Yardbarker: Jeff Faine

Saints Win Opener: Defense Helps Offense Beat Tampa 24-20

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 17:42:26 -0500

The New Orleans Saints began their 42nd season with an impressive win against a division rival, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, giving the city and the fans a big lift as they prepare for the possible arrival of Hurricane Ike. New Orleans provided a show which included the long-awaited debut of TE Jeremy Shockey, three offensive touchdowns (two in the second half), and ending the game by intercepting Tampa QB Jeff Garcia with less than a minute to go. The Saints began the game with a perfect drive down the field from their 24-yard line, a balanced drive of rushing and passing the ball. Drew Brees (23/32, 343 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT) completed all four pass attempts, the longest a 39-yarder to David Patten resulting in their only touchdown of the first half. New Orleans struggled the rest of the half and gave Tampa's defense a touchdown when Brees was intercepted by CB Philip Buchanon who returned the ball 26 yards into the end zone. The Saints had six penalties in the first half for a total of 36 yards, not enough to really cause damage but enough to disrupt the momentum of their drives. DE Charles Grant was able to sack Garcia early in the game, one of the team's two sacks of the day. The score at the end of the half was Tampa 10, New Orleans 7. The Saints continued their struggles as the second half began. Their first possession looked promising with the Saints starting from the Bucs' 48-yard line but ended with a fumble by Brees that was recovered by Pierre Thomas. On their second possession, the Saints got to Tampa's 12 yard line but ended up having to kick a 34-yard field goal after the Bucs turned on the pressure with tight coverage and a sack. The drive lasted 55 yards and 16 plays but brought the team much needed energy from the playmaking of Jeremy Shockey. With less than a minute to go in the third quarter, Brees took advantage of a free play and threw 84 yards to Devery Henderson for a touchdown. It was Henderson's first and only catch of the day. Tampa answered back with an extended drive which had their only third-down conversion at the time and had WR Ike Hilliard making a 2-yard rush for a touchdown. Reggie Bush (163 total yards, 112 of which were receiving, and 1 TD) was up and down during the game. Bush had only 18 rushing yards on 7 carries in the first half for a total of 52 combined yards. A 26-yard rush in the third quarter was reduced by 15 yards when he was called for grabbing the facemask of his tackler. Early in the fourth quarter, Bush owned the drive when he made two big plays on short passes from Brees, the first for 29 yards and the second for 42 yards and a touchdown. Shockey's debut with the Saints was exactly what New Orleans had hoped. He caught the first pass thrown to him and ended the day with six catches for 54 yards. But more importantly, he gave the team life when he helped to sustain the drive for the Saints' only field goal of the game. The rest of the offense was relatively quiet. Pierre Thomas had 52 yards on 10 carries and Marques Colston had 3 receptions for 26 yards. Last year's first round pick, Robert Meachem, and Deuce McAllister did not play. Unfortunately, Pierre Thomas injured his ankle with about four minutes remaining in the game. The Saints' defense showed that they are better than their pre-season reputation but that they still have some work to do. They allowed 146 yards rushing and 206 yards passing but held Tampa to only 2 third down conversions out of 12. Tampa Bay RB Earnest Graham was able to get a 46 yard run late in the third quarter but second-round draft pick, CB Tracy Porter broke up a pass on third and 5 from New Orleans' 15 yardline, forcing a field goal. DE Bobby McCray sacked Tampa Bay on their last drive of the day, their second sack of the game. Scott Fujita intercepted Garcia with 44 seconds to go, ending the drive and allowing New Orleans to kneel for the final play of the game.

Bruce Allen Continues To Trade

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 18:40:51 -0500

Last night Bruce Allen pulled off 2 trades that ended up seeming like an even swap of players. We sent C/G Dan Buenning to the Chicago Bears for an undisclosed pick in next years draft, and then subsequently sent an undisclosed pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers for former C/G Sean Mahan. Just like

DEPTH!!

