SB Nation - Mark Simoneau

Saints Training Camp Update: Day Twelve

Saintsational — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:37:27 -0000

4 months ago: Former New Orleans Saints quarterback Archie Manning, left, visits with Saints executive vice president and general manager Mickey Loomis at the team'sNFL football training camp in Metairie, La., Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009. (AP Photo/Bill Haber)

Browse more photos »

By now, you know the deal. A few more pictures have come in, as they do everyday, so be sure to click Mickey and Archie on the right for more!

Twitter

jeffduncantp Good morning Tweeps. Today's an "off day" so no scintillating camp tweets. To-do list: bank, cleaners, office, making groceries, laundry ...

jeffduncantp Fantasy football owners should do everything possible to draft M. Colston. "Big Trusty," as Brees called him, is primed for a monster season

saints83 I love the compitition on the field today between the O & D. It is making us a better team plus i love to hear guys talking trash

jeffduncantp Word is Saints will call off p.m. practice for bowling excursion. Team building stuff. The players will love this. Perfect time for a break.

GregBensel ST Coach Greg McMahon took Hartley, Morestead, Pakulak n Kyle during the AM practice to kick in the Dome and test thier footing on the turf

MalcolmJenkins Bout to do some team bonding at the bowling alley... should be fun

GregBenselhttp://twitpic.com/dj9ty - Archie Manning visited Saints practice this morning; talking with me and GM Mickey Loomis

ltorrence24 Coach thru us a bone today, no pm practice! Team bonding at the bowling alley! Do I smell a 300 in the air?

reggie_bush Going bowling with the team right now! Bout to show these dudes what time it is on these lanes! My best score is a 246. You guys bowlers?

saints83 TE Billy Miller made a sure-handed catch over LB Anthony Waters, with Miller diving as he hauled in a lofted touch pass

saints83 from QB Mark Brunell for a long gain - easily the most memorable reception of the day

Linkage

Friday Night Lights - New Orleans Saints official website

"Friday night is something I have thought about doing and set my goals to accomplish since I first started playing football when I was just a little kid."

-Reggie Jones

"It’s been a lot of hard work to get to the pros, it’s been hard work during the off-season and training camp is a challenge pretty much every single minute you are awake. Now, with a game a few days away, you start to think about them taking the nametag on my helmet off and putting the Fleur-de-Lis on there. That will be special."

-Reggie Jones

"When I was just a little boy, my father bought me a Walter Payton jersey and I would run all around our apartment and pretend I was a running back in the NFL game," he said. "The whole apartment was my playing field and I would juke and run and dive around. My dad and I would watch the NFL games together in our family’s apartment in St. Louis."

-Herb Donaldson

"It has been something I have thought about and worked really hard to achieve, and while it is a few days away, it is hard to believe that it’s actually going to happen," Donaldson said of playing. "You can never take anything for granted and I just have to remain focused on getting ready for the next meeting, the next practice and knowing what I have to do to get better."

-Herb Donaldson

"To be honest with you, that’s the reason I signed with the Saints," Donaldson said of his decision to sign a rookie deal with Black-and-Gold, despite the fact that many other teams also coveted him.

"I know that the Saints give their rookies a real chance to show what they can do. I look at Pierre and Lance and know they have done it and they took their abilities and let them shine in preseason games and know they are huge parts of this team."

-Herb Donaldson

"I am still excited, a bit nervous and juiced up for the first game," Thomas said. "You want to see another team, compete to win with a scoreboard keeping track and impress your teammates, coaches and the fans. Absolutely it is exciting."

-Pierre Thomas

"I think the one thing that I notice is that the really, really good players focus properly and get their minds right for the games, regardless of if it’s preseason, regular season or postseason games. They approach it the same and it’s something I will be looking for," he said. "This is serious and we want to see the same approach from our players."

-Sean Payton

"I have talked to a few veterans and they have said the key is to try to relax and not get so worked up that you forget what you are supposed to be doing," Jones said. "Sure it’s exciting, but at the same time I need to go out and do the things I do each day in practice and hope to get an opportunity to make some plays and open some eyes. There is a lot of pressure."

-Reggie Jones

Saints: Tuesday morning practice notes - NewOrleans.com

New Orleans Saints injury report: Rookie Chip Vaughn will have arthroscopic knee surgery - Times-Pic

New Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton "bowls'' team over with afternoon plans - Times-Pic

New Orleans Saints linebacker Mark Simoneau has torn triceps - Times-Pic

Day 12 Notebook - New Orleans Saints official website

New Orleans Saints run defense plays with "swagger,'' stuffs offense in 9-on-9 goal line - Times-Pic

"Before practice, coaches wanted us to focus on attitude,'' defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis said. "That's mainly what defensive stands are all about. It's not so much about the Xs and Os of the system because mainly all the defensive goal-line schemes are pretty much the same. But it's an attitude of the guys who are playing in the scheme. Before practice we had a conversation about it and I think our guys just took it to heart.''

-Sedrick Ellis

"When you get down to goal line, it's about d-line play and how they step up and how they knock back the offensive line,'' Fujita said. "There wasn't a whole lot for anybody else to do today because they were knocking them back 3 yards off the line of scrimmage. When you do that, it makes goal line defense pretty easy.''

-Scott Fujita

"It's all about swagger,'' Bush said. "I think that's going to help us and help our defense. Our defense has to have swagger and so does our offense. If we develop a swagger as a team, that's just going to make us that more dangerous.''

-Reggie Bush

New Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton says Derrick Brooks graded out at a high level last season - Times-Pic

Video: Henderson: Bringing in LB Brooks big news - WWL

Deshazier: Another NFL Hall of Fame vote passes without naming N.O. Saint Rickey Jackson - Times-Pic

"It's not even a question," said former Saints quarterback Bobby Hebert, who played all seven of his Saints seasons (1985-89 and 1991-92) with Jackson (1981-93). "To me, it's not even a question.

"Rickey was the kind of player, teams were aware of him and Pat (Swilling). That year that Pat won Defensive Player of the Year, Rickey had a lot to do with that."

-Bobby Hebert

Video

Video: New Orleans Saints practice August 11, 2009

Sean Payton Press Conference Transcript

From the New Orleans Saints official website

Opening Statement:

"A couple of injury notes to keep you guys up to speed - Mark Simoneau is going to have surgery. He has a torn triceps on his right side and that procedure is going to be done tomorrow.Courtney Roby has a hamstring that he's battling a little bit. Tracy Porter has a slight hamstring that he's battling a little bit. Both of those guys are rehabbing well. Chip Vaughn has a meniscus in his left knee and he's going to have a scope done today. D'Juan Woods is working with a little nerve in his neck; we're giving him an injection and we'll see where he's at. He seemed to respond a little better today."

NFL Network is reporting that Derrick Brooks is coming in for a visit. Is that accurate and does that have anything to do with Mark Simoneau's injury?

"We have a couple of players coming in for workouts. Typically we wait until they're here to comment on them but Derrick will be one of those guys that we'll work out and Derek Smith will be the other one that we work out. We have two linebackers coming in to work out. They'll be in this evening and we'll work them out tomorrow."

What do you generally want to get accomplished in your first preseason game and is this preseason more important to your defense than your offense?

"It's not any more important to any one group. Obviously it's an important part for us to evaluate. We have a lot of players that we need to see in live action, so number one is evaluation. Then number two is that it's the first chance that we get to play a game against another opponent. That carries a lot of weight."

How much do you think Derrick Brooks still has in the tank?

"That's a good question. We're bringing him in to work him out to see. When we graded him last year prior to him getting nicked up and injured, we felt like he was still playing at a high level. He's an intelligent player; he's instinctive; he's a guy that has really been a pain for us over the years. We have a lot of respect for his ability and we'll see when he comes in."

