BYE..............Week 11

The long awaited Bye is here but you can still root against some of the teams that are ahead of the Saints. Namely the Packers and Forty-Niners. We still could have the Falcons, Giants, and Lions lose although the prospects are not that likely. Have a great weekend and try not to get to upset. Remember the Saints are off!

Saints VS Falcons........

Don't hate the messenger....The big game of the day is the NFC South battle between the Saints and Falcons in Atlanta. Injuries aside and both teams have them, look for Atlanta to exploit the Saints run defense which has been absent thus far. It pains me to say this but until the Saints can show a little consistency, they do not appear to be headed deep into the post season. Falcons win part one of this 2-game a year rivalry. I am a Saints fan just like you but I must be objective. Let's hope they prove me wrong.

Saints vs Buccaneers........Week 9 Match Up

The Saints I believe were as surprised as everyone else that the Rams showed up to play last week. I don't believe they will make that mistake at home against the Bucs. Tampa Bay is coming off a Bye and a devastating loss to the Bears and were pounded by Matt Forte a item I hope Sean Payton has taken note of. We should feed Thomas and Ivory the ball consistently throughout this game. I know it pains the Coach to run the ball so much but when you see a weakness, you must take advantage of it. If Drew passes for 40 plus times then we will have a problem. We need to see 30 to 35 rushes today by Saints running backs. The Saints are playing well at home and I expect them to do so today. Saints win a much needed game. Have a great day and enjoy the game!

Saints at St Louis.................

The Saints are on the road once again after having decapitating the 0-7 Colts last Sunday at home. This time they face the 0-6 Rams. Same story different venue. Saints will let the Rams hang around till the second half then let Chris Ivory put some distance and wear on the Rams defense which is allowing 183 rushing yards per game to their opponents. Ivory will have fresh legs and Sean Payton will take advantage of that fact despite what you may hear the team say in public about slowly working him in. If Ivory gets hot, it could be a long day for St Louis. First half will be the Drew Brees show and the second half will go to Ivory to put a ribbon on it. Saints win.

Saints at home agains The Colts.............

The News out of Saints camp this week was surprising to some and not so much for others. Last week for those fans like myself who watch the game closely, there was a drastic difference in the O-Line play from the previous week. I kept telling my friends it looked like we had a rookie in at center. In fact we saw the return of All-Pro Olin Kreutz. He left  a lot to be desired and his play at center was horrible at best. I kept screaming at the TV for Brian Del la Puente to come in. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who was watching. I doubt that Sean Payton had to watch any film. According to his press conference Payton, Mickey Loomis and Kreutz met on Monday to discuss his future with the team. You can say what you want, that meeting, was called by Payton and not Olin Kreutz. The fact that Kreutz's agent said his client is not retiring tells us quite a bit. The guess here is personal issues along with a lot of thinking when Kreutz was out injured and he didn't see the team miss a beat without him. The Saints found a starter in Del la Puente and still have Matt Tenant waiting in the wings. The Saints will play better this week now that Sean Payton has gotten rid of another distraction. But make no mistake, before that meeting on Monday Drew Brees was on the phone to the Coach putting in his two cents as well. Drew is all about winning and if you aren't bringing your "A" game along with his, you will not be in the lineup. It's as simple as that.
This weeks game was supposed to be the Match UP of the Mid-Season. The Colts however are without their star QB and their defense is hurting. The Saints are back at home and know they let one slip away last week. This game should be over at halftime but knowing my heroes they love to keep it interesting so I am going to say the Saints will pull away in the 4th Quarter. Saints get needed win at home.GO SAINTS!!!

Saints at Tampa Bay...........

The Saints travel to Tampa Bay to close out a 3-game road swing. Although the Bucs were exposed last week by the 49ers do not expect such a showing today by Tampa Bay. They will be up for the game and give the Saints all they can handle. In the end the difference again will be Drew Brees. Saints win. Look for the Saints to again spread it around. Lots of Jimmy Graham and lots of Darren Sproles with a sprinkle of Pierre and Moore. Saints fans don't get discouraged if we have to win it in the 4th Quarter that's just the way Drew & Co roll. Enjoy the game!

