Tag: Stats

WATCH: Jon Gruden raves about Saints QB/TE/football player Taysom Hill

Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden is a big fan of his Monday Night Football opponent, New Orleans Saints backup quarterback Taysom Hill.

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Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden just loves football, man. When previewing his team’s Week 2 matchup, Gruden waxed poetic on New Orleans Saints backup quarterback Taysom Hill as the epitome of a position-less “football player” who puts as much enthusiasm into the game as Gruden feels himself.

“I don’t remember a quarterback who can throw and run read options, and then line up at tight end,” Gruden said, grinning. “This guy’s a weapon, he’s a special teams demon, he can be the personal protector on the punt team. He’s a great football player.”

Hill lined up at ten different spots in 2019 (up from nine positions in 2018) and caught the first pass thrown in the 2020 season for a 14-yard gain. And Gruden is right to point out Hill’s proficiency in the kicking game, even if his snaps count fell to just 12 plays after he averaged 23 special teams snaps per game in 2019 (not counting the games Drew Brees missed to injury, totaling 31 snaps in those five contests).

Beyond his own stats on returning kickoffs (with a career average of 24.0 yards per return, and a personal-best of 47 yards), Hill has blocked a pair of punts against the division-rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers (in 2018) and Atlanta Falcons (in 2019) while collecting 13 combined tackles in the kicking game. He’s a force, and the Saints clearly want to keep him in positions to thrive. And that’s keeping Gruden’s attention.

“You know a lot of guys call it, ‘He’s a football player?'” Gruden continued, pantomiming quotation marks. “This guy’s a ‘football player.’ He can play anywhere on the ‘football’ field. And you gotta be aware of No. 7, because he can ruin the game. And they have a great package to keep us off his scent. You know you just can’t prepare for him, [you have to prepare] for anything. He’s just a ‘football player.'”

We’ll see what sort of heroics Hill has in store for Gruden’s Raiders very soon. In Week 1, he ran three times to pick up 13 yards on the ground and connected with Alvin Kamara on a 38-yard completion, in addition to his opening-drive 14-yard reception. He’s already padding out his impressive highlight reel, and from the sound of it, Gruden is as eager to see the finished product as anyone else.

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Saints still favored to beat Raiders on ‘Monday Night Football’

The New Orleans Saints are still road favorites in their Week 2 game with the Las Vegas Raiders, despite an injury to star WR Michael Thomas

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We’re only hours away from the New Orleans Saints kickoff with the Las Vegas Raiders on “Monday Night Football,” and the Saints remain road favorites to walk away with a win. That comes after the Saints ruled star wide receiver Michael Thomas out for this game with an ankle injury.

The oddsmakers at BetMGM Sportsbook still like the Saints to win, even with Thomas watching from the sidelines. New Orleans is favored by 5.5 points over Las Vegas, with an over/under set at 48.5; that implies a final score somewhere around Saints 28, Raiders 22. Still solid, but it’s a point lower than the projections when Thomas was expected to play.

Injuries have hit both sides. The Raiders are expected to be without their starting and backup right tackles, promoting a backup guard to their place, which is quite a mismatch for All-Pro Cameron Jordan. Jordan will not be joined by his bookend pass rusher Marcus Davenport, which could help create some favorable looks for impressive Raiders running back Josh Jacobs.

And, yeah, the Saints won’t have Thomas. But they should get better protection up front with rookie draft pick Cesar Ruiz making his debut. Maybe the extra second or two he can save Drew Brees here and there will make a real difference.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Saints rookies Cesar Ruiz, Zack Baun to make their 2020 debut

The New Orleans Saints are expected to play the Las Vegas Raiders with G Cesar Ruiz and LB Zack Baun, their top picks in the 2020 NFL Draft.

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Last week, just two rookies got on the field for the New Orleans Saints: tight end Adam Trautman (who played  7 snaps on offense and 9 on special teams) and defensive tackle Malcolm Roach (23 snaps on defense). But that’s going to change in a big way in Week 2.

The Saints are expected to have their first-round draft pick in the lineup, with former Michigan center Cesar Ruiz filling in at right guard. Ruiz missed the season opener while recovering from a training camp ankle injury, but he turned in two full days of practice and should dress out for this kickoff against the Las Vegas Raiders.

We won’t know for certain until the Saints begin their pre-game warmups at Allegiant Stadium, but it makes more sense to slot Ruiz in at right guard where he can continue to pick up the cadence from second-year center Erik McCoy. But the offensive line should play better as a whole wherever he ends up starting.

