SB Nation - Jason David

New Orleans Saints' Defensive and Special Teams Player Grades @ Rams

saints-nation — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:15:20 -0000

by Jeff Roberson - AP

about 1 month ago: St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson (39) is stopped by New Orleans Saints defensive end Charles Grant (94) as Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma, left, looks on during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009, in St. Louis. The Saints won 28-23. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

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Below are the grades for the Saints' Defense and Special Teams @ the Rams.

Saints vs Rams boxscore

Saints vs Rams coverage

Saints vs Rams recap

Will Smith: B- (2.78) Smith registered yet another sack which also forced the ball loose, but unfortunately the Saints weren't able to recover. The Rams ended up scoring on the next play on a long pass to Avery. He's been getting better and better this season rushing the passer. Against the run he was mediocre. He finished with just 2 tackles.

Charles Grant: B+ (2.41) Grant was terrific against the run for the second straight week. He finished with 5 tackles and was present on many of the stops the defense made against the run in the second half. 2 of his tackles were plays where he beat his blocker and was able to meet Steven Jackson in the backfield for a loss. His play was aggressive and his tackles were hard to break. He even had a couple of decent pass rushes, and I felt he deserved a half sack on the sack given to Ayodele.

Bobby McCray: B- (1.96) McCray showed some nice ability against the run for once, and this time he got more pressure on the quarterback. Just one tackle for McCray in the game, but I at least saw him involved, active, and always in pursuit. A promising performance given how invisible he's been.

Anthony Hargrove: C (2.42) Hargrove did finish with 4 tackles, and his pressure on Marc Bulger was good, but he's still a little light to play the run effectively. He was pushed out of the way often and mauled on several of Jackson's big runs.

Remi Ayodele: C (2.09) Ayodele got a coverage sack, and just 1 tackle. He was surprisingly pretty good rushing the passer and he pancaked Bulger on another play just as Bulger released his pass. Otherwise, he was eaten alive on running plays and did a poor job of playing at the point of attack. Sedrick Ellis needs to get back in the lineup healthy because the last three weeks watching the Saints attempt to stop the run have been painful.

Scott Fujita: C- (2.53) Fujita was feeling things out early and he seemed rusty in his first game back from a calf injury. He was juked a couple of times by Jackson and allowed him to run through weak arm tackles at other times. As the game wore on, though, he seemed to get better and better as he adjusted back to the game speed. He was in the right place for most of the game and played well in coverage. He finished with 4 tackles, and I hope he'll play more like he did in the second half for all of next week.

Scott Shanle: B (2.81) Nice to see Shanle bounce back and play a pretty solid game. Like Fujita, he was pushed around a little early and seemed to be too tentative in his reads. He did make a couple of terrific open field tackles on a very hard to bring down Steven Jackson, though, and those plays could have been massive gainers if Shanle doesn't come up with the tackle. His tackling technique is very sound, and it's nice to have a linebacker you can trust. True to form he also did a good job in coverage. He finished with 6 tackles including one for a loss.

Jonathan Vilma: B- (2.93) Mixed bag for Vilma. He did have 8 tackles and seemed to get better as the game wore on, but he also had a number of opportunities to make plays where Jackson made him look like a backup. Vilma did a good job on a blitz of hitting Bulger, and almost got a sack at one point but Bulger released the pass as he was going down. Vilma also missed a couple of assignments in the passing game, allowing Daniel Fells to make plays.

Marvin Mitchell: B- (2.45) Mitchell had 2 tackles, including one which was a vicious hit. Overall he didn't make mistakes and looked good against the run and pass in limited duty.

Tracy Porter: C (3.11) Before Porter left the game with an injury, he was having a forgettable game. Assigned for a large part of the game to cover rookie Brandon Gibson, who had no catches on the season going into this game, he was beat all too often. On the play he was injured, he was not only beat but completely blew the tackle. Porter finished with 2 tackles. The news that his injury is only a strain is huge, though. The Saints need him desperately, and the fact the he should be back in time for the stretch run and the playoffs is crucial.

Randall Gay: D- (2.67) Gay was beat on two touchdown passes to Donnie Avery and the Rams in general picked on him all day. He looked slow and despite good coverage on the second touchdown he showed terrible ball skills. Gay did finish with 4 tackles on the day. Gay in my estimation is best used in the slot as a physical corner. I know the Saints were short handed, but matching him up against a burner like Donnie Avery was a terrible matchup. I heard whispers of Jason David comparisons (ahem, Saintsational) and that is going a little too far. Just because he can't run with Donnie Avery it doesn't mean he has no clue out there. Gay will be fine, just a rough day for him lined up against a receiver that is as fast as just about anyone. Next week against Antonio Bryant and Michael Clayton I think Gay will look better.

Malcolm Jenkins: C+ (2.92) He was ok, not great. He finished with 2 tackles and put nice pressure on a couple of blitzes. He did have one devastating hit on Bulger that the Rams' quarterback barely got up from. He also had a big "defended pass" late in the game, where he ran with Avery before getting hit in the back with the ball. One thing I was impressed by was a running play where it was Jackson, a blocker and Jenkins, and Jenkins did a good job of sticking his head in there and trying to take out Jackson's legs. He slowed Jackson down enough to make it an easy tackle for his teammates. Malcolm is pretty physical for a corner.

