Tag: Idaho Football

Nevada Football: Wolf Pack Embarrassed By Idaho 33-6

Nevada Football: Wolf Pack Embarrassed By Idaho 33-6 The Nevada Wolf Pack losing streak extends to 12 games after a horrid loss to Idaho. Contact/Follow @BrandonGBlake & @MWCwire Nevada Turns In A Sorry Performance In A 33-6 Loss To Idaho If you …

Nevada Football: Wolf Pack Embarrassed By Idaho 33-6

The Nevada Wolf Pack losing streak extends to 12 games after a horrid loss to Idaho.

Contact/Follow @BrandonGBlake & @MWCwire

Nevada Turns In A Sorry Performance In A 33-6 Loss To Idaho

If you thought that things for the Nevada Wolf Pack could not get any more worse than the 52 point beatdown to USC last Saturday, well I have some news for you…………

 

………………….It got a whole lot worse.

The Wolf Pack got another beatdown again this time by FCS opponent Idaho 33-6 on Saturday in Reno. Nevada was simply outplayed and looked ill-prepared against an Idaho team that is an all around very good team.  This tweet by Matt Brown basically sums up the entire game experience between Nevada and Idaho.

On offense, the Wolf Pack could not find consistency and turned the ball over and on defense, Idaho made Nevada’s defense look like clowns. Idaho QB Gevani McCoy performed brilliantly against a Nevada defense that looked clueless and overmatched. 

The Nevada quarterbacks of Brendon Lewis and AJ Bianco combined to go 20 for 38 for a paltry 148 yards passing, zero touchdowns and two interceptions. Meanwhile, Gevani McCoy threw for 313 yards and two touchdowns. McCoy’s 75 yard touchdown pass to TE Turvon Ivy Jr., at the beginning of the game really set the stage for the pitiful performance by Nevada on Saturday. 

The Wolf Pack offense line, a continued problem  for more than a decade, was once again the problem for Nevada. The Idaho defensive line bullied, pushed and manhandled the Nevada offensive line. New football season, same old Nevada offensive line getting bullied around.

Note: I refuse to call the Nevada offensive line “The Union” because cool nicknames only belong to teams and units that are playing well and Nevada as a whole clearly are not playing well

Even when it looked like Nevada was turning the corner and it looked like they were playing well, the Wolf Pack found a way to mess that up. 

At the end of the first half, Idaho looked like they were about to score a touchdown to close out the half. But the Wolf Pack defense kept Idaho out of the endzone and the Vandals had to settle for a  field goal. At the end of the first half, Idaho was up 17-6 and Nevada looked like they still had a chance. 

But that slim hope went away fast at the start of the second half. After Nevada’s offense went three and out, the Vandals marched down the field with ease and scored when McCoy connected with Alex Moore on a 15 yard touchdown pass to put the Vandals up 24-6.

That concluded the competitive portion of the game. Although one can argue that there was really no competitive portion because Nevada failed to show up. 

Now the Wolf Pack losing streak is at 12 straight  and this team has not won a game in 13 months. The Wolf Pack with head coach Ken Wilson has not progressed but instead has regressed since their last win against Texas State last year.  And looking at the rest of Nevada’s 2023 schedule, a person would have a hard time trying to find where Nevada can win a game,

And I know Coach Wilson has had the deck stacked against him from the beginning. From the incomplete and talent deprived roster to a brutal 12 game stretch where a majority of those games were against top teams from the Power 5 conferences (Iowa, USC), very good FCS teams (Incarnate Word, Idaho) and good to great Mountain West teams (Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State)

But the Wolf Pack under Coach Wilson during this stretch should have shown some improvement even if the wins are not there. There has been very little improvement and maybe Wilson needs more time but right now, I don’t see Nevada getting any better let alone winning a game. 

And now the Wolf Pack will play against another great offense in Kansas next week. Maybe the Wolf Pack will find their hearts and play well but I have my doubts.

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Idaho vs Nevada: Game Preview, How To Watch, Odds, Prediction

The Wolf Pack hope to avoid another FCS upset when they host the Vandals. Here’s how to watch and what to watch for.

Idaho vs Nevada: Game Preview, How To Watch, Odds, Prediction

Nevada returns to action at home against Idaho on Saturday.

