Tag: Demario Davis

Demario Davis among four Saints on AP All-Pro first-team

Four New Orleans Saints were recognized on the AP All-Pro first-team, including linebacker Demario Davis and right tackle Ryan Ramczyk.

The New Orleans Saints were well-represented on the Associated Press All-Pro Team, with four players named to the first-team. Wide receiver Michael Thomas was the only unanimous selection, but he was joined by teammates including right tackle Ryan Ramczyk, linebacker Demario Davis, and rookie returns specialist Deonte Harris. Only two Saints players were selected for the second-team: edge rusher Cameron Jordan and special teams ace J.T. Gray. Of the six total Saints to appear on the All-Pro teams, five started their careers in New Orleans, and four were acquired in the last three years.

Thomas is the only player of the group who was a first-team All-Pro in 2018; Ramczyk was named to that year’s second-team, along with other Saints players including Jordan, quarterback Drew Brees, and left tackle Terron Armstead. Davis and Harris are each making their first time appearance.

Brees and Armstead being left off the second-team feels like a pair of serious oversights. While they did each miss time with injuries in 2019, there’s no questioning their level of performance. It’s tough to justify both of them missing the cut. On the other hand, it’s great to see Pro Bowl snubs like Davis and Ramczyk get the recognition they so badly deserve.

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6 Saints players who need to step up vs. Vikings

New Orleans Saints players like Janoris Jenkins and Tre’Quan Smith must step up against Kirk Cousins and the wild-card Minnesota Vikings.

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The New Orleans Saints are set to host the Minnesota Vikings at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Sunday in the wild-card round. Despite the Saints being a 7.5-point home favorite, they will need several key players to step up and have their best game of the season in order to beat the Kirk Cousins-led Vikings. Some names are obvious, while others may be flying a little more under the radar. It’ll take a team effort to advance deeper into the playoffs.

Here are the six Saints players that will need to step up their game on Sunday:

Janoris Jenkins, cornerback

New Orleans acquired Jenkins in Week 15, and he saw his first action as a Saint during the Week 16 game against the Tennessee Titans when he played 44% of defensive snaps. In Week 17, Jenkins broke out and recorded five tackles and a game-sealing interception against the Carolina Panthers while playing 100% of snaps. With Eli Apple expected to miss more time with an ankle injury, “Jackrabbit” must step up and help solidify the secondary against talented Vikings receivers Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen.

Tre’Quan Smith, wide receiver

A usually hot-and-cold Smith will need to find that extra gear on Sunday, and play to a similar level of production to that of his Week 17 performance. Against the Panthers, Smith caught all five of his targets to gain 56 yards and a touchdown catch at the goal-line. With no receiver yet emerged as a true, consistent threat opposite of Michael Thomas, Smith must prove he can be a difference-maker when it counts the most.

Alvin Kamara, running back

After missing significant time with injury earlier in the season, the running back returned looking like a shell of himself. Over the last two weeks of the season, Kamara has once again began to show why he can be one of the best backs in the league. With Super Bowl aspirations on the line, Kamara will need to return to his 2017-2018 form in order for New Orleans to make a deep playoff run.

A.J. Klein, linebacker

Klein has been a consistent force, along with Demario Davis, in the linebacker corps this season. In Week 17, he recorded his first interception of the season to go along with five tackles. With some depth issues at the position for New Orleans, and a strong rushing attack in Minnesota with Dalvin Cook, Klein will have to step up. A good performance from Klein could be all the difference.

Trey Hendrickson, defensive end

With the defensive line banged up, Hendrickson has seen increased snap counts in the later part of the season starting in Week 13 against the Atlanta Falcons. Hendrickson will need to play one of his best games in order to beat a very good Vikings offensive line and get pressure on Cousins. Cam Jordan cannot do everything on his own, and Hendrickson will be relied upon to get the job done on Sunday.

Michael Thomas, wide receiver

This one may seem odd. How can someone include Thomas in a list of players that need to step up? Thomas will need to get back on track after a lackluster Week 17 where he only caught four of his nine targets. The entire New Orleans offense runs through Thomas, and now that the playoffs arrived, Thomas will need to play his best brand of football for the Saints to make reality out of their Super Bowl dreams.

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Gang Green’s best of the 2010s: A look at the Jets’ all-decade team

The Jets Wire names the Jets 2010’s all-decade team with New York’s franchise-worst 10-year stretch ending with a 7-9 finish.

