John Kasay’s 52-yard field goal on the last play of the game sent the Saints to a bitter 16-13 loss, their fourth in as many games this season.

Kasay’s field goal capped a disasterous final 10 minutes of the game for the Saints, who seemingly were on the verge of putting the game away early in the fourth quarter. Julius Pepper’s block of a 20-yard field goal attempt by Olindo Mare started the series of miscues. The block killed a 23-play drive and kept Carolina within one score at 13-7. The Panthers then drove 85 yards for the game-tying score, a 17-yard TD catch by Steve Smith.

The Saints were their own worst enemies on the ensuing drive, when Devery Henderson dropped a potential game-deciding catch in Carolina territory. Worse, the deflection off Henderson’s hands bounced into Chris Harris’ hands for an interception.

Saints cornerback Mike McKenzie bailed out Henderson on the next drive with an interception of his own, returning it to the Carolina 37. Three plays later, Mare missed a 54-yard field goal wide to the left.

Given new life again, Carolina promptly drove 21 yards for Kasay’s game-winner.

Posted by Jeff Duncan, The Times-Picayune October 07, 2007 4:05PM

Doug Miller, NewOrleansSaints.com
Tuesday, September 25, 2007 – 3:16 PM
The New Orleans Saints were the recipients of bad news on Tuesday morning, as running back Deuce McAllister was placed on injured reserve with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. The team also learned that starting cornerback Jason David would be sidelined for an indefinite period of time with a fractured foreman.

McAllister, in his seventh season, injured his knee in the second quarter of last night’s game and didn’t return. The team’s all-time leading rusher, with 5,678 yards, said that he suffered the injury when he landed after jumping to catch a Drew Brees pass.

The pride of Ole Miss hobbled off the field, and hoped for the best, while knowing deep down that the injury was serious.

“I just told myself to get up off the ground,” said McAllister. “One lesson I learned growing up was to never let your opponent see you hurt. Regardless of what it is – if you can walk, walk off that field. Once I got to the sideline, I knew it. I didn’t want to believe it, but taking the walk to the locker room I could feel it kind of giving way a little bit and it was reminiscent of how the other one felt.”

McAllister, who suffered a similar injury in 2005 to his right knee, said that the prospect of surgery and a grueling rehabilitation is front and center in his mind, although a timetable hadn’t been scheduled as of this morning for the surgery. “You have a lot of things that are going through your mind. Obviously, you’re hoping and praying that it’s not as bad as you might think. Even this morning going to get the MRI and looking at the X-rays last night, you’re just hoping that it’s not that bad. But anytime you’ve done it once before and now it’s the other knee, you question whether you’ll be the same, whether you’ll ever be the back that you once were. ‘Will you ever play again?’ Those are different thoughts that run through your mind as a player. But we’ll just take it day by day. We’ll see how the surgery goes and go from there.”

McAllister stated that he believes in himself and looks to make a comeback from the latest setback. “I believe in myself and it’s just a matter of me putting the time in and me putting the work in.” He also stated that he won’t feel sorry for himself and doesn’t wonder ‘Why Me?’ “It’s not for me to question. It’s said that there won’t be too much put on you that you can’t bear and as a human you look for that spiritual blessing. It’s just something that you have to go through.”

Quarterback Drew Brees said the loss of McAllister is a setback and an obvious disappointment to the team. “He has been the heart and soul of this team for a while. Ever since he came here he has been such a big part in what the offense has done, and the team has done. He is an emotional leader and a guy that everyone respects and everyone likes. You hate to see something like that happen to a guy. It seems unfair.”

Brees also stated that he believes the team will rally together and strive to fill McAllister’s void, but that each player in the locker room needs to elevate their caliber of play in order for the Saints to get back on the winning track. “It means some guys will have the opportunity to step up,” Brees said. “And we have to have some guys step up now. With everything else Reggie (Bush) is responsible for, this is going to add to the load on him a little bit more, and Aaron Stecker, and Pierre Thomas. We will see how this thing shakes out, but we need to elevate our game a little bit.”

