We keep being told that Pierre Thomas practice this week. Pierre Thomas keeps insisting that he'll "definitely" play come Sunday. Perhaps he'll suit up, but until Mike Bell starts to struggle or gets injured - the starting tailback job is his to lose.
There is no way the Saints are going to sit Bell down after his stellar preseason performance, followed by his 143 yard season opening rushing performance against the Lions. The bottom line is Mike Bell is flat out better than Pierre Thomas with a banged up knee. Reggie Bush doesn't factor into the reps as a feature tailback - because Payton has designed plays for Bush to get him in mismatches and gimmick plays. Bush is not in the competition to be the running back carrying the bulk of the rushing carries. Sure, he'll get his fare share of snaps behind Brees and occasionally rush the ball, but much like we saw in the era when Deuce and Bush shared responsibilities, the Saints are a two back team. Reggie Bush has his spot as the scat back all sewn up. That means the primary inside runner position which used to belong to Deuce and Pierre Thomas is for the moment in Mike Bell's possession. I don't see that going back to Pierre Thomas when he heals unless Mike Bell slows down. That's not to say Thomas won't play and won't get opportunities when Bush/Bell need a breather or get banged up - but until further notice Mike Bell is the Saints' go to back. Expect to see a whole lot of Bell Sunday and possibly beyond.
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When the schedule gets released and you start crafting ways in your head the Saints will meet the 10-6 or better record, the week 2 @ Philadelphia game is one of those where you think: "ok, they're probably going to lose this one. Hopefully we'll be competitive, and maybe we can steal one away, but realistically that's going to be a tough one to win on the road against a good team". My personal opinion when looking at this game going into the season was - the Saints HAVE to take care of business in week 1 against Detroit and then hope to split a tough road swing @ Philly and @ Buffalo to start the year 2-1. Given the recent injury to Donovan McNabb, though, my opinion has changed. I now believe this is a must win.
For starters, the Eagles carry 4 quarterbacks on their roster and in all likelihood the Saints will be facing the worst one. Jeff Garcia was signed this week and the turnaround is too short for him to be ready. McNabb has cracked ribs and may be too injured to go. Michael Vick is still serving his suspension from the league, and won't play. So that leaves Kevin Kolb, who's struggled mightily in limited NFL action and preseason play. If Jeff Charleston thought Matt Stafford was "fresh meat", then this guy is no different. The Eagles have made a habit of making the NFC Championship game in recent history and there is an extremely high likelihood they will be in the thick of things come playoff time. That means this game could easily come down to a tiebreaking scenario later in the season, and a Saints win could also springboard a playoff run getting off to a 2-0 start.
In my opinion this game is a MUST WIN for the Saints. The Eagles are in a very vulnerable state given their current quarterback situation, and the Saints HAVE to take advantage of this fact and capitalize on what is a huge opportunity to beat a very good team on the road. This is one of those games where when the dust settles and a disappointing season is over, you reflect: "that was one we should have come away with". This is also one of those games where when the dust settles after a successful season, you reflect "that win was huge for us". Let's face it, if the Saints aren't good enough to beat the Eagles with Kevin Kolb at QB, then I question if they're good enough to make the playoffs or succeed should they get there. I'm not saying the Saints can't have a bad game and rebound to have a great season, but I really do think this test will be a tell tell sign of just how good the Saints are. This will tell us where we stand based on the offseason moves. The Saints losing at Philadelphia when the Eagles are at their best is forgivable, but losing when they are at a severe disadvantage without McNabb would be a lost opportunity. Based on the aspirations I have for the club this year - this game in my opinion is a must win. Geaux Saints.
I'm getting pretty sick of reporting on this, and searching for updates is frankly exhausting. It's been the NFL version of the Neverending story (which by the way has an end, I never got that). But at least the Saints got some good news this time. Apparently Roger Goodell has decided it would be unfair to treat Charles Grant and Will Smith differently than the Vikings players who are under the same predicament, yet used Minnesota law to postpone their suspensions. You can read more on the story HERE.
