Saints Set Points Record, Beat Colts 62-7

He might as well have had both feet up by the middle of the third quarter.

Drew Brees completed 31 of 35 passes for 325 yards and five touchdowns, and the Saints set a franchise record for points and victory margin in a 62-7 demolition of the hapless Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night.

"I was real proud of how we played tonight, how we handled the week of practice," said Payton, standing on crutches after the game. "We spent a lot of time during the week just talking about us beginning to play our best football, because we really felt while we were 4-2, we hadn't done that."

Payton had called offensive plays from the sidelines since he took his first head coaching job with New Orleans in 2006, but that changed after he was caught up in a tackle along the sideline during a loss at Tampa Bay last week and was injured. Payton had surgery on Monday and didn't attend a practice until Thursday.

Sitting high up in the Superdome for the game against the Colts, he had to like what he saw down below, where offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr. called plays for the first time.

Brees had two touchdown passes to Marques Colston and one to Darren Sproles in the first quarter. His fourth and fifth touchdown tosses went to second-year tight end Jimmy Graham in the third quarter.

It seemed the Saints (5-2) could do whatever they wanted, also rushing for 236 yards.

"We had a great game plan. We played with a lot of confidence. Pete did a phenomenal job," Brees said. "It was just our night, one of those games that doesn't come along too often. ... We needed a win like this, especially after the past week and everything we've gone through."

The Saints' point total tied the most in a game by any team since the AFL merged with the NFL in 1970.

The Saints previous franchise high for points in a game was 51 on three occasions and their largest previous victory margin was 42 over Denver in 1988.

When the large video board in the Superdome showed Payton peering out from the booth, the crowd erupted. By the time the third quarter ended, there wasn't much of a crowd left.

Colston had seven catches for 98 yards.

Brees wasn't intercepted before he was replaced by Chase Daniel late in the third quarter, a move that prevented New Orleans' starting quarterback from extending his NFL record of four straight games with at least 350 yards passing.

Mark Ingram rushed for 91 yards on 18 carries but limped to the locker room early in the fourth quarter with what Payton said was a heel injury, adding that X-rays were negative. Sproles carried 12 times for 88 yards, including a 16-yard touchdown.

The Saints had 557 yards and a team-record 36 first downs.

The winless Colts (0-7) are guaranteed to have fewer than 10 victories in a season for the first time in nine years, and at this rate they might not win many games at all.

"That team played better than we did in every area and we just got whooped across the board," Colts coach Jim Caldwell said. "It's one of those things that once you don't do the little things right, there is a lot of bad things that happen to you. Obviously, I have to take responsibility for our team and the way that they played."

Colts quarterback Curtis Painter was only 9 of 17 for 67 yards and had an interception returned 42 yards for a touchdown by Leigh Torrence.

"We just didn't play near well enough," Painter said. "We made a few too many mistakes in the beginning, and any time you're playing a team as good as them, they're going to make you pay. We just kind of got off to a rough start and you've got to credit them. They played well."

For the seventh game this season, Colts star quarterback Peyton Manning was forced to watch because of a neck injury that has sidelined him all season.

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Saints rookie RB Ingram bruised heel vs. Colts

Saints head coach Sean Payton didn’t offer a specific injury update on rookie running back Mark Ingram, who suffered a bruised heel in Sunday night’s 62-7 stomping of the Colts according to Mike Triplett of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

However, Payton did say that Ingram’s status could affect whether or not the team decides to activate tailback Chris Ivory from the physically-unable-to-perform list.

“It would be predicated on where we feel we’re at with Mark,” said Payton, who said he wants to see how Ingram feels 24-48 hours after the game.

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Bucs safety Tanard Jackson to play Sunday vs. Saints

Buccaneers safety Tanard Jackson, who was reinstated from suspension earlier this week on Tuesday, will be active for Sunday’s contest against the NFC South-leading Saints at Raymond James.

Jackson was signed to the active roster because of the team’s injuries at the safety position (Cody Grimm, Devin Holland both out for season), he was in such good shape, and the coaches have been impressed with him.

The Syracuse product hasn’t played a game since Week 2 of last season.

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Saints clinch playoff berth

Published: December 28th, 2010 | Tags: New Orleans Saints,

The defending NFL champions will get a chance to defend their title.

By virtue of their 17-14 win Monday night in Atlanta, the Saints clinched a spot in the NFC playoffs.

