The New Orleans Saints will host three night games this season, including two on Monday Night Football
April 15, 2009
The New Orleans Saints will host three night games this season, including two on Monday Night Football
Posted by Brian Allee-Walsh, The Times-Picayune April 14, 2009 8:21PM
Categories: SaintsThree provocative prime-time home games and a potentially treacherous five-game stretch during Weeks 10 through 14 highlight the Saints’ 2009 regular-season schedule released Tuesday by the NFL.
The Saints open the regular season against Detroit at noon at the Superdome on Sept. 13 and close out their 16-game schedule at noon Jan. 3 at Carolina.
In between, they face a formidable slate that features Monday night home games against Atlanta (ESPN, 7:30 p.m.) on Nov. 2 and New England (ESPN, 7:30 p.m.) on Nov. 30 and a Saturday night game against Dallas (7:20 p.m., NFL Network) on Dec. 19.
The Times-Picayune archiveThe last time the Patriots’ Tom Brady played in the Superdome was when he was the winning quarterback in Super Bowl XXXVI.Their open date falls in Week 5.
Unlike last season when the Saints spent 42 days away from the Superdome, including a trip to London to face San Diego at venerable Wembley Stadium, the Saints have one treacherous stretch when they play four out of five games on the road Weeks 10 through 14.
All in all, the eight-hardest schedules for the 2009 season belong to teams in the AFC East and NFC South. The Saints’ schedule ranks eighth toughest in the NFL with their combined opponents’ winning percentage at .557 (142-113-1 in 2008).
“As a team, we like that we are kicking off our season in the Superdome for the second year in a row, and the schedule gives our fans the chance to see prime-time games at home against Atlanta, New England and Dallas,” Saints Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis said in a prepared statement. “In the NFL, you never take for granted the strength of any opponent based on the previous year. It is a challenging schedule and one that offers our fans a lot to get excited about.”
The Saints are trying to make it back to the playoffs under Coach Sean Payton for the first time since 2006 when they advanced to the NFC championship game against Chicago at Soldier Field.
New Orleans has finished 7-9 and 8-8 the past two seasons.
“We look forward to opening the season in front of our fans,” Payton said in the same prepared release. “It’s a fair but challenging schedule. There is a lot for the people who follow our team to be excited about with the Monday night games where we host Atlanta and New England and the Saturday night game against Dallas. Those games are always fun for the fans and a great environment for our players in the Superdome.”
Payton noted the final five weeks of the season also should be “exciting:” at Washington, at Atlanta, home against Dallas and Tampa Bay, and at Carolina.
Fans also should note a quirk in the schedule. For one of the rare times in franchise history, the Saints host two Sunday home games beginning at 3:05 p.m. — against the Jets on Oct. 4 and Carolina on Nov.¤8. Typically, Saints home games on Sundays kickoff at noon.
The Saints also play at Miami at 3:15 p.m. Oct. 25 in what is considered a national broadcast in the second game of a Sunday doubleheader on Fox.
Other highlights include:
* The Saints play five 2008 playoff teams: Philadelphia, New York Giants, Miami, Atlanta (twice) and Carolina (twice).
* Quarterback Eli Manning will play against his hometown team at the Superdome for the first time since joining the Giants in 2004. The Giants come to the Superdome on Oct. 18. A scheduled game between the teams at the Superdome in September 2005 had to be shifted to Giants Stadium in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The Giants won 27-10.
* The Saints will play five games against rookie head coaches: Jim Schwartz (Detroit), Rex Ryan (Jets), Steve Spagnuolo (St. Louis) and Raheem Morris (Tampa Bay, twice).
* New England and two-time Super Bowl MVP quarterback Tom Brady will make their first trip to the Superdome since winning Super Bowl XXXVI after the 2001 season. Brady was named Super Bowl MVP after leading the Patriots past St. Louis 20-17.
* Former Saints coach Wade Phillips will bring his Cowboys to the Superdome for a prime-time game Dec. 19 on NFL Network. It will mark the Saints’ first prime-time regular-season game played on a Saturday night.
New Orleans Saints practice report for Nov. 20
November 21, 2008
New Orleans Saints practice report for Nov. 20 – New Orleans Saints Beat – Times-Picayune – NOLA.com
Posted by Teddy Kider, The Times-Picayune November 20, 2008 3:15PM
Categories: SaintsThe Saints had three players miss Thursday’s practice: running back Deuce McAllister (left knee), cornerback Aaron Glenn (ankle) and fullback Mike Karney (knee).
