Tag: Saints

Saints schedule: Calendar change is the good news for New Orleans

Bleacher Report says October sank the Saints’ season. Calendar change is the good news for New Orleans:

We’re at the halfway point of the season. The New Orleans Saints have played 10 games, but other teams with a bye week just hit nine games last week.

Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon has isolated a single stat from every team’s season that defines how their season has transpired. For New Orleans, he used 58-136. That’s the Saints scoring margin in October, a month Gagnon believes ruined the season.

When you go on a seven-game losing streak it’s difficult to just point to one month as a season killer. Seven weeks is nearly two months, and technically, the streak went from the end of September to the beginning of November. October is the only month the Saints didn’t win a game.

He compares that stretch to the other six games of the season. The Saints went 3-3 and had a scoring margin of 169-110. That number is exaggerated by blowout victories to start the season.

The Saints have been in close games, but they lost all of their matchups in October by double digits. Comparatively, every other loss has been by three points or less. No team is happier to move into a new month — and get a fresh start — than they are.

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Tyrann Mathieu knows what to expect from Jameis Winston

Familiarity plays a part in Saints vs. Browns, and Tyrann Mathieu knows what to expect from Jameis Winston in his return to New Orleans:

Tyrann Mathieu is ready to play his former teammate, Jameis Winston, on Sunday. Mathieu has one message for Winston, “I’m expecting a shot the first play of the game, Jameis, so throw it up there.”

Mathieu intercepted Kirk Cousins in the fourth quarter to help the New Orleans Saints break their losing streak. The safety would like to build a streak of his own, but he knows Winston: “Probably tells me he’s going to throw it at me before he actually does it.”

Familiarity plays a big part in this matchup. “He knows us, we know him,”  Mathieu said. Winston wasn’t in New Orleans long, but Mathieu still thinks this will be “somewhat of homecoming” because of how the city feels bout the former Saints quarterback. Mathieu said the team loves Winston the same way.

Mathieu joined the New Orleans Saints a year after Winston. Mathieu’s arrival coincided with Winston becoming the starter. Through this time, both were leaders on their side of the ball and they got to know each other well.

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Jameis Winston reflects on how his time in New Orleans impacted him

Jameis Winston spent four years in New Orleans, and he said the city helped him during “that transitional period in my life”

Jameis Winston expressed nothing but love for the city of New Orleans and the Saints as he makes his return as a member of the Cleveland Browns.

Everyone who plays for the Saints doesn’t get chosen by the city when the jersey is off. Winston was one of those players. “The people in New Orleans, I really love them. They really helped that transitional period in my life.”

Winston did start for New Orleans at one point, but he came to New Orleans as a backup to Drew Brees. To be a former first overall pick and not get a starting job requires one to swallow his pride. Winston did that to study under Sean Payton knowing Brees was the starter.

He came to New Orleans to hone his craft. When he did become the starter his time was cut way too short. Through it all he says his “teammates encouraged me, they pushed me.”

It’s clear his time in New Orleans holds a special place in his heart on and off the field.

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Tyrann Mathieu and Drew Brees probably wouldn’t agree on his favorite INT

Tyrann Mathieu and Drew Brees probably wouldn’t agree on his favorite INT. Mathieu’s takeaway in his 2013 homecoming stands the test of time:

It’s no secret that Tyrann Mathieu is a special talent. The New Orleans Saints safety returned home to close out his illustrious NFL career, and while Mathieu’s 2024 season hast had more low moments than he’s comfortable with, the highlights stand up with the best plays throughout his career.

He’s still making history. Mathieu is tied with his old college teammate Patrick Peterson for the most interceptions among all active NFL players (36). So which one was his favorite?

“I hate to say it but it’d have to be my rookie season, playing against Drew Brees in the Superdome,” Mathieu grinned. “And we got beat bad that day  but I had a good game. And I got to walk l away with one of the most prized possessions of anybody’s life, and that’s a Drew Brees football. So I always remember that one.”

Mathieu played the Saints just three games into his pro career back in 2013, and while his Arizona Cardinals fell 31-7, he did finish the day with 10 tackles (9 solo), on top of that interception. That was a season-high for his rookie year, and clearly a memorable game in his NFL story.

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Saints rule out 2 players, 6 more questionable vs. Browns on final injury report

The New Orleans Saints ruled out two players against the Browns, with six questionable on the final Week 11 injury report:

Believe it or not, this is a big improvement. The New Orleans Saints ruled out just two players against the Cleveland Browns, with six more questionable on the final Week 11 injury report. Just one starter is out for sure — left guard Lucas Patrick (ankle) — and three others are in the questionable group between center Erik McCoy (groin), linebacker Pete Werner (hand), and cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry (hamstring). Werner at least will be a game-time decision.

That’s a far cry from where the Saints had been in regards to injuries for much of this season (and last year, and the year before that). Interim head coach Darren Rizzi made it a point to revise the daily practice schedule, but whatever the training staff is doing differently is working, too.

But that’s not to say the Saints have an advantage in health this week. The Browns ruled out just one player, defensive tackle Mike  Hall (knee),  and  the other five players listed on their injury report this week all practiced fully on Friday and will be available for Sunday’s game. That includes backup quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (right finger) and wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (knee). Check the final Week 11 injury report for yourself:

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Saints offense has a huge edge on the Browns defense in this key stat

Derek Carr has been one of the best quarterbacks working off of play action, and the Saints should lean into it against the Browns:

Pro Football Focus would suggest the New Orleans Saints offense has one huge advantage over the Cleveland Browns defense. That comes in the form of play action passing.

