New Orleans Saints Insider Wednesday mailbag
October 23, 2008
New Orleans Saints Insider Wednesday mailbag – Jeff Duncan on Saints – Times-Picayune – NOLA.com
Posted by Jeff Duncan, The Times-Picayune October 22, 2008 1:33PM
Categories: Saints
David Grunfeld/The Times-PicayuneWithout Reggie Bush in the lineup, the Saints could be more diversified.Finally, this week’s first installment of the mailbag, which features questions about Reggie Bush’s injury and it’s affect on the running game, Bobby McCray’s role and the Saints’ chances in the second half of the season.
(And thanks for being patient with me. I’ve had jury duty at Orleans Parish Criminal Court this week and it put me behind in my normal filing routine.)
Q: In the past you have said that with the amount of injuries the Saints have suffered this year, that if they were able to make it to the bye week at 4-4 that they would be in good shape for the second half of the season. Assuming the Saints win this Sunday, do you still believe that? Juan, New Orleans.
A: Juan, a similar question was asked by Sam in Lafayette. And my answer is, yes, I still think the Saints can go 6-2 in the second half but obviously they need to start playing with much more consistency. A win on Sunday is a must. If the Saints beat the Chargers that would make them 4-4 at the break. Assuming they win all three of their remaining home games at the Dome and their two “gimme” road games at Detroit and Kansas City, that would mean they would just need to win one road game at either Atlanta, Chicago or Tampa Bay to get to 10-6. I think that’s quite possible. It’s going to take a 10-6 record to make the playoffs as a wild card because the NFC is so strong this season. I doubt the Saints can overtake both Carolina and Tampa Bay to win the NFC South but I think a 10-6 will put them in strong contention for a wild card.
Q: 1.) How do I find the answers to the previous week’s mailbag questions? It seems I just happen to stumble across them now and then, and never when I want to find them — I need an exact web address. 2.) Is there somewhere that lists the fines levied every week by the NFL? I read in my local paper that three Vikings players were fined after the game against the Saints a couple of weeks ago and would like to view all fines levied every week, but can’t seem to find a list anywhere. 3.) Not really a question, but maybe an answer to some of the comments I read tonight about the Saints being a “soft” team. My husband says it’s because they live in N’Awlins, and they aren’t serious enough about football (too much partying in the Big Easy). Maybe if they could arrange to start their games at 3 p.m. instead of noon, they would be more focused? Kathy Jackson, Sioux Falls, S.D.
A: Kathy, you can find all of the Saints Insider content including mailbags at http://blog.nola.com/jeffduncan/. You can also access this page by going to nola.com’s home page and clicking the “Jeff Duncan” link under Sports Bloggers. The league’s fines are issued on Fridays but are not announced by the NFL. Enterprising reporters usually have to ask players if they were fined and sometimes they admit it and sometimes they don’t. But as far as I know, there is no place that lists the league’s weekly fines. And not sure about your husband’s “theory.” Trust me, the Saints are very serious about football. The “soft” label comes more from a mentality than an actual criticism of the players themselves. The Saints like to pass the ball first and foremost and are built for speed more than power. Thus, the “finesse” label.
Q: I read your article in the Times-Picayune – “The Saints Could Thrive without Bush” and I agree to a certain extent. The Saints will be able to modify their Bush-centric offense and spread the ball around more, while hopefully becoming less predictable in their play calling. Was your article telling fans not to think that Reggie’s absence is the end of the world because Colston, Shockey, and Patten are “healthy”? Or because you think that Payton will revert to his old ways and mix it up a bit? John S., Jackson, Miss.
A: In my opinion, the Saints offense had become a little too “Reggie-centric” this season and I think his absence will force the attack to become a little more diversified. In no way was the column meant to be a shot at Bush, who is clearly having his best season as a pro. I just think Sean Payton has been guilty of trying to force the ball into Bush’s hands too often this season. Granted, he was limited in his options with McAllister, Colston, Shockey and Patten sidelined, but I’d like to see the offense rely less on one person. Remember how the Rockets went on that 22-game winning streak after Yao Ming was injured? The coaches and players talked about how his absence opened things up for the rest of the offense and I think something like that could happen with the Saints.
Q: Jeff, do the Saints have the personnel to play smash-mouth football, or, is it the defensive schemes that prevent them from doing so? I’ve read different sportswriters around the net and they write as though they are implying the team plays sissy football. Of course they write the word “finesse” to describe the team’s play, what’s your opinion? William.
A: William, I was one of those writers. First, an explanation. In no way do I think the Saints players lack physicality or the ability to play “smash-mouth” football. It’s more the mentality that is instilled in the team than the players themselves. The Saints like to pass the football first and run second. It makes sense: Their best player is their quarterback, their head coach is a former quarterback and they play their games inside on an artificial surface. The Indianapolis Colts and St. Louis Rams were built the same way and they both won Super Bowls. However, because of this philosophy, the Saints offensive linemen spend a lot of time backpedaling rather than drive blocking in practice. I think it shows on game days that the Saints are not comfortable playing power football on offense. They’ve failed too many times in short yardage to think otherwise. And defensively, I just don’t see the kind of aggressiveness and big hits that other teams display on Sundays. I’m not saying the players don’t have it. I just don’t see it on game days as often from the Saints as I do other teams.