Four players were limited: tackle Jon Stinchcomb (calf), receiver Marques Colston (knee), running back Reggie Bush (knee) and center Jonathan Goodwin (knee).
McAllister, who missed practice after having his knee drained, and defensive end Will Smith spoke for the first time about their Tuesday hearing with the NFL for positive drug tests. The hearing for McAllister, Smith and defensive end Charles Grant, which brought all three of them to New York, was a “marathon,” according to McAllister.
Check back later for more details…
Aaron Stecker joins New Orleans Saints’ long injured reserve list
November 19, 2008
Posted by Mike Triplett, The Times-Picayune November 18, 2008 10:42PM
Categories: Saints
Chris Granger, The Times-PicayuneAaron Stecker will miss the rest of this season with a hamstring injury, and will become a free agent at the end of the season.Tailback Aaron Stecker became the 13th member of the Saints’ injured reserve list Tuesday, ending his season with a right hamstring injury. The Saints replaced him on their roster with free-agent fullback Darian Barnes. They also agreed to a deal with free-agent tailback Mike Bell, according to Bell’s agent, Steven Feldman. Bell will be signed today.
Stecker, 33, had been battling his injury since the first week of the season. He aggravated it on a 12-yard catch early in the first quarter Sunday at Kansas City and left the game.
Agent Ronald Slavin said Stecker expects to need four to six weeks of recovery time. With only six weeks left in the regular season, the Saints needed to fill the roster spot.
Stecker is a free agent after this season, so his future with the team is uncertain. But he also was a free agent this past spring, and he chose to sign a one-year deal to stay in New Orleans.
The ninth-year veteran has been a valuable player for the Saints on offense and special teams since he signed as a free agent from Tampa Bay in 2004. He has gained 95 yards this season in six games, but he caught his first touchdown pass with the Saints in Week 6 against Oakland.
Stecker has run for 1,109 yards and gained 908 yards receiving in his Saints career, with a total of nine touchdowns (one on a kickoff return).
Bell, 6 feet, 225 pounds, showed great promise in his rookie season in 2006 with the Broncos, who signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Arizona. But his star seemed to have flamed out as quickly as it rose.
Bell ran for 677 yards and eight touchdowns as a rookie, but he fell behind on the Broncos’ depth chart last season and gained 3 yards in five games. He has been out of work since the Texans released him during training camp, when he was stalled by a groin injury.
Barnes, 28, has bounced around with eight teams since he signed with the Giants in 2002 as an undrafted free agent out of Hampton. His most extensive playing time came in Dallas in 2004, when he scored his only career touchdown. Barnes, 6-2, 240, has appeared in five games this season with Buffalo and Detroit.
The Saints are without starting fullback Mike Karney for at least another week while he recovers from a knee injury. They went without a fullback last week at Kansas City, and used tight end Billy Miller, tailback Pierre Thomas and even linebacker Troy Evans in various formations.
NO NEWS FROM APPEALS: No information was available Tuesday regarding the scheduled appeals hearing for Saints tailback Deuce McAllister and defensive ends Will Smith and Charles Grant, all of whom are facing four-game suspensions after testing positive for a banned diuretic this summer.
Neither league officials nor team officials would comment on the proceedings, which are confidential.
It’s not clear if the players flew to New York for face-to-face meetings, or if they elected to make their appeal via conference call. They are being represented by attorney David Cornwell. The Saints do not have another practice scheduled until Thursday.
The three Saints reportedly are among a group of six to eight players league-wide who tested positive for the banned substance Bumetanide. They claim it came from an over-the-counter weight-loss supplement called StarCaps, which is advertised as all-natural and does not list Bumetanide as an ingredient.
All of the players involved are expected to make their appeals by the end of this week, which means the league could make its ruling as early as next week. The league typically announces suspensions early in the week, before teams are deep into their game preparations.
Meanwhile, Saints practice squad tailback Lynell Hamilton began serving a four-game suspension late last week. According to Saints Coach Sean Payton, he also tested positive for a banned diuretic, but his case was not related to the StarCaps cases.
BREES LEADS VOTING: Saints quarterback Drew Brees is the leading vote-getter among all NFL players in fan voting for the Pro Bowl. He has 490,844 votes through five weeks of fan voting on NFL.com with three weeks to go.
The Pro Bowl rosters are decided by a consensus vote of fans, coaches and players, with each group counting as one third.