Did you ask Jon Gruden about him?

"Yes. He was real positive."

Was it a deal where maybe he was just making too much money for the Bucs to keep him around?

"There's a point where you begin to start with some younger players. With Simoneau's injury, we want to take a look at who's out there and it gives us a chance to look at a couple of players."

What are the prognoses for Simoneau and Vaughn?

"The triceps injury for Mark is more significant than the meniscus for Chip. We went through this with Hollis Thomas and Charles Grant and it's going to take a while. With Chip, when they go in today and do the repair via the scope, they'll get a feel for the type of damage and I'll be able to give you more information after the report."

Do you plan to put Simoneau on injured reserve?

"No plans on that right now."

How did the work on the goal line go today?

"It's an emphasis for us - an area that we feel we need to improve on. We're looking closely at what we're trying to do. I think our defense did a good job today and it was a live, competitive drill. We need more of that and hopefully we can get into some situations Friday night where we can get a chance to evaluate it in a game."

Are you working more on keeping the back side out?

"We're looking closely at what we're trying to run and how we're handling the fronts."

Saints Taking a Look at Linebacker Derrick Brooks

Saintsational — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:10:05 -0000

Now here is something that ought to make many of you happy. Derrick Brooks will be coming to New Orleans for a little workout. I know this was something that many fans have been wanting to see, in an effort to improve the linebacking corp, so I anticipate some happy campers this morning. Of course, coach Payton commented on not commenting...

"We typically don't comment on players before we see them work out,"

No doubt that this is probably directly related to the news this morning that Mark Simoneau is going to be out for at least a few weeks with a torn triceps. Losing Dan Morgan wasn't enough to scare Payton into signing another linebacker but apparently the loss of Mark Simoneau is now just too much to handle.

Brooks is a great player with plenty of experience but his age and health are a definite question mark. What do you guys think?

Also coming in for a workout will be tight end Derek Smith, formerly of the Niners, Chargers and Dolphins. Good luck cracking the lineup.

Poll

Would you like to see the Saints sign Derrick Brooks?

Absolutely

458 votes

Nah. Pass.

19 votes

477 votes | Poll has closed

Saints Training Camp Update: Black and Gold Scrimmage

Saintsational — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 00:54:02 -0000

News from the Black & Gold Scrimmage is beginning to trickle in. Here is all of your linkage, video, twittering and what not. It ought to keep you satisfied for the rest of the evening.

Twitter

LastMango1 Black and Gold going indoors...

SupaFreak69 Gettn haircut...then scrimmage aftawards. Why is the weather lik fla

CPT23 On that dailiy grind and loving it!

JeremyShockey on my way to the B&G scrimmage give you update later twitts.... enjoy your saturday...

jeffduncantp No progress in Jenkins talks. Both sides dug in. Don't expect a breakthrough anytime soon. Brian Allee-Walsh will file report in Sunday T-P

jeffduncantp Simoneau (right elbow) is lone injury from scrimmage. Chip Vaughn has minor meniscus tear in knee. Further test, evals needed on both

SupaFreak69 oh my....my first week bak in pads...not too bad..gotta learn to be poise. My energy can be a negative..gotta stay onsides...but was gud

SupaFreak69 Oh yeah i luv new orleans. We goin all da way:-)

Linkage

Saints Wrap Up Week with Black and Gold Scrimmage - New Orleans Saints official website

"It was good to get out there and get in a game type situation," said Colston. "Mark made some nice throws and I was able to make some plays, so that feels good."

-Marques Colston

Black and Gold Notes - New Orleans Saints official website

Unofficial statistics, recap from New Orleans Saints' Black and Gold Scrimmage - Times-Pic

Injury report from New Orleans Saints Black and Gold scrimmage - Times-Pic

Offense strikes first, but defense strikes back in New Orleans Saints' Black and Gold Scrimmage - Times-Pic

Colston, turnovers highlight Black & Gold scrimmage - NewOrleans.com

"You just want to make as many big plays as you can. That's what the receiver group is out here to do," said Colston. "There was a lot of effort on the field. That's first and foremost. We've got to clean up some technique things. That's why we are out here practicing every day. I think we got better today,"

-Marques Colston

"It's definitely good to line up and change things up, to have an opportunity to get competitive reps. It was a good scrimmage,"

-Marques Colston

Video

Jeff Duncan's New Orleans Saints training camp video log, Day 10 (Aug. 10, 2009)

Sean Payton Press Conference Transcript

From the New Orleans Saints official website

Opening Statement:

"We held Reggie Bush out, Adrian Arrington, Lance Moore, Stanley Arnoux, Dan Campbell,Randall Gay, Darren Sharper, Chip Vaughn - those are the people we held out. Drew Brees was excused for a family matter. Mark Simoneau dinged his elbow and we'll take a look at it. He was really the only injury that came up today during the scrimmage. We'll have a chance to examine it and see where he's at. Reggie is fully healthy and would've been ready to go; we just held him out and looked at some of these other backs. Adrian Arrington is getting close; Lance Moore is certainly close; Arnoux we know about; Dan Campbell - we're still waiting to see when that swelling can calm down some; Randall Gay should be practicing on Monday; Darren Sharper will be practicing on Monday; Chip Vaughn - we're waiting to see on this. He has a little meniscus tear. It's not real big but it has caused some swelling and some knee pain and we'll have to examine it further."

Which knee is it on Vaughn?

"It's his left knee."

Is Tracy Porter alright?

"He should be fine. He just had a tight hamstring, but he went through most of the day."

What did you think of the quarterback play out there today?

"Both of those guys kept rolling with the ones, the twos and the threes and I think they did a good job of getting in and out of the huddle."

Was that the first time you've used Carl Nicks at tackle?

"At the very end, we wanted to give him about five snaps just to see how he would do. You're always trying to look for another position for these linemen. When you go into a game and you're dressing seven or eight offensive lineman, you have to have a couple guys that can swing. He played left tackle in college so we gave him about five snaps of work, maybe a little bit more. We'll see how he did on the film."

Were you pleased with the turnovers forced by the defense?

"I'm anxious to look at the tape. It's a two-fold deal when you ask the head coach - when we put it on the ground, you're disappointed offensively but you took it away defensively and that's a positive. The fumble by Mike Bell was discouraging because it looked like he just didn't have it put away cleanly. But I thought we made some plays on the ball defensively, which was encouraging."

How do you feel about this team after the first 10 days of camp?

"I'm pleased with the progress but we have a long way to go."

Do you think you've made a lot of improvement defensively?

"Yes, I think we're making improvement. We'll get a chance to see. That's the beauty of playing these games - we're going to get a chance to see this week against Cincinnati, we're going to get a chance to see each week. But I do think we're improving. I think we have a little bit more depth at some of the key spots and we've talked about that already. I'm encouraged about what I'm seeing."

Are you reaching that point where you need to play against someone else besides yourself to see what the flaws are?

"I don't know that we're in the dog days of training camp now. We're just into it a week now. We've had a good balance of being outside and coming in here. The guys are fighting through some of the nicks and I think they have handled the installation so far. We have a lot of work ahead of us and I think our players understand that as well. It's a day by day thing and we haven't even gotten into the preseason schedule. I think our players are looking forward to a little time here - really half-a-day. We'll watch this film with them tomorrow, we'll grade it, we'll meet tomorrow evening, and then we'll go back at it Monday with two practices."

What did you think of Mark Brunell today?

"Both he and Joey Harrington did a good job. It was good to get them a lot of work and I thought that both of them handled it well."

How do you think P.J. Hill and Herb Donaldson did today?

