Bleacher Report - Articles by Paul Augustin, Jr.

Is "MNF" Showdown in New Orleans More Important for Patriots or Saints?

Paul Augustin, Jr. — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:29:04 -0500

Nov. 20, 2005. New England 24, New Orleans 17.

The Patriots marched out to a commanding 24-7 lead before a valiant comeback by the over-matched Saints fell 22 yards short.

Much has changed since the last time these two teams met.

The Saints were mired in the most miserable season in franchise history, a season that will be forever known as the "Katrina" season.

The Patriots were one year removed from their third Super Bowl title in four years. Two years later, New England would rip through the regular season undefeated.

Speaking of undefeated...

Just how important is this game for the 10-0 New Orleans Saints?

If you ask ESPN, the network televising the game, they will tell you that the Week 12 inter-conference tilt is the biggest game of the regular season.

Some members of the national media will tell you that Drew Brees needs to beat Tom Brady to cement his status among the league's elite quarterbacks.

Really?!

I guess leading a team from 3-13 one year to their first NFC championship game the next meant nothing.

Neither did passing for more than 5,000 yards and leading the team to eight victories when they wouldn't have won four without him.

Brees doesn't have the resume that Brady and Peyton Manning have, but at 30 years old, he's likely got five or six peak years left in him.

They'll also tell you that the Saints need to beat the almighty Patriots to validate what's already been an historic ride because the schedule to date has been "soft."

While three of New Orleans' victories have come against the Lions, Rams, and Buccaneers, to suggest the schedule is soft is ludicrous.

Strength of schedule only really matters to the BCS.

A victory by the Saints would place them at 11-0 and give them a legitimate shot at running the table.

So, how important is this game really for the Saints?

I'd argue it's the least important of their remaining six games.

Finishing unbeaten in the regular season means nothing if you aren't playing your best at the end and can't finish. Just ask the Patriots.

The most important thing for the New Orleans Saints to focus on between now and the end of the year is to get better, get healthy, and keep home-field advantage out of Minnesota.

To expect the Saints to finish 16-0, especially with slightly less than half of the season remaining, is ridiculous.

For argument's sake, let's say they must lose one of their last six games. If that's the case, Monday's game is the one I'd pick.

Why? Because it's a non-conference game.

The Minnesota Vikings currently sit at 9-1. Their single loss is also at the hands of a non-conference foe (week seven at Pittsburgh).

If the Vikings and Saints were to finish with identical 15-1 records, the only chance the Saints would have at the No. 1 seed would be if they won all of their NFC games.

If you are a Saints fan, would you rather Brees orchestrate his offense in the comforts of his home stadium, or have him face Jared Allen and company while battling the roar of the crowd at Mall of America Field?

(Is it just me, or is adding "Mall of America Field" just a little less intimidating than just calling it the Metrodome?)

Ask the San Francisco 49ers about the magic Brett Favre can work on his home turf.

In essence, the game against the offensively challenged Washington Redskins the following week is more important than Monday's clash of the titans in the Superdome.

This game is way more important for the Patriots.

At 7-3, New England is battling a number of teams, including the Bengals and Chargers, for the No. 2 seed in the AFC.

With just a two-game lead in the AFC East, a Patriots' loss and Dolphins' victory in Week 12 (Miami plays sinking Buffalo) would mean that the division lead would be at stake when these two teams meet the following week in Miami.

Including Monday night, the Patriots play four of their last six games on the road.

Besides New Orleans and Miami, they must play Carolina (4-6), who can run on anyone, and also Jacksonville (6-4) and Houston (5-5), who will likely be fighting for their playoff lives.

The easiest game on their schedule appears to be Week 15 against Buffalo, but always throw out the records when playing a division opponent on the road who's looking to play spoiler.

If the Patriots lose to the Saints on Monday Night Football, they could easily be staring at an 11-5 season, which isn't a playoff guarantee anymore.

Just ask the Patriots.

In a Copycat League, the New Orleans Saints Are Drawing Blueprints for the NFL

Paul Augustin, Jr. — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:15:27 -0500

Coaches and players spend countless hours per week watching game film on their upcoming opponents. They often look to see how other teams have beaten their next foe when formulating the week's game plan.

The NFL has been often called a "copycat" league because of the way trends develop.

The Miami Dolphins shocked the New England Patriots with the introduction of the Wildcat offense last season. Now, just about every team has run some variation of the Wildcat this year.

Everyone is looking at the Saints this year, not only in trying to figure out how to beat them, but teams are also looking at how the Saints have beaten their opponents.

Three teams have seen their seasons go from promising to desperate since playing New Orleans this year.

Week Four: New York Jets

Rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez entered Week Four on top of the world. He was a perfect 3-0 in his first three professional games.

Sanchez had turned it over just three times in those three games, a remarkable number for a rookie.

The Saints forced him into four turnovers, including two that turned into touchdowns for the defense.

Sanchez and the Jets have spiraled since losing to the Saints.

Sanchez has had multiple interceptions in three of his past five games, including five against Buffalo and four against New England.

The Jets are 4-6 after starting 3-0.

Week Six: New York Giants

This matchup featured two teams that were a combined 9-0. It was said that this game would be a measuring stick for both teams as neither had really been tested to that point.

The Saints had beaten two rookie quarterbacks and the Giants faced lowly teams such as Oakland, Kansas City, Tampa Bay, and Washington.

Drew Brees and his offense shredded the Giants defense for seven touchdowns and forced two turnovers from Eli Manning.

The Giants proceeded to slide from 5-0 to 5-4.

Week Eight: Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons were 4-2 heading into their Monday night showdown with the Saints. Matt Ryan had tossed 11 touchdowns and six interceptions in six games.

The Saints held Ryan to less than a 50-percent completion rate and forced three interceptions.

Over the past four games, including this one against the Saints, Ryan has had three games with a completion percentage of less than 57 percent.

Atlanta, which had a chance to cut the Saints' division lead to one game, is now five games out with six games left.

The Saints face the Patriots on Monday night. Will they be able to provide the blueprints for defeating them, too?

New Orleans a Perfect 10: Saints Sink Buccaneers, 38-7

Paul Augustin, Jr. — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:39:40 -0500

No Sedrick Ellis.

No Reggie Bush.

Both starting corners out.

No problem.

Tampa Bay took the ball 95 yards down the field and scored a touchdown on their first drive.

They got just 124 yards and were shut out the rest of the game.

The New Orleans Saints scored the final five touchdowns of the game in a 38-7 rout of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Saints forced four turnovers and, even more importantly, committed none of their own.

New Orleans, prior to Sunday's game at Tampa Bay, had committed 13 turnovers in the past four games—seven alone by Drew Brees.

Brees was an efficient 19 of 29 passing for 187 yards and three touchdowns.

New Orleans held Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman to 17 of 33 passing and only 126 yards.

Game balls go to...

The Offensive line : For the first time in several weeks, Brees was not sacked. The line also paved the way for Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell to combine for 167 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries.

David Thomas : His versatility has made the loss of fullback Heath Evans more bearable and has given Brees a solid second tight end to compliment Jeremy Shockey. Thomas threw several key blocks in the run game and had four catches for 66 yards and a touchdown.

Malcolm Jenkins: Making his first career start for the injured Jabari Greer and Tracy Porter, Jenkins finished second on the team with five tackles and had his first career interception.

Nice to have you back...

Marques Colston: Colston led the team in receptions and yardage after posting back-to-back poor games.

New Orleans back on track

This was the type of game the Saints absolutely need. Yeah, the blowout came against a (now) 1-9 team with a rookie quarterback, but New Orleans had hardly looked like a playoff team since whipping the New York Giants 48-27 on October 25.

No huge comeback was needed this time as they trailed by no more than seven.

The Saints closed out the game like a top NFL team should by scoring 21 second half points and shutting out the opponent in the process.

A look ahead...

At 10-0, the Saints have set a new franchise record with 10 straight wins.

They are two wins shy of the franchise record for regular season wins. New Orleans went 12-3 in 1987 and 12-4 in 1992. Ironically, none of the Saints' three division titles came in either of those seasons.

The Saints currently have a five-game lead over the Falcons for the NFC South crown with six games left. New Orleans will clinch the division next week with a win over New England AND an Atlanta loss to Tampa Bay.

The Saints will face the Patriots (7-3) in Week 12 at home on Monday Night Football .

Reggie Bush, Saints Overcome Miscues to Fend Off Pesky Rams, 28-23

Paul Augustin, Jr. — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:05:27 -0500

The may have 9-0 next to their name in the standings, but the New Orleans Saints didn't look like a 9-0 team Sunday.

They struggled to put away to put away the 1-8 St. Louis Rams in a 28-23 road victory.

Drew Brees threw two more interceptions, his sixth and seventh in the past four games, and Marques Colston lost a fumble at the goal line.

The voids left by absences of Jabari Greer and Darren Sharper, both inactive, and Tracy Porter, who left the game with a knee injury, were felt strongly.

Rams' quarterback Mark Bulger, drafted by New Orleans in the sixth round in 2000, passed for nearly 300 yards and tossed two touchdowns to Donnie Avery. Both touchdown passes were defended by nickel corner Randall Gay.

Luckily, Reggie Bush and Courtney Roby were there to save the day.

Bush had two touchdowns, one rushing and one receiving, and had another run for a career-long 55 yards.

Roby broke a 14-14 halftime tie by returning the opening kick of the second-half 97 yards for a touchdown.

Robert Meachem and David Thomas also had big games for the black and gold.

Meachem took an end-around for 41 yards and also caught a 27-yard touchdown pass.

Thomas caught a season-high five passes for 45 yards and threw several key blocks that helped the Saints to over 200 yards rushing.

The Rams' offense, which scored a season-high 23 points, showed its potential against the Saints.

Bulger, a two-time Pro Bowl quarterback, passed for 298 yards and two touchdowns. Donnie Avery caught four passes, including both of Bulger's touchdown passes.

Rookie Brandon Gibson had seven catches for 93 yards.

The Rams' best weapon, running back Steven Jackson, was the focal point of the offensive and was used perhaps too much.

Jackson had 131 rushing yards and a touchdown on 26 carries and 45 receiving yards on nine catches. However, he only had 31 yards in the second half on 10 carries and was stuffed on a 4th-and-short.

New Orleans allowed St. Louis to gain more than 100 yards above their season average. The Saints can only hope that Greer and Sharper return quickly and that Porter's injury isn't season-ending.

The good news for the Saints is Atlanta's loss to Carolina puts New Orleans four games up in the NFC South with seven games left in the season. They would have to suffer a Denver-like meltdown in order to not win the division at this point.

New Orleans tied a franchise mark with their ninth-straight regular season win and are 9-0 for the first time ever.

The Saints won their final nine games of 1987 on their way to a 12-3 record. They also won the final two games of the 1990 season before winning their first seven games in 1991.

The Saints face the 1-8 Tampa Bay Buccaneers next week as they go for their first-ever 10-game winning streak.

Saints Midseason Report Card: Grading New Orleans and Its 8-0 Start

Paul Augustin, Jr. — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:03:02 -0500

The New Orleans Saints are 8-0.

There's one sentence no one was ever able to say or print until Sunday afternoon.

For the first time in their 43-year history, the New Orleans Saints have run the table on the first half of their schedule.

They've won games in nearly every way imaginable.

The Saints threw six touchdowns in one game and scored seven touchdowns in another. They've scored off fumbles and interceptions. They've been up 20 and down 20.

New Orleans has won by passing for over 350 yards in one game and rushing for over 200 the next.

They have found a way to win no matter what happened over the course of the game.

With a three-game lead in the division over the Falcons, the race for the NFC South title is all but over. Even if the Saints were to stumble to 4-4 over the second half of the season, Atlanta would have to go 7-1 just to tie.

This edition of the report card will have two grades for each section—a second quarter grade and a midterm grade. The midterm is an average of the first quarter and second quarter grades.

Coaching

Comments : How can you give anything but high marks to a coaching staff of an 8-0 team?

The balance in play-calling is still there (259 runs, 277 passes) and they are no longer double-reversing themselves out of a win.

The Saints showed resiliency in huge comeback victories against the Dolphins and Falcons. Those kind of performances reflect the head coach.

The coaching intensity of defensive coordinator Gregg Williams shows up in every game. New Orleans has forced at least two turnovers in each of their eight games and leads the NFL with 24 forced turnovers and seven defensive touchdowns.

There was, however, one bone-headed move by Sean Payton in the past four games. It occurred with 5:17 left in the game against the Panthers.

With the score tied at 20, the Saints were in the middle of a long drive that began on their own two-yard line.

On second and six from the Panthers' 12-yard line, Drew Brees threw a pass to Marques Colston. The play was ruled incomplete.

Payton could not decide quickly enough if he wanted to challenge the play so he called timeout to buy some time. Payton used the time to decide to challenge the play.

The Saints lost the challenge and another timeout. Now the Saints had just one timeout remaining in the closing minutes of a tight ballgame.

Overall, though, you can't argue with success.

