Da Boot Sports
8/27/2024
Article courtesy of: Crescent City Sports
By: CCS Staff


   As per NFL rules, the Saints made roster moves Tuesday to reduce their roster to 53 players. In all, 32 players had their contracts terminated or were waived. Four Saints including running back Kendre Miller went on injured reserve and two veterans – Tanoh Kpassagnon and Nephi Sewell – were placed on the Physically Unable to Perform List.

   Offense: 25
   Defense: 25
   Specialists: 3

​QB
Derek Carr
Jake Haener
Spencer Rattler

RB
Alvin Kamara
Taysom Hill
Jamaal Williams
Jordan Mims

FB
Adam Prentice

WR
Chris Olave
Rashid Shaheed
Cedrick Wilson, Jr.
A.T. Perry
Mason Tipton
Bub Means

TE
Juwan Johnson
Foster Moreau
Dallin Holker

OT
Taliese Fuaga
Trevor Penning
Oli Udoh
Landon Young

C
Erik McCoy

OG
Cesar Ruiz
Lucas Patrick
Nick Saldiveri

DE
Carl Granderson
Chase Young
Cam Jordan
Payton Turner
Isaiah Foskey

DT
Bryan Bresee
Nathen Shepherd
Khalen Saunders
Khristian Boyd
Kendal Vickers

LB
Demario Davis
Pete Werner
Willie Gay, Jr.
Anfernee Orji
D’Marco Jackson
Jaylan Ford

CB
Marshon Lattimore
Paulson Adebo
Alontae Taylor
Kool-Aid McKinstry
Rico Payton

S
Tyrann Mathieu
Will Harris
Jordan Howden
J.T. Gray

Specialists
Blake Grupe (K)
Matthew Hayball (P)
Zach Wood (LS)

​John 14:6 - "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior)

​*John 3;16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Da Boot Sports
8/25/2024
Article Courtesy of: Crescent City Sports
By: Ken Trahan


   NEW ORLEANS – Some would call it a meaningless game.
For as many as 15-20 players competing for final roster spots, that was certainly not the case Sunday afternoon at The Caesars Superdome.

   The story was about those players, about those who will stay and play and those who will be gone.
Clearly, the two teams and coaches approached the game quite differently. Tennessee showed a ton of play-action and even ran a reverse with starters playing into the second quarter.

   The Saints showed little and went mostly with reserves from the start.

   Here are my Quick Takes from the 30-27 Tennessee win over the Saints:

   **Thank you to the New Orleans Saints for honoring our friend and colleague, Ed Daniels
in splendid fashion.

   **Jake Haener got the start, perhaps an indication that he had a slight lead over Spencer Rattler coming in as the backup quarterback to Derek Carr. It may not seem that way after the game was completed but Haener may still be that guy.

   **Haener had a 13-yard completion to Equanimeous St. Brown before the opening drive stalled.

   **Unlike the Saints, the Titans opened with their starters on offense and Will Levis
guided Tennessee on an 84-yard scoring drive in nine plays with Tony Pollard scoring on a 1-yard run to make it 7-0 with 6:23 to play in the first quarter.

   **Levis was 4-of-4 for 65 yards on the drive.

   **On the drive, Ugo Amadi, fighting for a roster spot, was flagged for pass interference in the end zone on a pass from Levis to Treylon Burks.

   **Haener showed some mobility on a third down completion to A.T. Perry. Flushed out of the pocket, he evaded a tackle, rolled left and completed a first-down completion to Perry. Upon review, the call was overturned as Perry did not get his second foot down in the field of play.

   **Former Hahnville and Tulane star Jha’Quan Jackson returned the first two New Orleans punts.

   **Former Ponchatoula and Tulane star Tyjae Spears entered the game on the second
offensive series for Tennessee.

   **The lead grew to 10-0 for Tennessee with 14:11 to play in the half on a 39-yard field goal by Nick Folk.

   **The drive covered 57 yards in nine plays, taking 4:26 off the clock.

   **Rattler entered the game to start the second quarter on the third offensive series of the game for New Orleans.

   **James Robinson, in the mix for a roster spot, broke a nice 14-yard run.

   **A touchdown run by Jordan Mims was negated by a holding call on Michael Jacobson, who earlier did not hold on to a good throw by Rattler.

