Tag: Washington

Former NFL head coach says Saints got away with foul on game-winning FG block

Former NFL head coach Jay Gruden says the Saints got away with a foul on their game-winning field goal block. Check the tape for yourself:


There’s no love lost between Jay Gruden and the New York Giants — he coached against them with Washington from 2014 to 2019, going 4-7. The second-to-last game he coached was a 24-3 loss to Big Blue. But the former NFL head coach put the Giants’ close loss to the New Orleans Saints under a microscope when studying this week’s games, and he says the Saints may have gotten away with a penalty on their game-winning blocked field goal.

Gruden highlighted two Saints defensive linemen on the field goal try, Payton Turner and Nathan Shepherd, who pulled and pushed down the left guard and center, creating a gap for Bryan Bresee to leap through, arms extended for the block. That could count as a block in the back or defensive holding, but obviously no penalty was called this time.

“This referee is saying ‘Oh yeah that’s a flag, I got it,'” Gruden said, noticing the umpire’s hand dive into his pocket to grab a penalty marker. But the official decided to keep the flag where it was, and the play stood as a game-winner for New Orleans.

It’s not like referee Clete Blakeman and his crew hadn’t thrown many flags that day. They had fouled the Saints six times for a loss of 40 yards. But they did hit the Giants a dozen times for a staggering 112 penalty yards. They lived up to their reputation as one of the NFL’s most flag-happy officiating crews. So maybe the Saints did get away with one here. Either way, they got a win, and that’s what will be remembered.

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Notre Dame men’s basketball crushes Georgetown in Washington matinee

Terrific afternoon for the Irish.

Even with both teams in similar situation, the Notre Dame men’s basketball team’s game against Georgetown figured to be a real test. After all, the Irish frequently played the Hoyas when they were in the Big East, and this was their first opponent this season from a power conference.

Instead, the Irish came into Washington and did whatever they wanted on this Saturday afternoon en route to an 84-63 victory. It was easily their most complete game of the young season.

The Irish (3-0) went on a 13-0 run early in the first half and never looked back. Although the Hoyas (2-1) cut a 12-point Irish lead to four during that half, it proved to be a minor setback as more Irish runs would occur throughout the rest of the game. The offense was in sync throughout.

Not only did the Irish play tight defense, but they benefited from poor Hoyas shooting from the field at 31.4%. So it should come as no surprise that the Irish pulled away by shooting 59.3% from the floor:

[autotag]Matt Allocco[/autotag], who didn’t shoot a single field goal in the Irish’s win over Buffalo, scored 15 of his game-high 17 points in the first half, making four 3-pointers during that time. [autotag]Markus Burton[/autotag] scored 16 points, which included making all eight of his free throws, and [autotag]Tae Davis[/autotag] flirted with a double-double with 13 points and eight rebounds.

[autotag]Braeden Shrewsberry[/autotag] added nine points, and Lehigh transfer [autotag]Burke Chebuhar [/autotag]scored nine off the bench by making all three of his 3-point attempts.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on X: @gfclark89

Marshon Lattimore to miss his second game after being traded from Saints

Marshon Lattimore won’t make his Washington Commanders debut just yet. The former Saints cornerback is going to miss his second game since being traded:

Washington Commanders fans celebrated their team making the league’s biggest move at the NFL trade deadline, but they’ll have to wait another week to get their first look at Marshon Lattimore. The former New Orleans Saints cornerback is still dealing with a hamstring injury that sidelined him for last Sunday’s game. Washington head coach Dan Quinn announced Wednesday that Lattimore won’t be able to play on Thursday night, either.

Hamstring issues have trailed Lattimore since his college days at Ohio State; it’s one reason he fell to the Saints in the 2017 NFL draft in the first place. They’ve continued to afflict Lattimore throughout his pro career including earlier this season.

Still, it’s a disappointing turn for a great talent. When he’s healthy and locked in there isn’t a better cover corner in the game than Lattimore. That’s why the Commanders traded so many draft picks to acquire him at the deadline. It’s on the Saints to make the most of those resources and prove that trading Lattimore when they did was worth it.

So will he be on the field when the Commanders visit the Caesars Superdome next month? That feels likely. By now it’s obvious there was nothing to the speculation suggesting Lattimore was taking his time recovering from injury to put pressure on New Orleans into trading him, but he should be fully recovered by the time he makes his return on Dec. 15, barring a setback. We’ll keep an eye on his progress but for now the Saints must focus on their next opponent, not one they’ll see a month from now.