The battle for home-field advantage in the NFC playoff picture still remains undecided. The Falcons control their destiny and can clinch a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the NFC with a win Sunday against Carolina (2-13). But the Saints also have an outside shot at the No. 1 seed, needing to beat the Buccaneers (9-6) along with a Falcons loss.

The Eagles and Bears are also still alive to earn the NFC’s No. 1 seed.

As for the rest of the NFC playoff picture, only one wild-card slot remains. The Packers control their playoff destiny and would clinch with a win over the Bears in Week 17. The Packers also could get in with a loss and losses by the Giants and Buccaneers.

The win by the Saints seriously damaged the playoff hopes of the Giants and Buccaneers, who can clinch only with a win and a loss by the other team, as well as the Packers.

Here’s a look at the clinching scenarios for Week 17.

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Saints Going Back to the Playoffs; Top Falcons 17-14

The Saints played for their proverbial lives Monday night. Offensively, they played very well, but defensively they were spectacular. When no one but themselves and their fans gave them a snowball’s chance in hades of winning this game, they marched into the Georgia Dome and took care of business.

The game started off rather uneventfully for Drew Brees and company as they went three-and-out. But the defense kept the Falcons in check as well and so it went until the Saints put together an impressive drive that ended with a 52-yard Garrett Hartley field goal. Next Falcons possession, the Saints caught a huge break when the Falcon’s center, Todd McClure mishandled the snap to Ryan and a blitzing Jonathan Vilma alertly fell on it. The Saints were very impressive after the turnover, particularly Pierre Thomas who rumbled through for a critical 16-yard run before walking 2 yards into the endzone for the game’s first TD giving his team a 10-0 lead.

The lead was short-lived, however, as the Falcons responed quickly with a 78-yard touchdown drive of their own. With 7:28 left in the first quarter, Matt Ryan hit Roddy White for a 7-yard touchdown pass to narrow the score to 10-7. The Saints made one more impressive drive after that, but were knocked out of scoring range by a couple of big defensive plays by the Falcons. The score was 10-7 at halftime.

In the second half, the Saints defense flexed its muscle in front of the national television audience and showed everyone that they are capable of playing some tough football too. On a penalty-ridden drive in which the Saints literally escorted the Falcons down the field, the goal line defense of New Orleans came up huge. Jeff Charleston hit Michael Turner on the goal line, forcing a fumble that was alertly recovered by Marvin Mitchell. The Saints failed to take advantage of the turnover that time though, even though they put together a few good series to move the ball down the field. Instead they ended up punting after using three minutes and some change off the clock.

The Saints defense kept Atlanta off their game to start the second half. The Falcons offense couldn’t seem to get anything going. It was a horribly ill-advised throw by Drew Brees that led to the Falcons only other touchdown when Chauncey Davis intercepted a little flip pass intended for Reggie Bush. Atlanta took its first lead 14-10. Brees subsequently threw his second interception of the night to John Abraham on the Saints very next possession. Worthy of noting though is the fact that Brees was the one who tackled Abraham and prevented him from running it all the way back. It was a great job by the Saints defense to keep Atlanta from capitalizing off the turnover.

The Saints offense drove the field almost effortlessly, capping the drive with a 25-yard touchdown reception from Brees to Colston. But once again, a penalty wiped it out when Jermon Bushrod was flagged for a false start. Talk about a momentum killer! The drive eventually stalled. Fortunately, the Saints defense came to play and was able to keep Atlanta from scoring.

The Saints final scoring drive was nothing short of brilliant. This time, Payton used a balanced offensive scheme that kept the Falcons defense off balance. For the first time all night, New Orleans weathered the blitzes leaving the Falcons looking confused. Brees hit Lance Moore for an 18-yard pickup to move the chains on 3rd and 11. Then Payton called a reverse run by Devery Henderson for 11 yards and another first down. Then the crafty skill and footwork of Pierre Thomas turned a short pass into a critical 22-yard gain! With 3:24 left in the game, Brees threw a strike to Jimmy Graham for a 6-yard touchdown. After marching 90 yards and chewing up more than 7 minutes off the clock, the Saints regained the lead and never looked back. The defense was able to hold the Falcons, forcing them to punt on 4th and 6 with 2:52 left in the game. The Saints subsequently picked up some key first downs and were able to just run the clock out.

This, the final Monday Night Football game of the 2010 season, certainly lived up to all the hype. With this victory, the Saints clinch a playoff berth for the second time in two years. There were so many impressive performances on offense, but I was so very proud of the defense. After being ridicluled last week because of the lack of defense against Baltimore, Gregg Williams had his guys ready to play and they rebounded nicely. Hopefully, they’re just getting warmed up for the playoffs.

