Da Boot Sports
10/15/2021
Article courtesy of Crescent City Sports
By: Ken Trahan

      It was a tilting of the see-saw game.
A pair of 2-2 teams squared off on a gray day in the suburban area of the nation’s capitol.
Things looked gray for a while for the visiting New Orleans Saints.
Then, things looked black and gold as New Orleans fought through adversity to pick up a needed win in a game that could swing the momentum of a season possibly heading toward mediocrity into one with promise.
For quite some time, the Saints reflected the up-and-down, inconsistent .500 team they were entering the game.
Then, the team found itself, making big plays that had to be made in all three phases of the game, including a wing-and-a-prayer being answered to end the first half.
It was an important victory.
Here are some Quick Takes from the 33-22 victory over the Washington Football Team:
**The Saints came out throwing against a poor Washington pass defense. It did not work.
**First, Winston badly overthrew an open Kenny Stills.
**Then, Winston badly underthrew Taysom Hill and, for that matter, threw it well behind him and right into the arms of Cole Holcumb for an interception, which he returned to the New Orleans 31-yard line.

**Fortunately, Taylor Heinicke missed a wide open receiver on third down and Dustin Hopkins came on to kick a 45-yard field goal to make it 3-0 with 12:27 to play in the opening quarter.

**Winston responded in outstanding fashion, shaking off the pick and hitting a wide open Deonte Harris on a fly pattern for a 75-yard touchdown to make it 7-3 with 11:13 to play in the opening quarter.

**On the play, there appeared to be confusion between Bobby McClain and Landon Collins. It was the longest play of Harris’ young career.

**Washington responded with a 72-yard drive in 12 plays which stalled at the New Orleans 5-yard line as Marshon Lattimore broke up a Taylor Heinicke pass in the end zone. That forced a 28-yard field goal by Hopkins to cut the lead to 7-6 with 4:55 to play in the opening quarter.

**Winston then committed his second turnover on the next possession. On a pass attempt, he held the ball quite long, was sacked by Chase Young, fumbled and Payne recovered.

**The defense then got a big stop but Carl Granderson roughed the punter, giving Washington new life a the New Orleans 34-yard line.
**Then, Bradley Roby committed an obvious pass interference penalty of 16 yards to the New Orleans 18-yard line.
**Washington had the ball for 10:37 in the first quarter.
**Washington took total advantage of the mistake by Granderson, driving 44 yards in seven plays, taking 4:11 off the clock with Antonio Gibson scoring on a 5-yard touchdown run to give the home team a 13-7 lead with 14:16 to play in the first half.


**The Saints lost a big weapon when Austin Jackson III committed a personal foul on Taysom Hill on a deep pass attempt by Winston. Jackson hit Hill in the head, knocking him out of the game with likely concussion-symptoms. Hill was carted off the field.
**New Orleans finished off a nice 75-yard drive in six plays with Alvin Kamara racing 23 yards, straight up the middle, for a touchdown. On the play, James Hurst had a very nice seal block.
**Unfortunately, Cody Parkey, making his debut with the Saints, missed the extra point wide right leaving the game tied 13-13 with 10:58 to play in the first half.
**Then, Harris, the other big threat on offense, tweaked a hamstring.
**Washington reached the New Orleans 16-yard line but Paulson Adebo came up with huge play, intercepting Heinicke at the 2-yard line. It was a man coverage, jump ball and Adebo won the battle with Curtis Samuel.

**The interception by Adebo snapped a streak of six straight possessions with either a touchdown or a field goal by New Orleans opponents, dating to the previous game with the Giants.
**Dwayne Washington went down hurt on a punt midway through the second quarter.
**Blake Gillikin delivered a massive punt of 60 yards which went out of bounds at the Washington 1-yard line with 1:53 to play in the first half.
**That gave the Saints a chance and they would take full advantage. After Washington went 3-and-out and punted, Kamara returned the punt to the Washington 48-yard line with eight seconds left.
**Rather than looking to throw a quick out-route, Winston and Sean Payton elected to go the Hail Mary route and the prayer was answered with the fullness of grace as Marquez Callaway positioned himself well, sealed off a defender and the ball was positioned very well by Winston with Callaway catching it for a 48-yard touchdown on the final play of the half to give the Saints a 20-13 lead.


**In an uneven first half, Winston finished 8-of-16 for 189 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.
**Washington ran 39 plays to just 26 for the Saints in the half and Washington had the ball for 19:31 to just 10:29 for the Saints.
**Gillikin then nailed a 57-yard punt which went out-of-bounds at the Washington
**Winston made a perfect throw on a deep ball to Kamara, who dropped it.
**Washington drove 69 yards in 14 plays, taking 7:20 off the clock with Hopkins kicking a 24-yard field goal to make it 20-16 with 1:53 to play in the third quarter. It was a classic case of the defense bending but not breaking.
**Andrus Peat went down late in the third quarter and Will Clapp replaced him at left guard.
**Gillikin then came through huge again, punting 53 yards and it was downed at the Washington 2-yard line.
**PJ Williams then came up with the big play, picking off a Heinicke pass at the Washington 26-yard line.

**Four plays later, Winston connected with a wide-open Callaway on a 12-yard touchdown pass to give the Saints breathing room with a 27-16 lead with 12:12 to play in the game.

**On the play, Callaway, in the slot, simply went outside, off the back of two other New Orleans receivers and the defensive back chose not to go under and got caught in the wash and it was as easy a completion as you could possibly hope for.
**Washington answered with a 75-yard drive in eight plays to pull closer, scoring on a 1-yard run by Antonio Gibson to make it 27-22 with 7:51 to play in the game. The pass attempt for a 2-point conversion was batted down by Shy Tuttle.

**It was time for the offense to step up and it did with an assist to the brilliant play-calling of Sean Payton.
**The Saints were faced with fourth-and-less than a yard at their own 34-yard line. Payton called timeout and elected to go for it. Winston snuck it between the left guard and tackle slot for a first down with a good down-block by Peat, who returned to action.
**Then, Payton fooled Washington with a play-action pass and Winston hit a wide- open Adam Trautman for 32 yards to the Washington 32-yard line.
**After Kamara ran for 11 and two yards, Payton dialed up a pass to Kamara and Winston hit him on a 19-yard touchdown pass to make it 33-22. Once again, Parkey missed the extra point.

While it was an uneven offensive performance and a bit uneven for Winston, all is well that ended well.
Winston overcame the two early turnovers to complete 15-of-30 passes for 239 yards and four touchdowns.
Kamara was his usual self, rushing 16 times for 71 yards and a score and catching five passes for 51 yards and another touchdown. Kamara also stepped in for Harris and returned three punts for 29 yards. Kamara was superb, other than the dropped pass.
It was great to see Trautman finally contribute after a rough, make that very rough start to the season.
Callaway came through in huge fashion with four catches for 85 yards and two touchdowns.
Lattimore was tremendous, as he broke up six passes.
The defense came up with two big turnovers, sorely needed.
The move to allow legendary punter Thomas Morstead to leave is being vindicated.
Gillikin was tremendous, averaging 53.6 yards on five punts, including efforts of 60, 57 and 53 yards which were downed at the 1,2 and 3-yard lines, respectively. If Gillikin is not the NFL Special Teams Player of the Week, there should be an investigation.
There is a huge difference between being 3-2 and being 2-3, particularly going into a bye week.
With the injuries to Hill, Harris and Washington, added to the absence of Kwon Alexander, David Onyemata, Marcus Davenport, Michael Thomas, Erik McCoy, Terron Armstead, Tre’Quan Smith and Tony Jones, the start is respectable but it could have been outstanding had New Orleans not blown an 11-point fourth quarter lead at home to a poor New York Giants squad.
Still, considering the obstacles, including the massive first half mistakes and injuries, the win Sunday was a big one.
There is a real chance that New Orleans will get many of those injured players back with a week off before heading to Seattle on Oct. 25.
After that game, Onyemata will return.
The Saints will get healthier and should get better as the growth process continues.