Q: In his first year here, Coach Payton showed a lot of fire and jumped on his players right on the sideline for every single mental mistake. It seems that every week the same guys are committing infractions and mental mistakes. Where is the discipline and has Sean Payton gone soft? Clem, Algiers.
A: Like all coaches, Sean Payton has a shorter leash on some players than others, but I don’t think he’s gone “soft.” Ask Steve Weatherford, who was unceremoniously released on Sunday after a couple of inconsistent games. The Saints didn’t really make too many mental mistakes against Carolina. They were just whipped physically. Carolina does that to a lot of teams. They are one of the most physical teams in football and were coming off an embarrassing loss to Tampa Bay. Not a good time to play the Panthers in Charlotte, so the result was not as surprising as the way the Saints were manhandled without putting up a real fight. Actually, I would disagree with your about the same guys making the mistakes. One of the problems Payton has faced is that it seems the mistakes and errors are widespread and not restricted to just one or two players.
Q: While I believe poor coaching and play calling has led to at least two defeats, I will admit we have average talent at best in some positions. The Saint’s choose to signed their own free agents to lucrative contracts that looks questionable right now and signed mid-level free agent talent from other teams. Most of these guys should be providing depth not starting. What is your assessment of our free agent signees during the Payton era and is it time to sign proven talent. Carl, Covington.
Q: So what’s the game plan by Sean Payton with Reggie being out? Will it be running back-by-committee or will Sean want to commit to Deuce, Aaron (Stecker) or Pierre (Thomas)? Arif Patel, Princeton, N.J.
A: Obviously, Deuce will get most of the carries but I think Stecker and Thomas will also figure into the game plan. I would look for Stecker to fill Bush’s role as the third-down back in the passing game. Even before Bush’s injury, Stecker was playing more and more in passing situations so I think he’ll slide right into that role. I would anticipate Deuce to handle the bulk of the early-downs as the primary runner with Thomas spelling him for a series or two.
Q: With Charles Grant and Will Smith struggling on the field and to live up to their contracts, and Bobby McCray outplaying them both, what are the chances that the Saints make a change on the defensive line? Will the Saints make McCray a permanent starter and move Grant or Smith to defensive tackle? Jeffrey, Arlington, Texas.
A: I wouldn’t say McCray is outplaying either Smith or Grant. There’s more to playing defensive end than just sacking the quarterback. McCray is not nearly as good a run defender as Smith or Grant, who are both above-average in that capacity. He’s primarily a rush specialist and that will continue to be his role. Remember, before making those two sacks against Oakland McCray had don’t little in the previous five games. That said, I think he’s a perfect fit as the third end in this defense. I wouldn’t expect that role to change.
Q: Is Reggie’s knee injury the same knee that was swelling in practice last week? Joe Martin.
A: Yes, it’s the same knee. Bush injured the knee in the opener against Tampa Bay. It had been bothering him off and on all season. If you’ve ever injured your meniscus you know that you can play or exercise on it without problem but that it will “catch” every once in a while. That “catch” is usually caused by a small fold of the torn cartilage sticking in the joint and it’s very painful. It can also cause swelling. While Reggie likely could have continued to play with the injury the Saints wisely elected to address the problem now and take advantage of the bye week so their star back would miss as little playing time as possible.
Q: First, this season feels like a “lost season” to me. Between the injuries and the 43 days away from the Dome, I don’t see how the Saints can get any traction or hope to build momentum. Second, is Jason David really a better cornerback than Usama Young? Or is that Young is better against a sideline and David is better in the slot. Frankly, if you can’t beat out David… You get my point. Andrew Thomas, Los Angeles.
A: Andrew, I assume you are asking me if I agree with your first statement since there’s not really a question in there. I agree that it’s going to be a big challenge to turn things around but I don’t think it’s impossible. As long as Drew Brees is playing quarterback for the Saints they have a chance to be competitive in every game. Obviously, they need to get more big plays out of their defense and special teams so the offense doesn’t have to carry the load every weekend. To me, that’s the biggest question, especially with Bush, their primary playmaker on special teams, now sidelined indefinitely. As far as Jason David goes, I’m not sure why the Saints continue to play David over Young. Clearly, they think he has performed better in practice and games than Young. David and Mike McKenzie play primarily on the outside while Randall Gay and Young work the slot positions in dime packages. Young’s hamstring injury in training camp didn’t help matters for him. He fell behind the other corners and has had an uphill fight since then. Obviously, the Saints have to be privately disappointed that Young, who they drafted high in the third round, has not been able to supplant David, given his struggles the past two seasons.
