Posted by Teddy Kider, The Times-Picayune November 25, 2008 7:55PM

Chuck Cook, The Times-Picayune

Drew Brees had reason to smile after the Saints beat the Packers 51-29 Monday night. ‘Rarely do you get in a game and you just feel like whatever you’re calling is working.’

The Saints ran 54 offensive plays Monday night, tying their lowest number in a game this season. They held the ball for just less than 28 minutes, their third-lowest time of possession in a game this year.

That, perhaps, was why quarterback Drew Brees, the leader of the No. 1 offense in the NFL, was most impressed by the points the Saints scored in their 51-29 win against the Green Bay Packers on Monday night at the Superdome.
“We put up a lot of points, ” Brees said Tuesday afternoon. “That’s the most points we’ve put up since we’ve been here, and I know we tied a franchise record. I’d say it just felt like anything we did worked. Rarely do you get in a game and you just feel like whatever you’re calling is working.

“What’s amazing is we only ran (54) plays. I got done watching the film, and you look at the count at the bottom — (54) plays, you say, ‘Wow, I felt like we ran about 80 plays.’ Just because you score 51 points, you figure you had the ball for a long time. But we really didn’t have that many third downs because we were getting chunks. We made some big plays, and the points just added up.”

The Saints’ scoring contributed to a historic week for the NFL, helping to shatter the record for combined points in all league games in one weekend, now at 837.

But the relevance of Monday’s game for the Saints is not yet clear.

It could go down as the “Monday Night Football” game that served as the turning point for New Orleans’ season and began an unlikely road to the playoffs, or it could become just another game for a team that could not string together enough victories to match heavy expectations.

“I think the next two, three weeks have always, in our league, cleared things up and narrowed the field, if you will, ” Saints Coach Sean Payton said Tuesday. “And I think it will be the case again this year.”

The question for the Saints in a shortened week of preparation is how they can build on their first two-game winning streak of the season and keep momentum intact against three NFC South opponents in their final five games.

Most teams would be reluctant to adjust an offense that scored a point for almost every play and had a quarterback narrowly miss a perfect passer rating in its most recent game. Running back Pierre Thomas has become a competent rushing threat, receiver Lance Moore has a fine connection with Brees, and formerly injured players such as tight end Jeremy Shockey and receiver Marques Colston finally seem to be playing up to their usual level.

The Saints also found a way for their defense to feed off their offense’s success and the offense then to take it even further, as displayed during a dominant third quarter in which New Orleans just piled points on the Packers.

But adjusting is exactly what the Saints will do, as soon as Sunday at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, if running back Reggie Bush returns to the lineup from knee surgery.

“Once he does come back, we’ll tailor the game plan accordingly, ” Brees said. “Whoever’s in the lineup, that’s how we tweak the game plan. It’s all about putting all those guys in positions to succeed according to their strengths.”

Payton said “we’re searching still for our most complete game, ” noting some of the problems he had with Monday’s performance: the Packers’ third-down conversions in the first half, negative yardage on rushing attempts for the Saints early on, a bad call for a third-quarter trick play that resulted in an interception thrown by Moore.

Besides probably not wanting to seem too high after a win against a 5-6 Packers team, Payton likely knows the uphill battle his team still faces for a playoff spot. The NFC has nine other teams with the same or a better record than the Saints’ 6-5 mark, and New Orleans has beaten only one of those teams this season.

The Saints do, however, face four of those teams, plus the Detroit Lions (0-11), in their final five games.

“Each game that we play from here on out, that game is the most important game of the season, ” Brees said. “I think we have to approach it that way. Especially when you look at we still play everybody in our division one more time, two of those games at home. These are the most important games, and this is really going to define our season.”

Posted by The Times-Picayune November 24, 2008 7:03PM

Michael DeMocker/The Times-Picayune

Deuce McAllister became the all-time touchdown leader for the Saints Monday night against Green Bay.

Welcome to the Green Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints in-game blog, live from the Superdome.

The weather outside is a little wet, a slow drizzle has been falling most of the afternoon here in New Orleans, but the fans have been out in force, tailgating anyway.

We’ll be updating this same file throughout the game so keep hitting the refresh button.

Game of the year
It was the game Saints fans - and probably Saints players and coaches - have been hoping for all season, a 51-29 whipping of the Green Bay Packers.

Drew Brees was well, Drew Brees. Four touchdown passes - including two 70-yarders - and great decision-making all evening.

Deuce McAllister got his touchdown record in what could have been his last game in the Superdome. And on “Monday Night Football” no less.

The defense - and much maligned cornerback Jason David - made just enough big plays to stop the Packers.

And the team kept its playoff hopes alive at 6-5, making Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers meaningful. If Brees and Co. can play at this level the rest of the season - the team tied the franchise record for points in a game - the Saints should make the final five weeks of the season interesting.

Record in sight (8:39 4Q)
Pierre Thomas, who has had a great game, scored on a 31-yard touchdown run to make it 51-29 Saints. That ties the most points the Saints have scored in franchise history. If Sean Payton hadn’t gone for a 2-point conversion the Saints would have set the record. Odds are they’re going to get it on their next possession. The Packers’ defense looks whipped

Packers running out of time (11:45 4Q)
Green Bay scored and converted the 2-point conversion to make the score 45-29 with 11:45 left in the game. The only problem: it took the Packers 5 minutes and 41 seconds to score. That’s way too long. And it forced the Packers to try an onside kick which failed.

