Saints Gab

The last time these two teams met was during October 2008 in London’s Wembley Stadium. The game had been billed (and rightfully so) as one of the most anticipated of the season with the two high-flying offenses squaring off in the International Series before a record crowd.

It would not disappoint, as the playmakers stepped up and did their thing. Drew Brees finished the game with 339 yards and 3 TDs ; Philip Rivers threw for 341 yards and 3 TDs; Ladanian Tomlinson rushed for 105 yards while Deuce McAllister and Pierre Thomas combined for 83 yards and a TD. When the smoke cleared and the clock read zero, the Saints had held on to defeat the Chargers 37-32.

The real difference in that game turned out to be the outstanding play of the Saints offensive line, which did not give up a sack, and a heads-up play on defense in which Jonathan Vilma intercepted Rivers to end an impressive drive down the field.

A lot has changed for both teams since then. McAllister is now retired and Tomlinson is a Jet. Many players have come and gone and I’m sure both QBs would love to have all of their playmakers healthy and ready to play. But one thing that remains the same is that this matchup is being billed as another high-scoring affair in which both offenses will be expected to post monster numbers.

In fact, some are even proclaiming (very prematurely I might add), that this game could amount to being a very early look at Superbowl XLV. I believe that once again, the Saints’ offensive line and aggressive defense are going to be the difference in this one when it’s all said and done.

Offensively, the two teams are very similar. Both QBs have an arsenal of weapons to utilize through the air and on the ground and neither are afraid to use them. And because it’s going to be the third game of the preseason, I look for many of the starters to see a bit more action than they have in the previous two. With that said, this is how I see things shaping up.

Since Rivers will be without his big target, Vincent Jackson, I look for TE Antonio Gates to get most of the throws and RB Ryan Mathews to handle most of the load on the ground with Michael Tolbert backing him up. As for the Saints, we all know about their woes as of late at the running back position. Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush are going to both see some, but limited, playing time I think.

I expect to see more of Chris Ivory as well as the debut of Ladell Betts and DeShawn Wynn as they try to fight for a spot on the roster. I also expect (and look forward) to seeing more of the development of young WR Adrian Arrington, not behind the arm of Chase Daniel this time, but Patrick Ramsey.

The key for the Saints is going to be protecting whoever is playing quarterback (most likely Ramsey). With Chargers DB Antonio Cromartie no longer with the team, their defense is just that much less effective. If the Saints QB performance is on spot, then this should be another pleaser for the sold-out home crowd.

The Sun Herald reports that the Saints are still in search of a power back for 2009:

With Deuce McAllister no longer around, the New Orleans Saints are looking for a bruising back to lead the way in key short-yardage situations. Four players are vying for one or possibly two roster spots with Mike Bell, Lynell Hamilton, P.J. Hill and Herb Donaldson fighting for the jobs. McAllister, the Saints’ career rushing leader was released after last season. “I’m anxious to see all of those guys,” Saints coach Sean Payton said. “It’s hard to get them all work. You’ll see in practice that we’ll start clumping two or three of them in a nine-on-seven and not try to give each one of them two reps but try to give one of them a little bit more work. That gives us a better chance to look at those players.”

There were some rumblings once he got released that the Saints would take a long look at former Cardinals running back Edgerrin James. The veteran back remains a free agent, and even though his agent says that there are a number of teams with interest, the Saints do not appear to be one of them.

The Times-Picayune reports that Saints officials “aren’t convinced that James would be a significant upgrade in the group of running backs currently on their roster.” The team seems ready to go with Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas to carry the load, and a couple of other backs to be the backups.

“(James) is someone who we have discussed as an organization, just as we would with anyone of his magnitude who becomes available,” Saints Coach Sean Payton said Wednesday. “Right now, he is someone that we’re taking a look at but there hasn’t really been anything going on outside of that. In other words, it’s not something that is imminent.”

Former Saint back Deuce McAllister also remains a free agent, so if there’s a back that the team should give a look to when it comes to bringing in a back, it should be McAllister.

The running backs continue to fall, as Tuesday the Saints released their all-time leading rusher, Deuce McAllister. The move comes one day after the Jaguars released their all-time leading rusher – Fred Taylor.

The popular McAllister’s release was all salary cap related, as he was due to make over $7 million in the 2009 season. McAllister put up 6,069 yards since being the teams first round draft pick back in the 2001 season.

Word is that the Saints granted McAllister his release so he could seek offers from other teams. He played a limited role in the Saints’ offense this past season with 107 carries for 418 yards. McAllister has had reconstructive surgery on both knees.

“Decisions like this are always very difficult ones to make,” Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said. “Deuce has epitomized hard work, leadership and productivity throughout his career and has been a source of great pride for all of us associated with the team.”

McAllister also holds team records for touchdowns (55) and rushing touchdowns (49) and is the only Saints player to rush for 1,000 yards in a season four times.

He played in the Pro Bowl in 2002 and 2003. His last 1,000-yard season was 2006, when the Saints advanced to the NFC championship game. That also was the season before McAllister’s second anterior cruciate ligament tear.

McAllister’s first ACL tear occurred in his right knee early in the 2005 season and the second in his left knee in the third game of the 2007 season.