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Falcons’ White active, Saints’ Ivory out for MNF

Published: December 27th, 2010 | Tags: Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, Week 16 inactives

Wide receiver Roddy White will be active for the Falcons’ Monday Night Football showdown with the New Orleans Saints.

White, who has started in every game this season for the Falcons, missed Thursday’s practice with a knee injury, but he fully participated in Friday and Saturday’s sessions and will be available for the game that could determine whether or not Atlanta possesses home-field advantage throughout the postseason.

Defensive starters linebacker Curtis Lofton (knee), defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux (shoulder) and defensive end John Abraham (groin) were all listed as questionable but are active.

For the Saints, rookie running back Chris Ivory, who has been bothered by a hamstring injury and was limited in practice this week, has been ruled out.

Full inactives list:

Saints
WR Courtney Roby
S Usama Young
RB Chris Ivory
LB Danny Clark
OT Charles Brown
TE David Thomas
DE Junior Galette
LB Kawika Mitchell

Falcons
J.P. Wilson (No. 3 QB)
DB Dominique Franks
RB Antone Smith
LB Spencer Adkins
OT Garrett Reynolds
OL Mike Johnson
DE Lawrence Sidbury
DT Trey Lewis

The Associated Press contributed to this report

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Saints teammates say Harper ‘gassed out’

No doubt it wasn’t Roman Harper’s finest football moment when he was run down by Rams rookie quarterback Sam Bradford on a fumble return last weekend in New Orleans. But it doesn’t mean it wasn’t funny (no disrespect to you, Sam).

The FOX cameras showed Harper on the bench after the play, heaving for air. He got some extra help from the oxygen mask, too.

Thankfully for all of us, Harper’s teammates haven’t let him forget about it, either.

The term going around the Saints locker room is that Harper “gassed out.” It’s a great term, and hopefully one that will seep into NFL Nation’s consciousness next time a player gets caught from behind by someone he shouldn’t have.

Or, for Chris Johnson if he ever gets caught by anyone. 

Harper’s teammates commemorated the play by leaving two empty gas cans in his locker on Wednesday. Well played, Saints pranksters.

Harper seems to be taking it all in stride — really, he has no other card to play here – and claims he had to run out of bounds in order to not run up the score.

“He never touched me, so he never caught me,” Harper said, per the New Orleans Times-Picayune. “I was trying to be respectful and not run up the score.”

In the end, the play was challenged and reversed, ruling that Jackson was down and didn’t fumble. So Harper made a great play, got embarrassed, and it didn’t even count.

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Saints RB Thomas returns, but Ivory still the play

Published: December 8th, 2010 | Tags: Chris Ivory, New Orleans Saints, pierre thomas, Reggie Bush, Sean Payton

Saints RB Pierre Thomas is expected to return this week vs. St. Louis after practicing on Wednesday, but do not rush him into your starting lineup. Coach Sean Payton has raved about RB Chris Ivory, who is still expected to see the majority of the carries.

Though, Payton did tell NFL Network’s Kara Henderson the team was going to get RB Reggie Bush more involved last week. Yet Ivory still dominated in carries.

The Saints running back situation is not solid at all; in fact it’s nearly volatile. It’s almost like being a guitarist for Guns N’ Roses, which is  obviously not what we want with the fantasy playoffs starting either this week or next week for the majority of you. But if you have to start one of the Saints running backs, Ivory would be the choice. Use him as a low-end No. 2 back or flex starter.

And coach Payton, you had better not burn us again.

Tweet your fantasy questions to @nflfantasy. Your Tweet might end up on the air on NFL.com Fantasy LIVE.

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Don’t bank on Saints RB Thomas in Week 13

Published: December 2nd, 2010 | Tags: Chris Ivory, Julius Jones, pierre thomas, Reggie Bush, Sean Payton

After a lengthy absence due to an injured ankle, Pierre Thomas might actually return to action this weekend against the Bengals. However, that doesn’t mean he should be active on your fantasy team.

The Saints official Twitter page reports that Thomas was limited in Thursday’s practice, and coach Sean Payton expects his running back to be a game-time decision. Even if he is active, Thomas is destined to share carries in his initial return.

Chris Ivory has played well in his absence, and Reggie Bush and Julius Jones are also in the mix for work out of the backfield. With so many mouths to feed, it will be hard to trust any Saints runner in Week 13.