The Jets’ decade started with an AFC Championship appearance, but since then they’ve endured one of the worst stretches in franchise history.

New York has only had one season since in which it was over .500 and failed to return to the playoffs. The Jets have now gone nine consecutive seasons without a playoff berth and a record four straight losing seasons after faring 10-6 in 2015.

To finish off the decade, the Jets went 6-2 after a 1-7 finish, but they still have yet to play meaningful football beyond the first week of January. It seems Gang Green has its quarterback of the future, but does it have enough to start off the next decade with a playoff trip?

Decisions for the future are coming. For now, let’s take a look at the Jets’ 2010s all-decade team:

Offense

East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets wide receiver Eric Decker (87) and New York Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall (15) celebrate Marshall’s touchdown during the second half at MetLife Stadium. The Jets defeated the Patriots 26-20 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

QB Mark Sanchez: Sanchez was consistently average during his time in New York, but that’s enough to be the team’s best quarterback of the decade. He was the only one to lead Gang Green to the playoffs in this decade. During his time as New York’s signal-caller, Sanchez went 33-29, a much more impressive record than what Geno Smith, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Josh McCown. The hope is that Sam Darnold will do more to earn the nod 10 years from now.

RB Chris Ivory: Acquired via trade in one of John Idzik’s first moves as New York’s general manager, Ivory had a rather productive three-year tenure in green and white. He ran for over 800 yards in all three seasons, including going over 1,000 yards in 2015.

WR Brandon Marshall: Marshall spent just two seasons with New York, but his 2015 was enough to garner a mention on this list. Marshall set the team record for catches and yards and tied Don Maynard for touchdowns. In 2015, Marshall had 109 catches for 1,502 yards and 14 touchdowns.

WR Eric Decker: Paired with Marshall, the Jets had one of the most dynamic passing attacks in the league. He could never establish himself as a No. 1 target, but Decker put up those numbers opposite of Marshall. In 2015, Decker had 80 receptions for 1,027 yards and 12 touchdowns.

WR Santonio Holmes: While Holmes’ Jets career ended on a sour note, he is still largely responsible for helping New York reach its second AFC Championship Game in as many seasons. While his statistics don’t tell the whole story because of his four-game suspension to the begin the season, Holmes was as clutch as can be when it counted.

TE Dustin Keller: One of the more productive tight ends in the history of the franchise, the Jets have been unable to replicate Keller’s success since he departed New York. He finished his six-year tenure with the Jets catching 241 passes for 2,876 yards and 17 scores.

OT D’Brickashaw Ferguson: Ferguson was a staple on the Jets offensive line. He was the glue that kept the left side together and New York never had to worry about it quarterback’s blindside when he was on the field.

OG James Carpenter: Carpenter was the best the Jets had to offer at left guard during the decade. He was a reliable fixture brought in by Idzik and started every single game for New York from 2015-17.

C Nick Mangold: An All-Pro in 2010, Mangold would appear in five of his seven Pro Bowl appearances during the 2010s. The Jets are still itching to find a competent center as his replacement.

OG Brandon Moore: Moore is more famous for Mark Sanchez running into his behind, but he is the best the Jets had at right guard from 2010 on.

RT Damien Woody: While Woody has now spent more time as an ESPN personality than with Gang Green this decade, he provided the most stability at a position that has been a thorn in the Jets’ side.

Honorable Mentions: QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, RB Bilal Powell, RB Shonn Greene, WR Robby Anderson, OG Brian Winters, OT Kelvin Beachum.

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6 Saints players named to Pro Football Focus 2019 All-Pro Team

New Orleans Saints players including Michael Thomas, Ryan Ramczyk, and Demario Davis were named to the Pro Football Focus 2019 All-Pro Team.

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Six members of the New Orleans Saints earned recognition on the 2019 PFF NFL All-Pro Team from Pro Football Focus, with five of them making the cut as first-team PFF All-Pro’s. The Associated Press All-Pro teams are built by ballots from journalists covering the NFL from around the country; PFF’s version is assembled by in-house metrics informed by countless hours of film study.

