Tag: reacts

Thomas Morstead shouts out his protégé Blake Gillikin after huge game

Thomas Morstead shouts out his protégé Blake Gillikin after huge game

[sendtonews_embed video_id=”0SRA75r9iG-1551506-7498″]

It didn’t take Thomas Morstead long to win over his New York Jets teammates, which shouldn’t come as a surprise to the many New Orleans Saints fans who cheered for him the last decade. But he found time to catch his old teammates’ game with the Washington Football Team on Sunday after his Jets squad lost a frustrating game in London to the Atlanta Falcons.

And Morstead had to be impressed by what he saw from Blake Gillikin, who he spent the last year of his Saints career tutoring. Gillikin punted five times for 268 yards (53.6 yards per try) and dropped three of them inside Washington’s 3-yard line. It was enough to earn some praise from his mentor on social media afterwards.

But Gillikin didn’t have time to check his phone between celebrating the win and rushing to a postgame press conference, where he said his time at Penn State prepared him for this moment.

“You know, (the Big Ten is) a punting conference, which is great,” Gillikin joked after the game. Between that experience and Morstead’s tutelage, it’s clear he’s the man for this job. We’ll just have to wait and see if he can hold it down for a decade like Morstead did. But there’s no doubting he’s off to a hot start.

[listicle id=51926]

Ryan Clark says Taysom Hill has a ‘Charles Barkley Turrible’ deep ball

Ryan Clark says Taysom Hill has a ‘Charles Barkley Turrible’ deep ball

[sendtonews_embed video_id=”nxFKaiWwm6-1540456-7498″]

ESPN analyst and retired NFL safety Ryan Clark hasn’t had many great things to say about the New Orleans Saints, despite hailing from Marrero, La. and starring at LSU for a few years before turning pro. He’s been critical of the team and its performance, and when rewatching their surprising loss to the New York Giants he focused on one ugly element in particular: Taysom Hill’s deep ball, which he criticized with NBA legend Charles Barkley’s signature jeer.

Hill threw the only Saints interception of the game on a long pass to Deonte Harris, but he didn’t put enough power behind it and the ball fell short, allowing Giants corner James Bradberry to circle back and outmuscle Harris at the catch point. After the game, Sean Payton said that Hill’s plant foot caught in the turf as he threw, but that excuse doesn’t explain the part-time quarterback’s issues going deep throughout his NFL career.

Per Pro Football Focus, Hill is 7-for-14 on throws traveling 20-plus yards (gaining 264 yards) from 2018 to 2021, including 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Quite literally every pass he sends deep downfield is a 50/50 ball. He lacks the arm strength and clean mechanics to push the ball further so it can hit his receivers in stride.

As impressive he’s been in other roles, this is a glaring weakness in his skills set. They may get favorable looks from the defense when asking Hill to throw, but he just isn’t effective enough at it to make taking the ball from Jameis Winston worthwile.

With that said, Clark was complimentary of Hill’s other big moments — including his two “big boy” scoring runs to extend New Orleans’ lead. And he’s correctly pointed out that Hill is at his best when he isn’t the one throwing the ball. When will Payton catch on?

[listicle id=51345]

Drew Brees reacts to Tom Brady winning the all-time passing yards record

Drew Brees reacts to Tom Brady winning the all-time passing yards record

[sendtonews_embed video_id=”xBlq4LuDis-1540301-7498″]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CUlmbc2FIgg/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Here’s a cool gesture from Drew Brees. The legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback offered a hat tip to the NFL’s new all-time leader in career passing yards, saluting Tom Brady from his Instagram account. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signal-caller won Brees’ own record in his first game against his old New England Patriots team.

Brees praised Brady for his “commitment and dedication” to his craft and teammates, and acknowledged all the work that goes into preparing to play the game at its highest level when cameras aren’t rolling. And then he reminded Brady to appreciate the moment. That’s a class act, from one future Hall of Famer to another.

[listicle id=51270]

Twitter reacts to Saints’ 26-7 loss vs. Panthers

Twitter reacts to Saints’ 26-7 loss vs. Panthers

The New Orleans Saints are a fun team to follow. They’re normally high-energy, competitive, and full of personality — pettiness from players, arrogance from head coach Sean Payton. It makes it easy to create enemies. So naturally the vultures are quick to circle whenever they struggle. Fans and analysts on Twitter kept a close eye on the Saints during their 26-7 loss to the Carolina Panthers, and the reactions, well, speak for themselves.

