Saints Need To Improve Up Front And Fast For Bears Game

Just watched the

beat the

and it's got me worried.

On Thursday night the Packers dominated us on both lines. Watching the way the

totally dominated in the trenches leaves me thinking we could be in for a long night.

The

O line are going to have their work cut out. Last week the holes opened for the backs were miniscule. It ain't gonna get any easier this week.

And if they are to keep

off his ass they are going to need to be on their A game or

and Co. are going to have a field day.

On the other side of the ball our front 7 brought about as much pressure as a small ant on an elephants back. Despite the new guys in the line up it was the same old story. If we can't bring more heat the secondary is just going to get picked apart.

Without

we don't have a pass rush. All the stunts and corner blitz's in the world aren't going to carry us all the way unless the big boys up front can bring it with 4.

Best get working your asses off messers

+

and

as you're in for a big game. Start lifting the weights.

Roman Harper key to Vikings win

The Saints kicked off the season with a win against the Minnesota Vikings Thursday with some solid defensive play and the rousing backing of a sold out Super Dome. Following the coin toss Drew Brees led the Dome through the Who Dat chant which will now kick off every home appearance this season.

The game itself was a close run affair in this rematch of the NFC Championship game. After the Saints came out firing on their first drive with a Brees Henderson touchdown the O subsequently struggled to impose it's will in the half.

It was left to the D to keep the Vikes in check and they really did an impressive job. As ever Jonathan Vilma led the way directing his unit around the field to match the threats of Peterson and Favre.

Key to the units display were big time performances from Sedrick Ellis and Roman Harper. Ellis was able to fill the middle channels well and keep the Vikes famed running attack in check. The big man even ended up with a sack on Favre which was great to see.

Roman Harper was also imposing managing to pressure Favre as well as break up passes whilst chipping in with some crucial tackles. In the absence of Darren Sharper his leadership qualities in the secondary will be crucial and it was great to see him get off to a flying start.

Also of note was an improvement in the special teams return coverage. The unit looked to gang tackle on a number of occasions and if they can maintain such pressure this is one area the Saints could really benefit from.

So all in all a good start to the season against some tough opponents. Whilst it wasn't the kind of score we were all expecting it was a great team win all the same. If we can keep up that kind of effort on the D side of the ball we will be in great shape for another winning season.

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 Falcons 1st Quarter

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Saints Vs. Patriots 4th Quarter

So you join us in the 4th Quarter with the Saints leading 31 to 17 and facing a key 3rd and 12 at their own 35. All Saints fans could do with a conversion here to keep alive another scoring drive and stretch this lead as it's still tight enough.

Brees throws wide left and... it falls incomplete so Thomas Morstead will punt. Wes Welker fair catches at the Pats 15.

1st down Pats.
Brady goes deep down field and... Over throws Sam Aitken... I love you Tom Brady... please keep that up.
Faulk is chased down by Sedrick Ellis for a small gain. Great to have the big man fill that middle again. 3rd and 9.
Brady under pressure by Charles Grant and he unloads to Wes Welker who is stopped short. 4th and 5 and the Pats will punt. Great D schemes cooked up there by Williams.  I hope his mum ruffles his hair when he gets home tonight.

Eat Turf Welker - Fujita, Ellis, Grant and Jon Vilma getting it done

1st down Saints at their 25.
Drew Brees to Marques Colston who takes it and runs all the way to the Pats 48. Incredible throw again by Drew Brees.  He put it right on Colstons back shoulder so only he could make the grab in the tight coverage.

1st down Saints.
Mike Bell goes left to the 43.  2nd and 5.
Brees throws incomplete to bring up 3rd and 5.
Brees to Robert Meachem at the marker and he hauls it in.  Ooh baby I'm enjoying this lethal execution.

1st down Saints at the 37.
Pierre Thomas over left tackle for 5.  2nd and 5.
Mike Bell is stopped short for 0.  3rd and 5.
Drew Brees to Robert Meachem on the right and another first down.  Ruthlessly efficient passing and routes. Just perfect tonight.  I owe Brees some ice cream.

1st down Saints at the 25.
Mike Bell up the middle for 5 hard yards. He just pumps those legs like mini pistons and does not give up. Such a low center of gravity.  2nd and 5.
Brees to Marques Colston on the post pattern and... TOUCHDOWN!!!  Oh man. What a drive.  9 plays 75 yards, 5.18.  Just incredible.  That's the 27th TD thrown by Brees this season.  Get that man a drink.

Marques Colston TD - 'Tackle each other boys, I'm just gonna grab 6'

Patriots 17 Saints 38

1st down Pats at their own 20.
Draw play picks up 7.  2nd and 3.
Brady under pressure looks down field and... is picked by Darren Sharper at the Saints 38!! He returns it all the way to the Pats 25.  Sharper baby you are on fire.  Who Dat?

1st down Saints
Mike Bell for 3.
Mike Bell again inside for 3 more. Running down that game clock. 3rd and 4.
Brees to Henderson in the end zone and... Over shoots. I guess the guy is human afterall.
So John Carney comes in for a 37 yard field goal and... it goes wide right.  Cancan Carney can't can't.

