Tag: news

Drew Brees, Emmanuel Sanders have history of success vs. Raiders

New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees and WR Emmanuel Sanders have a history of success against the Raiders. They need it without Michael Thomas.

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Let’s make this clear from the jump: the New Orleans Saints do not want to play the Las Vegas Raiders without superstar wide receiver Michael Thomas joining them. Thomas has been the No. 1 receiver in New Orleans since the day he was drafted, even if it wasn’t reflected in his last statline (3 catches on 5 targets, gaining 17 yards) before he was cut down by a high-ankle injury.

So the Saints are preparing to face the Raiders in Week 2 with Thomas on the mend for several weeks. If there’s any silver lining here, it’s that his quarterback and No. 2 wideout have a history of success against Las Vegas’s new team.

Sanders has faced the Raiders more often than any other team, playing them 13 times in his career as a member of the AFC West-rival Denver Broncos (and in three matchups with the Pittsburgh Steelers before that). He’s caught more passes against Raiders defensive backs (55) to gain more receiving yards (692) than any other team. He played them one last time in 2019 before being traded to the San Francisco 49ers, going 5-of-7 for 86 yards and a score. That familiarity should be helpful, to say the least.

And Drew Brees also has a solid track record against the Raiders, having started against them 11 times over his long NFL career. He’s recorded a higher passer rating against the Raiders (108.6) than any other quarterback to face them five or more times, per the AP’s Josh Dubow, playing them well regardless of who was calling their defense or trying to tackle him.

Here’s hoping for a get-right game after Brees posted an ugly 160 yards in Week 1, off of an 18-of-30 passing line. He and Sanders have the resume to build some confidence here, but everyone involved would feel a little more sure of things if Thomas were running with them.

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Could the Saints call up Dez Bryant after the Michael Thomas injury?

The New Orleans Saints are going to be without superstar wide receiver Michael Thomas for a few weeks. Could they reunite with Dez Bryant?

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There’s no sugarcoating this: the New Orleans Saints are going to miss Michael Thomas. Like every other receiver on the depth chart, he had a clear and defined role, and him missing time with a high-ankle injury will be a challenge for all involved. While more targets are going around, this isn’t exactly an opportunity for less-talented teammates to step up into new responsibilities.

Fortunately, the Saints have eight receivers under contract as it is, including veterans on the practice squad like Bennie Fowler, Austin Carr, and Lil’Jordan Humphrey. It’s not exactly an inexperienced group. Now, that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t consider all options.

And one option to keep in mind is Dez Bryant. The longtime Dallas Cowboys star hasn’t played a down since 2017, having gone down with a torn Achilles in his first practice with the Saints in 2018. But he’s diligently worked his way back into the NFL’s orbit, earning a tryout with the Baltimore Ravens back in August. Baltimore didn’t sign him to a deal, but it’s not impossible to think the Saints might give Bryant a call.

Still, it feels more realistic for the Saints to keep the ship steady by spreading targets around to players already on the roster; expect big-time free agent acquisition Emmanuel Sanders to draw more looks in Week 2, facing off against a familiar opponent (he’s played the Las Vegas Raiders 13 times in his career, averaging 53.2 yards per game). The Saints defense must also continue to play well after doing so much heavy lifting in the season-opener.

So the Saints are equipped for life without Thomas, at least for a few weeks. But it shouldn’t shock anyone if Saints coach Sean Payton is willing to give Bryant another shot, even if he was lukewarm on the prospect the last time it came up.

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REPORT: Michael Thomas expected to miss ‘several weeks’ with ankle injury

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas is expected to miss several weeks with an ankle injury suffered against the Buccaneers.

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The New Orleans Saints offense took a huge hit on Tuesday after further evaluating the high-ankle injury suffered by wide receiver Michael Thomas late in their Week 1 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport reported that Thomas is expected to miss several weeks while recovering after it was initially said that he hoped to gut out the pain in next week’s game with the Las Vegas Raiders.

It’s a big loss, even if Thomas’s importance wasn’t reflected on the Week 1 stats sheet (he went 3-of-5 for 17 yards). He’s not the NFL’s reining Offensive Player of the Year for nothing, and without him the Saints will have to rely more heavily on pass-catchers like Alvin Kamara and Jared Cook, as well as free agent pickup Emmanuel Sanders.

We’ll know more in the days ahead, once the Saints have released their first Week 2 injury report on Thursday. NFL teams are allowed to return players from the injured reserve list after three weeks this season, so if Thomas doesn’t land on I.R. it could suggest the Saints expect him to be game-ready sooner than that window would allow.

 

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Sean Payton comments on Marcus Davenport’s elbow injury

New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton commented on Marcus Davenport’s elbow injury, saying that he doesn’t expect the DE to be sidelined long

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The NFL draft is hyped up as the event when teams seek to get better by adding fresh talent from the college ranks, so it was frustrating to see the New Orleans Saints prepare for their Week 1 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers without the most valuable players they’ve picked in recent years.

In a Monday appearance on WWL Radio, Saints coach Sean Payton preached patience with one of those players: third-year defensive end Marcus Davenport, ruled out with an elbow injury suffered late in training camp.