Roman Harper: B+ (3.26) Another solid game from Harper. He's becoming a pretty steady performer for the Saints, and brace yourselves because he actually looked good against the pass. He was around the box a good amount, especially in the second half, and finished with 8 tackles. He did a good job, mostly, of limiting Jackson's effectiveness at the second level. He had a key pass breakup late in the third quarter on a 3rd down in the red zone forcing a Rams' field goal, and he was involved on the hail mary attempt breakup.

DeMario Pressley: B (2.84) He was pretty good against the run. Sure he was pushed around at times and somewhat responsible for the yardage Jackson amassed, but he looked aggressive and I liked his hustle. Given the fact that Pressley is essentially a red shirt rookie that's only in his second game as a pro, he's performed admirably. He had 5 tackles including 2 for losses.

Pierson Prioleau: C+ (2.67) Prioleau gave up a couple of passes but also laid some nice hits. He finished with 3 tackles and helped the Saints out when they were so thin on the final drive in dime coverage.

Usama Young: B+ (3.33) At times Young looked like a harder hitting, faster version of Darren Sharper. He had a terrific break on the ball on his interception, and he also defended another pass showing nice anticipation. He finished with 4 tackles and had some nice hits. His grade could be better, but he took a couple of bad angles on Jackson at the second level and did a bad job of wrapping up at other times which allowed the Rams to gain more yardage.

Leigh Torrence: C (2.00) Torrence did finish with 4 tackles, and showed pretty good coverage specifically on a deep ball late in the game, but in general he played too far off his man allowing easy throws underneath. He was beat at least twice on slants. He was responsible for Gibson once Porter left with an injury and he did very little to slow him down.

John Carney B- (2.67) No field goal attempts and Carney finished 4 for 4 on extra points. I'm sure some of you are thinking: well, he did everything we asked him to do, why doesn't he get an A or an A-? Well, first off, the best I'd give him for that minimal of a contribution is MAYBE a B+, but couple that with the fact that the Saints were forced to punt once and go for it another time on 4th down because Carney's leg strength was unreliable and there you have it. As much as I like Carney and trust his accuracy, it's a bummer that we don't have an option we currently trust with the game on the line and the ball at our opponent's 35 yard line.

Thomas Morstead D+ (2.89) Morstead didn't have any touchbacks on kickoffs, but his depth was ok. His punting performance was actually pretty dismal. He averaged just 37.3 yards on 3 punts, and netted just 20.6 per punt if you count 2 touchbacks and a 10 yard punt return. On his last punt he blasted it out of the end zone, but it sounded like there was a coaching mix up and he was just following instructions.

Courtney Roby A (2.88) Roby took one to the house to open the second half and break a 14-14 tie. His speed hitting the hole on that return was impressive and no Ram ever had a chance at him. I'm happy to see Roby solidify his standing as the team's returner. I also liked that on a deep kickoff later in the game, he didn't let the big play go to his head and he downed it for a touchback. He also came close to making a nice play as a gunner on a punt that bounced inside the 5, but punt returner blew him up before he had a chance to down the ball prior to it going in the end zone. Glad he didn't get hurt on that play, it was a vicious hit and we need him.

Jo-Lonn Dunbar: B (2.83) Dunbar threw an awesome block on Roby's return, and he was credited with a tackle as a gunner. I could have SWORN I remember him making two tackles, though. None the less, he was involved downfield and had a good day on special teams, so I thought I'd give him his props.

My Defensive Player of the Game: Roman Harper
My Special Teams Player of the Game: Courtney Roby

Poll

Who Was Your Defensive Player of the Game?

Usama Young

108 votes

Jonathan Vilma

20 votes

Roman Harper

102 votes

Charles Grant

55 votes

285 votes | Poll has closed

Lions Claim Jack Williams, Release Jason David

Sean Yuille — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:55:26 -0000

More photos » by Chris Schneider - AP

Jack Williams salutes the crowd after the Broncos beat the New England Patriots 20-17 on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009, in Denver. Williams was claimed by the Detroit Lions on Monday, Nov. 9, 2009. (AP Photo/Chris Schneider )

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Jason David's stay in Detroit was a short one. Less than a week after being signed by the Lions, he was released to make room for cornerback Jack Williams, who was claimed by Detroit on Monday.

Williams was recently released by the Broncos to open up a spot on the roster for Ty Law, and the Lions were one of four teams to claim him. The Browns, Colts, and Eagles also put in a claim for Williams, meaning the silver lining in losing to Seattle was that the Lions were able to get Williams. The Denver Post said that the Lions ended up with Williams because of their 2008 record, but waiver priority is now based on teams' current records. Perhaps 2008 records come in to play when there is a tie -- both Detroit and Cleveland have only 1 win -- but usually ties like this are broken based on strength of schedule.

