Why David Thomas' absence is going to hurt down the stretch

A couple of years back, during our Super Bowl winning campaign, I used to flippantly joke that David Thomas was a future Hall of Famer. I did this from a sense of Saints luxury. Drew Brees seemed to have so many weapons at his disposal that anytime the ball made its way to Thomas I felt the guy needed an honorary beef up so marginalised was he from recognition.

Well now that same sense of humour is paying its penance as David Thomas looks set for a prolonged spell on the side lines.

You see it's not that Thomas is the greatest Tight End on the planet, far from it, but he brings a work ethic and versatility that is much needed to the Saints offense. He is the 3rd check down guy, Mr dependable with a safe pair of hands for a 3 yard gain. He's the guy who can be relied upon to put his neck on the line blocking an elite pass rusher coming off the edge. He is, in short, a great team player.

Yes we have an abundance of riches in Colston, Graham, Sproles, Moore, Meachem, Thomas (Mr Screen) and even Henderson but for me Thomas offers something else and that is, to borrow the kind of garbled phraseology a Presidential contender would entertain in a public debate, dependientability. His loss is the Saints loss because of that and every chink in the overall awesomnessability (see I'm on a roll, is it too late to make a late run?) of the Saints O is another mm of daylight the Packers have over us.

Which makes Monday night’s game all the more noticeable. For we are about to play an excellent front four on the Giants D line and we need every blocking option we can to slow their attack. Give Brees time and he can pick apart anyone especially if the opposing D need to bring more than the front 4 so leaving holes in coverage. The Saints have a well-trained receiving corps who are adept at finding the soft in a zone D and Brees will exploit this.

As such I think this game will once again be won or lost by our O line. If we can keep the big blue at bay we have a heck of a good shot at marching on. Lose and we're looking over our shoulders afresh. This is why David Thomas is a sad loss. Yes we've been fine without him to date this season but in the tight games against the better teams I want my best unit avaiable and he is an important cog in the system. Anything that makes the whole weaker is important. Death by a thousand cuts and all that. Let's hope Strief and Bushrod get some help on the edges or we could see the Brees INT number up by a couple.

Get well Mr Thomas. I used to joke about you but now I know the value of a good team player. Dependable Dave is my new moniker for you. Wear the name well on your return.

David Thomas Talks About Drew Brees Plus Excellent Season Trailer

Every day my nerves jingle each time I check for updates on the Saints front office decisions. Sometimes its great, Lance Moore, Darren Sproles, sometimes not so great but understandable, Reggie Bush, Randall Gay, Jonathan Goodwin.

Still I largely feel we've kept the real key components and one such player is Tight End David Thomas. He's much underrated. What I love is his team ethic and the fact he is always open in the check down and a safe pair of hands for Brees to go to.

As such it was excellent news to hear him agreeing to terms with the team on Tuesday. Here’s Thomas talking about Brees and how he came to the decision.




Also check out this excellent short teaser trailer for the upcoming season. Man it got me pumped. I can't wait for this to begin. This is our year!

Tampa Bay Bucs Vs Saints 4th Quarter

It's the 4th Quarter and the Saints continue to lead the Bucs 17 to 3 after a scoreless 3rd Quarter.  The Saints offensive machine has ground to a halt and the Bucs are moving the ball at will so this is not the sealed deal you would have hoped for after the big 1st Quarter demo.

The Bucs are driving but facing 3rd and 7.
Freeman to Winslow over the middle and he takes it 35 yards all the way down to the Saints 33.  Not the best start to a 4th quarter I've ever seen.

1st down Bucs.
False start penalty tacks on 5.  1st and 15.
Cadillac Williams bounces out left and speeds his way to the end zone for a touchdown.  That was a 99 yard drive!  That is pretty poor going by the Saints D.  We've gone totally flat after a great start to the game.  Let's see if we can throw this away.

Bucs 10 Saints 17

1st down Saints at their 21.
Reggie Bush takes the hand off and runs right for 3.  2nd and 7.
Brees drops back, buys some time and hits Marques Colston for a gain of 11.

1st down Saints.
Brees to David Thomas for 5.  2nd and 5.
Brees rolls right and hits Colston again for a gain of 4 to bring up 3rd and a much needed 1.
Lynell Hamilton takes the hand off and drives up the middle for a few and a 1st.

1st down Saints at the 47.
Brees to Hamilton on the screen but nothing there as Hamilton is taken down for a two yard loss.  2nd and 12.
Brees drops back and connects with Colston over the middle who takes it a few before coughing up the ball and... the Bucs recover.  Oh no.  This is not what the doctor ordered.  The Bucs will have the ball somewhere close to midfield and only a 7 point margin to chase.

1st down Bucs at their own 39.
Williams up the middle and picks up an easy 8.  2nd and 2.
Williams again bursts through the middle for a few more into Saints territory.

1st down Bucs.
Williams again with the carry picks up 2.  2nd and 8.
Freeman connects with Winslow for 28 yards on a great grab.

1st down Bucs at the Saints 28.
Freeman to Stevens who makes a Saint miss and then tacks on 8 more.  2nd and 1.
Freeman goes for the end zone but over throws.  3rd and 1.
Williams takes the hand off again and he is gang tackled.  It's going to be very close.  They will measure this...  They are half a yard short and will go for it on 4th down.
Williams with the hand off and... Jonathan Vilma absolutely nails him for a loss... but the Bucs sideline called a timeout just before the play so they'll get another shot at this.  Could that be one of the most painful timeouts the Saints will face this season?  We'll find out once the ad break is over.
Freeman on a play action and... Charles Grant batters it down!!  Great play by Grant and the Saints D to hold them there.  That was a much needed stand after the Bucs moved the ball at will through the 2nd half.