   **The Saints had three dropped passes in the first half, one each by Juwan Johnson, Bub Means and Jacobson.

   **Undaunted, Rattler came back with a perfect dime to St. Brown for a 21-yard touchdown to make it 10-7 with 9:49 to play in the first half. Rattler’s throw split two defenders, hitting St. Brown in stride.

   **The drive covered 70 yards in nine plays, taking 4:22 off the clock.

   **Jonathan Abram, battling for a starting safety spot, broke up a pass late in the first half and had a tackle on the next play at the two-minute warning.

   **Tennessee reserve quarterback Mason Rudolph engineered a scoring drive, covering 67 yards in 15 plays, taking 7:57 off the clock. Brayden Narverson kicked a 26-yard field goal to make it 13-7 with 1:52 to play in the half.

   **The Saints cut the deficit to 13-10 with 30 seconds to play in the first half on a 54-yard field goal by Blake Grupe, who seems like a virtual lock to retain his spot as the team’s kicker. Chalie Smyth, who has a great leg, can be protected via the International Player Pathway program.

   **The drive covered 34 yards in seven plays.

   **Tennessee tried a 57-yard field goal on the final play of the half which missed right and
short. Samson Nacua fielded it and made a brilliant run, returning it from deep in the end zone, 106 yards, to the three-yard line of the Titans before he barely stepped out of bounds at the Tennessee three-yard line as he dove for the pylon.

   **The Titans dominated time-of-possession at 18:32 to 11:28 for the Saints in the first half. The Titans finished with 252 total yards to 130 for New Orleans in the half.

   **On the first play of the second half, Rico Payton, who has enjoyed a very good
preseason, recovered a fumble by Jabari Small at the Tennessee 31-yard line. Former Titans linebacker Monty Rice jarred the ball loose. Payton had a sack later in the third quarter.

   **Haener started the second half. He hit A.T. Perry on an 18-yard touchdown pass on a nice throw on a play he extended but Josiah Ezirim was flagged for holding, negating the play.

   **The Saints had to settle for a 38-yard field goal by Grupe to tie the game 13-13 with 11:57 to play in the third quarter.

   **The Titans grew the lead to 16-13 with 5:21 to play in the third quarter on a 31-yard field goal by Narveson, capping a 12 play, 57-yard drive.

   **Haener was sacked, losing 21 yards late in the third quarter, and the Saints were fortunate to recover the second-year pro’s fumble on the play.

   **Rattler took over to start the fourth quarter.

   **Former Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns running back Jacob Kibodi of Christian Life Academy made
his case to stick around.

   **Kibodi had a pair of nice first-down runs early in the fourth quarter. Kibodi then drew a face mask penalty for another first down. Kibodi then raced 11-yards for a touchdown to give the Saints a 20-16 lead with 13:54 to play in the game.

   **The run capped a 69-yard drive in five plays, taking 1:12 off the clock.

   **Tennessee answered as Malik Willis hit Bryce Oliver on a 34-yard touchdown pass. Oliver beat Mac McCain for the score and Willis delivered a strike to give Tennessee a 23-20 lead with 9:40 to play in the game. The drive covered 70 yards in seven plays.

   **Rattler connected with Perry on a 43-yard completion to the 2-yard line. The pass
was underthrown or Perry would have scored.
On the next play, Kibodi scored on a 2-yard run to give the Saints a 27-23 lead with 6:26 to play in the game. Kibodi impressed again, lowering his shoulder to drive a tackler into the end zone.

   **Haener finished 7-of-13 for 68 yards, doing nothing wrong and had a touchdown pass erased by penalty.

   **The Titans took a 30-27 lead with 1:25 to play on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Willis to Oliver, who beat JoeJuan Williams on a quick slant. The drive covered 28 yards in five plays after a relatively short punt by Lou Hedley and a 22-yard return by Eric Garrior.

   **Rattler finished 7-of-13 for 105 yards and a touchdown and impressed throughout.

   **Jacobsen did not help his cause. Aside from a drop, he committed a penalty on a kickoff and on the ensuing kickoff, he was flagged for holding.

   ****Haener finished 8-of-16 for 87 yards, doing nothing wrong and had a touchdown pass erased by penalty.

   The defense, at least the players on the field, gave up 445 yards and 30 points.