Either way, Williams is now a member of the Lions, and Jim Schwartz shared his assessment of the former Bronco on the radio last night, suggesting that the newest Lion could play both nickel and outside cornerback.

"He'd been playing nickel for them," Schwartz told WXYT 1270 on Monday night. "He's a guy that our scouts liked. He has some slot ability, also can play outside. But he's a young player, and we've talked about not having scholarships for 16 games and rolling the roster and keep trying to improve and keep trying to get better. We need young corners, and hopefully he can fit that bill."

I'm a big fan of this move, because I'd much rather have a player like Williams, who is only in his second season in the league, than someone like Jason David, who is a veteran that hadn't even been on a roster since August until last week. Williams was a fourth-round pick in last year's draft, and excuse me for sounding like Mel Kiper, but he has tremendous potential and enormous upside. The fact that three other teams wanted him, including the Colts and the Eagles, says a lot about what kind of talent and potential Williams has.

Former Colts Edgerrin James and Shane Andrus cut; Jason David finds a new home

BigBlueShoe — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:03:26 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

FILE - In this Oct. 4, 2009, file photo, Seattle Seahawks running back Edgerrin James is tackled by Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Ed Johnson during an NFL football game in Indianapolis. Johnson was released from the Colts, for a second time, in October while the struggling Seahawks cut ties with James on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009, releasing the backup running back. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File)

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We shift this morning from the current team to some old-time Colts who have made the news of late.

Apparently, the Seahawks feel their 2-5 start might have something to do with Edgerrin James being on their roster. They cut the 11 year pro yesterday, just two days after he passed Marcus Allen for 10th all-time on the NFL rushing list. It seems kind of silly for Seattle to sign Edge after training camp, have him cram to learn a brand new offense, barely play him, and then cut him. But, then again, it is the Seahawks, and there is a reason their team is 2-5.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers also cut a former Colt, letting Shane Andrus go. He attempted one FG in three games with Tampa Bay, missing it. Buc'Em suggests that Andrus was erractic at practice. Funny, but Andrus was nothing short of brilliant during practices and games here in Indy. Maybe the combustable atmosphere in Tampa Bay had something to do with Andrus' consistency. A coach who has lost control of his team, an incompetent defensive coordinator, a clueless general manager, and cheap owners make for an 0-7 start. This was the team, and the franchise, Tony Dungy built. Now, look at it. Since 2003, the year after Jon Gurden won a Super Bowl with Tony Dungy's team, the Bucs have gone 45-58 and have won zero playoff games.

Finally, Jason David has signed with the Detroit Lions. David has taken some shots of late from fans after his disastrous tenure with the New Orleans Saints. The "genius" that was Saints management in 2007 decided to sign a Cover-2 corner (David), asked him to play man, and then were shocked he couldn't do it. I remind all of the haters that Jason David was the starting CB on the Super Bowl Championship Colts team in 2006. He played very well that season both in coverage and in run support. So, again, if David could start and play well on a championship team, that says more (in my eyes) about the lackluster defensive coaching in New Orleans than it does JD.

By the way, those defensive coaches in New Orleans were fired this past off-season. Gregg Williams now runs their defense, and the team is 7-0.

They run a lot of Cover-2 in Detroit under head coach Jim Schwartz. JD should do fine.

Lions Place Demarcus Faggins on IR, Sign Jason David

Sean Yuille — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:36:30 -0000

More photos » by Jim Prisching - AP

2 months ago: Detroit Lions Demarcus Faggins (38) defends as the Green Bay Packers' Donald Driver (80) hauls in a pass during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Jim Prisching)

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Cornerback Demarcus Faggins was placed on the injured reserve on Tuesday, bringing his season to an end. Faggins, who had worked his way into the cornerback rotation, was injured in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game against the Rams. I'm not exactly sure what he injured, but the severity of it was enough for the Lions to shut him down for the rest of the season.

To fill Faggins' spot on the roster, the Lions signed cornerback Jason David. David played the first few seasons of his career for the Colts before going to New Orleans for a couple seasons. He was waived by the Saints in August of this year, and the Lions will be the first team he has played for since then.

I hate to say this, but David will probably fit right in with the Lions' usually lackluster secondary. David has been known to give up big plays, something that really started in his first game with New Orleans, which actually was against his former team, the Colts.

In other roster news, the Lions signed running back Cedric Peerman to the practice squad last week and released Tristan Davis, who showed off his excellent speed in the final game of the 2009 preseason.

2009 Saints Off-Season: A Nostalgic Look Back

Saintsational — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 11:00:28 -0000

Tomorrow is the official beginning of the 2009 Saints season, which means today is the official end of their 2009 off-season. The Saints have come a long way since Drew's final record-breaking pass attempt hit the Superdome turf and it's been a wild ride with lots of ups and downs. I figured what better way to say our final goodbye to the long, cold, lonely months of off-season action than to reminisce one last time and take a final look at how we've gotten to today, as seen through Canal Street Chronicles.

