints’ secondary performed last year, they actually held Johnson to one of his worst performances of the season. Johnson caught just four passes for 64 yards in the week 16 New Orleans victory.

Johnson, though, is one of the most feared receivers in the game. Johnson led the league with 12 touchdowns and was fifth with 1,331 receiving yards. He did all of this as the only offensive threat on a win-less team.

Johnson could approach Randy Moss’ 2007 numbers if he had Brees, Brady, or Peyton Manning as his quarterback.

 

Can the defense keep up the turnover pace it set in the first three preseason games?

The Saints were near the bottom of the league in forcing (29th) and recovering (26th) fumbles. Forcing turnovers has been a point of emphasis for Williams and it shows.

New Orleans forced three turnovers in each of its first three preseason games and forced one while playing mainly reserves in the final preseason game.

The Saints pass rushers should be looking to strip Stafford of the ball every time they get near him. The secondary, led by veteran safety Darren Sharper, will be trying to confuse the rookie as much as possible with a variety of looks.

I expect the Saints defense to get two or more turnovers against a rookie quarterback and a team that fumbled 31 times last season.

 

Final Prediction

The Lions are more talented this year but so are the Saints. I’m not sure how often a rookie quarterback wins his first start on the road, but it can’t be a very high number.

New Orleans has high expectations this season. If they are to make the playoffs, they have to win the games like this one that they are supposed to win.

New Orleans 38, Detroit 13

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Countdown to Cut Down: Predicting the New Orleans Saints’ Final Roster

The decisions of a coach and a GM this week can make or break a young player’s career.

This Saturday can be labeled Black Saturday, as many young NFL hopefuls and aging veterans alike anxiously await their football fates. NFL teams are required to trim their rosters from 80 down to 53 by the end of this week.

For the Saints, some players, such as Jason David and Glenn Pakulak, received their walking papers more than a week in advance. Others, like Skyler Green, Courtney Roby, and Anthony Hargrove, must sweat it out for one more preseason game before they learn their fates.

It appears that some of the position battles in New Orleans are so closely contested that Thursday’s preseason game against the Miami Dolphins is do or die.

Here is how I predict the final 53-man roster will appear on Saturday.

 

Offense

QB—Three: Drew Brees, Mark Brunell, and Joey Harrington.

There has been some speculation that the Saints will only keep two quarterbacks. If that is the case, I expect the Saints to keep the younger Harrington over Brunell.

 

HB—Three: Pierre Thomas, Reggie Bush, and Mike Bell.

I think this is a position where the Saints are going to keep one less player than what is ideal. Even though the Saints are not a running offense, it’s always good to have two power backs in the lineup. If Thomas or Bell gets hurt, the Saints have no depth behind them.

 

FB—One: Heath Evans.

This has been Evans’ job to lose all summer. The Saints did not cut Mike Karney in favor of Evans for no reason. Olaniyi Sobomehin, it was nice butchering your name over and over. See you on the practice squad.

 

WR—Six: Marques Colston, Lance Moore, Devery Henderson, Robert Meachem, Rod Harper, and Adrian Arrington.

The first four receivers appear to be locks to make the roster. I have doubts about the last two.

Harper started off camp as maybe the eighth best receiver on the team, and now I have him at fifth because he has impressed with return ability and appears to be a weapon in the offense.

Arrington, on the other hand, is slipping. He has flashed some potential but has been slowed by injuries in consecutive training camps.

 

TE—Three: Jeremy Shockey, Billy Miller, and Darnell Dinkins.

Shockey and Miller are locks to make the roster, while Dinkins has made fewer mistakes than Buck Ortega.

 

OT—Four: Jammal Brown, Jonathan Stinchcomb, Zach Strief, and Jermon Bushrod.

If it wasn’t for Brown’s injury, then the Saints may have gone with just three tackles. Strief has been a reliable backup over the past few years, and Bushrod has started the last two preseason games in Brown’s absence.

 

OG—Three: Carl Nicks, Jamar Nesbit, and Jahri Evans.

The Saints have two young, talented guards in Nicks and Evans.

 

C—Two: Jonathan Goodwin and Nick Leckey.

This is probably the weakest part of the offensive line. Goodwin and Leckey are serviceable but aren’t nearly what Jeff Faine was when he was here.

 

Defense

DE—Five: Charles Grant, Will Smith, Bobby McCray, Paul Spicer, and Anthony Hargrove.

Unless you have been living under a rock for the past nine months, you know that Charles Grant and Will Smith will likely be suspended for four games this season. Because of this, New Orleans will have to keep one or two more defensive linemen than they want.

 

DT—Four: Sedrick Ellis, Kendrick Clancy, DeMario Pressley, and Remi Ayodele.

This group needs to get a more consistent push up the middle. My guess is that Sean Payton ends the Rod Coleman experiment (one tackle in three preseason games).

 

OLB—Four: Scott Shanle, Scott Fujita, Troy Evans, and Jo-Lonn Dunbar.

This group will look exactly as it did last year. All players in this group are solid, but none are spectacular.

 

MLB—Two: Jonathan Vilma and Marvin Mitchell.

Based on what I have seen so far, Vilma could turn into the best defensive player in the division.

 

CB—Five: Jabari Greer, Tracy Porter, Randall Gay, Malcolm Jenkins, and Leigh Torrence.

There shouldn’t be any surprises here. Greer and Porter have looked outstanding all summer long. Jenkins is a first round pick.