Now all the Saints and Sean Payton have to do is run the ball, run the ball and run the ball.

Making an entrance (2:26 3Q)
Marques Colston, who had been missing all evening, just raced in with a 70-yard touchdown pass from Drew Brees. It was Colston’s first reception and he showed good speed in outrunning the Packers defenders. Everything is going the Saints way now. A 45-21 lead looks real safe and should make the Packers one-dimensional. Aaron Rodgers just doesn’t look good enough tonight to lead that big of a comeback.

Click to view the graphic.

Why did the Packers trade Favre and why didn’t the Saints run the ball? (5:35 3Q)(
Aaron Rodgers threw another pick right to Jason David giving the Saints great field position but the Saints gave up it right back when Lance Moore, yes Lance Moore, threw an interception on a gadget play.

Sean Payton was going for a knockout blow but a more conventional call would have done the job. Aside from the first possession, the Packers haven’t stopped his offense all night.

Deuce gets his due (7:40 3Q)
Deuce McAllister, the greatest Saints running back of all-time, just scored his 54th touchdown of his career, to set the team record. The Superdome crowd went nuts and it gave the Saints a huge 38-21 lead. There’s no doubt Deuce is right up there with Archie Manning as the fans’ favorite.

Jason David, definitely not a fan favorite, returned an errant Aaron Rodgers’ pass 42 yards to the Saints’ 3-yard line to set up the score. The guy gets beat but every now and then he makes a big pick. This one was more a bad play by Rodgers than a great interception but at least he didn’t drop it.

How good is Drew Brees? (8:34 3Q)
With every pass Drew Brees throws he looks better and better. His 16-yard TD pass to tight end Billy Miller was a thing of beauty, arching it over a well-beaten A.J. Hawk. It was the 75th touchdown pass of his brief Saints career. Brees is 17 for 22 for 245 yards and three touchdowns.

Is any quarterback playing as good as Brees this season? No.

View an interactive graphic that tracks key statistics for Saints starting quarterback Drew Brees. (Updated with week 12 statistics against the Green Bay Packers)

Gutsy move (12:29 3Q)
Payton went for it and got it with a strong run by Pierre Thomas. Smart move. The Packers have been holding onto the ball all night and the way the Saints’ defense has been playing likely would have marched down the field for another score.

Big call (12:53 3Q)
Mike McCarthy won a challenge on the spot of Lance Moore’s third down reception that would have given the Saints a first down, forcing a fourth-and-1 for the Saints. Good challenge by the Packers’ coach, forces Payton to have faith in his defense or to go for it and possibly give Green Bay great field position.

A half and a half (halftime)
OK, we’re all tired. It’s halftime and the Saints and Packers have marched up and down the field, seemingly at will. The Saints have 211 total yards, the Packers have 195. You want a Monday Night Football shootout? You got one. Both quarterbacks have performed big time on the big stage.

Drew Brees is 13-of-16 for 194 yards and two TDs, and Aaron Rodgers of Green Bay 11-of-17 for 108 and a touchdown.

More stats just came in: Lance Moore, who looks like he’s replaced Marques Colston as Drew Brees’ favorite target, has caught four passes for 101 yards and two touchdowns. Tight end Jeremy Shockey is quietly putting together his best game as a Saint: four catches for 43 yards with a long of 19.

The Packers’ Ryan Grant is just gashing the Saints: 16 carries for 64 yards. If McCarthy keeps calling his number there’s no doubt he’ll fly past 100 yards.

Sideline warning, issued by us (:02 2Q)
Saints Coach Sean Payton must have some special priviledge. He just walked down to about the 15-yard line before the snap. Packers Coach Mike McCarthy is on the field, just outside the 15. What gives? These guys are not supposed to be inside the 32.

Maybe Payton wanted a better look at the Garrett Hartley field goal, which sort of fluttered over the crossbar, to give the Saints a 24-21 lead with :02 left in the half.

Gimme thirds (1:44 2Q)
When it’s all over, this could be a key stat: the Packers have converted 8-of-10 third downs. One of the misses came on the first drive. Green Bay receiver Greg Jennings looks like he’s wide open on every play and Aaron Rodgers has thrown him four passes already. On their eighth conversion, the Packers tied the score at 21 with a 10-yard run from Rodgers.

The Saints have 1:44 left in the half to try to get more points. They get the ball to start the second half, so with this game looking like a last-team-to-get-the-ball situation, it could be a key drive.

They’re off to a good start as Courtney Roby returned the kickoff 62 yards. What a game.

A passing fancy (8:39 2Q)
The answer to one of the Saints’ fans questions is ‘No.’ The one about would the Saints try to run the ball more against the Packers since Green Bay isn’t that good against the run. But, look, at this point in the game, Drew Brees has completed 11 consecutive passes for 174 yards and two touchdowns. And Lance Moore has his second TD catch of the game, a 14-yarder to give the Saints a 21-14 lead. This just in: That Lance Moore guy is fast.

Shootout anyone? (13:43 2Q)
There was a trend in the NFL this weekend: everybody forgot how to play defense. OK, that’s not fair, the Chicago Bears, Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans held their opponents to less than 10 points. But, 11 teams scored 30 or more points.

Looks like we’re on our way to another big output here at the Dome. The Packers just tied the score at 14, after moving the ball pretty freely. Aaron Rodgers hit Greg Jennings for a short touchdown pass, that was relatively easy.