Redskins tailback Clinton Portis ranks second behind Brees in total votes, followed by Jets quarterback Brett Favre. Brees has a considerable lead among NFC quarterbacks, with Giants quarterback Eli Manning second with 395,526 votes.
The only other Saints who rank in the top five at their positions are fullback Mike Karney (fourth) and tight end Jeremy Shockey (fourth).
Scouting report on the Green Bay Packers
November 19, 2008
Scouting report on the Green Bay Packers – New Orleans Saints Beat – Times-Picayune – NOLA.com
Posted by Brian Allee-Walsh, The Times-Picayune November 18, 2008 10:32PM
Categories: Saints
John Russell, The Times-PicayuneQuarterback Aaron Rodgers received a longterm contract last month, but the Packers are still battling to secure a playoff berth.With the way the NFC is shaping up, the Packers sense they will have to win their division to make the playoffs. They displayed that win-or-else attitude Sunday at Lambeau Field, whipping Chicago 37-3 to pull into a three-way tie at 5-5 with Minnesota and the Bears for first place in the NFC North. Green Bay returns to practice Thursday in preparation for Monday night’s game against the Saints at the Superdome.
“We’ve always taken that mentality — we’re the champions until somebody takes it (from) us, ” Packers running back Ryan Grant said. “(It’s) kind of all or nothing. We need to keep that approach throughout these next six.”
LAST TIME
The Saints rallied from a 13-0 deficit in the first quarter to beat the Packers 34-27 on Sept. 17, 2006, at Lambeau Field. Drew Brees threw for 353 yards and two touchdowns, and Deuce McAllister scored twice to overcome a 340-yard, three-touchdown performance by Brett Favre. The Packers lead the series 14-6 and last played in the Superdome in September 2002, losing 35-20.
PACKERS ON OFFENSE
Green Bay is coming off an impressive outing, rolling up a season-high 200 yards rushing, including 145 yards and one touchdown by Grant on 25 carries. Grant ranks 11th in the NFC in rushing with 770 yards. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who is under contract through 2014 after signing a five-year, $65 million deal Oct. 31, has played well since taking over for Favre in training camp. Rodgers has thrown for 2,351 yards, with 15 touchdowns and six interceptions, for a 94.5 passer rating. He also has run for three touchdowns and been sacked 21 times. Greg Jennings leads a solid receiving corps with 48 catches for 865 yards and five touchdowns. Other primary targets are Donald Driver (45-572-3) and Donald Lee (29-202-3).
PACKERS DEFENSE
Outside linebacker A.J. Hawk has moved to middle linebacker to replace starter Nick Barnett, who will undergo season-ending knee surgery this week. Saints officials considered taking Hawk with their No. 1 pick in 2006 if they had traded out of the No. 2 slot, where they took Reggie Bush. Hawk and Barnett share the team lead in tackles with 49. Brandon Chillar (40 tackles) has replaced Hawk at right outside linebacker. Left defensive end Aaron Kampman has a team-high 7 1/2 sacks. This unit features two outstanding cornerbacks in Al Harris and Charles Woodson, along with free safety Nick Collins. Woodson and Collins each has five interceptions. Collins has returned three for touchdowns and Woodson two. Nickel back Tramon Williams has four interceptions. Green Bay leads the NFL with 16 interceptions.
PACKERS SPECIAL TEAMS
Kicker Mason Crosby has converted 19 of 23 field-goal attempts, including three of five from beyond 50 yards. He ranks fifth in the NFL in scoring with 88 points and has averaged 10.2 points per game the past five games. Punter Derrick Frost has a net average of 37.0 with a low return average of 6.9 yards. Return specialist Will Blackmon is averaging 13.0 yards per punt return and 21.8 yards per kick return. He returned one punt for a touchdown in each game against Minnesota.
FYI
Packers Coach Mike McCarthy held the job of offensive coordinator under former Saints Coach Jim Haslett in New Orleans from 2000 through 2004.
BY THE NUMBERS
‹: NFL-high returns for touchdowns by the Packers this season (two punt returns, one fumble return, six interception returns). The seven defensive returns for touchdowns are a team record, eclipsing the previous high of six in 1966.WORTH REPEATING
“This is the Green Bay Packers team that you’re going to get every week from here on out.” — Wide receiver Greg Jennings after beating Chicago 37-3.