Beloved Wembley is New Orleans Saints’ home away from home
October 22, 2008
Posted by Teddy Kider, The Times-Picayune October 21, 2008 8:35PM
Categories: Saints
Chuck Cook / The Times-PicayunePart of the aura of Wembley Stadium is that it has no home-team tenant, remaining a ‘center place’ for London sports and major concerts.WEMBLEY, ENGLAND — From the outside of Wembley Stadium, its gigantic crowning arch is mesmerizing. From the inside, on the field, the enormous scale of the stadium is overwhelming. Even compared with new luxurious American venues, the history of places such as Yankee Stadium and the seating capacity of collegiate facilities, there is no equivalent of Wembley Stadium in the United States.
Holy, hallowed, sacred and spiritual are words often used to describe one of the world’s most famous stadiums.
“For the whole country, this is kind of the center place, ” said Alistair Kirkwood, the managing director of NFL UK. “And so for the NFL, it’s a huge statement to say that you’re playing at Wembley, because it’s actually saying you’re big-time.”
It might make some Saints fans cringe to hear that their team has a new home against the San Diego Chargers on Sunday, but the one-weekend move can be considered an honor, since their new home usually is reserved for the identity of an entire nation.
Wembley is the national stadium of England, typically used for home games of England’s national soccer team and the FA (Football Association) Cup final, as well as large-scale concerts.
There are no local teams that have home games at Wembley — perhaps the characteristic that separates it most from U.S. venues — and that helps to “protect its national stadium status, ” said Rod Sheard, a senior principal at HOK Sport Architecture in London.
Sheard and HOK Sport began design plans for the stadium in the late 1990s, he said. The architects realized that getting rid of the old Wembley Stadium would mean losing its symbolic Twin Towers, which defined a national venue with decades of history.
“Everybody recognized the arch is a sitting replacement for the Twin Towers, ” Sheard said, describing the symbol of the new Wembley, a roof-supporting structure that now is a presence in London’s skyline. “I think that was key.”
He added: “Once we ended up designing the arch, people recognized it was a new era — and they embraced the change quite quickly.”
By 2007, Wembley National Stadium Limited had a 90,000-seat venue built on a grand scale. Sheard said, for example, that when Wembley opened, it included the four largest restaurants in London.
“It’s tricky to find something that compares in the same way, ” Sheard said. “There’s something different about Wembley.”
When the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins met in last season’s NFL regular-season game in London, Wembley’s unique characteristics did not come across well on television — and the problem was the weather.
The Giants won 13-10 in a game that many remembered mainly for its mud. Saints tight end Jeremy Shockey, then with the Giants, described the weather as “a monsoon” and said it was “a horrible game last year, because it was raining and cold and the fields were beat up.”
Said Kirkwood: “The two teams manfully kind of made it a close game, at least. I think I was more disappointed and frustrated than the fans themselves. We did research with 7,000 fans afterward, asking them every aspect about it, and nine out of 10 people that were asked said it was either an excellent or very good experience. So I think despite the rain it was a great event.
“For me, it was a little bit of a disappointment, because I knew that we could actually have taken it to another level — which hopefully we’ll be able to do this Sunday.”
Mark Waller, the NFL’s senior vice president of sales, marketing and international, said he expects a “significantly better quality field” this season. The forecast for Sunday is cloudy and windy with a high in the upper 50s and a 60 percent chance of light rain.
On Monday, with gray skies, there were large orange lamps positioned above parts of Wembley’s field for light.
The other difference with this year’s international game that was on display Monday involved the Saints and their home status for Sunday’s matchup. A tunnel leading to the field already had huge Saints decals covering its walls.
Kirkwood said the NFL is planning to put Saints branding throughout the inside of the stadium and pass out black flags with the slogan “Be A Saint” to all 83,000 spectators. There also is expected to be an NFL-organized, Mardi Gras-themed tailgate party, with a capacity of 20,000 people.
“Last year, because it was the first of its type, the focus was on the novelty of it, and it was very much promoted as the International Series game, ” Kirkwood said. “Whereas I think this year we’ve done a much better job of promoting the home team.”
He added: “We’re not in the Superdome. We’re not trying to say this is exactly the same thing. But what we are trying to do is really give a vote of thanks to the team that has come over and sacrificed a home game and really make them feel like they’re being embraced.”
SCOUTING REPORT: NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (3-4) VS. SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (3-4)
October 22, 2008
Posted by Brian Allee-Walsh, The Times-Picayune October 21, 2008 8:50PM
Categories: Saints
John McCusker / The Times-PicayuneSan Diego running back LaDainian Tomlinson has been slowed by a toe injury, leaving the Chargers’ offense sputtering.Remember the New York Giants!
That seems to be the motivational cry this week for the underachieving San Diego Chargers as they prepare for Sunday’s out-of-America experience against the Saints at Wembley Stadium in London.
Fresh off a demoralizing 23-14 loss at Buffalo, the Chargers are trying to find themselves in jolly old England and salvage a disappointing 3-4 start.
“It is a good escape for us, ” running back LaDainian Tomlinson said. “Obviously a lot of guys are really down about that loss. I think it really gives us time to take a deep breath, time to get away from the national media in the States and just have some time to ourselves and really just get close and bond a little bit.”