After the jump you'll find a timeline of memorable events, good and bad, from the past eight months for both the Saints organization and for us here at CSC. I had fun putting this together and I hope you have as much fun reading it and taking that quick trip down memory lane. Feel free to share any of your memories about these events or even add your own memorable moments.

Gary Gibbs is gone - January 7, 2009

One of the first but still probably the biggest and best moves of the entire off-season. The perfect start. We'll all remember where we were when we heard the wonderful news. Only Jessie Spano could properly express my emotions the next morning.

Gregg Williams is in - January 15, 2009

It didn't take long for the Saints to find a replacement for Gibbs. Less than a week after I urged the Saints to take their time finding a new defensive coordinator, they hire Gregg Williams. Probably because Williams was Payton's top choice, so much so that he was willing to give up a quarter of a million dollars of his own salary just to make sure Gregg came to New Orleans.

Dan Morgan unretires and re-joins Saints - January 22, 2009

Pro Football Talk broke the news that Dan Morgan would be giving it another shot. Sure, he's old but it's got to be worth a shot right? I like where this is heading.

Deuce McAllister is let go - February 17, 2009

The news wasn't surprising but it was certainly depressing. We still miss you Deuce.

Tomlinson to New Orleans? - February 28, 2009

It didn't take long after the release of Deuce for the talking heads to start throwing around rumors about a possible LT signing to fill the gap. It never seemed likely but still, it was a fun couple of days while it lasted.

Saints sign Jabari Greer - March 4, 2009

I'm planning on Jabari being the savior for the Saints secondary woes. If football doesn't work out, though, he can always try to get a job on SNL. I was shocked when I found these clips on YouTube...

Bears sign Bullocks - March 11, 2009

It was great news already when the Saints refused to bring back Josh Bullocks for another season but even better news when we found out the Bears had picked him up. If only the Saints were playing the Bears this year!

Welcome Darren Sharper - March 18, 2009

The Saints make one of their biggest signings of the off-season when they snag veteran Darren Sharper. Things are really starting to look up.

Mike McKenzie bites the dust - March 19, 2009

Another fairly predictable move by the Saints. Still, it's never easy to watch your teams best cornerback leave.

Jonathan Vilma's Condo Location of Double Murder - March 31, 2009

Obviously Vilma had nothing to do with it but what ever happened with this?

Jeff Duncan vs. Saints Nation - April 7, 2009

In the internet sports world, the people are served by two separate yet equally important groups: the reporters, who are paid professionals, and bloggers, who claim they're getting ripped off. This is their story.

NYSaint becomes YouTube star - April 25, 2009

Speaking of Law & Order...I just had to find some way to include this in a post one more time.

Saints draft Malcolm Jenkins - April 25, 2009

Most Saints fans agree: This was a good pick.

Hap Glaudi rocks CSC - April 29, 2009

I think we can all laugh about it now, but when Hap made her debut here on Da Chronic, she turned quite a few heads and caused a massive uproar. Now we'll never look at Thomas Morstead, or cats for that matter, the same way again. After some damage control, I think CSC it's only made CSC stronger.

Practice squad players arrested and cut - May 3, 2009

Kolo Kapanui and Biren Ealy were relieved of their duties after they were caught relieving themselves in a parking lot and exposing themselves to a woman.

Canal Street Chronicles brings back Kenny Wilkerson - May 21, 2009

It had been over a year since Kenny Wilkerson was involved with the Saints reporting scene and his whereabouts were becoming the stuff of local lore. Fortunately for us, he chose Canal Street Chronicles to make his triumphant return when he broke his silence and granted us an in-depth interview.

Dan Morgan retires...again - June 8, 2009

You're not experiencing Deja Vu. It was fun while it lasted. I hope Dan's restaurant is doing alright.

Saintsational ties the knot - June 27, 2009

This has absolutely nothing to do with the Saints or the blog really, other than my sweet wedding cake.

The tax credit fiasco - July 2, 2009

After being the point man on a film studio investment and losing the money of quite a few Saints players and coaches, Kevin Houser was let go. The timing, however, was purely coincidental since Payton was already looking to improve on the infallible play of the veteran long snapper. Houser landed on his feet, though, when he signed with the Seahawks at the end of July. CSC was the first in the world with that news.

Twitter takes over - July 9, 2009

I think the first time we realized how important a role Twitter would play in following the tea, came when Shockey aired out his emotions about "Chad" Houser via a tweet. Now, it's mandatory reading for all Who Dats. Even PayDiddy has an account!

Goodbye Jason David - August 17, 2009

The Saints most maligned player was finally shown the door. As if letting go of Gibbs and Bullocks weren't wonderful enough. You've got to admit, the front office was very good to us this year. And to think, I actually thought things might be different for David this season.

Canal Street Chronicles hits 1,000 - August 20, 2009

It took CSC only five months after reaching the 500 member mark to double that feat and reach 1,000 members. Thanks to everyone who reads everyday. It's nothing without all of you. Looking forward to another season.