Second quarter grade: A

Midterm grade: A

Passing Offense

Comments: Brees has passed for more yards in the past four games (1,305) than they did in the first four (1,031) and has a slightly higher completion percentage over the second quarter, but his sacks and turnovers are also up.

Way up.

Brees was sacked just four times in the first quarter, but now has been sacked a total of 12.

As the sacks and pressure go up, so do the turnovers. Responsible for just three turnovers in the first four games, Brees is averaging two turnovers per game over the past four games.

He had four in one game against Miami.

There's no disputing Brees is a top-tier quarterback, but his play needs to improve as the Saints head into mid-November and December.

The next two weeks against St. Louis and Tampa Bay should help the Saints work some kinks out.

Second quarter grade: B

Midterm grade: B+

Rushing Offense

Comments: The running game has been less of a focus lately because the Saints have played from behind in their last three games, but it has still been effective.

The running game still ranks in the top five in total yards per game (144.6 yards per game), but managed just 84 yards against the Panthers.

Just as Reggie Bush was getting over his fumbling issues, Mike Bell and Pierre Thomas each lost the ball once against Atlanta.

Overall, New Orleans has 15 rushing touchdowns and is on pace for over 2,300 yards.

Second quarter grade : B

Midterm grade: A-

Passing Defense

Comments: The Saints have dropped from 14th in passing yards allowed to 16th, yet the turnovers keep on coming.

Corners Jabari Greer and Tracy Porter continue to play great man-to-man coverage as Darren Sharper patrols the back end of the defense.

The defense recorded an interception in each of the first seven games before failing to record one against Carolina.

Sharper and Porter each have had game-turning interceptions and both of Greer's interceptions have come in the past four games.

Defensive end Will Smith has re-emerged as a Pro Bowl player. Smith sacked division foes Matt Ryan and Jake Delhomme twice each and has two forced fumbles on the season.

Second quarter grade : B+

Midterm grade: B+

Rushing Defense

Comments: After allowing just 83 yards per game in the first quarter, the Saints gave up 140 per game in the second quarter.

Ricky Williams, Michael Turner, and DeAngelo Williams each gashed the defense with long runs.

Both Williamses scored on runs over 60 yards long, and Turner gained 150 yards on just 20 carries.

Some of this can be attributed to injuries to tackle Sedrick Ellis and linebacker Scott Fujita that have kept both out of multiple games.

However, I think the first quarter numbers looked good because teams were forced to throw often in the second half.

The Saints must play DeAngelo Williams, Michael Turner, and Steven Jackson on the road along with Marion Barber at home before the season's over.

The forced fumbles keep this grade decent.

Second quarter grade: C

Midterm grade: C+

Special Teams

Comments: One part of this team that has improved significantly over the past four games is the kick and punt coverage.

The Saints faced Ted Ginn Jr. the week before he went off for two kickoff returns for touchdowns against the Jets and held him to 25 yards per return on four returns.

Except for an inexplicable 22-yard punt against the Panthers, Thomas Morstead has been kicking steady for almost 44 yards per punt and less than half of them have been returned.

Reggie Bush's 3.9-yard punt return average has been less than desirable.

Second quarter grade : B

Midterm grade : B

Overall

The individual grades aren't off the charts (an A, four B's and a C), but the overall performance has been wonderful.

The Saints are just one of two 8-0 teams. They had their best comeback in 22 years when they overcame a 21-point deficit to win by 12 in Miami.

New Orleans is outscoring opponents by 16 points per game and out-gaining them by nearly 100 yards.

The next quarter features two snoozers on the road (St. Louis and Tampa Bay) before they meet New England in the dome on Monday Night Football . The quarter wraps up with a visit to the nation's capital to face the hapless Redskins.

Anything less than a 3-1 record in the third quarter will be a disappointment.

Second quarter grade : A-

Midterm grade: A

Panthers-Saints: Will New Orleans Set Franchise Mark With 8-0 Start?

Paul Augustin, Jr. — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:04:44 -0500

The last time the New Orleans Saints were 7-0 Michael Jordan won his first title, we found out what "going postal" meant, the country became aware of a man in Los Angeles named Rodney King, and the Soviet Union collapsed.

In Louisiana, former KKK leader David Duke lost the governor's election to future convicted felon Edwin Edwards.

Yes, it's been a while since the Saints have experienced this kind of success.

An 8-0 start would be a "first ever" for the black and gold.

In order to achieve midseason perfection, the Saints must beat the Carolina Panthers—a team, despite its 3-4 record, that will prove to be a tough test.

Carolina and head coach John Fox have owned New Orleans. The Panthers have won six of the past seven meetings against the Saints, and Fox sports a 5-1 record in head to head meetings against Sean Payton.

The Panthers used a strong running game and a tough defense to jump out to big leads and sweep the Saints last year.

This year the Panthers will look to use the same formula to put the first blemish on the Saints' perfect record.

The running back duo of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart has combined for 700 yards and five yards per carry over the past four games. The Panthers' pass rush is tied with the Saints among other teams for 10th in the league in sacks.

Defensive end Julius Peppers leads the team with seven sacks. Six of those sacks have come during the Panthers' recent surge of three wins in the past four games.

Three matchups to watch...

1) Julius Peppers vs. the Saints offensive line- Drew Brees has been under severe pressure in each of the last two games and now the offensive line must protect against one of the most athletic and talented pass rushers in the world.

Peppers will line up anywhere along the line of scrimmage so the offensive line and Brees must find him at every pre-snap lead.

2) Steve Smith vs. Jabari Greer and Tracy Porter- Despite Smith's recent grumblings that he is no longer an asset to the team, he continues to be a frequent target of Jake Delhomme's passes.

Smith ranks ninth in the NFL with 62 targets. He leads the team in receptions and yardage.

Take Smith away and Carolina's passing attack is significantly weakened.

3) Jon Beason and Thomas Davis vs. Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell- Expect the Saints to give Thomas and Bell around 30 combined carries. Their effectiveness running the ball inside will be largely determined by linebackers Beason and Davis.

The Saints will win if...

1) They limit turnovers.

The Saints have turned the ball over four times in each of the last two games and still have managed to win by an average of 10 points.

I don't know how much longer they can continue to be so charitable with the ball and still get away with it.

2) The Panthers are forced to abandon the run before the fourth quarter.

The Saints rank 11th against the run, but that number is deceiving. They generally jump out to big early leads and forced teams to quit running the ball. This is when they are at their best.

New Orleans has struggled to stop the run against the Giants, Dolphins, and Falcons.

The Dolphins stopped running the ball for no apparent reason, but the Giants and Falcons had to abandon a successful running game because they were down by multiple scores late in the game.

The quicker the Saints jump out to a big lead, the better off their defense will look.

3) The Saints protect Drew Brees.

I mentioned earlier that the offensive line has struggled to protect Brees lately. He has been sacked seven times in the past two games after getting sacked just four times in the first five games.

The sacks and other quarterback hits have led to interceptions, lost fumbles, and poor field position.

A protected Drew Brees can lead the offense to six or seven touchdowns per game.

Predictions

This is a tough game to predict. Division games are always played closer than they appear on paper. The Panthers have won three of their last four but those victories have come against Washington, Tampa Bay, and a Jekyll and Hyde Arizona team.

Delhomme has thrown 13 picks on the season and has had multiple-interception games four times this season. The Saints defense has feasted on errant passes taking five back for touchdowns. New Orleans gets two interceptions.

The Panthers have the top ranked pass defense but just the 24th ranked rush defense. Carolina holds Brees to 255 yards and two touchdowns , but Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell combine for 150 yards and two touchdowns.

DeAngelo Williams has 80 first half yards and finishes with 125 as the Panthers successfully establish an early running game.

New Orleans 34, Carolina 23

New Orleans Saints' Recent Sins May Ruin Bid at Perfection

Paul Augustin, Jr. — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:31:09 -0500

This season has been a dream season of sorts for the New Orleans Saints, the city, and its fans.

The offensive explosion.

The reinvention of the defense that averages three turnovers per game.

The huge comeback win against the Miami Dolphins.

The ensuing late-night reception consisting of thousands at the airport.

The 7-0 record.

The Saints have beaten the Eagles, Jets, Giants, Dolphins, and Falcons each by an average of 16.2 points.

All of this, combined with the easiest remaining schedule in the league, has people locally and nationally whispering about the possibility of perfection.

But if the Saints don't reverse a few recent trends, then New Orleans may see its unblemished record become scarred this weekend against the Carolina Panthers.

1) The rushing defense must improve.

The Saints have really struggled to stop the run over the same four-game stretch. While they rank 11th in rushing defense, that stat may be a little deceiving.

In three of the past four games, teams have rushed for over 130 yards against the Saints. The defense allowed nearly five yards per carry to the Jets and over six and a half yards per carry to the Falcons.

Four rushing touchdowns and a 68-yard burst were allowed to Ricky Williams and the Falcons.

The Giants had to abandon the run throughout most of the second half as they were down three scores early in the game but still managed 84 yards on 19 carries.

New Orleans will face DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, one of the best running back tandems in the league, on Sunday.

While Williams and Stewart started the season slowly, they have recaptured their 2008 form. Together, they have 138 carries, 700 yards, and seven touchdowns over the past four games.

Both running backs have been instrumental in Carolina's resurgence from an 0-3 start, and the Saints can be sure to see a heavy dose of the Panthers' rushing attack in the Superdome.

Hopefully, defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis and linebacker Scott Fujita will return soon.

2) The recent turnover rate has been alarming.

Through the first five games, New Orleans turned the ball over just five times. Drew Brees had thrown just two interceptions.

Over the past two games, the Saints have eight turnovers with Brees being responsible for six of them.

Fortunately, the Saints offense (and defense) scores enough points to overcome turnovers.

New Orleans isn't likely to win playoff games by turning the ball over three or four times a game.

3) Drew Brees has been getting hit at an alarming rate.

The offensive line did an excellent job protecting its quarterback through the first five games when Brees was hit a grand total of 10 times or once every 16.3 pass plays.

In the past two games alone, Brees has been hit 10 times or once every 7.8 pass plays.

The rise in quarterback hits plays a huge factor in the increase in turnovers.

The New Orleans Saints may have a perfect record, but they've got some work to do before they have the perfect season.

Atlanta-New Orleans: Falcons Swoop in to Face Saints in NFC South Showdown

Paul Augustin, Jr. — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:52:40 -0400

The New Orleans Saints look to match the franchise's best start ever and continue a magical season when the Atlanta Falcons come into town on Monday night.

The Saints (6-0) can take an early three-game lead in the NFC South race over the Falcons (4-2) with a victory.

The top offense in the NFL faces a defense that's 11th in points allowed, but just 25th in yards allowed. The Falcons rank in the bottom third of the league in both rushing yards and passing yards allowed.

New Orleans' defense has contributed significantly to the team's undefeated record.

They lead the league in passes defended, interceptions per game, defensive touchdowns, and forced turnovers.

They also rank ninth in yards allowed per play and 11th in total yards.

While the defensive improvement has been a team effort, much of the credit goes to free safety Darren Sharper.

Sharper leads the NFL in interceptions (six) and defensive touchdowns (three). His 317 interception return yardage this season ranks third on the all-time list and he's just one long interception return away from breaking Ed Reed's record of 358 return yards.

Matchups to Watch

1) Drew Brees vs. Falcons' secondary: Atlanta is 0-2 against teams that possess passing offenses that rank in the top-10.

Tom Brady carved up the Falcons for 277 yards in week three and Tony Romo torched the dirty birds for 311 yards and three touchdowns.

Both of those games, like the showdown against the Saints, were on the road.

2) Tony Gonzalez vs. Saints' outside linebackers: Gonzalez will be by far the best tight end the Saints have faced all season.

Until now, the most productive tight end the Saints faced was the Eagles' Brent Celek, who gained 104 yards in Week Two.

New Orleans held Gonzalez to 39 yards last season when he was a member of the Kansas City Chiefs, but that was when Tyler Thigpen was tossing the ball his way.

Thigpen is now buried on the depth chart in Miami.

3) Eric Weems vs. Saints' kickoff coverage: One of the few disappointments for the undefeated Saints has been their coverage units.

Weems ranks eighth in the league in kickoff return average (28.1 yards) among players with at least one kickoff return per team game. Weems has a long return of 62 yards.

The Saints' defense, while improved over last season, is still not good enough to consistently stop teams from scoring when the starting field position favors the other team.

The Saints will win if...

1) They continue to force turnovers.

New Orleans has forced at least two turnovers in each of their six games this season. The defense has scored on nearly one-third of their forced turnovers and have a touchdown in half of their six games.

2) They keep Brees off the Superdome floor.

Through the first five games, Brees was sacked just four times. Against Miami in game six, he was sacked five times.

Not coincidentally, the Saints quarterback threw three interceptions and the passing game looked out of sync in the first half. Against the Dolphins, the Saints trailed for the first time all season.

That, also, is not a coincidence.

Predictions

The combination of Monday Night Football, an undefeated record, and a game against the hated Falcons will have the home crowd as loud as they've ever been.

I expect the dome advantage to be in full force. Look for Matt Ryan and his offensive line to struggle. I'll give the defense two sacks, a forced fumble, and one interception.