1st down Saints at their 19 with 5 mins left on the clock.
Mike Bell with the hand off for a couple.  2nd and 8.
Brees completes to Devery Henderson out wide right and bursts up field for a 1st.

1st down Saints at the 31.
Lynell Hamilton takes it nowhere on 1st down.  2nd and 10.
Brees to Saints legend David Thomas for a gain of 3.  Tampa timeout stops the clock.  3rd and 7.
Brees pump fake and completes to Robert Meachem at the 41 but he may be just short here,  The chains will measure and... yes he's short.  So Thomas Morstead comes in to punt and it goes to Spurlock at his 20 who dodges a tackle, and another... and another... breaks in field... crosses the field and has open space all the way for a touchdown!  Oh man, that is shocking.  I can't look.  This is aweful.

Bucs 17 Saints 17

1st down Saints at their own 25.
Brees under big pressure escapes a sack and connects with Devery Henderson who makes a heck of a catch.  That's great to see after some of his problems of recent.  That brings up the 2 minute warning.  2nd and 7.
Holding call against the Saints.  2nd and 17.
Brees to Bush who takes it 14 yards.  3rd and 3.
Brees to Marques Colston in the slot for 6.

1st down Saints at the 39.
Brees to David Thomas on the crossing pattern. 2nd and 4.
Brees to Reggie Bush who breaks 2 tackles and then leaps his way to the sidelines to stop the clock and pick up the 1st.

1st down Saints with 29 left on the clock at the Bucs 45.
Brees over the middle to Thomas and it falls incomplete.  2nd and 10.  24 secs to go.
Brees out wide left to Devery Henderson 7 but he can't get out of bounds so the Saints will have to burn a timeout.  3rd and 3.
Brees to Robert Meachem who breaks a tackle and races 19 yards.
Garrett Hartley will come in for a 37 yard field goal attempt to win it and...  It goes wide left.  F*ck me this is distressing.  I can't believe we're going to over time.  

Tampa Bay Bucs Vs Saints 3rd Quarter

Welcome back to the second half in the Saints Bucs game live from the Super Dome.  I'm hoping you're suitably fed and refreshed in order to enjoy more of the festive cheer as the Saints look to extend their 17 to 3 lead and secure that home field advantage through the playoffs.

1st down Saints at their 24.
Mike Bell takes the hand off and batters through for 3.  2nd and 7.
Drew Brees aims for Marques Colston over the middle but good coverage forces it out of Colstons hands.  3rd and 7.
Brees unloads as he is hit but finds Marques Colston for a pick up of 13.  Great throw there.

1st down Saints at their 40.
Brees over the middle to Reggie Bush for a pick up of 7.  2nd and 3.
Lynell Hamilton is stopped for a loss of 2.  3rd and 5.
Brees is sacked a the Bucs linebacker comes clean through the middle.  4th and 13.  A bit of a reminder of the Cowboys game there.

1st down Bucs at their own 30.
Williams bounces out wide for a big gain of 15.

1st down Bucs.
Freeman to Bryant down the sidelines for 22.  Good throw and catch over Tracy Porter.

1st down Bucs at the Saints 33.
Cadillac Williams bursts through for another 6.  2nd and 4.  We've taken our foot off thr gas here.
Freeman to Bryant out wide right for a gain of 3.  3rd and 1.
Williams runs right, breaks the first point of contact and then picks up 5.

1st down Bucs at the Saints 19.
Freeman to Graham on the sidelines for a gain of 7.  2nd and 3.
Freeman to Bryant in the end zone and...  Tracy Porter intercepts!!  Great play on the ball by Porter and just at the right time.  We'd let the Bucs back into the game there but Porter snuffed it out and wins my presitgious 'Player of the last play' award.

1st down Saints at their own 20.
Mike Bell up the middle for 1.  2nd and 9.
Brees throws incomplete but a penalty marker is out for pass interference to move the chains.  That was blatant interference by the dirty Buc.

1st down Saints.
Brees to Lynell Hamilton over the middle who runs 4 after the catch for another 1st.

1st down Saints.
Brees to David Thomas out wide right for a pick up of 9.  2nd and 1. 
Hamilton up the middle for what could be a first... they're going to measure and it's about 2 inches short.  3rd and inches.
Lynell Hamilton over right tackle and he turns the corner and takes it 19 yards.

1st down Saints at the Bucs 37.
Hamilton again but this time is cut down for a loss of 2.  2nd and 12.
Brees to Robert Meachem for 2.  3rd and 10.
Brees to Reggie Bush on the screen but it fools no one and he's dropped for a big loss.  4th and 20 so the Saints will punt again.  Courtney Roby downs it at the 2 to set up a big long field for Freeman.  Nice play by Mr Special Teams.

1st down Bucs.
Williams with the hand off and Darren Sharper stops him for a loss of 1.  2nd and 11.
Freeman to Graham who picks up 10.  3rd and 1.
Freeman to Clark over the middle for a gain of 15.

1st down Bucs.
Freeman under pressure is unable to find his man.  2nd and 10.
Williams between left tackle and guard for a few to end the 3rd Quarter.

Saints Vs Falcons 4th Quarter

Welcome to the 4th Quarter with the Saints leading 23 to 16 but with the big birds driving in Saints territory.

Must Stop The Falcons Comeback!

3rd and 1 Falcons.  Big play coming up.
Hand off to Snelling who breaks the line easily and picks up 4.

