Tag: news

Report: Kiko Alonso ‘day-to-day’ with injury, status in doubt vs. 49ers

New Orleans Saints linebacker Kiko Alonso is reportedly managing a thigh injury on a day-to-day basis, requiring the signing of Manti Te’o.

The New Orleans Saints re-signed linebacker Manti Te’o on Tuesday, following injuries to starters Kiko Alonso and A.J. Klein. Te’o started most of the 2017 season for the Saints before improved health in the linebacker corps (and the addition of Demario Davis) sidelined him in 2018, and he’s been a free agent since then.

According to a report from Katherine Terrell of The Athletic, Alonso’s status with a thigh injury isn’t considered a long-term concern. Terrell reported that Alonso is day-to-day at this point and the team isn’t sure whether he will be cleared to play on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers. That could change in the next three days after team trainers get the opportunity to administer treatment and reevaluate Alonso’s condition, but in the meantime Te’o gives the Saints an experienced option to add to the depth chart.

Special teamers Craig Robertson and Stephone Anthony were each forced into last week’s game with the Atlanta Falcons after Alonso and Klein went out with injuries; it took a combined 11 snaps from them for the Saints to decide Te’o was needed. Whether Te’o plays on Sunday after being signed on the previous Tuesday is unlikely, but it can’t be ruled out if Alonso misses this 49ers game. Klein’s condition is less clear, and no information is coming out of New Orleans just yet on what’s ailing him. We should learn something when the week’s first injury report is published Wednesday afternoon.

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Saints re-sign veteran linebacker Manti Te’o to free agent contract

The New Orleans Saints brought back veteran linebacker Manti Te’o on Tuesday, who had been a free agent since his contract expired in March.

The New Orleans Saints have re-signed former starting linebacker Manti Te’o on Tuesday, as first reported by Rob DeMello of KHON 2-Honolulu and confirmed by Sean Fazende of FOX 8-New Orleans. Te’o has been a free agent since his Saints contract expired earlier this year, receiving little interest on the open market. He met with the Oakland Raiders back in March but did not sign with the team, instead returning to Hawaii where he continued training in hopes of an NFL return while dabbling in real estate.

So what prompted the Saints to bring Te’o back in early December? Starting linebackers A.J. Klein and Kiko Alonso exited last Thursday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons with separate injuries, forcing special teamers Craig Robertson and Stephone Anthony into the lineup. We won’t have anything concrete on Klein or Alonso’s status until Wednesday’s injury report, but Te’o’s addition gives the Saints an experienced player who knows the defensive scheme inside and out.

Te’o led the Saints defense with 15 tackles at or behind the line of scrimmage back in 2017, though he was frequently inactive for much of the 2018 season while New Orleans enjoyed a streak of good health at the position. It’s impossible to guess right now how much Te’o will play moving forward (if at all), but his past success in the same situation has to be reassuring to the Saints and their fans. Expect a corresponding move to Te’o’s re-signing to be reported on the official league transactions wire on Wednesday.

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Buccaneers crack top 20 in latest USA TODAY Power Rankings

After a convincing win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 13, the Buccaneers have jumped six spots in the latest power rankings.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are hitting their stride (finally), having won their last two games, both on the road. It’s the Bucs’ first winning-streak of the season, and, at 5-7, they have a chance to avoid their third-straight 5-11 season with four games left to play.

Tampa Bay’ victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 13 was the Devin White coming out party, as the prized rookie out of LSU made franchise history with his big first quarter.

With the team playing solid on both sides of the ball right now, it’s no surprise to see them crack the top 20 in USA TODAY’s latest NFL Power Rankings.

Tampa Bay jumped six spots from 23 to 17, with the stellar play of White as a big reason.

“Tough year for defense but nice to see rookie Devin White assert himself with monster game (TD, INT, fumble recovery) at Jacksonville.”

The Bucs will look to make it three-straight Sunday when they host the 6-6 Indianapolis Colts.

