SB Nation - Kevin Kaesviharn

Keys to beating Pittsburgh: Defense has to take over this game; offense has to ditch finesse generalizations

Kirkendall — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 17:06:28 -0000

There are too many things that could come out of Sunday's game with a win to just ignore. If the Bengals win:

...there's a chance they could be tied for first place in the AFC North standings; provided that the Cleveland Browns beat the Ravens in Baltimore (what are the chances of that?). Even then, the Bengals would be the de facto leaders in the division with a better division record.
...Bengals fans will start buying up tickets -- I made the prediction earlier in the week that if the Bengals beat the Steelers this Sunday and then the Browns on the road, that Paul Brown Stadium will be sold out the rest of the season.
...it will end a seven-game losing streak when playing Pittsburgh at Paul Brown Stadium.
If the Bengals beat the Steelers this Sunday, and do it with a nastiness that the Bengals need to compete in this division, a whole new era of Bengals football could emerge.
...the Bengals will start the season 2-1 (or better) for only the sixth time since 1990 -- the other seasons being 2006 (3-0), 2005 (3-0), 2001 (2-1), 1995 (2-1), 1992 (2-1).

However, there's the other side. If the Bengals allow Pittsburgh to run them over, like they did twice last year (38-10 and 27-10), then Bengals fans will implode. Many will shy away from the explosive win that brought waves of optimism to this team after beating the heavily favored Green Bay Packers. If the Browns beat the Ravens (and who actually expects that to happen?), the Bengals could be all alone in last place, by way of division record. The Steelers will win their eighth straight game in Cincinnati, questioning the Bengals motivation (again) when defending their home turf.

Speaking in more detail, the Bengals have lost seven consecutive games when playing at home against Pittsburgh Steelers. It's been bad. The Bengals have been outscored 182-84 during that span and the margin of defeat is 14 points per game.

Date	Record *	Score
October 13, 2002	0-5	7-34
September 21, 2003	0-2	10-17
November 21, 2004	4-5	14-19
October 23, 2005	5-1	13-27
December 31, 2006	8-7	17-23
October 28, 2007	2-4	13-24
October 19, 2008	0-6	10-38

* Record before the game.

The last time the Bengals beat the Steelers in Cincinnati, Pittsburgh came into the 2001 game, 12-1. Jon Kitna threw for 411 yards passing on 68 attempts (completed 35), recording two touchdowns. Peter Warrick caught 10 passes for 109 yards. Darnay Scott caught seven passes for 113 yards. Corey Dillon rushed 21 times for 91 yards. Former Steelers quarterback Kordell Stewart threw four interceptions (two picks by Kevin Kaesviharn). Plaxico Burress and Hines Ward combined for 11 receptions for 152 yards receiving and Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala rushed 25 times for 55 yards.

In other words, it's been a long time.

So what has to has to happen for the Bengals to win; some of them you can call The Obvious.

It's not enough to rush Big Ben. We've seen how Big Ben can evade a pass rush, keeping a play alive, even turning it into a big gain. He's big and strong. How many times have we seen him break a sure-sack only to find Santonio Holmes streaking (with clothes) down the the middle of the field? Bengals pass rushers Antwan Odom, Robert Geathers, Michael Johnson, Jonathan Fanene and maybe a defensive tackle (for a change), have make a difference. But it's not enough to just pressure Ben Roethlisberger. The pass rush has to knock him down, a lot. When they make a move for a sack, they have to drill him. The Bengals haven't recorded a sack in the past three meetings against the Steelers, and haven't had multiple sacks in a single game since September 4, 2006.

Date	Result	Sacks
October 3, 2004	L, 17-28	1
November 21, 2004	L, 14-19	7
October 23, 2005	L, 13-27	1
December 4, 2005	W, 38-31	2
September 24, 2006	W, 28-20	3
December 31, 2006	L, 17-23 (OT)	1
October 28, 2007	L, 13-24	1
December 2, 2007	L, 10-24	0
October 19, 2008	L, 10-38	0
November 20, 2008	L, 10-27	0
		16

Players that recorded sack in series since 2004: Duane Clemons (4.5), Justin Smith (4.0), Robert Geathers (2), Kevin Hardy, Landon Johnson, Madieu Williams, David Pollack, Domata Peko, Kevin Kaesviharn (0.5).