“Look it’s gonna be soon here Davenport’s back,” Payton said. “He’s got an injury that if you try to hustle him back too early, [he would] be out for a lot longer. We’re gonna be making the right decisions regarding his health.”

If there’s a silver lining for Saints fans here, it’s that Davenport didn’t start the season on injured reserve. NFL teams are allowed to sideline players on I.R. for three weeks at a time this year, so if this were a long-term problem for Davenport then he would have been designated to the reserve list.

It might suggest the Saints expect him to be back in a week or two, which is supported by Payton’s comments. We’ll learn more when the Saints publish their first injury report on Thursday.

Fortunately, the Saints backups did a great job filling in for Davenport across from starting end Cameron Jordan. Jordan saw his usual majority of snaps (60, 85.7% of the defense’s total) with Trey Hendrickson (39 snaps) and Carl Granderson (23) rotating in. Versatile practice squad call-up Margus Hunt (21 snaps) also got some looks out on the edge. Both Hendrickson and Granderson got onto the stats sheet with sacks, and Hendrickson was credited with a pair of other quarterback hits.

It was enough to raise the hackles of Bucs coach Bruce Arians. After reviewing the game tape on Monday, he roasted left tackle Donovan Smith, who was charged with blocking the Hendrickson-Granderson combo in Davenport’s absence.

“I was very disappointed in his play,” Arians said. “I think every now and then he reverts back to some techniques that are not very good [and] he got beat. He had, probably, the easiest guy to block up there and he did a poor job. It was one of his poorer games and [I] expect for him to bounce back this week, yes.”

The Saints will visit Tampa Bay for a rematch on Nov. 8, under the bright lights on Sunday Night Football. And Smith will probably be drawing a matchup with Davenport, who beat him for a pair of sacks in their meeting last year. The Saints pass rush got off to a great start against the Buccaneers, and it looks like they’re set up to keep that momentum going.

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PFF: C.J. Gardner-Johnson led the NFL’s defensive backs in Week 1 stops

Pro Football Focus lauded New Orleans Saints safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who had a great game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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C.J. Gardner-Johnson had a strong rookie year for the New Orleans Saints, but he’s elevated his game to open his second season in the NFL. Gardner-Johnson (whose new moniker of “Ceedy Duce” has not been reflected on the Saints roster, or his jersey) all but flew out of the gate in Week 1 to earn serious recognition from the analysts at Pro Football Focus.

PFF maintains a signature stat for defensive stops that is defined as “tackles that constitute a loss for the offense.” These aren’t just tackles for a loss of yards; context matters for each down played:

  • On a first down, if the offense gets 45% of the way to a first down or less
  • On a second down, if the offense gets 60% of the way to a first down or less
  • On a third or fourth down, if the offense doesn’t get a first down

And Gardner-Johnson outplayed the rest of the NFL in this category after Week 1’s slate of games. PFF credited him with more defensive stops than any other safety or cornerback, and the third-most of all players.

Gardner-Johnson was a huge part of the Saints’ success in bottling up the Buccaneers run game. Tampa Bay was determined to run on first downs against lighter Saints defensive packages (where they predominately fielded five or six defensive backs rather than extra linebackers), but Gardner-Johnson was impressive. His first four tackles each came on first-and-10 run plays, limiting the Buccaneers to gains of just 4, 2, 1, and 2 yards. He had two other tackles on first-down run plays that stopped Tampa Bay short of 2-yard gains.

That sort of effectiveness in making tackles in space — on downs where the offense has an advantage on paper, putting bigger blockers against lighter defenders — has a ripple effect on the rest of the defense. More short stops on first down puts the offense into longer spots to convert on subsequent downs, shifting leverage back New Orleans’ way. It’ll take more quality reps like these from Gardner-Johnson to keep the Saints in the win column.

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Gators News: September 15, 2020

We have successfully made it past Week 2 of the college football season and Week 1 of the NFL’s 2020 schedule despite the COVID-19s pandemic

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We have successfully made it past Week 2 of the college football season and Week 1 of the Nationa Football League’s 2020 schedule despite the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic, with Southeastern Conference football on the horizon.

The top story today is that the Big 12 might already have lost its at-large College Football Playoff hopes. Perhaps an impressive Oklahoma going unbeaten and losing a close Big 12 title game would change things. But realistically, the hill is going to be a hard climb.

In COVD-19 news, co-author of Ohio State myocarditis study says it’s no reason to cancel sports. A concern about myocarditis reportedly was an issue that helped tipped the scales when the Big Ten decided in August not to proceed with fall sports.

Here is the latest from the Gator Nation.

Around the Swamp

It’s great to be a Florida Gator!

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Report: Michael Thomas planning to play through high-ankle injury

New Orleans Saints WR Michael Thomas went down in his team’s Week 1 win, but expects to play through an injury against the Las Vegas Raiders

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A scary moment quieted the already-hushed Mercedes-Benz Superdome late in Sunday’s Week 1 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, when New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas went down with a lower leg injury. Focused on blocking a Buccaneers defender, Thomas was bowled over by his falling teammate Latavius Murray, who landed awkwardly on Thomas’s back leg. Thomas exited the game but initially refused attention from Saints medical staff on the sidelines while attempting to walk it off.