"I've said there are about three guys that not a lot of people know about that we really like. Herb and P.J. are guys that we signed and Lynell Hamilton is a guy that we've had who was in their place a year ago. I like what I've seen from the running back group as a whole this whole camp. I'm pleased with that position group. We'll just keep evaluating the tape, looking at the good things and correcting the mistakes, but I thought those guys ran hard."

Can you assess how the defensive backs played?

"I'll have to see the tape. I'm paying more attention to the offense initially as I'm calling it. We got our hands on some balls. Roman Harper made a nice play on the ball. Outside at corner, we got our hands on a few balls. I thought that was encouraging."

Is it important to score in a scrimmage like this?

"You get competitive and you saw towards the end there even with the third group - both offensively and defensively - the players were getting into it and they wanted to see a stop defensively or a touchdown offensively. To some degree, I think it is. It's a game of winners and losers. It's not a game of ‘let's all go home - it was equal.' You're constantly measuring your success or your failure and that's the game."

Chris Reis seems like he can make plays rushing the passer. Is he more than a special teams player?

"He's obviously a guy who has been a core special teams player for us, but he's also a safety and I think he's probably had his best camp since he's been here as a safety. He has a pretty good grasp of what they're doing. He does a pretty good job with his disguise in coverage. He's done some real good things. I know collectively you see it on tape. I'm encouraged with a player like that who gives you versatility and given you glimpses of it on tape."

Will Mark Simoneau get an X-ray or MRI?

"Yes, they'll MRI his elbow."

Do you have any idea what the injury might be specifically yet?

"No. It's sore and they'll have to take a look at it."

Will Reggie Bush get a certain amount of snaps in the preseason?

"He'll get a measured amount. We'll be smart. He'll get some carries. I want to keep looking at these other guys behind him, but he'll get some snaps. How much, we'll see."

Are you concerned with Reggie's health right now?

"No, I feel pretty good about his health right now. I feel real good about the camp he's having. I want to continue to feel that way. I'm encouraged about where he's at right now. He's fine. You watch him out here at practice when he's out there and you watch him run. I feel positive about it, but just want to monitor it."

Can you talk about the day Garrett Hartley had?

"He had a good day today. The key is the snap-hold timing. I think Jason's (Kyle) doing a good job of that, getting acclimated along with the cadence to whoever's holding, whether it's Mark (Brunell) or Joey (Harrington). That's encouraging."

How did you think Marques Colston played?

"Early on he got his hands on about three touches and about three balls. He did a good job of coming up with the catch and getting his hands on the ball."

Can you talk about working with the officials? Did they call it like they would in a game?

"I told them to call it if it's something they see and let's watch it on film and get it corrected and not ignore it. There are some things that we can clean up. I think it was a good three days for our guys. It always is. Oftentimes, you have a lot of questions. I thought it went pretty smooth."

Are the players off tomorrow?

"They have a meeting in the afternoon and meetings again later at night. We have two practices on Monday and two on Tuesday."

Are they off tonight?

"Yes."

Will Drew Brees be back Monday?

"We'll see. I really don't want to speculate on it. It's a family matter and I think we'll know shortly."

Is he one guy who can afford to miss some time because he's been so sharp?

"He's done well."

Canal Street Chronicles: Fleur-di-Links 8.7.09

Saintsational — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 11:00:24 -0000

There is a lot here this morning. Feel free to read every word as you waste time at work, counting down until this weekend.

Twitter

saints83 Great to see the military out at practice today. Thank you for all you do!!!!

reggie_bush Shout out to all the Army Troops who came to practice today! Thank you for all you guys do for our country! You guys are the real heroes!!!

drewbrees Thanks to Jon Gruden for coming in town to speak to the team tonight and spend some time with us. He is a heck of a guy and football coach

saints83 Make your haters your motivators< I like this one

Linkage

New Orleans Saints defensive line coach Bill Johnson ideal hire - Times-Pic

"To me, it's an opportunity for somebody else to show that they can play," Johnson said between practices Wednesday. "Then, when they come back, it's an opportunity for us to be stronger in the fifth week of the season. It's an opportunity for us to be stronger in the 16th, 17th, 18th week, because we have somebody else better."

-Bill Johnson

"He has got a good ol' boy sense of humor, but he has also got a good ol' boy sense of kick you in the ass, too," Williams said. "The players love him, and they love being around him. He coaches them hard, but they have a good time because they laugh and joke, too."

-Gregg Williams

"I've tracked Bill for a long time," Williams said. "I was tracking him when he was in college football. I'm really pleased that we finally have a chance to get our contracts matched up, and we get to work together."

-Gregg Williams

"It was harder to hire a staff in '06 than it is in '09," Payton said. "Obviously, I'm biased, but we changed the culture, and how we're perceived in this league nationally is much different. We were able in '09 to hire a Gregg Williams and a Bill Johnson, when I don't know in '06 those same opportunities would have presented themselves."

-Sean Payton

"There was a four-year stretch when he was in Atlanta when they led the league in sacks with a four-man rush," Williams said. "If we're going to be any good here, we've got to do a better job rushing the passer out of a four-man rush."

-Gregg Williams

"Bill is intense," Coleman said. "He makes you dig deeper than you thought you could. It has helped me that I was with him in Atlanta, so I know his mentality and his methods of madness. He's basically going to grind you, grind you and push you to your limits.

"He's still tweaking his vision, but as long as you're working hard for him, he's going to take care of you. He'll go to bat for you as long as he knows you're out there busting your butt for him out there between those white lines."

-Rod Coleman

"People say I'm here because I had to come back to Louisiana," Johnson said. "I promise you, if the things I was looking for as a coach would have been in Canada, I would have gone to Canada to coach. I was looking for an element of what I am as a coach and an opportunity to do that with a group that I could rally together and bond with.

"My passion is coaching defense the way I know how to coach defense. I wanted a four-man front, and this is where it was."

-Bill Johnson

Jon Gruden likes what he sees in New Orleans Saints: With video - Times-Pic

"I really wanted to see Drew Brees up close and watch the Saints carefully because I've got a lot of respect for them, with good reason," Gruden said. "I really think that with the additions that they've made that they have a real chance (to make the Super Bowl)."

-Jon Gruden

"What you see (with Brees) isn't always the whole picture," Gruden said. "What people don't see is Drew Brees behind the scenes. He is as on top of things as you can imagine. This is very important to him -- every snap, the outcome of every play. You couple that with his talent and instinctiveness and the fact that he's a better athlete than people think, and you have what you have -- a superstar quarterback that probably hasn't gotten the national or global recognition that he deserves, especially after last season."

-Jon Gruden

"He's one of the more creative innovators in pro football in the last 10 to 15 years," Gruden said. "He's got results wherever he's been."

-Jon Gruden, on Sean Payton

New Orleans Saints top pick Malcolm Jenkins' holdout reaches ninth day - NOLA.com

"I feel pretty good, " said Simoneau, who estimated he's about 5 pounds lighter this year, between 230-235 pounds. "It's been a long process getting back to this point. Right now it's just a matter of me getting back to playing football."

-Mark Simoneau

"This game, you don't take anything for granted, " said Simoneau, who began his career in 2000 with Atlanta. "You want to have fun, because it's a game you're playing. But it's a job, and you want to go out every day and earn your position and earn your spot in the team."

-Mark Simoneau

New Orleans Saints have plenty in reserve on the defensive line - Times-Pic

PLAY OF THE DAY:

Meachem broke wide open behind the Saints' defense after Brees faked a handoff, then made a brief hitching motion to the left. Brees turned and hit Meachem for a gain of about 70 yards, depending on whether or not nickel cornerback Leigh Torrence would have stopped him short of the end zone in a live drill.