1st down Falcons at the Saints 22.
Toos to Norwood who picks up 1 before Charles Grant eats him up.  2nd and 9.  We need to hold this as the Vikings are going to beat the Bengals as off now.
Redman to Gonzalez who breaks a tackle and takes it to the 4.  Great tackle by Will Smith.

1st and goal Falcons.
Snelling powers his way up the middle for a touchdown.  Bounced off attempted tackles and makes this tight all over again.

Saints 23 Falcons 23

1st down Saints at their 17 as Courtney Roby was stuffed on the return.
Brees rolls right and hits Devery Henderson... who drops it.  That’s 2 on the day for DH.  2nd and 10.
Brees to an open Marques Colston over the middle and he runs a few to pick up the 1st.

1st and 10 at the Saints 29.
Hand off to Pierre Thomas who goes wide left and picks up a nice 9.  2nd and 1.
Pierre Thomas again who does a mini leap to pick up 5.

1st down Saints.
Brees under pressure dumps it off to David Thomas who picks up 4.  2nd and 6.
Brees to Colston who's forward progress picks up the 1st before he ends up a few yards back.

1st down Saints at the Falcons 47.
Reggie Bush takes it for a quick 2.  2nd and 8.
Brees to Devery Henderson who actually catches the ball, spins and picks up the 1st.  Ah I'm being harsh on DH there.  He's a great guy.

1st down Saints.
Pierre Thomas on a catch picks up 1.  We see Lance Moore on the sidelines suited up which is great to see.  Come back soon buddy.  2nd and 9.
Reggie Bush up the middle for 5 before he's nailed.  3rd and 4.
Brees throws into a crowd of Falcons but completes to Reggie Bush for a 1st.  Perfect throw.

1st down Saints at the Falcons 22.  6.20 on the clock.
Pierre Thomas takes it up the middle for 2.  2nd and 8.
Penalty flags come out on the next play... Which way is this going?  Both against Atlanta.  We take the pass interference one.

1st down Saints at the Falcons 10, 5.35 on the clock.
Brees in trouble has to throw it away.  2nd and 10.  Flag is out.  Intentional grounding.  Bullshit.  2nd and goal at the 20.
Brees incomplete to Meachem.  3rd and goal.  Huge play coming up.
Brees to Thomas in the flat who goes nowhere.  Balls.
In comes Garrett Hartley and this is going to be a pressure 38 yard kick...  And he makes it!!  Wow I had no confidence in him making that so well done.

Saints 26 Falcons 23

1st down Falcons at the 37 after Weems pulls out a big return.  Did we not need that.
Weems takes a reverse and looses a beautiful 12.  Great tackle Randall Gay.  2nd and 22.
Redman drops back and... Throws straight to Jonathan Vilma!!  The Saints interception leaves us in great field possession.

1st down Saints at the Falcons 32.
Pierre Thomas takes it up the middle for 5.  2nd and 5.
Brees one step drop unloads to Devery Henderson who spins to pick up the 1st.

1st down Saints at the 19.
Pierre Thomas takes the ball up the middle for 4.  He moved the pile nicely there.  2nd and 6.  2.23 on the clock.
Brees under pressure flips it forward to Thomas who can't pull it in.  3rd and 6.  2.18 on the clock.  This is a huge play.
Brees goes down the middle for David Thomas but it falls incomplete.  Damn.  Please God don't let the Hartley extra point miss come back to end the perfect season.
Hartley comes in for the field goal and it's a fake... Brunell goes to Dinkins but it goes incomplete.  Fuck me what was that about?  Kick the 3!

1st down Falcons at their own 15.
Redman to Snelling who is wide open and picks up a whole giant load.  That brings up the 2 minute warning and pains me unbelievably.

1st down Falcons at their 33.
Redman to Booker for 9.  2nd and 1.
Redman floats it to Roddy White but it goes incomplete.  3rd and 1.
Snelling bounces through missed tackles and picks up 3.

1st down Falcons.  1.32 on the clock.
Redman to Gonzalez incomplete.  2nd and 10.
Redman to Roddy White and... It’s incomplete.  Thank the heavens as that would have been a big gain.  3rd and 10.
Redman to Gonzalez completes but he's tackled short of the marker by Scott Shanle.  4th and 2.  Come on Dddddddd!!
Redman to Snelling but he is knocked back by Vilma from converting.  He made the grab but he was tackled a yard short.  Jonathan Vilma you are a legend!!

1st down Saints.
Brees takes a knee and the clock ticks down as the Saints win a close one to go 13 and 0!!  Wow.  A franchise record of wins in one season and starts.  That was tighter than I hoped but we came out with the win and that's what's important.  Some of the same old D problems were there but again we make big plays when needed to just about see things out.  Now beer beckons.


Saints 26 Falcons 23

Saints Vs Falcons 3rd Quarter

Welcome to the 2nd half of this division battle with the Saints leading the sucky McSucksucks 16 to 9.

The Saints start with the ball at their own 20.
Pierre Thomas takes a hand off and picks up a nice opening 4. 2nd and 6.
Brees completes his 20th pass off the day to Marques Colston for 5 (that's from 22 attempts btw... how do you like that for accuracy?). 3rd and 1.
Hand off to Reggie Bush who looks like he is going to be stopped but breaks out and takes it all the way down the sidelines to the Saints 48. Nice play by Mr Kardashian.

1st down Saints.
Hamilton takes the ball and stuffs up a neat 9 yards. 2nd and 1.
Hamilton does a nice impression of Battering Ram Bell and picks up 2.