Saints VS Panthers...........

Saints travel to Carolina to face rookie QB Cam Newton and the Panthers. Newton has broken the rookie record of most passing yards by a rookie in the first 4 games of a NFL season averaging right at 346 yards passing per game. Not to mention the rush yards he has along with the touchdowns. If the Saints wish to make a statement that they are back to 2009 form, this game would be the one they want to win for sure. It is a Division game first and foremost which makes it a little more important than the rest. I could be reading them wrong but I believe that this is another special Saints team. They must win the ones they are supposed to win. This game would fall under that classification. Saints win in a close one. See My Picks for the entire League at www.footballfancrazy.blogspot.com

Week 4 for the Saints On the Road.........

Saints travel to Jacksonville to face the Jaguars. This will be the easiest of the road games the Saints will play in the next 3 weeks. The last time the Saints were in Jacksonville, they lost a heart breaker. After the incredible River City Relay to draw within one point of a tie and send the game into overtime, John Carney missed the extra point. After the game Carney said the sun must have gotten in his eyes. Let's hope we fare better this time and we should. Gregg Williams should provide the defense with enough plays to confuse rookie QB Blaine Gabbert. Drew will be Drew and the offense should score 30+ to win. Saints win first of 3 road games.

Saints at home in a Big Game........

Week three has the Saints at home against the 2-0 Houston Texans. This will be a measuring stick for both teams and may have an impact on both teams seasons down the road. Some might even say you are watching a Super Bowl Preview. This game will come down to which coach has his team better prepared. I believe there is something special about both teams this year and I believe the Texans will make the playoffs in light of their rivals the Colts being out of the picture. When two teams are this evenly matched you just got to go with the home team. Saints win in a close one.
If you haven't read the paper this morning, you should. My prayers go out to you and your family Steve Gleason. A true New Orleans Saints Hero! We love you. God be with you on your journey in the next Great Adventure!

Saints Home Opener.......

Looks like Lance Moore should be in to bail us out since Colston can't go. I wasn't happy about picking the Packers but again I call 'em like I see 'em. Good News Saints Fans. The Saints will tame the Bears and show the NFL that they can hang with any team. Drew will finally get the monkey off his back and the hex of the Chicago Bears will be no more. Saints win big at home.
For all my other picks go to.... www.footballfancrazy.blogspot.com.
I know this space is reserved for Saints stuff but the Saints are local and I want to send a shout out to The LSU Tigers for proving they are a very good quarterbacked team instead of a team in search of a good QB. No offense to Jordan Jefferson(and he may be back soon) it's nice to see the Tigers play as a team. Win or Lose!
On a personal note...a big shout out to my God-Child who made the play of the night in a Friday addition of High School Football at E.J. Stadium. In the first possession of the second half for Riverdale Number 50 of Pope John Paul crashed the line looking for the Riverdale running back. On finding said running back Number 50 ripped the ball free and ran toward the endzone only to be gang tackled on the Riverdale 20 yard line. Unfortunately for the PJP Jaguars they were unable to capitalize on the turnover. It was an exciting game.  I was glad that the High School game I decided to attend was the one in which my favorite High School player was a part of. Go get 'em Rob!!!

And so the 2011 Season Begins....