Saints finish 1st week of training camp - The Advocate

Duckworth, Coleman negotiate jersey swap - The Advocate

Duckworth’s compensation will be a Philly cheesesteak when the team travels to Philadelphia to play the Eagles in September.

Saints still looking at power backs - Sun Herald

"I’m a bottom feeder just trying to make this team," Bell said. "That’s how I’m going to play no matter what I’m always going to play like a bottom feeder. Right now I don’t have a role yet because I haven’t proven myself.

"I think I became too content in Denver. They named me the starter and I ran for all those yards and led the team in touchdowns. I felt like almost that I was owed something, but in all actuality, it’s a privilege to play in the NFL so you should do whatever they ask you to do."

-Mike Bell

"It helps me feel more confident in filling a role here and more comfortable within the offense," Hamilton said. "When you’re a rookie, your eyes are so far wide open because you really don’t know what to expect. That’s different for me now. It helps with confidence because the staff on its own already felt we had the guys already here in the building."

-Lynell Hamilton

Camp Blog, Day 7: Offense, Drew Brees owns defense; Bush practices -WWLTV

Saints: Thursday afternoon practice report - NewOrleans.com

SIRIUS XM's Solomon Wilcots and Adam Schein at Saints Camp Friday - NewOrleans.com

Day Seven Practice Notebook - New Orleans Saints official website

Kristian: STC Day 7 / Practice 1 - WWL

Audio

More "extreme" training camp coverage from WWL's Sports Talk including Billy Miller and Mickey Loomis in the first clip.

Video

John Gruden Visits at Saints Training Camp

Sean Payton Press Conference Transcript

From the New Orleans Saints official website

Opening Statement:

"Mike Bell had a little bruised hip but we think he's going to be fine. He had a pretty good practice. Overall, I thought it was a pretty physical practice. I was pleased - both sides of the ball did a good job responding. I thought we handled the heat pretty well. We got our two-minute offense and defense in today; it was the first time that we got to install it in this camp. It's a pretty important installation since so many of the games we play in are close in the fourth quarter and also in the second quarter. We'll work on it again tomorrow as well."

It looked like Devery Henderson got up limping a little bit in the two-minute drill. Is he alright?

"I think he was more tired. Those guys get gassed in a drill like that, especially coming off of a team period. I think he's fine."

Is Mark Simoneau fighting for a job on the 53-man roster or do you have him slated in there?

"We don't have a lot of guys slated in. Mark is a guy that we understand exactly what we have in him and I like that. He has experience playing the Mike and the Will. He's a guy that can play in the kicking game. Certainly he's competing - like all these guys are - for a job and right now he's our number two Mike. He's our fourth linebacker in the game if we were playing this weekend. He has recovered well from the injury, he's close to being healthy - he's not 100% healthy, but he's close - and that's encouraging."

Are you throwing him in there when you go to that 3-4 look?

"He's in that package. We have a handful of packages that we're trying to move guys around in."

What's it like to have Jon Gruden here to watch practice?

"It's good. He's here for a couple of days. My first job in this league in 1997 was with him in Philadelphia as he was the offensive coordinator. For me it was like going to law school. It was my first exposure to the NFL and an NFL offense. He's one of the few coaches that wherever he's at, we study his tape very closely; we have that much respect for him. We met today for awhile offensively, he'll speak to the team tonight, and he has been a huge influence on my career."

How long do you think he'll be out of the coaching game?

"I think he's going to have a lot of opportunities. I do think he's going to do a great job for Monday Night Football. He's one of those guys - and I'm not comparing him to John Madden - but after awhile we viewed John Madden as a sports announcer and we forgot how good of a coach he was. One of the reasons was that he was very charismatic as an announcer and a guy that was really easy on the ear and I think that Jon has those same traits. He certainly has a coach's perspective, but more importantly he has a personality that I think will appeal to everybody - not just the avid football fan. He's going to have a lot of choices in his life and he's very talented. So if he does come back, hopefully it's in a different division. We really respect him. He has been a big help to me and he has been a big help these last couple of days just looking at some things offensively and looking at our team."

And now he has inside scoop on you guys?

"He has inside scoop but there's a tradeoff. Drew Brees had a chance to sit in our meeting today. We met for about three hours at lunchtime, just going over football and talking football. He's someone that would be up at 3:15 in the morning, in the office by 4:00, and before most guys are drinking their first cup of coffee he has three hours of work in. It's real important to him. I've learned a lot over the years from him, especially those early years. Even after that, he has given me a lot of sound advice. He's one of the few guys that I call on any decision and I respect his opinion a lot. I'm glad he's here."

Did it seem like the pass offense really got going today?

"It was kind of back and forth. I thought Drew did some good things. We caught the ball and we blocked up front pretty well in the pass drills. I thought the defense played real well in the run drill. In the full contact period that we had, I thought we did a real good job defensively. It was a physical practice and fortunately guys stayed up. It's good to have the officials here now. They'll be here for tomorrow and Saturday and they'll help us along the way. They'll have a chance to meet with you guys as well."

As a former quarterback, can you appreciate when Drew gets into one of those rhythms like he was today?

"For him, that's kind of the bar. He works at it extremely hard. I thought we did a good job today of giving him a good pocket, but he was in rhythm and he made some big throws. We rely on those. We keep trying to find different formations and plays to get guys open. He has a great way of handling it all and digesting it and bringing it all to the field. He's real special that way. It was good to see."

Is it easy to get spoiled when you have a quarterback like that?

"If you coach long enough, you're going to be on both sides of the spectrum and it makes you appreciate what you do have. It was good to see. We'll keep battling; tomorrow we have two practices. The morning will be outside and then in the afternoon we'll go inside."

Are you happy with the way you've managed this camp, with going inside and everything?

"I think it has helped us some. It's still tough. We're still treating it like a camp. That hotel is set up much like it would be at a true training camp. I think we've done a good job with the balance of inside and outside. Today was a hot practice and you need to get conditioned to this heat because we're going to play in it. And you need to have a little bit of balance and that's what the indoor facility gives us."

Is there urgency on your behalf to get Malcolm Jenkins in here?

"Anytime you get into training camp and you're at the end of your first week, that sense of urgency applies. That being said, it's like I tell our team - there are some things that we can and can't control. As the head coach, I have to focus on what I can control. I know that both parties are doing a great job of trying to get this thing done and both parties are extremely talented at doing this; they've done it for a long time, Mickey (Loomis) and Khai (Harley) and Ben Dogra and Tom Condon from CAA. The good news is that we have experienced guys in the positions of importance as it comes to negotiations. I think both sides will do a good job."

What were those days like in Philadelphia?

"Tough. I learned a lot. There wasn't a lot of sleep, but it was good."

Were you married then?

"We were married. I had just taken a job at Maryland - I was there for two months and then got hired by the Eagles in March. My daughter was born two weeks after we moved to Philadelphia. That was our first child. Jon was married with two children and we were just young coaches. I think he was 32 or 33, I was 32 and for me it was coming in and learning a system from square one. It's something that I still use to this day, in regards to the base terminology and how we operate."

Who else was on that staff?

"Bill Callahan, Joe Vitt, Mike Trgovac, Emmitt Thomas. There were a lot of good coaches. Juan Castillo is still the offensive line coach on that staff. Like I said, it was my first exposure to this league and it was a big learning curve."

Did you share an office, you had the couch and he had the desk?

"I didn't have a couch. I had a corner of the couch and little cell phone. I left Maryland where I had an office overlooking the stadium, mahogany desk, everything. We were in the basement of Veterans Stadium and I had the corner of his sofa, but it was worth it."