Da Boot Sports
10/5/2021
Article courtesy of Crescent City Sports
By: Les East

   NEW ORLEANS – It had been 637 days since the New Orleans Saints played in front of a sellout crowd in the Superdome.
A lot happened in that time – COVID-19 necessitated all sorts of adjustments, Drew Brees retired, Hurricane Ida hit.
Still, it seemed like déjà vu all over again Sunday.
In that last sold-out game, Kirk Cousins threw a touchdown pass to Kyle Rudolph on the first possession of overtime and the Minnesota Vikings beat the Saints 26-20 in a wild-card playoff, ending New Orleans’ 2019 season.
In the latest sold-out game, Rudolph was back with the visiting team in the Dome, but it was Saquon Barkley running six yards for a touchdown on the first possession of overtime to give the New York Giants a 27-21 victory.
This loss certainly doesn’t end this season.
But it was reminiscent of that last loss and not just because both served as reminders that the NFL overtime rules are inherently unfair in allowing any team to potentially lose any overtime game without ever possessing the ball in the extra period.
More importantly both games served as reminders that NFL teams that have a better record than their opponent are vulnerable if they fail to play as well as their opponent.
Thus the NFC South champion Saints, who were 13-3 two years ago, lost to a 10-6 wild-card team from Minnesota.
Thus this 2-1 Saints team, with impressive wins against Green Bay and New England, lost to a winless Giants team that was missing two starting wide receivers.
Every team in the NFL is coached by professionals who work really hard to prepare their professional players to succeed.
And even teams with inferior records aren’t all that inferior to teams with superior records.
The NFL is designed to keep the gap between the best teams and the worst teams relatively small and it mostly works that way. The disparity between the best and the worst gets bigger as the season progresses and the best teams become more confident and the worst teams get dispirited.
But we have just entered October. This inaugural 17-game season hasn’t reached the one-quarter mark yet.
Teams that are off to slow starts aren’t dispirited yet. If anything they feel a sense or urgency to keep fighting because there is enough time to salvage respectability.
They might not have much of a chance to win their division or make the playoffs or have a winning record. But with this much time left much can change.
The Giants certainly weren’t dispirited, not even after losing their last two games on last-second field goals by Washington and Atlanta.
The Saints had plenty of spirit too for their long-awaited home opener after a month-long displacement to the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
When they opened last season amid COVID restrictions, not only was the Dome devoid of fans, the neighborhood around the Dome was eerily quiet and littered with countless signs reminding citizens that tailgating was strictly prohibited.
But on Sunday those same streets were filled with tailgaters barbecuing, drinking and socializing in preparation for the kickoff.
Inside the Dome it was loud. A full-throated “Who Dat” chant went up early. The players were as emotional as the spectators.
Then the game began.
It was not a great day for Sean Payton and his staff.
The offense started slowly and that helped the Giants take the early lead.
The defense started better, but the pass rush vanished and in its absence Daniel Jones picked apart the secondary for 400-plus yards.
Still the Saints flirted with taking command of a game in which they didn’t play their best.
Jameis Winston was an efficient 17 of 23 for 226 yards and a touchdown, Taysom Hill ran for two touchdowns and Alvin Kamara rushed for 120 yards on a career-high 26 carries.
Those are good numbers, but they weren’t good enough.
The Saints took a 21-10 lead with 12:09 remaining in the game, but the Giants weren’t fazed.
Jones threw a 54-yard touchdown pass to Barkley, ran for a two-point conversion and drove the Giants to Graham Gano’s 48-yard field goal with 31 seconds left to force overtime.
Then the Giants won the coin toss and took advantage of the opportunity.
And the Saints lost.
Just like 637 days earlier.

Da Boot Sports
9/28/2021
Article courtesy of Crescent City Sports
By: Les East


   ​These New Orleans Saints are different.
They’re different from their predecessors that have won the last four NFL South titles.
In fact they’re different than any other Saints team since Sean Payton became head coach before the 2006 season.
It’s too early to tell just how good they are, though the solid 28-13 victory at New England on Sunday is likely far more indicative of what they ultimately will be than either the atrocious 26-7 loss at Carolina last week or the nearly flawless 38-3 win against Green Bay in the opener was.
This team is different.
Being different isn’t inherently good or bad, but it’s looking like in this case it might be pretty good.
We knew Drew Brees’ retirement would necessitate a significant adjustment. And the Saints are adjusting pretty well so far.
This isn’t a case of Sean Payton trying to turn Jameis Winston into as reasonable a facsimile of Brees as Winston is capable of being.
It’s a case Payton of turning the first post-Brees Saints team into a team with a distinctive personality that maximizes its potential.
Winston is never going to be a reasonable facsimile of Brees.
He’s not going to consistently complete more than 70 percent of his passes. He’s not going to get the Saints out of bad plays into good ones or out of bad protections into good ones with nearly the frequency that Brees did for 15 seasons.
We saw that last week when the Panthers constantly pressured Winston, partly because the Saints blocked poorly, partly because the linemen were confused about whom to block, and partly because Winston couldn’t bring clarity to the confusion the way Brees probably would have.
Winston is going to periodically make poor decisions and reckless throws that Brees would rarely make. We saw that with the two interceptions that Winston threw last week, but those are the only interceptions he has thrown in three games.
We saw something similar Sunday when Winston was being tackled on a third-and-goal and semi-blindly tossed the ball toward the back of the end zone, though it worked out fine when Marquez Callaway made a leaping catch for his first NFL touchdown.
“That was all God,” Winston said accurately. “I was trying to throw that ball away, Marquez went up there and snatched it. So, touchdown good guys.”
So the passing offense and the quarterback position are going to be different than they have been. They won’t be better, but maybe on balance they’ll be good enough – because of the running game, the defense and the special teams.
Winston also threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Alvin Kamara that also came on third down as did the touchdown last week. Against the Packers one of the five touchdowns came on third down and another came on fourth down.
So Brees’ successor is producing pretty consistently when the stakes are high.
Payton committed to the running game Sunday and it was successful, just as the case had been against Green Bay. The running game didn’t work last week because the Saints couldn’t block anyone, the defense couldn’t get off the field in the first half and the game got out of hand.
But on Sunday, with center Erik McCoy sidelined for a second consecutive game and Terron Armstead missing most of the game after injuring an elbow, Kamara rushed for 89 yards and Taysom Hill averaged 5.3 yards on six carries and ran for a clinching touchdown.
Hill’s touchdown came at the end of a 13-play, 75-yard drive that featured 10 rushes for 56 yards.
That drive was much-needed after the defense allowed the only Patriots touchdown of the game, reducing the lead to eight points.
But overall the defense played very well and confirmed what we already suspected, that it will be the tone-setting unit for this team.
“Last year, on paper, we had the potential to be good,” safety Malcolm Jenkins said. “This year we know we’re good.”
Patriots rookie No. 1 draft choice Mac Jones had not thrown an interception in his first two games as an NFL quarterback. But the Saints harassed him throughout – not as badly as the Panthers harassed Winston but not all that far off either – and he threw three interceptions.
P.J. Williams’ interception set up Callaway’s touchdown, Jenkins returned an interception 34 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the third quarter to put the Saints in command with a 21-3 lead and Marshon Lattimore’s interception prevented a last-minute score by the Patriots.
The biggest blemish on this performance was the two missed field goals, from 52 and 36 yards, by Aldrick Rosas. Wil Lutz is eligible to be activated this week after undergoing core-muscle surgery during training camp.
It’s unclear if he’s ready to play. If he’s not it seems fairly certain that the Saints will have tryouts to see if a potential upgrade from Rosas is available.
Those tryouts would take place at the Saints Metairie practice facility because the team headed home after the game, ending a four-week displacement to the Dallas-Fort Worth area thanks to Hurricane Ida that began when the team’s preseason finale was canceled.
“It feels like we’ve been in training camp for two and a half months now,” Jenkins said.
When training camp began we knew the Saints were beginning a transition that’s ongoing.
It’s just three games, but the new identity is starting to come into focus.
And it looks pretty good.