The Packers came this close to scoring on the drive near the end of the first quarter on a long pass when Rodgers missed Jennings down the seam. Jennings was completely uncovered and probably would have scored easily. The Saints were in that crazy defensive package where they drop a defensive end back in coverage, in this case Will Smith, who had no chance of actually covering Jennings.

Isn’t this FOOTball? (4:14 1Q)
Didn’t the Saints just do this? Green Bay punter Derrick Frost shanked a punt off the side of his foot that traveled 24 yards, allowing the Saints to begin at the Packers’ 41. The marketplace could suddenly be flooded with punters.

The Saints took this gift and proceeded to score in about two and a half minutes, with Pierre Thomas capping it off with a 4-yard run. (Not Deuce McAllister, by the way, he’s still looking for one more touchdwon to be the all-time Saints leader). The Saints are up 14-0 and that was an impressive drive, one that looked like the opening drive against Tampa Bay this season, or one that resembed that 2006 team. It didn’t resemble many of this season’s drives.

That Saints secondary is awf… wait (8-something 1Q)
The Saints defensive backs are supposed to be their weakness. It’s right there in the scouting report, throw on this team, they can’t stop the pass. So what got into the Packers? They just ran the ball down the defense’s throat. Six straight runs and a short touchdown by fullback John Kuhn and the Pack jumps ahead 7-0.

But before the groaning fans can get another brew or get back from the restroom, the Saints answered with a looong pass from Drew Brees to Lance Moore. Moore scored quicker than you can say “Stand up and Get Crunk”, which immediately came on the P.A. after the extra point. It was a 70-yarder. That made up for the crappy opening drive that netted nothing.

This game could be crazy.

Feets fail me now (12:06 1Q)
The first punt of the game for the Saints’ Glenn Pukalak is a stinker. He hit a soft, low wobbler than was picked up on the bounce by Will Blackmon, who returned it 27 yards. This is significant because of the way Saints Coach Sean Payton has changed punters and kickers like socks this season. Pukalak is the third punter the team has used this season. More kicks like that, and, they’re be a fourth. … Quick note, Saints receiver Robert Meachem made his first career start because the Saints came out in a quirky formation, three tight ends and one wide receiver on their first play from scrimmage. No doubt, that will win somebody a bar bet one day.

They’re rowdy already
Boy, these Saints fans are fired up. We’re less than two minutes into the game and the noise is at a fever pitch. The Packers call a quick time out and the place is going nuts. It’s just the opening drive. But, maybe it’s because it’s third-and-2, which hasn’t been a good place for the
Saints defense this season. Randall Gay gets a pass breakup and the Saints hold. Hmm, a good play by a defensive back, the crowd was rewarded.

Intros
The teams get ready to take the field as the U2 song plays over the P.A. You know the one, “The Saints are comin’, the Saints are coming, lalalalalalalallalalalalalaala, the Saints are comin’, the Saints are coming, lalalalalala, lalalalala, la, laaaaaaaaa.”

After a wrestling match involving Sir Saint, Gumbo and a guy dressed in a Green Bay shirt - that ended with the guy getting raked over a fake cheese grater - the Saints were introduced. Well, the offensive was introduced. It was a toss-up on biggest ovation, Marques Colston, Drew Brees and Deuce McAllister. Scratch that. It was no toss-up. Deuce got the biggest cheers, in what could be his final game at the Superdome.

By the way, an annoying trend we’d like to see go away: during the national anthem, at the part of “… rockets red glare…”, the pop guns that go off. What’s the purpose?

Lineup changes
Jonathan Goodwin is starting tonight at center for the Saints. It will be his first start since the Saints played Carolina at Charlotte, N.C. on Ocot. 19. He hurt his knee in that game and had been replaced by Matt Lehr.

Other lineup changes for the Saints: Deuce McAllster is slated as the starter in place of Reggie Bush and Darian Barnes will start at fullback in place of Mike Karney. For Green Bay, Michael Montgomery will start at right defensive end in place of Jeremy Thompson. Thompson, Brian Brohm (QB), Charlie Peprah (S), DeShawn Wynn (RB), Nick Barnett (LB), Breno Giacomni (T) and Allen Barbre (WR) are inactive.

Before the game
It’s about 15 minutes before kickoff and all the tailgaters haven’t found their way in. The two teams are warming up on the field, the Saints are in their all black unis, the Packers are in the white jerseys and gold pants. We’re expecting a pretty electric atmosphere because it’s the first time the Saints have been at home since Oct. 12, a 34-3 win against the Oakland Raiders.

Posted by John DeShazier, The Times-Picayune November 19, 2008 12:00PM

I’d feel a lot sorrier for the New Orleans Saints if it wasn’t for New England.

I’d be a lot more inclined to give more credence to New Orleans’ injury situation being a reason for its 5-5 record - giving the Saints an out that, to their credit, the players and head coach thus far have refused to take - if not for the Patriots, who arguably are in a worse injury fix and are 6-4.
When reserve running back Aaron Stecker was placed on injured reserve Tuesday he became the 13th Saints player this season to join the list. Likely, the franchise never has had a season like this when it comes to losing players to season-ending injuries and the potential that it could get worse, since there are six regular-season games remaining, is too real.

Saints fans have lamented the loss of, roughly, a player per week and it’s impossible to not say all the injuries haven’t had an effect on the team. The constant shuttling ravages continuity. The fill-ins, obviously, aren’t as good as the guys they’re replacing - otherwise, they wouldn’t have been fill-ins in the first place.