Contact/Follow @BrandonGBlake & @MWCwire

Nevada hosts Idaho As Wolf Pack Look To Snap 11-Game losing Streak

WEEK 2: Nevada Wolf Pack (0-1) vs Idaho Vandals (1-0)

WHEN: Saturday, September 9th-4:00PM PT/5:00PM MT

TV: The game will be broadcast on Nevada Sports Net. Here is a link to watch the game on the NSN website.

STREAMING: Nevada Sports Net and Mountain West Network

RADIO: Nevada is on 105.7 KOZZ in Reno and Idaho is on KZFN 106.1 in Moscow.

SERIES RECORD: Nevada leads all time series 20-9. Last meeting was back in 2011 where Nevada won 56-3.

WEBSITES: NevadaWolfPack.com, the official Nevada athletics website | GoVandals.com, the official Idaho athletics website.

ODDS: NL

SP+ PROJECTION: Idaho by 13.3

FEI PROJECTION: N/A

Nevada begins their 2023 home campaign on Saturday as they host the Idaho Vandals out of the Big Sky Conference.

Nevada is looking to snap a losing streak that currently sits at 11 games. That losing streak got extended last Saturday in Los Angeles as #6 USC demolished Nevada 66-14.

Nevada was completely outclassed by the Trojans but there were some bright spots. QBs Brendon Lewis and AJ Bianco performed well when they led the offense. Bianco did have a touchdown pass and Lewis looked decent running the Wolf Pack offense when he was the QB.

Nevada did get some big plays on offense (a pair of 70 yard pass receptions from Jamaal Bell and Spencer Curtis, respectively) and the Wolf Pack defense did force a turnover (a brief reprieve from USC’s offense hammering the Nevada defense). So despite USC clearly routing the Wolf Pack, it was not all bad for Nevada last Saturday.

The Wolf Pack are facing an Idaho team that is coming off an impressive 42-17 victory over Lamar last week. On offense, the Vandals are led by QB Gevani McCoy who threw for 149 yards and two touchdowns in the win over Lamar. 

McCoy has some talented options to get the ball to in Hayden Hatten and  Anthony Woods. Hatten caught those two touchdowns from McCoy last week against Lamar. In total, Hatten caught six passes for 86 yards for Idaho in the victory last week. Woods ran for 138 yards on 13 carries for two touchdowns .

 

Can the Wolf Pack corral the Idaho offense and end this long losing streak? 

 

Here are my keys and a prediction for Nevada-Idaho.

 

Improved offensive line play from Nevada

The Wolf Pack offensive line was a problem last year and has been a problem for more than a decade. In the season opener against USC, the Wolf Pack ranged from iffy to slightly ok on pass protection and run blocking was not any better.

The run blocking is something that Nevada needs to get better at against Idaho. Against USC, the Wolf Pack ran the ball 38 times for 49 yards. Keep in mind the week before, the Trojan defense gave up 198 rushing yards to San Jose State. Nevada’s top three running backs ran the ball 26 times for 59 yards. (an average of 2.3 yards per carry)…that’s no good. 

Now San Jose State’s offense is much better than Nevada’s offense at this point in time. But Nevada under Ken Wilson wants to be good at running the ball. With the passing game showing improvement, the running game must also improve as well and it must start with the offensive line improving its play.

Containing QB Gevani McCoy

No one will mistake Idaho QB Gevani McCoy with USC QB Caleb Williams but McCoy is pretty dang good himself. 

McCoy, who won the Jerry Rice Award for best FCS Freshman, had an impressive first season in 2022. And given his impressive numbers last week against Lamar in the season opener, McCoy is picking up where he left off last season. 

McCoy also has talented playmakers in WR Hayden Hatten and RB Anthony Woods to give the ball to on offense. With the trio of McCoy, Hatten and Woods, the Idaho offense is a very talented unit.

Nevada will need to get better on defense quickly this week and try to corral McCoy and this offense. Idaho’s offense has the playmakers to score and the Wolf Pack defense needs to step up and stop the Vandal offense if Nevada wants to win on Saturday.

 

Get the ball to Jamaal Bell

The Wolf Pack offense is light on playmakers and the Nevada offense needs to get the ball to one of its main playmaker: WR Jamaal Bell.