Da Boot Sports
9/19/2021
Article courtesy of Crescent City Sports
By: Ken Trahan


   I did not see last week coming, not by a long shot.This time around, I could see it coming. Perhaps you could as well.
The New Orleans Saints were without Kwon Alexander, Marshon Lattimore, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Marcus Davenport, Tanoh Kpassagnon, David Onyemata, and Erik McCoy and Wil Lutz. They were already without Michael Thomas and Tre’Quan Smith.
Then, the Saints were without eight assistant coaches, including offensive analyst Jim Chaney, assistant Declan Doyle, senior assistant Curtis Johnson, tight ends coach Dan Roushar, running backs coach Joel Thomas, defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen, pass rush specialist Brian Young and special teams coach Phil Galiano.
The Saints had won four straight games against Carolina and 10 straight NFC South contests.
Both streaks ended and ended in a big way Sunday in Charlotte.
The depleted Saints were beaten in every aspect of the game.
The Panthers dominated up front on both sides of the ball.
New Orleans could not stop the pass and could not run or pass the football.
The final margin of victory could easily have been much worse.
It was a physical beating administered by the Panthers to the Saints.
Here are my Quick Takes on the 26-7 win for Carolina over New Orleans:
**The Panthers took the opening kickoff and promptly took the lead, driving 75 yards in five plays, taking three minutes to do so with Sam Darnold hitting a wide- open Brandon Zylstra on a 20-yard touchdown pass to make it 7-0 with 12 minutes left in the opening quarter. On the play, Marcus Williams vacated his deep safety area, leaving Zylstra open.

**Darnold was 3-for-3 for 72 yards on the drive, including a 36-yard completion to Christian McCaffrey.

**On the first Saints possession, New Orleans got a break on a questionable roughing the passer call against Jameis Winston.

**The drive died when Winston was sacked as Adam Trautman missed a block and then Terron Armstead and Calvin Throckmorton committed consecutive false start penalties.

**First-round pick Payton Turner was called on to play with Davenport and Kpassagnon out and Turner was flagged for roughing the passer on Carolina’s second possession.

**Carolina finished the first quarter with 159 yards to just 15 for the Saints. The Panthers had the ball for 11:16 to just 3:44 for New Orleans. The Panthers had eight first downs to just one for the Saints.

**The Panthers continued to dominate, driving 64 yards in 15 plays and milking 8:57 off the clock but the drive stalled at the New Orleans 2-yard line and Zane Gonzalez booted a 20-yard field goal to give the Panthers a 10-0 lead with 11:11 to play in the half.

**Things only got worse for the Saints as Carolina drove 10 plays, 72 yards, taking 5:30 off the clock with Darnold hitting D.J. Moore on a 2-yard touchdown pass to make it 17-0 with 1:55 to play in the half.

**The Saints finally made a play as Winston connected with Lil’Jordan Humphrey on a 27-yard pass to the Carolina 37.

**Too much pressure on Winston trying to pass resulted in consecutive incomplete passes before Winston reverted to his Tampa Bay form.

**Under a bit of pressure, Winston simply threw one deep down the field, right to Juston Burris for an easy interception. Had Winston simply thrown it away, Aldrick Rosas, who has a very strong leg, would have had a shot at a 54 or 55-yard field goal.

**How dominant was Carolina in the first half? The Panthers had 274 yards to just 65 for the Saints. New Orleans had four yards rushing and Carolina had the ball for 20:55 to just 9:05 for the Saints. The Panthers had 38 offensive snaps to just 17 for the Saints.

**Darnold was 16-of-20 for 206 yards and two touchdowns in the half.

**The Saints got the ball first in the second half and picked up where they left off, going three-and-out.

**Carolina had a drive stalled by Bradley Roby, who sacked Darnold.

**Then, Carl Granderson blocked a Gonzalez field goal attempt and Zack Baun returned it to the Carolina 38-yard line.

**Of course, the Saints did nothing with it.

**Then, the defense came up with a big play as PJ Williams blitzed and hit Darnold. Malcolm Roach recovered the resulting loose ball at the Carolina 18-yard line.

**The Saints reached the 1-yard line but on second-and-goal, a toss sweep to Alvin Kamara was called and he lost seven yards.

**On third, and-goal, Winston stepped up and ran it in on a called pass play, scoring on an eight-yard run to make it 17-7 with 14:37 to play in the game.

**Carolina finished it off with a 42-yard field goal with 3:26 remaining to account for the final margin of victory.

**Winston threw a second interception late in the game on another very ill-advised throw, off-balance into the arms of Jaycee Horn, an ironic, fitting ending as the son of Saints Hall of Fame inductee Joe Horn made the play. Remember, the Saints were rumored to be interested in trading up in the 2021 draft for Horn.

Darnold finished 26-of-38 for 305 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.
It was the first 300-yard passing game by Darnold since 2019.
In his first game in the NFL, first-round pick Payton Turner incurred two penalties, one for roughing the passer and the other for jumping in the neutral zone (a poor call). To his credit, he came back with a tackle for loss followed by a sack on the same series in the fourth quarter.

Winston was sacked four times and was under pressure throughout. He had no run game and little pass protection.
Still, his decision-making was shaky.
On one play, he hesitated to take off and run when the field was wide open.
On another, under intense pressure, Winston tried to force the ball forward. Initially, it was ruled a fumble but correctly overturned by replay.

Both interceptions were awful throws under pressure.
Winston finished 11-of-22 for just 111 yards with two interceptions for a quarterback rating of 26.9.
How bad was the New Orleans offense?
Try 129 total yards and seven points.
The seven points scored were the fewest since a 24-6 loss at Houston in 2016.
The seven points scored tied the second fewest points scored by the Saints under Sean Payton since he took over the team in 2006.
New Orleans scored seven points in a 34-7 loss at Seattle in 2013 and in a 30-7 loss at Carolina in 2008.
The Saints scored nine points twice in the 2019 season.
The 176 yards were the fewest since a 13-10 loss at Dallas on Nov. 29, 2018 when the Saints were also held to 176 total yards.
Carolina converted 8-of-15 third down attempts while New Orleans was just 2-of-11.
On the bright side, Blake Gillikin was excellent, punting his first effort downed at the Carolina 7-yard line before nailing a 60-yarder on his second punt. Gillikin averaged 49 yards on six punts. Deonte Harris averaged 31.2 yards on five kickoff returns.
The Saints head to New England next week.
How many, if any players will return?
How many coaches will return?
Reinforcements are certainly wanted, needed.
The Saints are 1-1, perhaps where most expected them to be, at this point.
The NFL is a cruel business.
On this day, it stood for “No Fun Lately” for the Saints and their rabid fan-base.
The challenge is truly week-to-week.
While excuses are for losers, the Saints had a ton of excuses Sunday and get a mulligan, at least for this week, due to the amazing number of players and coaches missing. The losses before the game clearly led to the loss.
The Panthers, an improved team, took total advantage as a solid team is supposed to do.

Da Boot Sports
9/12/2021
Article courtesy of Crescent City Sports
By: Ken Trahan


   Sean Payton is famous for telling his players not to “eat the cheese” in vociferous fashion, not to listen to the outside world and praise from others.Sunday in Jacksonville, Payton’s New Orleans Saints ate the cheese, as in the cheesehead Green Bay Packers. I am sure Payton did not mind.
On Nov. 8, 2020, the Saints went to Tampa Bay and bludgeoned the Buccaneers 38-3. It was the most complete performance of the season and arguably, the most complete performance in franchise history. It came against a team that eventually won the Super Bowl.
On Sept. 12, 2021, the Saints went to Jacksonville to play a “home game” and made themselves right at home in another complete performance in bludgeoning the Green Bay Packers and a team that is a perennial contender for Super Bowl honors.
The final score in both games was the same, 38-3 in favor of New Orleans. The similarities were striking.
It was a demolition. The Saints totally undressed, exposed and demoralized the Packers.
Despite losing its starting center on the opening series of the game and having to make two moves to replace him, the Saints did not miss a beat and dominated the game on both sides of the football, physically crushing the Packers.
Like many, I did not know what to expect on this day, though I thought the Saints had a chance to win.
Everything Mickey Loomis and the organization planned worked out off the field, including moving the team to Dallas and electing to play the opening game at Jacksonville, in the heat which the Packers are not fond of, and far away from the fan base of the Packers. For that matter, choosing to wear white and to make Green Bay wear green in the heat was smart as well.
The smartest thing of all was the way the coaching staff prepared its players in all phases and the way the players executed the game plan to perfection, ignoring the clear distraction of Hurricane Ida which would make a good excuse.
**Center Erik McCoy was hurt on the first series, resulting in Cesar Ruiz moving in at center and Calvin Thrackmorton replaced Ruiz at right guard.
**The Saints took an early 3-0 lead, driving 49 yards in nine plays, taking four minutes off the clock with Aldrick Rosas kicking a 44-yard field goal.
**On the drive, Winston ran twice for 26 yards.
**Kwon Alexander started and made two nice tackles on the first series for the Packers. It marked a remarkable journey of a swift comeback from a devastating torn Achilles tendon, being released, then being brought back.
**The Packers went for it on fourth-and-one from their own 34-yard line on the opening series and Aaron Rodgers hit Marquez Valdes-Scantling for three yards and a first down on a rub-route.
**Tony Jones lined up in the backfield with Alvin Kamara on the same play on the second series and Tayrom Hill lined up at running back and converted a third-and-one situation.
**The Saints had the ball for 11:09 in the first quarter to just 3:09 for Green Bay. New Orleans had 21 snaps to just five for Green Bay in the quarter.
**New Orleans completed a 76-yard drive in 15 plays, taking 7:51 off the clock with Winston shoveling a pass to Alvin Kamara for a 3-yard touchdown to make it 10-0 with 14:18 to play in the first half.

