Category: Saints on Social Media

Michael Thomas reacts to Jaguars hiring Urban Meyer

New Orleans Saints WR Michael Thomas is a proud Ohio State Buckeyes alum, so he was intrigued to see the Jaguars hire coach Urban Meyer.

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The Jacksonville Jaguars shook up the football world on Thursday when they named Urban Meyer their new head coach, and some of his former players took notice. New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas was a standout on Meyer’s Ohio State Buckeyes teams, and the wideout took time to congratulate his old coach on Twitter after the Jaguars announced their new hire.

Many former Buckeyes have started their NFL careers with the Saints in recent years, all of whom were recruited by and connected to Meyer at some point. The list includes Thomas and cornerback Marshon Lattimore, though safety Malcolm Jenkins graduated from Ohio State before Meyer was hired back in 2012.

While it’s possible they could cross paths again soon, at a preseason game or league event, the Saints and Jaguars won’t play each other in the regular season until at least 2023. New Orleans is scheduled to face the AFC East in 2021 before drawing the AFC North in 2022, with their next matchup with the entire AFC South the following year.

While Meyer brings an impressive resume to Jacksonville — his Buckeyes run finished with an 83-9 record, and he won national championship titles with both Ohio State and the Florida Gators — he’s also brought along some baggage, like the controversy surrounding his defense of former assistant coach Zach Smith amid domestic abuse allegations and a streak of dozens of arrests among his players at Florida.

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LISTEN: Frank Caliendo riffs on ‘History Channel’ matchup between Drew Brees, Tom Brady

Impressionist Frank Caliendo played the part of Morgan Freeman in a ‘History Channel’ riff on Drew Brees meeting Tom Brady in the playoffs.

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Much is being made about the upcoming Divisional Round matchup between Drew Brees and Tom Brady, but no one has had more fun with the topic than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback.

With jokes circulating about their age (this will be the first playoffs game in league history when both starting quarterbacks are 40-plus years old), one popular jab has been to suggest it should be broadcast on the History Channel, a week after Nickelodeon covered the New Orleans Saints in its first NFL playoff game.

Brady initially shared a graphic depicting himself and Brees with gray beards, which his teammate Rob Gronkowski joked should be narrated by the great Morgan Freeman. Caliendo, a famed impressionist and big-time NFL fan, was happy to oblige. Listen for yourself; it’s pretty spot-on.

Of course Brady’s edit digs a little harder at Brees, who is shown with quite a receded hairline and reading-glasses. But some bias is to be expected after Brees defeated Brady in two meetings during the regular season, something he had never experienced before. Now it’s time to go for the three-game sweep.

Alvin Kamara sends Christmas Day cleats, notice for $5K fine to Hall of Fame

New Orleans Saints RB Alvin Kamara sent his jersey, cleats, and NFL fine notice to the Pro Football Hall of Fame after a record-tying game.

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The NFL fined Alvin Kamara $5,000 for wearing unapproved cleats during his big win over the Minnesota Vikings on Christmas Day, in which the New Orleans Saints running back went with a festive pair of red and green shoes to celebrate the holiday. And he ran for six touchdowns in that game, tying a 91-year old NFL record along the way.

So the uniform violations fine wasn’t exactly welcome news. And Kamara isn’t letting anyone forget it, having included the letter from the league office in a shipment to the Pro Football Hall of Fame featuring other previous cargo, including the infamous cleats. He’s also sending his jersey from the game and the footballs he carried into the end zone for his fifth and sixth touchdown runs for enshrinement in Canton.

The gesture’s a fun dig from Kamara, but it’s worth remembering just how impressive his season has been. He’s scored 58 touchdowns in 60 games played with the Saints through his still-young career (excluding the playoffs), ranking him second-best in team history. Only standout wide receiver Marques Colston ranks above him, with 72 touchdowns recorded in 146 games. If Kamara keeps up the pace, he’ll own the franchise record for touchdowns scored before we know it. This probably isn’t the last time he’ll be sending some gear to the Hall of Fame.

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Falcons have great Twitter response after Saints come up short of the perfect score

The Atlanta Falcons were anxious about the prospects of a 28-3 win for the New Orleans Saints, but the Chicago Bears helped avoid that.