Last week against USC, Bell caught eight passess for 121 yards and scored a touchdown on a 77 TD pass.  Bell is a talented player with explosive speed that the Wolf Pack should find a way to give him the ball.  

On either pass plays, screen plays or end around plays, Bell needs to have the ball in his hand for Nevada to win on Saturday. Players like Sean Dollars and Spencer Curtis should get touches as well but it is key for Bell to get the ball early and often.

 

Prediction

Nevada 24  Idaho 21

I know it is Week 2 and it is too early to call this game a “must win game” but it is a must win game for Nevada.

In the midst of an 11 game losing streak and the rest of their non-conference schedule looking more difficult, the Wolf Pack needs to win this game against Idaho. Lose this game, and the rest of the season will be looking bleak for Nevada and the rebuild will take a wrong turn. 

Nevada’ s defense needs to bounce back quickly against an Idaho offense that has talent at the skill positions and can score. Can the Wolf Pack defense  bounce back this week? I say they will. 

I see the Nevada defense playing better this week and containing the Vandal offense. And the offense will get the ball to their best playmakers like Jamaal Bell and score enough to win a close one on Saturday. 

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Nevada Football: First Look At The Idaho Vandals

This fall, revitalized Idaho could challenge the Wolf Pack in non-conference play. Here’s a first look at the Vandals.

Nevada Football: First Look at the Idaho Vandals

This fall, revitalized Idaho could challenge the Wolf Pack in non-conference play. Here’s a first look at the Vandals.

Contact/Follow @BrandonGBlake and @MWCwire

Not to be overlooked.

Nevada Football: First Look at 2023 Non-conference Opponents

USC | Idaho | Kansas | Texas State

After opening the 2023 season on the road against CFP contender USC, the Nevada Wolf Pack return home to Reno to take on the Idaho Vandals.

Location: Moscow, Idaho

Conference: Big Sky

Series History: Nevada leads the all-time series against Idaho, 21-8.

2022 Record: 7-5 (6-2 Big Sky)

Head Coach: Jason Eck (second year, 7-5 overall). The Vandals had largely struggled since dropping to the FCS level in 2018, but last year marked a breakthrough as the team advanced to the playoffs. After beginning the year with close losses to Washington State and Indiana, they ripped off five wins in a row (including an upset of Montana on the road) and nearly took down conference champion Sacramento State before winning two of the last three.

Key Players

Gevani McCoy, QB

The heartbeat of the Vandals passing game is sophomore Gevani McCoy. Last season McCoy threw for 2,721 yards and 27 touchdowns while completing 68.4 percent of his passes. McCoy’s 68.4 completion percentage set the record for the best completion percentage by an Idaho quarterback in school history. 

McCoy also recorded a passer rating of 170.38 which was the best among all Big Sky quarterbacks in 2022. He also led the Big Sky passing yards gained per attempt with 9.16 passing yards . McCoy’s success last season earned him the Jerry Rice Award for FCS National Freshman of the year. 

 

Hayden Hatten, WR

Hatten is a big target for McCoy to pass the ball to in the Vandals offense. In 2022, Hatten caught 83 passes for 1,209 yards and scored 16 touchdowns. Hatten’s 83 receptions were tops in the Big Sky in 2022. 

Hatten also led the Big Sky in receptions per game with 7.5 and receiving yards per game with 109.9.

 

Jermaine Jackson, WR

Jermaine Jackson is another key skills position player for the Vandal offense. Jackson recorded 54 receptions for 1,049 yards and four touchdowns in 2022. Jackson is not only a key weapon for Idaho in the passing game but also a key player returning kickoffs and punts.

Jackson recorded 15 punt returns for 208 yards which included a 79- yard punt return for a touchdown against Drake last season. Jackson also returned a 95 yard kickoff for a touchdown against Southeastern Louisiana. 

 

Marcus Harris, CB

Harris, who transferred to Idaho from Oregon State, finished third in the Big Sky in passes defended in 2022. Marcus Harris was a key contributor for a Vandals pass defense that finished third in the Big Sky in completion percentage allowed (54.9%) and yards per passing attempt allowed at 6.77 yards.