New Orleans Saints should expect the worst from meeting with NFL
November 19, 2008
Posted by John DeShazier, The Times-Picayune November 18, 2008 4:01PM
Categories: Saints
Michael DeMocker/The Times-PicayuneCharles Grant is one of the Saints appealing a possible suspension.Hope for the best today for Deuce McAllister, Will Smith and Charles Grant during their appeals process with the league. But, honestly, expect the worst.
Realistically, it’s a lot better to assume those three – and every other NFL player caught up in the Bumetanide net, having knowingly or unknowingly taken the banned diuretic – soon will be suspended four games by the NFL. It’s a lot safer to envision the Saints without McAllister and Smith (Grant already is out the rest of the season with a triceps injury) for a month or the rest of the regular season, depending on when the penalty actually is assessed, than it is to envision them on the field once the league hears their appeals.
Because it’s just hard to see the NFL changing lanes on its stance regarding banned supplements.
The players very well could have done almost everything right. They could have had the product – all allegedly are guilty of taking StarCaps, a weight-loss pill – tested in the past and they reportedly are spot on in the charge that the banned product isn’t listed among the ingredients in the supplement.
But when league rules stipulate that a player is responsible for whatever it is he takes and will be held accountable if it falls outside the boundaries, it just doesn’t look like a good result will be forthcoming for the I-didn’t-know-it-was-in-there defense. Because the NFL has made it clear that it doesn’t care whether or not the player knew the banned substance was in there.
We all have been educated to the fact that Bumetanide is on the list is because it’s a masking agent.
And while I understand that none of the guilty is a previous offender, all of them say they only wanted to lose weight and all could be victims of the company that produces the pill because the banned substance isn’t listed, there remains the chance, however slim, that the product actually was used to hide the use of a performance-enhancing drug.
Whether or not we want to believe, that very much is possible.
There’s no way to know for certain whether the intent was one thing or the other and if the NFL office is going to go down the slippery slope of taking players’ words regarding intent to cheat, no player ever again is going to be suspended. Every future violator will say he has been duped, like almost every past violator has claimed.
So the safe assumption is that the league probably isn’t going to go there. I’m thinking that no matter how passionate or compelling will be the defense offered by McAllister, Smith and Grant, they all are going to be suspended without pay for four games.
Now, they can appeal the suspensions and continue playing through that appeal and, maybe, finish out the 2008 season. And they can, and will, maintain their innocence all the while.
But more than likely, all they’ll be doing is delaying the inevitable.
There’s a chance they will win their appeals to the league, but the NFL hasn’t shown itself to be lenient in any way regarding banned substance suspensions. This isn’t the same as rescinding a fine for a questionable hit, because the tackle in question can be reviewed, detailed and determined whether it violates the spirit of sportsmanship.
There’s no film to review on this and intent can’t be calculated, either.
This is something where intent can’t be judged, which is why the league doesn’t even bother with trying to judge intent. This is something where the league specifically tells players that they take supplements that aren’t on the league’s approval list at their own risk. And that if they turn up dirty, that’s on the players.
That seems pretty clear, as does what is going to happen to McAllister, Smith and Grant after their appeals are heard today.
Deuce McAllister’s days at the Dome with the New Orleans Saints numbered?
November 18, 2008
Posted by Jeff Duncan, The Times-Picayune November 17, 2008 10:54PM
Categories: Saints
Susan Poag / The Times-PicayuneNew Orleans Saints tailback Deuce McAllister, who has been used mostly in a reserve role this season, is scheduled to be paid $7.3 million next year.There are a lot of reasons to attend the Saints’ home game against the Green Bay Packers on Monday night.
It’s the first home game in six weeks. It’s critical to the Saints’ faint playoff hopes. And, of course, it’s on a national stage.
But more important than any of those factors is this: It could be Deuce McAllister’s final game at the Superdome.
Not this month. Not this season.
Ever.
Did you hear that, Who Dat Nation?
McAllister could be playing his final game at the Superdome on Monday night.
I could be jumping the gun here. A lot of things would have to fall in place for it to happen. But it’s not as long a shot as it might seem. In fact, it’s an inconvenient truth.
Technically, McAllister has four years remaining on his contract with the Saints, but the reality is his roster spot is far from guaranteed next season. His salary cap number jumps from $4.5 million to $7.3 million. That’s feature-back money not role player money, and McAllister, at this stage of his injury-riddled career, is a role player — at least in the eyes of his current employer.
