Tag: news

Saints beat Falcons 26-18, clinch third straight NFC South title

The New Orleans Saints overwhelmed a last-minute Atlanta Falcons comeback effort to improve to 10-2 and win the NFC South division title.

The New Orleans Saints shut down an Atlanta Falcons comeback bid to improve to 10-2 on the year so far and clinch their third consecutive NFC South division title, punching their ticket for the playoffs. It was an impressive win filled with big plays on offense from do-it-all fireplug Taysom Hill and a punishing defense that sacked Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan nine times.

Sure, it wasn’t perfect. The Saints left too many points on the board with dropped passes and three failed onside kick recoveries down the stretch. Penalties plagued the team throughout the game. They obviously have plenty to clean up in the next week-and-a-half before their next kickoff.

But for now, it’s time to celebrate. The Saints won big over a divisional rival that embarrassed them once this year already, and did so on a national stage in Atlanta’s building (the other Mercedes-Benz-sponsored NFL venue). They’re locked in to host a playoff game and the Falcons are mathematically eliminated. Celebrate, New Orleans.

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Watch: Taysom Hill blocks a Falcons punt, catches a touchdown pass

New Orleans Saints quarterback Taysom Hill made two big plays against the Atlanta Falcons, blocking a punt and catching a touchdown pass.

The New Orleans Saints started their Thanksgiving night game with the Atlanta Falcons in the most entertaining way imaginable. Defensive end Marcus Davenport sacked Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan on the first play of the game, and the Saints snuffed out Atlanta’s efforts at trying to dig out of that hole.

Forced to punt, the Falcons failed to block reserve Saints quarterback Taysom Hill, who crashed through the line and blocked the punt to give New Orleans the ball inside Atlanta territory. It was a huge breakdown for the Falcons and possibly the worst start they could have hoped for. Check out Hill big play for yourself:

However, Hill wasn’t finished yet. He caught two passes on the Saints’ first drive to first convert a fresh set of downs and then score the game’s opening touchdown, grabbing a shovel pass from Brees and following his blocker into the Falcons’ end zone. All told, Hill almost gave the Saints’ an early 7-0 lead over Atlanta on his own. It’s going to be tough for Hill’s detractors to talk down his impact in this one:

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Saints starting Patrick Omameh at left tackle in relief of Terron Armstead

The New Orleans Saints went with veteran NFL guard Patrick Omameh to start at left tackle in relief of injured All-Pro Terron Armstead.

The New Orleans Saints had a tough decision to make at left tackle, with injured starter Terron Armstead inactive after suffering a high-ankle sprain a week ago. His top backup, left guard Andrus Peat, was also inactive after having his broken arm surgically repaired a few weeks ago (veteran backup Nick Easton will get his third start in Peat’s place). The Atlanta Falcons sacked Saints quarterback Drew Brees six times in their first meeting with Armstead and Peat both in the lineup, so the Saints obviously hope to turn in a better performance despite having to start multiple backups.

New Orleans had two options available between veteran guard Patrick Omameh and undrafted rookie Ethan Greenidge; facing that decision, the Saints went with the player who has the most NFL experience. Omameh has started full seasons in the NFL for several different teams at both left and right guard, but this game will be his first long-exposure look at left tackle.

Greenidge is active for the first time this year, and he figures to get on the field occasionally as a top reserve along with backup guard/center Will Clapp. Greenidge started 40-plus games in college at Villanova, largely at left tackle, so he does offer some experience in that role even if it’s been limited to the college game.

If worst comes to worst and the Falcons defensive front overruns all options (or, knock on wood, another injury strikes) the Saints can always call on all-star right tackle Ryan Ramczyk to flip back to his college position on the left side. But doing so would require someone else to step into Ramczyk’s spot, which would only introduce new problems and more instability across the board. It’s why the Saints gave Omameh the start and activated Greenidge. Here’s hoping the Saints can have this game well in hand soon enough that they don’t have to consider it.

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Falcons vs. Saints inactive players: Julio Jones out, Marshon Lattimore in

The New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons published their inactive lists, with WR Julio Jones ruled out while CB Marshon Lattimore returns.

The New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons published their official list of inactive players for Thursday night’s kickoff, which headlines the NFL’s slate of Thanksgiving games. And the game’s most notable omission is Falcons all-star wide receiver Julio Jones, who was ruled out for this game with a shoulder injury after being listed as questionable to play on the official injury report.

However, the Saints will be seeing the return the cornerback Marshon Lattimore and returns specialist Deonte Harris, who missed the last two games with hamstring injuries. Those are two huge additions to the defensive secondary and special teams return units, though New Orleans still has to work around the absence of starting left tackle Terron Armstead (high-ankle sprain) and left guard Andrus Peat (broken arm).