**On the drive, Winston had a huge 10-yard scramble for a first down to keep the drive alive. Additionally, Winston hit Deonte Harris on a 17-yard completion.
**Marcus Davenport had a tackle for a loss on the first Green Bay offensive snap and he came up with a big sack early in the second quarter when Zack Baun did not bite on a play-fake, bootleg by Rodgers and had Robert Tonyan covered like a blanket, leaving Rodgers with nowhere to throw it.
**Then, the Saints did it again on offense, wearing down the already tired Green Bay defense, driving 80 yards in 14 plays, taking a full 10 minutes off the clock.
**Sean Payton elected to go for the touchdown on fourth-and-goal from the 2-yard line.
**First, New Orleans drew Green Bay offside.
**Then, Winston, under pressure, hit Juwan Johnson, who elevated and made an excellent catch on an excellent throw for a 1-yard touchdown to give New Orleans a 17-0 lead with 1:07 to play in the half. It was the first touchdown of Johnson in his young career.
**Right before the half, it appeared the Saints may get another stop but C.J. Gardner-Johnson was flagged for hands to the face to keep the Green Bay drive alive.
**On the next play, Rodgers hit Devante Adams on a great throw and catch for 29 yards to the New Orleans 21-yard line.
**Green Bay took advantage to get points on the board as Mason Crosby connected on a 39-yard field goal as time expired to make it 17-3 at halftime. The drive covered 54 yards in six plays, taking 1:07 off the clock.
**New Orleans totally dominated the half, running 38 plays to just 17 for Green Bay. The Saints had the ball for 21:51 to just 8:09 for the Packers. The Saints had 208 yards to just 70 for Green Bay. That included a whopping 140 yards rushing.
**The Saints became the first team to have consecutive 15-play touchdown drives since Minnesota did so on Sept. 17, 2000.
**Marshon Lattimore did not start the second half, apparently suffering from a right hand injury. Desmond Trufant, who was just signed, replaced him. Lattimore played the entire first half. He did return with just over six minutes to play in the half.
**Green Bay took the second half kickoff and promptly drove to the New Orleans 9-yard line but Rodgers made a poor throw and rookie Paulson Adebo picked it off and returned it to the New Orleans 40-yard line. Cameron Jordan had great pressure on the play.
**Adebo, per Pro Football Reference, became the sixth player in New Orleans Saints history with an interception in his first game and the first since James Allen in 2002 on the famous botched punt overtime interception to win at Tampa Bay.
**Hill, as a tight end and reserve quarterback, returned to punt coverage teams.
**Blake Gillikin saw his first punt in the NFL downed at the Green Bay 5-yard line, an outstanding effort and a terrific job by former Packer Ty Montgomery to dive to catch it as the gunner.
**Marcus Williams then made an outstanding interception of Rodgers on a deep ball. Williams read Rodgers and worked from one side of the field to the other to pick it off with a great catch, hands outstretched. Williams then returned it 50 yards to the Green Bay 12-yard line.
**The Saints capitalized in full, driving 12 yards in three plays with Winston hitting a wide open Chris Hogan with a 9-yard touchdown pass to give the Saints a 24-3 lead with 3:07 to play in the third quarter. On the play, Winston stepped up in the pocket to avoid pressure and the threat of him taking off and running froze a defender or two.
**Green Bay then gambled on fourth down from its own 21-yard line and failed in a desperation move.
**New Orleans took over and Winston was intercepted in the end zone by Darnell Savage but Za’Darius Smith was called for roughing the passer, clearly a questionable call, and the Saints had new life via a break from the officiating crew. The interception may have been overturned by replay as the ball appeared to touch the ground but it was still a big break.
**The break turned into a touchdown as Winston hit a wide-open Johnson on a 10-yard touchdown pass. On the play, two Green Bay defenders collided in coverage, leaving Johnson all alone and the Saints led 31-3 with 14:54 to play in the game.
**Amazingly, the Saints got another stop and got another score, driving 66 yards in just four plays, taking just 2:14 to add to the lead on a perfect 55-yard bomb from Winston to Harris to make it 38-3.
**It was the fifth touchdown pass for Winston, tying his career high. It also illustrated that Winston, along with Harris, can stretch the field with the former’s big arm and the latter’s big speed, something Drew Brees could not do last season.
**Winston finished 14-of-20 for 148 yards with the five touchdowns and he rushed six times for 37 yards, including four first downs rushing. His quarterback rating was 130.8.
**Rodgers finished 15-of-28 for 133 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. His quarterback rating was 36.8.
**According to Fox Sports, it was the fewest yards passing for a quarterback with five touchdown passes in the NFL since 1948.
**Matt Lafleur threw in the towel with 10:46 to play, removing Rodgers and inserting Jordan Love into the game.
**Rodgers did not have a third down conversion in the game against the New Orleans defense. It took a fourth quarter completion by reserve Jordan Love to accomplish that feat.
**Tanoh Kpassagnon and Kaden Elliss finished it off as Kpassagnon had a strip-sack of Love, forcing a fumble and Elliss recovered to seal the deal.
   All offseason, I have stated repeatedly here and on my radio shows on NASH ICON 106.1 FM that the Saints need to run the football more, in fact, more than they throw it. On Sunday, New Orleans rushed 39 times and passed just 21 times. Those 39 rushed resulted in 171 yards.
To find any negatives, Trautman had two drops and drew a penalty as well, not what you want to see from a player who is being counted on to be a solid starter.
Much like the enormous disappointment and negativity surround LSU and its loss to UCLA as a favorite must be put in perspective to remind all that it was just one game, the enormous euphoria and positivity of the Saints demolishing Green Bay must be put in perspective to remind all that it was just one game.
Still, you cannot help but be encouraged, if not thrilled, with what you saw from the New Orleans Saints Sunday.
Joe Buck perhaps stated it best when he stated on the Fox broadcast that Sean Payton should give a game ball to himself.
The Saints thoroughly outprepared, outcoached, out-hit and outplayed the Packers.
Though the cheese heads may have outnumbered black-and-gold fans in the stands, they left the stadium as mice, trying to scamper out without being noticed, much like their football team was in hiding all afternoon.
Carrying the reference a step further, the Saints turned the Packers into Swiss cheese without any real impact from their Swiss Army Knife (Hill).
Now, Payton can immediately rejoin the theme to his team of not eating the cheese after the praise that is certain to be lavished on his squad in deserving fashion, much as you read here.
It was a thing of beauty to watch as a Saints fan.
For perhaps a day, we will not have to read or hear about the Aaron Rodgers soap opera, though that is sure to ramp up again after this Green Bay performance. After all, this was the largest margin of defeat in the outstanding career of Rodgers.
Having watched New Orleans Saints football since day one in 1967, the win over Tampa Bay last year and the win Sunday over Green Bay, considering the opposition, were the best performances in the 55-year history of the franchise.
What a way to start!

