Saints Gab

The Saints first team offense, took the field Thursday night without starters Deuce McAllister, Marques Colston, and Jeremy Shockey. You would not have thought that because Drew Brees and company drove down the field, capping the fist drive with a Drew Brees sweet touch pass to David Patten.

Coach Payton?s first play call of the night was a end around reverse, but after that he kept the play calling simple. The Saints managed to take almost seven minutes off the clock. Brees was 6 of 7 for 40 yards and a touchdown and was pulled after the first series. You could tell Coach Payton had seen enough of the pro bowl QB, and did not want to risk an injury.

Mark Brunell took over duties with the rest of the first team, but failed to keep things going. Brunell finished the night 10 of 12 for 119 yards, but at times seemed lost, and took a big sack down in the red zone. Brunell?s best throw was to second year man, Robert Meachem in what seemed to be a slightly over thrown ball, Meachem dove arms stretched out pulling in the pass.

Tyler Palko did not look comfortable under center. He went 6 for 11 for 144 yards and one touchdown, but he fumbled the snap 3 times, and was just not in sync with the plays being called. He did cap off the night with a 60 yard touchdown pass to Meachem.

Reggie Bush, held his own, and had a nice run around the left end, but it was negated by a holding penalty. He finished the night with 7 carries for 22 yards.

Pierre Thomas returned a kick off for 58 yards before being pushed out of bounds, but he failed to make any big plays while at the running back position. To his defense the offensive line was not doing a great job of blocking, and was allowing defenders to slip through making contact as soon as the hand off was taken.

Aaron Stecker showed he still has a little punch left also; he finished the night with seven carries for 39 yards, and a touchdown.

The New Orleans defense was not great, but not bad either. They did give up a big play on third and long, with newly acquired CB Randall Gay getting caught out of position.

The defensive line was able to get some pressure, but overall the defense still showed signs of weakness, and you could tell that there was no unit cohesion. It?s still early so there is still time to work on it.

The player of the game would have to go to Robert Meachem, he came into last nights game with a chip on his shoulder and something to prove, having been the only first round pick of last years draft to not see any action the entire 2007 season.

He had 4 catches for 129 yards and 1 touchdown. His mentor, David Patten was surely pleased with Meachem?s performance, and the battle for the number to wideout position is sure to last to the end of preseason.

Either way, both Patten and Meachem looked great and the Saints offense should be even better than it was last year.

Penalties were also abundant, so you can be sure Coach Payton will address that in the coming days practice. Gary Gibbs still has some fine tuning to do on the Saints new look defense as well.

Overall the Saints first team offense got an A minus, with the Saints first team defense only making a C plus.

Last year the Saints traded up to get Antonio Pittman in the 4th round. I remember watching last year’s preseason games, and saying to myself “That Thomas guy looks good, but he will probably not make the roster”, man was I wrong.

The Saints instead released Pittman, and kept the undrafted rookie from Illinois. The Saints back field was set with Deuce and Bush leading the way, and Thomas was limited to special team’s play, which he made the most of by scoring a TD off a blocked punt.

After Deuce went down after suffering a season ending knee injury, Bush was promoted to full time starter. Bush was never able to establish himself and struggled as the starter. Bush also suffered a season ending injury, and Aaron Stecker was called up to action. That is when Thomas finally saw the light, and was given limited carries.

In the game against Arizona, Thomas suffered 2 fractured ribs, but Aaron Stecker was unable to go when the Saints met the Bears in the last game of the season due to a foot injury, and Coach Payton told the young RB, the Saints needed him to start against the Bears.

Most players would have not even dressed for a game with 2 broken ribs, but Thomas saw this as an opportunity, and seized it. In front of his hometown, Thomas had a record breaking game. He became only the second rookie in history to pile up 100 yards rushing (20 carries, 105 yards) and 100 yards receiving (12 catches, 121 yards) in the same game.

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2008 will prove that the 2006 season was not a fluke. As I said before Coach Peyton has had plenty of time to go over all the game film, and I am sure some very kind words were said in the coaches meetings this off season.

So lets look at the offense and break down each position, of coarse there are some questions remaining in the running back position and who will come out as the 4 spot or possible 5 spot in the wide receivers. **Remember I think Coach Peyton has a few tricks up his sleeve this year, and an offense that will revolutionize the game of football will debut this season, so carrying some extra wide receivers will not be surprising. With that in mind let’s look at the positions.

QB

Drew Brees – How well he does is determined on how well the defense plays. Looking back, whenever the defense had a good game, Drew had a better game. If the defense started out good so did Drew, but as the defense often more times than less failed to hold down the attack, Drew fought to maintain down the stretch. Now don’t get me wrong, Drew is one of the top QB’s in the NFL, his accuracy is second to none, so with the defense stepping up this season, look for Drew to return to the Pro Bowl form this year.