Stuff the Steelers rushing offense. Michael (Blitzburgh) at Behind the Steel Curtain was right about one thing. The Steelers do establish the rushing offense against the Bengals. And it seems like it's far too easy. Cincinnati's defense hasn't prevented the Steelers from recording over 100-yards rushing, as a team, since the Bengals 38-31 win on December 4, 2005. In the last 12 meetings, the Bengals defense prevented a rushing touchdown only once (November 21, 2004).

However, it's not just that. In the past 12 meetings, the Bengals have allowed 1,739 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns on the ground. Pittsburgh has rushed the football 40 times or more four times.

There are, however, encouraging signs to hang onto. The Bengals rush defense hasn't allowed 100-yards rushing by any team in their past three games -- 89 (Packers), 75 (Broncos), 31 (Chiefs). The Steelers rushing offense rushed for 36 yards against the Titans and 105 against the Bears to start the season. The Bengals have to keep pace by not allowing the Steelers to rush for over 100 yards (they are 2-0 in such scenarios since 2003). But, as we pointed out already, the Steelers tend to establish their rushing offense against the Bengals... a little to easily.

Date	Result	Steelers rushing	Leading rusher
9.21.03	L, 10-17	38-138-1	Amo Zereoue: 16-69
11.30.03	W, 24-20	25-85-1	Jerome Bettis: 20-62-1
10.3.04	L, 17-28	40-165-2	Duce Staley: 25-123
11.21.04	L, 14-19	40-151-0	Jerome Bettis: 29-129
10.23.05	L, 13-27	47-221-1	Willie Parker: 18-131-1
12.4.05	W, 38-31	28-95-1	Willie Parker: 15-71
9.24.06	W, 28-20	38-170-2	Willie Parker: 31-133-2
12.31.06	L, 17-23 (OT)	45-207-2	Willie Parker: 34-134-2
10.28.07	L, 13-24	33-160-1	Willie Parker: 22-126-1
12.2.07	L, 10-24	35-101-1	Willie Parker: 28-87
10.19.08	L, 10-38	27-125-2	Mewelde Moore: 20-120-2
11.20.08	L, 10-27	37-121-2	Mewelde Moore: 15-56

But what of the offense? I believe that the Bengals offense is getting closer to the potency they enjoyed during the 2005 season. Palmer recorded three touchdowns against the Packers and Benson rushed for over 100 yards. However, if you go back to the game before the win over Green Bay, the offense was far too similar to the team's worst ranked offense in 2008.

I feel that if the Bengals play mistake-free offense and convert drive-sustaining first downs, that they'll be alright. I don't expect Palmer to put up 300 yards. I don't even expect him to record three touchdowns. I don't expect Cedric Benson to record more than 100 yards rushing nor do I think any of our receivers will pick up 100 yards or more receiving. But if they sustain drives, win the time of possession and finish drives with points, the offense will do their part.

Prove we're no longer a finesse team. But I think this game will rest with the Bengals defense. If they knock Roethlisberger around and limit the Steelers rushing offense -- let's call it containing rather than eliminating -- then I think the Bengals will have their best chance at winning the football game. I know. Mistake free offense. Sacking the quarterback. Limiting the opposing rushing offense. Those are typically keys for every NFL team to win football games. But historically, when the Bengals have won, it hasn't always been that way. In previous years -- not including 2008, of course -- people have been right to generalize the Bengals as a finesse team, by simply outscoring the other offense. Defense was tasked to force a few punts; other than that, they just had to make sure the opposing offense didn't score more than the Bengals offense. Again. I know the Maddenism that exists here. But for the Bengals to win, Cincinnati's defense has to do more than that. They have to beat up the Steelers and not rely on the offense to win a shootout; because I don't think we can trust the Bengals to win that way against the Steelers.

The Bengals beat the Steelers if... I think the Bengals have as good a shot beating the defending Super Bowl champions than they've had since 2006. We're stronger on defense and the offense is coming around. Furthermore, if the Bengals offense can finally ditch the finesse term, along with the new Bengals defense passing the biggest test that they've face yet by taking over the football game, then I believe the Bengals win this football game.

Panthers First Cut Down Decisions Looming

Jaxon — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 10:00:26 -0000

The first roster cut down is Tuesday with at least 5 players getting their visit from the Turk. The first one is not that hard to do I imagine as going from 81 to 75 isn't that big a deal. I actually wonder why so few when you are going to make final cuts a week later.