I know what some of you are saying... we're better off with Smith & Grant, they suck, they're overpaid, we're better off just playing Hargrove and McCray. The reality is that Hargrove is very inexperienced and the only thing he's done consistently in his career to this point is screw up. McCray is a terrific pass rusher, better than Grant and arguably better than Smith, but he's a liability against the run. McCray is a terrific luxury to have in pass rushing packages, but he's not an ideal every down end. I'm sorry but I couldn't disagree more with anyone who says we're better off without Smith/Grant. This is HUGE news for the Saints and it means a great deal in their quest for continued success starting Sunday against the Eagles. Now it's up to both players to step up their recently shaky performance and live up to the contracts they signed.
Saints Nation has been informed by sources that kick returner Courtney Roby has been re-signed to the Saints. Apparently the Saints were unhappy with their coverage units and kick returning (though I thought Meachem was pretty good) and they've decided to bring back Roby to bolster those areas. No word yet on who was released to make room, but it's possible the Saints expect the Smith/Grant suspensions to be enforced today to make room on the roster for 2 spots. Otherwise, we'll wait and see who was released/placed on IR to make room.
With the well documented recent rib injury to Donovan McNabb and the recent signing of Jeff Garcia in response to the said injury, the question becomes: who will start at quarterback in week 2 against the Saints? With McNabb, he's been talked about as DOUBTFUL and OUT. I wouldn't rule him out because this is a big game, and the Saints offense is so potent the Eagles may feel they need McNabb to keep them within striking distance. McNabb is known as a tough quarterback, and with rib injuries the risk of making things worse is not necessarily elevated. Sure, it's extremely painful and difficult to deal with - but nothing a cortisone shot and painkillers won't mask for 3 hours.
IF McNabb ends up not playing, the question becomes whether the Eagles would start newly signed veteran Jeff Garcia or settle for the guy that's been through training camp and knows the offense in Kevin Kolb. Don't forget Michael Vick is on this roster too, and an option down the road when he becomes eligible to play in week 3. What the signing of Garcia does tell me is that the Eagles have no trust in Kevin Kolb whatsoever, and they think the development of Michael Vick is off to a slow start. That means if McNabb's injury lasts for any length of time, Garcia would serve as the stopgap until his return. The good news for the Saints is the timing may be too short for Garcia to prepare himself to play. This could mean the Saints will either play a severely banged up McNabb or in Kevin Kolb a guy his team has no faith in. While having their opponent deal with a quarterback situation is a good situation for the Saints going into the weekend, it also makes the game planning much tougher. In all likelihood Andy Reid will take over as the Eric Mangini of the week and hold out making any announcements on his intentions until the 11th hour. We'll see what happens, but given the history of success both Garcia and McNabb have had against the Saints over the course of their careers, matching up against Kevin Kolb would be a welcome change.
Saints Nation Poll: Thomas Davis and Mike Peterson were the picks at Outside Linebacker for the all NFC South 1st team. Please select your choice as the middle linebacker.
In the wake of the 45-27 blowout victory over the Lions, I've rated the performance of each player that had significant playing time. Over the course of the season I'll be doing this continually and keep an overall cumulative GPA for the players.
OFFENSE
Drew Brees - A (4.0) I would only give an A+ to something I consider a flawless performance. Brees came extremely close to that. The interception he threw was a poor pass into double coverage. He also took a couple huge risks before halftime on passes into the end zone that could have been intercepted, and he missed an easy conversion pass to Henderson on a third and short, skipping it to him. Beyond that, he truly was flawless. The scary thing is I only expect him to get better as he gets more in rhythm deeper into the season. He tied a Saints record with 6 TD passes and torched the Lions' defense seemingly at will.
Mike Bell - A- (3.7) Take away the fumble that gave the Lions 7 points, and Bell is approaching A+ territory. Bell finished with 28 carries for 143 yards and while he showed flashes of speed, most impressive was his toughness inside and how he finished runs remarkably.
Reggie Bush - D (1.0) Bush made a terrific play early when he was isolated one on one with Larry Foote. He raced down the sideline and caught a 26 yard pass to set up an early touchdown. It was all downhill from there. Other than a few nice plays in the passing game, Bush's rushing plays were absolutely terrible as he posted 7 carries for 14 yards. On punt returns, Bush featured his trademark backwards running and he fumbled twice, losing it once.
