NFL Take Dump: The Rams might be the only team that can stop the Chiefs

The Rams are the Chiefs’ toughest matchup, sell your Buccaneers stock and Sean Payton may have cost the Saints the Super Bowl.

A solid season for the Take Dump only got even stronger on Sunday as the Steelers were fully exposed as the frauds we’ve been saying they were all season and Jalen Hurts redeemed our pleas for the Eagles to make a change at quarterback weeks ago. The Chiefs also ascended to the top of the league standings with an effortless win over a good Dolphins team, which is good for the Take Dump brand. But I can’t, in good conscience, brag about a “the Super Champs are really good” take.

Besides, now is no time to celebrate. With the playoffs right around the corner, it’s time to turn up the heat. So without further ado, let’s dump some takes. Here are my four biggest takeaways after a long day of watching football…

USA TODAY Sports names Zack Baun a ‘steal’ at No. 74

The 2020 NFL Draft came to a close last night with four former Badgers hearing their name come off the board. The four that ended up…

The 2020 NFL Draft came to a close last night with four former Badgers hearing their name come off the board.

The four that ended up being selected, Jonathan Taylor, Zack Baun, Tyler Biadasz and Quintez Cephus, were no surprise. Where one of them fell to, though, was.

During the pre-draft process Zack Baun was pegged as a late-first or early-second round pick.

On draft day, Baun fell to the third round where Sean Peyton and the New Orleans Saints traded up to select him at No. 74 overall.

USA TODAY Sports analyzed this selection and called it one of the steals of the draft.

“It doesn’t always take a first-round pick to secure a first-round talent in the NFL draft,” the article reads. “For teams with the right eye, there’s an opportunity to find tremendous value beyond their highest selection.”

This sentence perfectly describes the Saints’ selection of Baun in the third round.

The defensive line in New Orleans is headlined by Pro Bowl defensive end Cameron Jordan and the 15.5 sacks he recorded during the 2019 season. After Jordan, there is a significant drop in pass-rush production, a role Baun will be able to help fill from Day 1.

Baun’s pass-rush explosiveness paired with his versatility–his ability to cover running backs coming out of the backfield in addition to playing downhill in the run game–is what made him a fringe-first round talent.

While Baun hasn’t played as an off-ball linebacker like the Saints will likely use him, his skillset translates to the role and there is nothing pointing towards Peyton having trouble utilizing his unique talent.

Looking back at draft classes the ongoing story is often when teams select a player, almost as much as it is who they choose to select.

The Saints’ selection of the former Badger all-the-way back in the third round illustrates what people mean by calling a draft pick a “steal,” and should significantly benefit the team and their defensive unit going forward.

4 game balls from the Saints’ record-setting Monday night beatdown

The New Orleans Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts during Monday Night Football, with Drew Brees breaking a few records along the way.

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The New Orleans Saints made easy work of the Indianapolis Colts during their prime-time matchup on Monday Night Football in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. While the 34-7 scoreline was impressive, the records set were even more so. However, the results could not have been accomplished if not for the efforts of some key players.

Here are the game balls we have given to some players for their extraordinary performances in Monday night’s game.

Marshon Lattimore

The Pro Bowler was tasked with shadowing Colts wideout T.Y. Hilton for much of the night. Even with Hilton returning from injury, the wideout has proven he among the best in the game at his position. Lattimore did a phenomenal job at keeping Hilton quiet all evening.

It was not until the second half of the game when Hilton looked as if he was going to be productive. However, Lattimore continued to shut Hilton out of the game, and the wideout finished with only four receptions and 25 yards receiving. In a night where New Orleans’ pass rush was non-existent, Lattimore helped pick up the slack by playing lockdown defense on the edge.

Chauncey Gardner-Johnson

Starting safety Vonn Bell did not see action Monday night due to injury, and rookie standout Gardner-Johnson took his place in the starting lineup. Before leaving the game with a concussion, Gardner-Johnson made his mark on the defense. During a game where, as previously mentioned, the Saints lacked any real pass rush, the rookie safety attacked the Colts backfield.