The defending Super Bowl champion Giants look to their 13-10 win against Miami at Wembley Stadium in 2007 as a turning point in their season.
“I honestly think that’s why the Giants were successful last year, ” Tomlinson said. “They were kind of going through the same struggles; they came here, and it kind of changed their season. We’re hoping for the same kind of luck. Hopefully, London brings us that.”
LAST TIME
The Chargers blasted the Saints 43-17 on Nov. 7, 2004, at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. . . . San Diego leads the series 7-2. The Saints’ last victory came in Coach Jim Haslett’s first season in 2000, 28-27, at Qualcomm Stadium.
CHARGERS’ OFFENSE
Tomlinson (596 all-purpose yards, four touchdowns) has been a shell of himself as he tries to play through a painful turf toe injury. He had a season-best 106 yards rushing against the Oakland Raiders in Week 4, but he has been limited to 150 yards and no touchdowns in past three games.
Quarterback Philip Rivers has an excellent rating (108.5), but the passing game is misfiring without a consistent running game.
Coach Norv Turner is hoping to get injured receivers Chris Chambers (ankle) and LSU’s Buster Davis (groin) back for the Saints game.
Tight end Antonio Gates (24 catches for 351 yards and four touchdowns), wide receiver Vincent Jackson (26 catches for 478 and three touchdowns) and running back Darren Sproles are trying to breathe life into a sputtering offense.
CHARGERS’ DEFENSE
This unit has struggled without All-Pro outside linebacker Shawne Merriman in the mix. Merriman had season-ending knee surgery in mid-September, leaving a conspicuous void in their 3-4. The Chargers rank 28th overall, yielding 366.3 yards per game. They rank last in pass defense, surrendering 254.6 yards per game.
The Saints rank No. 1 in passing offense, averaging 310.9 yards per game, and quarterback Drew Brees should have a field day.
The Chargers have had an inconsistent pass rush (Igor Olshansky, Jamal Williams and Luis Castillo), putting a lot of the pressure on the back end for cornerbacks Antonio Cromartie and Quentin Jammer and free safety Eric Weddle, who leads the team in tackles with 59.
Outside linebacker Shaun Phillips has a team-high 3 1/2 sacks.
CHARGERS’ SPECIAL TEAMS
Punter Mike Scifres, a native of Metairie who prepped at Destrehan, has a solid net average of 42.3 yards. Kicker Nate Kaeding has converted 12 of 15 field-goal attempts, with a long of 49 in Week 3.
Diminutive and speedy Sproles (5 feet 6, 181 pounds) is a threat to score every time he returns a punt or kickoff. He is averaging 13.0 yards per punt return and 28.0 yards per kick return, including a 103-yarder for a touchdown against Denver in Week 2.
The Saints will have their hands full on special teams.
FYI
In the last meeting (Nov. 7, 2004) between the teams, Brees played for the Chargers. In that game, Brees threw four touchdown passes — and the Chargers scored their most points (43) in 11 years.
BY THE NUMBERS
‚: Sacks and hurries by the Chargers’ defense against Buffalo quarterback Trent Edwards, who completed 25 of 30 passes for 261 yards and one touchdown.WORTH REPEATING
“It’ll be a fun week, and hopefully it ends on a high note Sunday.” — Rivers, who faces former teammate Brees.
New Orleans Saints all sizzle, no steak
October 21, 2008
New Orleans Saints all sizzle, no steak – On Sports with John DeShazier – Times-Picayune – NOLA.com
Posted by John DeShazier, The Times-Picayune October 20, 2008 10:36PM
Categories: Saints
Chuck Cook / The Times-PicayuneDating to the beginning of last season, Coach Sean Payton and the Saints have lost more often than they’ve won.Disappointment can be masked. Reality can’t.
Disappointment can be covered in a shroud that says the Saints have tried really hard, played fairly well and some of the breaks that appear to be breaking their backs soon will fall their way, because fate can’t be this cruel, because the law of averages calls for balance.
Reality is the Saints are 3-4, and no matter how much talk there is about couldas and shouldas and close ones that got away, there’s no such thing as a “good” 3-4. The Saints are in last place in the NFC South and on track for another postseason at home.
Sure, we can toss about reasons and excuses, even after New Orleans was blasted 30-7 by Carolina on Sunday and made to look like a team much farther behind the Panthers in the standings than two games.
But the NFL doesn’t give a mulligan for injuries. The league office won’t order an asterisk placed alongside New Orleans’ record, as if the bushel of pulls, twists, sprains and tears pardons the Saints for blowing close games (Washington, Denver and Minnesota) and failing to show up (Carolina).
No, what New Orleans has on its hands — and has had on its hands since the beginning of the 2007 season — is a team that disturbingly, but consistently, has underachieved. Since the magic of 2006, when the Saints returned to New Orleans after a year in San Antonio and became national darlings while advancing to the NFC title game, not playing to their potential is the only thing the Saints routinely have done well.
New Orleans has lost 13 of its past 23 games under Coach Sean Payton. It is 10-13 despite having been forecast as a playoff team and potential Super Bowl contender this season and last.