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We were so close to greatness. When Drew Brees leapt over the top on fourth-and-goal for a would-be touchdown, the New Orleans Saints were a film confirmation and extra-point try away from beating the Chicago Bears by a score of 28-3.

Instead, the official review ruled Brees short, and the Bears raced downfield to put up some points in garbage time, losing instead by 21-9. And the Atlanta Falcons shared a very opportune reaction video on Twitter to breathe a sigh of relief, meaning no more fodder for jokes from Saints fans, their hated rivals.

The Falcons, of course, were up 28-3 over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI, signaling an all-but-certain championship title for Atlanta — which would have been the franchise’s first. Instead, they choked in a big spot, and the Patriots went on to earn their glory.

And Saints fans have enjoyed the reference ever since, wearing the 28-3 scoreboard on hats and shirts, waving it from rooftops on banners and handmade signs at festivals around New Orleans and even during Saints games. It would have been sweet to add more fuel to that fire, but we’ll take the playoff victory instead.

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WATCH: Jonathan Vilma narrates Saints playoffs hype video

Retired New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma lent his voice to a hype video for the team’s playoff game with the Chicago Bears.

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Jonathan Vilma made a tremendous turn from standout play at linebacker to offering color commentary from the broadcast booth, but the New Orleans Saints legend is still close to the team that put him under the spotlight — so much so that he lent his time to the Saints for a highlight video ahead of their playoffs debut.

So take the opportunity to get hyped up for a Wild-Card Round matchup with the Chicago Bears. While the Saints have gotten plenty of revenge on Chicago for handing Sean Payton his first playoffs loss as New Orleans’ head coach over the years, returning the favor with a postseason elimination would be a nice new entry to their shared history.

And, hey. If the Saints win on Sunday, they’ll host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a third time this season in the Divisional Round. But let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves.

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Alvin Kamara, C.J. Gardner-Johnson say they’re on the way back

New Orleans Saints RB Alvin Kamara and DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson, both on the COVID-19 reserve list, said they’ll be playing against the Bears

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The New Orleans Saints appear to be getting healthy at just the right time. While several playmakers have been sidelined by COVID-19, reinforcements are coming just in time for Sunday’s Wild-Card Round playoff game with the Chicago Bears — at least according to what the players themselves are saying on Twitter.

Alvin Kamara has been watched closely ever since he tested positive for the coronavirus days before Week 17’s regular season finale with the Carolina Panthers. He’s been teleworking from home in the meantime, watching a livestream of Saints practices and meetings with a direct line to Sean Payton, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. And on Thursday evening Kamara shared a quick message with his fans, saying “See y’all Sunday.”

Just five minutes later, C.J. Gardner-Johnson followed with his own statement, though his was more, well, boisterous:

So it seems each of the them will be available for the first round of the playoffs, which is great news for the Saints. Kamara is the best player on the team, full stop. Gardner-Johnson is an effective slot corner who has made his best plays in run defense, allowing the squad to field lighter personnel packages without losing its physical edge. Adding them to the equation should do a lot to tip the odds in New Orleans’ favor.

But we should keep an eye out until they’re formally activated. Gardner-Johnson is first eligible to return on Friday, Jan. 8, while Kamara must wait until Sunday, Jan. 10 to join his teammates again. These COVID-19 restrictions have been frustrating, but it’s necessary to prevent an unchecked spread of the coronavirus. With a possible Super Bowl berth just weeks away, the margin for error is just too thin to take things too lightly.

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Emmanuel Sanders shares what Sean Payton told him after $500K reception

New Orleans Saints WR Emmanuel Sanders shared how Sean Payton congratulated him for his well-earned contract bonus on the Rich Eisen Show.

Emmanuel Sanders had a terrific on-field reaction to the catch that secured a $500,000 contract incentive in Week 17, but his coach one-upped him after the game. The New Orleans Saints wide receiver gushed about his first-year experience on Sean Payton’s team before sharing a quick anecdote about what Payton told him once they were flying home for the playoffs.

“Every morning I walk into work, Sean greets the entire team,” Sanders said during an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show. “Every morning he’s judging my outfit, because I like to dress up to go to work, right? Every day he’s telling me, ‘That’s a good outfit, that’s a [expletive] outfit, that’s okay and that’s that.'”