How is Chip Vaughn progressing?

"He's doing well. There's a lot to learn as a rookie at safety. He's doing some things. He's flashing for us. I'm anxious to see when the bullets are live, in the scrimmage and in these preseason games we're going to be able to get a feel. He's doing well."

Why did you think Mark Brunell would be a good backup for Drew Brees?

"The first thing you want to hear is the interest level of the player in still wanting to play. When you deal with someone with his experience, you want to make sure their heart, mind and body are still in it. There's a lot of stress that goes on even when you're not taking the snaps in the games. But you have to make the preparation each week as if you're going to take the snaps. Second, you want to make sure he's still in shape and has the juice he once had. He brings a calm demeanor and confidence to the huddle and that's something I think is important."

Does it help that Mark knows his role?

"The trick and this is no secret that in the weekly preparation and grind as you prepare to get ready each week, knowing that you might not play, but that you might play in week eight or 14. It's not like a relief pitcher. There's a big difference, because there's a good chance his name's going to get called in two or three games. So at that position, it's the mental focus and the work ethic to be prepared."

You also want a team guy in that position?

"There's no question about that. He's a great sounding board for Drew (Brees)."

Have you seen him be a real asset to this team?

"That role you don't know until the guy gets on campus, but I think the players have a lot of respect for him and would say he's an outstanding teammate. I know that Drew has a lot of confidence in him and trusts him a lot in his conversations."

You guys made some tough decision with some veterans that were injured to move on this offseason. Why did you decide to keep Mark Simoneau?

"I don't think his injury was as significant and I think from an age standpoint, I think he's got some more years left. He's a guy that takes great care of his body and a lot has to do with the recovery time when he was able to come back. Doctors felt good about his prognosis and we did as well. Those are all things we felt were a plus. He has a lot of versatility, which is a good thing to have at linebacker."

How do you think Rod Coleman is doing?

"I think he's doing well. He's getting in shape. He's a guy that played at a high level in Atlanta.Bill Johnson had some experience in coaching him at Atlanta and we felt like he was worth the opportunity to look at and see if he can get his body back and get in the shape we think we can. We think he still has some miles left. So far, he's been able to battle through it. I think he's handling things well. We'll get a chance to see in the preseason how he's doing."

Have you nailed down a scrimmage schedule?

"It will be much like the last three years. The ones will go against the two defense. The two offense will go against the one defense and threes against threes. The next time it will be the one offense against the one defense, two versus two and three versus three. We'll put the special teams in between."

How many scripted plays are there?

"I think we have scripts of eight and ten and keep the drive alive. If all of a sudden you have a drive going, we'll let it finish out."

How has Garrett Hartley done the last few days?

"The big thing is dealing with the timing, the snap-hold-kick. His leg looks strong. I'm excited about him as a kicker. I think we found someone last year. I think he did a good job in some tough circumstances and handled the game snaps well. Once we get going here, it's an important evaluation making sure he stays on top of things."

Is it tough for him to adjust to a new snapper?

"There's a rhythm in there. We'll be able to work through it."

Gregg Williams Press Conference Transcript

From NewOrleans.com

Where do you feel you stand at this point of camp?

"Every day we're getting a little bit better. I'm starting to learn a little bit more about the guys by seeing them compete and push through being tired and soreness and all that stuff. We're still not playing with live bullets. We've had one drill since we've been here where we've had live tackling down there on the inside run period, which was good. But a defense is measured by how well you tackle. We haven't had much time with live tackling, but I do like their effort, I do like their want-to and for the most part, I do like their smarts."

Is a lot of what you bring to the team instilling a mentality?

"It's attitude. It's so much about attitude. It starts with attitude. Tackling starts with attitude; toughness starts with attitude; technique starts with attitude. I come from a family of coaches with attitude in Buddy Ryan and Dick LeBeau and all those guys that I've been around, Dom Capers and obviously Jeff Fisher being my best friend in coaching. We've all coached defensively with that kind of a mindset. These guys have a great attitude; there's a very good locker room here. I'm pleased to date, but we're still a long ways off."

Is that attitude part of the reason that we've seen some of that chippiness lately?

"That is, and I don't see that being negative. We have to protect our teammates. We obviously don't want to hurt our own teammates in practice, but we do want to play with a chip on your shoulder. You have to play like you're living on the edge. I'll pull them back if they get too close to the edge."

Is Bobby McCray one of the more versatile guys you have on the defense?

"He is. He reminds me a lot of Jevon (Kearse), when I had Jevon early on a long time ago. We've kind of migrated and moved on and added a lot of new things for a guy like that. I didn't get a chance to do as many things with Jevon - he was a very rare player and still a really good player, but I see a lot of similarities there and I'm really excited about the opportunity to coach him. He's had a very good spring and he has had a very good training camp to date."

Does he have a particular strength? Is it coming off the edge as a pass rusher?

"Here's the deal - he's not bad against the run. I've had guys that are slender - not 300-pound guys - that have been great run players. Why would a safety that weighs 215 be a great run player but yet a guy that weighs 260 or 270 like him not be? He'll be a good run player. He's a really good, instinctive athlete. He can do a lot of things I can't coach. Mom and dad blessed him with a lot of skills and movement and change of directions. I'm looking forward to try to find some things to try to get him isolated on some people."

You said the other day that you weren't overly concerned with Malcolm Jenkins not being here because he had picked up a lot in OTAs. Are you getting concerned now that he's still not here?

"That's just a part of the business. He's a great kid, he really is. He's a sharp kid and I feel sorry for him going through that. Am I concerned? It depends on how long it takes. I happened to be on a team last year that had a first-round draft choice that didn't sign until the day of the last preseason game - Derrick Harvey, a bright young player and I think he's going to be a good player in the league. He never caught up the whole year. He never caught up and it was unfortunate for him on that. We'll see how it goes, but Malcolm is a good kid and when he gets here we'll get ready to coach him."

How do you see these guys grasping your aggressive philosophy?

"Excellent. 99% of athletes want coaches to let them be aggressive. There's always the excuse, ‘I wish Coach would let me attack more; I wish Coach would let me run more; I wish Coach would let me be nastier,' and all that. That won't be an excuse here. You can think about it like basketball and all those teams that like to run and gun up and down the floor. That's kind of the thing we do defensively here. We have to be able to run; we have to be able to attack; we have to be able to apply pressure all the time. And it's not only in blitzing and that kind of stuff; it's being able to apply pressure when you're not blitzing. We have to do a better job of winning one-on-one blocks and attacking one-on-one blocks and running real fast. We're going to play a lot of people and they have picked it up pretty good right now but we have a long ways to go."

Saints 2009 Position Battles: Linebacker

Saintsational — Thu, 07 May 2009 11:00:18 -0000

Continuing on with our roster breakdown position by position we now come to the linebacking corp. This position has had one heck of a makeover this off-season. With so many more talented players battling it out this year, the Saints are sure to see improvement from the middle of their defense. Let's take a look at who they've got.

Here's a quick glance at all of linebackers currently on the Saints roster:

Player	Height	Weight	Age	Experience
Jonathan Vilma	6'1"	230	27	6
Scott Fujita	6'5"	250	30	8
Mark Simoneau	6'0"	245	32	10
Scott Shanle	6'2"	245	29	7
Dan Morgan	6'2"	245	30	8
Stanley Arnoux	6'0"	232	22	R
Jo-Lonn Dunbar	6'0"	226	24	2
Troy Evans	6'3"	238	31	8
Marvin Mitchell	6'3"	249	24	3
Anthony Waters	6'3"	238	24	3
Jonathan Casillas	6'2"	226	21	R

There is quite a crowd ready to fight it out for a final roster spot this year. The Saints will start off with eleven possibly candidates and will probably need to cut it down to about six, possibly seven.

