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Good Luck and Geaux Saints!
Planning a Super Bowl party this year? You might want to use this week’s Monday Night Football matchup as a good opportunity for a trial run, as we could be watching a Super Bowl preview.
The Saints (10-0) are in the midst of the best season in franchise history and the Pats, short of a fourth quarter choke at Indianapolis two weeks ago, seem poised to challenge for another title in February.
The offensive explosiveness possessed by each team has forced sportsbook
to post a total of 56.5 and still the sports betting public is wagering on the “Over”, as many sportsbooks are reporting heavy action on the high side.
New Orleans averages 420 yards per game and 36.9 points. It’s down from their record breaking average of 39-plus points per game the team rode until Week 7 but still more than five points greater than the second place Minnesota Vikings.
New England ranks second in average yardage per game at 416 and with the best one-two wide receiver combinations in the league, the Pats can stretch the field against the greatest of defenses. Wes Welker had a super game against the Jets last week catching 15 balls for 192 yards. Welker makes blitzing Brady a real challenge for teams. His short underneath game sets up the long ball for Randy Moss. Moss is pretty much impossible to cover one-on-one and when he gets the double team, it usually creates a mismatch for Welker.
The Saints receiving corps is almost as impressive with Marques Coltson, Devery Henderson, Jeremy Shockey and Robert Meachem. Speaking of matchup problems, these four receivers will present some for the Patriots secondary. The Saints are hoping Reggie Bush can go coming off a knee injury. The early reports have him playing and if he is ready he can be a difference-maker, but usually plays a secondary role in the offense most games (ain’t that right Fantasy players).
This is a great coaching matchup with maybe the two brightest coaches in the game matching wits for the first time. Sean Payton is as creative an offensive coach as Belichick is a defensive strategist. Don’t expect Belichick to go for a 4th and short deep in his own end in this game but expect some interesting wrinkles from both coaches.
And of course the field generals need no introduction, with Tom Brady and Drew Brees probably guaranteeing this game gets the highest ratings of the regular season. Brady has more experience in winning the big game but the Saints have been charging hard all year and not one team has been able to top Brees’ offense to date.
Both teams have consistent, not spectacular, run games and while each squad has shown vulnerabilities on defense this year we have to expect them to bring their A-game to the dome on Monday Night.
Should be a great game. Good luck with your bets.
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This article is the first in a four-article series which will profile each of the picks in the New Orleans Saints 2009 draft class. Look for the others soon.
The New Orleans Saints pretty much surprised their fans when they traded their 2009 seventh-round pick and 2010 fifth-round pick to move up and select punter Thomas Morstead from Southern Methodist University.
In fact, most Saints fans gave the decision a thumbs down since the Saints already have punter Glenn Pakulak on the roster.
But head coach Sean Payton defended his decision and his player: “We think his career numbers, his workouts after the season had ended, and his most recent workouts were outstanding,” Payton said of the strong-legged, 6′4″, 225-pounder, who was rated by most scouts as the first or second-best prospect available at the position.
So the Saints made Morstead the second punter picked in the draft after the Cincinnati Bengals picked punter Kevin Huber out of the University of Cincinnati.
Morstead grew up in Pearland, Texas and chose SMU over TCU, Rice, Texas, and Missouri. While at SMU, he majored in mechanical engineering.
Morstead was regarded as one of, if not the best punter in the draft with scouts saying things like, “Great athlete, outstanding leg strength, can kick field goals, etc.”, but that really doesn’t make Saints fans feel much better about the pick.
In his three-year SMU career, he made 166 punts for 7,201 yards with 59 being falling inside of the 20-yard line. His average was 43.4 yards and his longest punt went for 72 yards. None of his attempts were blocked.
Saints fans can only wait and see if Morstead is indeed the real deal or if he is only one more draft day bust in the Saints’ long history of making such picks.
Former Carolina Panthers and current New Orleans Saints linebacker Dan Morgan is reportedly set to finally retire because of continued injuries.
Morgan has suffered multiple concussions over the span of his seven year career and signed with New Orleans last year after tearing his Achilles tendon in 2007.