On Monday, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that Thomas suffered a high-ankle injury in the collision, but Thomas intends to play through the pain in Week 2’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Pelissero’s NFL Network colleague Ian Rapoport added that Thomas will probably be listed as questionable to play on the injury report later this week.

It could be much worse; a full-on high-ankle sprain or bone injury could have sidelined Thomas for weeks. He was guarded well by the Buccaneers defense on Sunday and limited to just 3 catches (on 5 targets) for 17 yards, but Thomas is still the best player on the roster and a vital part of the offense. Having him ready to go at full speed is critical.

Fortunately, the Saints finally have enough weapons surrounding Thomas so that he doesn’t have to shoulder the weight of the world every week. Between 2019 Pro Bowlers Alvin Kamara, Jared Cook, return man Deonte Harris, and veteran free agent pickup Emmanuel Sanders, this is a hit the Saints can absorb while Thomas recovers.

That’s hardly good news for many fantasy football team owners out there, who invested high draft picks in Thomas. But injuries are part of this sport, and the Saints have done what they can to account for it. Hopefully you’ve done the same for your fantasy team.

Still, keep an eye out for the Saints injury report later this week to see how often Thomas is participating in practice. Because the Saints and Raiders play on Monday Night Football next week, Thomas will have an extra day of rest to recover before he takes the field.

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Gators News: September 14, 2020

The second week of college football is officially complete, bringing Florida closer to its opening weekend coming up at the end of the month

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The second week of college football is officially complete, bringing the Gator Nation closer to its opening weekend coming up at the end of the month. Until then, ACC and Big 12 action will have to suffice for Florida’s fans in the meantime.

At the top of the news, the first regular-season Amway Coaches Poll of 2020 reflects more turnover than usual from the preseason rankings, even though there haven’t yet been many upsets in the reduced schedule. Other than Clemson at the head of the pack, the rest of the top 10 is dominated by the SEC.

Here in Florida, images of fans not wearing masks at Florida State football’s home opener on Saturday draw criticism from the fans and media alike. It wasn’t the look college administrators and politicians probably wanted to see as the deadly coronavirus pandemic continues to disrupt lives.

Finally, Ohio State cornerback Shaun Wade announced in a tweet Monday morning that he was declaring for the NFL draft, opting out of a postponed football season in the Big Ten. Wade became the Buckeyes’ second player in four days to forgo a potential season this fall to begin training for the draft, following offensive lineman Wyatt Davis.

Around the Swamp

It’s great to be a Florida Gator!

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After early games, Saints-Bucs winner will hold a lead on the NFC South

The New Orleans Saints could take an early lead on the NFC South title by beating the Buccaneers, after the Panthers and Falcons lost Week 1

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The NFL’s early slate of Week 1 games have just about wrapped up, and the two contests most important to the New Orleans Saints’ interests are decided. The Carolina Panthers lost their home opener to the visiting Las Vegas Raiders despite late-game heroics from former Saints backup Teddy Bridgewater, and the Atlanta Falcons were easily dispatched in their own building by the road-warrior Seattle Seahawks.

So what does that mean, exactly? If the Saints can handle their business against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans will have a critical lead over their competition for the NFC South title. The Buccaneers would trail them by a game, while the Panthers and Falcons would be a game-and-a-half behind (by virtue of a divisional win).

Of course, that also holds true for the Buccaneers. If the Saints have one of their typical slow starts to open the season, they’ll be playing catch-up right out of the gate. That’s not something they can afford, even in a long 16-game season. Kickoff is just minutes away, so tune in on your TV, radio, or streaming device of choice.

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Saints vs. Bucs inactives: Mike Evans in, P.J. Williams out for Week 1

The New Orleans Saints will be without DB P.J. Williams against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1, who are joined by WR Mike Evans.

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The New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced their list of inactive players for Week 1’s game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, and the Saints will be without multiple starters and each of their first two picks in the 2020 NFL Draft. Across the field, the Buccaneers will be dressing all-star wide receiver Mike Evans, who missed several practices this week with a hamstring injury.

It was known that the Saints wouldn’t be joined by first-round pick Cesar Ruiz or starting pass rusher Marcus Davenport due to injuries, but a midweek hamstring issue for nickel defensive back P.J. Williams is going to keep him out as well. Third-round draft pick Zack Baun, a linebacker, recently returned to practice after missing time in training camp with an injury but he will not suit up. Neither will second-year defensive tackle Shy Tuttle, who was also banged up in training camp.

And the full list of inactives:

From the Saints

  • OL Cesar Ruiz (ankle)
  • DE Marcus Davenport (elbow)
  • CB P.J. Williams
  • DT Shy Tuttle
  • LB Zack Baun
  • WR Marquez Callaway

From the Bucs

  • QB Ryan Griffin
  • WR Tyler Johnson
  • WR Cyril Grayson
  • CB Parnell Motley
  • LB Cam Gill
  • DL Khalil Davis
  • OL  Aaron Stinnie

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