One of the questions that I kept hearing this season was why didn’t the Saints use RB Deuce McAllister more. There were several third and short situations where McAllister represented the best option but Coach Payton didn’t use him. There were also games where the Saints ran a few plays with McAllister and then seemed to forget about him.

For the season, McAllister finished 50th in the league with 418 rushing yards. He averaged 3.9 yards per carry, the same as Matt Forte with Chicago and Ryan Grant with Green Bay. LaDainian Tomlinson with San Diego averaged 3.8 yards per carry. McAllister had five rushing touchdowns – the same as Joseph Addai with Indianapolis, Willie Parker with Pittsburgh, and Larry Johnson with Kansas City.

2008 was McAllister’s eighth season in the NFL – all as a New Orleans Saint. For his career, he has 6,096 rushing yards, averaging 4.3 yards per carry with 49 rushing touchdowns. LaDainian Tomlinson, who started the same year as McAllister, averages 4.4 yards per carry for his career. McAllister is also the all-time Saints touchdown leader with 54 total, a record that he set this year.

What we know now that we didn’t during the season was that McAllister has been playing hurt. After tearing both ACLs twice, most players would have retired. Not Deuce. He went through the painful rehabilitation two years in a row. However, his knees continued to swell during the season, limiting him.

McAllister is also very popular. Several times, his teammates have been quoted about what a great guy he is and what he means to the team. Chants of “Deuce” are heard each home game and #26 seems to be one of the team’s most popular jerseys.

However, now as the season is over and the talk moves to changes for next year, it is unclear whether Deuce is a part of the picture. He is due $5.3 million in salary and bonuses which would limit any offer the Saints can make in free agency to get a featured defensive player.

The Saints have other running backs: Reggie Bush, Pierre Thomas, Aaron Stecker, Mike Bell, and Lynell Hamilton. With the emphasis on the passing attack and the obvious need for an improved defense, it is very unlikely that the Saints can afford to keep even five running backs.

Is he getting too old? Maybe. Has he become ineffective? No, but he does not break off for the runs that he used to get. Would it be better to use his salary to either keep some of our free agents or get some key players that will get us over the .500 hump? I don’t know.

I want the Saints to keep him but I know that I am a sucker for sentiment. I thought that it was a mistake to let Joe Horn go after all he had meant to the team. It turns out that we have done better without him than he has without us. My gut tells me that McAllister is gone. Despite the show of affection by Payton when Deuce broke the touchdown record, I think that Payton wants something else. Payton is ambitious and you don’t get called a football genius for running between the tackles.

What do you think? Should the Saints keep him or is it time to look for something else?

From: The Times Picayune

Saints general manager Micky Loomis acknowledged that the Saints have an important decision to make with running back Deuce McAllister, one of the most popular players in franchise history who is due to earn $5.3 million in salary and bonuses this year. “It’s something we have to review, no question. It’s not a given that he’s going to be here, and it’s not a given that he’s not. But we need to evaluate it,” said Loomis, who said the Saints intend to make a decision before the start of free agency in late February so McAllister isn’t left in limbo.

“We’re going to be very respectful to his wishes. He’s going to be part of the process,” Loomis said of McAllister, who played a limited role in 2008 after two major knee surgeries. “The first step is to get a real good medical evaluation. Then after we get that, let’s review where we’re at, where he’s at and his contract and what his entire circumstance means to our team.”

From: RotoTimes.com

Running back Deuce McAllister commented that he would like to return to the Saints next season, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune. He is owed $3.2 million (plus a $2 million roster bonus) in salary for 2009, and the Saints may opt not to bring him back with Pierre Thomas emerging and Reggie Bush expected to be healthy.

From: The Times-Picayune

Saints running back Deuce McAllister missed practice Thursday, after he experienced swelling in his left knee and had it drained. Defensive tackle Kendrick Clancy (hamstring) also did not practice. Tackle Jammal Brown (ankle) was on the injury report but had a full practice.

From: ProFootballtalk.com

The St. Paul Pioneer Press is reporting that U.S. District Court Judge Paul Magnuson will not rule on the NFL suspensions of five players who used StarCaps until Friday at the earliest. That means Saints running back Deuce McAllister and defensive end Will Smith can play in Thursday night’s game against the Bears. Saints defensive end Charles Grant is on injured reserve, so he’s out for the season regardless.

Who would have ever thought nine weeks into the NFL season that the Atlanta Falcons would be one game better than the New Orleans Saints? That’s the case as we stand heading into the Saints-Falcons week 10 battle, as the 5-3 Falcons get ready for a Georgia Dome showdown with the Saints in what should be a solid NFC South battle.

The 4-4 Saints have had their issues with injuries as well as inconsistent play throughout the first half of the season. They have all the firepower in the world on offense, but for whatever reason they can’t seem to get over the top in this division. They will still be without Reggie Bush, meaning that Deuce McAllister will likely have to carry the load again in the running game.

Won’t matter. Drew Brees is a top 2-3 choice right now for MVP, and their offense goes where he goes. If Brees has a big game, the Saints are in a much better position to win, like two weeks ago in London against the Chargers. That day he was 30-for-41 for 339 yards and three TDs. It won’t be that easy against the Falcons, who are playing solid on defense.

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