So here's a list of players I think the 5 will come from:

Potential players to get cut Tuesday in no particular order:

OT Gerald Cadogan- didn't play against Ravens, cannot be a good sign

OT Gary Williams - Has been outplayed by Patrick Brown

C Keith Gray - Too many other options at center

LB Kelvin Smith - Panthers are way deep at LB and the play of J Leman hurts him too

WR Kevin McMahan- Doesn't seem to bring anything already on the roster ahead of him

DT Lonnie Harvey - Too slow out of the blocks; doesn't get off blocks

DT Lorenzo Williams - Didn't play against Ravens

S Paul Chiara - Signing of Kevin Kaesviharn assures his departure

CB DJ Clark - He hasn't done anything to warrant a serious look

So there's 9 options for 5 cuts. Is there anyone else you would add or take off the list?

Panther Paw Prints - Preseason Week 3 Edition

Jaxon — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:08:43 -0000

This weeks edition of Paw Prints starts with our least favorite topic: injuries and what is being done to deal with them. As you know the Panthers signed former Saints S Kevin Kaesviharn, who thinks he can still play at a high level at age 33. If anything he should proof a quick study given his knowledge of the division.

Minutes: Defensive injuries spur shuffle
"I like to think that I can still play," said Kaesviharn. "I want to come out here and prove that -- not just to myself, but to everyone else." "We think can step in and help us," Fox added. "He's got some catching up to do but he's proven he can play, and we'll take a good look at him here moving forward."

LB Dan Conner may be young and inexperienced but the 'tackling machine' appears mentally ready to man the 'mike' LB position:

Connor the center of attention
"There's pressure to come in there and try to fill a huge void," Connor said. "Jon's not only a great player, but a great leader, so it's big shoes to fill. But I'm looking forward to it. "It's a chance to prove myself to this city and the NFL. It's a good opportunity for me."

Okay now I'm getting a little worried about Jonathan Stewart's Achilles:

Panthers-Dolphins one-liners | ProFootballTalk.com
Panthers RB Jonathan Stewart went through pregame warmups in uniform, but his Achilles' tendon injury forced him to the sideline for the game.

Hopefully we've seen the worst of the return game:

Panthers good, bad in loss to Dolphins
All three of Carolina's punt returners were part of at least one fumble or muff apiece during the game as Munnerlyn fumbled in the second quarter.

RB DeAngelo Williams is ready for the season even if he doesn't see another snap in preseason:

Panthers: What we learned from training camp - Sports - The State
Best of the bunch Running back DeAngelo Williams, who had a breakout season in 2008, has not missed a beat. He has looked sharp since he took his first snap in the first practice.

Still no word on signing a DT but a lot of speculation is tied to the Chiefs Glen Dorsey:

Darin Gantt's Panthers Blog | The Herald - Rock Hill, SC
The Vikings have perhaps the league's best line. Tonight's opponent, Kansas City, is shifting from a 4-3 to a 3-4 (like both the Packers and Browns) and some odd parts are bound to shake out.

Could we even afford Dorsey and isn't je just a 2nd year player? Hardly the 'seasoned vet' everyone thinks we need.

Langston Moore signing is likely a numbers thing; ESPN features Bengals (joy); nervous about Carson Palmer?

Kirkendall — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 11:00:23 -0000

+ One of our newest residents Jake wrote on Monday that the Bengals signed former 2003 Draft Pick, Langston Moore. What does this mean for the team's depth chart? Most likely nothing. But we have a relatively fair guess. Before the signing, the Bengals had five defensive tackles on roster: Domata Peko, Pat Sims, Tank Johnson, Clinton McDonald and Pernell Phillips (note: McDonald is actually listed as a defensive end on Bengals.com, but as a defensive tackle on the depth chart).

Phillips hasn't taken a preseason snap yet and he's likely going to miss the game Thursday. It wouldn't make sense to play Sims, Peko and Tank through the entire meaningless preseason game, which leaves McDonald. So the Bengals signed Moore to fill in during the latter stages of the preseason game in an effort to conserve the main rotation guys. Of course, it's just a guess. But a fair guess, we think.

Reader firstPick asked John Thornton about the move, to which Thornton said, "Good move. He's a good inside rusher. I hope he gets a shot 2 stick. I hated to see him cut 3yrs ago." Makes sense. If Phillips can't play during the preseason, then why not hold onto Moore if he performs and make Phillips a practice squad candidate?