Those things put a franchise at a disadvantage and it’s hard to keep up with the Joneses when the vast majority of the Joneses aren’t as beat up as you are.

But, Saints fans, before you let the woe-is-us chorus grow too loud, before you continue to proceed with the thought that your Saints are injured at an unprecedented level and that any team in a similar situation would be as inconsistent, look at New England.

The Patriots are in no better shape injury-wise but, all things considered, certainly seem to have been a lot less inconsistent on the field.

New England has 10 players on injured reserve and, yes, that’s three less than the Saints. But if we’re talking value, there’s no comparison.

Three of the Patriots who are out for the season are quarterback Tom Brady, safety Rodney Harrison and running back Laurence Maroney. Take the best four Saints on injured reserve - defensive end Charles Grant, cornerbacks Tracy Porter and Mike McKenzie and defensive tackle Brian Young - and the Patriots’ three are more accomplished than the Saints’ four. Truth be told, the Patriots’ three are more accomplished and very well could carry more impact than the Saints’ entire 13.

New England’s three is comprised of a league MVP, multiple Super Bowl winners and multiple Pro Bowl players. The Saints have some guys who are valuable (particularly McKenzie and Porter, the starting cornerbacks), but Brady is a former Super Bowl MVP who is bound for the Hall of Fame.

And yet, New England has managed to rally behind a quarterback (Matt Cassel) who hadn’t started a game since high school. The Pats are tied for second in the AFC East, a game behind the Jets; the Saints are last in the NFC South, three games behind Carolina.

Granted, it helps the Patriots that they’re playing in a weaker division (6-4 gets you third place in the NFC South). But New England lost its best player, Brady, in the first game of the season, Maroney had just 28 carries and Harrison started six games before heading for the sideline.

You see that, and it’s hard to feel as sorry for the Saints as you otherwise might feel.

The good thing - the key thing - is that the Saints publicly haven’t bothered feeling sorry. Correctly, players and Coach Sean Payton have maintained that injuries simply are part of the game. While fans debate whether the Saints’ training camp work and conditioning drills directly have been responsible for the rash of injuries, the team has done the only thing it can do, move ahead and expect the replacement to play as well as he can.

But while Saints fans are lamenting and feeling as though their beloved franchise is hexed this season, they’d do well to take a peek at the Patriots.

New England’s schedule hasn’t been particularly murderous and it doesn’t look specifically punishing down the stretch. But all a team can do is play the opponents on the schedule and see where it stands. That the Patriots have done so, without three players everyone would consider more critical to what New England does than they would consider the top four Saints to what New Orleans does, and have a winning to show for it says something about the Patriots.

Here, it says not to feel so sorry for the Saints - or, at least, not as sorry as you might feel otherwise.

Posted by Teddy Kider, The Times-Picayune November 19, 2008 12:50PM

The Saints added another player to their injured reserve list Wednesday, ending the season for tight end Mark Campbell after he injured his left knee against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

Campbell’s roster spot will be filled by running back Mike Bell, who signed with the Saints on Wednesday.

Posted by John DeShazier, The Times-Picayune November 18, 2008 4:01PM

Michael DeMocker/The Times-Picayune

Charles Grant is one of the Saints appealing a possible suspension.

Hope for the best today for Deuce McAllister, Will Smith and Charles Grant during their appeals process with the league. But, honestly, expect the worst.

Realistically, it’s a lot better to assume those three - and every other NFL player caught up in the Bumetanide net, having knowingly or unknowingly taken the banned diuretic - soon will be suspended four games by the NFL. It’s a lot safer to envision the Saints without McAllister and Smith (Grant already is out the rest of the season with a triceps injury) for a month or the rest of the regular season, depending on when the penalty actually is assessed, than it is to envision them on the field once the league hears their appeals.
Because it’s just hard to see the NFL changing lanes on its stance regarding banned supplements.

The players very well could have done almost everything right. They could have had the product - all allegedly are guilty of taking StarCaps, a weight-loss pill - tested in the past and they reportedly are spot on in the charge that the banned product isn’t listed among the ingredients in the supplement.

But when league rules stipulate that a player is responsible for whatever it is he takes and will be held accountable if it falls outside the boundaries, it just doesn’t look like a good result will be forthcoming for the I-didn’t-know-it-was-in-there defense. Because the NFL has made it clear that it doesn’t care whether or not the player knew the banned substance was in there.

We all have been educated to the fact that Bumetanide is on the list is because it’s a masking agent.

And while I understand that none of the guilty is a previous offender, all of them say they only wanted to lose weight and all could be victims of the company that produces the pill because the banned substance isn’t listed, there remains the chance, however slim, that the product actually was used to hide the use of a performance-enhancing drug.

Whether or not we want to believe, that very much is possible.

There’s no way to know for certain whether the intent was one thing or the other and if the NFL office is going to go down the slippery slope of taking players’ words regarding intent to cheat, no player ever again is going to be suspended. Every future violator will say he has been duped, like almost every past violator has claimed.

So the safe assumption is that the league probably isn’t going to go there. I’m thinking that no matter how passionate or compelling will be the defense offered by McAllister, Smith and Grant, they all are going to be suspended without pay for four games.

Now, they can appeal the suspensions and continue playing through that appeal and, maybe, finish out the 2008 season. And they can, and will, maintain their innocence all the while.

But more than likely, all they’ll be doing is delaying the inevitable.

There’s a chance they will win their appeals to the league, but the NFL hasn’t shown itself to be lenient in any way regarding banned substance suspensions. This isn’t the same as rescinding a fine for a questionable hit, because the tackle in question can be reviewed, detailed and determined whether it violates the spirit of sportsmanship.