Sanders continued, laughing: “So I get the $500 (thousand) and he comes to the back of the plane, just to mess with me, and he tells me, ‘Yeah you got your $500,000, don’t be wearing those bull [expletive] white pants anymore.'”

It’s a great story and does a lot to show how Payton is able to connect with his players, but Sanders used it to illustrate a point. He’s seen two different versions of the Saints coach in his time on the team; one of them is gregarious, a bit of a prankster, and upbeat during the week. And the other side of Payton only appears on game days, laser-focused on the matchup and hyperaware of what’s going on around him, on the sidelines and on the field.

That’s a tough act to balance, and Sanders admitted that not every coach he’s been around has pulled it off. But he’s clearly enjoyed his experience in New Orleans despite the chaos surrounding the 2020 season, and it feels safe to say he’s eager to perform under the bright lights in the playoffs — and come back for more in 2021.

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Tyrann Mathieu: Saints among teams that should inquire about Deshaun Watson

Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu wants to see his former teammate, Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, traded to the New Orleans Saints.

Don’t look now, but Kansas City Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu is busy stirring the pot on Twitter. With the Houston Texans in the middle of building a new braintrust and their franchise quarterback Deshaun Watson sharing cryptic tweets online, Mathieu responded with one of his own messages — by naming three teams he’d like to see make a run at Watson in a blockbuster trade.

And, naturally, his hometown New Orleans Saints were first on his mind. He included the San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears as afterthoughts, but New Orleans appears to be his preference.

The Saints quarterbacks situation is a little murky. Drew Brees is under contract for the 2021 season, but he’s expected to retire and begin a broadcasting career with NBC Sports once the playoffs have wrapped up. That leaves backup Taysom Hill as the only passer under contract for the future, with fellow reserves Jameis Winston and Trevor Siemian both headed for free agency.

So we should anticipate some new additions to the quarterbacks room this year. Just don’t count on Watson being among them. The four-year, $156 million contract extension he recently signed makes moving him cost-prohibitive, and the draft assets it would take to pry him away from Houston should easily dwarf the largest packages in NFL history, including the infamous Ricky Williams trade.

It’s a fun idea, and Watson would be an incredible windfall for New Orleans. But don’t look for any real news on this front.

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WATCH: Fully-masked Sean Payton celebrates with Saints after Vikings rout

New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton joined his players for a postgame dance party to celebrate their win over the Minnesota Vikings.

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It’s good to see New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton embracing the league’s COVID-19 protocols, doing what’s important to keep those around him safe in the face of a pandemic. So he pointedly wore a mask and joined his team for a post-game celebration after their Week 16 win against the Minnesota Vikings.

The Saints were penalized by the NFL for not wearing masks in a similar get-together earlier this year, though other teams weren’t punished as strongly at the time. They’ve clearly learned their lesson, as has Payton. There’s ways for he and his crew to enjoy their time together and what they’ve accomplished within the confines of the rulebook. And this is proof of it.

So take a bow, Sean Payton. Cut the rug and strut your stuff. Here’s to an unprecedented fourth consecutive NFC South title, and to good luck in the postseason.

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Cameron Jordan after ejection vs. Chiefs: ‘Whatever the correction I will be better’

New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan was the recipient of a weak disqualification call in Week 15’s game with the Kansas City Chiefs.

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New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan was the recipient of a weak disqualification call in Week 15’s game with the Kansas City Chiefs after getting locked up with an opponent after the whistle, with the officiating crew citing a thrown punch as a reason to throw him out of the contest.

Afterward, Jordan shouldered the blame for his team’s 32-29 loss, in which the Chiefs scored a critical touchdown moments after his departure (helped by the penalty yards he gave up along the way).

Jordan has been elected a team captain for most of his Saints career and remains one of the unit’s most visible leaders, so it’s no surprise to see him own up to his actions and take this responsibility. But as Saints coach Sean Payton himself said after the game, Jordan’s defense showed guts against the NFL’s best offense.

It’s commendable for Jordan to have this reaction, but he and his teammates shouldn’t beat themselves up for the loss. Hopefully, they’ll get another crack at the Chiefs soon with a fully armed and operational offense that can take advantage of its opportunities, maybe in the Super Bowl.

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