1st down Saints.
Hamilton picks up a yard right to the Falcons 39. 2nd and 9.
Reggie Bush up the middle picks up 8 and takes a hard hit. 3rd and inches.
Hamilton goes wide and picks up a nice 5 yards but there's a flag on the field... and guess who it's against? I'll just say holding so you know it's now 3rd and 11.
The Falcons bring everyone so Brees throws down the sidelines to Robert Meachem and... it's picked... But a lovely little yellow flag flutters to the ground and the word is 'Pass interference'. Mike Smith throws a hissy fit which makes me laugh.

1st and 10 Saints at the Falcons 12.
Brees to Henderson in the end zone and Devery drops it after a heavy hit. 2nd and 10.
Reggie Bush takes the carry and fumbles but he recovers... luckily for him if he wants more game time today. 3rd and 19.
Brees on a screen to Reggie Bush and... TOUCHDOWN!! So Sean Payton gives Reggie a chance to work off his misdemeanour and Bush duly obliges by taking it to the house.

Saints 23 Falcons 9

1st down Falcons at their 20.
Norwood carries the ball for 5. 2nd and 5.
Redman to Tony Gonzalez at the marker and completes.

1st down Falcons.
Redman completes to Jenkins at the Saints 45. The Saints brought pressure but not enough.

1st down Falcons.
Norwood goes right and then cuts back across the whole team and picks up a big big gain... and then a lovely yellow flag comes out to give Mr Smith a red angry complexion. 1st and 20.
Redman to Gonzalez who is wrapped up by Scott Shanley after a gain of 5. 2nd and 15.
Redman drops back and finds Jenkins up the middle... for a touchdown. Randall Gay came on a blitz again and got no where. 50 yard touchdown catch and run.

Saints 23 Falcons 16

1st down Saints at the 20.
Brees to Saints legend David Thomas on the sidelines for 5. 2nd and 5.
Brees to Robert Meachem over the middle for 10.

1st down Saints.
Reggie Bush on a hand off looks like he is going to loose some yards then throws a Reggie move and slips the noose for 7 top yards. Great move by the Bushster. 2nd and 3.
Pierre Thomas up the middle for 2. 3rd and 1.
Brees has an hour in the pocket but can't find anyone open so he throws only his 4th incompletion all day and the Saints will have to punt.
In comes a confused looking Thomas Morstead who wonders what he's meant to do here as he never has to punt.

1st down Falcons at their 20.
Norwood takes a toss to pick up 5. 2nd and 5.
Play action Redman to Roddy White who picks up 14. So the 2nd stringer continues to hurt us and make this increasingly uncomfortable.

1st down Falcons.
Norwood inside before Sedrick Ellis sits on him. 2nd and 5.
Redman shuffle pass to Snelling goes incomplete. Vilma hit Snelling as the ball got there. Nice work captain. 3rd and 5.
Redman threads a needle under pressure and completes down the sidelines to the Saints 36. Good coverage by Randall Gay but that was a great pass.

1st down Falcons.
Snelling takes a toss and runs into Jonathan Vilma. 2nd and 9.
Redman to Booked for 8 to end the 3rd Quarter.

Saints Vs Redskins Overtime

You join us in overtime in one of the most incredible endings to a game in quite some time.  The Saints have never really been firing well today but somehow they have pulled this out and forced their way back into the game.

Nail Biting Finish Here For The Saints

The normally average Jason Campbell picked a hell of a day for a career best Sunday with 358 yards. 

The Redskins win the coin toss and will receive the overtime kick off so its all to do again for the Saints.  We need another huge play from today’s porous D.

1st down Redskins at their 20.
Campbell to Santana Moss for 10.

1st down Redskins.
Ganther up the middle for 5.  2nd and 5.  I'm shaking as I type this.
Campbell to Sellers who is stopped short of the 1st by McCallister who made a great open field tackle.  It looks like he fumbled that on the way down but the refs rule he was down before the ball came out.  3rd and 1.  Payton calls a timeout to hint massively to the review booth to look at this again...  Which they are now doing...  And they've ruled it a FUMBLE that was recovered by the Saints!!  Unbelievable.  What a game.  Great time out call by Payton.

1st down Saints at the Redskins 37.
Drew Brees rolls out right and completes to Devery Henderson at the 25.

1st down Saints.
Saints sweep with Mike Bell carrying and he does another flip on his way to 1 yard.  Talk about a day of hard running for no gains.  He's been tossed in the air more than a Dolphin at Sea World.  2nd and 9.
Brees to Saints legend David Thomas for a pick up of 4.  3rd and 5.
Brees to Colston on the right sidelines and he picks up the 1st.

1st down Saints at the Redskins 15 and they're calling out Garrett Hartley to punch this from 32.  But no Sean Payton has a think about this and sends the Saints O back out there.  That goes to show the faith he has in the O to get this done.

Still 1st down Saints.
Mike Bell bursts right and runs for 9.  His biggest run of the day and it couldn't come at a better time.  2nd and 1.
Mike Bell falls through the hole for a 1st down at the 2.

1st and goal.
Mike Bell dives and...  He is inches short.  The stadium is silent.  2nd and goal...  But the booth are going to review this...  And rule the call on the field should stand.  So it's still 2nd and goal.
And out comes Garrett Hartley for an 18 yard field goal attempt...  He makes it but the Redskins called a timeout so we're going to have to do this again...  And he MAKES IT!!!!  Oh my Lord.  WHAT A WIN, I CANNOT BELIEVE IT.  HOW DID WE EVER DO THAT?