Judging by the initial moves with the 53 man roster cut down, I was right on track with what the Saints did at running back. If you read my blog last week I predicted that the Saints would put Chris Ivory on the PUP list. This way they have extra insurance at the running back position. Should any of the other guys get hurt early in the season Sean Payton can call on Ivory after week six to fill that need. The guess here is if Ivory is not healed by week six and he looks to be out of action for longer than 8 to 10 weeks then Ivory will go on IR for the season. Otherwise, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if Payton brings in Ivory with the other four RB's considering what happened last year. In case you've forgotten Saints Fans, by the time we got to Seattle we had every running back on the roster injured and out or at less than 100%. If we would have beaten the Seahawks, we still would have gone into the next week without a viable running game. In other words we weren't going any further than that anyway. In addition to the running backs Payton decided he would keep two fullbacks on the roster, though this could change before the season starts since we only have 2 tight ends currently on the roster. My guess is if he can find a quality 3rd tight end(probably a veteran) on the waiver wire then the rookie fullback Jed Collins would make a good developmental squad candidate. Coach Payton may just feel a little more comfortable having the extra backs on the roster. We'll see. With regards to the receivers I am not sure I follow keeping Courtney Roby since Darren Sproles was supposed to be returning kickoffs. With the new rule of kicking off from the 35 yard line, is it really necessary to have a return specialist anyway? It seems now we have 2 players to do the same job. I understand that Roby also covers punts and kicks on special teams, but still I am not sure I couldn't have found a more useful player to fill that roster spot. Evidently Coach Payton has a lot of confidence in Roby to be an overall contributor.
The big question I have this year is not on offense but once again on defense. Which Gregg Williams defense is going to show up this year? The opportunistic 2009 defense with all of the forced turnovers and scoring touchdowns or the lackadaisical defense that showed up in 2010 forcing very few turnovers. If he can get the Saints to be one of the top ten defenses then we have a shot at going back to the "Big Game". The Saints have such a high powered offense that if the defense can just give us a couple more possessions especially in the opposing teams Red Zone then the Saints will be a force this year. So far in the preseason only glimpses of what's to come. Will our defense look like the one against San Francisco or the one against Houston? That my fellow Saints fans is the 100 Million Dollar question!
If you talk to the Big Network TV prognosticators, the Saints don't stand a chance against the Super Bowl Champion Packers. Some saying the Saints will lose by 2 touchdowns or more. Vegas however, has the Packers a 4 point favorite, just one point over the home field advantage of 3 points given to a home team when there are two evenly matched teams. In other words, if the two were playing on a neutral field the Packers would only be favorite by one point. Always follow the money movers. They know better than any TV announcer. Having said that, I am also a student of history. Since this Thursday experiment has begun(2004 was the first year) with the playing of last years Super Bowl Champ, in the first game of the season, against either a rival or the previous year's Title Game match up, the reining Super Bowl Champion has won a staggering 7 out of 7. Going back even further both the Bucs in 2003 and the Patriots in 2002 also won their opening games. That makes it 9 out of 9. You might ask why? Well, partly the reining Super Bowl Champions are at home. They are pumped up because they just had their Championship Banner unfurled. What is the only difference in this year's game? This will be the very first time that the NFL has pitted the last two Super Bowl Champions against each other since starting this Thursday Night kick off of the season. Could this be the time that history doesn't follow? I assure you of one thing....this will be an exciting game which will go down to the wire. You already know where my allegiance lies but this is an honest blog and I can't pick with my heart. This game will go down to whoever has the ball last and probably be decided by a last second score. If I were a betting person I would take the Saints and the 4 points. Unfortunately, Saints Fans even up the Saints will lose this heart breaker in Lambeau with a last minute drive from Aaron Rodgers and a Mason Crosby field goal to win. Its okay though, I am still picking the Saints to win the Division with an 11-5 record with the Falcons getting a Wildcard invite at 10-6. The Bucs could be battling the Lions for the 2nd Wildcard and will have a solid season. The Panthers are rebuilding and anything over 6 wins would be a positive.

Preseason # 3 in the books.......

If you are like me there are many things to cheer about on offense. It looks like everything is humming along. Also, another big pleasant surprise this year appears to be Joique Bell who has come literally out of nowhere to seriously challenge for a roster spot. The good news is he seems a bit more durable than Chris Ivory and may end up being the reason the Saints keep Ivory on the PUP list to begin the season. This move will provide valuable insurance should we have another year like last year when every game it seemed like a running back was going down with an injury. Ivory will sit the first 6 weeks out and if he doesn't recover enough will go on IR for the season especially if Bell continues to impress. On defense.....a slightly different picture. Depending on who you talk to we are either extremely Vanilla or it's going to be a long year for the defense. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle. Yes, Gregg Williams is not showing a lot and yes we are not playing any different looks other than the base since the 49ers game. However, the tackling could be better as well as the DB play. I am not as concerned about the front four as some are. If you watched closely, you saw a tremendous push from Shaun Rogers so much so I was screaming at the referees for a flag for holding on several plays. Apparently they didn't see what I did. Remember, It's preseason for the officials as well. Also, you had a couple refs doing double duty because of the Hurricane so I'll overlook it this time. When Sept 8th rolls around we'll be ready. I was surprised by the pre-game interview with Rodney Harrison from the NBC Sunday Night Network. In it he told WDSU reporter Fletcher Mackel that the Saints will lose to the Packers by two touchdowns. If the Packers beat us by two touchdowns then they will definitely be odds on favorites to go back to the Super Bowl. Just remember.....everyone gets the Super Bowl hangover. It will be interesting to see how they handle it. This week will be the last test for a lot of guys trying to make the team so if you would like to see a real good college football game tune in Thursday night. It should be fun.