   Having finished the preseason 1-2, the Saints now enjoy a week off to prepare for the
season opener Sept. 8 at home against Carolina in a virtual must-win game with the more difficult games to follow.

   First, Dennis Allen must pare his roster from 90 to 53 players with the final five to 10 roster spots or so to be determined. Allen likely saw what he needed and most preconceived notions going into the game did not change.

   St. Brown made a case to be the fifth receiver on the squad and Payton continues to make plays and will be a tough cut. Despite being injured, Dallin Holker may be the third tight end. Don’t even ask me about Kendre Miller or even Marshon Lattimore, at this point.

   Of course, once those spots are settled, do not get comfortable as the Saints may very well turn to the waiver wire to bolster thin spots on the team.

   The most important aspect of the game today was getting out of it without any key injuries. That is the biggest goal of the increasingly insignificant NFL preseason.

   The significant contests are set, beginning in two weeks. We will begin to find out if the Saints are a viable playoff threat, an improved team or if the current regime is on borrowed time.

Photos Below By: Michael Bacigalupi

​John 14:6 - "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior)

​*John 3;16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Da Boot Sports
8/18/2024
Article Courtesy of: Crescent City Sports
By: Ken Trahan


   The 2024 training camp for the New Orleans Saints in California is over after 27 days and the Saints are heading home after preseason game No. 2 in Santa Clara.
   Game two reminded us of the Saints facing the Vikings last regular season when a guy named Joshua Dobbs got his first start for Minnesota and torched the Saints in a 27-19 Minnesota victory.

   In that game, Dobbs put up 24 points in the first half as the Saints had no answer for him.
Sunday night in Santa Clara, the New Orleans defensive reserves had no answer for the now 49ers reserve quarterback.
   The Saints leave the great daily weather for the heat of Metairie as the heat gets turned up with battles for final roster spots.
   Here are my Quick Takes from the 16-10 loss of the Saints to San Francisco:

   **The brotherly love matchup was on display as new Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak returned to go against his former team and its assistant quarterbacks coach, Klay Kubiak.
   **Alontae Taylor was good in the run-force game from his cornerback position, resulting in a two-yard loss before forcing a throw-away by Brock Purdy with excellent man coverage on the next play. Taylor had very good coverage again on Trent Taylor on the third series of the game for the 49ers.
  **Bryan Bresee got great pressure to force an incomplete pass on the next play but Kool Aid McKinstry came up a bit lame on the play, went into the injury tent, then the locker room. McKinstry did not return.
   
    **Landon Young started in place of Taliese Fuaga at left tackle with Fuaga dealing with a stiff back.
   
   **Foster Moreau committed a false start on the first offensive play from scrimmage. That killed the possession as the Saints made 11 yards but had to punt.

   **Shemar Jean-Charles nearly had an interception on the second San Francisco possession.

   **Carl Granderson got a sack on the second Niner possession.
   
   **Taysom Hill lined up as a single setback on the second series and was hit for a loss as Chris Olave whiffed on a block attempt.

   **Chase Young blew up a play on the third offensive series for San Francisco.

   **The Saints had terrible field position in the first quarter, starting possession at their own 17, five and five-yard line.

   **New Orleans made its initial first down on a run by Jamaal Williams on the third series, following a good block by Hill. On the next play, Hill rushed 12 yards for a first down.

   **Carr then connected with Chris Olave on a 19-yard completion.

   **Jordan Mims nearly scored on a third-down run but was stopped inches short of the goal line. On fourth-and-goal, Hill pounded it inside, bounced off a tackler and scored to give the Saints a 7-0 lead with 13:14 to play in the first half.

   **The drive covered 95 yards in 16 plays, taking 8:17 off the clock. Carr was calm in the pocket and completed 5-of-6 passes on the drive and the Saints ran the ball very well.


   **Joshua Dobbs took over at quarterback for Brock Purdy in the second quarter for San Francisco.

   **Rejzohn Wright had a huge tackle for a loss on a completion in the second quarter on a play where Chase Young disrupted the play.

   **That stalled a 49er drive and Jake Moody nailed a 47-yard field goal to make it 7-3 with 8:40 to play in the half. The drive covered 41 yards in nine plays, taking 4:34 off the clock.**Dobbs was 6-for-6 for 48 yards on the drive.

