Official AP Preview
http://sports.aol.com/nfl/story/_a/saints-host-panthers-with-eye-on/20061227202309990001?ecid=RSS0001
Going into the last week of the season, most believe the Saints really should be resting their starters and getting younger guys like Jamaal Branch and Josh Cooper a chance to show what they can do against a talented, if injury riddled and underachieving, Carolina team.
I do not subscribe to this viewpoint. First, this is still a division game, and Carolina, as horrid as they've been, still has a decent shot at the playoffs. Believe it or not, of all the 7-8 teams in the NFC, I still think Carolina is the most dangerous. They're getting Delhomme back, they still have two good recievers in Smith and Johnson and if they commit to the run, they're as a dangerous 2nd tier offense. They are also our only division lost this season. I would like to go into the playoffs on a high note by formally eliminating our divisional rivals and taking out the most dangerous team on the cusp of the playoffs.
Some of our starters also have some things to work on. After a tremendous run, our wide recievers have dropped quite a bit of passes, and this isn't just the much-maligned Devery Henderson, but Colston and Copper as well. And while Reggie's performance against the Giants was fantastic, I'd like to see how our O-line's runblocking stacks up against a very good Carolina D-Line that held us to under 50 yards rushing the last time the two teams met. Finally, I'd like to see players like Charles Grant, Josh Bullocks and Mark Simoneau to have a good game. While all three guys have been solid, none of them have been great. I believe to beat AFC teams, we're going to need a big playoff performance from two of those three guys.
That said, I think a couple of players should get some rest. Guys like Deuce and Will Smith should probably rest to get some respite from nagging injuries. Older guys like Mike McKenzie and Jay Bellamy should probably also get some rest to ensure that they have some juice left for the playoffs. Either way, the Saints should win this game. As long as they hit the Panthers and get them down early, I think the already fragile Panthers will fold.
Saturday, December 30, 2006
An Explanation of the Blog Name
I thought that this might be a good place to start as far as this blog goes.
While I am thuroughly enjoying the 2006 Saints season, part of my original attraction to the Saints was their history of ineptitude. The six year run from 1987-1992 aside, the Saints have been a historically horrible franchise. Nobody captures the ineptitude of the Saints franchise than former #1 pick Jonathan Sullivan.
Sullivan had all the talent in the world when he was drafted out of Georgia. He was a good sized defensive tackle that had good strength and excellent natural athleticism. He was so good, in fact, that the Saints traded two first round picks to get him in the 2003 Draft. Well, apparently, all the athleticism in the world doesn't make up for a tendency to take plays off and a propensity for overeating. The results were predictable - Jonathan Sullivan underperformed for the Saints for 3 years before finally being traded in the 2006 offseason to New England for Bethel Johnson.
Now, this story might not sound too different from countless other bust stories for other teams, but the circumstances surrounding the Jonathan Sullivan bust is what makes it unique. For you see, the pick of Sullivan perfectly embodies the blend of bad-luck and bad-decisions that is Saints football.
Let's start with a little background. The 2002 season, like many for the Saints, ended on a low note. The Saints were out of the playoffs despite starting the season 7-2 and on an absolute tear. The Saint's only needed one win in their last four games, one of which against a truly dreadful Bengals team, to secure a playoff spot. Lo and behold, the Saints choked it away as only they could. The main cause for the team's demise was its defense. Specifically, it was its rush defense that allowed 4.5 yards a game and its aging corners that couldn't stop the big play.
This Saints team, however, had talent. What they lacked was depth at key defensive positions - particularly along the defensive line and in the secondary. The 2003 NFL draft seemed like a perfect solution. The draft class of 2003 was loaded with cornerbacks and defensive tackles. The Saints had two first round picks and seemed to be in perfect position to establish the depth it sorely lacked on defense. Yet, during the weeks leading up to the draft, word began to circulate that the Saints were looking to trade their two first rounders for a chance to move into the top 5, and a shot a truly elite prospect. The Saints nation, needless to say, was stunned. Everyone knew it - the Saints team didn't lose because they lacked top-end talent, but rather, because their lack of depth placed too much burden on their best players.