+ ESPN's Elizabeth Merrill details the Bengals disaster since Mike Brown became the team's owner in the early 90s. Brown is quoted in the piece as saying, "Do I think we will be perpetually down? I do not. I've seen every team in this league when it was down. And the lesson from that is you can come back and fly high." The problem with this is that the Bengals haven't flown anywhere after being down. Consider that from 1991 to 2000, the Bengals achieved .500 one time (1996). During that same time-frame, they've won five games or less in seven of ten seasons. In the nine seasons since, the Bengals achieved .500 four times, winning five games or less in only three seasons. Am I really saying anything we haven't said before?

+ Carson Palmer didn't practice on Monday, the third straight day, and is doubtful to take the field on Thursday against the Rams. The issue:

"I can throw, but not drop back right now," he said. "I'm trying to keep my arm in shape, basically. I'll take it day-to-day."

While there's no report that indicates anyone should be worried, forgive me for being worried. We know what happens when Palmer doesn't play. The training staff hasn't been noted as exactly being the front runners of player recovery in the league. Secondly, Palmer is hurt. I'm freaking out right now.

More, more, more.

Former Bengals safety Kevin Kaesviharn signed with the Carolina Panthers on Monday.

Backup guard Evan Mathis is taking snaps place of Jonathan Luigs, who hasn't practiced at all this week.

Bengals offensive coordinator likes what he sees with Jason Shirley's conversion to the offensive line:

"It's going pretty good," he said. He added Shirley had a pancake block against the Pats, but Bratkowski also said, "I'm not sure he's quite ready to play in the regular season, but he shows potential."

Players likely out this week against the Rams:

Shayne Graham (groin), defensive tackle Pernell Phillips (leg), tight end Matt Sherry (shoulder), defensive end Antwan Odom (Achilles), wide receiver Antonio Chatman (ankle), cornerback David Jones (foot), and tight end Ben Utecht (concussion).

Who Dey Fans is right. Peter King mentions the Bengals. And doesn't talk about us like the terrorists of the NFL. That's progress, right?

Marvin Lewis received the "Steve Patterson Award for Excellence in Sports Philanthropy, in recognition of the impact of his work and the example it sets for all of professional sports."

Running back Brian Leonard is looking forward to this week's game against this old team.

Levi Jones' name is being thrown around in Seattle.

The offseason boxing regiment that Chad Ochocinco Johnson used to train, has him confident enough to call out Andre Berto.

The Washington Post's The League, asked me if I were Chancellor Roger Goodell, what policy on Twitter would I implement? I didn't make one thing clear. If Twitter updates are made about the person that hasn't anything to do with the team, league or other players that could possibly give another team a competitive advantage, then that's cool.

For your get to know your opponent file. Five things to know | Camp Tour

Charles Godfrey breaks his hand & Panthers Make Roster Moves

LittleKing — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 17:28:34 -0000

Just announced but another injury has surfaced for the Panther Defense. Apparently Charles Godrey broke his hand during the game Saturday night as reported by Darin Gannt.

Starting FS Charles Godfrey had surgery to repair a broken right hand. No word yet on his timetable.

Since he wasn't being extremely effective this appears to be a minimal hit, but more importantly takes depth again away from another position because of injury. Darin is also reporting that Quinton Teal will slide into his place as starter at FS for the time being.

To add depth back in to the position, they signed free agent S Kevin Kaesviharn. This of course means they had to release someone and give us an indicator of how the depth chart will form. To make room WR Jason Carter was released. Despite his standout performances in training camp he wasn't making the grade during live action.

I'm putting this season on the coaches. With all the injuries, it will really come down to how well the coaches do their job in getting all the newbies ready for the season.

Strength in numbers; an examination of who the Bengals started the regular season since 2006

Kirkendall — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 17:05:45 -0000

When the preseason marches towards a welcomed conclusion, discussion and debate takes place on who the team cuts and keeps. Sometimes the topic goes into salary cap causalities; veterans that are cut, like Willie Anderson and Rudi Johnson last year. Other times, the debate talks about players that surprisingly make the roster. As jsl413 broke down, the Bengals depth is strong in some areas, weak in others. Which means the Bengals could strengthen weaken positions by increasing the depth. It's a numbers game.