   **Spencer Rattler took over on the next series for the Saints. He was sacked by Alex Barrett, fumbled, and Barrett recovered at the New Orleans 38-yard line. Rattler held the ball a bit too long and had the ball ripped out.

   **Anfernee Orji showed well in pass coverage on several plays.

   **The Niners capitalized on the turnover as Moody booted a 24-yard field goal to make it 7-6 with 2:42 to play in the half.

   **Shane Lemieux aborted the next drive for New Orleans with a horrendous shotgun snap to Rattler which he had to run down and fall on for a huge loss.

   **Rico Payton, who was so good against Arizona, made another outstanding play to break up a deep ball to Danny Gray.

   **Jacob Cowling then beat Wright badly with a double move on a deep ball and Dobbs hits him on a 38-yard completion to the New Orleans 4-yard line in the final minute of the first half.

   **On fourth-and-goal , Dobbs kept off a play-fake and beat the tackle of Jordan Howden, scoring on 1-yard run to give the 49ers a 13-7 lead with one second left in the half.


   **The drive covered 79 yards in 11 plays, taking 1:16 off the clock.

    **Dobbs was 12-of-21 for 132 yards and he rushed three times for 25 yards in the second quarter.

   **James Robinson showed good vision, cut ability and intelligence to reverse field on one run that was not there, turning it into a first-down run. He also switched the ball to his outside arm when he reversed field, a veteran move.

   **Former Tulane star Sincere Haynesworth went down with a leg injury early in the third quarter. Unfortunately, Haynesworth was carted off.

   **Blake Grupe nailed a 52-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 13-10 with 12:08 to play in the third quarter. That capped a nine play, 36-yard drive.

   **Brandon Allen took over at quarterback in the third quarter for the 49ers.

   **Isaiah Foskey displayed poor containment on a jet sweep.

   **Payton Turner twice had good pass pressure but missed on sacks both times.


   **Jonathan Abram was flagged for tripping on a Niners punt and that backed the Saints up to their own 4-yard line.

   **Khaleke Hudson, a hybrid linebacker who is capable in pass coverage, had a nice game.

   **Moody missed a 51-yard field goal wide right late in the third quarter.

   **Jake Haener took over at quarterback with 2:01 to play in the third quarter.

   **Haener made some shaky decisions, throwing across his body and trying to force a throw when getting hit which was nearly a fumble. He also took off early on a quarterback draw.

   **Tanner Mordecai took over at quarterback in the fourth quarterback for San Francisco.

   **Khristian Boyd went down injured in the fourth quarter. The draft pick is competing for a roster spot.

   **Mordecai drove the Niners to a 36-yard field goal by Moody to make it 16-10 with 7:02 to play in the game. The drive covered 62 yards in 13 plays.

   **Former Brother Martin and Tulane star Rod Teamer was flagged for holding on a kickoff return.


   **Haener bounced back from a slow start, engineering a good drive but former St. Augustine star Stanley Morgan Jr. was flagged for a crucial holding penalty. Morgan dropped a pass on the next play when hit hard and on fourth-and-seven, Haener tried to throw a fade route to the end zone for A.T. Perry but Haener underthrew him.
   
   It was good to see Carr engineer a touchdown drive.

   As for the backup quarterback battle, Rattler was 4-of-8 for 27 yards and was sacked twice and lost a fumble.

   Haener was 7-of-13 for 76 yards.


   If the season started today, Haener might have a slight edge to be the backup, based on experience but the margin is quite thin.

   If Bresee has not beaten out Khalan Saunders yet at defensive tackle, that time is coming. Bresee is huge and he is explosive.

   Payton and Hudson are making bids to stick. Injuries could play a role there, particularly with the uncertainty of McKinstry and the lingering issue for Marshon Lattimore.

   Young looks like he was a brilliant signing, at this point. He is a great, electric athlete who will infuse a pass rush that was lacking a year ago.

   Hill is going to be used in more ways than ever by Kubiak. He remains an invaluable asset.

   The run game was a positive and we are seeing the beginning of what will be a commitment to the run game.

   There are still roster spots available at wide receiver. Who is going to step up?

   Howden has not shown the progress anyone hoped he would in his second year. Many would say that is true of Trevor Penning and possibly Foskey as well.

   Let’s not even talk about Kendre Miller or Nick Saldiveri.