Leading up to the draft, many Saints fans prayed that all this talk of the Saints moving up was just that - talk. The Saints were playing a game through the media and testing the waters to see what value was out there for their picks. They wouldn't seriously consider moving their best shot at establishing stability on the defense unless they were blown away, would they?
Well, the Saints not only traded their picks, but they picked the wrong player to boot. Marcus Trufant came out as perhaps the most polished cornerback avaliable. He was, by all accounts, a hard worker who was dedicated to improving and had an excellent motor. The Saints, rather than take production and dedication, chose to take a gamble on what Jonathan Sullivan could be, rather than what Marcus Trufant already was. So, the Saints got their elite defensive player at the cost of critical depth at other defensive players. All the reports about Sullivan's work ethic were, of course, true and Sullivan proceeded to make himself comfortable in Coach Jim Haslett's doghouse with his attitude and bad habits. Meanwhile, players taken after him like Nick Barnett, Rashean Mathias, Nnamdi Asomugha, Charles Tillman and Trufant are all great young players that are major contributors to their respective defenses.
To make matters worse, it seems as if Sullivan was the only defensive tackle out of Georgia with work ethic issues to not work out. Two years prior, a pair of defensive tackles with serious work-ethic issues were drafted out of Georgia in the first round. The two players, all-pros Marcus Stroud and Richard Seymour, went on to be great players for their teams. The Saints are a conglomerate of bad decisions and bad luck, but we root for them anyways, because they are the only team we know. And we continue to follow them, even if they defy every logic known to GMs and waste two first round picks in a deep draft to take the 300 lbs of wasted human flesh and talent that is known as Jonathan Sullivan.
No quote better captured Sullivan's ineptitude and lack of maturity better than a quote given to the Times Picayune during the 2004 season. When asked what he was going to change in order to experience success in the NFL, Sullivan responded that he was going to cut back. Rather than eating all the time, he would restrict himself to "lite snacks."
So here it is, the blog's title. It captures everything bad about Saints teams of the past, and hopefully, everything that Sean Payton is trying to change.
While I am thuroughly enjoying the 2006 Saints season, part of my original attraction to the Saints was their history of ineptitude. The six year run from 1987-1992 aside, the Saints have been a historically horrible franchise. Nobody captures the ineptitude of the Saints franchise than former #1 pick Jonathan Sullivan.
Sullivan had all the talent in the world when he was drafted out of Georgia. He was a good sized defensive tackle that had good strength and excellent natural athleticism. He was so good, in fact, that the Saints traded two first round picks to get him in the 2003 Draft. Well, apparently, all the athleticism in the world doesn't make up for a tendency to take plays off and a propensity for overeating. The results were predictable - Jonathan Sullivan underperformed for the Saints for 3 years before finally being traded in the 2006 offseason to New England for Bethel Johnson.
Now, this story might not sound too different from countless other bust stories for other teams, but the circumstances surrounding the Jonathan Sullivan bust is what makes it unique. For you see, the pick of Sullivan perfectly embodies the blend of bad-luck and bad-decisions that is Saints football.
Let's start with a little background. The 2002 season, like many for the Saints, ended on a low note. The Saints were out of the playoffs despite starting the season 7-2 and on an absolute tear. The Saint's only needed one win in their last four games, one of which against a truly dreadful Bengals team, to secure a playoff spot. Lo and behold, the Saints choked it away as only they could. The main cause for the team's demise was its defense. Specifically, it was its rush defense that allowed 4.5 yards a game and its aging corners that couldn't stop the big play.