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 20:50:07 -0500

When we originally drafted offensive lineman Jeremy Zuttah in the 3rd round of this past NFL draft, I was a little perplexed. Not that I am opposed to taking taking offensive lineman or anything, but we had used a 1st, and 3rd round pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, and were now using a 3rd round pick in

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY: 2008 SAINTS PREVIEW

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 16:13:27 -0500

by Rupert, Ghosts of Wayne Fontes

Don't ask me what the pictures of these teeny-boppers have to do with it, but we're saving up for an EC pizza party, so we need some ad revenue.

THE GOOD

The offensive line is coming off an absolutely tremendous season. How can you argue with the fact that Drew Brees threw more passes than any quarterback in the NFL, yet took less sacks than any other peer? Not bad, eh? Granted, they lost center, Jeff Faine, to division rival Tampa Bay, but they still have a really good crew.

Did I mention Drew Brees? If there was a year to slip, last year seemed to be the year given the loss of longtime Saints' badass, Joe Horn, but Brees still got it done. Now, he has a pretty nice upgrade at tight end to add to his arsenal in Jeremy Shockey, so look out for this passing attack.

THE BAD

The Saint's defense kept other teams in the game last year year as they really sucked defending against big plays. With Sedrick Ellis and Jonathan Vilma coming in, this should improve the Saints' D, but that secondary still has a way to go.

Also, as much as those dance moves are smooth, Reggie Bush is a big let down so far. Injured or not, the guy hasn't come close to living up to the hype. Sure, he catches a lot of dump off passes and turns them into gains, but how much longer is that really gonna fool anyone when everyone knows he can't get through the line of scrimmage up the middle?

THE UGLY

Whoever is still collecting paychecks as Deuce McCallister's agent, you need to do some soul searching. The dude's legs are gonna fall off if he keeps at it. Let the man cash in that Roth IRA and play some gold already. He's not gonna starve and neither are you. If the Saints are that desperate for some goal line carries, Natrone Means is probably still available as well. Maybe you could pull him out of retirement.

FEARLESS FORECAST

11-5 and a trip to the NFC Championship

Take it to the Bank - Saints the Best Team in the NFC

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 22:24:02 -0500

You Heard Right Dallas Fans; the best team in the NFC is the Saints. I know what some of you are saying, but without a doubt the Saints are the team to beat in 2008. Last years predictions were simply a roll off of the success they had in 2006, the pieces that were put in place to fix the holes in the defense did not pan out, and injuries kept the playmakers off the field. The loss of Deuce was like tying a boxer's right hand behind his back. The big punch he brings was not there. Deuce wears teams down, and that did not happen after he went down. This year is different, the defensive holes have been filled, and teams will now have to worry about at least 3 major threats with Reggie Bush, Marques Colston, and now Jeremy Shockey going down the field. This will also open the run game and provide the lethal blow to opposing teams each week. Just looking at the rest of the teams in the NFC, there are just to many questions left to be answered. 7 teams in the NFC have questions still at the QB position. Also there are the off the field issues that are plaguing some. As far as Dallas is concerned, the only team that is close to being on the same talent level as the Saints. They will implode from within; they have a playboy QB, that can't stay focused, and other playmakers that are focused more on individual accomplishments instead of just winning as a team. I have already stated my case in previous articles, so I will just give you the cliff notes. QB Drew Brees is the most accurate passer in the NFL, giving him 3 playmakers to throw the ball to will be a sure thing. Whoever lines up in the backfield for the Saints will benefit from the passing game, and see allot of open field to run in. The Offensive line is returning everyone except Center Jeff Faine; they will once again allow Drew Brees to stay upright this year. The Defensive line is stacked and has enough quality backups to allow plenty of rotation, and rest so when the 4th qtr comes around, they will be able to maintain and hold teams allot more. The linebackers will benefit from the improvements in the D line, and will be able to chase and tackle without worrying about those big OL guys bearing down on them. Vilma is going to be the spark; the LB core has been missing. The CB, and Safety positions are stacked as well, each person will be playing harder than ever, in fear that if a hint of 2007 pops up, Coach Payton will yank them in a heart beat. So with that, my 2008 prediction for the New Orleans Saints is: 13-3 Regular Season Record NFC South Champions NFC Champions Super Bowl Champions, 5 Saints going to the Pro Bowl this year!!!