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49ers stay in Florida to prepare for Saints in second leg of cross-country road trip

The NFL does stand for the National Football League, and there are few better reminders of that than the struggles West Coast teams experience when traveling coast-to-coast. The San Francisco 49ers are acutely aware of the difficulties that come …

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The NFL does stand for the National Football League, and there are few better reminders of that than the struggles West Coast teams experience when traveling coast-to-coast. The San Francisco 49ers are acutely aware of the difficulties that come with a shortened schedule and rude, early awakening — a noon kickoff at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome comes up two hours earlier than they’re used too at home — so they had to adjust to back-to-back road games with the Baltimore Ravens and New Orleans Saints.

To help manage that, the 49ers are lodging and practicing in Bradenton, Fla. this week, per ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. They’ll be working out of the IMG Academy, a local prep school focused on developing professional athletes in football, basketball, baseball, soccer, and other sports. Former Saints linebacker Manti Te’o is one of many clients who has used their facilities, having worked out there during his training for the 2013 NFL Draft.

After losing to the Ravens on Sunday, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan and his crew need all the help they can get to rebound. They opened the season by staying at Youngstown State’s campus in Youngstown, Ohio between road games with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cincinnati Bengals, winning both games. It’s a move Shanahan is comfortable calling for when the situation demands it.

The Saints benefited from an extended stay on the West Coast between Week 2 (losing to the Los Angeles Rams) and Week 3 (rebounding to beat the Seattle Seahawks), so the strategy clearly has some merit. Whether it will make a difference next Sunday remains to be seen. At least Shanahan’s players won’t be sleepy.

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New Orleans Saints narrowly favored over 49ers in Week 14 odds

The New Orleans Saints are narrowly favored over the San Francisco 49ers for their Week 14 game inside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

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The New Orleans Saints are a week away from hosting the San Francisco 49ers in their Week 14 kickoff from inside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, and the opening line slightly favors the home team. According to the latest odds from BetMGM, the Saints are 3.5-point favorites to win, with an over/under of 45.5. That suggests a final score in the neighborhood of Saints 25, 49ers 21 — hardly a decisive outcome. New Orleans’ recent streak of victories and home-field advantage could be giving them an edge in the oddsmakers’ eyes.

New Orleans is fresh off the heels of a dominant (if at times sloppy) win over the Atlanta Falcons on Thanksgiving, in which their defense sacked Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan nine times. Six of those sacks came from starting defensive ends Cameron Jordan (four) and Marcus Davenport (two).

Things aren’t nearly so positive for the 49ers. They took the Baltimore Ravens down to the wire on a muddy field but couldn’t close the deal. Inexperienced quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo conducted the offense well, but the 49ers run defense was kept on their heels by Ravens phenom Lamar Jackson. Expect the Saints to target that same vulnerability with Taysom Hill, who has seen his involvement (and effectiveness) rise as the season has wore on.

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Teddy Bridgewater buys dinner for his Miami high school football team

New Orleans Saints QB Teddy Bridgewater showed his appreciation for Miami Northwestern High School by buying dinner for the football team.

The New Orleans Saints were given a rare weekend off after their Thursday night win over the Atlanta Falcons, so backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater took the opportunity to return to one of his favorite places in the world: Miami Northwestern Senior High School, where he bought the football team dinner after their big win over Jesuit High School in the state semifinals. And he made sure to bring ribs.

According to posts on social media, Bridgewater contracted several Miami-area food trucks to service the players, coaches, and auxiliary staff free of charge, doing his part to show gratitude to the school and program where his football career started. Bridgewater started three years at Miami Northwestern, where they went 32-8 and made several deep playoff pushes in one of the nation’s toughest high school circuits.

A Miami native, Bridgewater has often visited his hometown when the opportunity arose, including a guest appearance with his high school’s dance team during a game earlier this season. Last summer, he organized a giveaway for the kids in his old neighborhood, handing out school supplies, toys, bicycles and water guns to everyone who stopped by. It’s clear that Bridgewater remembers where he’s come from, and his gracious nature has done a lot to ingratiate him to his new Saints teammates and their fans.

