Category: New Orleans

The only teams that are worse than the Saints are St. Louis and Miami, and that’s just because they haven’t had their bye week already.  Are we emotionally spent after last season?

Is it:

1. Olindo Low Kick Mare -Sunday’s blocked kick was totally his fault. Peppers knocked it down with his elbow. I can’t really fault him for missing the long field goal, a kick we had no business attempting. Way to go, Chip Lohmiller.
2. Devry Dropsies Henderson – That catch and run to the one was great, but that last drop/bounce into the hands of the Panthers was ridiculous. At least he looked like he was about to cry after the game.
3. Jamal Front Door Brown – When he wasn’t getting run over, he was lining up incorrectly and costing us a touchdown.
4. John the Other Front Door Stinchcomb – See Jamal Brown, without the illegal formation penalty.
5. Drew Bad Decision Brees – Drew didn’t get sacked on Sunday, but still looked terrible. Is it his fault? Is it the O-line’s fault? Is it the wide receivers fault?
6. Sean Predictable Payton – What’s with this short pass bullshit? Did you forget how to use Reggie? Where’s the play-action? What’s with all the slants and five-yard out passes? ALL OF WHICH ARE DROPPED, by the way. What’s with the conservative play calling? The long field goal attempts with a kicker who couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn?
7. Robert Where Am I Meachem – Are you not that good? Can you not learn the playbook? Are you fat? Injured? We need someone to step up in our receiving corps. I don’t care if it’s Meachem, Copper, Moore, or Patten.

On the bright side, Eric Johnson looks pretty good and so does Mike Karney. Reggie’s games are getting better. Mike McKenzie bailed out the secondary. (I never thought I would appreciate McKenzie so much). Hollis Thomas looked good. Will Smith finally got a sack.

What do you think is wrong with the Saints? Do you still believe? I do.

Conde Nast has an article about Rita Benson LeBlanc, future owner of the Saints. Tom Benson can’t retire soon enough.

 

The city’s pro-football fans—the ones Benson LeBlanc took by storm—hope she tells her grandfather something like what Saints coaches tell potential free agents: Move the team and become just another owner; stay and become a hometown hero. “The question is how much being beloved is worth to Benson,” says Matheson.

It may be worth less to Benson than to his granddaughter. After all, he takes concessions; she makes them. Benson LeBlanc says a shiny new stadium would be nice, but she’s not “pushing hardcore” for one. “There are no mandates from the club,” she says, sounding like the anti-Benson. “Any proposal would have to go beyond just a mere facility and involve reclaiming property that was devastated by Katrina. We’re trying to do everything we can to bring prosperity and economic investment to New Orleans.”

http://www.portfolio.com/executives/features/2007/09/17/Rita-LeBlanc-Benson-Saints#page1

I didn’t get to see the game, but judging from the score and the highlights, that looked like an ass-whupping last night.

What’s wrong with Deuce that he can’t score from the 5?  I guess the entire Chiefs team is a lot heavier than the entire Eagles team.  I still love you, Deuce.

Please, let’s start the regular season.

First off, sorry to those out there who don’t follow football, because that’s mostly what you’re going to get from here on out.

I’m not disappointed at the Saints loss last night. Already Mike McKenzie is being pointed at as toast. Poor guy. I’m not McKenzie’s biggest fan, but I’m also not upset that he got burnt on a long bomb on second down during a preseason game.

The Steelers needed to win that game for their self-esteem. They have a new coach. The Saints didn’t, and played like it, and nobody got hurt.

Good things about the game:

• Reggie accepts a two-yard gain instead of a 5 yard loss.
• Reggie falls forward on both carries.
• Despite blitzes from the Steelers, we didn’t give up a sack. We got pressured and made questionable decisions, but we didn’t get sacked.
• Despite playing vanilla defense, we got in three sacks, two in the first quarter.
• Nobody got hurt.

Bad things about the game:

• Jamie Martin is not very good. Please don’t get hurt, Brees.
• Jason David got burnt even worse than McKenzie did.
• Where was Roman Harper?
• Where was Devery Henderson?
• The Saints’ first score was Fife to Dudley. Can there be two more doofus names?

And I really can’t believe Chris Collinsworth asked Michael Irvin if he felt like he deserved to be the Hall of Fame.

Another fan favorite was released from the Saints. Michael “Beerman” Lewis, the New Orleans local who drove a beer truck before signing with the Saints as a kick returner. Everyone loved Michael Lewis. In 2004, he was the best part of watching Saints games.

With Reggie returning punts, and rookie Antonio Pittman probably doing kickoff returns, the writing was pretty much on the wall for the Beerman. I’m sad to see him go, but that’s the way it goes.

Willie Whitehead was also let go. Did he ever do anything?