Anthony Woods, RB

Woods provides balance to the Vandal offense with his running abilities. In 2022, Woods ran for 880 yards on 154 carries while averaging 5.7 yards per carry. Woods recorded a career high 139 rushing yards and scored a touchdown against Sacramento State.

Woods and his rushing abilities help keep opposing defenses honest by having them focus on the Vandal’s rush offense as well as the passing offense.

Overview:

Offense

The Vandals strength on offense is in their passing game. QB Gevani McCoy is one of the best QBs in the FCS and with talented skill position players like Jermaine Jackson and Hayden Hatten, the Vandals passing offense is very talented. 

RB Anthony Woods provides the Vandals with the offensive balance rushing the ball. With Woods rushing and McCoy’s passing, the Vandal offense poses a strong threat to the Wolf Pack defense.

Defense

The Vandals defense in 2022 was one of the better units in the Big Sky Conference. Idaho finished second in rush defense giving up only 4.29 rush yards per play.Idaho was also good at defending the pass as well. 

The Vandals gave up a completion percentage of 54.9 percent during the 2022 season which was one of the best in the Big Sky. This is a defense that is capable of making stops on defense to give its offense chances to score points.

Early Prediction

Nevada 21  Idaho 19

Coming off what will be a loss to USC in Week 1, the Wolf Pack will have their hands full against an Idaho team that is much improved. The Vandals have the offense to give Nevada’s defense trouble and the Idaho defense will pose a challenge to a Nevada offense that is still a work in progress.

However, returning to Reno for the home opener of the 2023 season, an improving defense and the motivation to end an 11-game losing streak should be enough for the Wolf Pack to defeat the Vandals. It will be a close contest but the Wolf Pack will win a close one and finally get back into the win column.

 

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Idaho announces new head coach, passing over Saints RB’s coach Joel Thomas

Saints running backs coach Joel Thomas was a candidate for the open head coach job at Idaho, but the Vandals went with Jason Eck instead:

New Orleans Saints running backs coach Joel Thomas was a candidate for the open head coach job at Idaho, his alma mater, but the Vandals went with someone else instead: Jason Eck. South Dakota State’s offensive coordinator for the last three seasons, Eck was announced as Idaho’s new head coach Sunday.

As fate would have it, he and Thomas were part of the same Vandals coaching staff in 2004 — Thomas coached the running backs and worked as co-offensive coordinator, while Eck worked with the offensive line. Thomas later made the jump to the NFL, while Eck continued to climb the ladder in the college ranks.

So for now Thomas will stay in New Orleans on Sean Payton’s staff. Maybe he gets more calls in the offseason; the Saints lost a number of assistants early in 2021 and could hemorrhage more coaches over the next few months. It’s not impossible to imagine Thomas moving on if the right opportunity arises, though you have to think on some level his interest in Idaho was related to his history with the school.

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UC Davis vs Idaho Prediction, Game Preview: FCS Spring Football

UC Davis Aggies vs Idaho Vandals prediction and FCS spring football game preview.

UC Davis Aggies vs Idaho Vandals prediction and FCS spring football game preview.

UC Davis vs Idaho Broadcast

Date: Saturday, March 6
Game Time: 3:00 ET
Venue: Kibbie Dome, Moscow, ID
Network: Pluto TV

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– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

UC Davis (0-0) vs Idaho (1-0) Game Preview

For latest lines and to bet on the FCS, go to BetMGM

Why UC Davis Will Win

Head coach Dan Hawkins has a decent team returning after a mediocre and disappointing 2019 saw the O struggle and the D not being able to pick up the slack allowing well over 400 yards per game.

The offensive line should be a plus and the passing attack should push for 300 yards against an Idaho defense that allowed 339 yards through the air to the Eastern Washington offense in a 28-21 Vandal win.

There was and is little to no running game from Idaho, but …

Why Idaho Will Win

The Vandal defense came up with a strong performance last week. It’s not like Eastern Washington committed to the run, but it put it on the ground more times than the Vandals did and outside of two nice runs, nothing worked.

Hayden Hatten had a huge six-catch, 138-yard, one-score day for the Idaho passing game to keep things moving, and now Mike Beaudry has a game under his belt and got a win out of it. In this early part of the FCS spring season, having just a little bit of live experience matters.

