Saints Gab

The Saints return to practice Wednesday morning in preparation for Sunday’s NFC Championship game. Coach Sean Payton decided to give his players extra time to rest and recover from Saturday’s game, hoping the team will return fresher and energized going into Sunday’s matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.

Afterwards, catch the post practice press conference live on NFL Network as part of five hours of continuous coverage of Conference Championship Week. The Saints segment will start around 1:45 PM Central Time from the Saints’ practice facility in Metairie. Coach Payton, Drew Brees, Jonathan Vilma and Will Smith will be available to the media for interviews.

(For anyone interested, the Colts press conference starts at 11 AM CT, followed by the Vikings at 11:45 AM, then the Saints and finally the Jets at 2:45 PM)

There’s lots of talk about the Saints backup QB spot, and Pro Football Weekly reports that it looks as if Mark Brunell is going to end up ahead of Joey Harrington when the battle will finally play out:

Saints head coach Sean Payton recently made a few ears perk up when he said Joey Harrington is pushing Mark Brunell to become Drew Brees’ primary backup, but sources in New Orleans say Brunell is expected to retain his spot at No. 2 on the depth chart.

For the limited amount of time that OTAs and minicamp were open to the media, observers said Harrington was holding on to the ball too long, a problem that has followed him throughout his career, and some say he appeared to be regressing. Brunell, who will turn 39 in September, is an elder statesman but still would be the likely starter if Brees had to miss a game or two.

From: New Orleans Times-Picayune

Reggie Bush’s knee surgery was more serious than the Saints initially indicated last month, but General Manager Mickey Loomis said the team still expects the running back to be ready for minicamp in early June. Loomis said Bush had a microfracture procedure performed on his left knee after he was placed on injured reserve in mid-December.

Bush’s injury initially was reported as a sprained medial collateral ligament, which doesn’t usually require surgery, but Coach Sean Payton indicated last week that Bush had an arthroscopic procedure performed by Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala. Loomis did not give details about the surgery, but he said it was not a “major” procedure. “I wouldn’t want to call it minor, because he’s got a pretty significant period of rehab time, ” Loomis said. “But at the end of it, he shouldn’t have any issues.”

The season is over for Saints running back Reggie Bush, as today the team put him on injured reserve, meaning he’ll miss the final two games of the Saints’ season.

Bush sprained the medial collateral ligament in his left knee during the Saints’ loss at Chicago last Thursday night. The knee was examined over the weekend and coach Sean Payton said at practice on Wednesday that the team decided to put Bush on injured reserve.

Payton said the Saints, who were eliminated from playoff contention over the weekend, would not have placed Bush on injured reserve if they were still fighting to reach the postseason. He said Bush’s injury does not require surgery, just rest and rehabilitation.

Bush rushed for 404 yards and two touchdowns, caught 52 passes for 440 yards and four TDs, and scored three touchdowns on punt runbacks this season.

From: Pro Football Weekly

All isn’t well between Saints head coach Sean Payton and RB Reggie Bush, we hear. Bush, who said he sprained his knee on a second-quarter run in Week 15, didn’t seem pleased with being held out for the remainder of the game, except for one carry for no gain in the second half of New Orleans’ loss to Chicago. Bush even took a shot at Payton’s play calls after the game.

In what has become a house of horrors for the Saints, the Windy City of Chicago will once again be the final resting place of the 2008 New Orleans Saints season.

Thursday night the team had everything to gain with a win over the Bears, but instead, a bad OT penalty along with some questionable play calling was the cause of the teams third straight loss to the Bears 27-24 in a game that for all intents and purposes kicks them to the curb with any 08 postsesason hopes.

Once Robbie Gould kicked a 35-yard field goal in OT to give the Bears the win, it was right back to the old saying of “coulda, woulda, shoulda.” The team had their chances, but once again, could not take advantage of Bears miscuses, and they never even got a shot in OT to try and win it.

“I was proud of the way we fought back,” said a disappointed Head Coach Sean Payton after the game. “But when there is a 129-yard difference in the kicking return game in favor of the other team and you struggle defensively on third downs, that’s what happens and why we are at .500.”

And that’s why for the second straight year this team that looked like a team that could go all the way to the dance, will instead sit home and watch the playoffs without a partner come the first week in January.

Saints coach Sean Payton has been fined for speaking his mind of the ref’s brainless no call in Sunday’s loss against the Broncos.  Payton has been fined $15,000 for being “critical of the officials.”  Whatever.  The fine came after he blasted the officials in Monday’s press conferece when he said the refs should have flagged Jamie Winborn when he was clearly lined up in the neutral zone.  The play resulted in a big loss with 2:40 to go on a third-and-one.  If the Saints get the first down, they get a much more likely shot at the field goal that was missed that cost them the game.  Payton will appeal the fine, and he should get it reduced.

For the second week in a row, the Broncos got away with one, and this time, it bite the Saints big time.  Don’t think it won’t go unnoticed, as Saints coach Sean Payton is filing a complaint to the league about a critical no-call late in Sunday’s loss to Denver. Payton says (and is right) that Broncos linebacker Jamie Winborn was lined up offside on a third-and-short play that preceded the missed field goal by Saints kicker Martin Gramatica late in the game.

Ref Ron Winter totally missed the call, and if he would have called Winborn offside like he should have, the Saints would have had a first down inside the Broncos 20.  Last week the Broncos got a win due to a no-call on what was a Jay Cutler fumble, and this week it seems like once again those wearing the stripes were on the side of those in the Mile High City.

Above is a Screen Shot of the offside that wasn’t called

The Associated Press reports that on Monday, the New Orleans Saints signed safety Lance Schulters; Schulters joined the team on Monday, making New Orleans his most recent stop that also include previous stints with the San Francisco 49ers, Tennessee Titans, Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins.  According to Saints head coach Sean Payton, Schulters could play either strong safety or free safety, adding,

“He’s a guy we feel like understands the position well.  He’s got good ball skills so we’re bringing him in not just for a camp body.  I’m anxious to see him play and see what he’s got and to see if there’s a fit for us.  “He gives us some experience and some versatility.  That’s really the first thing we saw and he’s in pretty good shape.”

Schulters was one of several players who had worked out for the Saints; however, Schulters was the only player of the group who was signed by the team and Payton says that no other signings appear to be happening any time soon.  To make room for Schulters, the Saints released long snapper Ryan Senser.

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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