Though Torrence has struggled at times, the Saints obviously see something in him since they re-signed him as a restricted free agent.

 

FS—Two: Darren Sharper and Usama Young.

In limited action, Sharper has shown a nose for the football. Young is wisely picking his brain.

 

SS—Two: Roman Harper and Pierson Prioleau.

Harper may be the biggest beneficiary of Gregg Williams’ arrival. Prioleau has been with Williams almost his entire career and is a special teams ace.

Specialists

Punter—One: Thomas Morestead.

This race was officially over when the Saints cut Pakulak.

 

Placekicker—Two: John Carney and Garrett Hartley.

This was solely Hartley’s gig until he got hit with the four-game ban. Last year, Carney was an injury replacement in New York for Lawrence Tynes and made the Pro Bowl.

 

LS—One: Jason Kyle.

He has had no competition since he arrived in New Orleans.

 

NFL teams can sign players to their practice squad beginning Sept. 7.

Dominant Rushing Attack Helps New Orleans Saints Dispatch Texans, 38-14

It appears as if the Saints have found their third running back.

Mike Bell carried the ball 10 times for 100 yards, including a 46-yard touchdown run in the Saints 38-14 win over the Houston Texans.

Each of Bell’s ten carries went for positive yardage.

New Orleans piled up 173 yards on the ground.

Drew Brees also looked sharp after missing most of the week to attend a memorial service for his mother.

Brees was perfect on the first drive that ended with a touchdown pass to Pierre Thomas.

Joey Harrington and Mark Brunnel combined to drive the offense 13 plays and 99 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter. The drive culminated in Herb Donaldson’s 14-yard touchdown run.

Harrington left the game early in the drive due to a mild concussion he suffered after scrambling for 10 yards.

This game turned from shootout to blowout thanks in part to the defense’s ability to adjust to the Texans and force turnovers.

After allowing 73 yards and a touchdown on the opening drive, the first unit clamped down on Houston and allowed only 50 yards of offense the rest of the first half.

Texans quarterback Matt Shaub looked sharp early on as he delivered the ball quickly and accurately in the first quarter.

Pro bowl receiver Andre Johnson had four first half catches but was held to just 38 yards.

Cornerbacks Jabari Greer and Tracy Porter and safety Darren Sharper each had tight coverage on Johnson.

Greer made an interception and returned it 23 yards, Porter ripped the ball out of Johnson’s hands after one reception to cause a fumble, and Sharper batted a pass away from Johnson 15 yards down field.

The Saints held the Texans to less than three yards per carry.

The Saints biggest problems came on special teams.

New Orleans was flagged for consecutive illegal procedure penalties while attempting a field goal.

Kicker Garrett Hartley, who has come under scrutiny as of late, missed a 30-yard field goal attempt. He will likely miss the first four games of the season due to testing positive for a banned stimulant.

Hartley also missed a short field goal attempt last week against the Bengals.

The one bright spot on the special teams unit was wide receiver Rod Harper.

Harper, who is trying to beat out Skyler Green and Courtney Roby as the sixth receiver and punt returner, dazzled the Saints fans in attendance with a 79-yard punt return for a touchdown.

The Saints next preseason game is Saturday, August 29 at Oakland against the Raiders.

This will be the last preseason game before NFL teams have to trim their rosters from 80 players to 75.

New Orleans Saints Should Expect To Get a Good Test From Houston Texans

The New Orleans Saints were given the day off Tuesday in order to travel to Houston.

The Saints and the Texans are scheduled to participate in four inter-squad practices on Wednesday and Thursday as both teams prepare for Saturday’s preseason game and the upcoming NFL season.

Houston’s offensive talent will provide a good measuring stick for the New Orleans defense.

Led by quarterback Matt Schaub, the Texans are loaded with offensive talent.

All-pro wide receiver Andre Johnson leads a fast and physical receiving corps that had over 4,400 yards a season ago.

Kevin Walter, often over-shadowed by Johnson, caught 60 balls and eight touchdowns last season.

Tight end Owen Daniels is an emerging star in the league.

While he lags in popularity behind other AFC tight ends like Antonio Gates and Dallas Clark, Daniels’ performance in 2008 earned him his first pro bowl selection.

The Saints secondary will have their hands full with this group of receivers.

If that wasn’t enough to handle, second-year running back Steve Slaton returns after posting a monster rookie season.

He gained over 1,600 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns last year.

Slaton will be a good test for the Saints’ diminishing collection of linebackers.

Slaton’s performance against the Saints in practice may speed up any negotiations with free agent linebacker Derrick Brooks.

Houston is not as fierce defensively as they are offensively, but they are not without talent.

Defensive end Mario Williams and linebacker DeMeco Ryans are both pro-bowlers from the draft class of 2006.

Williams, who rushes from the defense’s right side, will provide a tough matchup for Saints left tackle Jammal Brown.

Brown is a two-time pro-bowler but struggled to avoid holding penalties throughout 2008.

Ryans will have his sights set on Saints running backs Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush.

I am interested in knowing how competitive and intense the practices become after two or three sessions.

The Houston heat is just as brutal as the heat in Metairie and tempers could flare quite easily.

The Texans should provide the Saints a slightly better opponent than the Bengals. The Texans are a little bit more talented on defense than the Bengals and seem to be better disciplined than the felons in Cincy.

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