And Ruiz will be joined by the other top Saints draft pick, Wisconsin linebacker Zack Baun. Baun missed time in training camp with a tweaked hamstring, so the Saints gave him an extra week of practice to get up to speed before deciding he was game ready. But New Orleans played just three snaps in a base defense with three linebackers in Week 1, so Baun’s contributions will likely come on special teams.

Saints coach Sean Payton said as much in his Sept. 19 conference call: “He is going to be up in this game. A lot of it had to do with just a decision in regards to the kicking game. He’s doing well, he is healthy. He’s had a good week of work. You will see him a lot in special teams. No specific reason.”

The Saints ruled out second-year linebacker Chase Hansen after he suffered a hip injury in practice, and Hansen played 13 special teams snaps (as many as punter Thomas Morstead and tight end Josh Hill) in Week 1. So Hansen’s absence opens an immediate vacancy for Baun in the game’s third phase, but it’s unclear how often he’ll run with the defense. For now, he’s behind starting strong side linebacker Kaden Elliss on the depth chart.

New Orleans could play more base looks against the run-based Raiders offense and star running back Josh Jacobs, and Baun has more positional flexibility than Elliss or Hansen (he often played on the line of scrimmage at Wisconsin). So there may be more opportunities for him outside the kicking game than it appears at first glance, but if that’s the case Payton is keeping it to himself. Would he do that?

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Notre Dame in NFL – Eifert’s first touchdown as Jaguar

Tyler Eifert went up and got it for his first touchdown reception as a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

Tyler Eifert made a habit of making bit catches during his time at Notre Dame and eventually became a first round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals after his time with the Fighting Irish.

In seven years with the Bengals, Eifert had some issues staying healthy but was a touchdown machine when available, scoring 24 touchdowns in 60 career games.

This past off-season Eifert signed a free agent deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars and today he snagged his first touchdown with the squad.

Eifert ended the game with three receptions for 36 total yards but it wasn’t enough for the Jaguars as they fell on the road to the Titans, 33-30 as Jacksonville is now 1-1 on the season.

Cameron Jordan expected to face 3rd-string Raiders right tackle on MNF

New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan is expected to face Denzelle Good, a Las Vegas Raiders backup guard forced to play tackle.

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So, this might be a mismatch: the Las Vegas Raiders are preparing to start reserve guard Denzelle Good at right tackle against the New Orleans Saints, with both the starter (Trent Brown) and backup (Sam Young) doubtful to suit up because of injuries. That puts Good against All-Pro Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan.

Sure, the situation could change in the time before kickoff; Good normally plays guard, not tackle, but was pressed into action last week when the nominal next-man-up (third-year pro Brandon Parker) was inactive. Parker could get a look instead, but the Raiders were encouraged by Good’s performance against the Carolina Panthers.

“Denzelle has played a lot of football,” Raiders offensive coordinator Greg Olson told Raiders Wire. “He’s played football at a high level, not only here, but in Indianapolis as well. We have high expectations for him, and he has high expectations himself. You certainly hate to lose your starter, it’s not ideal. Hate to lose a backup to him, it’s certainly not ideal, but again they’ll rise to the challenge.”

Good has appeared in 47 games (28 starts) in his NFL career, predominately at the right guard spot. He did play well at Carolina and didn’t allow a sack, but he wasn’t exactly facing a bunch of world-beaters there.

Now Good is slated to face a five-time Pro Bowler coming off a career year. Jordan typically rushes from the left end spot against right tackles, and he’ll be a sky-high challenge for Good to contain. He bagged a personal-best 15.5 sacks last season and was one of three Saints players to take down Tom Brady in Week 1 (backup defensive ends Trey Hendrickson and Carl Granderson also recorded sacks).

We’ll see how it turns out on “Monday Night Football” when the Saints and Raiders kick off at Allegiant Stadium. But this is a battle Jordan has to feel confident he can win.

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Saints break out their ‘Color Rush’ uniforms for Week 2 at Raiders

The New Orleans Saints will make the 2020 debut of their “Color Rush” alternate uniforms on the road in Week 2 against the Las Vegas Raiders

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“Color Rush” fans, rejoice: the New Orleans Saints announced that they will be wearing their popular alternate jerseys in their upcoming Monday night game with the Las Vegas Raiders, the first time the gold-on-white kits will be used in 2020.

Commonly ranked high among the best uniforms across the NFL landscape, the only complaint we have for these alternates is asking why they haven’t been upgraded to full-time status yet. When you have something so crisp and so clean, why not promote it?