Preseason #2................

Don't worry Saints fans, you were not having flash backs of the Mike Ditka coached Saints. It wasn't as bad as it looked. Remember, we play the Texans in Week 3. There was a method to the madness. It makes the Texans over confident and it gives Gregg Williams the opportunity to challenge his defense a little more. We will be fine. Plus we get a nice tune up this week against a horrible Raiders team. If we can't get our confidence back in Oakland, we can't get it anywhere. Again, though, it really doesn't matter until September 8th when we strap it on for real against the Packers. For years the Colts lost all of their preseason games and flew out the gate 8-0; 9-0; 10-0 etc.
Bright spots......For the 2nd week in a row Joseph Morgan made his case for a roster spot by flying under a rainbow thrown by QB Chase Dainel for an easy touchdown. I told my wife he reminded me of Bob Hayes (at one time the world's fastest human). The Dallas wide receiver would fly down field under a Roger Starbach bomb with CB's trailing 10 to 15 yards behind out of breath. Number 13 is starting to remind me of Number 22 of 60's era Cowboys. Let's see if he can do it three weeks in a row. It appears Sean Payton will give him every opportunity to make the team. Stay tuned fans....it's gonna be a heck of a ride!

Pre-Season #1 First Look 2011 Saints...

How bout dem Saints??? Remember it's just preseason. Don't get your Super Bowl Reservations just yet. To listen to all the pundits, you'd think we were a lock. As Bobby Hebert so eloquently stated " On paper we are the best team out there!" Emphasis on "ON PAPER". Yes we are talented, but we were talented last year until the injury bug took a major South Louisiana Mosquito Bite out of us. For now I am of course cautiously optimistic about Sean Payton's 2011 version of the New Orleans Saints. As we settled in to get a first look at our boys in Black & Gold, the crowd was as thin at my house as it is at a Regular Season game in Cincinnati. Only two of my buddies showed up to mull over our fan perspective. Thanks to Fred and Kevin for making it a party.
What excites me about this team?   Let's start by saying that I am a lot more comfortable with the backup QB position than before Saturday night. There seemed to be a consensus among us that we could survive for a while should the worst happen. I see a composed and very comfortable Chase Daniel who moved extremely well in the pocket and ran well when he had to. He kept his head down field and focused through his progressions. I was very pleased to see we have so much talent this year again at running back. If you watched closely we could have another Bell on the roster when September 8th rolls around. He looks so far to be just one more jewel in the rough that Payton and Loomis have been able to uncover. Last year It was Chris Ivory. This year it's Joique Bell. This kid is special. If Ivory should fail to rehab quick enough he could be a candidate for IR and Bell would slide right in. These are the kinds of problems you love to have and the fact you have these "problems" is a tribute to the incredible organization that has been built since the arrival of Sean Payton. Seriously, we have players coming here for LESS money in order to have an opportunity to win a Championship! Other offensive mentions go to the other new kid, Mark Ingram, who showed exactly why Mickey Loomis and Sean Payton moved up in the draft to get him. He looks to be the real deal. Also, we are so deep at receiver we could probably field two starting teams. Again, a GOOD problem. The new kid Morgan with the unlucky number 13 had a good return for a TD in an effort to make this team, unfortunately for Morgan, Courtney Roby also had an excellent game...at WR, catching everything thrown his way. If Morgan wants to make the team he will need to do more than run back a couple kicks for scores. Honorable mention to 3rd string QB Sean Canfield who if the Saints did keep 3 QB's probably would get the nod.
Now for the best performance I'll turn my attention to the defense. It was nice to see Jon Casillas back in action as he led the team in tackles as well as having a sack and a constant tormentor of 49ers QB Alex Smith who I am sure was still in the hot tub this Sunday morning. Really, either the Saints defense is THAT good or the 49ers O-Line is THAT bad. They harassed all of the 49ers QB's all night long. It looked like we are definitely playing the run better and getting a good push with the front four especially the two interior tackles, something we lacked a year ago. Although, you know how I feel about Roman Harper, I must say I was impressed with his play. He looks to be faster this year. Maybe, he finally worked on something positive in the offseason. Of course like I said earlier "It's Preseason", so we will see. I hope he proves me wrong.
Who impressed you? I'd love to hear from you!