Heath Evans - B+ (3.3) Evans was solid in run blocking, and spectacular catching the football. He showed soft hands, decent speed, and terrific toughness when the football came his way. He finished with 4 catches for 35, including a screen pass on 3rd and goal from the 13 that he was able to take into the end zone breaking a tackle.
Devery Henderson - A (4.0) Per his usual, Henderson showed terrific speed. Henderson ended with 5 catches for 103 yards and a touchdown. He was secure catching the football, and extremely dangerous after the catch. One catch that ended a few yards short of a 1st down on a 3rd down play was an attempt by Henderson to bounce outside - and he may have had the 1st if he put his head down and powered straight ahead. Otherwise, Henderson was excellent.
Marques Colston - C+ (2.3) Colston was off to a terrific start after he caught a high pass from Drew Brees in the end zone and came down with it for 7. From there, Colston's performance was a little disappointing. He finished with 3 catches for 30 yards and had a couple nice snags for first downs, but he also had a couple drops that nearly led to interceptions. Granted, he was hit fairly hard as the ball was being secured on a couple plays, but those are catches he's made in the past.
Lance Moore - B- (2.7) Moore didn't get see many balls coming his way and ended with 2 catches for 38 yards. Both catches he did make were fantastic grabs in traffic. The second catch in particular was a terrific 20 yard leaping reception with a player draped all over him. Moore did have a chance to grab a similar pass, this time for a touchdown, but was unable to come down with the tough catch.
Robert Meachem - B+ (3.3) Meachem saw limited action, but made the most of it, catching a 39 yard touchdown from Brees and also turning in a big 12 yard reception for a 1st down. Meachem was also the primary kick returner and posted a solid 24.7 yard average off 6 returns - taking 2 of them past the 40 yard line.
Jeremy Shockey - A- (3.7) Shockey disappeared late in the game with what Sean Payton described as "dehydration", but before leaving he played well and scored his first two touchdowns as a Saint, including a juggling highlight reception in the back of the end zone. Promising way for Shockey to start the season.
Jermon Bushrod - B- (2.7) He'll need to clean up some things, but overall he was pretty good. He was beaten around the edge a couple times, but Brees was fantastic at stepping up in the pocket to avoid pressure. Bushrod was pushed back into Mike Bell and responsible for the poor run play that resulted in a fumble and touchdown for the Lions, and had a few lapses in run blocking.
Carl Nicks - A- (3.7) Nicks absolutely mauled the interior with his impressive run blocking. Bell's success can in large part be attributed to him. He pulled well and got to the edge on a few plays as well. Every time Brees stepped up in the pocket to avoid pressure off the edge, Nicks was making sure Brees didn't take a hit. The one disappointment was a holding call at the 3 yard line that pushed the Saints offense back.
Jahri Evans - A (4.0) Evans was absolutely fantastic in everything from run blocking to pass blocking. Like Nicks, Brees was protected in the interior very well. On the touchdown pass to Meachem, Evans handled his man for several seconds to give Brees the time he needed. On the touchdown pass to Heath Evans, Jahri pulled hard and threw a terrific lead block that sprung the play. He was also a big reason why Bell was so successful.
Jonathan Goodwin - B+ (3.3) Got a chance to see Goodwin pull a couple times on screen passes, and each time he looked quick and threw good blocks. He did have a costly false start penalty, but overall he played a good game.
Jon Stinchcomb - B- (2.7) Stinchcomb had a uncharacteristic false start that would force the Saints into an eventual 3 and out. While his trademark technique on pass blocking was on display, Brees did feel occassional pressure on the edge from Stinchcomb's side. Stinchcomb also missed a block on a couple Reggie Bush running plays that results in Bush getting stacked up at the line.
Zach Strief - B (3.0) Strief ending up getting a lot of reps coming in as the #2 blocking tight end on a number of running plays. That actually worked well because it basically gave the Saints a 6th offensive lineman and helped Bell get the push to run off tackle. He also stepped in for Bushrod on a couple series when Bushrod bruised his knee and did a reasonably good job.
DEFENSE
Charles Grant - D (1.0) Other than a couple decent plays on running downs, especially down at the goal line, Grant was almost invisible. He ended up with 1 tackle, and got absolutely no pressure all day on Matt Stafford. We're going to need to see more from him.