What’s Going To Happen

The Aggies have the talent and upside to be as strong as they were in 2018, and Idaho is still a bit of a question mark even after the great first win over Eastern Washington. It’s going to be an even game that comes down to mistakes, and UC Davis will make a few more of them on the road.

UC Davis vs Idaho Prediction, Line

Idaho 27, UC Davis 23
Bet on college football with BetMGM
Line: Idaho -3.5, o/u: 55

Must See Rating: 3

5: Beavis & Butt-Head are making a movie
1: Tom & Jerry

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Eastern Washington vs Idaho Prediction, Game Preview: FCS Spring Football

Eastern Washington Eagles vs Idaho Vandals prediction and FCS spring football game preview

Eastern Washington Eagles vs Idaho Vandals prediction and FCS spring football game preview.

Eastern Washington vs Idaho Broadcast

Date: Saturday, February 27
Game Time: 6:05 ET
Venue: Kibbie Dome, Moscow, ID
Network: PlutoTV

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– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

Eastern Washington (0-0) vs Idaho (0-0) Game Preview

For latest lines and to bet on the NFL, go to BetMGM

Why Eastern Washington Will Win

Here comes the offense and here comes the fun … again.

The Eastern Washington attack gets back star QB Eric Barriere and just enough good parts to the No. 1 FCS attack in 2019 to be excellent. It might not be quite the high-flying fun show right out of the gate considering so many starters are being replaced, but the systems are in place to bomb away.

Idaho is rebuilding even more, and it needs a whole lot of work for an offensive line that allowed everyone into the backfield. The Eastern Washington defensive front should live behind the line, but …

Why Idaho Will Win

The Vandals have to take advantage of the lost Eagle starters with a decent first half.

Head coach Paul Petrino doesn’t have a ton of big-time talents from a 2019 team that struggled with its consistency, but there are more quarterback options ready to make a push for a passing game that needs to be better. There are just enough decent receivers to ask for more, and there might be a real, live defense.

Tre Walker is a big-time linebacker and good hitter working behind one of the better-looking defensive fronts in the Petrino era, but …

What’s Going To Happen

The Eastern Washington offense will get going early and won’t have any issues despite all the new personnel. Yes, Idaho was able to pull off the win back on 2019, and yes, the Vandals have promise, and …

That win back in 2019 was an aberration. The Idaho defensive front will be solid, but the secondary will have a whole lot of issues.

Eastern Washington vs Idaho Prediction, Line

Eastern Washington 41, Idaho 27
Bet on college football with BetMGM
Line: Eastern Washington -6, o/u: 62.5

Must See Rating:

5: Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy
1: Clarice

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Idaho high school football game halted at halftime after parent refuses to wear mask

A high school football game in Idaho was called off at halftime on Friday night when a parent refused to comply with mask orders.

A high school football game in Idaho was called off at halftime on Friday night when a parent refused to comply with mask orders.

With Emmett High School leading host Caldwell High School 35-0 at halftime, players and coaches were sent home because of one parent’s refusal to wear a mask. According to Nicole Foy of the Idaho Statesman, Ammon Bundy, who has a son on Emmett’s varsity team, was involved in the controversy.

Bundy’s name might seem familiar, as he was at the center of an armed occupation of a wildlife refuge in Oregon in 2016. Bundy was also arrested twice in August for protesting mask orders at the Idaho State Capitol building in Boise.

“I’m very disappointed that our kids lost the chance to be able to play a Friday night football game,” Caldwell school board president Marisela Pesina said following the incident. “Our parents have been following the rules and it makes me sad that because someone wants to prove their point, we had to stop our game.”

According to Pesina, district rules require parents and fans to wear masks and practice social distancing. Bundy not only refused to wear a mask, but also refused to leave school property. Caldwell police officers were called to the scene and school officials decided to stop the game at halftime after “a threat to the safety of the school” was made.

“Canyon County dispatch began receiving multiple calls from unidentified callers threatening acts of violence at the game stemming from the dispute over masks,” Caldwell Police Department Spokesman Joe Hoadley said Saturday “At which time the decision was made to cancel the game for the safety of students and fans.”

WATCH: Kaden Elliss intercepts a pass and runs it back all the way to the house

New Orleans Saints linebacker Kaden Elliss made a splash in training camp practice with an interception returned for a defensive touchdown.