Da Boot Sports
​9/1/2021
Article courtesy of Crescent City Sports
By: Justin Macione


   The National Football League announced today that the New Orleans Saints opening game of the 2021 season against the Green Bay Packers will be played in Jacksonville, Florida at TIAA Bank Field, on Sunday, September 12 at 3:25 p.m. (CT).
Due to the impact of Hurricane Ida on New Orleans and surrounding areas on August 29-30, the decision to move the game to Jacksonville provides the city of New Orleans the greatest ability to continue storm clean up procedures and allow the city’s infrastructure to recover and allow all resources to be directed towards the most expedient recovery possible. ASM International manages both the Caesars Superdome and TIAA Bank Field.
“I am proud of the collective communications that occurred between many entities in a short amount of time that led to us making this decision,” said New Orleans Saints Owner Gayle Benson. “It is never easy to make a decision that involves not playing a Saints home game in the Caesars Superdome, but I am confident that this is the right decision for our city at this juncture. Collectively, we have a monumental task ahead of us in cleaning up the after effects left by Hurricane Ida, but it has been inspiring to see people getting right to work and starting the process. I wish to personally thank Shahid Khan, Mark Lamping and the entire Jacksonville Jaguars staff and their city leaders in offering to host our game. Our staff is working diligently to prepare for the game and we anticipate many Saints fans from across the region will be there to support Coach Payton and the Saints players.”
The Saints and league have had extensive discussions with local and state governmental leaders, Entergy officials, ASM International and other key community leaders. The team will remain in regular contact as daily assessments are made, with the greatest hopes that the Saints can return home to play the balance of their home games at the Caesars Superdome as soon as it is feasible.
“We also want to thank Governor Jon Bel Edwards and Mayor LaToya Cantrell for their leadership during this hurricane,” said Benson. “And, of course all of the first responders and those at Entergy and everyone working to get power and water restored to our city. We are grateful for their leadership and tireless efforts.”
The Saints are preparing for the upcoming game in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area after the team evacuated on August 28. The team will travel to Jacksonville the day before the game.
Season Ticket Holders will receive access to tickets prior to a general on-sale for fans. More details on ticket sales timing and policies will be released on Thursday.
NFL RELEASE:
Week 1 Green Bay-New Orleans Game To Be Played in Jacksonville on Sunday, September 12
Due to the ongoing recovery efforts in New Orleans and the surrounding communities in the wake of Hurricane Ida, the New Orleans Saints Week 1 home game against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, September 12 will be played at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida, the NFL announced today.
The game will remain a 4:25 p.m. ET start and be broadcast on FOX.
The decision was made, in consultation with state and local officials and both clubs, in the interest of public safety.
Details on tickets and other specifics, including how fans can continue to help in the recovery effort, will be announced in the days ahead.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS PRE-SALE TICKETS GO ON SALE THURSDAY FOR SEPTEMBER 12 GAME VS. GREEN BAY PACKERS IN JACKSONVILLE
​

Da Boot Sports
​9/1/2021
Article courtesy of Crescent City Sports
By: Justin Macione


      The New Orleans Saints formally announced Wednesday that the team will be temporarily conducting practices and strength and conditioning sessions at TCU in Fort Worth, Texas.
New Orleans, which is currently recovering from the effects of the storm, is currently without power and water and other necessary utilities in many parts of the city, as well as in many nearby surrounding communities. While tireless efforts are underway to repair key components of the city that will hasten the return of team to New Orleans and their year around home at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center in Metairie, the Saints are committed to maintaining their normal game week preparations prior to the start and into the early portions of their 2021 schedule.
TCU, located in Fort Worth, immediately stepped forward with an offer to host the team and support the Saints’ effort in their preparations. Following a careful review of many top-notch facilities in close proximity to the Saints’ temporary headquarters, Saints leadership, spearheaded by Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis and Head Coach Sean Payton, selected TCU’s facilities as the most logical solution to the team’s unique situation.
“Our organization is tremendously appreciative and grateful to TCU for their hospitality” said Loomis. I would personally like to thank Chancellor Dr. Victor J. Boschini Jr., Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Jeremiah Donati and Head Football Coach Gary Patterson for the sacrifices they are making in order for us to prepare on the field and in their strength and conditioning facilities. We are truly grateful for the many offers we were presented with in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and have been overwhelmed with the support of this community in our time of need. We are cognizant of fact that TCU and their student-athletes and staff are hard at work in their preparations for their season and understand the stress and strains an NFL team will place on their facilities. They have our organization’s most sincere appreciation for their sacrifices.”
While working on-campus at TCU the Saints will have access to locker room facilities at Amon G. Carter Stadium, outdoor fields, the Sam Baugh Indoor Practice Facility and the strength and conditioning facilities at the Bob Lilly Performance Center.
Specific information regarding Saints practice schedules and arrangements will be shared at the appropriate time.
--
From TCU Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Jeremiah Donati:
“We have a good number of student-athletes and TCU students in general who are from Louisiana. The New Orleans Saints are an important part of their communities and the entire state. Thanks to our campus leadership and especially the support of Head Football Coach Gary Patterson, which includes his relationship with Saints Head Coach Sean Payton, we are proud to welcome the Saints to TCU and Fort Worth. We look forward to hosting them on campus as a practice site and being of assistance during this most difficult time. Our hearts go out to all those impacted by Hurricane Ida.”
From TCU Head Football Coach Gary Patterson:
“The state of Louisiana, just like Texas, means a lot to us. Many of our past and present players are from there, and we recruit the entire state. The New Orleans Saints are very important to the people in Louisiana, and that’s why they’re important to us. My relationship with Saints Head Coach Sean Payton is also very important to me. Coach Payton has always given our players a good look and this year spent time personally visiting with them at our Pro Day. The entire Saints organization, under Mrs. Gayle Benson, is first class and has always treated TCU and our NFL players great.”

Da Boot Sports
8/27/2021
Article courtesy of Crescent City Sports
By: CCS Staff


   The New Orleans Saints announced Friday, Aug. 27 that due to the impending impact of Hurricane Ida on the Gulf Coast region that the team’s preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals has been canceled. The game, which was originally scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug 28 was moved to noon at the Caesars Superdome.  Due to the intensification of the hurricane throughout the day and after the most recent tropical update, the team’s leadership has made the decision in the best interests of all personnel that may have been directly and indirectly affected by the storm.
   This announcement comes after constant communications with City of New Orleans officials, the National Weather Service, Homeland Security, Governor Edwards and leading state officials and the National Football League.
   The team encourages all residents of the region to take precautionary measures to remain safe throughout the impending hurricane.
   The Saints will be in communication with season ticket account holders regarding applicable refunds and/or credits to their season ticket accounts.

Da Boot Sports
8/27/2021
Article courtesy of Crescent City Sports
By: CCS Staff


      The New Orleans Saints have announced that the kickoff time of the team’s Saturday, Aug. 28 preseason finale vs. the Arizona Cardinals in the Caesars Superdome has been moved from 7 p.m. CT to noon CT (official kickoff time is 12:02 p.m.).
The change was made for proper and safe preparations regarding the potential landfall of Hurricane Ida and following consultation and agreement with City of New Orleans officials, the National Weather Service, Homeland Security and the NFL.

2021 New Orleans Saints Broadcast Information
Preseason Week 3 | Vs. Arizona Cardinals | Saturday, August 28, 2021 | 12:00 P.M. (CST) | Caesars Superdome
   The New Orleans Saints host the Arizona Cardinals for the team’s final preseason contest of the 2021 season on Saturday, August 28, 2021 at 12:00 P.M. CST. Below outlines when and where you can watch, listen, and follow game coverage:
   Saints APP 11:00 A.M. (CST): New Orleans Saints Pregame Show – John DeShazier and Erin Summers reflect on 2021 Saints Training Camp while providing insight into the Saints final preseason matchup against the Cardinals.
   TV 12:00 P.M. (CST): Gray Television Network (WVUE FOX 8) – Joel Meyers (play-by-play), Saints Legends Jon Stinchcomb, Jonathan Vilma (color analysts) and Meghan Payton (sideline) will bring you all the action.
   LOCAL RADIO 12:00 P.M. (CST): WWL (870 AM and 105.3 FM) – Mike Hoss (play-by-play), Deuce McAllister (color analyst) and Steve Geller (sideline)

Da Boot Sports
8/27/2021
Article courtesy of Crescent City Sports
By: CCS Staff


   NEW ORLEANS, LA: What was assumed is all but official. Jameis Winston will be the Saints’ starting quarterback to open the season when New Orleans hosts the Green Bay Packers, ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported Friday via sources.   The 2015 No. 1 overall draft pick by Tampa Bay spent five seasons with the Bucs before signing in 2020 with New Orleans and serving as one of Drew Brees’ backups with Taysom Hill.
   The 27-year old Winston beat out Hill for the opener starting role this preseason.

