Tag: New Orleans Saints

All eyes are on Marshon Lattimore on first Saints injury report

The New Orleans Saints will travel to take on Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 11, but Marshon Lattimore and Andrus Peat are fighting injuries.

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The New Orleans Saints will travel to Tampa Bay to take on the Buccaneers in a Week 11 NFC South showdown. This will be the second matchup between the two teams, the first being a 31-24 Saints victory in Week 5.

The injury report this week will be crucially important as all eyes will be on cornerback Marshon Lattimore after a hamstring injury during Week 10. Lattimore has proven to be the best secondary player on the Saints defense, and with Buccaneer’s wideout Mike Evans lurking, an additional challenge has been wrinkled in to the Saints’ game plan.

The initial injury reports published by the Saints and the Buccaneers on Wednesday are the initial reports for the week. A second, updated report will be released on Thursday. The final injury report with game status for certain players will be issued on Friday. Daily changes in practice participation are noted in bold text.

From the Saints

  • KR/WR Deonte Harris (Hamstring) Did not participate
  • CB Marshon Lattimore (Hamstring) Did not participate
  • G Andrus Peat (Forearm) Did not participate
  • FB Zach Line (Knee) Limited
  • LB Demario Davis (Hamstring) Limited
  • CB Patrick Robinson (Hamstring) Full

From the Buccaneers

  • CB Carlton Davis (Hip) Did not participate
  • T Demar Dotson (Non injury related) Did not participate
  • OLB Anthony Nelson (Hamstring) Did not participate
  • CB M.J. Stewart (Knee) Did not participate
  • G Ali Marpet (Ankle) Limited
  • OLB Carl Nassib (Hamstring) Limited

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Andrus Peat expected to miss six weeks with a broken arm

The New Orleans Saints lost starting left guard Andrus Peat to a broken arm against the Atlanta Falcons, and he’s expected to miss six weeks

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Bad news hit the New Orleans Saints on Wednesday, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting that left guard Andrus Peat suffered a broken arm in Sunday’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Peat went through surgery Wednesday and the team expects him to be sidelined for six weeks, per Schefter’s report. That would put him on the shelf until their Dec. 22 game with the Tennessee Titans.

It’s a big loss for the Saints. Despite his inconsistent level of play, Peat was their best option to start at left guard as well as the immediate backup for left tackle Terron Armstead. He’ll likely be replaced by his own backup, second-year pro Will Clapp, though free-agent signee Nick Easton should also be a candidate to get playing time. Easton has been a healthy scratch in six of nine games after signing a four-year, $20 million contract with New Orleans earlier this year.

It couldn’t come at a worse time for Peat, who is scheduled to test free agency in the spring. The 25-year-old is playing out the fifth-year option of his rookie contract, guaranteeing him $9.625 million in 2019. The sad state of offensive line play around the league means he’ll have plenty of bidders looking to pay him to start at either left tackle or left guard, and probably put him out of New Orleans’ price range even with this injury.

And injury concerns are something that has dogged Peat throughout his career: he’s never played a 16-game season, despite coming close in both 2016 and 2017 with 15 games played in each outing, though his 2017 season ended with a broken leg. He missed three games in 2018 due to a sprained ankle, concussion, and broken hand, but made the Pro Bowl as an alternate. A growing list of injuries, poor positional fits (the Saints tried him out at both tackle and guard on each side of the line before settling at left guard), and a probably-high price tag mean his days in New Orleans may be numbered.

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NFL Week 11: How to survive and advance in your knockout pool

The Niners and Raiders are double-digit favorites in the same week for the first time since 1987. Does that make them safe picks?

The Miami Dolphins and Atlanta Falcons combined to send many knockout pools to the finish line in Week 10. However, if you rolled the dice and went with the Bears against the Matthew Stafford-less Lions as a late audible, you were rewarded … barely. On to Week 11 as the drama builds and tension heightens.

Don’t think about it

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

The New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles get together for the first time since Super Bowl LII. This figures to be a great game to watch and if you somehow have either team available, keep them in the bank. The Rams and Bears get together again. Last year saw Chicago on top. Another game that is worth enjoying and not getting anywhere near. Would have to say the Steelers and Browns fall into this category. Pittsburgh is playing well and Cleveland is coming off a good win against Buffalo. It’s Thursday night and not worth ruining your weekend. The Texans and Ravens get together in what should be a showcase of two of the best QBs in the game, Deshaun Watson and Lamar Jackson. This could come down to who has the ball last and that is not the memory you want to take away from being eliminated from a knockout pool. Not going to try and figure out what Colts team shows up to face the Jaguars. If Brian Hoyer plays again, stay far away from Indy. And, in the Monday night matchup, San Diego plays host to Kansas City in Mexico City. This could provide plenty of offensive fireworks and is a great way to finish NFL Week 11 by enjoying it and not having to choose sides.

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Second-half Saints schedule sets up for a strong playoff push

The New Orleans Saints strength of schedule is mediocre. The Green Bay Packers have it easy but the San Francisco 49ers are in for a shock.