Football is Finally Here....Part 2

Now for the Home Team. I don't know about you but several moves surprised me both good and bad. I was impressed that Mickey Loomis and Sean Payton were able to sign Lance Moore back in to the fold. Honestly, I didn't give that move much of a chance. Whether other teams didn't see his value or the Saints valued him more, I am extremely happy he's back. Good job Saints! Previous regimes would have let him go elsewhere. Another brilliant move was bringing in the veteran Olin Kreutz. Evidently, Matt Tennant communicated either verbally or with his first few practices that he was not quite ready to step in to that starting center position. He seems to be happy that the Saints signed Kreutz, so my guess is he wasn't quite comfortable with the complicated Sean Payton offense at this juncture of his early career. Keep in mind this is only Tennant's second year. Asked about signing with the Saints, new center Kreutz made it clear that money wasn't an issue. It's all about winning a Super Bowl and he felt the Saints gave him the best chance to do that. Saints fans, I don't know how long you have followed the team, but I've been following the Saints since 1967. I cannot explain the emotion I feel when someone says the are coming to play in New Orleans because they want to win a Championship! Incredible! My how far we have come in just a few short years where the expectations are that high every year.
Alright enough reminiscing. Other moves that I give the team credit for was signing TE David Thomas an important piece of the puzzle and highly underrated. Zach Strief, a versatile back up. Carl Nicks...another important piece. Jermon Bushrod goes without saying. The steal, though, of Free Agency has to be Darren Sproles...another player who came here to win a championship. By the way Sproles had double the production of Reggie Bush last year in total yards; running ; receiving and return. Add a few much needed beefy defensive lineman and overall not a bad offseason.
Let me preface my next comments by saying I have never coached the game of football and I have the utmost respect for Gregg Williams. I believe he is a defensive genius. Having said all that I do not see what our Defensive Coordinator sees in Roman Harper. Yes he plays the run extremely well but he hasn't played the pass well since his rookie season. He seems to be slower the last few years not quicker or faster. I really don't base my opinion on just the Seattle game at the end of last season as many of you might. I base it on the body of work. It was because of Harper and Usama Young that we gave up a touchdown to Pierre Garcon in the Super Bowl. I didn't like the fact that they didn't cut Harper last year. I am hoping that one of these new free agents can show Gregg Williams that they can play the run just as good as Harper and the pass even better. This is a speed league and you must have speed at every position. Maybe he's fast enough for a linebacker then we can move him to that position. As much as I like Jon Vilma, I don't want him covering a speedy receiver downfield. That's not what he does best. It's also not what Harper does best. Unfortunately part of Harper's job is to cover speedy receivers downfield. I hope he proves me wrong. Time will tell.

Football is Finally Back..........