Look for Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell combine for 30 carries, 145 yards, and two touchdowns against run defense that allows 4.6 yards per carry.

I see Drew Brees going 23 of 33 for 307 yards and two touchdowns.

New Orleans 38, Atlanta 24

New Orleans-Miami: Dolphins Throw First Punches, but Heavyweight Saints Land KO

Paul Augustin, Jr. — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:29:22 -0400

The Saints had never trailed in five games. Suddenly, New Orleans was down 24-3.

Drew Brees was sacked a total of four times in five games and then Miami sacked him five times.

Brees also had gone three games without an interception and was picked off three times against the Dolphins.

Ricky Williams had three touchdowns against the team that drafted him.

None of that mattered.

The New Orleans Saints stormed back to outscore the Miami Dolphins 43-10 as they pulled off their most impressive victory this season, 46-34.

In a game that featured 740 yards of offense and seven turnovers, the Saints possessed something the Dolphins didn't—a knockout punch.

The Dolphins had a chance to put away the Saints after New Orleans missed a field goal with about five minutes left in the first half. Instead, they either punted or turned the ball over on eight out of their next 10 possessions.

The Saints, on the other hand, stepped on the Dolphins' throat once they grabbed the lead.

New Orleans capped off a 22-point fourth quarter with Tracy Porter's pick six with less than two minutes left in the game.

Once again the Saints proved they can win a game when Brees is not at his best.

They won for just the second time ever when their star quarterback throws two or more interceptions.

The only other time they won such a game was in 2006 against Philadelphia, also the sixth game of the season.

New Orleans also proved they can play physically.

Jeremy Shockey, who epitomizes the Saints' physical play, caught a long pass and stiff-armed a helpless Dolphin defensive back to turn a 30-35 yard pass into a 66-yard reception.

The defense, despite allowing 34 points, played spectacularly in the second half.

Tell me if you've read this sentence before: Darren Sharper returned an interception for a touchdown.

Sharper, who is making his case for defensive player of the year, had his sixth interception this season and his third for a touchdown.

His interception off of Porter's tip cut the Dolphins' lead to seven and gave the Saints all of the momentum they needed for a comeback.

Jonathan Vilma was also a force on defense.

He led the team with 10 tackles, including three for a loss. He was a thorn in the side of running back Ronnie Brown, who was held to just 48 yards on 16 carries.

Kudos must also be given to backup defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove.

Hargrove filled in for defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis, who left the game with a sprained knee. Hargrove finished the game with two sacks and another tackle for a loss.

A year ago, and even in 2006 when the Saints won the NFC South, the Saints would have lost a game like this one.

I did not doubt that the Saints offense would be capable of at least making the game competitive after trailing by three touchdowns. They came into this game averaging 38 points per game.

The question was whether or not the Saints could take the lead and sustain it.

Twice last season (@ Denver and @ Carolina) the Saints trailed by multiple touchdowns before storming back only to lose by two.

The Saints actually took a late one-point lead against Carolina before a late field goal won it for the Panthers.

After six games in 2009, these are clearly not last year's Saints.

These Saints are much much better. These Saints will be playing deep into January and perhaps into February.

Saints-Dolphins: Can New Orleans Slow Down Miami's Wildcat on the Road?

Paul Augustin, Jr. — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:50:56 -0400

New Orleans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams should be preaching gap control this week in practice as the Saints prepare to face the NFL's most efficient version of the Wildcat formation in Miami.

Miami introduced the Wildcat formation to the NFL last season in their 38-13 week three victory over New England.

The formation, which is often imitated but never duplicated, involves a direct snap to a running back (often Ronnie Brown). The running back then reads the defense and decides if he is going to hand the ball off to a runner on a sweep (often Ricky Williams) or keep it himself.

The defenses that generally struggle against the Wildcat are those that miss tackles and/or blow gap assignments.

How has Wildcat been used this season

Unfortunately for the Saints, veteran linebacker Scott Fujita will likely be ruled out of this game after suffering a calf injury last week against the New York Giants.

Backup Troy Evans has been taking reps with the first unit this week in practice.

Fujita is fifth on the team with 22 tackles.

Brown and Williams form what is arguably the best backfield duo in the league. They have combined for 759 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground in five games.

The Dolphins were last year's surprise team, as they went 11-5 and won the AFC East one year after finishing 1-15.

Miami has won two games in a row after starting the season 0-3.

Two reasons for the Dolphins' slow start:

1) Turnover margin — Miami had a league-best plus-17 turnover margin last season. Chad Pennington threw just seven interceptions, while the secondary forced 18 of them.

This year the Dolphins sit a minus-3 and have recorded just three interceptions on defense.

If you remove the spectacular six-sack, three-interception game against Buffalo, Miami has just six sacks and zero interceptions in four games.

Buffalo, though, has a terrible offensive line that is on pace to allow 50 sacks and countless quarterback hits this season.

2) Yards per play — Last season, the Dolphins were seventh in the league with 5.7 yards per play. This year, they are 22nd in the league at 5.0 yards per play.

By contrast, New Orleans is third in the league with 6.4 yards per play.

The Dolphins have improved, though, with Chad Henne under center.

Miami has averaged 5.5 yards per play in the past two games after averaging 4.65 yards per play over the first three games.

Three matchups to watch

1) Marques Colston vs. Dolphins' cornerbacks

Colston is proving that is fully recovered from last year's injuries.

He is on pace to record 80 receptions, 1260 yards, and 13 touchdowns in an offense that prides itself in spreading the ball around.

The Saints scored seven touchdowns with seven different players—including Colston—last week against the Giants.

Dolphins' corners Will Allen and rookie Sean Smith must get physical with Colston and not give him a free release if they hope to be successful in slowing him down.

Smith, at 6'3" and 214 lbs., has rare size for an NFL cornerback and the ability to go toe-to-toe with the 6'4" Colston.

2) Jermon Bushrod vs. Jason Taylor and Joey Porter

It seems I have Bushrod in my key matchups every week ,and he always comes through for the Saints.

He did a fantastic job in handling Giants' defensive end Osi Umenyiora.

Now, Bushrod must handle these blitzing linebackers in the Dolphins' 3-4 scheme. I expect Taylor and Porter to move around from play to play in order to confuse the still young and inexperienced left tackle.

3) Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams vs. New Orleans' front seven

I've talked about the Wildcat enough that I can't leave this put of my matchups to watch.

I expect the Dolphins to treat this game similar to how they treated their game against the Indianapolis Colts.

Miami realized that the best way to stop Peyton Manning is to keep him off the field.

Mission accomplished...sort of.

In their week two meeting, the Dolphins used their potent running game to eat 45:07 off the clock. It was not enough, however, as Manning engineered a late drive to score the game-winning touchdown with just over three minutes left.

Since the Dolphins' middle-of-the-pack pass defense likely won't stop Drew Brees and his receivers, the Dolphins will have to use their offense to keep the Saints on the sidelines.

New Orleans can expect a heavy dose of Brown and Williams. The two have combined for 68 carries, 342 rushing yards, and five touchdowns over the last two games.

The Saints will win if...

1) They force the Dolphins to start inside their own 30-yard line.

Miami has scored eight offensive touchdowns in their past two games. Six of those touchdown drives started at the 30-yard line or better.

New Orleans' kick and punt coverages have been their weak links this season and could be exposed by Patrick Cobbs and Ted Ginn, Jr.

2) They force Miami to commit multiple turnovers.

As mentioned earlier, Miami's turnover margin is nowhere near what it was last season. New Orleans' turnover margin is also nowhere it was last season.

The Saints, minus-4 last year, are plus-9 this year and have forced at least two turnovers in each game.

Roman Harper's strip-sack of Eli Manning helped to push a 27-17 lead to a commanding 34-17 lead.

3) Exploit Miami's outside pass rush.

Drew Brees can count on linebackers Taylor and Porter to rush on just about every play.

Therefore, the flats should be should be open for Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas all game long.

Predictions

Drew Brees will extend his streak of games without an interception to four. His career-best streak is five games.

Brees will also throw for 347 yards and three touchdowns.

The Saints will set a season-low for rushing yards in a game. Their current season-low was set last week with 124 against the Giants.

Miami has the league's third-ranked rush defense.

Darren Sharper will intercept Chad Henne once. My guess is that Sharper is still upset he had two interceptions taken away from him last week.

The first one was nullified by a roughing the passer penalty. The second one was lost when Mario Mannigham snatched the ball away from him for a touchdown.

New Orleans 30, Miami 16

A Change in Sean Payton's Philosophy Key to Saints Offensive Excellence

Paul Augustin, Jr. — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:45:58 -0400

After two straight non-winning seasons, New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton knew he needed to try something different.

Even though his offense led the league in total yards and points per game in 2008, it still had its share of shortcomings.

The Saints were slow starters. They scored just 13.6 percent (63/463) of their points in the first quarter.

Much of their yardage and points came only after trailing by multiple scores.

Two games from 2008 really stand out to confirm this.

The first one was a 34-32 loss to Denver.

At first glance, you see that Drew Brees threw for over 400 yards. Dig deeper and you notice that the Saints trailed 21-3 in the second quarter and needed a furious comeback just to have a chance to win.

The second game was a similar contest against Carolina.

Again the Saints lose by just two points, this time 33-31. Brees throws for 386 yards and four touchdowns.

Look closely, though, and you'll see that Brees needed 49 passes to accomplish this personal feat. The Saints trailed 23-3 in the second quarter before briefly taking a 31-30 lead late in the game.

This is not to say that the Saints' offense wasn't good in 2008. It was. It just wasn't as good as some analysts will have you think.

Here's What's Changed

Coach Payton has found that the key to a consistently good offense is balance in play calling.

The Saints are running the ball more than they ever have under Sean Payton and it is paying off.

Pass/run ratio

2006: 56/44 (10-6)

2007: 63/37 (7-9)

2008: 62/38 (8-8)

2009: 48.7/51.3 (5-0 through six weeks)

Points per game

2006: 25.8 (Fifth in the NFL)

2007: 23.7 (10th)

2008: 28.9 (First)

2009: 38.4 (First - through six weeks)

One thing that I quickly noticed was that the Saints' offense was at its worst when they passed the ball the most often.

New Orleans has scored 45, 48, 27, 24, and 48 points in five games this season. More importantly, the Saints are scoring early in games.

The Saints have scored 25 percent (48/192) of their points in the first quarter, which is nearly double their output last year.

Incredibly, the new pass/run ratio has helped Brees become an even better quarterback.

He hasn't had to force any passes, and defenses now must respect the play-action fake and prepare for a running attack that's averaging about 160 yards per game.

Even though he is on pace to throw for about 600 yards fewer than he did last year, he is on track to throw for more touchdowns and fewer interceptions than ever in New Orleans.

2009 projected stats: 4,480 yards, 42 touchdowns, and just six interceptions.

When It All Changed

Many observers and analysts seem to think coach Payton had his epiphany during the offseason when he tinkered with the idea of bringing in Edgerrin James before ultimately sticking with Pierre Thomas, Reggie Bush, Mike Bell, and Lynell Hamilton.

I say they're wrong. I think the light switch went on near the end of last season.

The 6-5 Saints headed into Tampa Bay with slight playoff hopes.

But even though the game was played on a rain-soaked field, Payton called 48 pass plays and just 18 running plays. That kind of ratio suggests that the Saints were getting blown out and needed to catch up early.

The game, however, was close throughout as neither team led by more than 10 points as the Saints ultimately lost by three and fell to 6-6 and all but out of the playoff chase.

Payton called a new kind of game the following week against Atlanta.

The Saints called 32 pass plays and 30 run plays as the team accumulated 184 yards on the ground and pulled out a thrilling 29-25 victory.

I think Payton kept those two weeks in the forefront of his mind as he prepared for this season.

Brees, Saints Dwarf Giants As New Orleans Matches Best Start in 16 Years

Paul Augustin, Jr. — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:40:48 -0400

So much for a bye week messing up the rhythm of the league's best offense.

I'd like to say that I had this game figured out, but I'd be lying if I did.

You see, I assumed that because the Saints had failed miserably in every other game immediately after a bye week under Sean Payton, they would struggle against a good team like the New York Giants.

I figured that the Giants, who were missing several defensive starters in the back seven, would rely on the strength of their ferocious down linemen to get constant pressure on Drew Brees.

To the disappointment of some of my friends and family (and myself), who are all big Saints' fans, I picked the 5-0 Giants to win, 31-27.

It was the Saints, instead, who would remain undefeated and move to 5-0.

About the only thing right about my prediction was that the losing team scored 27 points.

New Orleans out-played New York in nearly every facet of the game.

Offensively, they gained about 500 total yards, scored seven touchdowns with seven different players, converted more than half of their third downs, had a 12-minute edge in time of possession, and played a turnover-free game.

The defense held Eli Manning to under 50 percent passing and forced two turnovers.

In my game preview, I stated three keys for a Saints victory. Let's see how the Saints did...

1) Start Fast

Check.