Wide receiver Michael Thomas, right tackle Ryan Ramczyk, linebacker Demario Davis, kick returner Deonte Harris, and special teams ace J.T. Gray were each first-team selections. Free safety Marcus Williams received a second-team nod as a flex defender, behind Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters. Here’s some of what lead analyst Sam Monson wrote to justify Davis’s inclusion as a PFF first-team All-Pro:

There wasn’t a whole lot pointing to an All-Pro caliber season coming from Demario Davis heading into this season. His previous two seasons were the best of his career, but neither had even topped 76.0 overall. This year, he has broken the 90.0 mark in overall grade and has grades of at least 80.0 in every facet of play PFF measures. Davis set or matched career-best marks for total pressures (28), pass breakups (8), passer rating allowed (87.9) and yards per reception allowed (6.2) and made significant impact plays for the Saints in some of their biggest games this season.

It’s great to see Davis get this kind of praise, especially after he was overlooked for the Pro Bowl. Hopefully the Associated Press voters will also recognize his sky-high level of play this year, because he performed as well as any other linebacker in the league. It’s been a while since we could say that about a Saints linebacker.

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New Orleans Saints 2010s All-Decade Team: Defense

The 2010 New Orleans Saints’ All-Decade Team is headlined by Cameron Jordan, Will Smith, Jonathan Vilma, Demario Davis, and Jabari Greer.

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Let’s get this out of the way early: the New Orleans Saints defense has been the team’s weaker unit over the last decade. They turned in some of the worst defensive performances in NFL history during the 2012, 2014, and 2015 seasons, forcing Drew Brees and the Saints offense to put the world on their shoulders. It led to a series of disappointing 7-9 seasons.

But it wasn’t all bad, and the Saints defense has arguably outplayed the offense during the last few years. Cameron Jordan is one of the best players in team history, and seems to only be improving with age. Other recent additions like Demario Davis and Marshon Lattimore are lso deserving of praise. So we’ve considered everything from on-field production to leadership value and longevity of careers in putting this list together.

Here is the defense of the Saints’ All-Decade Team:

Defensive tackles

First team: David Onyemata, Sheldon Rankins

Onyemata has turned into a very reliable starter for the Saints, appearing in 63 games from 2016 to 2019 while bagging 9.5 sacks and 26 quarterback hits (sixth-most among all Saints defenders of the 2010’s), and 11 tackles for loss. However, Rankins has been the real star along the interior line, despite his limited appearances (51 games from 2016 to 2019, due to several injuries). Rankins racked up 16 sacks and 35 quarterback hits (fourth-most in the 2010’s). Rankins recorded 22 tackles for loss, fifth-most of this era.

Second team: Tyeler Davison, Brodrick Bunkley

Davison may have not put up gaudy box score numbers during his four-year stint with the Saints, but he rarely missed a start. He logged 61 game appearances from 2015 to 2018 and was rock-solid in run defense. Before he came to the scene, though, Bunkley set a high bar for nose tackle play in New Orleans from 2012 to 2014 (playing 38 games). The defenses Bunkley played on were vulnerable against the pass, but he did his part to hold up against the run.

Defensive ends

First team: Cameron Jordan, Will Smith

Jordan is one of the greatest Saints players of all time, and he’s still in his prime. He’s only missed one game from 2011 to 2019, appearing in 144 matchups, while leading New Orleans in sacks (87) and hits (168), and tackles for loss (113). He’s also bagged 10 forced fumbles and deflected 47 passes at the line of scrimmage. That said, Smith deserves to be remembered well for what he accomplished with the Saints. Smith spent the bulk of his career playing in the 2000’s, but the three years he turned in during the 2010’s are noteworthy. He ranks third in sacks (18) and hits (39) among all Saints players in this era.

Second team: Junior Galette, Alex Okafor

Galette would rank higher if he hadn’t lost his mind and gotten arrested following a series of violent off-field incidents, cutting his Saints career short and devastating the locker room on his way out. His problematic behavior aside, Galette does deserve some props for ranking second-best in sacks (31.5), hits (62), and tackles for loss (34) in the 2010’s. Okafor only played two years with the Saints, but he was a reliable presence opposite Jordan who did a lot to elevate the defense in the 2017 and 2018 seasons.

Linebacker

First team: Demario Davis, Jonathan Vilma

Davis has an argument to make with Brees as the greatest free agent signing in team history. The ex-Jets and -Browns linebacker has revolutionized the position after years of sub-par play, giving fans something to cheer about in run defense, pass coverage, and designed blitzes to get after the quarterback. On top of that, he’s a vocal leader off the field who shows everyone in the locker room how to be a pro. Another ex-Jets linebacker, Vilma was iconic in the Saints’ Super Bowl run, but he continued to play well from 2010 to 2012, and hung up his cleats after creating many great memories for Saints fans.