Da Boot Sports
8/24/2021
Article courtesy of Crescent City Sports
By Ken Trahan


​   The lingering question for the New Orleans Saints before their preseason game with Jacksonville was who would the starting quarterback be?
The answer came swiftly and decisively from Jameis Winston, who was scintillating from his first snap to his last.
It would not be a surprise to see Winston announced as the starter this week. He certainly earned it.
With the situation settled, it enables Sean Payton to begin his scheming to return Hill to his wild card/joker role, lining him up at tight end, as a wide receiver and even at running back. Of course, Hill can still take some snaps at quarterback, as he has done the last few years.
It was a nice performance overall by the primary players before the most fans we have seen in two years in what is now Caesars Superdome. Of course, there were many empty seats, being a preseason game and in the midst of a pandemic.
Here are my Quick Takes on the 23-21 win over Jacksonville:
**Cam Jordan led the pre-game “Who Dat” chant with the fans, whose sound was a bit muffled by the masks they were wearing.
**Ty Montgomery handled the opening kickoff return.
**Saints starters were on the field on offense, other than Tony Jones starting at running back.
**Jameis Winston quickly asserted himself on the opening drive, taking the Saints 72 yards in six plays, taking 2:43 off the clock.
**Winston connected with Marquez Callaway on a 43-yard touchdown pass over two defenders. Callaway made the catch despite being blatant pass interference. It was impressive on both ends as the Saints grabbed an early 7-0 lead with 12:17 to play in the opening quarter.

**Nolan Cooney, not Aldrick Rosas, kicked off for the Saints following the touchdown.
**C.J. Gardner Johnson had a pair of tackles on the opening defensive possession as Jacksonville went three-and-out.

**Shy Tuttle and Jalen Dalton opened at the defensive tackle spots. All other starters were on the field defensively.
**The Saints forced a three-and-out and got good field position but a pair of false start penalties, one each on Erik McCoy and Ryan Ramczyk, killed the drive and New Orleans had to punt.
**Adam Trautman left with an injury and was carted off while Brian Poole limped off in the first quarter.
**Winston then engineered another touchdown drive, going 57 yards in six plays, taking 3:06 to do so with Winston hitting Callaway with a perfect dime on a 30-yard touchdown pass against tight coverage by Shaquill Griffin. It was simply a perfect throw.
​**Taysom Hill took over at quarterback with second team players on the final series of the first quarter and he was sacked by Jihad Ward on third down to force a punt.
**The next series resulted in another three-and-out with Hill again being sacked on third down after holding the ball a bit too long.
**Blake Gillikin blasted a 63-yard punt early in the second quarter, his second blast in as many games. It is easy to see why the Saints protected him last year with Thomas Morstead still on the roster.
**Jacksonville finally mounted a drive to produce points, going 12 plays, 57 yards in 5:43 with Josh Lambo connecting on a 34-yard field goal to make it 14-3 with six minutes to play in the first half.
**Hill finally got it going with a pair of 25-yard completions to Lil’Jordan Humphrey on the next possession but on a fourth-and-three from the Jacksonville 34-yard line, he held the ball too long, a consistent issue, and threw incomplete, killing the drive.

**Jalen Dalton, who is battling for a roster spot and looking good to get a spot, had a key sack of Trevor Lawrence to stall a good Jacksonville drive late in the first half. Lambo came on and missed a 43-yard field goal, hitting the right upright, with 36 seconds left in the half.
**Hill got his team points before the half, driving the Saints 33 yards in 10 plays, taking just 36 seconds with Rosas banging home a 52-yard field goal as time expired in the first half to make it 17-3 at the half. In his regular season career, Rosas is 10-of-14 from 50 yards and beyond, a real strength.
**New Orleans amassed 225 yards of offense in the first half, 195 of those passing.
**Each team had 34 offensive snaps in the half.
**Jacksonville had a long drive to start the second half but the Saints held.
**Hill remained in the game but could not get anything going on the first possession of the second half.
**Then, Hill engineered a good drive resulting in a score, going 76 yards in eight plays, taking 4:07 off the clock with Hill connecting with Humphrey on a 14-yard touchdown pass to make it 23-3 with 1:27 to play in the third quarter.
**Unfortunately, Rosas missed the extra point.
**It was Humphrey’s second touchdown reception in as many games. With his size, he has the ability to be a weapon in the red zone.
**Hill finished 11-of-20 for 138 yards and a touchdown. Interestingly, Hill has not run the ball once in two games, a strength of his game.
**Jacksonville had a nice drive which reached the New Orleans one-yard line but Wynton McManis came up with an interception. McManis later had a big hit as well.

**C.J. Beathard then guided the Jaguars to a touchdown, driving 74 yards in seven plays, taking 1:35 off the clock with Beathard hitting Jeff Cotton on a three-yard touchdown pass to make it 23-13 with 5:19 to play in the game.
**A pair of secondary players, Eric Burrell and Bryan Mills each got hurt in the final quarter.
**Beathard then hit a wide open Collin Johnson on a 24-yard touchdown pass to make it 23-19 with 2:46 to play. On the play, Natrell Jamerson was looking in the backfield, stopped running, and that left Johnson wide open. Then, Beathard hit Nathan Cottrell for the two-point conversion to make it 23-21. The drive covered 50 yards in seven plays, taking 1:32 off the clock.
**Trevor Siemian played the fourth quarter for New Orleans, going 4-for-8 for 59 yards. Siemian hit Dwayne Washington on a 33-yard pass to put the game away with two minutes left.
**David Onyemata came on in the fourth quarter to take snaps defensively.
The stars were clear on this night in Winston and Callaway, who caught five passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns. Winston got the ball down the field, something the Saints have lacked recently, certainly last year.
Once again, Marcus Davenport was very good, as was Gardner-Johnson. Kpassagnon made his presence felt. Ken Crawley played well, as did Dalton.

Once again, Paulson Adebo distinguished himself well. Carl Granderson picked up a personal foul in the second half but otherwise, he was a terror, playing very well.
The big negative was seeing Trautman leave on a cart with a foot injury. Initial X-rays were negative but Trautman will undergo an MRI on today, according to Adam Schefter.
The other big positive, aside from Winston, was the Saints went from six turnovers to none and from 10 penalties to six, compared to the preseason opener against Baltimore.
The final preseason game is Saturday night, at home against Arizona. It is doubtful that we will see much of starters, if at all, in the game.

Da Boot Sports
8/23/2021
Article courtesy of Crescent City Sports
By: CCS Staff


   We should know who the starting quarterback for the Saints for their regular season opener is before the end of the week.
Head coach Sean Payton told NBC’s Peter King that he hopes to name a starter before the final preseason game for New Orleans on Saturday night against Arizona.
   The battle between Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill continues tonight with Winston taking the first Saints snaps against the Jaguars. Hill started the first preseason game at Baltimore.

Da Boot Sports
8/22/2021
Article courtesy of WWL Radio Sports
By: Jeff Nowak


      The No. 8 isn't technically retired by the Saints, but no one has worn Archie Manning's number since his final season in New Orleans nearly four decades ago.
   But with NFL rule changes, single-digit numbers can now be worn by skill position players, leading a pair of players new to the roster to request the No. 8, according to a report from NOLA.com's Jeff Duncan.
  Those players were second-year wide receiver Easop Winston Jr. and former Falcons and Giants running back Devonta Freeman. Both were told the number was off-limits, according to Duncan, an unofficial tradition to honor Manning that started with former equipment manager Dan Simmons. Current equipment manager John Baumgartner has continued that tradition, though it's a policy that previously only had to contend with specialists and QBs if they picked a single-digit number.
Freeman landed on No. 34, while Winston donned No. 18.
   Both new players can be forgiven for not knowing the policy surrounding Archie's No. 8, but the lone other single-digit number not currently being worn might indicate a new policy emerging. A handful of players have thrown on the No. 6 thus far this season, including Tommylee Lewis, Prince Amukamara, Brett Maher, and now newly signed kicker Aldrick Rosas. Wide receiver Marquez Callaway also took advantage of the new rules to switch from the No. 12 he wore in his rookie season to the No. 1.
   But no one has yet donned the No. 9 worn for 15 seasons by Drew Brees before his retirement this offseason. Kamara joked after Friday's practice at the Caesars Superdome that he wants a shot at the starting quarterback job, and he'd wear No. 9 in Brees' honor.
   That seems unlikely, as does any other player taking over the mantle of No. 9, given the history.