There’s no film to review on this and intent can’t be calculated, either.

This is something where intent can’t be judged, which is why the league doesn’t even bother with trying to judge intent. This is something where the league specifically tells players that they take supplements that aren’t on the league’s approval list at their own risk. And that if they turn up dirty, that’s on the players.

That seems pretty clear, as does what is going to happen to McAllister, Smith and Grant after their appeals are heard today.

Posted by Mike Triplett, The Times-Picayune November 18, 2008 6:21PM

Michael DeMocker/The Times-Picayune

Aaron Stecker was placed in IR by the Saints, ending his season.

The Saints placed tailback Aaron Stecker on injured reserve Tuesday after he aggravated his lingering hamsting injury in Sunday’s 30-20 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. They replaced him with free agent tailback Mike Bell, a 6-foot, 225-pounder who spent the past two seasons with the Denver Broncos.

They also signed free agent fullback Darian Barnes (6-2, 240), a seventh-year veteran who was with Detroit and Buffalo earlier in the year.
Stecker’s injury was expected to need four to six weeks to heal, according to his agent Ronald Slavin. With only six weeks remaining in the season, the Saints needed the roster spot.

Stecker, 33, is a free agent after this season after he signed a one-year deal to remain in New Orleans this past spring. The valuable utility man has been with the Saints for five years after spending his first four seasons in Tampa Bay.

Bell, 25, had a breakout rookie season with the Broncos in 2006 after signing as an undrafted free agent out of Arizona. But he played only sparingly last year and did not catch on with a team this season after a brief cameo with the Houston Texans in training camp. Bell ran for 677 yards and eight touchdowns as a rookie and just three yards on six attempts last year. His agent Steven Feldman confirmed the signing.

Barnes, 28, has bounced around with eight different NFL teams since he originally signed with the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent out of Hampton in 2002. His most extensive playing time came in Dallas in 2004, when he scored his only career touchdown.

The other player released from the Saints’ active roster has not yet been announced.

by Jeff Duncan, The Times-Picayune

Instead of chanting “Who Dat?” Saints fans likely found themselves muttering it to themselves as they watched their beloved Bless You Boys batter the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
Who Dat making all those sacks at defensive end?

Who Dat kicking all those field goals?

Who Dat playing fullback instead of Mike Karney?

There are a lot of ways to win football games in the NFL. Most of the time, you ride the play of your stars to victory.

But every once in a while, you win when a bunch of unheralded no-names rises to the occasion and steals the spotlight.

Sunday was one of those days for the Saints.

With seemingly half their roster sidelined with injuries, it took a village of heretofore-unknown Who Dats, many who weren’t even on the roster six weeks ago, for them to beat the Chiefs 30-20 at Arrowhead Stadium.

Defensive end Jeff Charleston, who was working at a woodshop in Portland, Ore., when the Saints offered him a job in mid-October, had two sacks and two quarterback hurries to lead a spirited effort by the Saints’ defense.

Rookie kicker Garrett Hartley, who was out of a job and on the street three weeks ago, drilled all three of his field-goal attempts, including a 35-yarder to make it a two-score game and essentially ice the victory with 3:28 left.
Punter Glenn Pakulak and kickoff returner Courtney Roby, who like Hartley were also out of work last month when the Saints signed them, teamed with the kicker to spearhead a stellar special-teams effort. Pakulak had a 48.5-yard average on his two punts. Roby returned four kickoffs for a 28-yard average, including a 54-yarder to set up the Saints’ first score.

Thanks to their work, the Saints enjoyed a comfy starting drive position at the 36-yard line.

“That’s what it takes,” running back Deuce McAllister said. “We’re going to need guys to step up like that each week.”

Multitasking

And it wasn’t just the new guys who stole the spotlight.

There were some familiar faces in strange places, as well.

With regular fullback Mike Karney sidelined with a knee injury, the Saints worked tight end Billy Miller, running back Pierre Thomas and even linebacker Troy Evans at fullback.

Thomas said he hadn’t played fullback since his college days at Illinois. Evans hadn’t played it since high school. And Miller said he’d never played the position.

“Now I know what Mike Karney goes through,?” Miller said with a smile. “There’s not glory in blocking. Whatever it takes to help this team win.”

With starting cornerbacks Mike McKenzie and Tracy Porter on injured reserve and reserve Aaron Glenn hobbled, the team, for all practical purposes, was down to three cornerbacks Sunday. Freshly signed Leigh Torrence and Donald Pittman were too green to be pressed into duty.

That left Randall Gay, Usama Young and Jason David standing. Young and David, you might recall, were so far down the depth chart at various times this season that they were inactive on game days.

Yet there they were Sunday, matching up play after play with Dwayne Bowe and Mark Bradley, combining for six of the Saints’ eight pass breakups, the second-highest total by the secondary this season. Young’s interception in the final minutes marked the first pick by a Saints defensive back in five weeks, dating to David’s interception against Oakland in Week 6.

“Sometimes you’ve got to go with what you got,” said Young, whose first career interception sealed the victory. “That’s football. You never know when your number is going to be called.”

The head-spinning attrition forced Saints coach Sean Payton and his staff to get extra creative with their weekly game plan.

In addition to the improvisation at fullback and cornerback, they also inserted free safety Josh Bullocks as the dime back in passing situations.

Indeed, it was a good day to have a team roster handy.