Canal Street Chronicles: Fleur-de-Links 8.18.09

Saintsational — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 11:00:28 -0000

With all the exciting Jason David news yesterday, we never really covered the happenings of yesterdays practice. Here is everything is you need to know to catch up.

Twitter

Pierre_Thomas WHO DAT NATION!! The Dome sure was rockin Friday night - cant wait for Sept 13 against the Lions! We're getting after it, hard work pays off

MalcolmJenkins Back at it

jeffduncantp Writing was on the wall for David after Williams' post-prax comments yesterday. Fassitt is a Grambling product who was on Bears PS in 2007

jeffduncantpAccording to my calculations the David release will save Saints $2.075M in cap space.

usama_young28 preciate all the shout-outs from everyone

wwltvsports 12 plays, 3 td's in goal line. All came on 1st-&-goal from 3; 1 by pass

MalcolmJenkins Out to eat with the DB's

SupaFreak69 night off..got sum popeyes yummy..travel to Houston tomorrow

reggie_bush Last night in training camp can't wait to be able to stay at home! Man camp has been tough this year but humbling! Time to win!

reggie_bush I know the New Orlean Saints haven't been good historically but I can assure times are changing! We layed out the foundation last 3 years

Harp41 last night in training camp-been a tough camp but great! SO ready for the season!

MalcolmJenkins bout to be knocked out

Linkage

News and notes from New Orleans Saints practice Monday - Times-Pic

PLAY OF THE DAY

During the fourth play of goal-line drills, Bell appeared to be on his way to scoring on a run that he started inside and then bounced outside around the left end. But Shanle ran down the line and grabbed Bell by the back of the shoulder pads just as he was about to turn toward the end zone. The play ended in a 2-yard loss.

New Orleans Saints look forward to working against Houston Texans - Times-Pic

"These workouts are going to be very important because we still have to get better and there are still some things that we need to work on," offensive tackle Jammal Brown said. "Seeing a new opponent, a new face, it's always good to block a new face. That's always good. We look forward to going over there, putting our skills on the table and just getting better."

-Jammal Brown

Jason David's knack for making, giving up big plays defined his time with New Orleans Saints - Times-Pic

"He wasn't happy with the move. But I know that his career's going to go on, and he's going to do well," said Young, who couldn't specify what didn't work for David in New Orleans. "I always looked at it like, 'This guy's quick, he likes to get in there and tackle.' Sometimes he made the play and sometimes he didn't. And you know, that hurts, because we're in the business where you've got to perform on a consistent basis."

-Usama Young

Kristian: STC Day 18 / Practice 1 - WWL

David departure from Saints inevitable - NewOrleans.com

Video: Kincaid: Cutting David shows depth of Saints' secondary - WWLTV

Training Camp, Day 19: Defense wins goal line, though offense does score - WWL

Deke: Lynell Hamilton -The missing piece? - WWL

"I am much more comfortable out there now, and I can see the difference. There is a chance for me now to play and have a part on this team. I am looking forward to that and I'm going to give it all that I've got everyday."

-Lynell Hamilton

"I think I bring some good things to the table. I played some full back my last year in college, so in think I'm a real good blocker. And, I know how to protect real good."

-Lynell Hamilton

"Being in an offense that passes the ball the majority of time I have good hands. And I feel like I have real good sense of vision, and I am a power back. That's what you're going to get out of me."

-Lynell Hamilton

"I know how the Saints are and they're going to put the best on the field no matter what. That's motivation for me. Coach Payton says that there are different paths to get on this team and he's going to play the best."

-Lynell Hamilton

"That gives me confidence, and I think the coaches are getting more comfortable with me and that gives the drive to work even harder."

-Lynell Hamilton

"Coaches have told me that I've always been a back that can get the extra yards after contact. I am improving my overall game each day."

-Lynell Hamilton

"Yes. I can see myself helping in the backfield and on special teams. I will do whatever it takes to make this team."

-Lynell Hamilton

Video

Jason David Cut

New Orleans Saints Waive Jason David

Saintsational — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 18:02:43 -0000

It seemed like this day would never come. The New Orleans Saints have finally parted ways with much maligned cornerback Jason David. You may remember David from such forgettable plays as this one...

via assets.espn.go.com

...or this one...

...even this one...

via photos.jacksonville.com

...and lastly, his most favorite position, "The Ankle Biter"...

via cache.daylife.com

But remember, through all the crap that fans put him through and harsh words we had for him during his time here in New Orleans, he never once complained and took it all in stride. For that, I have great respect. I wish him the best of luck wherever he lands and I truly hope some team out there can and will find at least a modicum of value in him. In the meantime, we should all try and forget the bad memories and choose to remember him for this, his most memorable moment...

Goodbye Jason David. You will not be missed.

Saints Training Camp Battles: Stock Report

Saintsational — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 11:00:29 -0000

The Saints are now over two weeks into training camp and have a pre-season game in the books. With each passing day the final roster picture becomes more clear as players fight it out for spots and move up and down the depth chart. Some players have really sparkled and made the most of their opportunities, while others continue to hurt their chances of being one of the final 53. Following is a list of Saints players who I feel have made some big jumps or taken some big falls over the last two weeks. Let me know whether you agree.