1st down Pats.
Brian Hoyer is in to replace Tom Brady to signal the Pats have thrown in the towel so we can all enjoy the last 5 minutes.
2 runs for very little brings up a quick 3rd and 8.
Hoyer drops back and...  Throws to the fans in the stands and shows that he is no Tom Brady so the Pats will punt.

1st down Saints at their own 22 with 3.58 on the clock.
Mike Bell to the right for 5.  Drew Brees still in the game which is good to see.  He deserves to see this out as he has been just unstoppable.
Mike Bell again for 2. 3rd and 3.
Mike Bell bursts through the hole for a first... which is then called back for a flag to bring up 3rd and 14.
Pierre Thomas on a draw for 6 to bring up the 2 minute warning.
Thomas Morstead punts.

1st down Pats at their 33.
Hoyer completes for a few... ah who cares now this is over.
Will Smith chalks up another sack to close out the game a few minutes later.

That was the most complete Saints performance I have seen.  Drew Brees led the offence with incredible precision and looked totally unstoppable.   I am totally out of superlatives to describe just how great Brees is and for the way he played tonight.  He was perfect from start to finish.

Drew Dat - Drew Brees Saints Legend

The receivers were awesome.  Henderson, Meachem and Colston all got it done.  Bell and Thomas ran the ball well when called upon and that offensive line was totally dominant.  Jermon Bushrod, Carl Nicks, Jonathan Goodwin, Jahri Evans and Jon Stinchcomb all take a bow as you deserve all the platitudes you are going to get.

On the D side the banged up secondary did an outstanding job of stopping Brady, Welker and Co.  Mike McKenzie just had the game of his life and his pick was a turning point in the game.  Harper and Sharper made important tackles and crucial times.  Throw in Malcolm Jenkins who kept the likes of Randy Moss quiet and you've got one hell of a display by that unit.

Then the front 7 played great with Fujita, Shanley and Vilma all making important tackles and snuffing out 3rd down conversions.  Will Smith, Ellis, Grant and Hargrove all played their part.

In short it was just a great team effort and everyone should be mighty proud of themselves for that performance.  It was near perfect football all the way.

Mike Bell Saints MVP Vs. Bucs

The Saints player of the week award of recent has gone to guys on the Defensive side of the ball.  This has partly been in recognition of their great progress this season, the way they have forced turnovers at key points in games and also (probably) because I'm always slightly biased towards the D (I was a pretty good CB in my playing days and grew up watching the Dome Patrol dominate all they surveyed).

As such it feels unnatural for me to flip to the Saints O but I can't ignore two worthy winners on that side and one effort in particular:

Mike Bell Saints Running Back:  Mike Bell put in a hard days work Sunday with his running between the tackles and two touchdown display.  I love the way he exploded into people and furrowed forward for an extra yard on each carry.  It's gritty no nonsense running at times but oh so valuable to the team effort.

Mike Bell MVP Jersey Week 11

His numbers were not as good as those put up by the man wearing the Pierre Thomas jersey, which did give me pause for thought, but here is why he just got the nod ahead of his running compadre.

On the Saints second possession of the second half Pierre Thomas saw daylight for the first time in the day and broke a run for 17 yards.  The very next play Mike Bell breaks one for 28 yards but has 15 taken off for unsportsmanlike conduct after the play.

Now that could have been costly and tempered his aggression.  Instead he comes back a play later and apologises to his team mates by doing it where it counts and running hard up the middle for 13.  Not content with that he takes the next ball and leaps the pile for a 3 yard touchdown run.   

That run of plays demonstrated his character, his competitive streak and his will to win and for that he just pips Pierre Thomas to the Saints MVP jersey for week 11.

His final numbers were 13 attempts for 75 yards and 2 TDs with 1 reception thrown in for good measure.

Pierre Thomas Saints Jersey Number 23:  Mr Thomas can feel hard done by for missing out on the MVP award for he had a stellar game posting 92 yards on 11 attempts and a further 11 yards off 3 receptions.  His second half efforts yet again enabled us to move the ball freely and wear down the opposing D to see out the game.  His one two power play with Mike Bell enabled us to perfectly balance the Offence again as he broke through the lines at vital times.  The Saints are lucky to have two such competitors in their backfield.

Mr Number 23 - Saints Pierre Thomas Jersey of choice

Honourable mentions to...

Drew Brees Saints QB Master:  Once again Drew Brees calmly went about running the most potent offence in the league with one of his trademark authoritative displays under center.  He didn't have to be flashy.  He simply marched us to the 1st down marker time after time with ruthless efficiency and still ended up with a 3 TD passing haul.  His final numbers were a respectable 19 of 29 for 187 and 0 picks.

David Thomas Saints Legend in the Making:  The Saints backup TE showed again what an effective weapon he can be with some great run blocking and 66 yards through the air off 4 receptions.  He also chipped in with his first Saints TD which deserves an honourable mention.