You see that notably with linebackers. In 2006, Brian Simmons was nearing retirement; his production was falling. David Pollack, while great with potential, was only then starting to adjust from being a defensive end in college to an outside linebacker in the NFL. Rashad Jeanty was a rookie. Landon Johnson was arguably our best linebacker. If you look back to that season, only one linebacker remains (Jeanty) with the Bengals and as far as I can tell, three are still in the NFL (Jeanty, Johnson and Ahmad Brooks). The position didn't improve in 2007 and grew worse when it was decimated by injury. Dhani Jones, an unlikely stability force who would join the team later in the year, became the most productive middle linebacker during Marvin Lewis' tenure. By 2008, the linebackers were on pace to be the most talented group assembled, taking less into the regular season while numerically increasing their numbers at other spots, like running back, defensive tackles -- two spots with limited production. You'll obviously see that again this year, with Jones, Jeanty, Rivers, Brandon Johnson and Rey Maualuga as the depth leaders.

Running backs is another example. In 2006, and even 2007, Rudi Johnson was considered the team's feature back. No competition. Hands down. After all, he set franchise rushing records in 2004 and 2005. However, along with the offensive line's degradation, he started degrading (some will note his inadvisable weight loss regiment, losing all of his strength in 2006) until he was finally cut in 2008. More importantly, the Bengals decided to take two fullbacks because Jeremi Johnson was simply not the force he used to be and the team liked Coats' enough to make room for him. While the talent level dipped, the team decided to strengthen the depth with numbers.

Take note of this. Am I saying that the depth and position is stronger because there's more players? Obviously not. You either have talent or you don't. A combination of average talent still makes that position average. But it is a luxury that most teams have, which largely depends on play-calling philosophy, as well as projecting your opponents philosophies. If you take on more defensive backs in any given year because your passing defense is poor, it allows you additional packages. But it's also dictated by strength. You will note how once the team had Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph, they believed the position strong enough to only take four cornerbacks in 2008, as opposed to five in 2007 and 2006. Safeties increased because a long-standing issue of giving up big plays was still unanswered. You can bank on at least six safeties this year.

After the jump, you can see which players the Bengals took after cutdown day and how many players the team took at each position.

First thing we should note are the roster cut deadlines:

DATE	EVENT
September 1st	Roster cutdown to maximum of 75 players
September 5th	Roster cutdown to maximum of 53 players

Here's a breakdown on what positions the Bengals after final cutdown heading into the regular season.

Position	2006	2007	2008
Quarterbacks	3	3	3
Running backs (including FB)	4	4 (1)	5 (2)
Wide Receivers	6	6	6
Offensive Linemen	9	8	9
Tight Ends	2	3	2
Total on Offense	24	24	25

Defensive Ends	4	5	4
Defensive Tackles	4	3	5
Linebackers	8	7	6
Cornerbacks	5	5	4
Safeties	5	6	6
Total on Defense	26	26	25

Specialists	3	3	3

After the jump, we chart which players the Bengals kept since 2006.

2006

Position	#	Players
Quarterbacks	3	Carson Palmer, Anthony Wright, Doug Johnson
RB / FB	4	Rudi Johnson, Kenny Watson, Quincy Wilson, Jeremi Johnson (FB)
WR	6	Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Chris Henry, Tab Perry, Antonio Chatman, Kelley Washington
O-Line	9	Levi Jones, Eric Steinbach, Rich Braham, Bobbie Williams, Willie Anderson, Andrew Whitworth, Eric Ghiaciuc, Stacy Andrews, Scott Kooistra
TE	2	Reggie Kelly, Tony Stewart

DE	4	Justin Smith, Bryan Robinson, Robert Geathers, Frostee Rucker
DT	4	Sam Adams, John Thornton, Domata Peko, Shaun Smith
Linebackers	8	Brian Simmons, Landon Johnson, David Pollack, Rashad Jeanty, Marcus Wilkins, Ahmad Brooks, A.J. Nicholson, Caleb Miller
Corners	5	Deltha O'Neal, Tory James, Johnathan Joseph, Keiwan Ratliff, Greg Brooks
Safeties	5	Dexter Jackson, Madieu Williams, Kevin Kaesviharn, Ethan Kilmer, Herana-Daze Jones

Specialists	3	Shayne Graham, Kyle Larson, Brad St. Louis

2007

Position	#	Players
Quarterbacks	3	Carson Palmer, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jeff Rowe
RB / FB	4	Rudi Johnson, Kenny Watson, Clinton Dawson, Jeremi Johnson (FB)
WR	6	Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Tab Perry, Glenn Holt, Skyler Green, Antonio Chatman
O-Line	8	Levi Jones, Willie Anderson, Bobbie Williams, Andrew Whitworth, Stacy Andrews, Scott Kooistra, Eric Ghiaciuc, Alex Stepanovich
TE	3	Reggie Kelly, Daniel Coats, Nate Lawrie