Anthony Hargrove

With the four-game suspensions of Will Smith and Charles Grant, the door is wide open for Hargrove to earn a starting spot in their absence. Anthony is coming off a year long suspension himself and surely doesn't want to blow this great opportunity and possibly a last chance. So far, he's done everything right to win over players, coaches and fans. His hustle downfield to block for Vilma on Friday night is a perfect example of that. Payton has said there is always the possibility of remaining the starter after Grant and Smith serve their suspensions but at the very least, Hargrove makes for great depth.

Lynell Hamilton

Anytime you fumble the ball twice while battling it out with three other backs for one spot, your stock is going to drop. You just can't do that. The rest of his stats from Friday night's game are unimpressive as well. Fifteen carries for forty-eight yards, a 3.2 yards per carry average and a long run of only nine yards. That's not how Pierre Thomas earned his spot on this team. Crappy offensive line blocking or not, he'll need to create his own breaks.

Rod Harper

Where did this kid come from? Harper has continued to make the most of his opportunities and put up impressive numbers, yet remains a relative unknown. He followed up his solid peformance at the Black and Gold scrimmage with two catches for forty-eight yards against Cincinnati. Harper still may not make the team as a result of a numbers game but if any receiver is going to surprise, he appears to be the one. I'd really like to see him get a shot with the first team and then watch what he can do.

Jason David

I couldn't believe it was possible for David's stock to drop any lower, even in this economy, so applaud JD for doing what many thought couldn't be done. Jeff Duncan claims that 124 of the Bengals 233 passing yards in the first half of Friday's game came against David. Ugh. When will the Saints have the balls to put an end to this abusive relationship?

Garrett Hartley

Things started a little shaky for Garrett this weekend when he missed a 20-yard chip shot during Friday night's game. It got worse when Hartley lost his job for the first four games thanks to his late-night pill popping ala Jesse Spano from Saved by the Bell. His seat is getting quite hot indeed. But he still has a chance to prove that he is valuable enough to have around and worth keeping through his suspension. He's off to a good start, going 3 for 3 during yesterday's practice.

Pierson Prioleau

Prioleau looked quick and aggressive during the first pre-season game but it shouldn't surprise anyone to see him finding success here in New Orleans. Having followed Gregg Williams his entire career, this system is not new to him. I don't think he'll earn a starting spot but he's a definite to make the team and it's a relief to know the Saints have some depth at safety.

Jonathan Casillas

The young linebacker snagged himself an interception against the Bengals, thanks to the help of Malcolm Jenkins.Combine that with all the other positive talk we've been hearing about Casillas this camp and I think it's safe to say he's doing all of the right things to earn a spot on this team. He grindin'.

Poll

Which of these players has helped or hurt himself the most?

Anthony Hargrove

182 votes

Garrett Hartley

38 votes

Jonathan Casillas

40 votes

Pierson Prioleau

7 votes

Jason David

510 votes

Rod Harper

17 votes

Lynell Hamilton

50 votes

844 votes | Poll has closed

Cincinnati Bengals @ New Orleans Saints: The View from Section 140

Saintsational — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 11:00:21 -0000

More photos » by Bill Feig - AP

4 months ago: New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma (51) intercepts a pass in front of Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Andre Caldwell (87) in the first half of their NFL preseason football game in New Orleans, Friday, Aug. 14, 2009. (AP Photo/Bill Feig)

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Bittersweet.

That's what tonight was for me. Not so much because of the Saints on-field performance, though it did leave a bit to be desired, but because of the location of my new season tickets. While I was excited about being closer to mid-field this year and on the Saints side of the Dome, I was a little nervous about just how low and close to the field I was actually going to be. As it turns out, my fears were well founded.

After arriving late, being held up at the gate by the Ticket Fiasco of '09 (see below) and losing my friend I hurried through the concourse and rushed to my seats making it in time just to see the first series begin. I was both elated and pissed when I discovered that I would spending the season in the second row. Sure, it sounds awesome to be sitting only two rows back and with the team so close I can spit on them. I also think I'm surrounded by friends and family of the players. But it's a double-edged sword my friend. The damn players block my view of the field! And if it's not the players, it's the down markers or the television crane. Son of a...

I spent most of the game brooding and trying to rationalize this most recent turn of events in an effort to make myself feel better about the situation. Fortunately, I did realize two things. First of all, the Dome will be undergoing major renovations over the next two years and I thought I had remembered them saying the Plaza Level seats would be upgraded. Just checked the Superdome's webpage and my suspicion proved correct:

New Sideline Seating--Complete replacement of the Plaza Level (lower bowl) sideline seats, moving them closer to the action, resulting in improved sightlines,

Perfect. I also remembered that this was pre-season and there are 80 players standing around. Once the season starts there will be 27 less people obstructing my view. Sweet.