In the event that Thomas is inactive, however, Ivory would be a nice sleeper against the Bengals’ weak run defense.

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Saints still hoping that RB Bush can play on Thursday

Saints coach Sean Payton says he’s optimistic Reggie Bush will be able to finally come back from his broken right leg at Dallas on Thanksgiving.

Bush, who’s missed eight games since fracturing his right fibula, is listed as questionable after practicing on a limited basis this week. Payton says it was tough to gauge whether Bush is 100 percent because the Saints did not practice at full

If the Saints decide not to play Bush, Payton says fullback Heath Evans could see more action as a ball carrier because Ladell Betts is out with a sprained neck. Chris Ivory and Julius Jones are New Orleans’ only other healthy running backs.

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Cowboys Crack Late in 30-27 Loss to Saints

Looking to go to 3-0 with new head coach Jason Garrett, the Cowboys found a way Thursday to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Leading by four with three minutes to play, the Cowboys had a chance to clinch the game vs the Saints, but wide out Roy Williams fumbled inside the Saints 10 on a pass play from Jon Kitna, and the Saints recovered.

With the air out of the balloon, the Saints marched down the field, hitting a big pass play from Drew Brees to Robert Meachem of 55 yards to the Dallas 12.

One play later with 1:55 left, Brees went to the end zone, hitting Lance Moore with a score to give the Saints a 30-27 lead. Dallas had a chance to tie but David Buehler was wide on a 59-yard field goal in the last seconds, saving the three-point win for New Orleans.

Dallas falls to 3-8, despite outgaining the Saints 457 to 414. They trailed 17-0 before many could finish their Thanksgiving dinners, but rallied with Kitna throwing for 313 yards on 30-of-42 passing.

The Cowboys clawed back into the game with a couple field goals to make it 20-6 at the half, and then Miles Austin got them back in the game with a 60-yard run to close it to 20-13.

New Orleans pushed it to 23-13, but the Cowboys got back to back short TD runs from Marion Barber and Tashard Choice to put Dallas up 27-23 before they killed themselves with the late turnover.

Brees was 23-for-39 for 352 yards with a TD and a pick. Chris Ivory scored twice for the Saints as they built the early lead before the Cowboys rallied.

New Orleans is now 8-3, winners of four in a row.

The Cowboys will be at Indy for a 4:15 EST game next Sunday.

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Bush set to make return for Saints

Published: November 25th, 2010 | Tags: Dallas Cowboys, Darren Sharper, Felix Jones, Jeremy Shockey, Malcolm Jenkins, New Orleans Saints, Reggie Bush, Week 12 inactives

UPDATE: Bush did take the field during the Saints’ first series of the game against the Cowboys.

The Saints can be thankful for this: Reggie Bush is back.

The running back had been listed as questionable for the Thanksgiving Day game against the Cowboys after being limited in the last two practices during a short work week. The Saints have been without Bush since Week 2, when he broke his lower right leg against the 49ers.

The Saints, however, will be without FS Darren Sharper (hamstring) and TE Jeremy Shockey (rib), who also had been listed as questionable. Even without Sharper, the Saints will get two members of their secondary back, as FS Malcolm Jenkins and CB Patrick Robinson are active after missing last weekend’s game against the Seahawks.

The biggest question mark for the Cowboys was the status of leading rusher Felix Jones, who is active after being listed as questionable with a hip injury.

Full inactives list:

Saints
Sean Canfield (No. 3 QB)
RB Pierre Thomas
S Matt Giordano
S Darren Sharper
RB Ladell Betts
OT Charles Brown
TE Jeremy Shockey
DE Junior Galette

Cowboys
QB Tony Romo
G Phil Costa
DT Sean Lissemore
WR Kevin Ogletree
OT Jeremy Parnell
DT Jimmy Saddler-McQueen
LB Brandon Williams
OT Sam Young

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Saints bandwagon will fill up fast

I haven’t heard a lot of chatter about the Saints lately. Somehow their 6-3 record seems to have gone below the radar. Maybe it’s how they’ve won those games, or their overall inconsistency, that has caused people to sleep on the defending champs when it comes to conversations about the best teams in the NFC.

Don’t fall into that trap. The Saints are about to return from their bye week, and I’m expecting a resurgence.

A few weeks ago when the Saints were struggling, they would beat a good team and then lose to a team that was considered inferior. They lost at Arizona to rookie QB Max Hall. They lost at home to the Browns, who at the time were not thought to be very good. Losses like those left everyone wondering what was wrong with the Saints.