I would say scoring a touchdown on each of their first four possessions, jumping to a 20-3 lead, and nearly setting a franchise record with 34 points in the first half qualifies as starting fast.

2) Neutralize the Giants' front four.

Check again.

The Giants' front four got one hit on Brees and never sacked him.

It seems that the closest they got to pressuring Brees was the three times they jumped offsides.

3) Slow down the Giants' running game.

Uncheck.

The Giants only ran the ball 19 times, because they were down by two or more scores for most of the game.

Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw combined to average 4.8 yards per carry and one touchdown.

The Saints need to improve this aspect of their game as they should expect a heavy dose of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams in Miami next weekend.

Most Impressive Stat of the Game

Brees averaged 12.3 yards per throw , not per completion.

Saints fans can stop worrying about his two-game drop in production.

Most Disappointing Stat of the Game

Domenik Hixon returned nine kicks and punts for 281 total yards.

The Saints' biggest weakness in three of their five games has been their kick and punt coverages.

Game Balls

If the team is going to give a game ball to coach Adam Zimmer, then so will I. His mother died suddenly on Oct. 8th. Adam's father is Cincinnati Bengals' defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer.

Drew Brees tossed four touchdown passes in three and a half quarters.

Marques Colston had 166 yards and caught each of the eight passes thrown his way.

Jabari Greer intercepted his first pass of the season and tied for the team lead with five tackles.

Saints Face Giant Task In New Orleans As Unbeatens Prepare For Battle

Paul Augustin, Jr. — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:57:44 -0400

In what is surely the game of the week in the NFL, the team from the Big Easy looks to complete its sweep of teams representing the Big Apple.

The 5-0 New York Giants, fresh off of a whipping of the pathetic Oakland Raiders, take on the 4-0 New Orleans Saints who are back after an early bye week.

The Giants hold a 14-10 all-time series edge but the Saints have won two of the past three games against New York.

The Saints won a 2003 matchup in the Superdome 45-7. This game is best known for then-Saints receiver Joe Horn's cell phone celebration.

Horn, who would set a team record with four receiving touchdowns in a game, pulled out a cell phone planted in the padding of the goal posts while celebrating a touchdown that put the Saints up 17-7.

Two years later, the Saints would travel to the Meadowlands to face the Giants in a "home" game. Hurricane Katrina had devastated New Orleans just weeks before and no definitive plans had been set for Saints home games.

New Orleans lost 27-10.

In 2006, the Saints won 30-7 in their most recent trip to Giants Stadium.

The Saints will win the game if they...

1) Start fast.

The Saints are 0-3 under Sean Payton in games played immediately after the bye week. It seems that the Saints' passing game, which depends so much on timing and accuracy, takes a while to shake the rust off when returning from a bye.

Here are some notes from the three most recent games the Saints have played after a bye.

2006: Baltimore 35, New Orleans 22 (home). Saints enter game at 5-1.

Saints fell behind 21-0; trailed 28-7 at half.
Offensive line played terrible.
Brees threw three interceptions, two returned for touchdowns.

2007: Carolina 16, New Orleans 13 (home). Saints enter game 0-3.

Saints had lost each of the past three games by at least 17 points.
Saints were tied 6-6 at half.
Brees threw two interceptions.
This was the beginning of "CUT OLINDO MARE NOW!!!"

Mare missed two field goals in the game. He had a 20-yarder BLOCKED and also missed a 54-yarder with 2:12 left in the game.

Mare was acquired from the Miami Dolphins for a sixth round pick for his "strong leg." The Saints cut John Carney in favor of Mare.

Both Giants and Saints fans see the irony in this.

Carney replaced injured Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes last season and made the Pro Bowl. Now he's a member of the Saints (at least for now) after rookie Garrett Hartley test positive for Adderall.

Mare, by the way, is missing crucial field goals for the Seattle Seahawks.

2008: Atlanta 34, New Orleans 20 (away). Saints enter 4-4 after returning from London.

Saints trailed 17-6 at half.
Brees threw three interceptions.

Do you notice a trend?

The Saints start very slowly. Brees has one of his worst games of the season.

It didn't matter if the Saints were a good team (5-1), an average team (4-4), or a really bad team (0-3). They lost ugly.

2) Neutralize the Giants' front four.

New York has 14 sacks in five games. They are led by defensive ends Justin Tuck (four) and Osi Umenyiora (three).

Brees is actually statistically worse when rushed by only four defenders instead of being blitzed.

If the Giants can get pressure with four linemen, they will drop seven in coverage and make it difficult for Brees and his receivers.

3) Slow down the Giants' running game.

The Saints rank seventh in the league in rushing yards allowed, but they haven't faced the likes of Brandon Jacobs and Ahmed Bradshaw.

The duo has combined for 730 yards at 4.6 yards a carry.

Credit must also go to a physical offensive line that's led by guard Chris Snee.

The running game has helped the Giants enjoy an almost 13-minute advantage in time of possession per game.

The best way to slow down Drew Brees is to keep him off the field.

Three matchups to keep an eye on...

1) Jermon Bushrod/Zach Strief and Jonathan Stinchcomb vs. Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, and Mathias Kiwanuka.

I expect the Saints to use a running back to help chip these ferocious defensive ends, especially on the left side. Also look for tight ends Jeremy Shockey and David Thomas to stay in to block on third and long.

2) Darren Sharper vs. Eli Manning.

Sharper has a league-high five interceptions while returning two for touchdowns. However, Manning will be by far the most experienced and decorated (and richest) quarterback Sharper's faced all season.

3) Pierre Thomas vs. Antonio Pierce.

Pierce is the leader at linebacker for the Giants and leads the team in tackles. The Saints will be looking to establish the run game early as the offense looks to find their rhythm after a week off.

Thomas will get the bulk of the carries and has a deceptive ability to break tackles.

Predictions

Roman Harper will lead the team with 11 tackles.

Marques Colston will finish with seven catches, 121 yards, and two touchdowns. Most of his production will come in the second half.

Drew Brees will throw for 338 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions.

New Orleans will trail for the first time this season and fall behind 21-6 at half time because of a slow offensive start and poor field position.

New York 31, New Orleans 27

New Orleans Saints Report Card: Does 4-0 Record Equal 4.0 GPA?

Paul Augustin, Jr. — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:18:47 -0400

As the New Orleans Saints make the quarter turn and head into the bye week, there are a lot of positives.

No time to rest on the laurels, though. No one makes the playoffs for winning four games.

I guess it's the teacher/coach in me that says to want to always get better no matter how well things are going.

Coaching

Comments: The buzz word surrounding Sean Payton and his offense throughout the offseason was balance. I said I'd believe it when I see it.

How's this, doubting Thomas: 134 runs, 133 passes.

Last year the Saints had a run-pass ratio of 63:37.

Payton is committed to the running game and is using it to shorten the game after the Saints have a big lead.

And who's going to deny the Gregg Williams effect?

Don't look now but the Saints are a top ten defense that leads the league with 13 takeaways and 10 interceptions.

The opening game woes on the coverage units seem to have been fixed even though Malcolm Jenkins was inactive against the Jets.

Grade: A

Passing Offense

Comments: Drew Brees started off on fire and has since cooled down. He still has nine touchdowns and just two interceptions.

Brees has hit on 67 percent of his passes for over 1,000 yards.

Eight players have at least one catch per game and five of those players have caught at least one touchdown pass.

The passing game will get better as the health of Lance Moore improves. Moore has been battling shoulder and hamstring injuries.

Moore is the best Saints receiver at getting open in the short and intermediate routes that Brees thrives on.

The Saints offensive line has allowed just four sacks so far and none came against the Jets.

Keep this in mind if you are worrying about Brees' dip in production:

Never has the season's passing yardage leader won the Super Bowl.

Grade: A-

Rushing Offense

Comments: The Saints are out-rushing their opponents 2:1.

After recovering from a knee injury and missing the first two games (okay, so he played one snap against the Eagles), Pierre Thomas is taking over from where he left off in 2008.

He has scored three touchdowns and is averaging a whopping 6.4 yards per carry.

When the Jets closed to 17-10, the Saints turned to Thomas on three straight plays and he responded with 43 yards.

Mike Bell is still the team's leading rusher, but that won't last beyond another week with Thomas in the fold.

Even Reggie Bush is averaging 4.1 yards per carry!

The offensive line has taken over the game at times, particularly against the Bills and Jets.

The short yardage game could still use some improvement.

Anyone still want Edgerrin James?

Grade: A

Passing Defense

Comments: The Saints rank 14th in the league in passing yardage allowed.

Even while factoring in Kevin Kolb's 391 yards, the defense is still only allowing 248 yards per game through the air.

Opposing quarterbacks are completing just 54 percent of their passes while throwing 10 picks and getting sacked 10 times.

Teams have thrown an average of 38 times per game against the Saints because they are constantly trying to reduce huge deficits.

The Saints have not trailed for any of the 240 minutes this season and have won each game by at least two scores.

Don't get too caught up in the hype just yet, though.

The most experienced quarterback they have faced was Trent Edwards. They have gone against two rookies (Matthew Stafford and Mark Sanchez) and two quarterbacks making their first NFL start (Stafford and Kolb).

Three of the four quarterbacks the Saints will face in the second quarter, Eli Manning, Matt Ryan, and Jake Delhomme, have far more experience.

If the Saints can harass the next four quarterbacks the way they did the first four, I will grade them higher.

Grade: B

Rushing Defense

Comments: Kevin Smith, Brian Westbrook, Fred Jackson, and Thomas Jones are all good NFL running backs and none have really done a whole lot against the Saints rush D.

Now no one is going to confuse them with Adrian Peterson, Maurice Jones-Drew, Chris Johnson, and Steven Jackson but allowing just 83 yards per game is nothing to sneeze at.

Roman Harper has been closer to the line of scrimmage and leads the team with 29 tackles.

It only gets tougher as the Saints will face Brandon Jacobs, Ahmad Bradshaw, Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams, Michael Turner, DeAngelo Williams, and Jonathan Stewart over the next four games.

Grade: B+

Special Teams

I haven't heard anyone complain about trading draft picks for Thomas Morstead since the season started, have you?

Morstead has been the Saints' best special teams player.

He kicked off consistently into the end zone as Garrett Hartley served his four-game suspension.

He is averaging 43.7 yards per punt. None of his 15 punts have gone in the end zone, four have been pinned inside the 20, and only seven have been returned.

The coverage units have improved each week after allowing a 43-yard punt return and an 87-yard kick off return.

Dangerous return men DeSean Jackson, Roscoe Parrish, and Leon Washington were all held in check.

John Carney has been solid as a place kicker. He is six for seven and has made all of his extra points.

However, it is apparent the coaching staff doesn't trust his leg strength with their risky play-calling when drives stall on the outer edges of field goal range.

The return game has been a little bit disappointing. Bush has two muffed punts and lost one.

Grade: B-

Overall

There's not much to complain about after starting 4-0. Only four other teams (if Minnesota defeats Green Bay), haven't experienced a loss this season.

The defense and running game are vastly improved and have carried the Saints over the past two games.

New Orleans has a plus-seven turnover ratio and is holding the ball six and a half minutes per game longer than their opponents.

The road gets tougher in week six with a home date against the New York Giants, one of the four other undefeated teams.

Fortunately, three of the next four games are at home, including division games against Atlanta and Carolina.

The one road game is a very winnable game against Miami in week seven.

Grade: A-

Saints Roll as Sharper, Defense Smother Jets' Sanchez

Paul Augustin, Jr. — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 22:32:57 -0400

So much for losing a step and being too old.

Darren Sharper intercepted two more passes for the Saints to bring his NFL-leading total to five as the New Orleans Saints defeated the previously unbeaten New York Jets 24-10.

Sharper returned the first interception 99 yards for his second touchdown of the season.

The free safety completed his All-Pro performance with a team-high eight tackles.

Sharper, though, was not alone in the role of terrorizing rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez.

Defensive ends Will Smith and Charles Grant each had two sacks to lead the Saints pass rush.

The Saints' second touchdown came when Smith stripped Sanchez in the end zone and Remi Ayodele fell on the ball.

The suddenly stout defense has held an AFC East team to under 250 yards of total offense, forced multiple turnovers, and collected four sacks in consecutive weeks.

This is why Sean Payton used $250,000 of his own money to lure Gregg Williams to New Orleans.

Payton learned from the past two seasons that Brees, as great as he is, would not be able to single-handedly win every game.

He needed to have a defense that would, at the very least, not be a liability.

So far, mission accomplished.

Brees went a second straight week without a touchdown pass and less than 200 yards passing.

In years past, that would spell a two-game losing streak.

This year it means the Saints win both games by a combined score of 51-17.

In my preview of the Saints-Jets game, I listed three things the Saints must do to win. Here they are:

1. Run the ball effectively.

Check.

32 carries, 153 yards, and a touchdown. If not for two kneel downs to end the game, the Saints would have averaged more than five yards per carry.

Unless you count the last two plays of the game to run out the clock, New Orleans had three fewer drives than New York and still had a five-minute advantage in time of possession.

I'd say they ran the ball effectively.