McAllister started Sunday’s game at Kansas City but took a back seat to Pierre Thomas for most of the second half. Thomas finished with 16 carries for 88 yards. McAllister had eight for 18. A similar playing rotation was employed a week earlier in Atlanta.
If Coach Sean Payton’s designation of McAllister’s role wasn’t clear earlier this season when he docked Deuce on the sideline for two games, it’s now readily apparent.
That’s the harsh reality of the NFL, where a player’s three most valuable assets are productivity, reliability and availability.
A wily veteran like McAllister knows this better than anyone.
There’s also the chance he could retire after the season. McAllister, who will be 30 on Dec. 27, has never mentioned retirement but it wouldn’t be a shocker. Other than a Super Bowl, there’s little left for him to accomplish. He’s the club’s career rushing leader and was a key cog on the most successful team in Saints history. His legacy is intact.
He’s in great shape financially and has enough business interests to keep him busy for the rest of his life. He’d also have more time to devote to family.
So as much as I hate to say it, this very well could be McAllister’s final season in the NFL and/or New Orleans.
And if it is, there’s a strong chance the looming NFL suspension could soon wipe out what’s left of it.
McAllister’s appeal is expected to be heard by NFL officials today. He could learn his fate as early as next week.
McAllister and Saints officials are confident that the appeal will be approved. Historically, though, the NFL has ruled with an iron fist on the matter of supplements.
If the appeal fails, McAllister would face a four-game suspension, which would begin immediately.
Depending on when the gavel falls, McAllister’s suspension could begin as early as next week. If so, that means he could serve the four-game suspension in Weeks 13-16 and return for a curtain call in the Dec. 28 season finale against Carolina.
But if the league waits, then McAllister would be forced to close out the season on suspension, meaning Monday night’s home game could possibly be his final one at the Superdome.
If Monday night is his finale, the Saints need to give McAllister the ball, especially when they reach the goal line.
He needs one touchdown to establish a club record for touchdowns. For all he’s done, the Saints owe him a chance to set the mark.
If not another season, the Saints at least owe him another night in the spotlight.
Knowing McAllister, the last thing he’d want is to single himself out from teammates, to become the dominant storyline in such an important game. The prideful, modest guy I’ve known since he was drafted in 2001 would detest being made a sideshow.
But his fans deserve to know the possibility exists. The potential moment should not pass unrecognized.
Ten years from now people won’t say they remember that Monday night when the Saints outscored the Packers or fell hopelessly out of the playoff race in the NFC South.
They’ll say they were there the night Deuce played his last home game at the Superdome.
New Orleans Saints have ‘playoff mentality’
November 18, 2008
New Orleans Saints have ‘playoff mentality’ – New Orleans Saints Beat – Times-Picayune – NOLA.com
Posted by Brian Allee-Walsh, The Times-Picayune November 17, 2008 10:35PM
Categories: SaintsSix weeks, four games and thousands of air miles later, the Saints return home Monday night to play the Green Bay Packers at the Superdome.
Much has happened since the Saints’ last home game — a 34-3 win against the Oakland Raiders on Oct. 12: Barack Obama won a historic presidential election, the stock market plunged to record lows and the Philadelphia Phillies captured the World Series.
Yet the more things changed the more they seem to have remained the same for the Saints, who were in last place in the NFC South after six games and remain there today through 10 games with six to play.
Carolina controls the division at 8-2 followed by Tampa Bay (7-3), Atlanta (6-4) and the Saints (5-5).
The wild-card picture becomes even more muddled with Washington (6-4), Dallas (6-4), Philadelphia (5-4-1), Chicago (5-5), Minnesota (5-5) and the Packers (5-5) in the mix.
The bottom line is the Saints probably will have to win at least four of their last six games to be in playoff contention.
“Like we said a week ago, there’s little wiggle room and there’s obviously a sense of urgency,” Saints Coach Sean Payton said Monday. “Each week you’re playing to stay in the hunt, to be in the conversation. With six weeks left in the season, that’s still a lot of football. But for the teams on the bubble, it becomes that much more pressing.”
The Saints concluded their recent road odyssey Sunday with a business-like 30-20 win against the Kansas City Chiefs (1-9) at Arrowhead Stadium, thanks largely to two goal-line stands that turned potential touchdowns into field goals.
That victory brings them to .500 for the fifth time this year, and the players are itching to break a trend of win one, lose one.