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The New Orleans Saints were very excited about linebacker Kaden Elliss last summer, and it’s easy to see why: he’s an impressive athlete. While Elliss saw his rookie year cut short by a torn ACL in Week 3’s win over the Seattle Seahawks, he worked hard to recover from surgery and showed up to training camp ready to roll.

And the plays he’s made helped convince the Saints to release veteran linebacker Nigel Bradham, a somewhat-splashy signing added just before camp kicked off. While Elliss isn’t challenging Demario Davis or Alex Anzalone for snaps with the first-team defense, he’s going to get opportunities to make an impact if he keeps it up.

On Wednesday, Elliss won a one-on-one rep definitely by covering tight end Garrett Griffin so well that he nearly ran Griffin’s route for him, jumping the pass and streaking towards the end zone for a would-be defensive touchdown. It’s a great example of the traits that Elliss could use to succeed in the NFL: his agility, awareness, and ball skills combining for a big win.

It’s exactly the sort of play Elliss needs to make to help him stand out from other backups like Joe Bachie, Andrew Dowell, and Chase Hansen. Check it out for yourself:

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Saints to activate linebacker Kaden Elliss from reserve/COVID-19

New Orleans Saints linebacker Kaden Elliss is set to be activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list after twice testing negative for infection.

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It turned out to be a short stay on reserve/COVID-19 for New Orleans Saints linebacker Kaden Elliss, who was designated to the reserve list Thursday. NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill reported that the Saints will remove Elliss from the list after twice testing negative for COVID-19, which was confirmed by Amie Just of The Times-Picayune/Advocate. It suggests that the initial test result to put Elliss in the NFL’s COVID-19 protocol may have been a false-positive, but the real takeaway is that Elliss was fortunate to escape a serious infection.

That’s great news for the second-year pro out of Idaho, who was picked by the Saints late in the 2019 NFL Draft. Elliss initially showed out on special teams in training camp last summer before working his way into the linebacker rotation, splitting time with Kiko Alonso as the team’s third linebacker in base sets (starters Demario Davis and A.J. Klein rarely left the field). An unfortunate knee injury in Week 3’s road win over the Seattle Seahawks ended his rookie season, but he’s back now and looking to carve out a larger role for himself.

And his help couldn’t arrive at a better time. Including Elliss, the Saints have just four linebackers under contract past the 2020 season; former practice squad call-up Andrew Dowell and rookies Zack Baun and Joe Bachie round out the group. If any of them can impress enough to earn starter’s reps this year, they could become a big asset to the team in years to come.

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Saints designate their first two players to COVID-19/reserve list

The New Orleans Saints placed linebacker Kaden Elliss and long snapper Zach Wood on the COVID-19/reserve list on Thursday’s NFL transactions

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The New Orleans Saints tested their entire roster for COVID-19 infections when players arrived for training camp last week, and they were one of a few NFL teams to not report any positive cases.

That changed on Thursday’s update to the NFL transactions wire, when the Saints placed linebacker Kaden Elliss and long snapper Zach Wood to the COVID-19/reserve list. Details are confidential, but this means that they either tested positive themselves or came in contact with someone who had. They will need to test negative twice before they can rejoin the team.

Elliss, 25, joined the Saints last season as a late-round draft pick out of Idaho. His path to the roster lies on special teams, though he’s shown some of the athleticism and smarts needed to be more than a backup on defense. As for Wood: the 27-year old out of SMU signed a four-year contract extension with the Saints earlier this summer, and it’ll be interesting to see how the Saints replace him during his absence. Free agent tryouts are difficult right now given how busy doctors are in fighting a public health crisis.

Hopefully neither Elliss nor Wood will be seriously affected by the coronavirus. Some additions to the COVID-19/reserve list should have been expected, even if the Saints got off to a great start in training camp. Saints coach Sean Payton has been the first to acknowledge that cases will be inevitable in a contact sport with such large rosters.

It’s also worth noting that false positive test results are possible; Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is one recent example. So we should look for some movement on these situations in the days ahead.

The Saints had two players opt out of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the NFL deadline for opt outs passed by without more of their teammates joining them, which was also expected. So they’re all in for the long haul.

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