Will Smith - C (2.0) Quiet day for Smith, who ended with 3 tackles. Smith did get in Stafford's face and knock him down at least twice, and he at times looked pretty good in run support, but I would have liked to see more out of him. On the touchdown run by Kevin Smith he bit hard on the fake and was left with no chance to catch Smith who walked into the end zone.
Sedrick Ellis - B- (2.7) Ellis had just one tackle on the day, but he did a good job plugging up the middle and limiting the Lions' rushing attack. Ellis also tipped a pass on a 3rd down play and stood up Kevin Smith at the goal line before ripping the ball out and running 15 yards with it. The officials ruled Smith down on the play, but it was still a head's up effort by Ellis.
Kendrick Clancy - B- (2.7) Clancy was an unsung hero in this game. He had just 1 tackle, but he paved the way for exceptional linebacker play. He was solid in plugging the gaps and forcing Kevin Smith outside.
Scott Shanle - A- (3.7) I've been as critical of Shanle as the next guy over the years, but he had arguably his best game as a Saint yesterday. On a third and 1 play he did a FANTASTIC job of keeping containment, thus not allowing Kevin Smith to bounce outside and then made an outstanding open field tackle to hit Smith for a loss short of the first down. His tackling in the open field and his run pursuit was very good. In passing situations he was solid as well, and he even intercepted a pass (first of his career).
Scott Fujita - B+ (3.3) Fujita was active, and tough. He ended up tied for the team lead with 7 tackles, and never made any major mistakes. While unspectacular, Fujita's calling card has always been reliable and solid play.
Jonathan Vilma - B+ (3.3) Vilma notched the only sack of the day for the Saints, and his pursuit sideline to sideline was good. He was active against the run, but ended with a pedestrial 4 tackles on the day. I expect Vilma to get better and better as the season progresses. He also had 2 defended passes.
Jabari Greer - B+ (3.3) Greer was pretty solid tackling and very solid playing the ball. His coverage overall was excellent. He was matched up with Calvin Johnson almost the entire day and held the superstar in check. The 64 yard pass play to Johnson came the play after Greer was banged up and helped off the field. This said, he could have been more exposed by a more accurate quarterback.
Tracy Porter - B (3.0) Porter ended with 7 tackles, tied for the team lead. He made a couple nice tackles in the open field, but he was also beaten on a couple pass plays. Overall his performance was promising, but again a more accurate quarterback could have given him problems. It seemed that the few 3rd down conversions the Lions got were on Porter. He also missed a tackle on a screen pass to Smith that turned into a big gain.
Roman Harper - B (3.0) Harper was really good in run support, but was replaced by Chris Reis later in the game for unknown reasons. Perhaps he was banged up, but nothing was mentioned on the injury report. On pass plays he was quiet, but he played pretty well around the box ending with 6 tackles.
Darren Sharper - A- (3.7) The one play that I wasn't happy with was a missed tackle on Calvin Johnson that sprung his big 64 yard reception. Beyond that, he was as good as advertized. The ballhawk showed everyone why the Saints got him in the offseason. For the first time since Sammy Knight I felt the Saints had a guy back there that could make plays, and needed to be accounted for. What a nice upgrade from the days of Kevin Kaesviharn and Josh Bullocks. He ended with 2 interceptions and 2 defended passes.
SPECIAL TEAMS
John Carney - C+ (2.3) He was perfect on 6 extra points, and went 1 for 2 on field goals. He connected on a 39 yarder right down the middle, but had a 34 yarder blocked right before halftime. It was disappointing the Saints couldn't convert on that field goal. I didn't get a chance to catch who missed a block, but I can't blame Carney too much for that play because a Lions' player busted through the line almost untouched to get a hand on the ball.
Thomas Morstead B+ (3.3) He did average 48 yards on two punts, but twice outkicked his coverage to set up decent returns. One return in particular was almost taken to the house. He also got the surprise assignment of kicking off and handled that job very well. He had 3 touchbacks, and was routinely getting the ball inside the Lions' 5 at a minimum.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME: Drew Brees DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME: Darren Sharper SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE GAME: Robert Meachem
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We keep being told that Pierre Thomas practice this week. Pierre Thomas keeps insisting that he'll "definitely" play come Sunday. Perhaps he'll suit up, but until Mike Bell starts to struggle or gets injured - the starting tailback job is his to lose.