Sure, prognosticating is tricky. Just because a team looks strong doesn’t guarantee it’ll be strong. Games aren’t played on paper, opponents want to win as much as the Saints, other players are paid to make plays, the NFL is geared toward parity, injuries can short-circuit the best intentions, etc., etc., etc.
But you know what? The Saints should be better than 3-4 now, should have been better than 7-9 last year, when they didn’t spend a single day of the season above .500.
Yes, there are times when the offense is flashy and efficient and marches up and down the field and scores points aplenty. And there are times the defense manages to put together stops, doesn’t let opposing running backs gain 100 yards and even produces a turnover or two. And there even are times when the special teams click, and Reggie Bush ices the cake with a punt return, or two, for a touchdown.
But you can count on two hands the number of times there has been enough convergence of the three phases to produce victory the past two seasons. New Orleans is plenty of sizzle and not nearly enough steak, and that’s pitiful for a team that fancies itself meaty, utterly unsatisfying for a fan base that forcibly has been dieting as it awaits a consistent run of playoff teams for the first time since Jim Mora’s Dome Patrol made life miserable for opponents.
Can we flush the rest of 2008 down the toilet even before the Saints hit midseason, which will happen Sunday with their “home” game in London against San Diego? Of course not. Much can happen in nine games to turn around a team heading in the wrong direction.
But reality is the Saints have established a footprint, and it’s beginning more to resemble a mark made in hardening concrete than one made in sand.
Twenty-three games since 2006 is five more than the 18 (regular season and playoffs) that were played that season. Twenty-three games is more than enough to get a fair sampling and to make a judgment of what a team is and in what direction a program is going.
Does 10-13 suggest ascension? If we factor in the 11-7 mark in 2006, does 21-20 give the appearance that the Saints are building momentum?
Does that record say the team — that Payton and his staff — have adjusted to the NFL more effectively than the NFL has adjusted to the team, Payton and his staff?
What it says is that the Saints are treading water, like a lot of teams. But the Saints aren’t supposed to be like a lot of teams, aren’t supposed to be average even if the defense has been less than that.
The initial good feelings have been more than balanced by a down cycle that wasn’t supposed to happen at all based on what we and the Saints thought they were, and definitely wasn’t supposed to last as long as it has lasted.
Saints fans that have been disappointed by what they’ve seen this season can mask that misery. They can offer that the Saints are beat up, that they’ve played everyone close except Carolina, that they’ll be a force when everyone gets healthy. They can curse the fates even more today than before Sunday, because now Bush is out for an undetermined amount of time with a torn meniscus.
But reality is that with Bush returning three punts for touchdowns and scoring a league-high (tied with the Titans’ LenDale White) eight touchdowns in seven games, the Saints are 3-4, in last place in the division, two games behind the Panthers and Buccaneers.
Reality is that dating to the beginning of last season, they’ve lost more often than they’ve won, that only once during the past 23 games have they spent a week above .500. That crest happened after New Orleans beat Tampa Bay this year in the season opener.
There’s no mask for that. Not a pretty one, anyway.
New Orleans Saints can thrive without Reggie Bush
October 21, 2008
Posted by Jeff Duncan, The Times-Picayune October 20, 2008 10:33PM
Categories: SaintsSaints fans everywhere might have fretted at the news Monday that Bush will miss three to four weeks of action while recovering from arthroscopic surgery to remove torn cartilage in his left knee.
Fret not.
The Saints’ offense could be better without Bush.
Sound crazy?
Look at what happened last year when Bush went to the bench with a knee injury and missed the final four games of the season.
The Saints’ offense didn’t go into the dumps.
In fact, it actually improved.
The Saints averaged 343.9 yards and 22.2 points a game in the 12 games with Bush in the lineup. They averaged 413.2 yards and 28.2 points in the four games without him.
That’s why you didn’t hear panic from the Saints the past two days when players and coaches were asked about the impact of Bush’s injury.
The ratings-conscious TV networks might be in a tizzy with Bush sidelined. But the Saints aren’t.
“As you recall, we were without Reggie last year for the last four games of the season,” quarterback Drew Brees said Monday. “We felt like at that time it was Pierre (Thomas) and (Aaron) Stecker doing a great job. I think that Deuce (McAllister) is running the ball very well right now. Whoever we put back there I have a lot of faith in. Hopefully we won’t skip a beat.”
With Bush out of the picture, Coach Sean Payton’s play calling might become more diversified. He won’t be so determined to force-feed the ball to his star back. The rock will be spread more democratically throughout the lineup.
Dare I say, the Saints actually might be less predictable and more balanced.
The Saints have leaned on Bush’s jitterbug legs more than ever this season. With McAllister, receivers Marques Colston and David Patten and tight end Jeremy Shockey sidelined with injuries for various stints this season, Bush, along with Brees, has been one of the unit’s constants.
But the offense has become a tad Reggie-centric.
The Saints were using Bush in nearly every package, formation and alignment. He was their primary receiver, primary rusher and primary punt returner. He was the short-yardage back and the goal-line back.