DE	5	Justin Smith, Robert Geathers, Bryan Robinson, Frostee Rucker, Jonathan Fanene
DT	3	Domata Peko, John Thornton, Michael Myers
Linebackers	7	Ahmad Brooks, Rashad Jeanty, Landon Johnson, Caleb Miller, Lemar Marshall, Andre Frazier, Anthony Schlegel
Corners	5	Deltha O'Neal, Leon Hall, Johnathan Joseph, Keiwan Ratliff, David Jones
Safeties	6	Dexter Jackson, Chinedum Ndukwe, Madieu Williams, Marvin White, Herana-Daze Jones, Ethan Kilmer

Specialists	3	Shayne Graham, Kyle Larson, Brad St. Louis

2008

Position	#	Players
Quarterbacks	3	Carson Palmer, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jordan Palmer
RB / FB	5	Chris Perry, Kenny Watson, DeDe Dorsey, Jeremi Johnson (FB), Daniel Coats (FB)
WR	6	Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Glenn Holt, Antonio Chatman, Andre Caldwell, Jerome Simpson
O-Line	9	Stacy Andrews, Levi Jones, Eric Ghiaciuc, Bobbie Williams, Andrew Whitworth, Dan Santucci, Kyle Cook, Scott Kooistra, Anthony Collins
TE	2	Reggie Kelly, Ben Utecht

DE	4	Antwan Odom, Robert Geathers, Jonathan Fanene, Frostee Rucker
DT	5	Domata Peko, John Thornton, Jason Shirley, Pat Sims, Michael Myers
Linebackers	6	Keith Rivers, Rashad Jeanty, Dhani Jones, Darryl Blackstock, Brandon Johnson, Corey Mays
Corners	4	Leon Hall, Johnathan Joseph, Simeon Castille, David Jones
Safeties	6	Dexter Jackson, Kyries Hebert, Herana-Daze Jones, Corey Lynch, Chinedum Ndukwe, Marvin White

Specialists	3	Shayne Graham, Kyle Larson, Brad St. Louis

Hate Fest 2009

Hap Glaudi's Ghost — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:15:10 -0000

Oh, you probably thought I was gone or perhaps Dave sent me away and you would never have to deal with my angry female Saints fan rants again. Not even. I just took a little break from writing because my bosses at work expect me to do actual work and really what can you write about during mini-camps anyway besides, "New defense looks awesome in shorts!"; "Drew Brees still sexy as hell and $#%^& awesome!"

Yawn.

So now I'm back and once training camp starts there will be plenty more chances for you to say how much you loathe me. Fantastic right? This brings me to my topic this week: Hate.

Sure, pretty soon you'll be reading about storylines to watch during camp or five breakout players for 2009. I have my own list: Possible players/Saints coaches that by the end of 2009 we'll hate so much we'll wish they'd go missing, die or get traded to the Lions because of all the pain they'll inflict upon us during the upcoming season. This list doesn't mean I think 2009 will suck but there will be at least one or two Saints players/coaches whose craptastic play we'll be going crazy over, even if the Saints have an awesome season. Does Fred Thomas in 2006 ring a bell? Let's dive right in and see who we might hate come the fall.

#7 Gregg Williams

He's the answer! He's going to make the defense aggressive and it's going to be attack, attack, attack! Or instead of sacks and interceptions, it will be 75-yard touchdown bombs and the Saints will be back to needing to score 40 points to win games. The double G will stand for "Get Gone."

#6 Mark Brunell and Joey Harrington

These guys make the list only because if something happens to Brees we'll take all our frustration out on these two clowns and every time they suck we'll think of how the Brees injury ruined the season and our Sundays. Just the thought of Joey taking an actual snap in a game where the Saints aren't up 42-0 gives me a seizure. If either of these guys plays more than a handful of plays the season is done and by December our hate will grow so large and powerful it might threaten civilization as we know it. I don't even like talking about Piano Joey or 80-year-old Mark actually playing. Let's move on before I get so sad I eat a cheesecake or something.