Second team: Craig Robertson, David Hawthorne

Robertson deserves some real props for sticking around for so long and wearing so many different hats for the Saints — he’s logged 62 game appearances from 2016 to 2019, playing outside linebacker and rising to the rank of captain on special teams. His presence gives the Saints depth to rival any team in the league. Additionally, Hawthorne was the best linebacker on some rough units from 2012 to 2015, appearing in 50 games and turning in several memorable splash plays.

Cornerback

First team: Marshon Lattimore, Jabari Greer

When he’s been at his best, Lattimore has played at a level just a handful of cornerbacks can rival around the league. And he’s so young that it’s realistic to expect him to grow and develop into a real force as his career continues. His 8 interceptions and 44 pass breakups are rank third-best in this era, but he’s also shown a knack for creating fumbles (5) and recovering them (4). Back in the early 2010’s, however, Greer was one of the most-productive defenders on the team with 7 interceptions (fifth-most) and set the high-water mark for everyone with 55 pass deflections from 2010 to 2013.

Second team: Patrick Robinson, Keenan Lewis

It took some time for Robinson to carve out a role for himself with the Saints, and it required a three-year sojourn around the league with stops in different teams for him to develop into a solid slot defender. But he’s always had ball skills, as seen in his 9 interceptions and 48 pass breakups. Robinson is a depth player these days, but he’s put up plenty of hides on the wall for the Saints to point to. Lewis was also a nice player for the Saints from 2013 to 2015, when he appeared in 38 games and gave Saints fans a home-town hero to root for. We’d be remiss to not mention Delvin Breaux, another New Orleans legend who played well for the Saints before injuries cut his NFL career short.

Safety

First team: Marcus Williams, Roman Harper

Some fans won’t want to hear this, but Williams intercepted more passes (10) than any other Saints player from 2010 to 2019, and he’s only played 46 games from 2017 to 2019. His tackling may be suspect at times but Williams is gifted with rare ball skills. Contrast that with Harper, who seldom got his hands on the ball, but provided solid tackling and great leadership in his 9-year Saints career (we’re all going to pretend his stint with the Carolina Panthers didn’t happen).

Second team: Kenny Vaccaro, Vonn Bell

Vaccaro didn’t turn into the long-term answer at safety the Saints envisioned, but he was still an effective player. He created plenty of splash plays in his 68 appearances from 2013 to 2017, collecting 8 interceptions, 30 pass deflections, 4 forced fumbles (with 3 recoveries), 7.5 sacks, 19 hits, and 23 tackles for loss (with 283 solo tackles in his career). It’s a shame things didn’t work out, but we’ll always have his game-winning pass breakup in his first career start against the Atlanta Falcons. Bell has similarly taken a long time to find his footing, having intercepted his first pass in his fourth year with the team, but his other stats speak for themselves. In 61 games, Bell has made 240 solo tackles and forced 7 fumbles and recovered 7 more.

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Saints snap-count analysis vs. Panthers: Rest played factor in distribution

The New Orleans Saints rested starters late in their blowout win over the Carolina Panthers, allowing backups like Janoris Jenkins to shine.

The New Orleans went into Week 17 against the Carolina Panthers with offense playing at full strength, while the defense remained banged up, especially in the secondary. That was still too much for a leaderless Panthers team to handle, and key starters were pulled by the Saints in the fourth quarter, which significantly skews their snap counts. The upside to that is the second- and third-string players got extended experience, which will only help them develop further.

Offensive backfield

  • QB Drew Brees, 56 (81%)
  • RB Latavius Murray, 37 (54%)
  • QB Taysom Hill, 34 (49%)
  • RB Alvin Kamara, 28 (41%)
  • FB Ricky Ortiz, 17 (25%)
  • QB Teddy Bridgewater, 11 (16%)
  • RB Dwayne Washington, 5 (7%)

Kamara’s share was down from Week 16 against the Tennessee Titans, when he saw over 63% of the offensive snaps. However, the running back was able to produce two touchdowns against the Panthers, and his reduced workload was likely caused by head coach Sean Payton wanting to give his starter rest ahead of the the playoffs.