This has got to be one of the most bizarre games in memory.  We played pretty average in long spells, scored a touchdown by mugging an intercepting Redskin and clung in there when the Redskins missed a 2 score field goal.  How we came out with the win I will never know but it was incredible and we are now 12 and 0.  That is the work of champions.  To play that 'average' and still win.

Saints Vs Redskins 3rd Quarter

Welcome to the 2nd half of this tight game between the Saints and Redskins.  The Redskins are getting to Drew Brees more than is healthy and the Saints secondary is being exposed by Jason 'I'm not very good' Campbell.  Fingers crossed for some much needed improvements in the 3rd. 

Saints 17 Redskins 17

1st down Redskins at their own 25.
Cartwright picks up 5 on a right sweep.  2nd and 5.
Campbell throws towards Kelly but it goes out of bounds.  Good coverage by McKenzie.  3rd and 5.
Campbell to Randle El for 12.  Campbell was under pressure and stepped up to avoid the rush.

The Mike McKenzie Jersey - Not As Tight As That Coverage

1st down Redskins at the 43.
Campbell down the left sidelines completes to Thomas over Malcolm Jenkins.  Great throw into tight coverage.

1st down Redskins at the Saints 28.
Campbell to Thomas who beats McKenzie with a step and picks up 6.  2nd and 4.
Cartwright runs through a BIG hole before Hargrove brings him down.

1st down at the Saints 16.
Campbell to Moss but he can't hold on.  2nd and 10.
Campbell under pressure gets it out to Cartwright in the flat and picks up 6.  3rd and 4.
Campbell pressured by Darren Sharper and unloads incomplete.  4th and 4.
So the Redskins have to settle for a field goal.

Saints 17 Redskins 20

Courtney Roby continues his excellent day with a big return out to the Saints 48.

1st down Saints.
Pierre Thomas up the middle for 2.  2nd and 8.
Mike Bell up the middle for a good 7 yards.  He hit that hole hard.  3rd and 1.
Mike Bell again and he bounces on a second effort close to the marker.  The chains will come into measure and...  The Saints are short by half a yard.  So it brings up 4th down and the Saints are going for it.
Mike Bell again but he's stopped well short.  That looked far too complicated for a short yardage pick up with Nicks pulling around right.

1st down Redskins at their own 44.
Campbell goes deep down the right sidelines to Thomas all the way to the Saints 16.  A 40 yard pass play.

1st down Redskins.
Cartwright carries for 3.  2nd and 7.
Campbell under pressure and...  It goes in and out of Malcolm Jenkins hands.  Oh man he had the whole field ahead.  He would have gone untouched for 6.  Good pressure by Will Smith.  3rd and 7.
Campbell to Thomas who breaks two tackles and tip toes down the sideline for a Touchdown.  Oh man that was poor.  It looks like Darren Sharper knocked Mike McKenzie over just as he was about to make the tackle.

Saints 17 Redskins 27

1st down Saints at their own 27.
Mike Bell cuts back and picks up 7 after the inside was closed off.  2nd and 3.
Drew Brees completes to Jeremy Shockey at the 46 for a pick of 12.

1st down Saints.
Brees to Shockey on a slant for 8 more.  2nd and 2.
Mike Bell out left and he's up ended spectacularly for no gain.  3rd and 2.
Brees play fakes and finds David Thomas all the way down at the 26.  Great pass in good coverage.

1st down Saints.
Brees drops back and finds Devery Henderson at the 12.  This is more like it.

1st down Saints.
Pierre Thomas up the middle for 3 good yards.  2nd and 7.
Brees to Colston in the end zone... but it's broken up.  3rd and 7.
Brees to Henderson on a screen but no gain.  4th and 7.
So Garrett Hartley comes in for a 27 yard field goal attempt and...  It's good.

Saints 20 Redskins 27

We need a good stand by the D now to pull this back level as the longer this goes on the more it feels this is not going to be our day.  The Redskins have an answer to most things we are doing today.

1st down Redskins at their own 35.
Cartwright carries for 5.  Again we has him closed for no gain and he was able to make a cut and pick up 5.  That epitomizes our day so far.  2nd and 5.
Campbell to Randle El for 5.

1st down Redskins.
Cartwright is stopped by Bobby McCray in the back field for a loss of 1.  Finally some penetration to stop the run.  2nd and 11.
Campbell to Randle El again but it goes incomplete.  3rd and 11.  Come on D, we need a stop here.  Big play coming up.
Campbell steps up and completes to Randle El all the way down to the 14 yard line.  He was wide open.  This is not good as we end the 3rd Quarter.

Saints Vs Redskins 1st Quarter

Well here we are people. It's week 13 and we enter the nation’s capital looking to extend our perfect record to 12 and 0. Let's hope we can jump out to an early lead to keep politician central quiet. I fancy a hog roast for dinner and would like one on the field of play please Mr Payton, Brees, Vilma and Co.

Lance Moore, Scott Fujita, Jabari Greer, Tracy Porter, Randall Gay, John Carney are all confirmed as out of today's game by the way.

And the Redskins kick off to pineapple hair who returns it out to the 33.  Nice return their by Courtney Roby.

Courtney Roby Return Ace

1st down Saints.
Screen to Pierre Thomas who takes it 12 yards down the left sideline before being tackled.