He retired before the 2008 season began citing problems with injuries but decided to give it another go after the 2008-09 season ended.
Morgan’s decision was announced by his agent in several Twitter posts earlier today.
“Dan Morgan has informed the Saints that he has decided to retire due continued injuries. Dan would like to thank the Saints for the chance to come back this year, but injuries would not let him continue his career. His decision is final and he will be moving on to focus on his restaurant business in Charlotte. Dan also wants to be able to spend more time with his wife and children,” Rosenhaus reported over a span of three Tweets.
In his career, Morgan recorded 386 total tackles, 7 sacks, 5 interceptions, and defended 12 passes.
Saints officials are not available for comment at this time.
New Orleans Saints tight end Jeremy Shockey was rushed to a Las Vagas hospital after being found unconscious at the Hard Rock Casino at a pool party around 2 PM.
TMZ.com initially broke the story.
Shockey was released and ESPN’s Chris Mortenson is reporting that Shockey suffered a “bout of dehydration”.
Shockey was traded to the Saints last year from the New York Giants.
In his career, he has caught 421 passes for 4,711 yards and 27 touchdowns. He missed most of his first year with the Saints because of injuries but is expected to be a major contributor to the team this season.
The Lombardi Trophy will once again return to New Orleans, Louisiana in 2013.
The NFL announced today that the 2013 NFL championship game will return to the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans after not hosting the game since 2001.
The New England Patriots beat the St. Louis Rams, 20-17 as Pats kicker Adam Vinatieri made the game winning field goal with just seconds left to go on the clock.
The revenue from the event is expected to be especially invaluable to the city since the region is still recovering from Hurricane Katrina which flooded 80% of New Orleans in 2005.
The Superdome was seen around the country as a symbol of human suffering after thousands of New Orleanians had made the stadium their “shelter of last resort”.
The storm ripped parts of the roof off and water gathered in a small puddle at the 50 yard line as thousands of people sat in the sweltering heat and waited for help.
The Superdome was soon emptied but required millions of dollars in repairs and was ready in time for the Monday Night Football game between the Saints and Atlanta Falcons on September 23, 2006.
Ninety seconds into the game, Saints special teams guru Steve Gleason blocked a punt by Atlanta and Saints defensive back Curtis Deloatch recovered the ball in the end zone for a touchdown.
The Saints won the game 23-3.
The Saints have signed free agent defensive end Anthony Hargrove (above) and released defensive end Josh Savage. Hargrove is a five year veteran out of Virginia Tech and has played for the Buffalo Bills and St. Louis Rams.
In his career, he has made 134 total tackles, 10.5 sacks, and deflected 3 passes.
“He’s an interesting player,” said head coach Sean Payton.
Hi, Saints fans. I’ve been away from a computer for a while so I’m going to recap the Saints draft class with highlight videos. Looking forward to the upcoming season with these guys, except for Stanley Arnoux who is going to be out for the season. Too bad.
Malcolm Jenkins DB Ohio State
Chip Vaughn S Wake Forest
Stanley Arnoux LB Wake Forest
Thomas Morstead P SMU
Pretty much, I like the picks except for the Morstead pick. If you’re going to take a punter, fine, but don’t trade your seventh round pick and your fifth round pick in next year’s draft to take a punter in the fifth round that may not even make the team, that’s just my opinion.
New Orleans Saints cornerback Tracy Porter is the player in the red uniform (above, right). Incidentally, the wide receiver that he is trying to keep the ball away from is also a Saint, former Michigan Wolverines wide receiver Adrian Arrington.
Both players missed the bulk of the season due to injuries.
In Porter’s case, it was a wrist injury which he suffered after being named one of the starting cornerbacks by head coach Sean Payton.
Porter certainly wasn’t the second coming of Champ Bailey or Asante Samuel, but he was a solid guy that you could depend on (see highlights of Porter’s pro debut and some of his college highlights below).
The Saints want and will have to depend on Porter in the months ahead.
The only logical starting players at that position include Porter, newly signed, Jabari Greer, Jason David, Randall Gay, and possibly a Saint draftee.