Vilma and Fujita are probably the only two players on the list that are a lock to make the team. Both are undeniable leaders of this position group both on the field and in the locker room. Moving on to the other returning players we come across Scott Shanle and Mark Simoneau. Simoneau missed all of last year and as the oldest player at the position, I think he's reached the end of the road with the Saints. Payton has been trying for years to get rid of Shanle but the little bugger just won't go away. With all of the talent added to the roster this off-season, I think Payton has finally improved the weak side. I hope Shanle is gone but we've been wrong about this before.

Dan Morgan is an enigma whose play just can't be predicted. If he remains healthy he could be one of the biggest improvements to this entire defense. He's that good. But he also hasn't played in a year and he may trip over a few cobwebs. Morgan says he's in the best shape of his life so all we can do is believe him. He definitely makes the team if he doesn't die during training camp.

I think Troy Evans had better shine on special teams. That's been his specialty (pun sort of intended) and it might be his meal ticket this year.

Jo-Lonn Dunbar and Marvin Mitchell are the young returnees. Both show a lot of upside, particularly Dunbar, but competition hasn't been this tough in recent years. These guys are big contributors on special teams so they're always a consideration. Either of these guys could surprise coaches with a bit of hard work. Dunbar seems to be a favorite of fans and coaches.

Your guess is as good as mine regarding what kind of production to expect from Anthony Waters. He certainly won't start but he'll be battling with Marvin Mitchell for a spot as Vilma's backup. Because of Mitchell's special team contributions, I don't see Waters beating him out.

Then there are the new guys: Stanley Arnoux and Jonathan Casillas. Arnoux comes in as a fourth round pick so expectations are only moderate. Working his way into a starting spot will be a bit of a long shot but the hope is that he will become a quality player with a little coaching and time. I think the Saints keep him around as a backup on the outside. Casillas, though probably the most highly touted rookie free agent, still has his work cut out for him in training camp. If he lives up to the hype then the Saints got away with robbery. Helping out on special teams will definitely give him the best chance at cracking the roster.

To be sure, this is going to be one of the most intriguing position competitions during training camp this year. What do you think is going to happen? Who are you most intrigued by? Will there be any surprises?

Poll

Which linebacker will be the biggest surprise?

Stanley Arnoux

100 votes

Jonathan Casillas

148 votes

Dan Morgan

370 votes

Anthony Waters

23 votes

Jo-Lonn Dunbar

103 votes

Marvin Mitchell

14 votes

758 votes | Poll has closed

15 Reasons Why the 2009 Saints Season has to be Better than 2008

Saintsational — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 11:00:11 -0000

Player	Pos.	Status	Date
DeMario Pressley	DT	Placed on Injured Reserve	July 27, 2008
Adrian Arrington	WR	Placed on Injured Reserve	August 29, 2008
Hollis Thomas	DT	Placed on Injured Reserve	September 9, 2008
Mark Simoneau	LB	Placed on Injured Reserve	September 12, 2008
Tracy Porter	CB	Placed on Injured Reserve	October 7, 2008
Martin Gramatica	K	Placed on Injured Reserve	October 8, 2008
Charles Grant	DE	Placed on Injured Reserve	November 3, 2008
Mike McKenzie	CB	Placed on Injured Reserve	November 10, 2008
Brian Young	DT	Placed on Injured Reserve	November 15, 2008
Aaron Stecker	RB	Placed on Injured Reserve	November 18, 2008
Mark Campbell	TE	Placed on Injured Reserve	November 19, 2008
Aaron Glenn	CB	Placed on Injured Reserve	November 27, 2008
Kevin Kaesviharn	S	Placed on Injured Reserve	December 4, 2008
Courtney Roby	WR	Placed on Injured Reserve	December 8, 2008
Reggie Bush	RB	Placed on Injured Reserve	December 17, 2008

I understand that some of these players aren't on the team anymore or weren't much of a help in 2008 but the point is that being forced to deal with this incredible amount of injury in one season makes it damn near impossible to have a sucessful year.

2008 Midseason: Making the Grade

Saintsational — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 12:00:07 -0000

Quarterback A+

		Passing									Rushing					Sacks
	G	Rating	Comp	Att	Pct	Yds	Y/G	Y/A	TD	INT	Rush	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD	Sack	YdsL
2008 - Drew Brees	8	101.6	210	304	69.1	2563	320.4	8.4	15	7	11	-7	-0.9	-0.6	0	7	48

I would have given Drew an A+++++ but that would have been plain ridiculous. Best quarterback in the league and quite possibly the MVP for the first half of the season. Praising Drew comes so easy and is becoming quite redundant so consider this matter closed.

Running Back D

		Rushing						Receiving
	G	Rush	Yds	Y/G	Avg	Lng	TD	Rec	Yds	Y/G	Avg	Lng	TD
2008 - Reggie Bush	7	87	294	42.0	3.4	29	2	42	366	52.3	8.7	42	3

		Rushing						Receiving
	G	Rush	Yds	Y/G	Avg	Lng	TD	Rec	Yds	Y/G	Avg	Lng	TD
2008 - Deuce McAllister	6	68	263	43.8	3.9	12	2	8	53	8.8	6.6	11	0

The running game is just plain pathetic. Check out those rushing numbers. We all have our own thoughts and opinions on this matter and frankly they are all a little accurate. Whatever the reasons for a failed ground attack it all needs to change. Hopefully we will see more of a commitment to the running game and a more balanced offense from Payton.

Receiving B

Devery Henderson	Receiving						Kickoff Returns					Punt Returns
G	Rec	Yds	Y/G	AVG	Lng	TD	KR	YDS	AVG	Lng	TD	PR	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD
8	18	499	62.4	27.7	84	3	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Lance Moore	Receiving						Kickoff Returns					Punt Returns
G	Rec	Yds	Y/G	AVG	Lng	TD	KR	YDS	AVG	Lng	TD	PR	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD
8	38	431	53.9	11.3	33	3	1	36	36.0	36	0	0	21	10.5	11	0

Billy Miller	Receiving						Kickoff Returns					Punt Returns
G	Rec	Yds	Y/G	AVG	Lng	TD	KR	YDS	AVG	Lng	TD	PR	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD
6	23	323	53.8	14.0	41	0	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

The receiving corp has looked pretty solid so far this season but the production has not come from who we might have expected. Devery Henderson and Lance Moore have stepped it up in the absence of Marques Colston and David Patten. Billy Miller is quietly putting together a solid season while Shockey heals. With Drew Brees spreading the ball around to everyone and their mother this is more of a team effort with everyone doing a great job.

Offensive Line C

They've been doing a good job keeping Drew safe but a pretty horrible job making some room for Deuce and Reggie. Matt Lehr has filled in pretty seamlessly under center so thats a plus. Carl Nicks is also a bright spot in this unit.

Defensive Line C

		Sacks		Interceptions			Tackles
	G	Sacks	YdsL	Int	Yds	IntTD	Solo	Ast	Total
2008 - Charles Grant	8	3.0	20	0	0	0	26	7	33

		Sacks		Interceptions			Tackles
	G	Sacks	YdsL	Int	Yds	IntTD	Solo	Ast	Total
2008 - Sedrick Ellis	5	1.0	5	0	0	0	7	3	10

The big guys on the line have turned in pretty spotty performances. We have seen some good games from them but also watched them disappear for 60 minutes. The blueprint for this unit was the New York Giants Superbowl winning pass rush and it is safe to say the Saints are nowhere close to that point. Charles Grant is now lost for the season but his play up to this point was certainly not indicative of his fat contract. Worse could be said about Will Smith so far this season. Are we surprised? The upside is Sedrick Ellis, who was a good choice and a nice addition but I think we have yet to see his full brilliance.