Head Coach Sean Payton also said that starting left tackle Jammal Brown suffered a dislocated finger but doesn’t expect him to be sidelined due to the injury and that wide receiver David Patten suffered a strained calf muscle in the game and that his progress will be monitored in the next two weeks. LB Scott Fujita also suffered an ankle injury but Payton believes the linebacker will be able to recover quickly from the injury and expects him back for the Carolina game in less than two weeks.

“Obviously, we’re challenged offensively now with losing a key player to our offense and a guy that has been an important part of our offense,” Payton said.

“That changes the dynamics a little bit and we’ll have to deal with that. Defensively, obviously in Jason’s case with the time that he’s out, we’ll have to shift that rotation around a little bit and see what we get from some of the younger guys and also some veteran guys such as Jason Craft and Fred Thomas. It’s part of the game right now. It’s frustrating and I’m disappointed for Deuce, and I know how disappointed he is. But right now no one really outside of that room in there is concerned with our problems. People in this league aren’t concerned about our injuries and aren’t concerned about our 0-3 start. We have to be the ones to handle that – coaches, starting with me, and everyone else in that room. We have to start doing the little things right that allow you to win games and don’t keep you from winning games.”

Jimmy Johnson

FOXSports.com

Saints are down

It is a surprise that the Saints are 0-2 after how they finished last season. But I also think Tampa Bay is a much better team than we all thought. Still, I am encouraged that they did move the football; they had a bunch of yards, but they turned it over a couple of times. I don’t think anything has changed and they still have an outstanding quarterback in Drew Brees, outstanding running backs and I still believe they can pull it together defensively. They should be in the playoff mix at the end. But they have put themselves in a big hole by losing the first two.

I’ve been reading that Jon Gruden is in trouble, but I think the whole key on Jon is that maybe he was right. He was rolling in a van full of quarterbacks in order to find the right one and he got a veteran in Jeff Garcia who is managing the game. Garcia didn’t have great numbers, but he was able to throw a couple of big passes to Joey Galloway. And Cadillac Williams (bruised ribs) showed me quite a bit by scoring two touchdowns. They tailed off a little defensively the last few years, but with veteran defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin around the Bucs will be solid defensively, and if Garcia can stay healthy, they will improve over what they were last year.

Tampa Bay should not be much of a test for the Saints.  It is exactly what the team needs right now.  Under Payton the Saints have won the games that they are pencilled in and this is one of them.  This game will be won at the line of scrimmage.

Tampa has some injury problems.  David Boston, who in the past has had some steroid problems, was released from the BUCS, after a DWI and testing positive for GHB.  Cornell (Cadillac) Williams is nursing his bruised ribs and might play.  Even though CADILLAC is an unbelievable runner HE WILL NOT help if he plays. I expect him to have a couple of good runs and if he does not play then Tampa will sink early.

 The SAINTS DEFENSE will be blitzing Garcia and he is no Payton Manning.  Look for some sacks this game from SMITH and GRANT.  Also look for a few Safety blitzes.  If the Saints contain Garcia and his scrambling on broken plays is contained then it will be a real long day for him.  

The SAINTS offense will have a great game. look for the SAINTS on the first possession to throw deep. Henderson will be a great target.  This is not a game that  the SAINTS have to slowly churn the ball to eat up the clock to keep the opponents offense off of the field like in Indy.  

I know we will have a good following at the game and it should be over by the third quarter if not sooner  So look for the black and gold in the stands since most of the Bucs fans will be leaving before the 2:00 mark in the fourth.     

Other key injuries:  Brian Kelly Groin injury

NewOrleansSaints.com, NewOrleansSaints.com

Wednesday, September 05, 2007 – 3:00 PM

COLTS & SAINTS KICK OFF SEASON THURSDAY NIGHT ON NBC

No more waiting. The NFL roars back Thursday night.

NFL Kickoff 2007 starts in Indianapolis that night when the Super Bowl XLI champion Colts host the New Orleans Saints in the season’s first game (NBC, 7:30 PM CT; Saints Radio Network) that will be the culmination of kickoff festivities at Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis and at the RCA Dome, site of the game.