Gardner-Johnson led New Orleans in tackles on the evening with eight, and was a constant threat to Indianapolis’ rushing attack. Hopefully the rookie’s concussion will heal similarly to tight end Jared Cook’s and fans can see the special talent take the field against the Tennessee Titans in Week 16.

Michael Thomas

Can’t Guard Mike was back at it on Monday night. After another 12 receptions for a 128 yards and a touchdown, how could we not give the man a game ball? His consistent and repeated performances are becoming the status quo, and as such are beginning to fly under the radar.

Thomas is currently chasing Marvin Harrison’s single season reception record of 143, and is currently 11 receptions behind. That is essentially one game for Thomas, and New Orleans could see two huge records fall in back-to-back weeks.

Drew Brees

Easiest decision on this list. Brees led his team to the 34-7 blowout, while throwing for 307 yards and four touchdowns. Lest we forget he also broke the record for most career passing touchdowns by throwing for 541 touchdowns in his illustrious career. He also threw 30 passes, 29 of which were caught for completions, another record set for highest completion percentage in an NFL football game. Who is this guy, and how is he only 40-years old?

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The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Week 15: Reviewing the Saints’ win over the Colts

On a record-setting night for Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints, there is plenty of good to go around after thrashing the Colts.

The New Orleans Saints dominated the Indianapolis Colts in prime-time during their “Monday Night Football” matchup, winning the game with a very lopsided 34-7 final score.

This victory was important for several years, highlighting more than a need to just get-back-on-track after last week’s crushing loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Tough defensive efforts, a solid showing from the special teams units, and a fantastic offensive performance allowed the Saints to show fans something they haven’t seen this season: an all-around team win.

The Good (Great, really): Drew Brees

Let’s just get this out of the way now: Brees eclipsed Peyton’s Manning’s record for career passing touchdowns, and did so in spectacular fashion. En route to that record-breaking play, the Hall of Fame-bound quarterback also completed 29 of his 30 passes, marking a completion percentage of 96.7%; that’s another record broken on the evening.

Brees has been great this year, and he’s now posted back-to-back performances with 300-plus passing yard and four touchdown lobs. The ageless gunslinger is picking up steam at the right time as the Saints move towards the playoffs.

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Monday Night Football, Week 15: 4 players to watch in Saints vs. Colts

The New Orleans Saints host the Indianapolis Colts on Monday Night Football with playmakers like Alvin Kamara and Cameron Jordan in focus.

The New Orleans Saints will host the Indianapolis Colts on Monday Night Football in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, and there’s a lot on the line. A win for the Saints would keep them in the hunt with the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers to sit on top of the NFC playoff picture. On the other side, a win for the Colts would stave off playoff elimination for at least another week.

This game also creates another opportunity for Drew Brees to break the NFL record for career passing touchdowns, currently held by Colts (and Broncos) legend Peyton Manning (he retired with 539 touchdown passes to his name). Brees is awful close, and he mightl ook to some familiar targets to get over the top. They’re among four players we’re watching closely in Monday night’s game:

Alvin Kamara, running back

The insanely talented Saints running back has seen some regression this season, and has not looked the part of the All-Pro back he was voted to be last year. Instead, he has seen his yards gained per carry drop each season, falling from 6.1 in 2017 to just 4.4 in 2019. Furthermore, his rate of yards gained per reception — which is normally one of his best stats — has also drastically dropped from a high of 10.2 in 2017 to 6.8 in 2019. The Saints can go as far as Kamara will carry them, and as such, a big game against the Colts will go a long way in helping him find momentum before the playoffs.

Michael Thomas, wide receiver

The top wideout in the league will once again be featured as Brees’ go-to weapon, in a game that could see the Saints dial up more passes in an attempt at getting Brees the three touchdowns he needs to break Manning’s record. Thomas is on pace to break another ex-Colts star’s record, with Marvin Harrison’s 143 receptions single-season mark at threat. Thomas already has 121 receptions of his own with several games left to play. Elite cornerbacks have tried all year to slow Thomas down, but the Colts don’t have many great options on the back end to defend him. If Thomas eclipses 100 yards receiving again, he will have done so for the ninth time this season. The question for him: will he be the one to catch Brees’ record-setting touchdown?