Mark Brunell – Mark was a great pick up this off season, his better days are over, but the experience and knowledge he brings is immeasurable.

Tyler Palko – I loved watching him in pre season last year, he reminded me of Brett Farve in his younger days. He has 2 of the best in the business to learn from.

RB

Deuce McAllister – We can hope he will be ready for the start of the season; the Saints need that big punch up the middle. Deuce is also a leader that can make a difference on and off the field.

Reggie Bush – What can you say, this year will be a make or break for Reggie. Making the transition from college to pro is difficult.. Add in the media hype that accompanied his arrival, we just expected too much to fast, but now in his 3rd year, he says he is focused, and ready to make a difference. Coach Peyton will give him that chance; it will be up to Reggie to take it.

Pierre Thomas – I currently have him ahead of Aaron Stecker. In the last game of the season against Chicago, he made the most of it. With 105 yds rushing and 121 receiving Pierre showed some promise in a game that could have helped the Saints sneak into the playoffs and with the Bears playing for pride. Even though early reports have him working in 3rd down situations, if Deuce does not return to form, I see Pierre getting the ball allot more often.

Aaron Stecker – He had some great games in 2007, with Reggie not getting the job done, he came in and held his own until injuries slowed him down.

Mike Karney – Am I the only one that thinks this guy is just one big muscle? He is a beast, and loves to hit. He is a great compliment to the running game when they are in the trenches.

WR

Marques Colston- He is by far Drew Brees favorite target, and will continue to be. Marques is a sure thing, grabbing every ball that is thrown his way. Some injuries have slowed him at times, but I do not see that being the case this year. Without Colston on the field the Saints offense will not get very far.

David Patten- Veteran leader that can still make plays, he was one of the best pick ups in 2007, and will make the rest of the guys better with his knowledge and leadership.

Robert Meachem – All reports so far is that he is ready to prove to everyone he belongs in the NFL. If he has a good preseason, he could edge up to the WR2 position.

Terrance Copper – Good in a pinch, he has shown he wants to play, and with the depth at the WR spot, he will step up his game to cling to one of the last spots.

Devery Henderson – Inconsistency, one minute he is catching an 80 yard bomb, the next play he misses a 5 yard toss. He better have a great preseason or he may find himself on the practice squad.

Lance Moore – Showed allot of promise in 2007, his return skills, helped him make the team, but he failed to make the plays at times also. He is in the same boat as Devery, needs to have a great preseason.

Adrian Arrington – The next Marques Colston they say, will have to wait until training camp to see if the OTA’s were a good sign, but Coach Peyton likes young talent, and he could make the roster with some big plays in the coming weeks.

Unless one of the above guys gets injured, the rest of the WR on the roster, should make the most of the preseason, and be ready to fill practice squad rosters this year.

OL

Jonathan Goodwin – He will have no problem filling the vacancy left by Jeff Faine. He showed great skills when Jeff was out with injury, and is respected by everyone on the team.

Jammal Brown – After making the Pro bowl in 2006, he struggled at times in 2007. He will be playing with a chip on his shoulder this year, and I see him going back to the Pro Bowl in 2008.

Jamar Nesbit – Great interior linemen, with excellent pass blocking skills. The left side of the line will be a brick wall come this year.

Jahri Evans – He started his rookie year, and has only gotten better. Look for him to have a Pro bowl caliber year.

Jon Stinchcomb – He in my opinion, was just the only option the Saints had last year. He may have some competition come training camp, so he needs to be ready.

Matt Lehr – Some questions arose with steroid use, but he is a good option should Goodwin get hurt.

Carl Nicks – This is my long shot; I could not believe we got him in the late rounds of the draft. His character came into question, but if Coach Peyton felt good about drafting him then his character should not be a problem. He is also a giant, and Coach Peyton loves putting young guys in that show promise. I see him taking the right tackle position come the start of the season, if he proves himself. He is what the Saints need up front, big man opening up holes, and protecting the QB, giving time to pick the defense apart.

TE

Eric Johnson – He was a disappointment last season. We had hoped he would be the playmaker, but injuries sidelined him, and his productivity was limited. He is also not a good blocker so he will not be in on every down.

Mark Campbell – One of the 1st early injuries that the Saints saw last year, he will be a toss up, but if healthy can be a playmaker.

Billy Miller – The best blocker of the group, he also had some big plays, stepping in while Eric Johnson struggled. He is my surprise pick to move up and start. Defenses see him as a blocker, so he could sneak out and grab a few up the middle just when the offense needs a big play.

I know it’s early, and in training camp anything can happen, but this is my outlook on the Saints 08 Offense, and the guys I think that will make it happen.

