Category: Saints on Social Media

Terron Armstead frustrated by injury, but thankful for support

New Orleans Saints left tackle Terron Armstead is still in search of his first 16-game NFL season after suffering a high-ankle sprain.

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The New Orleans Saints are going to be without starting left tackle Terron Armstead the next few weeks, including Thursday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons. Armstead suffered a high-ankle sprain early in Sunday’s game with the Carolina Panthers, and he expressed disappointment in his latest injury on social media. But he was just as quick to thank fans for their continued support, and assure them that he’s working to return as soon as possible.

“Thank you to everyone for the prayers and positivity,” Armstread wrote, “16 games was a goal of mine, so man it really hurts not being able to do that.” He made sure to note that this injury is not ending his 2019 season, and he expects to return sooner rather than later.

It continues a disappointing trend for Armstead, who has never played a full 16-game season in his seven-year tenure with the Saints. He peaked with 14 games back in the 2014 season, his first as a full-time starter, but complicated hip and quad muscle injuries kept him on and off the field and eventually sent him traveling internationally in search of treatment. He’s averaged 10.8 game appearances per season since being named a starter, a stretch that covers 25 of New Orleans’ last 36 games (including the playoffs).

Armstead has dealt with a string of issues throughout his career, ranging from lingering lower-leg ailments to last year’s torn pectoral muscle. His rare athleticism for the position is startlingly unique (his 4.71-second 40-yard dash at 306 pounds remains an NFL combine record) but that agility comes with a cost: the human body isn’t built to move at such speeds at that size, and can break under the stress of it. Hopefully he won’t suffer life-changing effects once his playing days are over.

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Cameron Jordan owns up to ugly personal foul penalty: ‘That’s on me’

New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan took the blame for an ugly penalty against Carolina Panthers quarterback Kyle Allen.

The New Orleans Saints put a lot of responsibility on Cameron Jordan’s shoulders. The veteran defensive end is one of the most-experienced and longest-tenured players one the team, and his status as a captain makes him someone to rally around and look to for example.

So his unnecessary roughness penalty against Carolina Panthers quarterback Kyle Allen was uncharacteristic to say the least. Jordan is a former Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee recognized throughout the NFL for his sportsmanship and clean style of play, but this incident on Sunday hurt his team, his reputation, and Allen’s face.

When Saints linebacker Demario Davis spun Allen around for a sack on a long third down to force Carolina to punt the ball away, Jordan jumped into the fray to try and strip the ball from Allen’s arms. Except he did so after an official’s whistle had blown the play dead. And when Jordan punched at the ball, he missed and struck Allen’s facemask, sending the quarterback reeling as Davis threw him down.

“Gotta hear that whistle,” Jordan wrote from his official Twitter account after the game. “That’s on me gotta hear that whistle.”

It was an ugly moment for sure, and the Panthers capitalized on the opportunity (Jordan was hit with a 15-yard personal foul, granting Carolina a fresh set of downs from their own 44-yard line). Fortunately, Jordan’s Saints were able to end the game on a high note and send the Panthers home with a loss.

These two teams will play again during the Week 17 regular season finale; hopefully Jordan and his teammates can avoid more mistakes after drawing a dozen fouls for 123 penalty yards in what was very nearly an upset.

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Chad Ochocinco endorses Michael Thomas for NFL MVP

Debates are raging on who should be the NFL’s Most Valuable Player but Chad Ochocinco says New Orleans Saints WR Michael Thomas has his vote

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It’s tough to decide who deserves recognition as the NFL’s Most Valuable Player this year. Second-year Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has been sensational, giving the AFC another young passer to challenge the New England Patriots hegemony (Tom Brady’s team has represented the AFC in 4 of the last 5 Super Bowl matchups). But he’s hardly without competition, with Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson expanding his highlight reel every week in an offense built to minimize his impact.

However, former NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson, also known as “Ochocinco,” wants to remind everyone that the award goes to the league’s Most Valuable Player, not just the best quarterback. And in his eyes, only one player is worth considering: New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas. Johnson advocated for Thomas on his official Twitter account, praising the Saints’ centerpiece for his consistency in spite of defenses scheming to stop him each and every week:

His past antics aside (like that time Johnson awarded himself his own Pro Football Hall of Fame jacket), Johnson has a point. Thomas is on pace to shatter the record for single-season receptions set by Marvin Harrison, and he’s put up rare efficiency for any receiver, much less someone who sees as high a volume of targets.

There have been games where Thomas was the only Saints player open or able to make a play, and the ball has found him whether Drew Brees, Teddy Bridgewater, or Taysom Hill were at quarterback. He’s certainly the Saints’ team MVP; the question, then, is whether the NFL’s voters will give him the respect he’s earned.

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Current, former Saints players react to Steelers-Browns brawl

The NFL’s Thursday Night Football game between the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers took a nasty turn when a fight broke out; the skirmish followed Browns pass rusher Myles Garrett’s takedown of Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph, and ended …

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The NFL’s Thursday Night Football game between the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers took a nasty turn when a fight broke out; the skirmish followed Browns pass rusher Myles Garrett’s takedown of Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph, and ended up involving multiple players from both teams. Garrett and Steelers offensive lineman Maurkice Pouncey were ejected, and suspensions are expected to be handed out by the league office in the coming days.

And the events didn’t go unnoticed by several New Orleans Saints players, both those with the team now and others who have since retired. Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan observed that while Rudolph instigated the fight by trying to take off Garrett’s helmet, there’s no excusing Garrett’s response to batter the quarterback with his own helmet.

Wide receiver Michael Thomas also chimed in, pointing out that one should, “Know who you running up on” before starting a fight. There’s a clear size mismatch between the 236-pound Rudolph and 271-pound Garrett, making the quarterback’s decision to start grappling with his opponent somewhat questionable.

Longtime Saints right tackle Zach Strief focused on Garrett’s use of Rudolph’s helmet as a weapon, noting that the action would be expensive and asking, “Anyone know the current fine for assault with a deadly weapon?”

An interesting perspective comes from former Saints offensive lineman Kyle Turley, who once defended quarterback Aaron Brooks by removing an opponent’s helmet and throwing it across the field. Turley chided both Garrett and Pouncey for risking a series brain injury with so many blows to the head:

Obviously there’s no place in football — or any other professional setting — for this sort of violence, but it’s also clear that neither Garrett nor Rudolph and the other Steelers players involved came out of this looking innocent. Hopefully the NFL can navigate the situation tactfully and do its part to discourage future incidents like this.

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