Skill positions

  • TE Josh Hill, 55 (80%)
  • WR Michael Thomas, 46 (67%)
  • WR Tre’Quan Smith, 43 (62%)
  • TE Jared Cook, 26 (38%)
  • WR Ted Ginn Jr., 18 (26%)
  • WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey, 12 (17%)
  • WR Deonte Harris, 8 (12%)

Once again Hill outpaced Cook for their share of snaps played, which is not unusual considering he plays a larger part in the run-blocking game than Cook. Furthermore, Hill’s presence allows Cook more opportunities in the passing game. Thomas’ snap count share was below-average this week, as was his production. There is not much to be worried about on that front considering he was rested in the fourth quarter.

Offensive line

  • T Ryan Ramczyk, 69 (100%)
  • G Larry Warford, 69 (100%)
  • C Erik McCoy, 69 (100%)
  • T Terron Armstead, 54 (78%)
  • G Andrus Peat, 49 (71%)
  • C Nick Easton, 20 (29%)
  • C Will Clapp, 18 (26%)

The offensive line returned to near full-health against Carolina with the return of Peat and Warford, though Peat was in and out of the game depending on various situations. it seems the Saints wanted to ease him back into action after he broke his arm. While Easton had done an admirable job in standing in during that time, the offensive line looked much better at protecting Brees, while also opening up the run game. A strong push into the playoffs will be much more attainable, with the entire unit near full health.

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Watch: Demario Davis and Drew Brees light up the Saints vs. Panthers

New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis and quarterback Drew Brees fired up their team before Week 17’s game with the Carolina Panthers.

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The New Orleans Saints are minutes away from kicking off against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium, and they capped off pregame warmups with the typical fired-up huddle featuring speeches from team leaders like linebacker Demario Davis and quarterback Drew Brees. But Sunday’s speech wasn’t something they’d heard before.

“All I am asking from you,” Davis began, raising his voice and driving the point home, “All I am asking from you is everything you got!”

It’s easy to see how the Saints are able to play together as a team, with great examples like Davis and Brees at the helm. These weekly impassioned pregame speeches are just part of the work they put in every day to show their teammates how to win in the NFL and overcome the adversity each of them faces. Check it out for yourself where it’s been embedded below, or by following this link:

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Which Saints players can earn contract incentives against the Panthers?

New Orleans Saints players including Teddy Bridgewater and P.J. Williams can earn contract incentives by standing out against the Panthers.

The New Orleans Saints are hours away from closing out the 2019 regular season against the Carolina Panthers, but there’s more on the line for some players than others. Performance-based contract incentives are on the line, and multiple Saints could cash an extra check or two. Others have already missed out on potential cash-ins (like Demario Davis, who was undercut by a badly-designed Pro Bowl ballot from earning $500,000 by getting voted in), while some are just a big play or two away from it.

Fortunately, the Saints have a history of paying out these bonuses even if players come up a little short. Just last year, defensive end Alex Okafor missed out on a $400,000 incentive for logging four sacks (he bagged three), but the Saints cut him a check anyway. Those actions mean a lot to players, and it wouldn’t be surprising in the least if they award some bonuses again this year.

According to The Athletic’s Nick Underhill, several Saints players could trigger bonus payouts by meeting certain criteria in Week 17. Here’s who could bring in some extra money after standing out against the Panthers:

Teddy Bridgewater, quarterback

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Bridgewater can earn as much as $5.25 million through contract incentives, but realistically speaking he’s only going to qualify for $500,00 of that thanks to his extended starting-time earlier this season — and only if he throws a touchdown pass against Carolina. Here’s the breakdown:

  • Earned: $250,000 for improving upon playing-time from 2018
  • Within reach: $250,000 for scoring 10 touchdowns; or $500,000 for 16 touchdowns; or $750,000 for 21 touchdowns. Currently has 9 touchdowns
  • Not likely to be earned: $250,000 per playoff appearance where Bridgewater plays 50 percent of the snaps. Unlikely, unless Drew Brees gets injured again
  • Not likely to be earned: $250,000 for 2,500 yards; or $500,000 for 2,751 yards; or $750,000 for 3,001 yards. Currently has 1,370 yards
  • Not likely to be earned: $2.5 million for playing 50% of the snaps. Currently at 39.1%, would need to start and play more than 130 snaps against the Panthers to catch up
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Studs and Duds from Saints’ 38-28 victory over Titans

The New Orleans Saints proved their mettle in a 38-28 road victory over the Tennessee Titans, rallying back from an early 14-0 deficit to take the lead and hold onto it for the rest of the game. A number of standout performances made that happen, …

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The New Orleans Saints proved their mettle in a 38-28 road victory over the Tennessee Titans, rallying back from an early 14-0 deficit to take the lead and hold onto it for the rest of the game. A number of standout performances made that happen, while a few less-than-stellar individual mistakes and mismatches put them in that hole in the first place. Here’s your Week 16 Studs and Duds.