“So much in our league each week can change,” Payton said. “You need to be flexible enough to change. From a personnel standpoint, I thought we did a good job. Being able to be flexible enough to utilize some other guys on the roster just to really fill in for Mike Karney, that was important.”

It might not have been the prettiest win the Saints have had, but it was no less satisfying.

For a team desperately trying to stay in contention in the NFC South Division and coming off a bitterly disappointing loss to Atlanta, the win was nothing less than critical.

And it a took a village of Who Dats to bring it home.

Jeff Duncan can be reached at jduncan@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3404.

By DOUG TUCKER,

AP Sports Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Like a slick and experienced salesman, Drew Brees knows how to close.

Kansas City, desperate for a win, scored in the fourth quarter to get within seven points and had the home crowd raising a ruckus. But Brees coolly took the NFL’s top-ranked offense on a 12-play drive that ate 6 minutes and 27 seconds off the clock and was capped by Garrett Hartley’s 35-yard field goal.

A moment later, Usama Young ended Tyler Thigpen’s string of 161 passes without an interception and New Orleans preserved a 30-20 victory. It was the Saints’ first win on the road since last Dec. 12 in Atlanta.

“The one with more than 3 minutes to go sealed the deal,” Brees said. “Only being up by a touchdown, we realized we needed to put a drive together to put it away.”

The Saints (5-5) were 0-4 on the road before Brees threw for 266 yards and a touchdown. New Orleans sacked Tyler Thigpen four times and made two great defensive stands near the goal line.

“This is our time to make a run,” Brees said. “We’ve said that for a while now.”

Thigpen connected with Dwayne Bowe on two touchdown passes and became the first Chiefs quarterback to throw for a score in four consecutive games since Trent Green in 2005. But it wasn’t enough to keep the Chiefs (1-9) from losing for the 18th time in 19 games.

“It’s really frustrating,” defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey said. “There were some things that we could have done differently. We were hanging with them and making some plays. But it always comes down to a couple of plays that we should have made that end up determining the outcome of the game.”

Lance Moore had eight catches for 102 yards, including a 47-yard touchdown strike when he got behind Ricardo Colclough on the Saints’ second play of the third quarter.

Colclough was one of several unemployed players the Chiefs signed two weeks ago to shore up their injury-wrecked defense.

“It was a slant and go. Lance did a great job of selling it and the corner bit,” Brees said. “The second play of the second half really set the tempo for what we were going to do.”

Running back Larry Johnson, who had been benched three games by the Chiefs and suspended one by the league, made his long-awaited first start in a month and had 67 yards on 19 carries. Johnson also fumbled twice.

Jarrad Page intercepted Brees on the Saints’ second possession.

“I was so mad,” Brees said. “I knew the coverage. It is one of those things where you look at it from the press box or on film tomorrow and say, ‘What are you doing?’”

Nine plays later, Thigpen connected with Bowe on a 6-yard TD pass and the Chiefs, for the fourth game in a row, had a lead they would let fritter away in a loss.

“We’ve got to do better,” Thigpen said. “We’ve got to win a game. That’s the bottom line. It’s not about me. it’s not about what I do or what I put up stat-wise. It’s about this team and we want to win a game.”

The Chiefs had a first-and-goal from the 1 in the first half and a first-and-goal from the 8 in the second. But each time, they had to settle for field goals by Connor Barth. On the Chiefs’ first opportunity, Johnson appeared to break the plane of the goal line with a vault over the line. The Chiefs challenged the no-TD call, but it was confirmed.

“I think Larry really and truly scored on that one,” Thigpen said. “That’s just a tough call by the ref.”

The Chiefs’ line didn’t have a good da, after showing improvement the previous two weeks.

“I thought we tackled pretty well and kept the ball in front of us,” New Orleans coach Sean Payton said. “We were able to force them to kick some field goals. I thought that was important, early on especially.”

Deuce McAllister scored on a 1-yard run for New Orleans in the second quarter and Hartley also had field goals of 30 and 23 yards.

“It was an important win, and that’s really where we’re at right now,” Payton said.

Notes: The Saints host Green Bay on Sunday in their first game in their own stadium since Oct. 12, playing two road games, a bye and the “home” game in London since then. … McAllister tied Dalton Hilliard for first place on New Orleans’ career list with 53 touchdowns. … The Chiefs tied a season-high with 21 first downs. They’ve had 330 or more yards of total offense in each of the past four games, but lost every one of them.

Posted by Jeff Duncan, The Times-Picayune November 11, 2008 2:25PM

Chris Granger/The Times-Picayune
Mike McKenzie’s injury is going to be tough for the Saints to overcome.

In studying the film of the New Orleans Saints’ 34-20 loss to the Falcons, there were few bright spots.

The Falcons dominated the Saints on both sides of the ball and looked like the smarter, better-coached, better-prepared, more physical, more enthusiastic and more disciplined football team.
More than anything, the thing that stood out to me was the Saints’ breakdown in composure.

FOX sideline reporter Charissa Thompson reported that cornerback Mike McKenzie was screaming at teammates, primarily safety Roman Harper, after the Falcons’ second touchdown, which was set up by a 32-yard catch by Michael Jenkins when the Saints appeared to blow a coverage on the play.

And everyone saw the normally cool-headed Drew Brees get into it with tight end Jeremy Shockey at the end of the third quarter.

The Saints have tried to downplay he incident but it was noteworthy simply because such scenes occur so rarely from the Saints, who by and large are a calm, collected and professional bunch.