Here’s the full list of Saints and Falcons players who will be watching this one from the sidelines:

From the Saints

  • FB Zach Line
  • OT Terron Armstead
  • OG Andrus Peat
  • TE Dan Arnold
  • DE Carl Granderson
  • CB Patrick Robinson
  • FS Saquan Hampton

From the Falcons

  • DE John Cominsky
  • OT Matt Gono
  • TE Austin Hooper
  • WR Brandon Powell
  • DT Deadrin Senat
  • TE Luke Stocker

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UT News: November 28, 2019

UT News: November 28, 2019

Welcome to a Thanksgiving edition of UT News, where the turkey is moist, the wonderful scents of the holiday permeate the room, and nobody fights at the table. There is not much on tap today to cover, though the Lady Vols volleyball team triumphed over Auburn for Senior Night and wet-head Erika Brown was named SEC Swimmer of the Week. So without further ado, on to the news.

Lady Vols grab Senior Night victory over Auburn

The Lady Vols volleyball squad defeated Auburn last night in four sets, in their final match of the season at Thompson-Boling Arena.

The cherry on top of the victory was that the win came on Senior Night, making it a suiting finale for the women who have played in their last home game in Knoxville. The triumph also gave the Volunteers their fourth victory in their last five matches. Tessa Grubbs’ 14 kills now places her at No. 8 all-time at Tennessee, with 1,405 kills in her four-year career.

Coach Eve Rackham had the following to say about the Senior Night win.

“You can’t hope for anything else other than to be able to play great at home and send your seniors out the right way. We gave them all a chance to start and they played so well. It’s kind of storybook ending, but that’s what you want to be able to do. And I just feel fortunate we were able to do that for them and to be able to repay as much as we can.”

The Lady Vols wrap up the season in Starkville, Miss. against the Mississippi State Bulldogs. UT has won four of their previous matches, including a sweep earlier this season. First serve is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET and will air on SEC Network+.

NEXT: Erika Brown named SEC Swimmer of the Week

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Saints wearing Color Rush uniforms on Thanksgiving vs. Falcons

The New Orleans Saints will be wearing their Color Rush uniforms for their Thanksgiving night road game against the Atlanta Falcons.

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The NFL allows teams to wear alternate jerseys only three times per season, and the New Orleans Saints already used their Color Rush variants twice in Weeks 3 (on the road with the Seattle Seahawks) and 4 (at home against the Dallas Cowboys), winning both games. Now, they’ll be wearing the clean Color Rush duds for the third and final time of the 2019 season on Thanksgiving night versus the Atlanta Falcons, the team announced on social media.

It’s frustrating that New Orleans can’t use these stellar uniforms more often. Write the NFL’s New York office, your local members of Congress, or any other authority figures and petition them to promote the Color Rush specials to full-time use as the Saints’ away jersey-pants combination.

For their part, the Falcons are pairing their black throwback jerseys with white pants, which they announced earlier this year in their 2019 uniform schedule. Comparing that uniform against New Orleans’ Color Rush creates one seriously dynamic combination.

As for superstitious fans: here are the win/loss records for every uniform combination the Saints have used since Sean Payton was hired as head coach back in 2006. While this list is focused on that time frame, it’s worth remembering that the Saints also wore alternate gold jerseys during a 2002 game against the Minnesota Vikings, which they lost 32-31. Those jerseys haven’t been seen since.

  • White jerseys, white pants: 3-0 (1.000)
  • Color Rush alternates: 5-2 (.714)
  • Black and Gold throwbacks: 2-1 (.667)
  • Black jerseys, gold pants: 23-13 (.639)
  • Black jerseys, black pants: 40-26 (.606)
  • White jerseys, black pants: 38-25 (.603)
  • White jerseys, gold pants: 31-24 (.564)

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UT News: November 27, 2019

UT News: November 27, 2019

We have reached the middle of the week — and also the day before Thanksgiving — which means football is in the air, as the Volunteers gear up for their final regular-season game against the Vanderbilt Commodores. The Vols have been on a roll in the athletics realm, but they have also excelled in the classroom as well. Speaking of doing well, the Lady Vols basketball team continues to roll along after defeating the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions last night, and their coach had a few things to say about the hot start. The hottest of them all might be quarterback Jarrett Guarantano, but let us discuss the academic accolades first.

Record four Vols make academic all-district team

The Tennessee Volunteers have scored big in the classroom, with four football players earning CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team honors — the most among Power 5 programs.

Redshirt senior offensive lineman Brandon Kennedy, redshirt junior offensive lineman Ryan Johnson, junior defensive lineman Matthew Butler and sophomore punter/kicker Paxton Brooks were selected by CoSIDA in District 3 this month for their combined excellence both in athletics and academics. The four are also eligible for Academic All-American honors as well.

Johnson received his second consecutive selection — only the third Vol ever to earn the feat, with Parker Henry and Peyton Manning being the only other two. Overall, Tennessee now has 32 all-time CoSIDA Academic All-District honors.

NEXT: Coach Harper breaks the Lady Vols down

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Terron Armstead frustrated by injury, but thankful for support

New Orleans Saints left tackle Terron Armstead is still in search of his first 16-game NFL season after suffering a high-ankle sprain.