2. Neutralize tight end Dustin Keller.

Keller was thrown to five times and caught three passes for 31 yards and no touchdowns.

He had one catch for 23 yards but was otherwise ineffective.

3. Shake, Rattle, and Roll quarterback Mark Sanchez.

Sanchez had two rookie moments in the game and both led directly to New Orleans touchdowns.

The first was when he stared down his receiver in the end zone and threw his first interception to Darren Sharper.

The second was when he couldn't feel the pressure on his blind side as he rolled in the end zone and got stripped.

Sanchez had a bad game, but he showed signs that he's going to be a good quarterback in this league.

Questions that were answered in week four...

1. How well will the Saints handle the success of starting 3-0?

Very well, apparently.

The Saints came out with a swagger, but did not seem over confident.

Now the Saints are 4-0 for the first time since 1993, and I guarantee that they will remain undefeated after next week. (They have a bye)

2. How will the pass protection on the left side hold up?

Much was made about the Saints having to start Zach Strief at left tackle due to injuries to Jammal Brown and Jermon Bushrod.

Streif's name wasn't called once during the game and that's a good thing.

No penalties. No sacks.

Next up, Giants defensive end Justin Tuck.

3. How will Marques Colston do against Darrelle Revis?

Brees was just 2-for-6 when throwing to Colston and Revis was a big reason why.

Revis has shut down Andre Johnson, Randy Moss, and Colston in the first four weeks of the season.

He's headed for his second Pro Bowl and is likely the toughest corner the Saints will face all season.

For two weeks in a row the Saints have won with defense and an effective running game. I think there's a pattern developing here.

New Orleans' Jonathan Vilma Knows the N.Y. Jets, Saints D Dying to Meet Them

Paul Augustin, Jr. — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 00:02:50 -0400

New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan looks to give his former New York Jet teammates a rude welcome when the Jets visit the Superdome on Sunday.

Vilma, who was a first round draft pick by the Jets in 2004, is now in his second season as the leader of the Saints new and improved defense.

During his first two seasons manning the middle of the Jets' 4-3 defense, Vilma received numerous accolades. He was the AP Defensive rookie of the Year in 2004 and was named to the pro bowl the following season.

Coach Eric "the Mangenius" Mangini (how does that moniker look now?), who was hired as the Jets' head man in 2006, switched to 3-4 defensive alignment. The alignment, which does not suit Vilma's strengths, took a toll on his production.

Vilma was traded to the Saints after the 2007 season, a season which was mostly spent rehabbing an injury to his leg that he suffered in the seventh game of the season.

Vilma's impact was immediately felt in New Orleans in the middle of their 4-3 defense.

He led the team with 132 tackles and did not miss a single defensive snap.

Vilma's 2008 production came from necessity. No other Saints player came within 40 tackles of Vilma's total.

This year is a different story.

While Vilma's production may be down just three short weeks into the season (16 tackles, one sack), he has not had to be the only play-maker in the front seven this year.

Strong safety Roman Harper has been playing closer to the line of scrimmage this season and leads the team with 23 tackles.

Linebacker Scott Shanle has been all over the field stuffing the run, covering linebackers, and intercepting passes. He is on pace to set a career high tackle mark for a season.

Free safety Darren Sharper is tied for the NFL lead with three interceptions.

As frustrating as last season may have been for Vilma, this season has been rewarding.

The Saints did not get their third win until week six against Oakland and did not post a winning streak longer than two games as they finished 8-8.

The defense, which now ranks 14th in points allowed and 10th in yards allowed, was ranked in the bottom half of both categories just a season ago.

The Saints will win on Sunday if they...

1. Run the ball effectively.

This will be the best defense the Saints have faced thus far and maybe the best they will face all season.

The Jets rank in the top five in points allowed, yards allowed, and passing yards allowed.

New York is tied for second in the league in quarterback rating against (50.2) and has only allowed five plays longer than 20 yards.

New Orleans proved last week against Buffalo that they can run the ball when necessary as they rolled up 222 yards on the ground. Pierre Thomas was a big part of that (126 yards, two touchdowns) and the Saints are counting on him again.

While the Jets have just four sacks in three games, they blitz often and aim to put pressure on the quarterback.

The best way to slow down a pass rush is with a good running game.

2. Neutralize tight end Dustin Keller.

Keller doesn't have overwhelming numbers, even for a tight end (nine catches, 140 yards, and a touchdown), but he could be a huge part of the Jets' plans against the Saints.

Philadelphia's Brent Celek (eight catches, 104 yards) showed that teams can have success with the tight end against the Saints.

The Jets are going to want to use the short passing game as a way to eat the clock and keep the New Orleans offense off the the field for as long as possible.

3. Shake, Rattle, and Roll quarterback Mark Sanchez.

Now we know why USC coach Pete Carroll advised against Sanchez entering the 2009 NFL draft. He wanted Sanchez for himself.

Sanchez has looked like anything but a rookie in his first three games as a pro.

He has completed 59 percent of his passes and owns a respectable 87.7 passer rating. He has been sacked five times in three games, and the Saints have the play-makers to get to the quarterback.

Sanchez will have to account Sharper on every play as the veteren will be looking to confuse the rookie on every snap.

Three questions to be answered in Week Four

1. How well will the Saints handle the success of starting 3-0?

It's easy to feel on top of the world when you've had consecutive disappointing seasons and are now experiencing success.

New Orleans last started 3-0 in 2006 on their way to their first ever NFC championship game.

The last time the Saints started 4-0 was in 1993 when they started 5-0 but finished 8-8 and out of the playoffs.

The year's squad has a much better quarterback to lead them than the 1993 team.

2. How will the pass protection on the left side hold up?

Pro Bowl left tackle Jammal Brown's season is officially over before it begins now that he's been place on injured reserve.

Jermon Bushrod has done a decent job in his absence but he suffered an ankle injury last week and was replaced by third-stringer Zach Strief.

3. How will Marques Colston do against Darrelle Revis?

Revis faced Houston's Andre Johnson and New England's Randy Moss in the opening weeks of the season and held them to eight catches and 59 yards combined.

Colston has had a nice season so far but is going to have to be at the top of his game to produce against Revis, who has established as a top-five corner in the NFL.

Prediction Time

I see this as a grind it out game that matches the wits of Saints coach and offensive guru Sean Payton and Jets coach and defensive whiz Rex Ryan.

However, don't forget to throw in Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and Jets offensive coordinator Brian Shottenheimer.

Williams has whipped this defense into respectability while Shottenheimer has been instrumental in Sanchez's development.

The Saints, who have not trailed at all this season, won't either in this game as they pull away in the second half.

New Orleans 23, New York 10

New Orleans Saints' Win Over Bills Their Most Impressive of The Season

Paul Augustin, Jr. — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 21:50:40 -0400

Who Dat?! Who Dat?!

Who Dat say they gonna run the ball with authority, play great defense, and win on the road despite a sub-par game from Drew Brees?!

The Saints? Really?!

They did just that as they defeated the Buffalo Bills 27-7 to move to 3-0.

In the process, Sean Payton's team is proving that they are not the same ol' Saints.

The Saints may have scored more points in each of their first two games and won by more points against Philadelphia, but their week three victory over Buffalo may later prove to be one of the defining games of the season.

Before you scoff at such a notion, take into account some of these facts:

The Saints were playing in their second of back to back games on the road, both more than 1,200 miles from home.
Drew Brees (16 for 29, 172 yards, zero touchdowns, sacked twice, lost a fumble) was merely average.
Lynell Hamilton, the Saints' fourth running back, scored the game's first touchdown.
Buffalo scored a touchdown on a fake field goal.
The Saints punted on four straight possessions (not including the one play to end the first half).
Despite all of this, the Saints still won by 20.

One of the knocks against Sean Payton's Saints is that they weren't mentally tough and couldn't close out games.

This label was well-deserved. New Orleans lost six games last season by seven points or less.

The defense seemed to always allow the big play at the worst possible time (see last season's losses at Washington and Chicago).

The Saints began shedding that label by outscoring the Bills 17-0 in the fourth quarter and holding Buffalo to 243 total yards, more than 100 below their average.

They extended a 10-7 lead to a 27-7 final margin.

The defense held running back Fred Jackson, who came in averaging 164 total yards from scrimmage, to 97 yards and 3.9 yards per carry.

Charles Grant, (yes, Charles Grant) led a fierce pass rush that recorded four sacks, 14 quarterback hits, and helped hold quarterback Trent Edwards to a passer rating of 56.4.

The defense had a total of eight tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

Offensively, the Saints proved that they are not just Drew Brees and 10 other players.

Each of the Saints' three running backs averaged at least 4.8 yards per carry. Pierre Thomas gained all of his 126 yards and two touchdowns in the second half.

New Orleans ran the ball 38 times for 222 yards and three touchdowns while passing 29 times for just 172 yards (not including sacks) and no touchdowns.

All of this while playing much of the second half with third-string left tackle Zach Strief.

When did the Saints offense decide to start imitating the 2008 Baltimore Ravens?

As the two teams combined for 11 punts and three turnovers in the first 49 minutes of the game, I know that I was thinking what most other long-suffering Saints' fans were thinking:

Just how long can this suddenly impenetrable defense hold out against a team that came in averaging 28.5 points per game?

Turns out, the defense did just fine.

They allowed just one play longer than 18 yards, and that was the 25-yard touchdown off the fake field goal.

Trent Edwards was held to 4.5 yards per pass.

Jabari Greer and Will Smith combined to create one of the game's biggest plays.

With the Saints clinging to a 10-7 lead late in the third quarter, Edwards had driven the Bills 70 yards to the Saints 27-yard line and faced a third and three.

Edwards' pass, intended for Terrell Owens, was tipped by Greer and intercepted by Will Smith.

From that point forward, the defense allowed just 18 yards on 16 plays, while the offense scored 17 points to put the game away.

New Orleans, if only for one game, has shown they can win with defense, a running game, and mental toughness.

Saints-Bills: Three Keys To a New Orleans Win at Buffalo

Paul Augustin, Jr. — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 08:38:54 -0400

How do you like me now?

That has got to be the New Orleans Saints' attitude in regards to the national media and non-Saints fans after their 2-0 start.

After posting 45 points against the Detroit Lions, many critics said, "Yeah, that was good, but it was against the Lions. You won't match that against the Philadelphia Eagles' defense."

48 points later, not only did they match it, but they surpassed it on the road in a hostile environment.

Unfortunately, the Saints will have to march into Buffalo without running back Mike Bell. Bell is fourth in the league in rushing and has one touchdown.

Pierre Thomas, now back healthy after suffering a sprained MCL in the preseason, will have to carry the load for the Saints' running game.

The Saints will win if...

1) The passing game can flourish even in the wind and rain

The entire New Orleans Saints organization, not just the offense, relies so much on quarterback Drew Brees.

Brees has had ideal passing conditions in the Superdome and at Lincoln Financial Field. Now he must go to Buffalo, a town known for giving opposing quarterbacks a difficult time.

The forecast in Buffalo calls for a windy, wet afternoon.

Brees and his receivers are going to have to turn up their concentration levels even higher than usual in order to be successful.

Jeremy Shockey's impact should be substantial in this game. Patriots tight-end Benjamin Watson exploited the Bill's defense for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter in New England's thrilling fourth quarter comeback victory in week one.

Look for Brees to take advantage of Buffalo's 31st ranked pass defense.

2) The defense slows down running back Fred Jackson

Fred Jackson has been a big reason why the Buffalo Bills are averaging 28.5 points per game.

Jackson leads the team in both rushing and receiving yards. He has more catches (11) than wide receivers Lee Evans and Terrell Owens have combined (nine).

Jackson has been getting the carries that suspended running back Marshawn Lynch usually gets, but I don't see him ceding the carries to Lynch when he returns in week four.

As Jackson goes, so does the Bills offense.

3) New Orleans limits Buffalo's big plays

The Saints have surrendered big plays in each of the first two games. Luckily, the Saints have been able to overcome them with big plays of their own.

Buffalo has big-play ability all over the field.

Wide receivers Lee Evans and Terrell Owens have the ability to break a play wide open and score a touchdown.

Roscoe Parrish, the Bills' ace return man, has returned a punt for a touchdown in each of the past three seasons and has led the NFL in yards per return the past two years.

On paper, the Saints appear to be the more talented team, but they can't allow the Bills to gain momentum with big plays.

Three questions for New Orleans headed into week three...

1) How will the running game look?

The offseason expectations for Pierre Thomas were high. He had over 900 yards in total offense to go along with 12 touchdowns last year. He hasn't played more than a few downs this season as he makes his way back from injury.

2) How will Jabari Greer perform in his return to Buffalo?

Greer spent his first five seasons in Buffalo before moving to New Orleans this past offseason. As a Saint, he has been playing as one of the top two corners on the roster.

Players always get extra pysched up when they face their old team. It'll be interesting to see how Greer reacts to playing in his old stadium.

3) How will the Saints handle the Bills' no-huddle attack?

The Saints use the no-huddle but only in certain circumstances. The Bills use the no-huddle constantly.