1st down Saints 47.
Toss to Pierre Thomas out left and he's tied up quickly for a loss of 3. That play never got going.
Brees pump fakes twice, rolls out the pocket under pressure and then almost gets picked. Damn that was close. Brees is lucky not to have been picked there. 3rd and 13.
Brees to Pierre Thomas again on a screen to the left and he picks up 7 but not enough for a 1st. So in comes Iron Leg himself Thomas Morstead who drops it inside the 5 to give the Saints D a nice field position to defend.

1st down Redskins.
Jason Campbell drops back and unloads to Davis who carries two Saint DB's (Jenkins and someone who I couldn't see) for a couple. 2nd and 1.
Draw play picks up the first. Facemask penalty on Will Smith adds 15 more.

1st down Redskins at the 34.
Campbell drops back and launches down the left which would have been caught except for Malcolm Jenkins blatantly mugging the Redskins receiver.

1st down Redsking at Saints 34.
Scott Shanle makes a great tackle on the ensuing run. 2nd and 9.
Another short run brings up a quick 3rd and 7.
Campbell to Thomas over the middle and he gets jacked up by Darren Sharper. What a hit.

1st down Redskins at the 21.
Cartwright cuts back and goes untouched to the 5 before Sharper brings him down.

1st down Redskins.
Redskins run again but Remi Ayodele raps the runner up for a loss of 2.
Campbell throws like the Campbell I was expecting and misses a wide open man. 3rd and goal.
Campbell to Fred Davis over the middle and... Touchdown. Hmm, not the greatest run of defensive plays I've seen by the Saints on that drive.

Saints 0 Redskins 7

Saints legend Jo-Lonn Dunbar is pictured being worked by the physio on the sidelines... Not a good omen given how banged up we are in that department.

1st down Saints at their own 30.
Drew Brees to David Thomas out left for a pick up of 6. 2nd and 4.
End around to Devery Henderson who tries to turn the corner and manages 3 before going out of bounds. 3rd and 1. Come on Saints.
Mike Bell is upended before he can go anywhere. Damn. Bam Bam Bell didn't even get a chance to get set there. Iron Leg is back in to punt away.

Battering Ram Bell Denied

1st down Redskins at the 30.
Campbell to Fred Davis to the 43.

1st down Redskins.
Ganther looks like he's about to be dropped for no gain and then breaks a Roman Harper tackle for 10.

1st down Redskins at the Saints 44.
Campbell under pressure from Troy Evans throws it incomplete deep. 2nd and 10.
Campbell under pressure again but unloads to a wide open 82 who takes it for 10.

1st down Redskins at the Saints 34.
Campbell to Fred Davis who breaks 2 tackles on the way to a pick up of 15. The Saints are not able to tackle today.

1st down Redskins at the 19.
Campbell to someone or other for 6. 2nd and 4.
Campbell throws it away after good Saints coverage for the first time today. 3rd and 4.
Campbell throws too high for Fred Davis this time after he was pressured. That was better. 4th and 4 so the Redskins kick a field goal to make this more uncomfortable than was wished for... It's still early though, keep the faith.

Saints 0 Redskins 10

Courtney Roby with his third good return of the year and takes it out to the Saints 34.

Brees to Robert Meachem on the left sideline and he breaks a tackle to pick up 11.

1st down Saints.
Draw play to Mike Bell who gets rapped up for a loss of 1. 2nd and 11.
Brees to Pierre Thomas on the screen and the Saints ace makes some cuts to pick up the 1st.

1st down Saints at the Redskins 42.
Pierre Thomas tries to break it outside as the inside holes were closed. Pick up of 1. 2nd and 9.
Brees to Reggie Bush in the flat and he picks up a couple before getting up ended which neatly ends a bum 1st Quarter for the Saints.

Saints Vs. Patriots 2nd Quarter

Welcome to the 2nd Quarter of the Patriots Saints game with the Pats leading by 7 to 3 and New Orleans driving. 

1st down Saints at the Pats 30.
Mike Bell hammers through the middle for 1.  Oh no… Mike Bell is on the floor after that.  He hits so hard he knocked himself out.
Drew Brees to Robert Meachem on the right sideline for a pick up of 6.  3rd and 3.
Pierre Thomas takes it 2 over left tackle.  4th and 1 and... We’re going for it.  Come on Saints!!!
Pierre Thomas goes through a Jermon Bushrod hole and... Picks up the 1st.

1st down Saints at the Pats 20.
Brees drops back checks off and sees Pierre Thomas in the flat and... Thomas breaks tackles all the way for a Saints TOUCHDOWN!!  Great run by Thomas.  Genius!!

The Pierre Thomas jersey moonwalks into the end zone

Patriots 7 Saints 10

1st down Pats at the Saints 25, 12.49 on the clock.
Wes Welker on a reverse for 3.  2nd and 7 and a Pat goes out injured... excellent... sorry but we need every edge we can get.
Brady to Welker (wonder how often I'll write that tonight) and he takes it to the Pats 40.

1st down Pats.
Maroney for 4.  2nd and 6.
The Super Dome is LOUD... and the Pats will take a timeout.
Brady to Morris and the doof drops it.  Perfect drop, love it.  3rd and 6.
Brady to Aitken and Mike Mckenzie hits him before he can turn so he is short by 3.  Great play McKenzie!! 
Pats punt.

1st down Saints at their own 25.
Drew Brees to Devery Henderson and... TOUCHDOWN!!!  OH MY GOOD GOD!!  Henderson was wide open and took it at the 50 and went totally untouched all the way.  It must have been a busted play for him to be that open.  LEGENDS!!!

Drew Brees to Devery Henderson Touchdown - Henderson feels lonely

Patriots 7 Saints 17

1st down Patriots at their own 24, 9.48 on the clock.
Maroney runs over Harper and co. for 10.  He should have been wrapped up at the line but beat Vilma with a cut and then knocked Harper over.