Camp Breakdown - Offensive Line

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 15:09:46 -0500

This has been an obvious area of target for the Bucs the last few years. We spent a first round pick on Davin Joseph in 2006, a second round pick on Jeremy Trueblood in 2006, a 2nd round pick on Aaron Sears in 2007, a 3rd round pick on Jeremy Zuttah in 2008 and made a huge free agent acquisition this offseason with C Jeff Faine. What used to be the worst unit on the Buccaneers is now one of the youngest and brightest spots on the team. Currently on the Roster - Dan Buenning, Chris Clark, Anthony Davis, Chris Denman, Andrew Economos, Jeff Faine, Brian Johnson, Davin Joseph, Donald Penn, Luke Petigout, Dennis Roland, Aaron Sears, Jeremy Trueblood, Jeremy Zuttah Gauranteed Roster Spots - Andrew Economos, Jeff Faine, Davin Joseph, Donald Penn, Aaron Sears, Jeremy Trueblood, Jeremy Zuttah, Donald Penn Economos is entrenched as the long snapper. He will not ever see the field on non punting downs, but he is good at what he does, and Gruden likes him. Aaron Sears (LG), Jeff Faine (C), Davin Joseph (RG) and Jeremy Trueblood (RT) are locked in as starters. Sears and Joseph are devastating young run blockers with huge ceilings. Trueblood is also a mammoth and has shown steady improvement in his 1.5 years starting at RT. He is a fearsome defender of his teamates, and looks to have a bright future for the Bucs. The Buccaneers made Faine the highest paid center in the league this offseason. He doesn't not bring the same mauling behometh style that Joseph, Sears and Trueblood embody, but he is a great C who is an adequate run blocker and solid pass protector. The only knock on him is his size, but engulfed by Joseph and Sears on both sides, he should fit into this line perfectly. Rookie, Jeremy Zuttah, will most likely be the primary backup at all the interior line positions. I still think he has an outside chance to start at LT, but, appears to not have the quickness neccesary to do that in today's NFL. He does have experience there at Rutgers, so don't automatically rule this scenario out. Donald Penn finished the 2007 season as the starter for the Buccaneers. He was a relative unknown to most Bucs fans to start the season, but the starting LT Luke Petigout was injured (fathom that) and Penn stepped in and played admirably. I think that this should be an interesting camp battle, as Gruden seems to like Petigout, but his injury history is well known at this point. Is it worth having the upgrade for 4 or 5 games until Petigout gets hurt, or continue to build some continuity with Penn as the starter. Should be a good camp battle regardless. No Chance - Brian Johson, Dennis Roland Battling for Spots - Dan Buenning, Anthony Davis, Chris Denman, Luke Petigout I would personally like to carry 8 lineman going into the season, so there is a good chance the majority of these 4 will make the roster. I once had high hopes for Buenning (so did Gruden) but his constant injury history has not let him get continued time on the field. He can still provide a great backup at the interior positions, but might be behind Zuttah in that regard. He may have a hard time making the roster for the Bucs in his 4th NFL season. Denman was a 7th round pick of the Bucs in 2007, but was released right before the start of the season. The Bucs resigned him in January of this season. He could provide some depth at the tackle spots. He is raw, and more likely to be moved to the practice squad. Anthony Davis should have the easiest opportunity to make the roster. In my opinion, not a real starting caliber player, but he has started for the Bucs in the past. His real asset is the fact that he could truly play any position on our line and as a backup, that is invaluable. Petigout was mentioned earlier in regards to Donald Penn. If he is healthy through camp, he will certainly make the team. An injury in camp, or a flare up of something that was already existing, he could end up on the chopping block.