It’s safe to assume, unless something bad happens, that Porter will be one of the starting cornerbacks when the Saints play the first team on their schedule.
The Saints secondary were awful last year. This year needs to be strong to stop somebody other than Adrian Peterson. That was a huge accomplishment in itself, but you can’t allow Gus Frerotte throw all over the field. He’s Gus Frerotte, for goodness sakes!
Quarterback Drew Brees said he was stunned by the rapid development he witnessed from Porter.
“The first thing I saw was his athletic ability and speed,” the veteran signal-caller said. “The transition you usually see for a rookie is usually pretty bumpy, but he was playing so well. In fact, he was probably making as seamless a transition from college to the pros as any cornerback I have ever seen.”
But will it carry over into this year? Only time will tell.
From the article photo, you, as the reader, may assume that there’s going to be a little trash talk about the hated “Dirty Birds”, the archrival Atlanta Falcons right away, however, if you assumed that, then you are mistaken.
Actually, its almost the direct opposite of that assumption.
I’m very anxious to see that player take the field this season though not with a Falcons helmet and jersey, but with the beautiful Black and Gold of our beloved New Orleans Saints.
Yes, it’s true, former Falcons defensive tackle Rod Coleman is a Saints and has been one for a few weeks now.
The signings of former Jags defensive lineman Paul Spicer, former Vikings safety Darren Sharper, and all of the others will most likely have quite an impact on the Saints defensive unit as well as the entire Saints team this coming season.
As will new Black and Gold defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.
And this isn’t taking in the fact of whoever we’ll take in the upcoming 2009 NFL Draft.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Saints cut fullback Mike Karney and halfback Deuce McAllister but signed former Pats fullback Heath Evans who should be more of a running and receiving threat than Karney was with the team.
If Drew Brees comes back and does what everyone’s expecting that he’ll do, than our offense is all set with Jeremy Shockey ready to make an impact and Colston coming back from that thumb injury.
But, as Saints fans, we’re more concerned with the defensive side of the ball, namely the secondary.
The Saints cut the gimpy kneed Mike McKenzie as well as the safeties Josh Bullocks and Kevin Kaeshviharn. In their place, the Saints signed former Bills cornerback Jabari Greer, Darren Sharper, and former Jags safety Pierson Priorleau who has played under Gregg Williams with three different teams.
Second year cornerback Tracy Porter will be returning from a season ending knee injury which he suffered last year.
The line will look pretty much the same with Will Smith, Charles Grant, as well as the others with Coleman and Spicer being new to the team.
All in all, it looks like it’s going to be a great year for Saints and for us, their loyal fans. Geaux Saints!
Could the 2013 Super Bowl be played in that huge, lighted monster of a building that is somehow beautiful to every Saints fan in the world?
It’s least a possibility now.
According to NFL officials, New Orleans, along with South Florida and Phoenix, Arizona all submitted bids to host the 2013 championship game.
Right now, South Florida has hosted the most Super Bowls with a grand total of 10 while New Orleans has only hosted 9, however the Louisiana Superdome has been the site of the most Superbowls with the last being the amazing game between the New England Patriots and St. Louis Rams in 2001.
If New Orleans was chosen as the host city, then it would be a great financial boost to the city which is still recovering from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Most recently, the city received NFL publicity when the Saints went to London, England to play the San Diego Chargers in the NFL’s annual international game.
The Superdome has a seating capacity of 72,003 (expanded) or 69,703 (not expanded)for football games.
The stadium received a $320 million dollar renovation after it was used as a “shelter of a last resort” for New Orleanians during and after Hurricane Katrina, soon it will get a facelift with the roof obtaining a new, solid white color while the sides of “The Dome” will receive champagne, bronze colored panels.
Could the 2013 Super Bowl be played in that huge, lighted monster of a building that is somehow beautiful to every Saints fan in the world? You can lay down some money (if you’re into online betting), as it’s least a possibility now.
According to Wikipedia, after all of the renovations to the stadium, it will be one of the most up to date facilites in the United States.