So I'm willing to stick it out and see what happens. These things usually turn out alright for me. Regardless, this season is going to be interesting from the bottom of Section 140 and I genuinely think that the proximity of my seats to the Saints sidelines will completely change my perspective of the team. Though I may not have the best view of every down, I will be able to see the emotions and interactions betweens players and coaches as each play unfolds throughout the course of a game. Surely this will remain an eye-opening experience.

Enough about my own personal tribulations, let's get down to what we all came here to talk about: The game. After the jump are my initial notes in no particular order, personal pictures from the game and the open thread roll call. Remember that I haven't watched the game again on television and with the crummy new view from my seats, I could really be off base on some of these observations. Make sure to click the picture for all of the AP's photos from last nights game.

The Ticket Fiasco of '09. For the last few years the Saints have printed their season tickets in booklets, with each page being it's own ticket. This year they went all cheap and put the entire seasons tickets on one big perforated sheet. Each individual ticket, however, has two perforations; one that separates each ticket from the next and one that separates the stub of the ticket that contains the barcode. Apparently, a lot of fans didn't look too carefully when ripping their game ticket from the whole sheet and failed to rip the entire ticket, leaving the barcoded section at home. This led to mass confusion, holdups at the gate and separate accommodations being made.
We've been expecting Jonathan Vilma to play a huge role in Williams' new defense and to be the "quarterback" on that side of the ball but this was a hell of a start. It almost makes you think that Williams knows what he's doing and is actually getting the results he wants. Crazy notion. If you're pissed off about the fumble at the end of Vilma's run, don't be. Dude had to be tired. Besides, the end result of the play pushed the Bengals all the way back to their four yard line. That would never have even happened last year and Cincinnati would still have been in Saints territory so it's a step in the right direction.
How fitting that the Saints defense starts their season off with a big turnover thanks to Darren Sharper and Jonathan Vilma, who play the two key positions in Williams' defense. Two turnovers from Vilma is great and they followed through on that "scoop and score" mentality we've heard so much about about. Overall, the Saints won the turnover battle +1. Good signs and a step in the right direction. So if the defense is fixed, what aspect of the team will begin to break down and lead to failure?
The answer to the above question could very well be the running game. I didn't see anything worth writing about. They're still having problems with short yardage. Last night seemed to be Lynell Hamilton's chance to show what he's made of but I certainly wasn't impressed. I wasn't impressed by anyone in fact. And you cannot put the ball on the ground three times. Not good at all. Pierre barely touched the ball, though, so that should count for something.
Robert Meachem looked pretty good and saw a lot of playing time. Still, his touchdown catch was against Cincinnati's second team so I'm not so sure that's a completely accurate gauge. Got a little nervous when he took his time getting up after that one play.
Malcolm Jenkins wasn't given a chance to play until late in the game but he used his time wisely and was responsible for causing the Casillas interception. Not a bad start. I would like to see him get more time with the second and even first team.
When I got back home I quickly scanned the game thread and was glad to see that everyone else seemed to agree with me. Jason David is done. He really needed to shine tonight and prove that he could thrive in Gregg Williams' new system but he did just the opposite. Rather, he kept doing the things that made everyone hate him in the first place and it felt like old times in the Dome last night with everyone cursing David's name.
While we're on the subject of cornerbacks, I'm still not sold on Randall Gay. I never was, not even last year, and I really don't understand why some people continue to think he's good enough to start. He's not. Certainly not now. Your starters are Greer and Porter. End of discussion.
Congratulations to Jeremy Shockey for getting his first touchdown as a Saint and getting that monkey off his back early. Hopefully, this is a sign of great things to come. We know how dangerous a good tight end can be in Payton's system.
They were advertising on the jumbotron for a local television show called, "The Sean Payton Show" that will begin this fall. I have know idea what the format will be but my interest in piqued. I'll keep you updated.
I've got to be honest, Garrett Hartley's missed field goal really had me nervous. Like a bad omen. But he made up for it with the 54-yarder so I'm not as worried anymore.
I caught a brief glimpse of one of those remote controlled stadium blimps at the start of halftime but as quickly as it appeared, it was gone. Probably malfunctioning. Anyway, look out for that this season if you're attending the game.
I think Skyler Green can kiss his job goodbye. I know he gets the local love every year, being from LSU, but I just don't think he can cut it.
Brunell was solid and clearly better than Harrington. No surprise. We learned last year how good of a backup Brunell is.
It looked like Morstead was the better punter. Pakulak kicked a short one out of bounds. Morstead pinned a very nice one inside the 10-yard line and another mediocre one.
Charles Grant may have looked fast while running after Ochocinco but he also pulled up with a limp while chasing down Carson Palmer. All he was doing was running and minutes later he's got ice on his knee. That, to me, seems like a sign of poor conditioning and I don't like the look of it.
Rod Harper has got to be the surprise of the game. He looked pretty decent last night, making two big receptions. He also shined during the Black & Gold scrimmage last week. If any of the young guys are actually going to crack the wide receiver lineup, Harper seems to be it.
Darren Sharper looked good. He was responsible for causing the first fumble. And how about that big hit over the middle on the attempted pass? To quote Borat, "Vary niiiice."
Actually attending pre-season games sucks. Now I know why season ticket holders usually give them away every year or just don't use them. It's just not the same. There is no energy.