Last week the Saints allowed the Eagles to hold the ball on one drive for over eight minutes but were given the opportunity to sub in players on that drive because the Eagles used a huddle.

They won't have that luxury against Buffalo.

Prediction...

New Orleans 28, Buffalo 24

Don't Overlook This Player When Talking About the New Orleans Saints

Paul Augustin, Jr. — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 22:38:03 -0400

Devery Henderson, for the vast majority of his career, has been a "yeah, but..."

"Yeah, Devery's got great speed, but he runs poor routes."

"Yeah, Devery's led the league two of the past three seasons in yards per catch, but he has too many drive-killing drops."

Yeah, but not anymore.

When Henderson became an unrestricted free agent this past spring, I thought he was long gone. In my mind, the Saints would not want to spend a lot of money for someone who had been no better than their third wide receiver, and Henderson's speed would make him a tempting commodity for any team that badly needed to upgrade their wide receiver corps.

Man, was I wrong.

Not only was Henderson one of the first free agents to re-sign with the Saints, but he did it to the tune of four years, $12 million.

Now I know that's not a whole lot in today's NFL, but it is for a guy who catches the ball twice a game.

Even tough he seemed to have improved upon his career-long concentration issues in 2008, Henderson's signing was one of those things that made me go "hmmm."

He should have had more than 32 catches in a season in which Marques Colston, Jeremy Shockey, and Reggie Bush all missed considerable time.

Lance Moore's 2008 emergence, the expectations placed on former first round pick Robert Meachem, and Sean Payton's infatuation with Adrian Arrington seemed to have Henderson no better than fourth on the depth chart and possibly fifth.

Wrong, again.

The Saints waived Arrington when rosters had to be trimmed to 53 and Henderson opened the season with five catches, 103 yards, and a touchdown against the Lions.

He followed that up with three catches for 71 yards against the Eagles secondary.

More importantly, he has yet to drop a catch-able ball during this young season.

He is second on the team with 12 targets. Drew Brees is 8-12 for 174 yards and one touchdown when throwing to Henderson this season.

Expect Henderson's productivity (and fantasy value) to improve as the season wears on. Two of the three catches he had against Philadelphia came on third and long, and Brees values receivers he can count on in big-time situations.

If he can continue to come through in the clutch, he will turn himself into a "yeah!" receiver.

No buts about it.

New Orleans Saints Pluck Eagles on the Road, Move to 2-0

Paul Augustin, Jr. — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 19:04:48 -0400

All week long, the New Orleans Saints heard the noise.

The only reason they were able to score 45 points in week one is because they were playing the Detroit Lions at home.

No way they'd be able to match that on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Well, they didn't match it. They surpassed it.

Drew Brees and his offensive machine rolled up 41 points on the Eagles, and safety Darren Sharper added a late touchdown on a 97-yard interception return to lead the Saints to a 48-22 victory over the Eagles.

The Saints opening drive, just like last week's, culminated with a touchdown pass to Marques Colston. This one was right over the head of Pro Bowl safety Asante' Samuel.

Colston now has three touchdowns in two games. I'd say he is back from last year's injury.

Devery Henderson later abused Samuel in the second quarter. On third and 12 and on their own side of the field, Henderson hauled in a 16-yard pass right in front of Samuel to keep the drive alive.

That drive later ended, though, when linebacker Akeem Jordan made a leaping, one-handed interception deep in Saints' territory.

While the Saints held just a 17-13 lead at the half, they bust the game wide open in the third quarter.

New Orleans forced and recovered a fumble on the second half kickoff. Eagles' quarterback Kevin Kolb, making his first career start, threw an interception to Scott Shanle on the Eagles' second play from scrimmage in the second half.

The Saints turned both turnovers into easy touchdowns, and a 17-13 lead exploded into a 31-13 lead.

The defense pressured Kolb throughout the day. Even though they only registered two sacks, they forced Kolb to check down to tight end Brent Celek and to throw the ball away to the sidelines on several occasions.

Celek was impressive, as his physical play helped him to a 104-yard receiving day.

The defense did allow 463 yards, but 130 of those yards came on four fourth-quarter drives after the outcome was no longer in doubt.

By the way, the only points on those four drives were scored by Darren Sharper.

In my Saints-Eagles preview, I listed three things the Saints must do to win. Let's re-visit them:

1) Cut down on turnovers.

Check. The Saints turned it over just once and never fumbled the ball.

2) Improve drastically on special teams.

There was an improvement, but it wasn't perfect.

Positives: Forced and recovered a fumble on a kickoff return. Held DeSean Jackson to just five yards on two punt returns after he torched the Panthers for an 85-yard touchdown. Thomas Morstead averaged 52 yards on three punts.

Negatives: Allowed a 63-yard kickoff return which led to a fourth-down touchdown. Morstead kicked the ball out of bounds on an early kickoff.

3) Run the ball effectively between the tackles.

Check again. Mike Bell, who is the anti-Reggie Bush in that he rarely bounces the ball outside behind the line of scrimmage, was good for 86 yards and touchdown.

The only question I have is this: Why is Sean Payton risking a safety by handing the ball off to Bush from the Saints' own 1-yard line?

I also posed three questions for the Saints as they headed into week two. Let's see how they were answered them:

1) Will Jermon Bushrod improve in his second career start?

He improved but still gave up a sack to Trent Cole. He will have his hands full again next week against Buffalo's Aaron Schobel.

2) How effective will the pass rush be?

The stat sheet will show that the Saints got just two sacks on Kolb, but it won't show how many times he had to get rid of the ball quickly by throwing it out of bounds.

All in all, the pass rush was about average and needs to steadily improve over the course of the season.

3) Does Reggie Bush bounce back after a poor performance?

Bush had a better game than he did last week when he fumbled the ball twice. He managed 76 total yards and a touchdown. He also had a key 29-yard reception that led to Colston's second touchdown.

He was ineffective, though, as a punt returner. He lost six yards on one of his two returns.

Overall, you can't ask the Saints to play much better than they did against the Eagles. New Orleans committed just three penalties for 13 yards and held Philadelphia to just one touchdown in five trips to the red zone.

They scored 48 points and won convincingly against a good NFC team that was celebrating its home opener.

Saints-Eagles: Three Things New Orleans Must Do to Beat Philadelphia

Paul Augustin, Jr. — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 12:44:35 -0400

Both the New Orleans Saints and the Philadelphia Eagles came into the season surrounded by playoff expectations.

They did nothing in week one to dispel those feelings as they defeated their opponents by a combined 46 points and forced 10 total turnovers.

The two teams should provide each other with much better competition in week two.

A win in Philadelphia would be huge for the Saints. If the Saints want to establish themselves as an elite team in the NFC, they need to win on the road against the league's best.

Sunday's victor will have a leg up on the other as they battle throughout the season for a playoff spot and a possible first-round bye.

The Saints' 2006 regular season victory over the Eagles proved to be pivotal in race for a playoff bye.

Both teams finished the regular season with 10-6 records, but the Saints' victory allowed them to have a first-round bye. New Orleans then defeated Philadelphia at home to advance to the NFC championship.

The Saints can beat the Eagles whether Donovan McNabb plays or not. In order to win, though, they must play better than they did against the Detroit Lions.

Three things the Saints must do to beat the Eagles.

1) Cut down on the turnovers.

The Saints were able to defeat the Lions easily despite three turnovers because Detroit lacked production from the their running game and their defense. It also didn't help the Lions that they were starting a rookie quarterback.

New Orleans will not beat Philadelphia if they commit multiple turnovers, because the Eagles' defense won't allow the Saints to score 45 points.

2) Improve drastically on special teams.

The Saints special teams play was unacceptable last week against the Lions. Among the miscues were two fumbles (one lost), a blocked field goal, and allowing two returns that gave the Lions field position inside the Saints' 15-yard line.

These mistakes took three points from the Saints and gave the Lions another 10. If you gift wrap 13 points for a good team like the Eagles, you will get crushed.

Wide receiver DeSean Jackson had an 85-yard touchdown return for the Eagles against the Panthers. The Saints must neutralize him in order to win the field position battle.

The lone bright spot for the Saints on special teams was kickoff specialist/punter Thomas Morstead. He booted several kicks for touchbacks and his two punts averaged 48 yards.

3) Run the ball effectively between the tackles.

One of the pleasant surprises we saw from the Saints last week was their ability to run the ball up the middle consistently. Not only did Mike Bell run with authority, but the offensive line opened huge running lanes.

The Saints most effective play is the play-action pass. In order for it to be effective, though, there has to be some threat of a run.

An effective play-action pass slows down the pass rush and sucks in linebackers and safeties to give the wide receivers one-on-one matchups.

Three questions for New Orleans heading into week two.

1) Will Jermon Bushrod improve in his second career start?

Even though the left tackle did not allow a sack against the Lions, part of that was because of Brees' pocket awareness. Brees often had to scramble within the pocket because Bushrod was getting beaten by his man.

2) How effective will the pass rush be?

The Saints pass rush produced just one sack and four quarterback hits on Matthew Stafford. Some of the credit goes to the Lions for calling numerous three- and five-step drops for Stafford.

The Saints' front four only got two of the four quarterback hits, both from Will Smith.

3) Does Reggie Bush bounce back after a poor performance?

Bush was one of the few offensive players who had a bad game for New Orleans. His personal box score read as follows:

Seven carries for 14 yards, five catches for 55 yards, three punt returns for 11 yards, and two fumbles (one lost).

While the offense as a whole averaged 7.46 yards per play, Bush averaged just 5.75 yards from scrimmage.

Predictions

Running backs Mike Bell and Pierre Thomas will have 30 carries and at least 130 yards on the ground.

Robert Meachem will lead the team in receiving yardage.

Drew Brees will pass for over 250 yards but less than 300. He will throw three touchdowns and one interception.

Jabari Greer and Darren Sharper will each have an interception.

The Saints will allow fewer points against the Eagles than they did against the Lions.

New Orleans 31, Philadelphia 24.

Saints-Lions: Brees Tosses Six Touchdowns as Saints Tame Lions, 45-27

Paul Augustin, Jr. — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 18:51:11 -0400

Saints quarterback Drew Brees tied a career high with six touchdown passes as the New Orleans Saints defeated the Detroit Lions, 45-27. Brees tossed touchdowns to five different receivers, including two to tight end Jeremy Shockey.

In my Saturday preview, I asked five questions about the Saints as they headed in to week one. Here are the answers.

How will the running game look with Pierre Thomas out of the lineup?

Mike Bell had a career game even though he didn't score a touchdown. He set career highs for yardage (143) and carries (28). Bell was key on the Saints' last drive when they were trying to run out the clock as he gained 28 yards on six carries.

Bell's one negative play came in the third quarter when he was stood up for a loss and fumbled the ball away. The Lions returned the fumble 65 yards for a touchdown.

Is Reggie's knee finally healthy?

Bush did not appear injured but probably had the worst game out of anybody on the field. He fumbled the ball twice on punt returns and didn't gain yardage running the ball until late in the fourth quarter.

I expect wide receiver Rod Harper to be activated next week against the Eagles in order to return punts.

How often will Gregg Williams dial up a blitz for rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford?

I was surprised at how little Williams blitzed the rookie, but that's probably why he's coaching in the NFL and I'm sitting on my couch.

New Orleans sacked Stafford just once but intercepted him three times.

Even though the team allowed 27 points, much of that came because of a fumble return and poor special teams play. The Saints held the Lions to just 231 yards of total offense.

How well will the Saints defend against wide receiver Calvin Johnson?

Overall, Saints fans should be pleased with the coverage against Johnson. He caught just three passes and 64 of his 90 yards came when he was being covered by rookie Malcolm Jenkins. Jenkins was covering Johnson only because Tracy Porter was on the sidelines momentarily with a minor injury.

Johnson was thrown to 13 times and was blanketed most of the day by double coverage.

Can the defense keep up the turnover pace it set in the first three preseason games?

In a word, yes.

Darren Sharper had two interceptions and Scott Shanle had one. Surprisingly, the Lions, who fumbled the ball 31 times last year, did not fumble once against the Saints.

Three Other Observations

1. The Saints special teams were awful. Twice the Lions started drives inside the Saints' 20-yard line because of big kick and punt returns. Poor offensive line play got a Saints' 34-yard field goal blocked at the end of the second quarter.

The special teams ruined a good performance by the defense.

2. Except for the missed tackle on Calvin Johnson's 64-yard reception, the Saints pass defense did an excellent job keeping everything in front of them.

Critics who just look at the scoreboard are going to give this defense less credit than they deserve for this game. When the Lions started on their own side of the field, they only scored 10 points.

3. Saints tackle Jermon Bushrod, subbing for the injured left tackle Jammal Brown, did an outstanding job in his first career start. He did not commit a penalty. Bushrod more than held his own while opening up running lanes and holding off the Lions' pass rush.

A Glance at Next Week

The Saints head to Philadelphia to play the Eagles next week. The Eagles blasted the Carolina Panthers, 38-10 much thanks to Jake Delhomme's five turnovers. Brees will not turn the ball over nearly that much.

Also, the Eagles' quarterback Donovan McNabb cracked a rib diving for a touchdown Sunday and his status for next week is currently unknown.