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The second half of the NFL regular season is upon us, and it couldn’t have started worse for the New Orleans Saints. They air-balled what should have been an easy win over the Atlanta Falcons last Sunday, losing their grip on the second playoff seed in the NFC as the Green Bay Packers beat the Carolina Panthers and the top-ranked San Francisco 49ers suffered their first setback of the year to the Seattle Seahawks.

But Saints fans should feel optimistic about their fortunes moving forward, and their team’s chance to recover. New Orleans has just four games against opponents with winning records, including the 49ers (8-1), Panthers twice (5-4), and Indianapolis Colts (5-4), as well as the middling Tennessee Titans (5-5). There’s plenty of time for correction and improvement ahead of them.

According to NFL Research, the Saints’ second half schedule ranks near the middle of the pack, with their remaining opponents sharing a combined record of 33-31-0 (.516). Here’s how they rank among their peers:

Compare that to what other NFC playoff contenders are facing. The San Francisco 49ers are set to play the second-toughest schedule down the stretch, with their future opponents having gone 40-25-1 (.614); their odds of holding onto the top playoff seed in the conference are slim. However, the Green Bay Packers are in good position to maintain their one-game lead on the Saints in playoff seeding, with a relatively weak strength of schedule of 25-30-1 (.455) ahead of them. That’s the ninth-easiest second half schedule in the NFL.

As for the two-team race in the NFC South: the Carolina Panthers are still a few games behind the Saints, but their remaining strength of schedule at 32-32 (.500) is slightly easier to navigate than what New Orleans will see. If Carolina handles its business and the Saints continue to play down to their competition, it’s not impossible to see a path for the Panthers to steal a divisional title in the season’s final weeks. If New Orleans plays like they did last Sunday, they could be in for a rude awakening no matter how favorable their schedule looks on paper.

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Will Week 11’s Saints-Buccaneers game be broadcast in your area?

Week 11 should be a rebound game for the New Orleans Saints against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Will the game broadcast be available for you?

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The New Orleans Saints are coming off of one of their worst performances in recent memory, having been steamrolled by the lowly Atlanta Falcons last Sunday. The Saints played poorly as an entire unit, looking more like how the almost-winless Falcons were expected to perform. A stagnant offense and self-inflicted defensive penalties kept the Saints far from reach of a victory against their NFC South archrival.

Week 11 should be a rebound game for New Orleans, as they travel to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Their matchup earlier this season aside, Tampa Bay has always proven to be a tricky opponent for the Saints, especially when the Buccaneers get to play in Raymond James Stadium.

New Orleans raised a lot of questions last week about specific weaknesses within the offense, especially along the offensive line. A solid performance from quarterback Drew Brees and the rest of the offense would go a long way in assuaging any fears and questions that arose in their Week 10 outing. You will not want to miss the Saints take on the Buccaneers as they try to rebound back into the top spot in the NFC.

The broadcast map from 506 Sports highlights the coverage for each of the games during the early slate on FOX. The markets in orange will show the Saints-Buccaneers game, with Thom Brennaman and Chris Spielman on the call. The late afternoon slate, highlighted in blue, will feature the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers. This also means that if you are in a blue zone , you will not receive any game during the early slot on FOX. Those areas in green will catch the week’s other NFC South matchup between the Atlanta Falcons and the Carolina Panthers. Finally, the majority of the country will receive the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions kickoff, as denoted in red.

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Saints WR Keith Kirkwood working to return from injured reserve

New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton commended the progress WR Keith Kirkwood has made in working to return from injured reserve.

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The New Orleans Saints had high hopes for second-year wide receiver Keith Kirkwood during the summer. Kirkwood was their preferred stand-in for Michael Thomas during his brief holdout for a contract extension, but he played just a dozen snaps in the season-opener before exiting with a hamstring injury. It continued to dog him throughout the following week and was so badly aggravated in pregame warmups that he landed on injured reserve.

Now, nine weeks later, Kirkwood is working to return to the team. Because of the NFL’s injured reserve rules, players designated to return from that list have a two-week window in which to practice before they can be allowed to suit up for a game. The Saints haven’t given Kirkwood that designation yet, so it means the earliest he could possibly return would be Week 13’s game with the Atlanta Falcons. But Saints coach Sean Payton did offer an update on his status before practice Wednesday.

“He’s doing well,” Payton said. “He’s been moving well and running well, so we’ll keep paying attention to that and keep working with him and getting him to where he’s able to play.”

New Orleans could certainly use his help, whenever he does return. Thomas paces the team (and the NFL) with 86 receptions, but all of their other wide receivers have combined for just 30 catches this season. They’ve gotten by with Thomas putting the team on his back each week and some creative use of their other skills position talent, but a 26-9 loss to the Falcons last Sunday highlighted just how thin the position group is. Somebody has to step up and make a play besides No. 13 sometimes.