   The Saints play their preseason finale next Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Caesars Superdome against the Tennessee Titans. Do not expect to see very many starters, if any, in the game.

​   There were some good elements and some not very good elements to take away from the second preseason game as the Saints get closer to playing for real.

​

Da Boot Sports
8/10/2024
By: David Penn


   Phoenix, AZ - The Saints season is officially underway with its first preseason game officially in the books, a 16-14 road victory over the Arizona Cardinals that was capped off by a 37 year field goal by Gaelic kicker Charlie Smyth.

​   Saints QB Derek Carr played the first two offensive series for the Black and Gold, with Jake Haener finishing out the first half and Spencer Rattler leading the offensive in the second half.

​   Carr finished 2 of 6, Haener led to the Saints to two drives resulting in field goals and threw 9 of 13, Rattler led the Saints to a touchdown on his first drive under center, a TD he scrambled for and extended his arm to cross the plain as he was tackled out of bounds. Rattler finished the game going 9 of 17. Rattler and the offense took over with 1:55 remaining in the game and looked poised as he led the team down the field. The Cardinals defense were flagged twice for neutral zone infractions and then Rattler hit Samson Nacua at the Arizona 19 yard line with eleven seconds to play. The Saints would run one more play before Rattler would attempt one more pass, an incompletion, before Smyth came on to kick the game winner.

​   The tail of the first half was defense. The Saints defense held the Cardinals offense without a score throughout the first half. The defensive line looked disruptive in the first half with several players making plays in the backfield including Carl Granderson and Willie Gay,

   Gay stopping Desmond Ritter short on a fourth and short QB sneak. The Saints defense accounted for four sacks during the game and two tackles for loss.
    
​   2024 second round pick  Kool-Aid McKinstry saw first team action with Marshon Lattimore not suited up and looked comfortable on the outside with a pass break up on the Arizona opening possession.

​   Fellow rookie first round pick OT Taliese Fuaga also looked comfortable in his first pro action after being thrust into the starting roll at left tackle due to Ryan Ramczyk’s season ending surgery which moved Trevor Penning into the starting RT job.
    
​   Both Haener and Rattler had their moments while leading the offense, the noticeable differences however, at least in the first live look at them, was Rattler seemed to have more arm talent, a tighter spiral, and his athleticism helped extend several plays. Edge after game one goes to Rattler.

​   As for the rest of the battles going on in training camp and preseason it looks as though there will be very stiff competition for several defensive spots on the depth chart and the special teams battles will also be very interesting.

   Punters Lou Hedley and Matthew Hayball are battling for that roster spot with Hedley punting four times with an average of 47 yards, pinning the Cardinals inside the twenty yard line three times. Hayball blasted three punts for an eye popping average of 61 yards.

   Blake Grupe went a perfect two for two on field goal attempts and converted an extra point, Smythe kicked the game winner and was seen in pregame converting from as far out as 66 yards but has struggled with consistency during training camp.
    
​   The Saints will travel to Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara to take on the 49ers for the second preseason matchup on August 18 @ 5:00pm and will conduct camp with the Niners in the week leading up to the contest.

​   The Saints will then return to the Ceasar’s Superdome for their final preseason matchup against the Tennessee Titans on August 25 @ noon.

​

Da Boot Sports
8/8/2024
Article Courtesy of: Crescent City Sports
By: Les East


   The New Orleans Saints’ preseason opener at Arizona on Saturday night will be the team’s first venture into the brave new world of NFL kickoffs.The NFL has overhauled the parameters within which kickoffs are conducted in the most dramatic special teams rule change in recent memory.
   The league’s goal was to decrease the threat of injury on the play while increasing the number of kickoffs that are returned after the percentage reached an all-time low in 2023.
“It’s a completely different game now,” Saints kicker Blake Grupe said.
   Preseason games are largely about player evaluation and this year’s three games present opportunities for special teams coordinators such as New Orleans’ Darren Rizzi, one of the drafters of the new rule, to evaluate which players are best suited to the new circumstances for kickoff returns and kickoff coverage.
  “I think more than ever before, these preseason games are going to be really fun to watch, especially from a special teams standpoint,” Rizzi said. “Everybody – the fans, the coaches, the players – is going to have their eyes on it because it really is a first.
   “We can simulate as much as we want in practice but until we get to those games we’re not really going to have a full idea of what the whole play (entails). We’re going into a whole new frontier of special-teams football.”
   