1st down Pats.
2 yard run by someone or other.
Tom Brady drops back and... Will Smith sacks him with Bobby McCray!!  3rd and 12.
Brady to Aitken and... he connects big all the way to the Saints 35.

1st down Pats.
Maroney runs left for 3. 2nd and 7.
Brady to Welker and... It’s dropped!!  Malcolm Jenkins got away with blatant pass interference there.  Fantastic.  3rd and 7,
Brady looks but can't find anyone so steps up to run and... Scott Fujita comes in and wraps him up but... oh no Roman Harper is called for illegal contact.  So the Pats have a 1st down at the Saints 25 and karma has come and bit us in the ass for the Malcolm Jenkins pass interference that wasn't called.

1st down Pats at the Saints 25.
Hand off to Maroney who takes it for 4.  2nd and 6.
Maroney up the middle but Scott Shanley wraps him up for just 1.  3rd and 5.  Come on Saints.  Deeeeeeee FENCE.
Brady to Welker but he's hit short by Roman Harper and it brings up 4th and 3.  Huge play by Harper.
Patriots go for a field goal and get it.

Patriots 10 Saints 17

1st down Saints at their own 23, 4.07 on the clock.
Brees to Pierre Thomas who weaves his way for 3.  Great effort.  2nd and 7.
Brees to Devery Henderson on the sidelines who takes it short but makes a move and moves the chains.  Great play Devery.

1st down Saints at their 35.
Pierre Thomas up the middle for 2.  2nd and 8.
Drew Brees pumps two fakes and stops the D and... Finds Saints legend in the making David Thomas for 25!!

1st down Saints at the Pats 38.
Drew Brees drops back and looks deep... and hits Robert Meachem for a Saints TOUCHDOWN!!  Awesome, absolutely awesome.  Now Drew Brees should get the recognition he deserves.  That was just sensational.

Robert Meachem Touchdown - 'Hey 24, watch this catch'

Patriots 13 Saints 24

Come on Defence.  Let's stop them scoring before the half.

1st down Patriots at their own 20.
Brady to Maroney on the screen for pick up of 9 and gets out of bounds.  2nd 1.
Brady hit by Anthony Hargrove as he throws and it falls incomplete.  Great pressure Hargroves you legend!!
Brady to Aitken and they convert.

1st down Pats at their 35, 1.07 on the clock.
Brady hit by Bobby McCray as he releases and falls incomplete.   But Malcolm Jenkins is called for holding in the secondary so the Pats get a 1st down at their 40.

1st down Pats.
Brady to Welker on the sidelines for 8.  2nd and 3.
Brady to Moss at the Saints 42.

1st down Pats with 46 ticks left on the clock.
Brady to Faulk who gets jacked up by Darren Sharper.  That was HARDDDDDD!!  Faulk is being checked on the sidelines.

1st down Pats at the 32.
Brady down the middle and... it's broken up.
Brady to the end zone and... it sails over the receiver.  3rd and 10.  Come on D.
Brady down the middle and... it sails incomplete again.  Beautiful.  The Saints secondary are doing an outstanding job on coverage.
So they go for a 50 yard field goal and... It goes wide left!!

Still Patriots 10 Saints 24 to end the 1st half.  Everyone has played just great so far.

The New Orlean Saints... as my mum would say

My mum has always been different. Not for her calling the New Orleans Saints by their official name. Oh no Siree, she has to call them the 'New Orlean Saints hun'. Likewise the Falcons are the 'Fowlcans', the Minnesota Vikings the 'Minn Viks' and the Miami Dolphins the 'Mimi Delphs'.

So I thought I would delve into that wonderful brain of hers this week and asked her to predict the 10 most unlikely things to be said about the Saints in the national media between now and the end of the season. Enjoy!

1 - My, don't they have an abundance of healthy cornerbacks in New Orleans.

2 - Drew Brees is definitely the best Quarterback in the NFL, end of discussion.  We apologise for always banging on about Peyton Manning and Tom Brady so much.

It's Official - The Drew Brees 2009 chant is led by THE best QB in the NFL

3 - That Sean Payton really needs to be a little less conservative with his play calling sometimes.

4 - The Saints are so one dimensional on offence, cover David Thomas and the game is done.

5 - David Thomas is a legend in his own time.

6 - So the recently renamed New Orlean Saints go out of the playoffs at the Wild Card stage to the unstoppable Washington Redskins.  Next up, the mighty Detroit Lions.

The New Orlean Saints Chearleaders - Nothing to cheer following Redskins defeat

7 - Reggie Bush who?  And what's a Kim Kardashian?

8 - Jeremy Shockey needs to get more tattoos on that right arm of his.  It's just so lacking in any color right now.

9 - The New Orleans Saints halftime song is number 1 in both Saudi Arabia and Iran this week.

10 - The Drew Brees 2009 chant clearly has no effect in raising team morale.  Why does he continue to bother?

And that's all from my mum for this week or as she calls herself XDUK5FKZMF7V

NO Jerseys Vs Bucs 2nd Quarter

NO Saints 7 TB Bucs 7

The 2nd Quarter opens with a hand off to Pierre Thomas on a draw play and the white jersey spins his way for 7.  2nd and 3.

Brees to Devery Henderson who looses 2.  3rd and 5.

Drew Brees to David Thomas and the ball pops out of Thomas's hands and falls incomplete.  Thomas goes from living legend to vaguely appropriate status.  Thomas Morstead punts.