Of the Saints’ 450 offensive plays from scrimmage this season, Bush either carried the ball, caught the ball or was the target of an incomplete pass on 145 of them.
And that doesn’t include the inordinate number of times he’s used as a decoy on play-action fakes.
In the 6 1/2 games that Bush played in this season, he factored into 65 of the Saints’ 67 offensive series that weren’t kneel-downs or Hail Marys. He either carried or caught the ball on 62 of the possessions and was the target of at least one incompletion on three other drives.
Of the two drives where he wasn’t involved, one of them was a one-play possession in which Devery Henderson caught an 84-yard bomb for a touchdown on first down against Tampa Bay.
“He has been a big part of what we have been able to do offensively,” Payton said Monday in the understatement of the year as his team began preparations for its game against San Diego on Sunday in London.
“We’ll have to make some adjustments offensively, and some other guys are going to have to step up and play along with Deuce, be it Aaron Stecker or Pierre Thomas. It’s a lot like with some of these other guys getting hurt. But he’s a dynamic player. It’s disappointing.”
Certainly, Bush’s absence will challenge Payton’s creativity more than the losses of Shockey or Colston did. Those two, if lucky, touch the ball between five and 10 times a game. Bush sometimes sees the ball that many times in a quarter.
His 129 touches — 87 carries and 42 receptions — leads the team and his 945 total yards rank second in the NFL. He’s the only player in the league with at least 250 yards as a rusher, receiver and punt returner.
“Of course, we’re going to miss him, because he’s a playmaker,” Brees said. “And I hope he’s not out very long, but certainly the next guy you hope will step up and do the job.”
Stecker and Thomas did that a year ago. Each enjoyed 100-yard rushing games in Bush’s absence. That’s something Bush has done once in his 35-game NFL career.
Where the Saints will miss Bush most is in the big-play department. Bush had eight gains of 20 or more yards from scrimmage this season. He had three long punt returns for touchdowns.
“Obviously, we’re going to have to have some explosive plays, because that’s what he gives us,” McAllister said. “Whether it’s Stecker or Pierre or me, somebody has got to step up and make those explosive plays.”
If so, the Saints can survive without Bush.
In fact, a less Reggie-centric attack actually could be a good thing.
New Orleans Saints try to find their footing in London
October 21, 2008
CHANDLER’S CROSS, ENGLAND — “I don’t know if it’s good morning or afternoon or whatnot.”With that, Saints Coach Sean Payton opened his news conference Monday outside London at a scenic golf resort dampened by a cold, steady drizzle.
The Saints’ plane landed at a London airport several hours earlier, and the mood at the news conference was perhaps lighter than it might have been at home. But the Saints’ plane, of course, came straight from the East Coast, where Payton and his team had just encountered their worst defeat of the season, a 30-7 loss against the Carolina Panthers.
The Saints’ 3-4 record was still on everyone’s mind.
“There’s still disappointment,” said quarterback Drew Brees, who spoke after Payton. “We haven’t quite put this last game behind us yet, because literally immediately after this game we jumped on a plane to fly here and arrived this morning around 11 o’clock, had lunch, kind of unpacked and then went out and got a run and a lift, and here I am. So I haven’t had a lot of time to digest what happened yesterday.”
Payton said the two players left off the team plane to London were running back Reggie Bush, who had surgery Monday in Birmingham, Ala., to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee, and punter Steve Weatherford, who was released after the game.
Weatherford’s replacement, Ben Graham, took a separate flight and was at the hotel when Payton spoke around 3:30 p.m. local time, Payton said. Graham will bring an international touch to the Saints’ game against the San Diego Chargers on Sunday at Wembley Stadium — before being signed as a 31-year-old Australian rookie with the New York Jets in 2005, Graham played in the Australian Football League.
Saints tight end Jeremy Shockey, who has been recovering from sports hernia surgery, was on the team plane and at the hotel Monday afternoon. Payton said he would have more details about his team’s injuries Wednesday, adding that Shockey began to feel better on the plane and that he understood Shockey’s frustration with a long recovery process.
“He’s an emotional guy, and that’s one of the things I like about him,” Payton said. “I like the fact that it’s so important to him. And coming off the field yesterday, there isn’t anyone who’s as disappointed as he is. Certainly, all of us were frustrated in that loss.”
The questions Monday were not all about the Saints’ loss. At the request of a British reporter, Payton explained the basic rules of football and answered the follow-ups: What are downs? Why should people spend their hard-earned money on watching American football?
“I think the basic premise is trying to advance the football into the opponent’s end zone,” Payton said at one point.
Already by the time he spoke, Payton was a fan of The Grove, the team’s hotel until this weekend.
The resort is surrounded by vast farms with sheep and cows, and it includes a golf course that hosted the WGC American Express Championship, which Tiger Woods won, in 2006. Now, a goal post rises up from one of the nearby fields.
The Saints are scheduled to practice at the Arsenal FC Training Center from Wednesday to Friday, but Payton said that he might opt for the field at The Grove.
“The setup here has been great,” Payton said. “You’ve got to kind of want to find it, first off. It’s out there in the country. That’s a good thing, though.”