Outlook on the Saints '08 Offense

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:27:35 -0500

2008 will prove that the 2006 season was not a fluke. As I said before Coach Peyton has had plenty of time to go over all the game film, and I am sure some very kind words were said in the coaches meetings this off season. So lets look at the offense and break down each position, of coarse there are some questions remaining in the running back position and who will come out as the 4 spot or possible 5 spot in the wide receivers. **Remember I think Coach Peyton has a few tricks up his sleeve this year, and an offense that will revolutionize the game of football will debut this season, so carrying some extra wide receivers will not be surprising. With that in mind let's look at the positions. QB Drew Brees – How well he does is determined on how well the defense plays. Looking back, whenever the defense had a good game, Drew had a better game. If the defense started out good so did Drew, but as the defense often more times than less failed to hold down the attack, Drew fought to maintain down the stretch. Now don't get me wrong, Drew is one of the top QB's in the NFL, his accuracy is second to none, so with the defense stepping up this season, look for Drew to return to the Pro Bowl form this year. Mark Brunell – Mark was a great pick up this off season, his better days are over, but the experience and knowledge he brings is immeasurable. Tyler Palko – I loved watching him in pre season last year, he reminded me of Brett Farve in his younger days. He has 2 of the best in the business to learn from. RB Deuce McAllister – We can hope he will be ready for the start of the season; the Saints need that big punch up the middle. Deuce is also a leader that can make a difference on and off the field. Reggie Bush – What can you say, this year will be a make or break for Reggie. Making the transition from college to pro is difficult.. Add in the media hype that accompanied his arrival, we just expected too much to fast, but now in his 3rd year, he says he is focused, and ready to make a difference. Coach Peyton will give him that chance; it will be up to Reggie to take it. Pierre Thomas – I currently have him ahead of Aaron Stecker. In the last game of the season against Chicago, he made the most of it. With 105 yds rushing and 121 receiving Pierre showed some promise in a game that could have helped the Saints sneak into the playoffs and with the Bears playing for pride. Even though early reports have him working in 3rd down situations, if Deuce does not return to form, I see Pierre getting the ball allot more often. Aaron Stecker – He had some great games in 2007, with Reggie not getting the job done, he came in and held his own until injuries slowed him down. Mike Karney – Am I the only one that thinks this guy is just one big muscle? He is a beast, and loves to hit. He is a great compliment to the running game when they are in the trenches. WR Marques Colston- He is by far Drew Brees favorite target, and will continue to be. Marques is a sure thing, grabbing every ball that is thrown his way. Some injuries have slowed him at times, but I do not see that being the case this year. Without Colston on the field the Saints offense will not get very far. David Patten- Veteran leader that can still make plays, he was one of the best pick ups in 2007, and will make the rest of the guys better with his knowledge and leadership. Robert Meachem – All reports so far is that he is ready to prove to everyone he belongs in the NFL. If he has a good preseason, he could edge up to the WR2 position. Terrance Copper – Good in a pinch, he has shown he wants to play, and with the depth at the WR spot, he will step up his game to cling to one of the last spots. Devery Henderson – Inconsistency, one minute he is catching an 80 yard bomb, the next play he misses a 5 yard toss. He better have a great preseason or he may find himself on the practice squad. Lance Moore – Showed allot of promise in 2007, his return skills, helped him make the team, but he failed to make the plays at times also. He is in the same boat as Devery, needs to have a great preseason. Adrian Arrington – The next Marques Colston they say, will have to wait until training camp to see if the OTA's were a good sign, but Coach Peyton likes young talent, and he could make the roster with some big plays in the coming weeks. Unless one of the above guys gets injured, the rest of the WR on the roster, should make the most of the preseason, and be ready to fill practice squad rosters this year. OL Jonathan Goodwin – He will have no problem filling the vacancy left by Jeff Faine. He showed great skills when Jeff was out with injury, and is respected by everyone on the team. Jammal Brown – After making the Pro bowl in 2006, he struggled at times in 2007. He will be playing with a chip on his shoulder this year, and I see him going back to the Pro Bowl in 2008. Jamar Nesbit – Great interior linemen, with excellent pass blocking skills. The left side of the line will be a brick wall come this year. Jahri Evans – He started his rookie year, and has only gotten better. Look for him to have a Pro bowl caliber year. Jon Stinchcomb – He in my opinion, was just the only option the Saints had last year. He may have some competition come training camp, so he needs to be ready. Matt Lehr – Some questions arose with steroid use, but he is a good option should Goodwin get hurt. Carl Nicks – This is my long shot; I could not believe we got him in the late rounds of the draft. His character came into question, but if Coach Peyton felt good about drafting him then his character should not be a problem. He is also a giant, and Coach Peyton loves putting young guys in that show promise. I see him taking the right tackle position come the start of the season, if he proves himself. He is what the Saints need up front, big man opening up holes, and protecting the QB, giving time to pick the defense apart. TE Eric Johnson – He was a disappointment last season. We had hoped he would be the playmaker, but injuries sidelined him, and his productivity was limited. He is also not a good blocker so he will not be in on every down. Mark Campbell – One of the 1st early injuries that the Saints saw last year, he will be a toss up, but if healthy can be a playmaker. Billy Miller – The best blocker of the group, he also had some big plays, stepping in while Eric Johnson struggled. He is my surprise pick to move up and start. Defenses see him as a blocker, so he could sneak out and grab a few up the middle just when the offense needs a big play. I know it's early, and in training camp anything can happen, but this is my outlook on the Saints 08 Offense, and the guys I think that will make it happen.