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The New Orleans Saints are going to be without starting left tackle Terron Armstead the next few weeks, including Thursday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons. Armstead suffered a high-ankle sprain early in Sunday’s game with the Carolina Panthers, and he expressed disappointment in his latest injury on social media. But he was just as quick to thank fans for their continued support, and assure them that he’s working to return as soon as possible.

“Thank you to everyone for the prayers and positivity,” Armstread wrote, “16 games was a goal of mine, so man it really hurts not being able to do that.” He made sure to note that this injury is not ending his 2019 season, and he expects to return sooner rather than later.

It continues a disappointing trend for Armstead, who has never played a full 16-game season in his seven-year tenure with the Saints. He peaked with 14 games back in the 2014 season, his first as a full-time starter, but complicated hip and quad muscle injuries kept him on and off the field and eventually sent him traveling internationally in search of treatment. He’s averaged 10.8 game appearances per season since being named a starter, a stretch that covers 25 of New Orleans’ last 36 games (including the playoffs).

Armstead has dealt with a string of issues throughout his career, ranging from lingering lower-leg ailments to last year’s torn pectoral muscle. His rare athleticism for the position is startlingly unique (his 4.71-second 40-yard dash at 306 pounds remains an NFL combine record) but that agility comes with a cost: the human body isn’t built to move at such speeds at that size, and can break under the stress of it. Hopefully he won’t suffer life-changing effects once his playing days are over.

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Panthers work out four kickers after Joey Slye’s rough day vs. Saints

Carolina Panthers kicker Joey Slye had a bad day against the New Orleans Saints, causing Carolina to try out free agents like Kai Forbath.

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The New Orleans Saints defeated the Carolina Panthers after some spotty kicking from Panthers specialist Joey Slye last Sunday, and the team is taking steps to find a better answer at the position, according to a report from Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Slye missed two extra point tries and a 28-yard field goal against the Saints in a game Carolina lost 34-31, dropping them to 5-6 on the season.

Ironically, Carolina’s free agent tryouts included former Saints kicker Kai Forbath, who appeared in 10 games for New Orleans back in 2015. Forbath went 9-for-13 on field goal tries and 33-for-34 on extra point attempts that season before stints with the Minnesota Vikings and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Other kickers who worked out for Carolina per Wilson’s report were Elliott Fry (66-of-88 on field goals in 51 games at South Carolina, but no extensive NFL experience), Greg Joseph (17-of-20 in 14 games with the Cleveland Browns last year), and Nick Rose (11-of-14 in 10 games for two teams from 2017 to 2018).

The Panthers haven’t made any moves yet beyond adding Joseph to their practice squad, but the Saints will see whoever gets the starting nod next when they fly out to Charlotte in the regular season finale on Dec. 29.

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Marshon Lattimore practices, but Julio Jones rests on Saints-Falcons injury report

New Orleans Saints CB Marshon Lattimore returned to practice, but Atlanta Falcons WR Julio Jones was missing on the injury report.

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The New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons practiced on Tuesday, releasing updated injury reports after their initial estimations earlier this week. With such a quick turnaround between their last game on Sunday and their upcoming Thanksgiving prime-time kickoff on Thursday night, both teams opted to rest on Monday before getting back to work on the practice field.

That meant a return for star Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore, who missed the last two games with a hamstring injury. Lattimore practiced on a limited basis on Tuesday. If he plays against Atlanta, it will have been 18 days since Lattimore last suited up, having left the first matchup with the Falcons on Nov. 10 after straining his hamstring. The Saints lost that game 26-9, so getting him back would do a lot to help a defense that’s been inconsistent in his absence.

Curiously, the Falcons have rested standout wide receiver Julio Jones (shoulder) for two of their three practice days before Thursday night’s game. His stats deserves attention moving forward, because it almost goes without saying that his absence would be massive for Atlanta if he can’t play this week.

Updated practice participation and injury status are noted in bold text. Here’s what we learned after the Saints and Falcons took the field on Tuesday:

From the Saints

  • G Andrus Peat (forearm), Did not participate
  • FB Zach Line (knee), Did not participate
  • T Terron Armstead (ankle), Did not participate
  • G Will Clapp (back), Limited
  • CB Marshon Lattimore (hamstring), Limited
  • WR Deonte Harris (hamstring), Limited

From the Falcons

  • TE Austin Hooper (knee), Did not participate
  • WR Julio Jones (shoulder), Did not participate
  • CB Jordan Miller (illness), Full
  • TE Luke Stocker (back), Did not participate
  • DT Tyeler Davison (neck), Full
  • RB Devonta Freeman (foot), Full
  • DE Takkarist McKinley (shoulder), Limited
  • S Sharrod Neasman (shoulder), Limited
  • CB Desmond Trufant (toe), Full
  • S Kemal Ishmael (concussion), Full
  • QB Matt Ryan (ankle), Full

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