Tag: New Orleans Saints

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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NFC playoff picture after Week 10

The Vikings and Seahawks had huge wins, while the Saints lost their first-round bye position.

The NFC playoff picture is looking a little clearer as far as who will make it, but it’s muddled as far as positioning goes.

Here’s where the NFC stands after Week 10.

First-Round Byes

49ers, 8-1
Packers, 7-2

The 49ers took a hit on Monday Night Football, losing to their division rivals. San Francisco is now only a game up for first place in the division.

The Packers hung on against the Panthers and managed to move up in the standings thanks to the Falcons stunning the Saints.

Wild Card Round

No. 6 Vikings (7-3) at No. 3 Saints (7-2)

No. 5 Seahawks (8-2) at No. 4 Cowboys (5-4)

The Vikings and Seahawks both had huge statement wins over the Cowboys and 49ers, respectively.

It should be fun when the two teams face off in Week 12 in Seattle.

Holding On . . .

Rams, 5-4
Eagles, 5-4
Panthers, 5-4
Bears, 4-5

The Eagles suddenly find themselves back in conversation in the NFC East, while the Rams and Bears play in Week 11. The loser of that game will have a pretty tough time making it back to the playoffs considering this group is already 2.5 games back.

Despite loss to Falcons, Saints still have second-best Super Bowl LIV odds

Oddsmakers weren’t discouraged when the New Orleans Saints got tripped up against the Falcons. They still have great Super Bowl odds.

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It was certainly disappointing to see the New Orleans Saints come up short against the Atlanta Falcons, but that loss didn’t turn into a big hit for their Super Bowl odds. Per BetMGM, the Saints (+650) trail only the New England Patriots (+260) in the Super Bowl LIV betting lines. Along with the Baltimore Ravens (+700) and San Francisco 49ers (+750), they form the group of four teams with odds better than +1000 to win a title this year.

Here’s how the top 10 shakes out after those four contenders at the top:

  • Green Bay Packers +1000
  • Kansas City Chiefs +1200
  • Seattle Seahawks +1600
  • Philadelphia Eagles +1800
  • Minnesota Vikings +2000
  • Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans +2500

So obviously the oddsmakers aren’t bothered by a poor Saints effort in their latest loss. New Orleans is still perceived as a top team (maybe the top team) in the NFC, especially now that San Francisco lost in a dramatic overtime finish on Monday night.

It’ll be fascinating to see how things develop down the stretch as the Saints, 49ers and Packers each compete for the top two playoff seeds in the conference. The 49ers will play the Packers (at home) and the Saints (on the road) twice in three weeks, with a road contest against the Ravens squeezed in between, adding even more intrigue.

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Pro Football Focus grades Marcus Williams as the Saints’ best player

The analysts at Pro Football Focus graded Marcus Williams, not Cameron Jordan or Michael Thomas, as the best New Orleans Saints player.

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The New Orleans Saints have one of the better rosters around the league, led by a defense that’s won most of its battles this year. When prompted to suggest which single player is the best on that unit, popular picks are probably defensive end Cameron Jordan or cornerback Marshon Lattimore, or maybe even linebacker Demario Davis.

But the analysts at Pro Football Focus threw another hat into the ring: free safety Marcus Williams, who they’ve graded as the best player not just on the defense, but on the entire team — ranking him ahead of Drew Brees, Michael Thomas, and everyone else. Williams has caught three of New Orleans’ four interceptions this season, and come close to securing three others:

Everyone loves Marshon Lattimore, but it’s Williams who takes the cake for New Orleans right now. The third-year Utah product has earned an impressive 80.8 run-defense grade and an even better 91.1 coverage grade so far this season. Among the 69 safeties with 10 or more targets in Weeks 1-10, Williams ranks first in completion percentage allowed (46.2%) and total yards allowed (51). He has also recorded three dropped interceptions in addition to his three caught interceptions.

Williams has improved his tackling technique as the season has gone on, though his early outings saw the same bad head-down technique that led to the Minneapolis Miracle a few years ago. So credit him for that big improvement. Until his teammates start to help out with some turnovers of their own, the Saints may have to continue relying on his ability to intercept passes from the center-field spot. In the meantime, maybe he can change into a better jersey number?

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