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Marshon Lattimore’s hamstring injury delays his Commanders debut

Marshon Lattimore’s hamstring is still bothering him after the trade from the Saints. His Washington debut will have to wait another week:

There was some belief that Marshon Lattimore would magically be healthy after the New Orleans Saints traded him to the Washington Commanders. This did not happen. Lattimore will miss at least one more game due to injury.

From a fan perspective, watching Lattimore line up against Pittsburgh Steelers wideout George Pickens would have been a fun matchup. A collateral benefit of this is he’s given the opportunity to study the Commanders playbook for more than just a few days. Conspiracy would even say they’re using a preexisting injury to give him extra time.

Questioning the legitimacy of Lattimore’s injury isn’t new. Dennis Allen and Lattimore had enough reported tension for some to wonder if Lattimore could have returned earlier from injury in past seasons.

The most recent hamstring injury came in the midst of a lengthy losing streak. The cornerback having to miss another week would suggest he is truly injured. This is the second time he’s had to deal with a hamstring injury in 2024, and the injury is notoriously pesky.

But don’t worry Saints fans. He’ll be back in time for Dec. 15 when the Commanders come to New Orleans.

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This outlet says Saints, Commanders both won Marshon Lattimore trade

This outlet says both the New Orleans Saints and the Washington Commanders won Tuesday’s Marshon Lattimore trade. Do you agree?

Any time a trade goes down in the NFL, someone walks away feeling like a winner. That’s true of every deal, so which team won the New Orleans Saints’ trade with the Washington Commanders that swapped Marshon Lattimore for a grab-bag of draft picks?

According to The 33rd Team, both teams won. Washington got a four-time cornerback and a fifth-round choice in next year’s draft. That was good enough to earn an “A” grade. New Orleans was graded with an “A-minus” for acquiring picks in rounds three, four, and six. That last pick is coming back to the Saints after they traded for defensive tackle John Ridgeway III earlier this year, so you could throw him in the deal along with the  conditional seventh rounder New Orleans may or may not be getting with him.

Either way, that’s a strong return for a cornerback in today’s market. Comparable players like Jalen Ramsey and L’Jarius Sneed have been dealt for less. For the most part, Mickey Loomis and the Saints did good work here.

There’s just one more thing. Why is it an A-minus in straight of a straight-A? There are two points of criticism from the Saints’ side of this deal. For one thing, they shouldn’t have sent back a pick to Washington. Or it should have been a later-round choice. That alone tips the scales back into the Commanders’ favor. For another point of contention, the Saints received the less-valuable pick in the third round of Washington’s two selections. If current standings hold, the pick the Saints are getting will be slotted in 21 picks after the other one (which is going to the Commanders from the Miami Dolphins).

Maybe it was never on the table. Maybe Washington balked at including it in favor of throwing in those other picks later on. Either way it looks like a missed opportunity for Loomis and the Saints to get maximum value.

It’s behind us now, though. What matters is the decision-makers on both sides walked away from this trade happy with what they got. Now the Saints need to put those resources to good use in rebuilding their team after too many years spent propping up Loomis and Dennis Allen’s flawed vision.

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The Saints botched a crucial detail in trading Marshon Lattimore

The Saints botched a crucial detail in trading Marshon Lattimore. Washington owned two third-round picks, and Mickey Loomis took the worst one:

Not all third-round picks are equal. That’s something the New Orleans Saints will be learning the hard way after general manager Mickey Loomis missed a crucial detail in trade talks with the Washington Commanders.

Four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore was traded to Washington in a deal that brought back multiple draft picks. But the linchpin of the Commanders’ trade package was the third-round pick. Washington owned two third-round picks, and Loomis took the worst one.

Instead of getting Washington’s third-round choice from the Miami Dolphins, projected at No. 72 overall, Loomis picked the Commanders’ own third rounder, which is projected at No. 93. Maybe the Dolphins will get healthy and go on a tear through the back half of the season, and the Commanders will fall off, which would switch their positions. But that isn’t likely, and a 21-slot swing is massive.

According to the draft pick value chart Jimmy Johnson created, which has since been updated and is still used as the basis for NFL teams today, the difference between picks at No. 72 and 93 would be worth 97 points. That’s far more than the value in the other picks the Saints got back; the fourth rounder (projected at No. 131) and sixth-round pick (No. 181) total just 60 points. So the Commanders come out ahead even before you consider the Saints threw in a fifth rounder at No. 144, which is worth another 34 points.