Da Boot Sports
8/15/2021
Article courtesy of Crescent City Sports
By: Ken Trahan


It is better to give than to receive.
The New Orleans Saints embraced the axiom to its zenith Saturday night.
It was the first real impression of a team that is and will look substantially different than the team we last saw losing to Tampa Bay to conclude the 2020 season.
On a sunny, hot evening at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, the 2021 New Orleans Saints, or a reasonable representation of who that team will be, debuted.
Reality set in when Taysom Hill took the first snap and the realization that Drew Brees was not on the roster for the first time in 5,704 days.
Reality then set in as the Saints had five possessions in the first quarter, resulting in four turnovers and no points.
Then, the Saints committed three more turnovers in the second half, an astounding six for the game.
Then, there were three encroachment penalties on three different defensive linemen in the first half alone.
The end result was a 17-14 loss.
Of course, several key players did not play, including Alvin Kamara, Michael Thomas (of course), Tre’Quan Smith, Ryan Ramczyk, Terron Armstead, Demario Davis, Cam Jordan, Malcolm Jenkins, Marcus Williams and PJ Williams, among others.
All in all, it was a mixed bag of the good and lots of bad.
Here are my Quick Takes on the 17-14 loss at Baltimore:
**Michael Thomas was on the sideline with his teammates, wearing a boot on his left foot. He was even catching passes from Jameis Winston on the sideline.
**Ty Montgomery opened as the kickoff return specialist. Deonte Harris is likely to be suspended to start the open of the regular season
**It was no surprise that Taysom Hill took the first snap at quarterback. Hill started the four games in 2020 which Brees did not start. Just because Hill took the first snap is not an indication that he will be the starter week one against Green Bay on Sept. 12.
**On the first play from scrimmage, Hill hit Lil’Jordan Humphrey perfectly on a short out-route and Humphrey dropped the ball.
**Hill responded well, hitting Marquez Callaway for 10 yards on a third-down play to move the chains before throwing a strike to Callaway for 28 yards to the Baltimore 35-yard line.
**Hill then defeated a blitz, with Latavius Murray missing a block but Hill bought time moving right and drilled a 23-yard completion to Callaway for a first-and-goal at the Baltimore nine-yard line.
**Murray then ruined the drive with a fumble when he was hit by Malik Harrison with DeShon Elliott recovering at the Baltimore eight-yard line.
**Hill was 4-of-5 for 62 yards on the drive.
**Zack Baun, who has looked good in training camp, then made two plays in succession, one for a one-yard loss on a pass completion and one on a run for just a yard.
**David Onyemata got a sack of Trace McSorley on third down, forcing a punt.
**The next offensive series resulted in another turnover. After Hill threw wide on a check-down to Murray, Geno Stone picked off Hill on third down. On the play, Montgomery was running a crossing route and was open but he stopped running. Hill threw to the spot he was heading to, leading the receiver but the pick resulted from Montgomery stopping.
**Then, on fourth-and-one at the New Orleans 40-yard line, Kaden Elliss stuffed JK Dobbins for a loss of a yard, getting a big stop.
**Eastop Winston handled the first punt return.
**Hill engineered a drive that reached the Baltimore 37-yard line, including an 11-yard completion to Murray, but former Livonia and LSU star Patrick Queen wrecked the drive, hitting Devonta Freeman for a three-yard loss on a screen pass before sacking Hill to force a punt.

**Jameis Winston entered late in the first quarter on the fourth possession of the game.
**On his first play, a handoff to Freeman, the new veteran back coughed it up and Justin Madubuike, who made the hit, recovered at the New Orleans 35-yard line.
**The first quarter ended on a sack by David Onyemata.
**New Orleans held Baltimore to a total of two yards in the first quarter.
**Justin Tucker drilled a 56-yard field goal to give Baltimore a 3-0 lead with 14:16 to play in the first half, scoring off the fumble by Freeman.
**Tony Jones Jr. ran 28 yards, to the right side, for a first down on the first Saints offensive series of the second quarter and he followed that with a 17-yard run and another first down.
**Winston hit Humphrey for 16 yards, a good throw, for a first down.
**Then, Jones finished what he started, racing left on an 18-yard touchdown run, diving for the pylon, to give the Saints a 7-3 lead with 11:38 to play in the first half. On the play, Adam Trautman got a very good seal block, allowing Jones to get the edge.

**On the drive which covered 80 yards in seven plays, taking 2:38 off the clock, Jones rushed three times for 63 yards and a score.
**Defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon went down injured on the next series but he was able to return later in the quarter.
**The Ravens got their initial first down with just over 10 minutes to play in the first half.
**Baltimore got its first drive of the game, going 52 yards in 13 plays, taking 6:07 off the clock with Jake Verity connecting on a 42-yard field goal to make it 7-6 with 5:31 to play in the half. A pair of penalties by the Ravens stalled the drive.
**Dwayne Washington was next to return a kickoff for New Orleans while Chris Hogan was next to line up to return a punt.
**Winston, given a good pocket, drilled a 26-yard completion over the middle to Montgomery for a first down. On the play, Jones did a good job picking up the blitz.
**Then, Winston, well protected again, hit Juwan Johnson on a 33-yard completion to the Baltimore 20-yard line.
**Winston finished the drive with an eight-yard touchdown pass to Humphrey to make it 14-6 with 1:02 to play in the half.

**The drive covered 80 yards in seven plays, taking 1:59 off the clock. Winston completed 5-of-6 passes for 79 yards on the drive with the score.
**Then, Bryce Thompson picked off a deep pass by McSorley at the New Orleans 40-yard line.

**On the next play, Winston pump faked and tried to go deep for Humphrey. The throw was a tick late and hung up and Stone came up with his second interception of the game.

**That led to a 53-yard field goal by Verity on the final play of the half and New Orleans led 14-9 at halftime.
**The Ravens started three possessions in New Orleans territory in the first half and came away with just six points.
**The Saints had 230 yards to 121 for the Ravens in the half.
**Hill was 8-for-12 for 81 yards with an interception while Winston was 7-of-12 for 96 yards with a touchdown and an interception in the half.
**Nolan Cooney kicked off to start the second half.
**Onyemata played into the third quarter.
**Ian Book started the second half for the Saints.

**Jones then fumbled it away, killing another drive, at the Baltimore 11-yard line. Book had gone 5-of-8 for 65 yards on the drive.
**Baltimore had a nice drive, an 11-play drive, reaching the New Orleans 15-yard line but Tyler Huntley was hit by Eric Burrell, fumbled, and Elliss recovered to kill the drive and keep the lead early in the fourth quarter. Burrell delivered a big hit on a completion later in the quarter as well.

**Blake Gillikin blasted a 59-yard punt with outstanding hang time as well and Paulson Adebo made an outstanding, shoestring tackle for no return.
**The Ravens then drove 79 yards in 12 plays with Huntley scoring on a seven-yard counter play. After pass interference in the end zone by Prince Amukamara on the two-point conversion attempt, the ball was placed at the one-yard line and Ty’Son Williams ran it in to make it 17-14 with 6:35 to play in the game.
**On the final drive of the game, Book got the Saints to the Baltimore 35-yard line on a 38-yard completion to Juwan Johnson but with pressure in his face, he underthrew Kawaan Baker and Shaun Wade picked it off to seal the win for the Ravens.

In the final analysis, it was amazing that the Saints were even in the game, considering they turned it over six times. New Orleans was equal opportunity in its turnovers, with six different players, including Hill, Winston, Book, Murray, Freeman and Jones each committing one.
Those who were very impressive for the Saints included Adebo, Baun, Burrell, Callaway, Davenport, Elliss, Jones, Onyemata, Johnson and Jones.
As for the quarterback battle, Winston had two scoring drives but there was no clear winner. The interception of Hill was not his fault while the pick of Winston was an underthrow and a tad late. Both had good drives and good moments. It would not be a surprise to see Winston get the first reps next week.
Book did a solid job in his debut, looking good on bootleg plays while making solid decisions, outside of one poor one. He showed the mobility to buy time and get away from pass rushes.
The next audition comes a week from Monday when the Saints host the Jaguars in Ceasars Superdome.
You can bet Sean Payton will have ball drills and drill it into his players to secure the football better. Make that much better.