I know you've been wondering....What happened to the Football Fanatic? Well there's finally something to talk about. Now that the CBA has been voted on and everyone is allowed now to practice, we have something to discuss. I refused to waste my time writing about grown men whining about money when most of the ones who are whining don't face the same challenges that we the fans face in our every day lives. Namely, will we even have a job vs how many millions or billions are we going to split. Sometimes we the fans get lost in the shuffle. One point that stood out in the CBA that struck me as another stupid move by the players is allowing the NFL to dictate to the players the usage or non-usage of HGH. For those of you who aren't familiar with HGH, it stands for Human Growth Hormone. There is no evidence that this is anything but good for people. Some who are researching HGH believe it is the true "Fountain of Youth". There is no direct evidence that HGH is dangerous. So, why not let players take something that could help extend their career? More importantly why do the players not fight harder for the things that matter. In the end, it seems like all they are interested in is the money. What a shame. Which leads me to my other point...Why did they not fight harder on these diet pill cases like the one involving the Saints and Minnesota players? It is absolutely ridiculous that if a player takes a diet pill that happens to have a chemical in it that MAY mask steroid use can be grounds for a 4-game suspension. Especially when the players in question have impeccable character and have no previous failed tests for steroids or anything else. These are the kinds of issues that the players should have fought harder for instead of worrying about the owners getting an extra billion here or there.

Players VS Owners...Nobody Wins!

I told you it would be an interesting offseason and so far we haven't been disappointed. The negotiations between the players and owners for a new collective bargaining agreement alas has come to the inevitable halt that we all new it would. Make no mistake that despite what you hear from both sides that it is not about money, IT IS ABOUT MONEY!!! I don't know about you but if I went to my boss and said I need to know your bottom line, my bottom line would be out the door and on the street. Players should take a look at history. In 1987 the owners learned how to defeat this simply by putting "A" product on the field. Maybe it was a little rag tag but it was still football. The replacement players entertained us in 1987 and ultimately that is what football is all about.....Entertainment! The latest ploy by the players is to de-certify as a Union so that they can individually file suit against the owners and the league stating that you cannot lock us out now because we are not part of a union. The owners on the other hand are saying that this de-certification of the Union is a sham just so the players can go to court and let the courts decide who is right and who is wrong. There are of course several other issues involved in the suit having to do with anti-trust laws. In my humble opinion the owners are missing a golden opportunity to fight fire with fire. Simply, do not play into the players hands and just don't Lockout the players. Any player under contract, now that there is no union, should be allowed to report to their respective  facilities for work. From Spring practice all the way through the start of the season. I really don't believe the players want to report to work until they get their demands met. As an owner I would just tell all players under contract I expect you to play. In addition since there is no union, we the owners no longer have to split the $9 billion in annual revenue and we will spend it as we see fit. The players should know by now what the "Golden Rule" is "He who has all of the gold makes the rules". If a court sides with either the players or the owners this will eventually go to the Supreme Court which could take a while. I do not believe either side wants to wait that long. Should this initial ruling go in favor of the players the owners can do exactly what I stated earlier, just allow the players to come to work. If the ruling is in favor of the owners and the court says that the union is still together, then the owners "can" Lockout the players and simply follow the formula from 1987 until the players decide they have lost enough money. Either way in the end the players will have to capitulate if they want to make any money at all this season. You might think by what I have expressed here that I am on the side of the owners but you would be incorrect. I am simply taking things to their logical conclusion. When you have the privilege of playing in the NFL regardless of the term of your career, you know what you are getting into and you have a choice. You can play for a lot of money or you can go out into the real world with the rest of us. The lowest salary in the NFL is somewhere around $300K a year more than most of us regular people will ever make. What we as fans can do if we really want to impact the sport is simple. Don't buy season tickets. Cancel your season tickets now! If you believe the owners are wrong, this would make the biggest statement and have a dramatic impact immediately. If you are leasing a suite for six figures, cancel it. You should have grounds to get out of your lease if there is no football being played. IMAGINE...32 NFL cities and their fans go on strike by NOT participating in this fiasco. The impact on the owners would be immeasurable...I guarantee it!
So, Football Fans where do you stand? I waiting to hear from you.
Join in the fun as it appears we will have a lot to talk about over the next few months. See ya soon........

Just a thought..............