The Saints are attuned to the broad appeal these uniforms attract, having worn them as often as the NFL would allow them in 2019 (teams may wear alternate uniforms three times each year). They even appealed the league office so they could wear the alternates again in the playoffs against the Minnesota Vikings, but the NFL wouldn’t sign off on it.

New Orleans won its Week 1 game wearing the black-on-black combo, but here are their win-loss records in each permutation from the 2019 season:

  1. “Color Rush” alternates: 3-0 (1.000)
  2. White jerseys, white pants: 5-1 (.833)
  3. Black jerseys, black pants: 5-2 (.714)
  4. Black jerseys, gold pants: 0-1 (.000)

And for the extra-superstitious: we’ve put together the total numbers for every combination used in the Sean Payton era, all the way back to 2006 (and let’s not forget the unique gold jerseys worn in a 2002 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, which Cameron Jordan wants to dust off):

  1. White jerseys, white pants: 5-1 (.833)
  2. “Color Rush” alternates: 6-2 (.750)
  3. “Black and Gold” throwbacks: 2-1 (.667)
  4. Black jerseys, gold pants: 23-13 (.639)
  5. Black jerseys, black pants: 42-27 (.609)
  6. White jerseys, black pants: 38-25 (.603)
  7. White jerseys, gold pants: 31-24 (.564)

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Jon Gruden talks up Demario Davis, ‘the guy that really stirs the drink’

New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis was praised by Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden, who described the captain as a playmaker.

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Demario Davis emerged as one of the NFL’s best three-down linebackers in 2019, and he picked up right where he left off in 2020. The New Orleans Saints captain has made plays in coverage, in run defense, and as a blitzing pass rusher, and it’s built up a healthy level of respect from his upcoming opponent.

Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden gushed over Davis when previewing the matchup, telling NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill: “The guy that really stirs the drink is 56. Demario Davis, he’s as good of a blitzing linebacker as I’ve seen. He is pelting running backs. This guy is an outstanding collision player, man.”

Describing Davis as “an outstanding collision player” is perfection. The first-team All-Pro really cleaned up his tackling in 2019, notching 111 combined tackles against just five misses (a rate of 4.3%, per Pro Football Reference). Last year, he led the Saints defense with 53 tackles within 3 yards of the line of scrimmage. In Week 1, he ranked second-best with four such tackles (behind breakout safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who had six).

And Gruden is right to point out Davis being productive on blitzes. PFR credited him with as many quarterback pressures last year (15) as defensive tackle David Onyemata, trailing defensive ends Cameron Jordan (49), Marcus Davenport (26), and Trey Hendrickson (17). That’s rare production out of an off-the-ball linebacker.

But the Saints will need Davis at his best in Week 2. They’re matched up with Raiders star running back Josh Jacobs, who led the league in missed tackles forced in Week 1 while carrying the ball 25 times for 93 yards and scoring three touchdown runs. Expect Davis to line up against Jacobs throughout the game; the running back was also targeted six times as a receiver, catching four passes to gain 46 yards through the air.

That’s a tough challenge, but that’s life in the NFL. Davis has played a lot of games against many other talented players. This should be no different for him.

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PODCAST: Week 1 review, eyes on Saints at Raiders on MNF

The third episode of the Saints Wire podcast previews Week 2 between the New Orleans Saints and Las Vegas Raiders, and a little Tom Brady.

 

The New Orleans Saints are hitting the road to visit the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 2 of the 2020 NFL season, and we’ve got a full preview in the second episode of our Saints Wire podcast, hosted by Ryan O’Leary (@RyanOLearySMG on Twitter) with Saints Wire managing editor John Sigler (@john_siglerr on Twitter).

We also spent some time reflecting on the Saints’ dominant Week 1 win over Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. So let’s get to it.

You can subscribe for new episodes (released each Thursday) on Apple Podcasts or your podcast service of choice. And to get a feel for this matchup from the other side’s perspective, check out the link embedded below:

PODCAST: Previewing the Raiders Week 2 game vs. Saints

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PFF charted Malcolm Jenkins from 5 different alignments in Week 1

The analysts at Pro Football Focus charted New Orleans Saints DB Malcolm Jenkins as playing five different positions against the Buccaneers.

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Malcolm Jenkins was one of a handful of New Orelans Saints starters to stay on the field for all 70 defensive snaps against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and he turned in some impressive tape in his first game back in black and gold after six years with the Philadelphia Eagles. While he may be listed as a strong safety, he really plays a brand of positionless football more like what you’d expect to see from Tyrann Mathieu, Jamal Adams, or another one of the young stars making a name for themselves.

