C.J. Gardner-Johnson returns to practice on updated Saints-Titans injury report

New Orleans Saints safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson returned to practice on their updated injury report ahead of Week 16 vs. the Tennessee Ttians

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The New Orleans Saints and Tennessee Titans updated their official injury reports on Thursday ahead of Sunday’s noon kickoff. New Orleans released an estimated initial injury report on Wednesday after going through a low-intensity walkthrough practice, due to the short week that followed their Monday Night Football game against the Indianapolis Colts.

Several key starters will be worth keeping an eye on throughout the week, and their status during their first regular practice on Thursday is telling. Safety Vonn Bell still did not participate on Thursday, while rookie safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, his backup, participated on a limited basis. His return to the practice field bodes well for his return from a concussion.

Injuries have been piling up along the offensive line. Starting left guard Andrus Peat, now almost a month removed from surgery on his broken arm, was again a limited participant in practice. His partner on the right side, Larry Warford, rested for the second consecutive practice session after last week’s scary knee injury.

Any changes to Wednesday’s practice status are noted in bold text. And as always, a final injury report will be released on Friday denoting each player’s status for the game on Sunday. Here’s what we’ve learned.

From the Saints

LB Kiko Alonso (quadricep), Limited
OL Andrus Peat (forearm), Limited
OL Terron Armstead (ankle), Limited
OL Ryan Ramczyk (knee), Limited
CB Patrick Robinson (calf), Limited
S Vonn Bell (knee), Did not participate
OL Larry Warford (knee), Did not participate
S C.J. Gardner-Johnson (concussion), Limited

From the Titans

WR Adam Humphries (ankle), Did not participate
LB Daren Bates (shoulder), Full
WR Corey Davis (ankle), Limited
RB Derrick Henry (hamstring), Did not participate
CB Adore Jackson (foot), Did not participate
WR Kalif Raymond (knee), Full
LB Wesley Woodyard (knee), Full
RB Dion Lewis (ankle) Limited

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Saints roster moves: Saquan Hampton to injured reserve, Janoris Jenkins signed

The New Orleans Saints made room for CB Janoris Jenkins, claimed off of waivers, by sending rookie S Saquan Hampton to injured reserve.

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Another member of the New Orleans Saints’ 2019 NFL Draft class landed on injured reserve when safety Saquan Hampton ending his rookie season. It’s unclear what sort of injury Hampton is dealing with. His departure opened a spot on the 53-man roster for veteran cornerback Janoris Jenkins, who the Saints picked up on waivers earlier this week.

Hampton was a sixth-round pick out of Rutgers, and had been frequently inactive this year due to New Orleans’ depth at the position. But when backup safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson exited Monday’s game with the Indianapolis Colts with a concussion, Hampton was forced into the lineup — starting safety Vonn Bell was inactive with a knee injury. In total, Hampton only dressed for five games in 2019, logging 34 snaps on defense and 63 appearances on special teams. He’s been credited with one solo tackle for a loss of yards.

This means three of the Saints’ five draft picks have either finished their rookie season on injured reserve or been released. Linebacker Kaden Elliss, a seventh-round draft pick out of Idaho, went down with an ACL back in September. New Orleans’ other late-round pick, tight end Alize Mack, was cut from the practice squad earlier this year. Thankfully, the Saints hit on their first two draft picks (standout center Erik McCoy and Gardner-Johnson) and have built such a deep roster that they can absorb these hits.

As for Jenkins: Saints coach Sean Payton was noncommittal when asked if the veteran would start right away, and he offered a vote of confidence in number-two cornerback Eli Apple during his Wednesday conference call. Apple figures to be Jenkins’ top competition for playing-time given his recent struggles.

One silver lining here may be that two Saints mainstays — Gardner-Johnson and right guard Larry Warford — each left Monday’s game with serious injuries, but neither of them were lost to injured reserve to make room for Jenkins. Instead, the Saints found something to designate Hampton with (he finished the Colts game with no apparent injuries), which could imply neither Gardner-Johnson nor Warford are expected to miss extended time. But we won’t know for certain until the Saints injury report is published later Wednesday.

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The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Week 15: Reviewing the Saints’ win over the Colts

On a record-setting night for Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints, there is plenty of good to go around after thrashing the Colts.

The New Orleans Saints dominated the Indianapolis Colts in prime-time during their “Monday Night Football” matchup, winning the game with a very lopsided 34-7 final score.

This victory was important for several years, highlighting more than a need to just get-back-on-track after last week’s crushing loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Tough defensive efforts, a solid showing from the special teams units, and a fantastic offensive performance allowed the Saints to show fans something they haven’t seen this season: an all-around team win.

The Good (Great, really): Drew Brees

Let’s just get this out of the way now: Brees eclipsed Peyton’s Manning’s record for career passing touchdowns, and did so in spectacular fashion. En route to that record-breaking play, the Hall of Fame-bound quarterback also completed 29 of his 30 passes, marking a completion percentage of 96.7%; that’s another record broken on the evening.

Brees has been great this year, and he’s now posted back-to-back performances with 300-plus passing yard and four touchdown lobs. The ageless gunslinger is picking up steam at the right time as the Saints move towards the playoffs.

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