In the local rag here(Times Pic) sports writer Jeff Duncan wrote a story about how coaches in the NFL skate around injury reports and that during the NFC Championship game at halftime the Bears via Twitter released a report on Jay Cutler that gave everyone the impression that he could possibly return after Bears' doctors had actually determined that in fact Cutler was medically ruled out. First let me remind Mr Duncan a few short years ago there WAS no Twitter to receive any type of injury update at halftime. The only way anyone would know anything was if a sideline reporter got a chance to speak with someone on the field. So it is ridiculous that we are even discussing that aspect (Twitter). Some coaches feel it gives them an advantage or disadvantage depending on which side of the injury they are on. As a fan I really don't care what the status of the injured player is during the game other will he return. After the game I would be curious simply because I would worry that one of our players may not be available the next week. But REALLY an injury report during the game, what good is that information to a fan?  Or the specific injury itself? If you tell me he could possibly return and he is sitting on the bench, I believe I am intelligent enough to figure out he's not coming back in. All this reminded me of Coach Jim Mora when he was with the Saints. A group of reporters would not let up until Mora would give them an answer on injuries at a press conference. Finally, a reporter asked Mora "can you tell us what "particular" injury Smith has?" Mora's answer was classic as he rattled off each players injury....Smith has a "particular" knee; Jones has a "particular" elbow; Jackson has a "particular" shoulder....etc etc etc. It was hilarious and Classic Mora! Even then it gave us an insight on coaches. They will always find a way around giving the opposing team any kind of edge. That has been and always will be a part of the game. Get used to it!

Saints Headed to the Offseason...........

Just because it is an early offseason for our home town heroes this will be one of the more interesting offseasons in recent memory and I will be here to comment on all of it as well as hearing from you and what your thoughts are. Keep it right here for all of the latest and we will enjoy the offseason together and have a little fun too!

Playoffs????!!!!

As a true blue Saints fan I am like you completely shocked and disappointed. Unlike some of our local writers though, I do not believe the Saints defense needs a complete overhaul. I do however, feel like there are definitely positions at which we can improve and have said so many times. Number one...How in the world is Roman Harper an alternate ProBowl pick I'll never know. Sure he is a great run stopper but he cannot play the pass. Really if you look at his career with the Saints the best year he had against the pass was his rookie season. Maybe they could move him to Linebacker since he is so good against the run. If the Saints are smart they will let him go in free agency. Another BIG disappointment yesterday was the play of Darren Sharper. Last year an All-Pro Free Safety he looked like a rookie yesterday. He bit on run fakes several times getting caught five yards from the line of scrimmage while Seahawks receivers were streaking down field for a long gainer. Saints fans there was a good reason while Malcolm Jenkins was the starter this year and it had nothing to do with Darren Sharper's injury and everything to do with Jenkins just being a better player this year. For a guy who claims to study film Sharper looked like a deer in headlights. I watched the Rams vs Seahawks game and with my limited knowledge saw several plays that the Seahawks used in that game used again against the Saints. Why weren't the Saints prepared?!?! Knowing how hard the coaches prepare especially Gregg Williams, I have to believe regardless of what is being said that the Saints simply thought this would be a cake walk. Hence they didn't study very had for this test and they failed miserably. What a shame for Saints fans who love their heroes so much. Obviously some Saints players didn't prepare as well as others. Individually I would like to recognize Tracy Porter, Will Smith, Jo Lon Dunbar, and of course Jon Vilma on the defense who DID come to play and did everything they could to win. Unfortunately for them it takes 11 guys. On offense without Drew we are nothing but he has to go back and do some soul searching on these crazy passes trying to make something happen. More times than not something happen all right and it wasn't good. Take the sack Drew and live to fight another play! Let me say again though without Drew we don't win eleven ball games in 2010. Also, for the most part this season the O-Line was good but Drew also makes them look good with his quick release. The one O-Line guy that had the worst season was Bushrod and he has a lot to work on in the offseason. The running backs we have are good with the exception of Julius"i can't hold on to the football" Jones. He should have not been allowed to ride home with the team. I don't care how many touchdowns he scores, you cannot put the ball on the ground especially in the playoffs. Had Sean Payton had anyone else to go to I guarantee Jones would have been on the bench. The problem we had this year was health. If Pierre Thomas and Chris Ivory cannot stay healthy for an entire season then we may have to draft a running back who can. Notice I didn't say pick up one in free agency. That's because that's not how you build a team. Other mentions on offense was the continued great play out of Lance Moore. Too bad we probably will not be able to sign him next year as some team will give him a huge contract. A quick mention for the new kid Jimmy Graham. But this isn't basketball and he will have to toughen up a little. Shockey is near the end of his career and will need to take a pay cut to stay. Also in the category of pay cuts will be Reggie Bush who has not proven he is worth the 11 million he is due next year. Flashes of brilliance cannot be the only thing we see and since his rookie season he has not been on the field enough to warrant that kind of a contract. It will be a long offseason with lots of twists and turns and I will be here to give you my take and look forward to hearing from you with your opinions. Enjoy the playoffs and we will have to pull for someone else this year!