   The new rule reduces the space and speed within which kickoffs unfold and thereby the severity of collisions – and it also promotes more returns.
   Kickoffs will still take place from the 35-yard line (and safety kicks from the 20), but all the players on the kicking team except the kicker will line up with one foot on the receiving team’s 40-yard line. The non-kickers cannot move and the kicker cannot cross the 50-yard line until the ball hits the ground or a player in the “landing zone” (between the 20-yard line and the goal line) or the end zone.
   As for the receiving team, at least nine players must line up in the “setup zone” (between the 35 and the 30) with at least seven having a foot on the 35 (the restraining line). They cannot move until the kick has hit the ground or a player in the landing zone or the end zone. The players not on the 35 must be lined up in the setup zone inside the hashes. A maximum of two returners may line up in the landing zone and can move at any time prior to or during the kick.
   Rizzi said he has spoken with “a bunch of guys who have coached in the XFL,” whose kickoff rules were the genesis of the NFL rule, and that he and Saints head coach Dennis Allen have “watched every single XFL kickoff.”
   He and assistant special teams coach Phil Gagliano spent much of the off-season working on the “little intricacies” of “blocking technique (and) complete schemes” and “educating every single guy on the team on every aspect of the rule.”


   “Phil and I have a lot of fun with it,” Rizzi said, “but a little bit of angst.”
   Rizzi said at the end of mini-camp in June that he and Galiano already had “tried some things.” The reactions have ranged from “there’s no way we’re doing that” to “this looks really good.”
   The adjustments prior to the kick are just part of the overhaul. Once the ball leaves the kicker’s foot, other changes kick in.
   All kickoffs that hit in the landing zone must be returned.
   “There’s no more, maybe they bring it out (of the end zone),” Grupe said.
   Any kick that hits in the landing zone and then goes into the end zone – must be returned or downed by receiving team. If it is downed then the possession will begin at the 20-yard line.
   If the kickoff hits in end zone and stays inbounds it must be returned or downed and if it is downed the ball will be placed at the 30.
   “By no means is it bombing (the kick) out the back (of the end zone),” Grupe said.
   Rizzi said kickoff and kickoff return lineups might be more fluid than before because “some teams may go bigger, some may go smaller,” likening it to shifting lineups in basketball and line shifts in hockey.
   “Your whole roster is available to you,” he said. “It might be a situational thing.”


   The new rule has triggered a lot of what Rizzi called “guesstimates” about potential unconventional approaches, including having a non-kicker handle the kickoffs because distance and hang time no longer matter.
   “It sounds great in theory,” Rizzi said, “and I’ve heard a lot of coaches talk about some alternative kicks, some line drives, maybe some knuckleball kicks. We’re like everybody else. We’re taking a look at all that stuff. It’s a risk-reward thing.
   “I understand the theory. The issues arise because the placement of the kick with the new rules is at a premium. If you have a position player that can really place the ball then absolutely that could be a benefit for you. The problem is the risk-reward of getting a bad kick because the penalty for getting a bad kick is really, really high.”
   Rizzi said “landing (the ball) in premium locations might end up being one of the more important aspects of this new play.”
   Any kick that hits short of the landing zone will be treated like a kickoff that goes out of bounds and the ball will be spotted at the 40.
   “If a position player miss-hits the ball and say it lands on the 21-yard line the drive’s going to start at the 40,” Rizzi said. “If you have a regular touchback – ball in the air, lands in the end zone – the ball’s coming out to the 30. The ball hits the ground, skips in, touchback, the ball’s going to the 20. To run the risk of a team starting at the 40-yard line, I think that’s something that maybe is going to be tried out in the preseason.”