The Saints – who reached the NFC Championship Game last year – are the hometown team of Colts quarterback PEYTON MANNING, the Super Bowl XLI MVP. Manning will square off against his fellow starting quarterback in the 2007 Pro Bowl, DREW BREES. Indianapolis has won its last 10 primetime regular-season games, including four last year.

The Thursday night kickoff will be accompanied by musical performances to celebrate the beginning of the season and honor the Colts and the city of Indianapolis.

The pregame special show, “NFL OPENING KICKOFF 2007 PRESENTED BY SPRINT” on NBC, NFL Network and SIRIUS Satellite Radio at 8:00 PM ET will feature performances by Indiana-native JOHN MELLENCAMP, FAITH HILL and KELLY CLARKSON. KEYSHIA COLE will be joined by Fort Wayne, Indiana’s Voices of Unity Youth Choir in singing the national anthem. Mellencamp will perform at the RCA Dome and Hill, Clarkson and HINDER will sing at a free concert at Monument Circle.

LET’S KICK IT OFF!

The players are ready…America’s ready.

After seven months of offseason, here comes five months of pressure-packed unpredictability. The National Football League – with its 17 weeks of surprises — is back. The excitement quotient in America just took a jump – big time!

“This is when it gets serious,” says Miami Dolphins defensive tackle VONNIE HOLLIDAY. “This is why you go through the whole offseason. This is what it’s all about.”

What it will be all about when the season ends on December 30 is anybody’s guess. Unpredictability? Last season, seven teams that qualified for the playoffs in 2005 did not make them in 2006. Since 2000 – that’s seven seasons – 12 different teams have played in the Super Bowl.

“I think the biggest mistake is to try to pick up where you left off,” says head coach SEAN PAYTON of the New Orleans Saints. “In our business, you start again from Day One.”

“Day One” is this Thursday, when Payton’s Saints visit the Super Bowl XLI champion Indianapolis Colts in the kickoff to the season. Then comes 13 games on Sunday, with Kickoff 2007 Weekend concluding on Monday night with a primetime doubleheader on ESPN.

The weekend will mark the beginning of one more raucous NFL season — played under the theme of “Who Wants It More?” — that arrives already packed with intrigue and change.

Doug Miller, NewOrleansSaints.com
Sunday, September 02, 2007 – 3:38 PM
The New Orleans Saints have signed seven players to their practice squad, it was announced by Head Coach Sean Payton following today’s practice.

The players signed were guard Tim Duckworth, fullback Kevin Dudley, defensive end Willie Evans, linebacker Marvin Mitchell, quarterback Tyler Palko, cornerback Anwar Phillips and safety Chris Reis.

Below is a brief thumbnail of each player:

Duckworth is a rookie out of Auburn who signed with New Orleans just before the opening of the preseason. The 24-year-old guard saw action on offense and on special teams during the team’s summer slate.

Dudley first came to the Saints as a practice squad signee during the 2006 postseason after previously spending time with the Atlanta Falcons. The fullback from the University of Michigan had a productive preseason for the Saints, carrying the ball five times for 15 yards and catching eight passes for 62 yards and a touchdown.

Evans signed with Saints in January and was allocated to the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europa. The former Mississippi State defensive end made eight tackles in the preseason, including three sacks against Miami in the preseason finale.

Mitchell was the selected by the Saints in the seventh round of the NFL Draft this spring after playing collegiately at the University of Tennessee. The rookie linebacker played in all five preseason games and recorded nine tackles on defense and another on special teams.

Palko was a rookie free agent signee out of the University of Pittsburgh. The left-handed passer saw extensive playing time in three games this preseason, completing 27 of 48 passes for 271 yards with one touchdown and four interceptions. He also showed some play-making ability, gaining 59 yards rushing on nine attempts.

Phillips was in training camp with the Saints for the second time in 2007. The former Penn State defensive back first came to New Orleans as an undrafted free agent a year ago and spent the 2006 season on the team’s practice squad. He played in all five games this preseason, recording three tackles and a pass defense.

Reis signed with the club as a free agent in January and was allocated to the Cologne Centurions of NFL Europa, where he earned all-league honors. The former Georgia Tech defensive back tallied 13 tackles in preseason action and picked off two passes against Miami in the finale.