#5 Jason Kyle and Kevin Houser

Before Houser went and torched his Saints career by being the point man for a Ponzi Scheme...(cough cough)...I mean tax credit investments...he went nine years without screwing up a long snap. The second after Jason Kyle #$#@% up either a Saints field goal or punt snap for the first time this decade you'll be cursing Kyle, Houser, Louisiana Film Studios and Sean Payton for letting this mess happen in the first place. I will personally blame Houser only and he'll move to #1 on the all time list if the snap screw-up happens during a playoff game. Dear God this scenario seems like it's inevitable. If the Saints need a field goal to win a huge game you know this exact thing will cross your mind. See, don't you hate Houser just a little more now?

#4 Reggie Bush

Sure, you don't hate him now, but if the Saints are 8-6 and Pierre Thomas is blowing up while Bush starts bitching about his touches, you'll tell him to go to the bathroom and touch himself. Or if he gets injured yet again we all may decide to be done with Reggie.

#3 Darren Sharper

He's all new, cute, cuddly and shiny now but don't think you can't learn to hate him just like you did Josh Bullocks,Kevin Kaesviharn, and Roman Harper. Oh, look Steve Smith just caught another 50-yard bomb on third and 25! I guess Darren Sharper isn't a savvy veteran but a washed up old man who needs to be put in a home. You might even start to miss Josh Bullocks. Ok maybe not.

#2 Jeremy Shockey

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Not if you go another season without catching a touchdown! If the Saints don't win big and Jeremy isn't catching a ton of balls, expect him to meltdown. It's what he does. Of course Brees will put him in his place but listening to Shockey mouth off every week will get old, especially if the Saints are fighting for a playoff spot. Someone please explain why exactly we needed "Mr. Can't Drink While Poolside" again?

#1 Sean Payton

That NFC title game season is getting harder to remember, Sean. Let Payton get cute late in a key game and have it go "Boom goes the Dynamite" and suddenly we'll hate him. Three years with Drew Brees and no playoffs and I'll organize "Payton Hate Fest 2010." I'll be the chairwoman. I'll make signs and start a Facebook page and tweet till my thumbs fall off.

Saints video to make you wish that opening Sunday would get here already!

After such a hate-filled, negative column I want to leave you with some chills. This is the CBS opening to the Saints-Vikings playoff game from 1987. Oh sure, it ended badly but if Jimmy the Greek interviewing Al Hirt and Pat Summerall voicing over the intro during the classic CBS music doesn't fire you up then you have no soul. Oh, and watch CBS flash the stat (At the 7:43 mark) that in 1987 the Saints blocked eight kicks. Are you #@$% serious!? That's a kick every other week. And they scored on seven of them! If a team did that this year ESPN would devote an Outside the Lines to figure out how. Just forget the ending and enjoy!

Addition by Subtraction or Addition by...Addition?

Saintsational — Tue, 26 May 2009 11:00:15 -0000

It's a fact that after every season, NFL teams begin the process of improving their roster during the long off-season months. These improvements can come about in two different ways: Getting rid of certain players/coaches and adding others. Most often, and rightfully so, it's the big name free agent signings or the top round draft choices that get talked about most. But after the Saints didn't re-sign Josh Bullocks and let go of Gary Gibbs this off-season, I started wondering if getting rid of a player or coach could be just as important to the betterment of a team as who they add.

We know defensive coordinator Gary Gibbs has been replaced by Gregg Williams and hope this is going to be an improvement for the Saints. If this turns out to be the case, which half of this defensive coordinator transition would factor most in the Saints defensive improvement; the absence of Gibbs or the presence of Williams? In reality, it's a combination of the two. But is it possible that one could play a larger role than the other? Perhaps Gibbs' system really was that bad and any new defensive coordinator would provide better results than what Gibbs was able to accomplish. If that was the case than I think it would be safe to assume that getting rid of Gibbs was more important than actually choosing the correct replacement, whoever that may have been. And this logic could just as easily apply to the players on the field. Anybody has got to be better than Josh Bullocks, right? Also remember that with a limited number of spots, roster re-arranging is a zero sum game. Every time the Saints sign a player, someone else has to go. Are the Saints getting rid of the right players or are they releasing a future Pro Bowler?

So let's get a little philosophical with this today. On the whole, have the Saints improved more because of the players they have added or because of the players they've gotten rid of this off-season? Are there at least specific instances where this was true this off-season? Is it even possible that getting rid of a player/coach is more important than acquiring one?

As a quick refresher and to help facilitate discussion, here is a list of some personnel that are not returning to New Orleans this season as well as some players who will be making their regular season debut with the team. This list is meant for illustration purposes only and is not making any comparisons.