Derek Carr grades out as one of the best quarterbacks in the league when using play action. The lack of play action was one of the things missing from last year’s offensive game plan. Under Klint Kubiak, PFF grades Carr as the third-best quarterback when using play action. Against play action, the Browns allow the 30th most yards in the NFL.

That creates a matchup between a top-five quarterback and bottom-five defense in this specific stat. You can’t run play action all game, but New Orleans does like to hit shot plays off of play action. We saw it last week with Marquez Valdes-Scantling’s big debut. A defense that allows a good amount of yardage on play action could open the door for more explosive plays like we saw last week.

According to charting from Pro Football Reference, the Saints are tied with the Browns for the 11th-most pass attempts off of play action (72), but New Orleans has been much more successful on those plays. They’re one of six teams to gain 700 or more yards off of play-action passing. If the Saints are going to win back-to-back games, they’ll need to lean on this aspect of their offense.

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Saints have spent more time leading this year than the NFL’s only unbeaten team

The Saints have an advantage in this surprising stat, but it hasn’t translated to success. They’ve spent more time leading than the NFL’s only unbeaten team:

If you needed any further proof that the NFL is a game of moments, look at the New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs.

Patrick Mahomes and the defending Super Bowl champions have spent less time this year leading the opposition than the Saints. By that stat you’d assume, at the least, the Saints are having a season on par with the Chiefs. That couldn’t be further from the truth.

The Saints currently sit at 3-7 and had a top-5five pick in the NFL draft a week ago. The Chiefs are the NFL’s only undefeated team. These teams are on drastically different paths.

This stat highlights one thing. In clutch moments, the Chiefs rise to the occasion while the Saints falter. Part of the reason the Saints have led for so long this season is they were in the lead for nearly the entire first two games. However late collapses also led to long periods of leaving without ending with a victory.

Kansas City, however, knows how to get victories. They’ve played in close games, but they know how to make timely plays to win. That’s why they have led for 23 less minutes than the Saints but have six more wins.

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Saints secondary trending up on Thursday injury report vs. Browns

Kool-Aid McKinstry and Jordan Howden stepped up to full participation on Thursday’s New Orleans Saints injury report. The secondary is trending up:

Looking at where the New Orleans Saints injury report used to be on a weekly basis, they’ll take Wednesday’s injury report any day of the week. It was so good that Thursday’s injury report looking nearly identical is still a blessing, especially with the Saints’ history with midweek injuries.

Thursday’s injury report looks very similar, but there are two important changes. Kool-Aid McKinstry and Jordan Howden elevated from limited participants to full participants. The Saints secondary has been ravaged by injuries lately.

Alontae Taylor and Tyrann Mathieu have been the only healthy defensive backs. Howden suffered an injury against the Atlanta Falcons and returned during the game. The return of McKinstry and Howden give New Orleans essentially a full secondary.

Taylor and McKinstry are the future at cornerback. Mathieu is a veteran, but he will likely be on the team in 2025. Howden has been progressing and could be a piece for the future. If these four men are able to stay healthy, it can be a look at multiple foundational pieces in the secondary.

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Saints announce plans for Jahri Evans to go into their Ring of Honor

The Saints announced plans for Jahri Evans to go into their Ring of Honor during this week’s game. It’s another boost to his Pro Football Hall of Fame candidacy:

New Orleans Saints fans attending this week’s game with the Cleveland  Browns are in for a treat. The Saints will induct Super Bowl XLIV champion Jahri Evans into their Ring of Honor on Sunday, Nov. 17, during a halftime ceremony at the Caesars Superdome. Kickoff is set for Noon CT/1 p.m. ET.

Additionally, many of Evans’ former teammates  are  expected to be in  attendance as part of the Saints’ yearly  “Legends Weekend” event. Evans started at right guard during the most successful period in team history, and he currently works for the Saints as an assistant offensive line coach. He shared a passionate message to his players when he got the news during training camp, and was quoted with a longer statement in an official release from the team.

“It is exciting to have been selected to be part of such an elite group,” Evans told NewOrleansSaints.com. “I am grateful to Mrs. Benson, Mickey Loomis for selecting me for this honor. I would also like to thank my coaches and teammates for the role they played in my development and success, as well as our fans that gave us such great energy on gameday and inspired us to reach the heights of winning the Super Bowl.”

Evans will be just the eighth member of the team’s Ring of Honor, joining owner Tom Benson, quarterback Archie Manning, and defensive end Will Smith as well as several Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees: offensive tackle Willie Roaf, kicker Morten Andersen, linebackers Rickey Jackson and Sam Mills. This recognition is another boost to Evans’ own Hall of Fame candidacy after he reached the finalist stage last year. Maybe this time he gets over that last hurdle.

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Saints can’t allow Nick Chubb to have a bounce-back performance

Nick Chubb has struggled since returning from a major injury, and the Browns’ bye week may have been exactly what he needed. The Saints can’t allow him to bounce back:

This can’t be the game Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb returns to form, not if the New Orleans Saints want to win a second consecutive week.

Prior to being injured at the beginning of the 2023 season, Chubb was one of the best running backs in the league. There was hopes he could help add a spark to the Cleveland Browns offense upon his return. That simply didn’t happen.

Chubb’s best game was against Baltimore, where he averaged 3.2 yards per carry and ended with 52 yards.

Struggles should have been expected, and surpassing those expectations should have been a welcomed surprise.

Coming off a bye week seems like an optimal time for Chubb to step up his performance. Facing the Saints’ struggling also presents a chance to return to form. Missed tackles have plagued New Orleans this year.

Allowing Chubb to have a bounce back game will allow to the Browns to unlock their preferred method of offense. It also attacks the weaker point of the Saints defense. That’s a double whammy New Orleans can’t afford.

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