First, the Saints had to get healthy. They got starting cornerbacks Tracy Porter and Jabari Greer back, and Darren Sharper made his first start of the season against Carolina in Week 9. So it shouldn’t have been too big of a surprise they scored their first defensive touchdown of the season against the Panthers, something that was a staple of their defense last season, when they scored seven.

The Saints are built to be a ball-hawking defense that feeds on turnovers. They weren’t getting them earlier this season, but still rank No. 3 overall in total defense. Last season, they were ranked in the 20s, but the difference was they took the ball away frequently. The impact was dramatic. If they can continue their consistent play, and bring back the turnovers, the Saints will return to being a formidable defense.

And, oh yeah, that guy named Drew Brees is still around. So is Marques Colston. Jeremy Shockey is healthy again, and  Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas are expected back soon. They’ve even added some new elements in Chris Ivory, Ladell Betts and Jimmy Graham. Lance Moore has been terrific, and is taking a lot of the plays that were designated for Bush and producing at a high level.

I also believe that many take Sean Payton for granted. He’s been masterful at handling this team. He told them three weeks ago that they hadn’t played up to their potential, and then they went out and defeated the Steelers at home and the Panthers on the road.

If you want to jump back on the Saints’ bandwagaon, better jump quickly. Room will be running out.

Follow me on Twitter @CFD22 and follow The NFL Network @nflnetwork.

Posted in: NFL Network  

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Week 10 power rankings: Saints back on top

1.) Saints — Watch the champs make a winter surge.

2.) Jets — Getting some breaks, for sure, but Mark Sanchez using his legs, athleticism and head to make crucial plays.

3.) Ravens — Pass rush needs work, but Joe Flacco is growing up.

4.) Patriots — Bill Belichick’s teams bounce back with the best of them, eh?

5.) Packers — Love them coming off the bye. Aaron Rodgers yet to play his best football.

6.) Falcons — Great win for them Thursday. Quality team; want to see them take the show on the road.

7.) Steelers — Offense not in sync, offensive line in shambles, and keep losing impact edge players on defense.

8.) Giants — Ditto the Steelers … offensive line hurting and key defensive players getting dinged up, too.

9.) Colts — They get it done more times than not, eh?

10.) Eagles — Don’t look now, but they’re back in the NFC East race.

11.) Chargers — Things fell into place nicely while they watched football and got healthy.

12.) Raiders — If they manage to win in Pittsburgh, you have to start thinking seriously about their playoff chances.

13.) Titans – l still like the combo of Randy Moss and Chris Johnson. Have to get a QB fully healthy, though.

14.) Bucs — Dropping 30-bombs on people now. Wow. Even if it’s the Panthers.

15.) Bears — I didn’t think they’d be able to drive that stake into the Vikings.

16.) Dolphins — Huge win to stay in wild-card discussion, but very costly with the QB injuries. Don’t see them catching Pats or Jets.

17.) Jaguars — Most underrated offense in the NFL will work lesser teams. Can the defense keep them in games against better teams?

18.) Chiefs — Once the league’s last undefeated team, now trying to stave off a free-fall out of the playoff equation.

19.) Browns — This team is very physical and very resilient and is going to test people down the stretch.

20.) Seahawks — Biggest road win for them in quite some tine. Looks like they’ll contend with Rams in that division.

21.) 49ers — Troy Smith making plays, and they look like a loose bunch that’s in the hunt in the worst division in football.

22.) Rams — Like so many young teams, can’t get over the hump on the road.

23.) Texans — Gary Kubiak’s future has to be in question if things keep going this way.

24.) Vikings — Might as well give Leslie Frazier a look and start assessing for 2011.

25.) Redskins – I suspect second half will not be too kind to them.

26.) Cowboys – Initial applause due to Jason Garrett. The ‘Boys finally came to play.

27.) Lions — Just not the same without Matthew Stafford.

28.) Broncos — Didn’t see that coming. Need to keep that offensive spark going.

29.) Bengals — Put up all of their offense during garbage time and excel at falling in deep holes in the first half.

30.) Bills — Congrats on getting that first win after coming so close so many times.

31.) Cardinals — Not nearly as good as their modest record would indicate.

32.) Panthers — Not sure I see too many more wins on the horizon.

– Jason La Canfora

Follow me on Twitter @jasonlacanfora and following The NFL Network @nflnetwork.

Posted in: NFL Network  

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