Tally all that up and the Commanders traded 188 points of draft pick value to acquire Lattimore and 34 points. That’s good work by them, which shows Loomis has room for improvement. That isn’t what you want to write about the NFL’s longest-tenured general manager but he’s gotten fleeced in trades before. Loomis probably views the multiple at-bats with those later picks as being worth more than a higher choice in an earlier round, but if his track record is anything to go by, his in-house trade value chart probably needs revising.

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Here’s what the Saints got from trading Marshon Lattimore

Here’s what the Saints got from their trade for Marshon Lattimore. The Commanders sent back multiple draft picks, including one of the Saints’ own:

Marshon Lattimore is on his way to the Washington Commanders after the New Orleans Saints cut a deal to trade the former four-time Pro Bowl cornerback. Was it worth it? What did they get back in the trade? Here’s what we know.

NFL insider Josina Anderson reported that the Saints packaged a fifth-round pick with Lattimore to get back picks in the third, fourth, and sixth rounds. ESPN’s Adam Schefter confirmed that the sixth rounder is the same pick New Orleans traded to Washington earlier this year, which they spent to acquire defensive tackle John Ridgeway III (plus a conditional seventh rounder).

But we’re still waiting for word on the third-round pick. If it’s Washington’s own choice, that is projected to fall at No. 93 overall. If it’s the third rounder the Commanders got from the Miami Dolphins (through the Philadelphia Eagles), that would slot in at No. 72 overall. That’s a massive swing, and getting the Commanders pick instead of the Dolphins choice would be significantly worse for New Orleans.

What about the salary cap? Lattimore restructured his deal earlier this year so the cap savings in 2024 are minimal —  about $605,000 in remaining salary  to be paid out in game checks each week. Lattimore will also count against  the 2025 salary cap by a staggering $31.6 million, but he’s off the books for good starting in 2026.

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BREAKING: Saints trade Marshon Lattimore to Washington Commanders

BREAKING: Saints trade Marshon Lattimore to Washington Commanders

The New Orleans Saints are trading cornerback Marshon Lattimore to the Washington Commanders, as first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and confirmed by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The news comes just before Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, and Rapoport adds that the Saints are getting a “premium draft pick” back for the four-time Pro Bowler.

We’ll have to wait and see what that compensation entails, but for now Alontae Taylor and Kool-Aid McKinstry are the future at cornerback in New  Orleans. Paulson Adebo is a free agent in March so the Saints could have two new starters outside for their defense by 2025.

This is a developing story.

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NFC playoff favorite emerges as ‘real contender’ in Marshon Lattimore trade talks

An NFC playoff favorite has emerged as a ‘real contender’ in Marshon Lattimore trade talks. He could soon join Jayden Daniels on the Washington Commanders:

Here’s some movement. CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reports that the Washington Commanders have “emerged as a real contender” in trade talks for New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore. The former four-time Pro Bowler has been at the center of negotiations with multiple teams before Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, but Washington may be best-positioned to cut a deal.

The Commanders own two picks in 2025’s third round, including a high choice coming back from the Miami Dolphins (which they got from the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for wide receiver Jahan Dotson). If the Saints are smart, they’ll push to bundle that early third rounder with multiple late-round picks, replacing assets they’ve traded to other teams in Rounds 6 and 7.

Washington has surprised the NFL world by jumping out to a 7-2 start this season, led by playmaking rookie  quarterback Jayden Daniels. Commanders head coach Dan Quinn knows Lattimore well after playing against him as the former Atlanta Falcons head coach, and he could be the piece that puts them over the top. Stay tuned.

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Report: Trade talks surrounding Saints star defender are ‘warming up’

Report: Trade talks surrounding Saints star defensive back Marshon Lattimore are ‘warming up’ before Tuesday’s deadline

The New Orleans Saints might be more open to trading off some pieces and preparing for the future after firing head coach Dennis Allen. Trade talks surrounding Marshon Lattimore are “warming up,” per NFL insider Josina Anderson. If Lattimore isn’t traded by Tuesday’s 3 p.m. CT deadline, he’ll be locked in with New Orleans until March.

Lattimore has been dealing with a nagging hamstring injury lately, but before that he was at the center of trade speculation throughout the summer. The former four-time Pro Bowler and 2017 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year restructured his contract to make it easier for the Saints to trade him if they got a compelling offer.

That hasn’t happened yet, but it could present itself by Tuesday’s deadline. Lattimore might be seen as a missing piece for a legit playoffs contender like the Washington Commanders or Baltimore Ravens, and he’s been repeatedly linked to the Kansas City Chiefs. The going rate for a starting cornerback has been a third-round draft pick, but the Saints have rejected those offers before. Let’s see if someone beats it.

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