NOTES: RB Antonio Pittman, who was waived yesterday, was claimed off of waivers by the St. Louis Rams … RB Jamaal Branch was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers to their practice squad, and CB David Jones was claimed off of waivers by the Cincinnati Bengals.

Saints Cut 12; Set Roster for Regular Season

by Dave Lawrence, NewOrleansSaints.com
Saturday, September 01, 2007 – 5:00 PM

Reaching the NFL-mandated active roster limit of 53, the New Orleans Saints waived 12 players Saturday and terminated the contract of defensive end Anton Palepoi, Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis announced. The 12 players waived were safety Curry Burns, guard Tim Duckworth, fullback Kevin Dudley, defensive end Willie Evans, wide receiver Tramain Hall, cornerback David Jones, linebacker Marvin Mitchell, quarterback Tyler Palko, cornerback Anwar Phillips, running back Antonio Pittman, safety Chris Reis and guard Dave Yovanovits.

Burns re-signed with New Orleans this spring after spending time on the Saints’ practice squad in 2006. The Louisville product is a second-year pro who made 11 tackles on defense and four more on special teams during the 2007 preseason.

Duckworth is a rookie out of Auburn who signed with New Orleans just before the opening of the preseason. The 24-year-old guard saw action on offense and on special teams during the team’s summer slate.

Dudley first came to the Saints as a practice squad signee during the 2006 postseason after previously spending time with the Atlanta Falcons. The fullback from the University of Michigan had a productive preseason for the Saints, carrying the ball five times for 15 yards and catching eight passes for 62 yards and a touchdown.

Evans signed with Saints in January and was allocated to the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europa. The former Mississippi State defensive end made eight tackles in the preseason, including three sacks against Miami in the preseason finale.

Hall joined the Saints following the conclusion of the NFL Europa season this spring, where he played with Cologne. A product of North Carolina State, he caught one pass for 15 yards for New Orleans this preseason and also returned five punts for 19 yards and averaged 13.7 yards on three kickoff returns.

Jones was the team’s fifth-round selection in April’s draft. The youngster out of Wingate played in all five preseason contests for the Saints and recorded six tackles, two pass defenses and intercepted a pass against Miami.

Mitchell was the selected by the Saints in the seventh round of the NFL Draft this spring after playing collegiately at the University of Tennessee. The rookie linebacker played in all five preseason games and recorded nine tackles on defense and another on special teams.

Palepoi joined the Saints as a free agent following a spring mini-camp workout. The fifth-year veteran lineman played in all five games as a reserve defensive end, making seven tackles and deflecting four pass attempts.

Palko was a rookie free agent signee out of the University of Pittsburgh. The left-handed passer saw extensive playing time in three games this preseason, completing 27 of 48 passes for 271 yards with one touchdown and four interceptions. He also showed some play-making ability, gaining 59 yards rushing on nine attempts.

Phillips was in training camp with the Saints for the second time in 2007. The former Penn State defensive back first came to New Orleans as an undrafted free agent a year ago and spent the 2006 season on the team’s practice squad. He played in all five games this preseason, recording three tackles and a pass defense.

Pittman was drafted by the Saints in the fourth round this spring. The running back from Ohio State led the team in carries this preseason, rushing 55 times for 173 yards and a touchdown. He also caught six passes for 35 yards in five games.

Reis signed with the club as a free agent in January and was allocated to the Cologne Centurions of NFL Europa, where he earned all-league honors. The former Georgia Tech defensive back tallied 13 tackles in preseason action and picked off two passes against Miami in the finale.

Yovanovits is a fourth-year pro who signed with the Saints in the offseason following prior stints with the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns. The former Temple lineman worked at both guard spots and saw action at center while battling a knee injury this preseason.

The Saints head into the regular season with 17 players on the 53-man roster that were not on the active roster for January’s NFC Championship game (two were on injured reserve and one on the practice squad).

Beginning Sunday, the Saints and all 32 NFL teams may establish a practice squad of up to eight players. The Saints will open the regular season Thursday night in Indianapolis against the Colts at 7:30 pm CT.

