Chris Ivory 76 yard TD reception

Wow!  Well if ever I was needing reassurance that the Saints were going to fill the 3rd spot in the backfield with a decent runner here was the evidence courtesy of Chris Ivory and his 76 yard TD reception.

He has a decent first half and seemed to be cementing his place in the team and then came this excellent touchdown.  The guy showed great hustle, power and decent speed on what was an innocuous reception in the flat when he got the ball.  What he then did with it helps go to show that potentially we have a more than decent back to fill the void left by my old favorite Mike Bell.

Chris Ivory Highlights TD Vs San Diego Chargers

So long as we can keep Pierre Thomas healthy I will remain confident our ground game will remain the perfect counter balance to our strong arm passing attack.

Drew Brees back with a bang

It was also great to see Drew Brees commanding the troops with some real game time once again.  There are not enough superlatives to say about the guy so I won't bother.  What I will say is I love to see the guy continue to work so hard on his game despite what he has achieved.

To see him beat himself up about a missed read or a slightly miss thrown ball is to see a QB who continues to strive for perfection which must be damn inspiring for the entire team.

Soon we'll get to see it all proper come seasons kick off.  I for one cannot wait!

Saints running game concerns

Hi All,

I've been away working for a long time but with football season fast approaching I thought it time I checked in and add my two cents to the latest Saints debates.  And the issue most concerning me (football wise) at this time is the Saints running game.

The loss of Mike Bell was distressing for me.  I thought Bell was the perfect balance in the Saints backfield last year and an unsung hero.

His short yardage running kept the Saints ticking over time and again and his combative style was an excellent compliment to the greater finesse of Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas.  Add to that the fact the little guy was pretty hard for linebackers to find when he drove behind his lead blockers and his ability to lower his head and gate crash the party and you had one fine addition to the Saints roster.

So it was with some sadness that we had to let him go this past off season.  I was concerned that Lynell Hamilton would struggle to fill the role quite so adequately but in coach Payton and Mickey Loomis I figured we had two of the most astute heads in the business so was obviously going to give them the benefit of the doubt and then some.

But now we've lost Hamilton for the season with a torn ACL (get well fella) I'm concerned we could be lightweight in this department this season.

Running game key

The running game was a key reason behind last seasons success. The productive trio kept defenses on their toes and unable to key solely on Brees and the passing game. As a result we had probably the most balanced offense in Saints history and one of the finest in the League for some years.

With some doubt now hanging over that third RB spot we now have a clear weakness.

Yes I know Pierre Thomas will deliver great yards and Reggie will break some big ones but Reggie is not an every down back and PT can only do so much on his own.

Trust in Payton

That said we must always trust in coach Payton to deliver because he is an offensive genius so if any team stands a chance of unearthing a diamond from the rough it's gotta be the Saints. So as ever it is in Sean we trust. I just pray he can make something out of Chris Ivory, Ladell Betts and PJ Hill because one of them is going to need to make a name for himself this season.