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.
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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.”