Down the stretch, it’ll be interesting to see if these incidents are indeed isolated or the start of an ugly trend.

Stay tuned.

Now on to the video tape:

DEFENSIVE BREAKDOWNS: Saints fans keep clamoring for defensive coordinator Gary Gibbs to blitz but it seems like every time he does dial up a “red dog” the Saint get burned. On Jenkins’ 32-yard catch that set up the Falcons’ second touchdown, safety Harper got caught in no-man’s land, leaving 5-foot-9 Aaron Glenn in single coverage against the 6-4 Jenkins. Harper cheated to the line of scrimmage to help in run support but was hung out to dry when Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan audibled to the deep ball at the line. One series later, Gibbs sent free safety Kevin Kaesviharn on a delayed blitz but the veteran appeared to also have the assignment on running back Jerious Norwood if he came out of the backfield. Kaesviharn was so hell-bent on rushing the quarterback that he picked up Norwood’s release too late and Ryan found him for an easy 21-yard gain. Later the Saints blitzed cornerback Randall Gay and linebacker Jon Vilma on the play, leaving Scott Shanle in single coverage on Norwood. Ryan unloaded the pass before the pressure arrived and Norwood was off to the race. Maybe now we know why the Saints don’t blitz more often. When they do it blows up in their faces.

Chris Granger/The Times-Picayune
Atlanta’s Roddy White made the Saints secondary look bad.

CORNER TROUBLE: The Saints cornerbacks really struggled. The Falcons attacked Gay on their first scoring drive, going at him three times in four plays for gains of 14, 13 and 16 yards, the latter a touchdown reception by Roddy White. Gay wasn’t close to making a play on the ball on any of the plays. Not making excuses for him, but Gay doesn’t look 100 percent healthy. Perhaps he’s still hampered by the undisclosed injury he suffered against the Chargers. Saints coaches called it “cramps” but it looked more like some kind of lower back injury. And Gay wasn’t the only one who struggled. Even before his injury, Mike McKenzie gave up a lot of big plays and looked hesitant to challenge the Falcons receivers. Ditto Glenn.

BAD CALLS OF THE DAY:The Saints reeled off consecutive gains of 30, 8, 11 and 8 on their first drive of the second quarter to give them a second-and-2 at the Atlanta 20. Then, they squandered their chances to score a touchdown and trim the Falcons margin to 14-10 with a pair of head-scratching calls. First, they ran Pierre Thomas into the gut of the Falcons defense on second-and-2, where he was stuffed by Grady Jackson for no gain. Where was fullback Mike Karney? Instead, the Saints went with a two-tight end set and motioned Billy Miller from the fullback alignment to the line of scrimmage. Then, on third-and-2, Sean Payton again tried to get cute, spreading the Falcons out with a three-receiver, one-tight end personnel package with Aaron Stecker as the lone back. Brees attempt to throw for the first down was thwarted when John Abraham beat Jammal Brown for the sack. If you want a definition of why the Saints are labeled a finesse team look no further than those two plays.

DIDYA NOTICE?: The Saints weren’t the only ones with a “shot” play - what Payton called the Saints first play, taking a shot down the field - in their repertoire on the first snap. It looked the Falcons were attempting a flea flicker on their opening play from scrimmage. Michael Turner was going to pitch the ball back to Ryan after the handoff but wisely kept the ball when Sedrick Ellis’ penetrated into the backfield. Bobby McCray tackled Turner for a 2-yard loss. The “tell” that something else was up: Both Falcons receivers acted like they were blocking then ran deep routes instead of sticking with their run blocks.

FUTURE STAR: The Saints have seen some impressive performances by opposing players this season - Brandon Marshall, Antoine Winfield, Steve Smith, Antonio Gates - but none by an opposing quarterback better than the one Ryan displayed against them. I was admittedly skeptical about the rookie from Boston College before Sunday. Not any more. He plays like an NFL veteran. Exhibit A: On second-and-5 at the Saints 34, Ryan noticed the Saints aligned in man-to-man press coverage and audibled to a new play, lofting a perfect back-shoulder pass to Jenkins in single coverage against Glenn. Ryan quickly identified the mismatch the 6-4 Jenkins had on the 5-9 Glenn and attacked it. The result was a 32-yard pass to the Saints 2, setting up the Falcons’ second touchdown. The Saints are going to have to contend with Ryan for a long time.

Chris Granger/The Times-Picayune
New Saints kickerGarrett Hartley had a good debut.

SILVER LINING: Lost in the disappointing loss was the fact that the Saints might have found a kicking game. Punter Glenn Pakulak and kicker Garrett Hartley. Hartley drilled both of his field-goal attempts and had solid depth and hangtime on his kickoffs. Now he just needs to work on his tackling skills. He took quite a blow from Jerious Norwood on his 55-yard return of the opening kickoff of the second half. Pakulak averaged a solid 48.3-yard net on his three punts. On his first punt, a soaring 56-yarder, he showed his athleticism by making a nice open-field tackle on Harry Douglas to save a touchdown.
QUICK SNAPS:

• I liked the way Courtney Roby returned kickoffs in his debut as the main return man. Roby adds much-needed speed to the Saints’ return game and looks like a potential game-breaker back there. He averaged 25.4 yards on five returns, including a 41-yarder in the second half.