Pro Football Focus took notice, grading Jenkins with a top-two rating in every category for New Orleans: run defense (70.9), pass rushing (82.5), and pass coverage (68.5), as well as overall defense (76.9). That’s a great return on investment for the priciest Saints free agent acquisition. Here’s what PFF analyst Sam Monson had to say of Jenkins’ second Saints debut:

Malcolm Jenkins’ triumphant return to New Orleans couldn’t have got off to a better start. Jenkins was used all over the Saints’ defense and had an impact in seemingly every role. He spent snaps as a deep-lying free safety (22) in the box (20), crowding the line of scrimmage as a threat to blitz (17), covering the slot (7) and even split wide as a perimeter corner to match up with Bucs’ receivers (4). He even played special teams to add to his contributions. Jenkins had two total pressures from six pass-rushing snaps on the blitz, recorded two defensive stops and didn’t give up a catch during the game as the Saints defense frustrated Tom Brady and the Bucs.

And here’s a simple pie chart reflecting all the different alignments Jenkins saw against Tampa Bay:

That versatility explains why the Saints were so eager to bring Jenkins back into the fold after letting him walk away back in 2013. He developed into a great player with a well-rounded skills set in Philadelphia, and his ability to wear so many hats was on full display. Being able to ask him to switch spots from one play to the next relieves a lot of pressure from other players, and we should expect to see more of this as the season continues.

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What happened the last time the Saints played without Michael Thomas?

The New Orleans Saints have not played a game without Michael Thomas starting at wide receiver since a 2016 foot injury sidelined him.

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It’s been several years since the New Orleans Saints took the field without Michael Thomas entrenched at the top of their wide receivers depth chart — a streak of 58 games, to be exact, going back to a 2016 road loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Thomas missed that Week 14 game with a foot injury, and now he’s expected to be sidelined several weeks with a high-ankle sprain. His absence starts with a Week 2 kickoff on Monday Night Football with the Las Vegas Raiders.

But let’s rewind to how the Saints operated without him last time. New Orleans struggled to move the ball, gaining just 294 yards of offense and 14 first downs while going just 4-for-13 on third downs. Targeted a combined 18 times in Thomas’s absence, wide receivers Brandin Cooks (5-of-10 for 61 yards) and Willie Snead (6-of-8 for 85 yards) each failed to hit the end zone. Drew Brees completed just 25 of his 41 pass attempts, throwing three interceptions along the way.

It was a fairly forgettable game, no mistaking it. The Saints trailed 13-3 late in the second quarter but closed the gap with a Wil Lutz field goal and a safety by Paul Kruger (remember him?), going into halftime down 13-8. But their halftime adjustments were, well, uninspiring and the Saints ended the game with a scoreless fourth quarter, losing 16-11.

So that may not be the encouraging story Saints fans are hoping for. With Thomas out of the lineup, the next-best receivers failed to step up, and the Saints couldn’t get creative enough to put up points and sneak a win on the road against a familiar opponent. The good news is that we’re in a very different situation in 2020.

For one thing, Thomas wasn’t the only starter missing in that game. The Saints were also without veteran center Max Unger (who missed the game with an injury), pressing backup Tim Lelito into his first start at center of the year. That resulted in a series of problems up front, pressuring Brees and killing the Saints running game.

This time around, the Saints have second-year pro Erik McCoy holding down the center spot, and we’re waiting to see if much-hyped rookie Cesar Ruiz will be cleared to play after a training camp ankle injury. If not, the Saints have Nick Easton, an experienced backup, ready to fill in again at right guard.

The supporting cast has also improved since then. While Emmanuel Sanders and Tre’Quan Smith may not be as impressive a duo as Cooks and Snead were, Sanders has had more NFL success than either of them in his own right, and he’s used to stunting on the Raiders. That year’s leading tight end, Coby Fleener, can’t compare to Jared Cook. And Alvin Kamara and Latavius Murray are a stronger one-two punch at running back than Mark Ingram and Tim Hightower were in 2016.

Also, the defense is totally different. Cameron Jordan is the only starter from the 2016 team still around. They proved their worth in Week 1 by pressuring, intercepting, and thoroughly overwhelming Tom Brady throughout the game. Derek Carr should anticipate more of the same.

So you have to like the odds of this version of the Saints holding up without Thomas for a week or two (or however many “several” ends up being). There’s no discounting his value to the team as its best player on either side of the ball, but this Saints squad is so much more talented and experienced at other position groups that they should find ways to adjust. While fans should expect some regression as the coaching staff works to smooth out problem areas, the Saints are better positioned now than in years past to compete without their WR1.

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