Studs

Have a day, Michael Thomas. The Pro Bowl, All-Pro wide receiver finished the game with a dozen receptions for 136 receiving yards and the final touchdown score, good enough to break records set by all-time greats like Randy Moss and Marvin Harrison. Thomas was consistently too much for the Titans defense to handle, and Drew Brees was quick to recognize it by giving Thomas so many targets.

Let’s not forget Alvin Kamara, either. He’s been slow to get back up to speed from some early-season injuries, but his 110 yards from scrimmage and two touchdown runs against Tennessee did a lot to put him back on the map. If he’s truly back to his old self and ready for the playoffs, the Saints offense might be unstoppable. They’ve averaged more than 35 points per game since the post-bye Falcons upset, which feels like a lifetime ago.

How about Deonte Harris? The rookie Pro Bowler looked the part on kick and punt returns, ending his day with 183 all-purpose yards. He was a mismatch against a sloppy Titans special teams unit, which was doing its best to avoid kicking to him later in the game. But Harris has proven he can take a game over if given the chance, and that’s a huge asset to add to the Saints’ arsenal as the calendar turns towards the playoffs in January.

We’ll close out this segment with Demario Davis. The veteran linebacker was on fire against the Titans, flowing towards the ball in run defense while remaining active on passing downs. He led the Saints with 11 tackles (9 solo), including a pair of big tackles for loss of yards. He also chipped in a sack and two hits, along with his weekly pass deflection. Saints fans have spent a decade praying for good — not even great, just good — linebacker play, but Davis has given them an elite performance to look forward to each week. His Pro Bowl snub is a glaring omission from the NFL’s all-star game.

Duds

It wasn’t the debut Janoris Jenkins probably hoped for, having been given just a few days of practice before getting rushed into action on Sunday. When Eli Apple and Marcus Williams exited the game with injuries, the Saints had to scramble to put a patchwork secondary together, which meant more exposure for Jenkins than anticipated. He was at fault for one touchdown pass, drew a coverage penalty early on, and struggled to communicate with his new teammates at times throughout the game. The good news is that he should improve rapidly with more practice time.

Speaking of Marcus Williams: he’s a frustrating player, who too often spikes what should have been a great play with a careless mistake. He allowed two big gains in coverage by making the correct read and getting into position, but failing to wrap up for a clean tackle. That’s been the story of his year — despite the team-leading interceptions total (4) and knack for quick play diagnosis, he’s still making these sloppy mistakes in big moments, and costing his team. He’s a young player and should continue to grow and develop, but any missed time with this groin injury will delay that maturation.

The Saints offensive line can’t get healthy soon enough. They were missing starting guards Andrus Peat and Larry Warford, and the Titans pass-rush unit took advantage with three big sacks against Brees. Even standout right tackle Ryan Ramczyk allowed a sack, while center Erik McCoy made a few rookie mistakes. New Orleans struggled to get much going on the ground until Kamara found a lane and traveled 40 yards for a touchdown; outside of that play, the Saints averaged just 3.42 yards per carry. Backup guards Nick Easton and Will Clapp can start in a pinch, but this game proved they can’t hold up in extended action against a competent defensive front.

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Watch: Demario Davis, Drew Brees hype up the Saints before Titans game

The New Orleans Saints took the field at Nissan Stadium against the Tennessee Titans led by QB Drew Brees and LB Demario Davis.

The clock is winding down towards kickoff between the New Orleans Saints and the Tennessee Titans, and team leaders like linebacker Demario Davis and quarterback Drew Brees are ready to fire up their teammates.

Davis and Brees continued to tag-team the Saints pregame huddle, delivering a passionate speech to get their team psyched up and ready for Sunday’s road game at Nissan Stadium. They stressed the need stay alert and energized, even if things are going well for the Saints right now. Just because they’re playing a team they feel no personal rivalry with doesn’t mean they can phone in an underwhelming performance.

“Even when you eat, stay hungry!” Davis shouted from among his huddled teammates. He’s driven home a mantra of “we prowl, we kill, we eat” all season long, setting the tone for a Saints defense that has given better than it’s gotten from opponents for much of the year. Check out video of the latest Saints pregame huddle where it’s embedded below:

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