This Saints team, however, had talent. What they lacked was depth at key defensive positions - particularly along the defensive line and in the secondary. The 2003 NFL draft seemed like a perfect solution. The draft class of 2003 was loaded with cornerbacks and defensive tackles. The Saints had two first round picks and seemed to be in perfect position to establish the depth it sorely lacked on defense. Yet, during the weeks leading up to the draft, word began to circulate that the Saints were looking to trade their two first rounders for a chance to move into the top 5, and a shot a truly elite prospect. The Saints nation, needless to say, was stunned. Everyone knew it - the Saints team didn't lose because they lacked top-end talent, but rather, because their lack of depth placed too much burden on their best players.
Leading up to the draft, many Saints fans prayed that all this talk of the Saints moving up was just that - talk. The Saints were playing a game through the media and testing the waters to see what value was out there for their picks. They wouldn't seriously consider moving their best shot at establishing stability on the defense unless they were blown away, would they?
Well, the Saints not only traded their picks, but they picked the wrong player to boot. Marcus Trufant came out as perhaps the most polished cornerback avaliable. He was, by all accounts, a hard worker who was dedicated to improving and had an excellent motor. The Saints, rather than take production and dedication, chose to take a gamble on what Jonathan Sullivan could be, rather than what Marcus Trufant already was. So, the Saints got their elite defensive player at the cost of critical depth at other defensive players. All the reports about Sullivan's work ethic were, of course, true and Sullivan proceeded to make himself comfortable in Coach Jim Haslett's doghouse with his attitude and bad habits. Meanwhile, players taken after him like Nick Barnett, Rashean Mathias, Nnamdi Asomugha, Charles Tillman and Trufant are all great young players that are major contributors to their respective defenses.
To make matters worse, it seems as if Sullivan was the only defensive tackle out of Georgia with work ethic issues to not work out. Two years prior, a pair of defensive tackles with serious work-ethic issues were drafted out of Georgia in the first round. The two players, all-pros Marcus Stroud and Richard Seymour, went on to be great players for their teams. The Saints are a conglomerate of bad decisions and bad luck, but we root for them anyways, because they are the only team we know. And we continue to follow them, even if they defy every logic known to GMs and waste two first round picks in a deep draft to take the 300 lbs of wasted human flesh and talent that is known as Jonathan Sullivan.
No quote better captured Sullivan's ineptitude and lack of maturity better than a quote given to the Times Picayune during the 2004 season. When asked what he was going to change in order to experience success in the NFL, Sullivan responded that he was going to cut back. Rather than eating all the time, he would restrict himself to "lite snacks."
So here it is, the blog's title. It captures everything bad about Saints teams of the past, and hopefully, everything that Sean Payton is trying to change.
So here I am
There is nothing more boring than a college town during Winter Break. The short length of the break and the two holidays contained within means that everyone kind of feels obligated to go home and visit familiy members who they have been trying to avoid for the better part of a year. What it means for people like me, who decide to stay, is a small town populated by professors, workers and anyone else unfortunate enough to stay in a college town year-round. The result of these 4 weeks of utter boredom is the start of a blog about one of the foremost passions in my life - The New Orleans Saints.
First a little introductory spiel - I am a 20 year old college student who has never lived a day of his life in New Orleans. I did spent 2 years in Shreveport, located in Northern Louisiana, but Northern Louisiana identifies more heavily with the Cowboys than the Saints. I enjoy watching sports, although I am horrible at actually playing them, and sometimes I come off as a melodramatic little twit. Besides the Saints, I am a fan of two equally as inept sports franchises - the Minnesota Wild and the Texas Rangers. That is all for now, hopefully, I can keep this thing going.
First a little introductory spiel - I am a 20 year old college student who has never lived a day of his life in New Orleans. I did spent 2 years in Shreveport, located in Northern Louisiana, but Northern Louisiana identifies more heavily with the Cowboys than the Saints. I enjoy watching sports, although I am horrible at actually playing them, and sometimes I come off as a melodramatic little twit. Besides the Saints, I am a fan of two equally as inept sports franchises - the Minnesota Wild and the Texas Rangers. That is all for now, hopefully, I can keep this thing going.
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