• Speaking of Roby, his 41-yard “Should I or should I not?” return resulted in a pair of injuries. Aaron Stecker pulled his hamstring while trying to make a lead block for Roby along the Saints sideline. Earlier in the play, Mike Karney strained his left knee when Marvin Mitchell fell into his leg from the side while making a block on Antoine Harris.

Chris Granger/The Times-Picayune
Marques Colston had a good day overall against the Falcons.

• Sure, Marques Colston dropped a critical touchdown on the Saints’ third series but he was spectacular the rest of the game. His seven-catch, 140-yard effort signaled to the rest of the league that he is definitely back.

• As can be expected of a second-time starter, center Matt Lehr struggled at times. He had a big holding call that negated a big pass play to Colston and was whistled for a false start in the red zone. He also was overpowered by Jackson on a second-and-1 play, resulting in the aforementioned stuff of Thomas for no gain.

• The Falcons did a nice job against Vilma, limiting him to a season-low three tackles. Vilma was also guilty of taking some poor angles, resulting in some nice gains by Michael Turner. It was not one of his better games.

• Devery Henderson has enjoyed a solid season and made some big plays for the Saints but it could be even better if he would learn to go get the ball instead of waiting on it. On the Saints’ opening play and another deep ball on their second series. Henderson had a chance to make big, momentum-changing plays and allowed the defensive back to out-fight him for the ball. Henderson should watch tape of how teammate Marques Colston goes up and competes for the ball instead of waiting on it to get into his body.

• Brees is not the same quarterback when he gets rattled. Once the Falcons established that they could pressure him early he started to rush throws and miss some reads. Very un-Brees-like. The Falcons had a remarkable 15 pass break-ups but many of them were due to inaccurate or forced throws into coverage by Brees.

• The Falcons used a quick count and hurry-up offense a couple of times to catch the Saints napping on defense.
PERSONNEL GROUPINGS: The Saints said their game plan was to run the ball on the Falcons but once they fell behind that idea went out the window. As a result, the Saints ran almost entirely out of multiple-receiver sets. They ran an incredible 55 plays in their two-minute drill, including the entire 36-play fourth quarter. Fullback Mike Karney left the game early in the third quarter with a knee injury but even before that he was being lightly used. He played a season-low nine snaps before the injury.

Here’s the breakdown of the Saints’ offensive personnel packages on all of their 76 plays from scrimmage:

3WR/1TE/1RB - 55 snaps out of 76 plays
2WR/2TE/1RB - 8 out of 76
2WR/1TE/1RB/1FB - 7 out of 76
4WR/1TE/ - 3 out of 76
1WR/3TE/1RB - 1 out of 76
1WR/2TE/1RB/1FB - 1 out of 76
3WR/1RB/1FB - 1 out of 76

Posted by Peter Finney, The Times-Picayune November 09, 2008

Unless I’m mistaken, I think I hear the fat lady singing.

I think the opera is over.

I’ve just been handed an envelope with the magic number.

The number is 6.

That’s right, folks. It says here the 4-and-5 Saints must win 6 of their remaining 7 games to make the playoffs.

Obviously, I’m just guessing.

Is it impossible?

Of course not.

But it’s highly unlikely if you watched Sean Payton’s ballclub lose to the Atlanta Falcons 34-20 at the Georgia Dome.

Here’s the sobering thought. Last year the Falcons finished 4-12, last in the NFC South, and this year, with a new coach, Mike Smith, and a rookie quarterback, Matt Ryan, they were picked to wind up in the cellar again, behind the Saints, Bucs and Panthers.

I have no idea where the 6-3 Falcons will finish this year. But from what I saw Sunday the Falcons are no fluke. They’re a better football team than the Saints, and they’re playing like someone with a legitimate shot to win the division.

Why is this?

Here are three reasons.

Nine games into his first season, Ryan is doing things to suggest he’s a rookie no longer, making decisions and throwing the football in the right places.

At running back you have 237-pound Michael Turner, a longtime backup to LaDainian Tomlinson in San Diego, who spent Sunday moving the chains.

And, at defensive end, you have John Abraham, who could be seen Sunday running past Saints left tackle Jammal Brown and winding up at the feet, or in the face, of Drew Brees.

There’s more to the Falcons than these three, but they’re a good start. The Falcons have an aggressive secondary, some sticky-handed receivers and a third-year running back, Jerious Norwood, who turned a catch of a Ryan pass into a long jaunt that seemed to seal the Saints’ doom.

The Falcons carried the fight to the Saints, out-schemed them and were more physical when it counted. And here’s a fact you have to face: The Saints are too thin in some areas to overcome the loss, early in the season and at the moment, of some key players.

Payton got right to the bottom line when he said: “We got beat in every area.”

The funny thing was, as much as the Falcons dominated the trenches, the Saints were knocking at the door in the fourth quarter, with a chance to make it 27-20, when former LSU Tiger Chevis Jackson intercepted a Brees pass and took it back 95 yards.

About the only encouraging thing you could say, though the Falcons were in control from the opening whistle, they did not dominate to the degree the Panthers did in last month’s 30-7 win.

Under little pressure, Ryan was a workmanlike 16-for-23 for 248 yards while an arm-weary Brees was on the run for many of his 58 passes, hitting 31 for 422 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions.

For the diehard Who Dats, here’s the good news. The Saints will be seeing the Bucs, Falcons and Panthers again this year. If you’re into magic numbers, you’d have to include these three in the six the Saints would have to win to pull off some kind of miracle.

Do I believe in miracles?

Sure.

But I also believe in the fat lady.

And I’m afraid she ain’t singing, “When The Saints …”