Linebacker C

		Sacks		Interceptions			Tackles
	G	Sacks	YdsL	Int	Yds	IntTD	Solo	Ast	Total
2008 - Jonathan Vilma	8	0	0	1	8	0	53	19	72

Vilma is another one of the bright spots of this team this season. The guy is all over the field sniffing out tackles. Unfortunately one linebacker a defense does not make. Losing Simoneau for the season was a big blow to this unit and Fujita and Shanle have simply played mediocre. I would love to see more from these guys in the second half of 2008.

Secondary C

		Sacks		Interceptions			Tackles
	G	Sacks	YdsL	Int	Yds	IntTD	Solo	Ast	Total
2008 - Mike McKenzie	6	0	0	1	14	0	19	1	20

		Sacks		Interceptions			Tackles
	G	Sacks	YdsL	Int	Yds	IntTD	Solo	Ast	Total
2008 - Tracy Porter	5	1.0	8	1	25	0	23	2	25

		Sacks		Interceptions			Tackles
	G	Sacks	YdsL	Int	Yds	IntTD	Solo	Ast	Total
2008 - Randall Gay	5	0	0	0	0	0	19	1	20

Last year these guys would probably be getting an F so a C really isn't so bad. To be fair, this unit has definitely improved. It's also amazingly sad to say that the absence of Tracy Porter seems to have caused a drop in performance. There is still a lot of room for improvement as we saw last week against San Diego. Preventing big plays is one thing but completely shutting down a teams passing offense and creating game changing plays and turnovers is another.

Special Teams C-

		Field Goals								PAT
	G	0-19	20-29	30-39	40-49	50+	FGM	FGA	PCT	XPM	XPA	PCT	pts
2008 - Taylor Mehlhaff	3	0 - 0	1 - 1	1 - 2	1 - 1	0 - 0	3	4	75.0%	9	10	90.0%	1

I know you're probably thinking these guys deserve an F. The post-Carney kicking experiment is failing miserably but Reggie Bush and the return game is also part of special teams so that keeps this unit from getting a flat out F-.. Still, the inconsistency in the kicking game is most frustrating and I struggled even giving it the current grade.

Poll

What grade do you give the Saints for the first half of the season?

A

2 votes

B

7 votes

C

56 votes

D

10 votes

F

2 votes

77 votes | Poll has closed

MHR Chalk Talk - New Orleans Saints at Denver Broncos

Steve Nichols — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 22:00:05 -0000

YOUR SOURCE FOR THE VERY BEST

IN DENVER BRONCO PRE-GAME ANALYSIS

MILEHIGHREPORT.COM

For the view from the Saints side of things, check out CanalStreetChronicles.com

The Saints were my dark horse pick to go deep in the NFC playoffs for '08. They have a lot of talent on both sides of the ball, and underperformed in 2007 due to many key injuries. But the injury monster is back in full force, and early in the season.

The Saints are a very talented team, and could be easy to overlook. With the injuries they have, we may catch a break and have an easier game than we might have had. But it would be foolish to count them out. Let's take a look at what the Saints bring to the table, and what they might not.

Read on...

Run Defense

The three biggest additions to the Saints defense where supposed to be big. Vilma (at MLB) was someone that Denver fans had their eyes on, but the Saints got him. He leads the League in tackles. DT Ellis was taken in the draft (someone else that many Denver fans were clamoring for). Last year, the Saints picked up Clancy (DT) from FA. With two big name DTs, and a terrific MLB (who is also great in coverage), as well as Fujita and Simeneau at LB you would think the Saints could stop the run.

But they haven't in their first two games. TB ran for 146 yards (a narrow victory for NO), and WAS ran for 149 yards.

Injuries

Here's what we know. CBs McKenzie,Gay and Glenn are questionable. LB Fajita is questionable as is SS Harper. Out is LB Simoneau. That is an awful lot of starters folks. So now things seem to be more tricky for the Saints right? There's more.

Tackling

Well, it doesn't stop there. According to this article from the Sun Herald, the Saints are having severe problems wrapping up opponents:

Washington Redskins wide receiver Santana Moss exposed an increasing issue for the New Orleans Saints - pure tackling.

The speedy Moss took an end around 27 yards as he split the tackle attempts of the Saints' Will Smith and Kevin Kaesviharn in the first quarter. Then Moss' 23-yard pickup on a slant route where he made Josh Bullocks and Usama Young miss was a key play in the Redskins cutting the lead to two points.

The Saints defense also had troubles wrapping up running backs Clinton Portis and Earnest Graham during the first two weeks of the season. It's led to the Saints surrendering 403.5 yards of total offense a game, which ranks the team 29th in the NFL.

"I thought we had some missed tackles in the secondary, especially in that fourth quarter," Saints coach Sean Payton said. "All of a sudden some smaller plays became bigger plays. That was a little bit of an issue a week ago and we have to address that and see if we can have that corrected."

Next up for the Saints will be the Denver Broncos, who are averaging 463.5 yards a game (third in the league).

"They're a good team," Payton said. "The main focus is the Saints right now. And that seems a little bit like a cliché, but we're going to play a better team this week than we just played. They're 2-0 and it's a tough place to play; it's a louder environment than where we were just at. We're going to have to suck it up."

Match up issues

This is where the pairings look good for Denver's offense. Starting with the receiving corps, Denver features Marshall or Royal (pick your poison) paired against an injured starting CB, and a back-up, or perhaps two back-ups. Denver's receivers have already played (in my opinion) two CB tandems in OAK and KC that represent two of the top five (if not top three) CB tandems in the NFL. NO is a definite downgrade at this point.

On top of this, consider pairing your injured starting CB (or a back-up) with either Royal (agile and fast) or Marshall (physical). And who will back them up? A back-up safety on the stong side. Yikes!

But it gets better (if you're a Denver fan). Who covers our elite TEs? In a one TE set, it won't be Fujita (injured - out), and it won't be a starting strong safety. There will be a mismatch for the strong side TE in any 1, 2, or 3 TE set.

That's the state of the passing game. The running game isn't much different. While Denver is averaging nearly 5 ypc through the first two games, they aren't running the ball much. NO is giving up nearly 150 yards per game rushing.

NO has a good defensive line. While you can't function without a good DL (see Denver last year), you can't win with just a good DL either.

But that's only half of the game. What about the Saints offense?

The Saints on offense

The first thing you notice about the Saints front five (plus their TE) is the abundance of the letter "J". Jeremy, Jamall, Jamar, Jonathan, Jahri, and Jon. This doesn't mean a darned thing, but I thought I would throw it out there. : )

On a more serious note, the Saints have weapons. For as long as Shockey has been in the NFL, folks have debated if he is the real deal or an average guy who has gotten a big name. I won't get into that so much. What I will point out is that he is a physical receiver, and has the potential (and the experience) to keep Denver honest in coverage. This would normally present a problem for Denver, ala the Chargers.

With Colston at WR, Shockey at TE, and Bush at RB (and Brees at QB) we have a similar match up difficulty that we should have with SD. In this vein, NO would have the ability to rack up points on Denver. But a key piece of the puzzle, Colston, is out. This means that Denver can focus on the run.

On paper, the run game of the Saints should be intimidating. This fan post over at Canalstreetchronicles.com explains that at least one RB, McAllister, isn't likely to be a threat. But Bush could be a factor.