Maybe Kirkwood could be the help the Saints need. He came through in clutch moments last season as a rookie practice squad call-up, appearing in nine games (including the playoffs). He went 15-of-23 for 217 yards, a clip of 14.5 yards per catch, converting 12 first downs and scoring three touchdowns. For perspective, here’s how that stat line would rank among Saints wide receivers this year:

  • Third in receptions
  • Third in receiving yards,
  • Second in touchdown catches
  • Tied for second in first down conversions

Even if his performance came on limited snap counts (Kirkwood averaged 30.9 plays per game on offense, but trailed only Thomas among snaps played by wide receivers in their playoff game with the Philadelphia Eagles), it was enough to earn Brees’ trust and build some momentum going into the offseason. Hopefully they can pick up where they left off when Kirkwood returns, if he’s able. Payton is clearly encouraged by his progress so far.

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Falcons make TD Wire’s top 5 offensive lines of Week 10

It wasn’t what anybody expected, however, the Falcons’ offensive line outplayed the Saints’ defensive front on Sunday. From Rookie Kaleb McGary to veteran Jake Matthews, Atlanta was dominant up front.

It wasn’t what anybody expected, however, the Falcons’ offensive line outplayed the Saints’ defensive front on Sunday. From Rookie Kaleb McGary to veteran Jake Matthews, Atlanta was dominant up front.

The team won the time of possession battle over New Orleans thanks to a combination of offensive execution and creative play-calling. In Touchdown Wire’s Top 5 offensive lines of Week 10, the Falcons’ line was ranked fourth.

Here’s some of what Rick Suter had to say about the team’s surprise performance:

Although there were some issues with hands to the face penalties, the Falcons’ O-line was a big part of the success. Facing a defense ranked ninth overall, and in the top half of the league in QB hits, they did an excellent job protecting Ryan, allowing one sack and five hits. On the ground attack, they provided a decent lane-opening at the front and a substantial push to the second level—which helped the Falcons look like a playoff contender and not the meager one-win team that the Saints were matching up against.

Atlanta will look to keep the momentum going when it plays another divisional road game against the 5-4 Carolina Panthers on Sunday.

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Former Longhorn Malik Jefferson waived by Cleveland Browns

Former Texas Longhorns linebacker Malik Jefferson was waived by the Cleveland Browns on Tuesday

On Tuesday, former Texas Longhorns linebacker Malik Jefferson was waived by the Cleveland Browns.

Jefferson is in just his second year as a pro. He was drafted in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals.

With the Browns in 2019, Jefferson only made an appearance in one game, and that game came in week one against the Titans. In that game, Jefferson recorded just one tackle.

Hopefully, we see Malik find a new home soon. After all, he was a third-round pick last year for a reason.

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WATCH: Quandre Diggs gets first interception with Seahawks

Watch as Seattle Seahawks defensive back Quandre Diggs gets his first interception with his new team

A few weeks ago, former Texas Longhorn defensive back Quandre Diggs was traded from the Detroit Lions to the Seattle Seahawks. Last night, Diggs saw his first action with Seattle in a clash between the San Francisco 49ers.

The 49ers went into this Monday Night Football matchup as the only remaining undefeated team in the NFL. The Seahawks were able to stun the 49ers in San Francisco, winning in overtime by a score of 27-24.

About midway through the 3rd quarter, Diggs was able to intercept 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo with the score being 10-7 in favor of San Francisco. This interception led to a Seahawks touchdown, giving them the lead.

On the night, Diggs was able to tally two tackles, one of which was solo, a pass defense, and this interception.

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Saints vs. Buccaneers: Time, TV and how to watch online

Find out how you can watch and listen to all of Week 11’s action between the New Orleans Saints and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have one of the NFL’s worst secondaries, and things aren’t going to get any easier for the Bucs defense in Week 11.

After beating the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday to stop their four-game losing-streak, the Bucs made the surprise decision today to waive former first-round pick Vernon Hargreaves, who was benched during Week 10’s win for lack of hustle.

Now, an already struggling secondary will be without their veteran with the New Orleans Saints coming to town. The Saints are coming off a shocking home loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 10, so you can be sure Drew Brees — who was out with a thumb injury when these two teams first met back in Week 5 — will look to pick this secondary apart with receiver Michael Thomas.

Find out how you can watch and listen to all of Week 11’s action.

Game information:

New Orleans Saints @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Kickoff: Sunday, November 17, at 1:00 p.m. E.T.

Venue: Raymond James Stadium

How to Listen:

98ROCK (97.9 – Tampa)

The Boot (103.9 FM – Brooksville)

ESPN SW Florida (99.3 FM – Ft. Myers/Naples/Punta Gorda)

Citrus (95.3 FM – Homosassa)

WLKF (96.7 FM and 1430 AM – Lakeland)

WYGM (740 AM/ 96.9 FM – Orlando and Melbourne)

ESPN Tallahassee (97.9 FM – Tallahassee)

En Español

WTMP-FM 96.1, 101.9 and WMGG-AM 1470 (Tampa)

WIXC – AM 1060 (Melbourne/Orlando)

Satellite Radio

Sirius/XM Channel 88

Stream

You can stream the game live on Fubo TV. (Start your free trial).

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