Cameron Jordan, defensive end

Cameron Jordan was limited in practice all week due to an abdomen injury, but he will be ready to go on Monday night. The defensive end has 13.5 sacks on the year, and he has stated numerous times that his career “white whale” is to achieve 20 sacks on the season. He has three games left to try and accomplish that feat, but that would require him to average just over two sacks per game for the rest of the season. Indianapolis’ offensive line is great, but they will have a tough time containing Jordan who is out for a rebound after his defense let the San Francisco 49ers drop 48-points on them. With starting defensive end Marcus Davenport and surging defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins out for the year, Jordan is going to be carrying even more of a responsibility to pressure quarterbacks than usual.

Drew Brees, quarterback

How could we not include Brees in this list when he is on the cusp of another all-time NFL record? With 537 touchdown passes already behind him, Brees only needs three more to break Manning’s record of 539, and he can surpass Tom Brady along the way (Brady climbed to 538 on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, but couldn’t go all the way). Doing it against Manning’s former team, and during prime-time with the Super Bowl XLIV-winning teammates in attendance, would make the moment even more special. This game and atmosphere has all the makings of a vintage Brees performance, to the tune of 400 yards and four touchdowns.

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What’s happened since the Saints, Colts put Super Bowl XLIV behind them?

The New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts are set to kick off on Monday night. How have their fortunes gone since Super Bowl XLIV?

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Week 15’s Monday Night Football feature will highlight a Super Bowl XLIV rematch, with the New Orleans Saints hosting the Indianapolis Colts from inside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Monday night’s game will mark just the third matchup between the two teams since the Saints’ 31-17 victory in Super Bowl XLIV nearly a decade ago.

New Orleans has won both of the previous matchups, with many fans probably recalling the 2011 blowout in which the Saints pummeled the Curtis Painter-led Colts 62-7. Both teams played a much more even game during the ir2015 meeting, but New Orleans was able to edge out the 27-21 win on the road.

Both franchises have storied histories, each as unique as the other. But, what has happened to the two franchises since Super Bowl XLIV, when Drew Brees and Peyton Manning last shared the field? And what may lie ahead for both teams?

New Orleans Saints

New Orleans has enjoyed a period of largely sustained success, as they have made the playoffs six times in the ten seasons (including this year) following their Super Bowl victory. There is an argument to be made that in three of those six seasons (2011, 2017, 2018) the Saints were a Super Bowl-caliber team, but we’ll never know given each year’s dramatic playoff exit.

While the six seasons of playoff appearances are the highlights of the last decade, there have been plenty of downs to help offset the positives. The Saints recorded a 7-9 record in each of these seasons they did not make the playoffs, often lowering the bar for historically-bad defense. The Bountygate controversy played some part of that when head coach Sean Payton was suspended for the entirety of the 2012 season.

Despite some blemishes, the last decade has been very good to the Saints. Drew Brees has cemented himself as one of the greatest quarterbacks to play the game after breaking nearly every single record in the book. Now, he will play tonight with one more on the line: the NFL record for career passing touchdowns. He will need three touchdowns to break Colts legend Peyton Manning’s record 539 touchdown passes. There is more than just playoff seeding at stake during Monday night’s matchup. New Orleans are eyeing another Super Bowl run, and looked poised to make a deep playoff push if they can build momentum against the Colts.

Indianapolis Colts

In the ten years following Super Bowl XLIV, the Colts have not quite enjoyed the same successes as their opponent. After their Super Bowl loss, Indianapolis continued to play well as evidenced by making the playoffs in five of those years (2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2018). However, only the 2014 squad truly looked like a contender. The Colts also experienced multiple losing seasons, including a 2011 season which saw them achieve an unsightly 2-14.

While the Saints have enjoyed stability, particularly at the quarterback position, Indianapolis has seen turmoil. Their franchise quarterback Manning left for the Denver Broncos, and his replacement, Andrew Luck, looked like he was making an early case for the Hall of Fame. Instead, Luck retired in 2019, making way for Jacoby Brissett.

Indianapolis is a proud franchise, and will always do whatever it takes to at least be competitive. Despite a huge blow to start the season, the Colts have played to an admirable 6-7, and will look to add New Orleans to their list of beaten foes during primetime on Monday Night Football.

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