The NFL had the Saints and Chargers arrive six days before their game, changing the plan from last year’s contest at Wembley, when the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins arrived for their game in London two days early.
Payton liked his team’s focus when it spent a week in Indianapolis before the regular-season opener as Hurricane Gustav hit the Gulf Coast, and he seems to be looking for the same type of football-concentrated experience and environment in London.
“Before Katrina, we evacuated for Hurricane Ivan, so we had to move our team then,” said Rita Benson LeBlanc, Saints owner/executive vice president, explaining that the team knows how to make arrangements like those in London. “And then for Katrina, obviously, we were gone for about six months. And then this past year, we had to evacuate for Gustav. Actually, before that, when we were in the NFC championship match (after the 2006 season), if you were part of the eight teams and then the four teams that were in the running for the Super Bowl, you have to plan as though you’re going to the Super Bowl, do all of the advance trips.”
The difference with this trip could be the loss that came right before it, a game that Brees contemplated as the team plane flew over the Atlantic Ocean.
“I watched the film, I popped an Ambien and sat there and thought about it for 30 minutes until I fell asleep,” Brees said. “And then I’ve just been thinking about it all morning, just a play here, a play there.”
Teddy Kider can be reached at tkider@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3409.
New Orleans Saints sign a punter
October 21, 2008
New Orleans Saints sign a punter – New Orleans Saints Beat – Times-Picayune – NOLA.com
Posted by Teddy Kider, The Times-Picayune October 20, 2008 1:35PM
Categories: SaintsCHANDLER’S CROSS, ENGLAND – Saints Coach Sean Payton announced Monday that the team signed punter Ben Graham to replace Steve Weatherford.
Graham, a 34-year-old who used to play in the Australian Football League, spent more than three seasons with the New York Jets. Graham played in four games this season with the Jets, punting 14 times for an average of 43.3 yards, but was released by the team for the second time this season in late September.
Payton said Monday afternoon that Graham was already with the Saints at their hotel outside London, after flying separate from the team following the Saints’ loss to the Carolina Panthers.
New Orleans Saints’ Bush has knee surgery
October 21, 2008
New Orleans Saints’ Bush has knee surgery – New Orleans Saints Beat – Times-Picayune – NOLA.com
Posted by Mike Triplett, The Times-Picayune October 20, 2008 12:46PM
Categories: Saints
Michael DeMocker/The Times-PicayuneReggie Bush had surgery today in Birmngham.Reggie Bush is expected to miss three to four weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery to repair the torn medial meniscus cartilage in his left knee, according to league sources.
The surgery, which was performed Monday by Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala., went well, and a full recovery is expected within a month.
Saints officials were not available for comment Monday evening, but this was the result they were expecting when they sent Bush to the renowned surgeon after he was injured during Sunday’s loss at Carolina.
“It’s an injury we have to deal with, hopefully on a short-term basis rather than a long-term basis, and it sounds like that’s the case,” Coach Sean Payton said after the Saints arrived in London on Monday to prepare for Sunday’s game against the San Diego Chargers. “From a timing standpoint, it falls with this game and then a bye weekend, so there is a little bit of time there for him as it pertains to his recovery.
“We’ll have to make some adjustments offensively, and some other guys are going to have to step up and play along with Deuce (McAllister), be it Aaron Stecker or Pierre Thomas. It’s a lot like with some of these other guys getting hurt (at other positions). But he’s a dynamic player. It’s disappointing. I’m sure he’s as disappointed as anyone that he’s not here.”
The typical recovery time for medial meniscus repairs is two to four weeks, though it can vary, especially with an athlete like Bush who relies so much on his speed and cutting ability.
The medial meniscus is a crescent-shaped pad of cartilage that helps to serve as a shock absorber between the femur and the tibia.
Saints defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis underwent a similar procedure Oct. 3. He has not yet returned to the practice field, but he made the trip to London and has not been ruled out of Sunday’s game.
Saints receiver Robert Meachem had a similar procedure in June of 2007, but he struggled through training camp and the preseason when he returned a month later, and he never was fully healthy all year.
Bush suffered the injury during a punt return just before halftime of the Saints’ 30-7 loss at Carolina on Sunday, when his knee was twisted during an attempted tackle. He broke the tackle and continued to sprint down the sideline — with one shoe missing — before he limped into the locker room.
Although this is a new injury, Bush’s left knee has caused him problems for the better part of the past year. He missed the final four games of last season after tearing his posterior cruciate ligament, which healed without surgery.
Then he began experiencing swelling and soreness in the knee during training camp this year — a condition that was aggravated by a hard hit against Tampa Bay in Week 1.
Just last week, Bush missed two practices to rest the knee, but he seemed to be running at 100 percent during the first half at Carolina. He ran for 55 yards on nine carries — including a 29-yard gain. He also caught one pass for 5 yards and returned three punts for 16 yards.
The 23-year-old tailback was off to a terrific start in his third NFL season. He leads the team with 660 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns, including three punt returns for scores.