Malcolm Jenkins Saints Rookie CB:  The Saints 2009 1st round draft pick looked completely at home in the Saints secondary and put in a great starting display.  His coverage was excellent and the only time Freeman really beat him was with an inch perfect pass.  He ended the day with 5 tackles and an excellent pick to keep family Jenkins singing all week.

The Rest of the Saints Team:  Overall it was a great team effort and everyone deserves praise for a professional display.  The Saints O was perfectly balanced and eventually clicked into rhythm in the second half whilst the Saints D continued turning the ball over at vital points.  It would be nice to see the Run D solidify in time for the Pats game and the return of Sedrick Ellis can only help in that department.  We will need the A team out for that one so here's hoping y'all are home resting up today.

NO Jerseys Vs Bucs 3rd Quarter

Welcome back to the half empty Bucs home for the second half of this divisional matchup with the Saints leading the Bucs 17 to 7.

The Bucs will start at their own 9 after a penalty on the kick off.

Freeman to Graham for 5 and is wrapped up by Malcolm Jenkins.  2nd and 5.

Cadillac Williams is pounded to the turf by the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (Will Smith) to bring up 3rd and 1.  Nice play Saints sack king.

The Fresh Prince run stopping

Roman Harper takes Williams legs in the back field but Williams is able to dive forward for a 1st.

Freeman wide for a pick up of 5.  Back up CB Leigh Torrence has popped his shoulder making the tackle and the Saints secondary continue to drop like flies.  He looks in agony on the sidelines.  Fingers crossed he'll be OK.  Do we even have another CB on the sidelines? 

2nd and 5.  Scott Fujita blitzes from the outside and gets Freeman who spills the ball to Anthony Hargroves.  Another Saints forced turnover and a great effort by Scott 'I'm da man' Fujita.

Saints ball at the Bucs 15.

Pierre Thomas up the middle for 2.

Brees on a screen pass to Thomas who is up-ended after a pick up of 2 bringing up 3rd and 6.  If we get this we can put the game away.

Brees to David Thomas and... TOUCHDOWN!!  The Saints legend TE in the making grabs his 1st TD of the season and gets props from Jeremy Shockey on the sidelines.  I think Shockey is trying to convince Thomas to get some tattoos if he's going to qualify for legendary status.

Jeremy Shockey Tattoos - A must have for all Legends!

Saints 24 Bucs 7.  10.36 in the 3rd.

1st down Bucs at their 20.

Freeman to someone for 4.  2nd and 6.

Williams hard running up the middle... come back Sedrick Ellis!!  Picks up 5.  3rd and 1.

Graham is stopped short by Will Smith but he can't wrap him up so the Bucs have a 1st down at their 31.

Freeman does his slippery eel bit again and breaks one for 14 to the Bucs 46.  If he could pass as good as he can run he would be a great Quarterback... but he can't... so he's not.

1st down Bucs.

Freeman to Graham for 5.  2nd and 5.

Freeman overthrows his next man AGAIN.  3rd and 5.

Freeman looks over the middle and decides Jonathan Vilma deserves an interception and throws to him.  That's the Saints 19th pick of the season.
Thanks Josh.

1st down Saints at their 45.

Brees incomplete.  Now Brees hands off to Pierre Thomas who sees day light and picks up 17 big ones to the Bucs 38.  Great run Pierre.

1st down Saints

Bell breaks one 28 yards and then gets 15 taken off for trash talking as he got up.  Sales of the Mike Bell jersey look set to drop.

1st down Saints at Bucs 24.

Drew Brees to Marques Colston for a pick up of 8.

Mike Bell on a draw play and... He picks up 13.  Excellent head down running by the Bellmeister.

1st and goal at the Bucs 3.

Mike Bell up the middle and... TOUCHDOWN!!  Great hard running on that drive by the Saints backs and Mike Bell jersey sales go through the roof once again.  Hey, what can I say, I'm fickle!

The Mike Bell Jersey - Get it whilst it's HOT!

Saints 31 Bucs 7

1st down Bucs at their own 20.

Josh Freeman tries to throw to a Saints DB but opts for some Buc for a 6 yard pick up.  2nd and 4.

Freeman to Bryan for 12.  Leigh Torrence made the tackle and goes straight back out the game as he's popped his shoulder again. 

1st down Bucs.

Freeman pressured and throws the ball at the turf.

This time a miracle is witnessed as Freeman completes to Winslow for 6.  3rd and 4.

Freeman again throws to a crowd of Saints and it goes incomplete.  Is he color blind perhaps?  Even if he was the Bucs would be black and the Saints white so that theory doesn't work.  Theory 2: Josh Freeman is a bit shit?  Yep that's the one.

1st down Saints at their own 18, 2.38 in the 3rd.

Mike Bell over left tackle for 3.  2nd and 7.

The Mike Bell jersey containing Mike Bells body takes the ball 2 more to bring up 3rd and 5.

Drew Brees yells at Jeremy Shockey to catch this pass and... Jeremy Shockey takes it for 13 to the Saints 36.

1st down Saints.

The Pierre Thomas jersey containing the body of Pierre Thomas takes the ball 23 yards to end the 3rd Quarter and I'm off to grab a beer.  See you in the 4th.