Thomas Morstead doesn't even bother getting suited up these days.

1st down Bucs at their own 30.

Ward picks up 5.

Ward again but he is stuffed by Remi Ayodele.  3rd and 3.

On the next play Freeman demonstrates his inability to hit a barn door with his passes and the Bucs will punt.

Devery Henderson gets jacked up on the return and the Saints will start at their own 33.

1st down Saints.

Brees incomplete to Pierre Thomas.  2nd and 10.

Brees to Thomas again who spins, ducks, dives, weaves and other such actions on his way for a pick up of 6.  Great effort Mr 23.  3rd and 4.

Brees to David Thomas for a 13 yard pick up and Thomas returns to MVP status.

1st down Saints.

Brees looks deep to Robert Meachem and... the ball is incomplete but a beautiful yellow flag comes out and then... inexplicably goes back in.  That was pass interference all the way.  Damn zebras.  2nd and 10.

Brees short to the Saints 21 jersey filled amply by Mike Bell for a pick up of 3 to bring up 3rd and 5 at the Bucs 43.

Brees to Jeremy Shockey but the ball is broken up by Barber so the Saints will have to punt AGAIN.

Thomas Morstead really wishes he had put his pants on now

The Thomas Morstead punt is batted down at the one by Courtney Roby and Usama Young downs it there to give Freeman a headache when he takes the field.  Great play by the Saints special teamers there.  They must have been practicing extra hard since the poor mid term grade.

1st down Bucs.

Derrick Ward is tripped up in the end zone by Roman Harper but just about gets out.  That was damn close to a safety.

Next play Freeman to Graham for a pick up of 6 on the play fake bringing up 3rd and 3.  Come on D!

False start by Buc 65 helps the D no end and pushes them back to a 3rd and 8 situation.

Next up Freeman completes somehow against Saints rookie Malcolm Jenkins.  Jenkins had great coverage but Freeman proved he can actually hit something even smaller than a barn door with that 21 yard pass completion.

1st down Bucs.

Hard running for 7 by some guy in red.  2nd and 3.

Scott Fujita comes in and shows the Saints running D how it's done by taking Ward down for a loss of 1.  3rd and 4.

Next up Freeman looks down field and... It’s picked by Malcolm Jenkins for his 1st NFL INTERCEPTION!  Congratulations to Malcolm Jenkins and family.

1st down Saints at the Bucs 29.

Hamilton up the middle for 3.  2nd and 7.

Brees throws incomplete bringing up 3rd and 7... It's being challenged however by Tampa as they think they intercepted a ball that clearly bounced off the ground first... idiots.  But hey that's 2 failed challenges already by the Bucs so congrats to them for helping us in our hour of need.

Brees to Courtney Roby on the crossing pattern but he's tackled a yard shy of the 1st down marker.  Brees wants to go for it on 4th and 1.5 but is told to 'get off the field please' by John Carney as his mum wants to see him kick a field goal for the first time in years... and he's good!!

Saints 10 Bucs 7.  4.11 left in the half.

1st down Bucs at the Bucs 23.

Cadillac Williams for 5.  2nd and 5.

This time Williams hits a Saints wall led by Jonathan Vilma to leave the ball with 3rd and 4 to go.

Freeman is rushed by Scott Shanley and throws incomplete so the Bucs will punt.  Freeman is now 4 of 10 and clearly got the money I left for him in that brown paper bag this week.

1st down Saints at their own 31.

Brees' pass it tipped and falls incomplete after 4 Bucs dived for it.  2nd and 10.

A Pierre Thomas draw picks up 2.  3rd and 8.

Brees is hit as he throws and the ball flies into the sidelines.  This really is pretty ugly stuff.

1st down Bucs at their 22.

Williams is dropped for 0 gain after Vilma got in there early and stuffed the run to bring up the 2 minute warning.  2nd and 10.

Freeman throws another incomplete.  Malcolm Jenkins had pretty good coverage and is looking sound so far today.  3rd and 10.

Freeman again incomplete as Jonathan Vilma gets his bear claw in there to break it up.  Bucs punt.

1st down Saints at their own 36.

Brees to Colston for 16 to the Bucs 47.

1st down.

Brees pressured and throws it away. 

Brees to Colston over the middle for a pick up of 19 to the Bucs 26.  45 ticks on the clock.

1st down Saints.

Brees to Colston again for 20 to the Bucs 6, 35 secs to go.

1st down Saints.

Drew Brees rolls out right and... TOUCHDOWN ROBERT MEACHEM!!  That's Meachems 6th TD of the season off just 16 receptions.  Great pass and catch and a perfect example of how the Saints offence seems to click when under pressure.  63 yards in 5 plays in 1.10... Maybe we should play hurry up offence on every drive today? 

TD number 6 for the Robert Meachem Stats sheet

Saints 17 Tampa Bay 7 with 28 secs left in the half.

1st down Bucs at their 28.

Freeman to Winslow who is taken down by Jonathan Vilma who has been all over the field today.  Ball spiked so 3rd and 5 with 5 to go on the clock.

Leigh Torrence and Roman Harper converge on Freeman for a QB sandwich and sack to take us to half time.

So the Saints are again a little indifferent today.  Josh Freeman is enjoying far too much time in the pocket for my liking.  We're just lucky he's young and pretty stinky at this point in his career.  On the other side of the ball Drew Brees is getting pressured more than is comfortable so it would be nice to calm that side of things down in the second half.  Overall we're professional without being explosive.  But it's all about chalking up win number 10 and keeping enough of the roster healthy.