McAllister, who has been through several surgical procedures on both knees by Andrews the past three years, will become the Saints’ primary rusher after playing a complementary role to Bush throughout this season.
But Thomas and Stecker both likely will rotate into the mix as the Saints try to keep their versatile offense from becoming too predictable.
“As you recall, we were without Reggie last year for the last four games of the season,” Saints quarterback Drew Brees said Monday. “We felt like at that time it was Pierre and Stecker doing a great job. I think that Deuce is running the ball very well right now. Whoever we put back there I have a lot of faith in. Hopefully we won’t skip a beat.
“Obviously we’ll miss Reggie like we’ll miss any guy who is that productive for us offensively. Early on it was (receiver Marques Colston) missing time and (tight end Jeremy) Shockey. Guys stepped up and did a great job. I felt like we kept rolling.”
Reggie Bush out with knee injury
October 21, 2008
Reggie Bush out with knee injury – New Orleans Saints Beat – Times-Picayune – NOLA.com
Posted by Herb White, The Times-Picayune contributing writer October 19, 2008 11:54PM
Categories: Saints
Michael DeMocker/The Times-PicayuneReggie Bush leaves the field against Carolina with an injured knee.CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Saints will have to get along without Reggie Bush for a while.
Bush injured his left knee returning a punt in a 30-7 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium and will miss next week’s game against San Diego in London. Saints Coach Sean Payton said Bush likely will undergo an arthroscopic examination today in Birmingham, Ala., by orthopedic surgeon James Andrews and could have surgery.
“We’re going to look at his meniscus in his left knee a little bit more,” Payton said.
Bush, who was injured on the last play of the second quarter, left the locker room without speaking to reporters. He finished with 76 all-purpose yards, including 55 yards rushing on nine carries. He did not play in the second half.
Bush’s injury was the most significant of the day, but it wasn’t the only one to hit New Orleans’ offense. Starting center Jonathan Goodwin also injured his left knee, but Payton said he would be on the flight to London.
“We’re a little more encouraged with Goodwin’s and a little more discouraged with Reggie, so we’ll see where he’s at,” Payton said. “There’s a chance that he won’t make this trip and that we fly him to Andrews for a scope. There’s a good chance that’s going to happen with Bush. Goodwin, we expect to make the trip.”
Bush didn’t practice last Wednesday or Thursday because of soreness and swelling in his left knee. He missed the final four games of the 2007 season after tearing the posterior cruciate ligament in that knee.
The former Heisman Trophy winner from Southern California was having his best professional season. Going into Sunday he led the league in touchdowns with eight, including three punt-return scores, and led the NFC in receptions with 41.
Defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis, the Saints’ first-round pick from USC this year, tore the medial meniscus in his right knee against the San Francisco 49ers on Sept. 28 and had surgery to repair the damage. He was expected to miss two to four weeks, which means he could play against the Chargers. If Bush’s recovery timetable is similar, he could be back as soon as the Nov. 9 game at Atlanta.
With Bush out of the lineup, the Saints didn’t muster much offense, failing to score in the second half after trailing 13-7 at halftime. As the third quarter started, quarterback Drew Brees had an inkling New Orleans would be without its most versatile playmaker.
“We were kind of worried about him, wondering what was going on,” Brees said. “Certainly, we’ve been in positions last year and this year where guys go down and the next guy has to step up, and I felt like Deuce (McAllister) did a good job today, and (Aaron) Stecker when he was in there.”
McAllister finished with nine carries for 47 yards; Stecker had two for 10.
“When (Bush) goes out of the game, it’s a big blow to what they have, because he’s a big playmaker for them,” said Carolina receiver Muhsin Muhammad. “But this is a team sport, and we had one of our huge playmakers (receiver Steve Smith, suspended first two games) go out early in the season, too, and we had to go on the road and beat San Diego and come home and play a tough Chicago team. I don’t think that’s something they want to say was the cause of their loss today, but obviously, he does pose a big threat when he’s on the field on special teams, and of course, on offense, too.”
With Bush sidelined, Carolina pressed defensively in the second half. The Panthers, who were tied for first in the NFC South at the start of the day with Tampa Bay, limited Brees to 21-of-39 passing for 231 yards and an interception. Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers was especially active with three tackles (two for losses), a sack, a quarterback hurry, a pass defended and a forced fumble.
“They made adjustments. They’re a well-coached football team with good players, and they’re not going to let you run around the edge all day long,” Brees said. “Then, it’s a chess match from there. We tried to run the ball inside, outside, throw it short, down the field. We tried to keep them off balance, but unfortunately, today it kind of worked the other way around.”
At 3-4 and two games out of first in the division, the Saints will need to pick up the pace in order to contend, fullback Mike Karney said.
“You can’t turn the ball over, and you can’t mis-execute. Period,” he said. “You’re going to get your butt beat, no matter who you’re playing, Carolina or anybody else. … We’ve got to find a way to not do that and start putting together some wins.”
Strong Brees has been Calmed
October 20, 2008
Drew Brees and the rest of the offense were stopped by the Carolina Panthers.
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