Their recent four-game trip resulted in a divisional loss at Carolina, a “home” win against San Diego at Wembley Stadium in London, a divisional loss at Atlanta and a non-conference win at Kansas City.
“Our season has been up and down,” Saints right tackle Jon Stinchcomb said. “London was great, then you look at Carolina and Atlanta and they were big busts. It’s been inconsistent.
“Right now, there is a playoff mentality here for us to come close to reaching any of our goals. It’s a playoff week each week. We can only control what we can control. We can’t control what anybody else does. We’ve got enough problems to solve in house, so we’re less concerned with what goes on around the league.”
Left outside linebacker Scott Fujita predicted the Saints would have to “win five, if not maybe six, of our remaining games to have a chance” to reach the postseason.
“We haven’t won two games in a row yet this season, so that has to get done if we want to have any chance at the postseason,” Fujita said. “These are desperate times and our backs are definitely up against the wall. We have always responded well in those situations, so we’ll find out Monday night.”
The Who Dat Nation is expected to be out in full force Monday night, partly because they haven’t seen the Black & Gold in six weeks and because the game is being televised nationally on ESPN.
Several players had trouble remembering who they last played at the Superdome, where they are 3-1 this season.
“Was it the Raiders?” wide receiver Lance Moore asked. “It’s been a long time.”
“Who did we play?” running back Pierre Thomas asked, looking to a teammate for help. “I’m trying to think. I want to say it was Oakland? Was it Oakland? That was like 30, 40 days ago.”
Since that game, the 53-man roster has undergone nearly a 17 percent turnover. It sports nine new players, including the team’s third punter (Glenn Pakulak) and third kicker (Garrett Hartley) this season.
Veteran defensive tackle Hollis Thomas has returned to the roster after missing the first two months while rehabilitating a torn right triceps.
“It’s going to be electrifying getting back in the Dome,” Hollis Thomas said. “There is no crowd like it. We got to keep rolling at home and keep the fans interested. We got a tough opponent coming in here, and it’s going to be good to have the crowd on our side. My first two games back have been on the road, so I’m really looking forward to this game.”
No doubt, game-starved Saints fans feel the same way.
“Our fans deserve this,” Fujita said. “A lot of us have felt bad about the last couple of seasons, not playing well enough at home. These people are spending a lot of money on these tickets. Ticket prices have kind of gone through the roof. They deserve a better showing than that. So I’m glad we’ve been better at home this year.
“Each team in our division is playing pretty strong, and they’re not going to make it easy for us. Unfortunately, we’ve been making things a lot tougher on us this year than we probably need to be doing. We still have a chance and there’s still a little glimmer of hope, and as long as we have that we’re going to keep playing hard.”
Indianapolis Colts castoff DE Jeff Charleston shines for New Orleans Saints
November 18, 2008
Jeff Charleston was beginning to think he was done.Having been released by the Indianapolis Colts on the final cut before the start of this season, he was growing more and more resigned to his fate.
Maybe professional football was no longer in his future, thought Charleston, 25, who busied himself for the first five weeks of the season by helping out at a friend’s custom furniture store in Portland, Ore.
“I know every guy that’s in that position always thinks, ‘Is it the end?’¤” said Charleston, who played in 13 games with the Colts last season, his first in the NFL. “It ends sometime for everyone. So, obviously, I was thinking about it. I was thinking about the Canadian (Football League) or the Arena (Football League). You always think about things like that, or am I done and have to go get into the real world. I still had football on my mind. You never give up, but, obviously, it’s hard.”
Both the Saints and Charleston, whom the Saints signed, cut, then re-signed Oct. 14, are happy the 6-foot-4, 265-pound reserve end didn’t give up.
After wallowing in obscurity the past month, Charleston turned in one of the best games of the season by a Saints defensive end during the team’s 30-20 win at Kansas City on Sunday.
Charleston, whose role increased because of the season-ending triceps injury to starting left end Charles Grant, had two sacks and two quarterback hurries.
“He did a good job,” Saints Coach Sean Payton said. “He gave us a little bit of juice. He’s in the rotation now. He’s a guy that has done a good job in the course of the week. He’s one of those guys that have a high motor, and it’s always going.”
Charleston, who was surrounded by a horde of media (the most he said he has ever had to face) in the locker room Monday, has no plans on stopping. In fact, he said he’s just getting comfortable with the Saints’ system and finally is beginning to feel like he is a part of the team.
“In this business, it’s kind of week to week,” he said. “You never know where you are going to be or where you are going to end up, but you make the best of your opportunity and just keep going.