Position	Former Player	New Player
Def. Coordinator	Gary Gibbs	Gregg Williams
CB	Aaron Glenn	Malcolm Jenkins
S	Kevin Kaesviharn	Darren Sharper
CB	Mike McKenzie	Jabari Greer
S	Josh Bullocks	Pierson Prioleau
TE	Mark Campbell	Darnell Dinkins, Dan Campbell
RB	Aaron Stecker	Lynell Hamilton
DT	Hollis Thomas	Rod Coleman
C	Matt Lehr	Nick Leckey
DT	Brian Young	DeMario Pressley
FB	Mike Karney	Heath Evans
DE	Josh Savage	Paul Spicer

Poll

Have the Saints added by subtracting this off-season?

Not at all

27 votes

Yes, slightly.

355 votes

Every cut they've made has been genius

233 votes

615 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.

Free Agent Acquisition: S Pierson Prioleau

Saintsational — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 11:00:10 -0000

Is Prioleau a cajun name? (Photo Source)

If you believe in Gregg Williams than you have no choice but to believe that the acquisition of safety Pierson Prioleau is a good pickup. Prioleau has followed Williams his entire career. It's actually a little crazy. Prioleau explains the relationship...

"When Gregg gave me that second chance, I fell in love with his style of game, the way we played the game and the way he coached the game. I became a true professional and he developed that trust in me, I guess. It's a trust relationship."

So we can only hope this will turn out to be a good thing.

Okay, so his stats aren't too spectacular but the addition of Prioleau - and the subtraction of Kaesviharn - gives the Saints at least an inkling more of something they haven't had at the safety position for quite some time: depth. Because he's followed Williams for years, learning the system will not be a problem. Better still, with eleven years in the league and veteran status, he will be able to help teach it to other players who are learning it for the first time. Definite bonus.

I don't expect Prioleau to win the starting spot but knowing the system will certainly give him an advantage. What will really make him valuable, however, is his versatility and his special teams contributions.

"I learned to play special teams in college, and I did it in San Francisco, probably not as well as I could have," Prioleau said. "But once I got to Buffalo, I found my old love for the teams. And I always promised myself no matter how many downs I played on defense, I'd always play teams. I'd say that's a big part of why I'm still around today."

Stats at a Glance

Pierson Prioleau #20
Position: Safety	Height: 5' 11"
College: Virginia Tech	Weight: 188
Experience: 11 seasons	Birthday: 8/6/77
High School: Macedonia HS; Moncks Corner, SC	Age: 31

Season	Team			Tackles					Interceptions						Fumbles
Season	Team	G	GS	Total	Solo	Ast	Sck	SFTY	PDef	Int	Yds	Avg	Lng	TDs	FUM	Lost
2008	Jacksonville Jaguars	16	1	26	25	1	0.0	--	1	--	--	0.0	--	--	--	--
2007	Washington Redskins	15	4	45	31	14	0.0	--	0	--	--	0.0	--	--	--	--
2006	Washington Redskins	1	0	0	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	0.0	--	--	--	--
2005	Washington Redskins	15	6	42	38	4	3.0	--	3	--	--	0.0	--	--	--	--
2004	Buffalo Bills	16	2	38	26	12	0.0	--	1	--	--	0.0	--	--	--	--
2003	Buffalo Bills	16	6	39	27	12	0.5	1	5	--	--	0.0	--	--	--	--
2002	Buffalo Bills	16	16	89	67	22	1.0	--	4	--	--	0.0	--	--	--	--
2001	Buffalo Bills	6	2	34	26	8	1.0	--	1	--	--	0.0	--	--	--	--
2000	San Francisco 49ers	14	6	--	--	--	0.0	--	0	1	13	13.0	13	0	--	--
1999	San Francisco 49ers	14	5	--	--	--	0.0	--	0	--	--	0.0	--	--	--	--
TOTAL				313	240	73	5.5	1	15	1	13	--	13	0	0	0

Do the Saints need him?

Sure, why not? Seriously though, this could turn out to be good. I'm all for improvement and more depth at the safety position and pulling the ol' Prioleau/Kaesviharn switch-a-roo seems like a pretty wise move though I'll it's the Kaesviharn part that's got me more excited. As we look to the future I also think this makes drafting a safety in the first round this year a little less likely. Running back anyone?

Poll

What do you think about the acquisition of Pierson Prioleau?

Love it.

141 votes

Hate it.

8 votes

Don't care about it.

74 votes

223 votes | Poll has closed