Da Boot Sports
8/1/2021
Article courtesy of Crescent City Sports
By: Justin Macione


   NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Saints and Caesars Entertainment announced today the formation of a 20-year, exclusive naming-rights partnership that rebrands New Orleans’ iconic downtown stadium as the Caesars Superdome.
Caesars Superdome will host all Saints home football games, and Super Bowl LIX to be played in February 2025. The building will also host the 2022 NCAA Men’s Final Four, the annual Sugar Bowl and College Football Playoff contests, a variety of concerts and hundreds of other annual events including Essence Festival, the Bayou Classic football game between Grambling State and Southern University, the New Orleans Bowl and the Louisiana State High School Athletic Association Football Championships.
“All of us at Caesars are proud to be part of New Orleans’ vibrant culture. We understand that the Caesars Superdome is more than an iconic venue, it’s the symbol of a resilient and innovative community,” said Tom Reeg, CEO of Caesars Entertainment. “We’ve had a strong relationship with the New Orleans Saints for nearly two decades and we are thrilled with the opportunity to strengthen it and celebrate our commitment to the city, the state, and the entire Gulf Coast region.”
In the last five years, Caesars Entertainment has led with its heart in the Pelican State, giving more than $30 million directly into community non-profits and services. Through a combination of volunteer hours, grants from the Caesars Foundation, and donations supporting local non-profit programs dedicated to disadvantaged populations, tourism, and infrastructure, Caesars remains committed to the state of Louisiana and its residents.
Caesars Superdome will stand as testament to Caesars’ commitment to the New Orleans Saints and to the city of New Orleans as it embarks on a $325 million renovation to transform Harrah’s New Orleans into Caesars New Orleans.
“This partnership sends a strong message about the positive future for the New Orleans Saints, Caesars Entertainment, and the entire state of Louisiana,” said Saints Owner Gayle Benson. “That message states that companies with the global reach of Caesars Entertainment are investing in our city, state and region. Caesars has long been one of the world’s most respected entertainment companies. Caesars is in the midst of creating a first-class multi-million dollar entertainment facility in downtown New Orleans, this significant investment also demonstrates the strength of their commitment to our state and region. We are proud to partner with a company that is dedicated to the economic growth of our city, state and region.”
The agreement between the Saints and Caesars Entertainment represents a union between two iconic companies and brands that are built on creating economic growth in their communities. Both are engaged in spearheading expansive projects, which will help spur significant economic growth for the state of Louisiana and the entire region.
“Having faced a very trying 2020 with the Covid-19 Pandemic, this is wonderful news to see that two iconic brands like the Saints and Caesars are partnering on a long-term business deal that will not only benefit New Orleans, but the entire State,” said Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards. “I congratulate Mrs. Benson and her team on securing this partnership. Caesars Superdome is an iconic building, globally recognized and I am certain that Caesars will be very pleased having their name on the building that will be hosting future Super Bowls, Final Fours, and Essence Festivals, to name a few.”
“In addition to being one of the world’s premier entertainment operators, the investment Caesars Entertainment is making into its downtown property that is being transformed into Caesars New Orleans will create an impact that will be felt throughout our entire state and region for many years,” said Saints President Dennis Lauscha. “Caesars is a great partner for the Saints and the region, as they are investing $325 million into their downtown facility, while at the same time, significant work and investment is being made into making our playing facility state-of-the-art not only for Saints football, but multiple major events that benefit the entire community. In 2009, when the Saints and State reached their new agreement, the team took on the responsibility of selling the naming rights to the Caesars Superdome; a model that has resulted in no lease generated general fund requests from the State. The team has brought two iconic global brands in Mercedes-Benz and now Caesars Entertainment to this state-owned building. This agreement represents a tremendous opportunity for the New Orleans Saints franchise and further entrenches Caesars Entertainment as one of the region’s leading and dedicated corporate citizens.”
“The partnership between the Superdome and Caesars Entertainment represents a powerful combination of two legendary entertainment brands,” said Michael Hecht, President & CEO of Greater New Orleans, Inc. “The Superdome contributes close to $600 million in annual economic impact to the state of Louisiana, and Caesars is the largest gaming company in America. Together, they will ensure that our iconic stadium drives even more jobs, tax revenue, and global brand awareness for New Orleans and Louisiana. The fact that Caesars Superdome is so integral to the culture of New Orleans, and that Caesars is well-known as a community-oriented company, makes this partnership that much more compelling and promising for our collective future.”
Caesars Superdome, in a partnership between the Saints, the State of Louisiana and the Superdome Commission, is currently undergoing a $450 million renovation that is positioning the stadium to remain one of the world’s premier spectator sports and entertainment venues. Prior to the most recent renovation, the facility had seen over $350 million in improvements in the last 12 years. This most recent project will enhance the quality of experience for the spectator at all levels, with the addition of field level suites, improved concessions and vertical spaces which improve the environment and amenities and ingress and egress, as well as operational upgrades crucial to event operation. This renovation, which is expected to be completed by Super Bowl LIX, will help the Caesars Superdome retain its place in the pantheon of sporting facilities, having hosted seven Super Bowls (the most of any facility), the most recent, Super Bowl XLVII, which propelled $480 million in spending in New Orleans and approximately $262.8 million in direct spending by visitors. The last Super Bowl played in New Orleans also helped inspire an estimated $1.2 billion in public and private improvements to the city. The facility has also hosted five NCAA men’s basketball Final Fours, three BCS College Football Championship games, the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship game and three NCAA College Football Playoff semifinal contests.
Edwards added, “The Superdome is currently undergoing a much needed state-of-the-art renovation, an investment that will prove to be a benefit for many years to come. I am thankful to the board of the Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District, and specifically it’s chairman Kyle France, for the hard work on this critical investment in a state facility. I am pleased that the Saints, who may only use the building a dozen times in a year, are contributing $150 million of the $450 million and it should be noted that the building hosts hundreds of events annually…so everyone that uses the building will benefit.”
“In 2009, the State, in its new lease agreement with the Saints, gave the team the right to sell naming rights to the Superdome, thereby eliminating State subsidies to the team,” said Senator Page Cortez, president of the Louisiana Senate. “Today, we are thrilled with the announcement of a 20-year deal between the team and Caesars. In 2011, the State approved Mercedes-Benz as the naming rights partner for the Superdome, that 10-year partnership presented to the State by the Saints. What is important to note here is that the team is working to create its own revenue sources for New Orleans and the Superdome. That is very important in our deal with the team. It is a good business deal for the state.”
The New Orleans Saints and Gayle Benson have pledged all proceeds from this partnership will go directly back into the building to help with ongoing and continued renovations, which include enhanced and expanded concourses, vertical transportation systems and on-field high-end hospitality luxury suites.
This naming rights partnership for the Caesars Superdome is a perfect fit with the corporation’s burgeoning local investment. Caesars Entertainment, the parent company of Harrah’s New Orleans, is currently in the midst of a $325 million renovation and construction project to transform the property, the only land-based casino in Louisiana into Caesars New Orleans. The project will create a flagship resort steps from the French Quarter, including an all-new 340 room hotel tower and new culinary and hospitality offerings within the casino, putting hundreds of people to work on the project, and creating more than 500 sustainable, long-term jobs. Caesars Entertainment is the largest gaming company in the United States, holding more than 50 first-class gaming facilities worldwide.
Lauscha added, “We want to acknowledge the Oak View Group, for their tireless work in helping us build a naming rights strategy. Their partnership was a win-win for us.”
“This partnership is a long-term business investment, in the city of New Orleans, but the entire state can benefit from having Caesars and the Saints partner in this naming rights deal,” said Representative Clay Schexnayder, speaker of the House of Representatives. “It is wonderful to see this deal take place after we have all had to deal with a terrible pandemic and hopefully this is a signal that commerce is coming back.”
Caesars Superdome has housed the Saints since 1975. The naming rights agreement includes the opportunity for Caesars Entertainment branding on the exterior of the facility, as well as stadium signage and other unique displays inside the stadium.
Mercedes-Benz USA held the naming rights to the stadium since 2011, with the brand experiencing significantly increasing sales and visibility. That visibility now shifts to Caesars Entertainment. Caesars Entertainment and the New Orleans Saints have started work already to enhance the look of the stadium in support of both the Caesars Entertainment brand and the anticipated success of the 2021 Saints season and other events scheduled to take place at the facility.
Caesars Superdome is home to a record seven Super Bowls, including Super Bowl XII (1978), XV (1981), XX (1986), XXIV (1990), XXXI (1997), XXXVI (2002), XLVII (2013), plus another, coming in 2025 (LIX).