“You kind of expect to be here just week to week, so you start out living in a hotel. Then you might move to a month-to-month (apartment), then you might get a lease.”
Asked about his current living conditions, Charleston answered: “It’s a lease right now.”
PENDING SUSPENSIONS: Payton on Monday said he is in the same boat with the fans and players about the pending suspensions of running back Deuce McAllister and defensive ends Will Smith and Grant.
He doesn’t know much.
According to league sources, the NFL is expected to hear appeals today for the players, who reportedly tested positive for Bumetanide, a diuretic banned by the NFL.
“The only thing I know is what you guys know,” Payton said. “It really is a league office matter with our players. As soon as we know anything and we can comment on anything more than that, we’ll bring it to you. That’s exactly what I know. Per the guidelines of the league, we really can’t comment outside of that. We’re just waiting like everyone else.”
Each player could face a four-game suspension, but the decision on whether to suspend them is not expected immediately after the hearings.
Although Payton is expecting both McAllister and Smith in the lineup (Grant is on injured reserve) for Monday night’s game against the Green Bay Packers, he said there is a contingency plan in place if the players aren’t available.
“I think you just have to be mindful of your depth at those positions,” he said. “I think we’ve got to plan on having them until we’re told otherwise and then we go from there.”
INJURY UPDATE: Payton said there were two significant injuries from the game against the Chiefs.
Reserve tight end Mark Campbell injured the medial collateral ligament in his left knee, and backup running back Aaron Stecker has a hamstring injury.
Payton didn’t say how long either player will be out. Campbell said earlier Monday morning he was awaiting word from the doctor about the severity of his injury.
Meanwhile, Payton said it’s still too early to predict the availability of running back Reggie Bush, who has missed the past three games after having surgery to repair torn medial meniscus in his left knee.
Sean Payton says he’s in the dark about possible suspensions of some New Orleans Saints players
November 18, 2008
Posted by Nakia Hogan, The Times-Picayune November 17, 2008 4:15PM
Categories: Saints
Susan Poag/The Times-PicayuneSaints defensive end Will Smith’s future as far as a possible suspsension is a mysery to even his head coach.New Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton on Monday said he is in the same boat with the fans and players about the pending suspensions of running back Deuce McAllister, and defensive ends Charles Grant and Will Smith.
He doesn’t know much.
According to league sources, the NFL is expected to hear appeals Tuesday for running back McAllister, Smith and defensive end Grant, who reportedly tested positive for Bumetanide, a diuretic banned by the NFL.
“The only thing I know is what you guys know,” Payton said. “I heard the same things and we just wait from the league office. It really is a league office matter with our players. As soon as we know anything and we can comment on anything more than that, we’ll bring it to you. That’s exactly what I know. Per the guidelines of the league, we really can’t comment outside of that. We’re just waiting like everyone else.”
Each player could face a four-game suspension, but the decision on whether to suspend them is not expected immediately after the hearings Tuesday.
Although Payton is expecting both McAllister and Smith in the lineup (Grant is on injured reserve) for Monday night’s game against the Green Bay Packers, he said there is a contingency plan in place if the players aren’t available.
“I think you just have to be mindful of your depth at those positions,” he said. “I think we’ve got to plan on having them until we’re told otherwise and then we go from there.”
New Orleans Saints place Brian Young on injured reserve
November 18, 2008
Posted by Teddy Kider, The Times-Picayune November 16, 2008 10:45AM
Categories: SaintsKANSAS CITY, MO. — The Saints placed defensive tackle Brian Young on the injured reserve list Sunday, ending his season after he struggled with problems in his left knee and right foot.
Young played last week against the Atlanta Falcons but missed Friday’s practice leading up to today’s game at the Kansas City Chiefs. Saints Coach Sean Payton said Friday that Young experienced increased swelling in his left knee, which had been bothering Young for more than a year and had been operated on several times.
Tight end Buck Ortega was moved from the practice squad to the active roster to take Young’s roster spot.
Also, the Saints’ inactives for today’s game: running back Reggie Bush, cornerback Aaron Glenn, cornerback David Pittman, fullback Mike Karney, tackle Jermon Bushrod, center Jonathan Goodwin, receiver David Patten and Joey Harrington (as the third quarterback).
The two listed starting lineup changes for the Saints: Deuce McAllister replacing Bush and Matt Lehr replacing Goodwin.
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