Saints-Lions Preview: Five Questions For New Orleans Against Detroit

Paul Augustin, Jr. — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 09:19:41 -0400

The start of the regular season is upon us.

Finally.

It has been eight and a half months since the Saints have played a game that was worth something.

Hopes are high in New Orleans because of Drew Brees and new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. With all the anticipation, though, we really don't know what to expect.

Will the offense stay healthy this year? Will the running game get going or will Brees again have to drop back and throw it 40 times per game?

Is the defense ready to make a leap forward and be an asset? Is Sean Payton going to stick with the same punter for the whole season or is he already scanning the waiver wire?

While these questions will be answered throughout the season, here are five questions for week one.

How will the running game look with Pierre Thomas out of the lineup?

The Saints announced on Friday that Pierre Thomas, the Saints' starter at running back, is out for Sunday's game. Thomas sprained his MCL during the preseason.

To be honest, the Saints don't need him against the Lions.

While it would be nice to have all of the starters ready for the opening game, Mike Bell should fill in nicely as Thomas' replacement. There is no reason to risk Thomas given the arsenal at Drew Brees' disposal. Save him for next week in Philadelphia.

I expect Bell to be the main guy carrying the ball. He should get anywhere from 15-20 carries while Reggie Bush takes 10-12.

Speaking of Mr. Bush...

Is Reggie's knee finally healthy?

Reggie Bush touched the ball just three times in the preseason and hasn't played in a game in four weeks. Bush has has health issues as he has missed ten games over the past two seasons.

The Saints have been very cautious with Bush during training camp. He has been held out of several contact drills and is often seen icing his surgically repaired knee.

While the Saints don't need him to beat the Lions, it would be a good opportunity for him to shake off the rust. I expect Sean Payton to give him around ten touches just to get Reggie back into the groove of playing football.

How often will Gregg Williams dial up a blitz for rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford?

The opportunity to face a rookie quarterback on a bad team in his first NFL start had got to be a defensive coordinator's dream. Fantasy becomes reality for Gregg Williams as he puts the finishing touches on what should be an aggressive game plan.

For all the talent he faced in the SEC, Matthew Stafford has never faced the complexity of an NFL defense. To confuse Stafford, I'm looking for Williams to call a number of blitz packages.

The Saints can afford to blitz often because the Lions possess just one vertical threat, wide receiver Calvin Johnson.

Speaking of Mr. Johnson...

How well will the Saints defend against wide receiver Calvin Johnson?

As terrible as the Saints' secondary performed last year, they actually held Johnson to one of his worst performances of the season. Johnson caught just four passes for 64 yards in the week 16 New Orleans victory.

Johnson, though, is one of the most feared receivers in the game. Johnson led the league with 12 touchdowns and was fifth with 1,331 receiving yards. He did all of this as the only offensive threat on a win-less team.

Johnson could approach Randy Moss' 2007 numbers if he had Brees, Brady, or Peyton Manning as his quarterback.

Can the defense keep up the turnover pace it set in the first three preseason games?

The Saints were near the bottom of the league in forcing (29th) and recovering (26th) fumbles. Forcing turnovers has been a point of emphasis for Williams and it shows.

New Orleans forced three turnovers in each of its first three preseason games and forced one while playing mainly reserves in the final preseason game.

The Saints pass rushers should be looking to strip Stafford of the ball every time they get near him. The secondary, led by veteran safety Darren Sharper, will be trying to confuse the rookie as much as possible with a variety of looks.

I expect the Saints defense to get two or more turnovers against a rookie quarterback and a team that fumbled 31 times last season.

Final Prediction

The Lions are more talented this year but so are the Saints. I'm not sure how often a rookie quarterback wins his first start on the road, but it can't be a very high number.

New Orleans has high expectations this season. If they are to make the playoffs, they have to win the games like this one that they are supposed to win.

New Orleans 38, Detroit 13

Jordan Jefferson: LSU's Offense Will Go as Far as He Will Take It

Paul Augustin, Jr. — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:33:35 -0400

After the conclusion of LSU's victory over Washington to open the 2009 season, most of the commentary revolved around the inconsistent play of the defense and rightly so. The Tigers allowed nearly 300 yards in the first half alone.

However, I think the defense will solidify over the next few weeks before LSU hits the road again to face Georgia.

Besides the final score, I was most interested in the play of sophomore quarterback Jordan Jefferson because the quarterback play was an absolute nightmare for the Tigers last season.

The downfall started when ultra-talented quarterback Ryan Perrilloux was dismissed from the team in May 2008 for a long litany of reasons.

Harvard-transfer Andrew Hatch took over as the starting quarterback and only lasted three games before suffering a concussion against Auburn.

Freshman Jarrett Lee took over for Hatch and was the opposing team's best offensive weapons. Lee threw a half dozen interceptions that were returned for touchdowns.

Jefferson took over midway in a game against Ole Miss and has held onto the job since.

He is a dual-threat quarterback who is an unhyped version of Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor.

Pryor and Jefferson both are physical specimans. Pryor is listed at 6'6", 235 pounds while Jefferson is 6'5", 220. Like Pryor, Jefferson can run the ball with good speed when necessary.

My concern with Jefferson is his consistency. After going five for seven in the first half against Ole Miss, Jefferson was only five for 13 in the second half.

His second half woes continued against Arkansas. After leading the Tigers to 23 first half points, LSU scored just seven points in the second half as the team lost 31-30.

Perhaps Jefferson turned the corner against Washington. Jefferson seemed to improve as the game moved along and had two of his three touchdown passes in the second half.

What is clear for the Tigers is that the offense has a wealth of talent. Running backs Charles Scott and Keiland Williams form the best backfield duo in the SEC. Senior wide receiver Brandan LaFell has first round talent, and junior receiver Terrance Tolliver had his coming out party against the Huskies.

Jefferson, however, is the key to the offense. If he can't pass the ball consistently then LaFell and Tolliver cannot routinely make plays and Scott and Williams will have nowhere to run against elite defenses like Florida's and Alabama's.

While it is far-fetched to expect the 19-year old true sophomore to bring a national title to Baton Rouge this season, Jefferson should be able to help bring LSU back to respectability in the SEC.

College Football's National Champion Will Be One of These Seven Teams

Paul Augustin, Jr. — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:39:02 -0400

I am a big believer in the idea that if you want to predict the future, you have to use the past as your guide.

Predicting winners is never an exact science. If it was, then sports betting wouldn't be a multi-billion-dollar industry because all of us on the top half of the IQ ladder would never lose.

You and I don't know who is going to win the national title, but we all probably have our short list of top contenders.

I have looked at the past 10 BCS national champions (1999-2008) and have discovered five characteristics that all of these teams share. I have used these trends to narrow my list of national title hopefuls to seven teams.

While some of these teams are no-brainers, others may surprise you because they surprised me.

A BCS national champion must...

1. Begin the season ranked in the AP preseason poll top 20.

Every national champion has begun the season ranked in the AP top 20. Oklahoma, the 2000 champ, began the season ranked 19th.

Six of the past 10 winners started the year in the top five, while five were ranked either first or second in the AP preseason poll.

The trend holds true for a few reasons. First, teams ranked in the preseason poll generally were pretty good the previous season. If you were mediocre one year, you are not going to win it all the next.

Second, while I don't completely trust any of the polls because voters have their own agendas, the media has a pretty good sense of which teams are good and which aren't.

Third, it is tough to climb into the top five and stay there if you begin the season unranked. Those teams must go undefeated to even have a shot.

This criteria narrows the list to the following teams:

Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, Southern California, Alabama, Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Ole Miss, Oklahoma State, Penn State, LSU, California, Georgia, Boise State, Georgia Tech, Oregon, TCU, Florida State, Utah, and BYU.

Sorry Big East—your entire conference has been eliminated already.

2. Be a member of one of the six BCS conferences.

Every winner over the past decade has been a member of either the ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Pac-10, or SEC.

We have seen teams in the past go undefeated and not have chance to play for the national title because voters didn't respect the strength of their conference.

Teams eliminated: Boise State, TCU, Utah, and BYU.

Teams remaining: Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, Southern California, Alabama, Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Ole Miss, Oklahoma State, Penn State, LSU, California, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Oregon, and Florida State.

3. Have a junior or senior starter at quarterback who has previously started at least one game in his career.

There have actually been more juniors (seven) than seniors (three) that have won the national title as starters.

Ohio State's Craig Krenzel (three) and LSU's Matt Flynn (one) had the fewest career starts before the year they led their teams to a national title, but both had a previous bowl victory under their belts.

As gifted and hyped as some of these freshmen and sophomores are, they will not be hoisting the crystal ball this year. Even Tim Tebow didn't win it all in his first year as a starter.

Teams eliminated: Oklahoma, Southern California, Alabama, Ohio State, LSU, and Georgia.

Oklahoma is eliminated because of the health of Sam Bradford. Even though there is no timetable set yet, he will likely miss at least a few weeks.

Teams remaining: Florida, Texas, Virginia Tech, Ole Miss, Oklahoma State, Penn State, California, Georgia Tech, Oregon, and Florida State.

4. Be in the top 25 in the country in scoring offense.

The one exception to this rule is the 2002 Ohio State team. They were 41st in scoring. Only two other national champions over the last 10 years were outside the top 15 (2003 LSU—19th, 2006 Florida—23rd).

Of course, we are only one week into the season, and making judgments with this year's rankings would be absurd. To help me out, I used last year's rankings as a guide.

Teams that are good offensively one year are usually good the next year unless they lose key players to substantial injuries (Oklahoma). Florida State (28th), California (31st), and Ole Miss (32nd) all ranked just outside the top 25 last season and have a good chance to move up in the rankings because they return starting quarterbacks.

However, Georgia Tech ranked just 58th last year, and I don't think they can move up enough in the rankings. I also don't see the triple option working against the very best defenses in the country.

Teams eliminated: Georgia Tech

Teams remaining: Florida, Texas, Virginia Tech, Ole Miss, Oklahoma State, Penn State, California, Oregon, and Florida State.

5. Be in the top 25 in the country in both scoring defense and total defense.

Again, the one exception is 2002 Ohio State. While they were second in points allowed, they were just 23rd in yards allowed.

Here's one other note about the 2002 Ohio State Buckeyes: Five of their conference games were decided by seven points or less, including an overtime victory at Illinois.

While it is important to have a good offense, it seems to be even more important to have a good defense.

Every champ over the past 10 years, except the 2007 LSU Tigers, ranked in the top 10 in scoring offense. Seven of those recent champs ranked in the top 10 in both scoring defense and total defense.

Again, I used last year's rankings as a guide because it is too early to use this year's.

Last year, Texas was 51st in yards allowed and 18th in points allowed. However, they played four straight games against teams that ranked in the top eight in total offense.

Most of the remaining teams had above average defenses last year. Oregon (78th in points, 82nd in yards) and Oklahoma State (76th in points, 93rd in yards), however, have too much of a defensive liability to slow down the best offenses in the country.

Teams eliminated: Oregon and Oklahoma State

Teams remaining: Florida, Texas, Virginia Tech, Ole Miss, Penn State, California, and Florida State.

Final Notes and Predictions

Virginia Tech and Florida State already have one loss and would have to run the table to even have a shot at the national title game because the ACC is widely regarded as being one of the weaker BCS conferences.

It appears that Penn State will be favored in every game they play and have the benefit of playing Ohio State at home this year. The Nittany Lions will win the Big Ten.

California has a tough schedule but gets to host Southern California. The Golden Bears will win the Pac-10.

Ole Miss has a favorable schedule. Their remaining road games are all against average to below average opponents (South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Auburn, and Mississippi State).

The Rebels are my favorite to win the SEC West because LSU and Alabama are both breaking in new starting quarterbacks.

Texas is clearly the best team in the Big XII with Bradford out for Oklahoma. I believe last year's denial to the Big XII championship game will fuel them this season.

The Florida Gators are the defending champs and return tons of talent, especially on defense.

BCS title game: Texas over Florida

College Football Helmet Stickers: BYU, OK State Earn Top Billing

Paul Augustin, Jr. — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 03:01:06 -0400

What an opening week for college football—and it's not even over yet!

The football-loving world could not have asked for a much better first week.

The week has shown that this college football season is going to be just as unpredictable as always.

A Missouri team that lost it's top two offensive weapons, and returned a defense that allowed 132 points in its last three games, demolished an Illinois team with a senior quarterback.

A well-coached Navy team nearly took down the four-time defending Big Ten champs.

And we haven't even discussed the ramifications of Okalhoma's loss and Sam Bradford's injury.

There were so many story lines to follow as the week unfolded.

Alabama and Virginia Tech met in a game that featured two top ten teams. The first 19 points of the game were scored by the special teams before the Crimson Tide pulled away and won 34-24.

USC trailed San Jose State 3-0 after one quarter—and then true freshman Matt Barkley led the Trojans to 28 second quarter points.

Iowa survived against Northern Iowa by blocking two field goals as time expired.

Would Oregon's LeGarrette Blount be suspended for the rest of the year for punching Boise State's Byron Hout? He has been.