Saints Reduce Roster By Nine

by Dave Lawrence, NewOrleansSaints.com
Friday, August 31, 2007 – 3:30 PM

New Orleans Saints Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis announced Friday that the team has parted ways with nine players as the deadline for reaching the league-mandated roster level of 53 players approaches.

The Saints terminated the contract of linebacker Dhani Jones and waived offensive linemen Ben Archibald, Brian Ferentz and Rob Petitti, wide receiver Derrick Doyle, tight end Ronnie Ghent, and defensive linemen Rodney Leisle, Scott Scharff and Brandon Villarreal.

Archibald is a second-year pro who first joined the Saints in 2004, spending that season and all of the 2006 campaign on the team’s practice squad. The versatile offensive lineman was on the club’s active roster during the 2005 season and saw action in six games, primarily on special teams. The BYU graduate played in all five games this preseason, working at right guard.

Doyle signed with the club as a rookie free agent following the Saints’ preseason opener in August. The former Northwestern State standout saw limited playing time over the final four contests of the summer and did not record any statistics.

Ferentz joined the Saints prior to their third preseason game after spending the 2006 season on the Falcons’ practice squad. The University of Iowa product saw action at both center and left guard over the course of the team’s final three preseason contests.

Ghent signed with the Saints just prior to the Hall of Fame game and caught two passes for 23 yards during the preseason. The former University of Louisville tight end previously spent time on the Cincinnati Bengals’ practice squad after originally signing with the Philadelphia Eagles out of college in 2004.

Jones signed with the Saints as a free agent a few weeks prior to the opening of training camp. The eight-year veteran linebacker started twice in the preseason and turned in 16 tackles and a sack for the Saints in five games.

Leisle was drafted by the Saints in the fifth round in 2004 and played in 17 regular season games for the club over the span of three seasons. He played in 14 games in 2006 and tallied 19 tackles and a fumble recovery. The former UCLA Bruin made eight tackles this preseason, including a sack against the Dolphins.

Petitti came to New Orleans after being claimed off waivers prior to the 2006 season from the Dallas Cowboys. The former University of Pittsburgh offensive lineman was inactive for all but one game in ’06 and played in all five games this preseason at right tackle.

Scharff re-joined the Saints early in training camp after spending time on the team’s practice squad in 2006. The defensive end out of Stanford made three tackles over the course of the preseason.

Villarreal first joined the club as an undrafted free agent in 2006 and spent the entire ’06 campaign on the practice squad. The former Purdue Boilermaker made two tackles from his reserve defensive tackle position this preseason.

The Saints roster currently stands at 66 and the club must reach the level of 53 by 3:00 pm (CT) Saturday.

Who Dat !  Who Dat !

By Sports Network
The Sports Network

Rookie Pierre Thomas scored on a three-yard run in the first quarter, as the New Orleans Saints beat Miami, 7-0, in the final preseason matchup for both teams.

Thomas ran for 81 yards and caught two passes for 47 more, as the Saints (3-2) used a dominating defense in a game that had sparse starters for both squads. Antonio Pittman ran for 77 yards in the win.

Veteran backup Jamie Martin complete 11-of-15 passes for 136 yards for the Saints, who will open the regular season next Thursday night at Indianapolis. It will mark the first regular season game in the NFL this year with the defending Super Bowl champion Colts hosting the team that was knocked off by the Chicago Bears in the NFC championship game.

John Beck connected on 8-of-15 passes for 63 yards and was picked off twice for the Dolphins (2-2), who will start their season at Washington September 9. Miami was limited to 121 yards of offense as the Saints came up with four interceptions.

Thomas’ 38-yard gain helped the Saints to the game’s only score on the initial drive.

Beck drove the Dolphins to the Saints 13 in the closing minutes of the game, but was sacked on third down. He then threw incomplete on fourth down inside of two minutes, and the Saints ran out the clock.

The New Orleans Saints announced on Tuesday that they have reached the NFL-mandated roster size of 75 players. The Saints parted ways with P Chris Hanson, RB Jamal Branch and WR Jamal Jones.

The Saints needed to trim their roster by three players by 3:00 p.m. and will need to reach the NFL roster size limit of 53 players by 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 1. Which means they have to cut 22 more people.