   If the Saints were to consider trusting kickoffs to someone other than Grupe – or Charlie Smyth, a former Irish soccer goalkeeper who’s competing as a kicker in training camp – a potential candidate would be special teams standout/jack-of-all-trades Taysom Hill, who was a kicker in high school.
   Rizzi called Hill, who has been the Saints’ emergency kicker, “the backup to everything here,” adding that he’s “listed on the depth chart at like 15 different spots.”
   The coordinator added that the Saints might “move around” someone such as special teams captain J.T. Gray, a former Pro Bowler, to try and counteract added attention he might receive from blockers.
   The anticipated higher rate of returns (as well as the perceived lower risk of injury) could lead teams to utilize impact players more on kickoffs, especially a dynamic returner such as Saints running back Alvin Kamara.
   “We might not use (Kamara) 100 percent,” Rizzi said, “but he’s probably going to be back there at some point.”
   Other personnel changes could include using “two or three defensive starters” t cover a last-second kickoff in a one-score game.
   “If there are two seconds left you can’t just kick a dribbler and end the game,” Rizzi said. “High-profile guys are going to show up a little more.”
   
   Rizzi said that “one of the under-the-radar things” is how to handle a similar final-seconds kickoff at the end of the first half.
   “You can’t squib and run out the clock,” he said. “What are you going to do?”
   That’s a question the Saints and everyone else in the NFL is trying to answer this preseason about the how to handle the new rule.
   “We’ll be watching the other 31 teams’ preseason games,” Rizzi said. “The quicker coaches and players figure this out it’s going to be a major advantage.”

Da Boot Sports
8/6/2024
Article Courtesy of: Crescent City Sports
By: Ken Trahan


   Many people have asked about the latest condition of my closest friend, Ed Daniels.Ed has worked with us at Crescent City Sports since what eventually led to the founding of this site launched as the sports division of NewOrleans.com in 2008. Ed and I have worked in radio together since 1989, continuing a relationship which began for us together at Archbishop Rummel and Loyola University.

​   He has also served on our Saints Hall of Fame Media Selection Committee since its inception in 1988.
   Based on the close relationship between Ed and myself and based on the wishes of his wonderful wife, Robin, a close family friend, we have remained silent on Ed’s specific condition, other than to mention the seriousness of his affliction on my radio shows on The Ticket, 106.1 FM and asked for continued prayer.
   The outpouring of prayer has been amazing.
   
   The display of affection, genuine love, has been sobering and emotional.
 
   Given the circumstances of suffering his severe setback while in Los Angeles, the goal, from day one, was to have Ed return to his hometown.
   
   That goal was accomplished Monday evening.
   
   The enormous expense of a Medevac flight was a daunting obstacle to overcome.
   
   My friend, Joe Scheuermann of Delgado Community College made a call to Gayle Benson.

   Following that correspondence, I was able to contact New Orleans Saints and Pelicans President Dennis Lauscha.
   With the process started, Saints Senior Vice President Greg Bensel got involved.
   The end result was a genuine act of graciousness and class.
  Mrs. Benson, who has been a source of benevolence and charitable contributions to so many wonderful causes, seized the day and helped another great cause, as she and her late husband Tom have, including with Rummel, Loyola and Delgado.
   That cause is my closest friend.
   Mrs. Benson and the Saints paid the way to return Ed to the New Orleans area.
   “We are just trying to help someone in need whom we care about and we worked with Ochsner to facilitate it,” Bensel said.

   Mrs. Benson, Lauscha and Bensel are all native New Orleanians.
   
   So is Ed.
   
   So am I.
   
   There is a bond, a closeness, a love of our area and those entities we hold dear.
   
   That includes the Saints and Pelicans.
   
   That includes Ed and Robin Daniels and their children and grandchildren.
   
   Per Robin’s request, I have served as a conduit, a spokesperson to handle all calls, e-mails, texts and social media messages about Ed. Those number in the thousands, at the very least. It is the least I can do. People care deeply about Ed.
   
   While the final outcome is still to be determined, Ed’s future remains uncertain.
 
    In the world of sports, it is all about the outcome, the final score.
   
   That will come.

   An enormously competitive person and consummate professional, Ed will play to the final whistle, until the clock expires, until the final out.
   
   The hope remains that we will see and hear from my friend again. The prayers have been plentiful and loud. They have been heard.
   
   Thanks to all who have been in that number.
 
   Now, we wait impatiently and believe in a winning result as the family remains private about specific details for public consumption.
   
   Whatever the outcome, Ed is a winner.
 
   While we all hope the Saints and Pelicans are winners in 2024 and 2025, Benson, Lauscha and Bensel have displayed championship form.
 
   Crescent City Sports, The Ticket 106.1 FM and the Saints Hall of Fame thank you all in most appreciative fashion.
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