Whatifsports NFC South Preview - It's the Panthers' Turn on Top

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:48:47 -0500

It's a do-or-die year for the Panthers and we're going with the "do." The offense will get a big boost from rookie RB Jonathan Stewart. The Saints' and Bucs' hope lie with their respective QBs (Drew Brees and Jeff Garcia), while the Falcons also put their egg in the Matt Ryan basket.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Offensive Line Analysis

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 02:01:54 -0500

This article includes the projected starters for the upcoming season, statistics and injuries from the past season, an overview of players on the line and an outlook for the 2008 season.

Herm Edwards Got Outsmarted & Outplayed

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:51:28 -0500

The real reason that Herm Edwards of the Kansas City Chiefs is mad that Jeff Faine signed with Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Josh Brown signed with the St. Louis Rams.

Buccaneers building a blockade on offense

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 13:13:41 -0500

Not five days ago, the Bucs released long-time Tampa Bay center John Wade, apparently looking to rebuild the offensive line starting in the middle. Well, not even a week later, the team filled that void, signing former New Orleans Saint Jeff Faine. Everyone expected the Bucs to spend some money this offseason, and Faine is the firs more...

NFC Saturday: Eagles, Bucs, 49ers Kick Start Free Agency

Sat, 01 Mar 2008 13:22:24 -0500

Eagles sign Asante Samuel, Bucs snag Jeff Faine and Jimmy Wilkerson, 49ers grab Isaac Bruce and Justin Smith and much more local hometown NFC free agent news for Saturday March 1, 2008.

NFL 2006 Season Preview: New Orleans Saints

Mon, 18 Sep 2006 19:25:25 -0500

From my series of season previews for associatedcontent.com, my view on the New Orleans Saints. It's easy for me to say this now, considering they have started the season 2-0, but I like their offense a lot. They may still have some key questions on defense, but I am intrigued by the weapons on offense. It got me a bit that Donte Stallworth was traded, but they are putting up points. Reggie Bush will be a force for them, even though McAllister should shoulder the majority of the load.