A lot of MHR readers (and staff) are taking sides on whether the Denver run defense is better than it looks, or worse that it looks. This game will be the third game against a reasonably good running back, and we should have our answer this week. As good of a QB as Brees is, the Saints should try to keep the Denver offense off of the field by running the ball, and dare the Broncos to stop them.

The problem is, the Saints are only averaging 78 yards rushing over the first two games. On the flip side, Denver is allowing an avg of 115.

The Saints best chance for a favorable match-up might be Shockey against Boss (LOLB) or against Manuel (SS).

Ratings -

This is the point where I list every position on a football team, then mark which team has the better skill set. Without injuries, it would be closer. But with injuries factored in, only the Saints defensive line gets the edge.

Keys -

Denver

Prevent big plays on STs
Prevent turnovers
Don't give up the big play on defense

New Orleans

Keep Denver's offense off of the field (run)
Don't get in a shootout
Don't fall behind early

Game planning

Denver faces a 4-3 defense. They can play one TE for both run and pass plays. If the Saints try to pressure Cutler, Graham should be the obvious choice at TE. Because of the 4-3, Denver can choose to run wide more than in the last game.

With the injuries on defense, Denver can play their misdirection game and get more "bites" (where the defense over pursues). Denver can air the ball, and dare a banged up or back-up secondary to stop them.

Denver can pass early to establish a lead. At this point, an opposing team then has to wonder if Denver will run to eat clock, or keep passing. With the Shanahan offense back in gear, teams should have a hard time knowing which way to go in the second half.

So how does a team stop Cutler? I think we're learning that Marshall and Royal are too much for even the best CB tandems in the League. You stop Cutler the way you stop Peyton Manning; with pressure. The problem is that Cutler can go mobile without losing his aim or strength, and Denver's OL is like the secret service. If a team does get to Cutler, Denver doesn't hurt having to run the ball (averaging 6 ypc).

The best approach to beating Denver is the SD approach. SD was within a point of winning by shooting out the game. Of course, they had the weapons to do so. Most teams don't. This is why I feel Denver has an excellent chance of hitting the playoffs, but when they get there, they'd better be able to at least slow other teams. They didn't slow SD. The Saints (again with so many injuries, and missing leading receiver Colston) just may not have the weapons at this point in the season to shoot it out. If they have to engage in a high scoring affair, the edge goes to Denver.

The Saints coach is an excellent play-caller and knows how to adjust. On the other hand, Shanahan is on the other side of the field.

While I try to be a realist in breaking down any game for Denver, this match-up really looks one sided. Without the Saints unfortunate injuries, this game would be close, and could have upset potential. Right now, I have to take Denver. I'll be surprised if it is close at all.

Poll

Denver scores...

Less than 22 points

2 votes

22 to 32 points

95 votes

33 to 40 points

207 votes

41+ points

68 votes

372 votes | Poll has closed

Saints @ Redskins: Preview

Saintsational — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 12:00:07 -0000

Hopefully, Drew won't have to do too much running(Getty Images)

Sunday's matchup between the New Orleans Saints and the Washington Redskins should be an interesting one. The Redskins are coming off a frustrating loss to the Giants last week while the Saints will attempt to keep the ball rolling with another win. These two teams last met in 2006 and saw Washington defeat New Orleans who had just come off an incredible win over the Dallas Cowboys. Let's take a look at what we might expect when we settle in to watch this weekend.

Saints Offense vs. Redskins Defense We should see much more Reggie Bush. He looked pretty impressive last week and I think Payton will ride the wave of that momentum. After last weeks performance, I am hopeful that Payton has figured out the right way to use Reggie and we see a lot of screen passes, pitches, quick slants etc. Like last week, I expect more reception yards than rushing yards for Reggie. The Redskins know how explosive Reggie can be and they have gone on record as saying they will be looking to contain him. Deuce is also listed as Probably so there may be a chance that fans will get to see him for the first time in the regular season.

The Redskins have a very talented secondary with players including Shawn Springs, Carlos Rogers, Fred Smoot and LaRon Landry. These guys can all make big game changing plays particularly interceptions, if they can hold on to the ball. Last week they dropped a couple of sure interceptions that may have changed the entire outcome of their game and have been focusing on that all week. Drew Brees will have a tough challenge tomorrow for sure. Both he and the receivers need to make sure they are on the same page and not give this secondary any opportunities. The turnover ratio will be key in this game. Of course with Colston gone the door is wide open for the other receivers, particularly Robert Meachem who will be making his regular season debut this weekend. David Patten might be interested in making a statement to his old team this Sunday as well.

Newcomer Jason Taylor anchors the Skins defensive line but he has lost a step or two over the years and is admittedly not 100%. Andre Carter lines up at the other end and both will be looking to get after Drew Brees big time in an attempt to rattle and contain him. This also means the Saints offensive line needs to show that great pass blocking we have come to know the last couple of years. If Drew has a 300+ yard day and the Saints don't win, something went terribly wrong.

Starting linebacker Marcus Washington is questionable for the game but the talented London Fletcher will still be out there making his presence known. This group will have the wonderful responsibility of keeping tabs on the fiery Jeremy Shockey. Shockey will now have more responsibility with the absence of Colston and will be the Saints best bet to fill in for those tough over the middle throws. Skins linebacker Rocky McIntosh will be a big part of containing Shockey come Sunday. Keep an eye on that matchup.

If the Saints can grab an early lead and make the Redskins play catch-up, they will be forced to throw the ball and rely more on Jason Campbell. Campbell's play has always been shaky despite showing a lot of talent. It is most likely the result of having so many different coaches in such a short period of time and having to learn a new playbook nearly every year.

Saints Defense vs. Redskins Offense Sad to say that its only week 2 and our roster is already starting to look beat up. Injuries abound at every area of this defense. At defensive tackle Hollis Thomas is out indefinitely and Antwan Lake will not play. The Saints looked pretty weak in run defense last week so the Redskins will look to exploit that with running backs Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts. Portis looked pretty solid last week against the Giants gaining 84 yards on 23 carries. Portis averages 101.5 yards in FedEx Field home openers with three touchdowns.Betts can do some damage in his own right.

Sedrick Ellis and Kendrick Clancy will be responsible for getting a push up the middle and stopping a formidable ground attack from Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts. Newly acquired DT Alvin McKinley may or may not see some time. (On a side note, he rounds out the Saints all black, all Irish tandem of Deuce McAllister, Mike McKenzie, Bobby McCray and now Alvin McKinley. Seriously has any team ever come close to this many "Mc's" at one time before?) If the Saints can get good pressure and a solid performance from its highly paid ends, Jason Campbell could be in for a long day. Getting a good rush to throw quarterback Jason Campbell off his game will be crucial to help our secondary.

In the linebacking corp the team will be without Scott Fujita while Mark Simoneau is done for the season. Man this is getting ridiculous. Troy Evans should get the start now. Look for Vilma to continue to increase his level of play and be all over the field.

Of course the Saints secondary is what everyone is still focusing on and, like the rest of the team, is battling the injury bug. Roman Harper and Randall Gay are both listed as Out for the game. The good news is Mike McKenzie has been listed as Probable and he should be a go. That leaves MM and Porter as your starters, the best combination so far in my mind. The Redskins have two talented receivers in Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle El. This will be a huge challenge for our two cornerbacks

The Redskins offense has struggled a good bit on first downs so it will be crucial to close out the drives and come up big on third downs and allow themselves to get off the field quickly and stay fresh. Third down percentage is always an important stat and tomorrow it will be more important than ever.

Redskins Player to Watch: Cllinton Portis

Saints Player to Watch: Reggie Bush

Saintsational's Sleeper: Lance Moore

Score Prediction: Saints 24 - Redskins 17

Random Prediction: The Saints defense will have at least 3 sacks.