We Made It To The Dance........

Yes Saints fans we made it to the Dance, now we just need to cash in..........
Well, to wrap up my season numbers I finished with back to back weeks of 12-4 to bring my season total to 157-99. I finished higher than 3 of the Times Pic prognosticators. Not too bad for an amateur.
I don't know about you but I am excited to finally see the playoffs get here. It's one and out now and as I am sure you have heard many times already by players and announcers alike everyone has a clean slate and is starting at 0-0. This tournament  could go in many different directions so I will pick as I usually do the day of in the morning for each days games.
Now for today's picks.......1st up is my Home Town Boys(Saints) trying to win there first ever road game in the playoffs. No matter what anyone says this is not an easy game. The Saints are roughly 10 point favorites going into this game. Do not for one moment think that Pete Carroll hasn't put that and all of the pundits comments throughout the locker room as bulletin board material. He will use that as a motivational tool just as he did in the season finale when everyone thought the Rams were the better team including yours truly. To help the Saints to win this game they will need to try to take the crowd out early. That may be a problem though, with the weather conditions which favor the Seahawks simply because they have 3 good running backs in Lynch, Forsett, and Washington where as the Saints are without their two main running backs in Thomas and Ivory. For the Saints to win, not only will Reggie Bush have to step it up but also either Jones or Wynn will have to emerge as the new between the tackles runners. On a rainy cold day short passes will be the only way the Saints can move the ball efficiently.This could come down to a field goal which brings me to another story line with kickers Garrett Hartley and Olindo Mare. Those of you Saints fans will remember the experiment with Mare with the Saints. He couldn't hit a Stop Sign from 10 feet when he played with the Saints. Since he has been with the Seahawks he has missed very few including a stretch of 30 consecutive field goals ending with a miss against Oakland on Oct 31st this year. For the season both kickers are close with Hartley going 25 of 31 and Mare 25 of 30. I would like to see some Karma come back for Mare today. We will shall see. I believe the game will be close but the Saints should prevail and win their first playoff game on the road.
Next up we have the Jets at Indianapolis. The way the Colts have played the last few weeks I just can't see them losing at home. I know the Jets want to go further this year but wanting to and actually doing it are two different things. The last 4 weeks Peyton Manning has been on FIRE! He has willed his team into the playoffs and I can't see them losing in this round. It may come down to another Adam Vinatieri field goal but the Colts will win. Enjoy the games and I'll see you tomorrow morning with my Sunday Playoff picks.

Week Seventeen in the NFL........

Before I get started on this week's picks, just a quick comment on last week's Monday Night Football game. At the risk of sounding like Ray Rice of the Ravens, did you see that horrible officiating at the Falcons-Saints game? I have just 2 stats for you...Saints 8 penalties for 92 yards and the Falcons ONE for 10 yards.....C'mon Man!
Just had to get that off my chest now for the picks. By the way, I had an incredible week last week at 12-4  bringing my season total to 145-95 not bad for an amateur. First up the home town team Saints are entertaining the Bucs. This is a must win for Tampa Bay. Contrary to many of the TV analysts the Saints are not going to be scoreboard watching and Drew Brees will not be pulled in the 2nd half if the Falcons are way ahead of the Panthers. You would have to drag Drew kicking and screaming to get him out of the game. Saints are at home and will come focused not to say it will be easy keep in mind the Bucs need this game to even have a slim hope of getting in the playoffs. Saints win in a close one. See Football Fan Crazy for my other picks.