The Saints and free agent running back Aaron Stecker agreed to terms on a deal Saturday to keep him with the team. Stecker’s agent – Ron Slavin, confirmed the deal to The Sun Herald on Saturday afternoon. He told the paper that the deal would likely be signed on Monday. Stecker did a nice job filling the void when the teams top two backs, Deuce McCallister and Reggie Bush were hurt at times during the season. He finished the season with 448 rushing yards and five TD’s, and also has played well overall on special teams during his four seasons with the team.

The Saints let one slip from their grasp as they lost to Philadelphia 38-23 Sunday at the SuperDome, hurting their playoff chances in 2007. Luck just was not on their side Sunday. It started with Donovan McNabb fumbling while running on the Saints 20 yard line. The ball rolled into the end zone with about three saints around it but after a few bobbles the ball ended up in the hands of Kevin Curtis for an Eagles touchdown.

Even though the Saints would answer, they had awful luck throughout the day. On the same McNabb running play, star cornerback Mike McKenzie was hurt and did not return. A few plays later Marques Colston left the game. Aaron Stecker would also leave in the first half, but he did return in the second half. Even with all the injuries, the first half proved to high scoring for both teams with Philly leading 24-17. On the opening drive of the third quarter, the Saints had a chance to tie the game.

Drew Brees threw a pass to David Patton who the officials marked as down on the one foot line. After a failed Sean Payton challenge, the Saints ended up turning the ball over on downs as they tried running the ball three consecutive times. McNabb took control after that and marched down the field to put the Eagles up two touchdowns. Although the Saints tried to make it interesting, they never really had a shot after that, as Philadelphia only allowed two field goals the rest of the game.

It was a game the Saints probably felt they could have won. Minus a few dropped passes, a few injured players, and add a bit of luck and they would have been right there. While watching the game it just seemed that McNabb came to play today while the defense was in the clouds. Brees did all he could do, but without Colston it was very tough to get something going. Brees still threw for 289 yards compared to McNabb’s 263 yards in the air. Brian Westbrook had a solid game with 100 yards rushing. Limited by injury, Aaron Stecker only rushed for 49 yards though he did have 2 touchdowns.

Although the Saints seemed to have a really unlucky day (in fact they did!), grace did shine on them at least a bit. The Vikings lost in their Sunday night to Washington keeping the Saints hope of the playoffs alive. For the Saints to go, they will need to win their game against the Bears next week, and both Minnesota and Washington must lose.

For a team that started 0-4, it seems unbelievable. For a team that lost both of its star running backs, it seems impossible. But can it happen? Absolutely! Currently the Saints are behind both the Giants and the Vikings in competing for the two NFC wild card spots. For the Giants to clinch they must either win one of their two remaining games or have the Saints or Redskins lose.

This struggling Giants team has to play at Buffalo and then host New England. They lost to Washington in a horrible performance on their most recent outing. It seems as if they are poised to back into the playoffs as a second rate team YET again. Think twice, there might not be any playoffs for the G-men. Buffalo is a solid team that will give New York their money’s worth. If Eli and his receiving core do not get their act together, put a point in the win column for Buffalo.

The Giants then have the pleasure of hosting the undefeated Patriots for the final game of the season. If the Patriots beat Miami this week, does anyone seriously consider them having a letdown versus the Giants to complete a perfect season? Absolutely not. For the Vikings to clinch, they must either win out or have the Saints and Redskins lose. This Sunday, the Vikings host the Redskins in what should be at worst a competitive game. The week after, they play at Denver. Although the Broncos have underperformed this year I seriously doubt Mike Shanahan will let his team be a rollover.

So where could this leave the Saints? In the playoffs!! They need to win out. This week New Orleans hosts a Philadelphia team who just came off a huge win against Dallas. Personally, I was unimpressed with the “W”, but that is another topic. Despite, Philly’s recent achievement, the Saints are still favored to win at home. And why shouldn’t they be!? Brees has looked great these past few games. Stecker has answered the run game questions.

Colston is amazing. I think it’s safe to say the Saints offense is back ticking again. Their only weakness is their defense, more specifically the secondary. Whose job will it be to exploit that secondary? Donovan McNabb. For some reason this season I feel the Saints have nothing to worry about as McNabb prepares himself to be traded in the off-season due to under performance. Even in the win, he looked no where near his normal self. Therefore, the only riddle to the Eagles is solving Pro-bowler Brian Westbrook. I think that will be no problem as the Saints have the 8th best run defense giving up less that 100 rushing yards a game. A solid linebacker core will snuff out Westbrook’s screen game as well.

If the Saints manage to get past the Eagles that leaves only the dismal Bears to stand in their way for the final game of the season. I would be highly surprised if the Bears were able to play spoiler with a less than average defense and Kyle Orton as their starting quarterback.

So could the Saints find themselves in the playoffs? If they keep playing well, you had better believe it.