Fans react on Twitter during Saints vs. Packers in Week 1

Saints vs. Packers: Fans react on Twitter to shocking Week 1 victory

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyahgz6p2j3xp7 player_id=none image=https://saintswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Yeah, nobody saw that coming. The New Orleans Saints ran the Green Bay Packers off the field in a 38-3 rout, led by a stellar performance from Jameis Winston and his five touchdown passes. So it makes sense that NFL Twitter had all sorts of reactions to the game’s result, which you can catch below:

Saints players, rival NFC South teams send Louisiana well-wishes ahead of Hurricane Ida

Current, former Saints players send Louisiana well-wishes ahead of Hurricane Ida

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyahgz6p2j3xp7 player_id=none image=https://saintswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

It doesn’t take long for any new Louisiana residents to appreciate the dangers of hurricane season. So with Hurricane Ida crashing down on the Gulf Coast, many current and former New Orleans Saints players took a moment to express their concern for the community they’ve called home. Even other teams around the NFC South set their rivalries aside in solidarity with the storm-struck region.

Saints owner Gayle Benson commissioned a pair of commercial flights to evacuate players, personnel, and their families to Dallas, but many, many Louisiana residents inside and outside of New Orleans weren’t able to get out of the area before Ida made landfall on Sunday. Everyone is thinking of them and hoping for the best. Here are what some players shared on social media:

Twitter reacts to Saints naming Jameis Winston their starting QB

Twitter reacts to Saints naming Jameis Winston their starting QB

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyahgz6p2j3xp7 player_id=none image=https://saintswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

The New Orleans Saints reportedly named Jameis Winston their starting quarterback on Friday, prompting a wide range of reactions across social media. Many observers expected Winston to run away with the job, which led to vindication. Others were a bit more hesitant to agree with the decision to start Winston over Taysom Hill. At any rate, here’s what everyone had to say about Winston getting taking the reins from Drew Brees:

Watch: Jameis Winston nearly loses his head attempting tackle drill

Jameis Winston isn’t lacking for enthusiasm. He almost lost his helmet in a tackle drill, but laughed along with everyone else on Twitter:

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyahgz6p2j3xp7 player_id=none image=https://saintswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Oh, Jameis. The New Orleans Saints quarterback isn’t lacking for enthusiasm. But this time it almost cost him his head — or at least his unintentionally-goofy body language makes it seem that way.

Jameis Winston was doing his part as a good teammate, clapping and encouraging the Saints running backs while they ran through a tackling machine at training camp. The pads simulate outstretched arms, helping players get used to running through contact and protecting the ball, and Winston gave it a shot on his own after his teammates finished the drill.

Except it didn’t go as planned. As Winston later laughed on Twitter, “That second pad on the left got me with that hit stick!” as he stumbled through the drill, struggling to regain his footing on the other side. It’s good to see he’s taking it all in stride while competing with Taysom Hill for the starting job (and I’m guessing Hill’s added muscle mass might help him should he attempt this drill himself).

[vertical-gallery id=47453]

Demario Davis on reuniting with Kwon Alexander: ‘We waited all summer for this’

Demario Davis on reuniting with Kwon Alexander: ‘We waited all summer for this’

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyahgz6p2j3xp7 player_id=none image=https://saintswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Count Demario Davis within the chorus of New Orleans Saints welcoming Kwon Alexander back to the black and gold. The All-Pro defensive captain celebrated the return of his teammate on Twitter, and it’s clear the pair of linebackers are eager to work together again.

We’ll see if Alexander can hold up to extended action in a starting role. He has a history of injuries and is coming off an offseason spent rehabbing his surgically-repaired Achilles tendon. But there’s no doubting his playmaking abilities. With a pair of highly-drafted youngsters also in the competition (Pete Werner and Zack Baun), the Saints should have confidence that they can field the best set of linebackers possible.

In the meantime: Davis is known for his dynamic play style, but also his fiery pregame speeches. And that enthusiasm is infectious. See for yourself:

[vertical-gallery id=40456]

WATCH: Pete Werner, Paulson Adebo’s families celebrate Saints draft picks

The families of New Orleans Saints draft picks Pete Werner and Paulson Adebo reacted to their selections with tremendous celebration.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyahgz6p2j3xp7 player_id=none image=https://saintswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Here’s something you earnestly love to see: the families of New Orleans Saints draft picks reacting to the news that Pete Werner and Paulson Adebo will be wearing black and gold. For a franchise that once dealt with Reggie Bush pouting his way through his own draft night selection, seeing Werner and Adebo’s families so jubilant is something else.

And it goes to show how far the Saints have come since hiring Sean Payton, who successfully recruited Drew Brees to turn the team around on the fly. And years and years of success have changed New Orleans’ perception around the league radically, to a point now where rookie draft picks have to hurry to another room with Payton on the phone because their families are creating such an uproar. Now how about that?

[lawrence-related id=44995,44919]

[listicle id=45034]