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Teddy Bridgewater makes ‘Friday Night Lights’ hat tip to Taysom Hill

New Orleans Saints backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater made a creative salute to Taysom Hill after his huge day against the Atlanta Falcons

There are few rooms around the NFL stocked with as much talent as the New Orleans Saints boast at quarterback, much less the chemistry those players share. Sure, Drew Brees is the unquestioned leader in the building and the face of the franchise — but both of his backups have stepped up to help their team when called upon, and they clearly appreciate each other.

That was clear after versatile reserve Taysom Hill scored two touchdowns (one through the air, another on the ground) and blocked the Atlanta Falcons’ first punt in their game on Thanksgiving. After the game, Teddy Bridgewater creatively saluted Hill’s performance on social media.

Responding to a tweet in which the Saints referred to Hill as “Mr. Do-It-All,” Bridgewater shared a clip from the 2004 film “Friday Night Lights” in which a character talks up his highly-recruited nephew to college scouts. You love to see it. Check it out for yourself in the video embedded below, or by following this link:

It’s going to be interesting to see which path each of these quarterbacks takes in the offseason. All three of them are headed for free agency, though Hill should be the easiest player for the Saints to retain. It wouldn’t be a huge shock if Brees seriously considers retirement, but that feels unlikely after he missed five games with injury earlier this year. Bridgewater has been groomed to become the heir-apparent, but he could get an offer he can’t refuse in free agency. If Nick Foles and Kirk Cousins can get contracts worth in excess of $80 million, why can’t he?

So be sure to appreciate these moments while we can. The Saints have built something special, and it’s well worth remembering once things change someday.

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Saints select Sheldon Rankins for 2019 Ed Block Courage Award

Having returned from serious injury, New Orleans Saints DT Sheldon Rankins earned the 2019 Ed Block Courage Award in a vote by his teammates

In a team vote, the New Orleans Saints chose defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins as the recipient of the 2019 Ed Block Courage Award, the team announced Saturday. Rankins returned ahead of schedule from an Achilles injury he suffered back in January during a divisional round playoff game with the Philadelphia Eagles, which ultimately caused him to miss just three games. This vote from his teammates recognizes the tedious, painful work Rankins put in during the offseason to recover from an injury that could have ended his season before it started.

“This season hasn’t, statistically, personally, gone exactly as I wanted it to,” Rankins told the Saints website. “But we’re in a good position as a team and I’m continuing to get better. I’ll take it, and it’s always good when your teammates can recognize the things you’ve been through and how hard you battled to come back and try to help the team.”

Rankins currently has two sacks and five quarterback hits through his first nine games this year, posting his best game of the season on Thursday night against the Atlanta Falcons. He sacked Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan once, struck him twice, and hurried Ryan off of his spot and into the arms of his Saints teammates on more than one occasion. It’s clear that Rankins is on his way back to playing like his old self as his body continues to recuperate. His best football is yet to come.

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Saints celebrate division win, but acknowledge ‘The South Is Not Enough’

The New Orleans Saints won their third straight NFC South title, but their celebratory shirts carry a slogan downplaying the accomplishment.

The New Orleans Saints clinched the 2019 NFC South division title in Thursday night’s win over the Atlanta Falcons, earning the playoff berth and celebratory shirts and hats that came with it. It was New Orleans’ third consecutive division win, tying the Carolina Panthers’ run from 2013 to 2015 for the best streak in NFC South history.

But this isn’t new territory for the Saints. They’ve already experienced this regular season success, and they have bigger goals in mind than just a division crown. The playoffs tournament and Super Bowl LIV are where they’re focused, and this year’s slogan illustrates that.

After the game, the Saints debuted new gear celebrating their latest NFC South championship, with a bold new message reading: “The South Is Not Enough.” See them for yourself:

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Michael Chiesa previews Rafael dos Anjos fight, happy with welterweight move

Michael Chiesa previews Rafael dos Anjos fight, happy with welterweight move.

Michael Chiesa previews Rafael dos Anjos fight, happy with welterweight move.