The Dome at dusk.

I've already had my lawyers contact their lawyers regarding naming rights. They're gonna pay for this.

The stadium was nowhere near full.

Gumbo close up.

Shockey interacting with the crowd. He really is a ham.

Mike Nabors doing his thing.

For the single guys.

More for the single guys.

The new defense.

I can barely see the damn field.

Lovely. Couldn't have found a better place for that thing.

What I wish the view looked like.

Just some game action.

Hartley keeping fresh.

The offensive line.

Reggie icing up the knee.

Here is the roll call for last nights open thread. Thanks to everyone who stopped by. It was great to see so many names on there.

Total Users: 34

Total Posts: 463

Total Threads: 1

Name	# of Posts
satchmo26	74
nanvinnie	51
Monkey Poop Battle	35
Just Some Guy	32
fruly	30
carolinasaintsfan	27
Norml912	26
knucklesmalone	23
FriarBob	20
vicvega26	18
SaintBevo	18
N_O_1saintfan	17
FuSoYa	13
skinnykinney	12
FrenchFreak	8
Steve the fan	7
HansDat	6
dell00	5
AKAY47	5
DaymanCometh	5
BayouRebel	5
nosaints8700	5
MtnExile	4
TonyChachere	4
SBookerSaintsFan	3
YESSaints	2
saintsfan77	1
ShadowFlash	1
Realsaint	1
GSO Saints Fan	1
Ditka'sGhost	1
janepriceestrada	1
pukenbowl	1
Philinwood	1

Poll

Are you satisfied with yesterdays performance?

Very much

53 votes

A little

149 votes

Not really

32 votes

Not at all

8 votes

242 votes | Poll has closed

A Few Things to Help You Get Through the Day

Saintsational — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 17:26:33 -0000

Ya'll are probably staring at the clock just counting down the seconds until this evening's game. To try and help the time pass a little bit faster for you and to get your a little bit more excited for tonight, here are today's tweets from some of the players, a few leftover links and a short inspirational video to get your blood pumping.

Also a reminder, don't forget about tonight's open game thread that will post at 6:30pm CST. In case you're a newer member, an open thread is when readers meet right here on CSC for the game. I post an official game thread and everyone uses the comment section to chat live about what's happening as the game unfolds. With automatically updating comments, it's just like a live chat room! In other words, come watch the game with all your Canal Street Chronicles friends tonight! It is especially helpful to those who live out of the area and cannot watch the game themselves.

Twitter

SupaFreak69 gud morning...gameday.. ain't notin betta than gameday..

saints83 First step for the saints tonight. Also first step for Who Dat Nation, I know it's preseason but yall bring it tonight!

JeremyShockey in hotel room about to watch a movie to pass the time... wish the game was at noon

MalcolmJenkins Game day!!!... Get ready New Orleans!!!

Pierre_Thomas I love seeing the support from all our Saints fans! Ya'll are the best fans in the world! We appreciate ya - Who Dat!

GregBensel NFL Films rolling in 6 extra cameras tonight for Hard Knocks coverage of the Cincy Bengals

sharper42 What up folks it's the first preseason game tonight. Checks us out as we start our march to a championship.

Linkage

Preseason Game 1 - vs Cincinnati - New Orleans Saints official website
Includes starting roster, injury report and notes.

New Orleans Saints cornerback Jason David fighting for his NFL life - Times-Pic

"No matter who you are, if you want to be a player in this league, you take the preseason pretty seriously," David said. "I don't look at my situation -- or if I even have a situation -- any differently than anybody else (on the roster)."

-Jason David

"I really try to not pay too much attention to (the depth chart)," David said. "I try to go out there and do my job and work hard and try to get better. You can't think about the other stuff. Coach Payton always says you're not really competing so much against teammates but against other players around this league. I'm going to try to keep that in mind."

-Jason David

"He has not one time pouted or sulked," Williams said. "He's done well."

-Gregg Williams

"It's important for me to see how physical he can play against big matchups,"

-Gregg Williams

"For me, Coach Williams is a dream coordinator," David said. "I'm excited about getting a chance to play in the scheme even during the preseason."

-Jason David

"This isn't my first rodeo," David said. "I've had first-rounders and second-rounders drafted after my first year at cornerback. Since then, I've just had this attitude, go out there and compete and don't worry about what the other guys are doing.

"I just want to go out and play ball. The more you focus on numbers or (thinking) they've got this guy coming in or that guy, that's going to hinder yourself and your game."

-Jason David

Saints-Bengals: Things to keep your eyes on - NewOrleans.com

New Orleans Saints running backs are on readers' minds in this Saints mailbag - Times-Pic

Video

Finally, I leave you with this. I never get sick of this. Neither should you.

Poll

Will you have a chance to watch the game live tonight?

Yes!

62 votes

No!

62 votes

124 votes | Poll has closed