Now, it's time to hand out some helmet stickers.

Sticker No. 1 goes to...

BYU. Sure it helps that Heisman winner Sam Bradford couldn't play the second half, but the Sooners never led this game by more than six points.

The Sooners had scored an average of 68 points in their previous two season openers.

BYU quarterback Max Hall passed for 329 yards while receiving no support from the run game. His game-winning drive lasted 16 plays, amassed 78 yards, and chewed up 8:44 off the clock.

Sticker No. 2 goes to...

Oklahoma State. With all the talk about facing an SEC defense, the Cowboys were the ones flexing their defensive muscles.

Sure, Georgia has to adjust to life without quarterback Matthew Stafford and running back Knowshon Moreno, but it's always impressive when a top 15 team is held to 10 points and just three in the second half.

Star wide receiver Dez Bryant shook off a slow start to score two touchdowns.

Sticker No. 3 goes to...

Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen. I have ripped the Irish over the past few years, but Clausen's performance (315 yds, 4 TDs) against Nevada was impressive.

Nevada may not be a BCS school but don't forget that the Wolf Pack have been to a bowl game in four straight years.

Chump of the Week (not named LeGarrette Blount)

University of Virginia. Not only did they lose at home in a non-conference game by allowing 19 straight points, but it was against William & Mary!

Looking at Next Week

The hype of the season will have died down some by next Saturday and there aren't very many intriguing games in week two.

Oklahoma can survive without Sam Bradford next week against Idaho State, but I think they will try their hardest to have him back the following week against Tulsa.

USC @ Ohio State. There will be (and already has been) a lot of hype for this game. It is the only matchup between two ranked teams.

However, I think that it will be a snoozer. This game would be better played in the middle of the season when Terrell Pryor is more polished as a passer. The Trojans will run away with this one.

Notre Dame @ Michigan. This game is intriguing because of the coaches involved. Either Charlie Weis or Rich Rodriguez will be 2-0 after this one. My money is on the Irish.

New Orleans Saints Release Harrington and Spicer Among Others on Cut Day

Paul Augustin, Jr. — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 21:14:07 -0400

On Saturday, the New Orleans Saints reduced their roster size to the league-mandated maximum of 53 players.

In order to reach the maximum, the Saints used three roster exemptions for suspended players Charles Grant, Will Smith, and Garrett Hartley. The team also placed three players, tight end Billy Miller, safety Chip Vaughn, and fullback Olaniyi Sobomehin, on injured reserved.

The Saints then traded their seventh round pick in 2011 to the New England Patriots for tight end David Thomas. Thomas has 13 starts in three seasons and has been mostly utilized as a blocker.

While I earlier predicted that the Saints would keep Joey Harrington, there was no way that they were going to keep the third-string quarterback after a miserable performance in the final preseason game against the Miami Dolphins.

While there weren't too many surprises, I was a little surprised that the Saints chose to go with Jeff Charleston over Paul Spicer as a reserve defensive end. However, reserve players are expected to contribute on special teams and Charleston, 26, is much younger and faster than Spicer, 34.

Rod Harper clearly won over the coaching staff as he was the only "bubble" receiver to survive cut day. Coach Sean Payton said multiple times throughout training camp that the fifth receiver would have to make significant contributions on special teams, and Harper had two punts returns for touchdowns in the preseason.

Harper arrived in New Orleans after playing for the Arkansas Twisters in the al2.

Wide receivers Adrian Arrington, Skyler Green, and Courtney Roby all were placed on waivers.

Lynell Hamilton joins Pierre Thomas, Reggie Bush, and Mike Bell on the Saints depth chart as the fourth running back. Hamilton beat out undrafted rookies PJ Hill and Herb Donaldson for a roster spot.

The Saints can sign eight waived players to the practice squad starting late Sunday evening. Of the players waived by the Saints, I expect the team to sign Hill, cornerback Danny Gorrer, and tackle Jermey Parnell as part of their practice squad.

The Saints open the regular season at home against the Detroit Lions on September 13.

Ducks Smoke Blount: Why Oregon Made the Right Call To Ban Its Top Running Back

Paul Augustin, Jr. — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 12:46:26 -0400

The University of Oregon announced Friday it had suspended senior running back LeGarrette Blount for the remainder of the season, including a potential bowl game.

The suspension ends Blount's college career, since this was his last year of eligibility.

The Ducks' (now former) starting running back was expected to have a huge senior season. He rushed for 1,002 yards and 17 touchdowns last year—his first in Eugene.

Blount was named to the Doak Walker watch list during the summer. The Doak Walker award goes to the nation's best running back.

You can toss that and his aspirations for the NFL out the window after seeing him throw and land a punch on the jaw of Boise State defensive end Byron Hout after the conclusion of the Broncos' 19-8 home victory over the Ducks earlier this week, then proceed to shove his own teammate and attempt to take on a group of jeering fans.

Yes, it is clear that Hout provoked Blount by tapping him on the shoulder and verbally taunting him, but Blount's actions clearly crossed the line.

Blount should have expected a little bit of trash talking to come his way. Before the game, he was quoted in a Boise newspaper saying that his Ducks "owed the Broncos a (butt) whoopin'," after last season's 37-32 loss to Boise State in Eugene.

The University of Oregon's decision to suspend Blount is right for a few reasons.

For one, this was already Blount's second chance. He was suspended by the team during spring practices this past offseason.

Everyone should be afforded a second chance, but not necessarily third and fourth chances.

Secondly, if not for the restraint shown by the half-dozen or so Broncos that surrounded Hout, this could have turned into Miami-FIU Pt. 2. This could have easily turned into a 200-man melee and Blount would have understandably received the lions' share of the blame.

Lastly, Blount's ballistic reaction after being taunted by the home fans was maniacal. The scene in Boise could have gotten even uglier had police and coaches not restrained a volatile Blount and prevented him from going Ron Artest on the crowd.

While Blount's NFL dreams are likely over, he should be grateful that the University of Oregon is allowing him to remain on scholarship.

Countdown to Cut Down: Predicting the New Orleans Saints' Final Roster

Paul Augustin, Jr. — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 23:40:23 -0400

The decisions of a coach and a GM this week can make or break a young player's career.

This Saturday can be labeled Black Saturday, as many young NFL hopefuls and aging veterans alike anxiously await their football fates. NFL teams are required to trim their rosters from 80 down to 53 by the end of this week.

For the Saints, some players, such as Jason David and Glenn Pakulak, received their walking papers more than a week in advance. Others, like Skyler Green, Courtney Roby, and Anthony Hargrove, must sweat it out for one more preseason game before they learn their fates.

It appears that some of the position battles in New Orleans are so closely contested that Thursday's preseason game against the Miami Dolphins is do or die.

Here is how I predict the final 53-man roster will appear on Saturday.

Offense

QB—Three: Drew Brees, Mark Brunell, and Joey Harrington.

There has been some speculation that the Saints will only keep two quarterbacks. If that is the case, I expect the Saints to keep the younger Harrington over Brunell.

HB—Three: Pierre Thomas, Reggie Bush, and Mike Bell.

I think this is a position where the Saints are going to keep one less player than what is ideal. Even though the Saints are not a running offense, it's always good to have two power backs in the lineup. If Thomas or Bell gets hurt, the Saints have no depth behind them.

FB—One: Heath Evans.

This has been Evans' job to lose all summer. The Saints did not cut Mike Karney in favor of Evans for no reason. Olaniyi Sobomehin, it was nice butchering your name over and over. See you on the practice squad.

WR—Six: Marques Colston, Lance Moore, Devery Henderson, Robert Meachem, Rod Harper, and Adrian Arrington.

The first four receivers appear to be locks to make the roster. I have doubts about the last two.

Harper started off camp as maybe the eighth best receiver on the team, and now I have him at fifth because he has impressed with return ability and appears to be a weapon in the offense.

Arrington, on the other hand, is slipping. He has flashed some potential but has been slowed by injuries in consecutive training camps.

TE—Three: Jeremy Shockey, Billy Miller, and Darnell Dinkins.

Shockey and Miller are locks to make the roster, while Dinkins has made fewer mistakes than Buck Ortega.

OT—Four: Jammal Brown, Jonathan Stinchcomb, Zach Strief, and Jermon Bushrod.

If it wasn't for Brown's injury, then the Saints may have gone with just three tackles. Strief has been a reliable backup over the past few years, and Bushrod has started the last two preseason games in Brown's absence.

OG—Three: Carl Nicks, Jamar Nesbit, and Jahri Evans.

The Saints have two young, talented guards in Nicks and Evans.

C—Two: Jonathan Goodwin and Nick Leckey.

This is probably the weakest part of the offensive line. Goodwin and Leckey are serviceable but aren't nearly what Jeff Faine was when he was here.

Defense

DE—Five: Charles Grant, Will Smith, Bobby McCray, Paul Spicer, and Anthony Hargrove.

Unless you have been living under a rock for the past nine months, you know that Charles Grant and Will Smith will likely be suspended for four games this season. Because of this, New Orleans will have to keep one or two more defensive linemen than they want.

DT—Four: Sedrick Ellis, Kendrick Clancy, DeMario Pressley, and Remi Ayodele.

This group needs to get a more consistent push up the middle. My guess is that Sean Payton ends the Rod Coleman experiment (one tackle in three preseason games).

OLB—Four: Scott Shanle, Scott Fujita, Troy Evans, and Jo-Lonn Dunbar.

This group will look exactly as it did last year. All players in this group are solid, but none are spectacular.

MLB—Two: Jonathan Vilma and Marvin Mitchell.

Based on what I have seen so far, Vilma could turn into the best defensive player in the division.

CB—Five: Jabari Greer, Tracy Porter, Randall Gay, Malcolm Jenkins, and Leigh Torrence.

There shouldn't be any surprises here. Greer and Porter have looked outstanding all summer long. Jenkins is a first round pick.

Though Torrence has struggled at times, the Saints obviously see something in him since they re-signed him as a restricted free agent.

FS—Two: Darren Sharper and Usama Young.

In limited action, Sharper has shown a nose for the football. Young is wisely picking his brain.

SS—Two: Roman Harper and Pierson Prioleau.

Harper may be the biggest beneficiary of Gregg Williams' arrival. Prioleau has been with Williams almost his entire career and is a special teams ace.

Specialists

Punter—One: Thomas Morestead.

This race was officially over when the Saints cut Pakulak.

Placekicker—Two: John Carney and Garrett Hartley.

This was solely Hartley's gig until he got hit with the four-game ban. Last year, Carney was an injury replacement in New York for Lawrence Tynes and made the Pro Bowl.

LS—One: Jason Kyle.

He has had no competition since he arrived in New Orleans.

NFL teams can sign players to their practice squad beginning Sept. 7.

Dominant Rushing Attack Helps New Orleans Saints Dispatch Texans, 38-14

Paul Augustin, Jr. — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 09:22:43 -0400

It appears as if the Saints have found their third running back.

Mike Bell carried the ball 10 times for 100 yards, including a 46-yard touchdown run in the Saints 38-14 win over the Houston Texans.

Each of Bell's ten carries went for positive yardage.

New Orleans piled up 173 yards on the ground.

Drew Brees also looked sharp after missing most of the week to attend a memorial service for his mother.

Brees was perfect on the first drive that ended with a touchdown pass to Pierre Thomas.

Joey Harrington and Mark Brunnel combined to drive the offense 13 plays and 99 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter. The drive culminated in Herb Donaldson's 14-yard touchdown run.

Harrington left the game early in the drive due to a mild concussion he suffered after scrambling for 10 yards.

This game turned from shootout to blowout thanks in part to the defense's ability to adjust to the Texans and force turnovers.

After allowing 73 yards and a touchdown on the opening drive, the first unit clamped down on Houston and allowed only 50 yards of offense the rest of the first half.

Texans quarterback Matt Shaub looked sharp early on as he delivered the ball quickly and accurately in the first quarter.

Pro bowl receiver Andre Johnson had four first half catches but was held to just 38 yards.

Cornerbacks Jabari Greer and Tracy Porter and safety Darren Sharper each had tight coverage on Johnson.

Greer made an interception and returned it 23 yards, Porter ripped the ball out of Johnson's hands after one reception to cause a fumble, and Sharper batted a pass away from Johnson 15 yards down field.

The Saints held the Texans to less than three yards per carry.

The Saints biggest problems came on special teams.

New Orleans was flagged for consecutive illegal procedure penalties while attempting a field goal.

Kicker Garrett Hartley, who has come under scrutiny as of late, missed a 30-yard field goal attempt. He will likely miss the first four games of the season due to testing positive for a banned stimulant.

Hartley also missed a short field goal attempt last week against the Bengals.

The one bright spot on the special teams unit was wide receiver Rod Harper.

Harper, who is trying to beat out Skyler Green and Courtney Roby as the sixth receiver and punt returner, dazzled the Saints fans in attendance with a 79-yard punt return for a touchdown.

The Saints next preseason game is Saturday, August 29 at Oakland against the Raiders.

This will be the last preseason game before NFL teams have to trim their rosters from 80 players to 75.