My Pierre Thomas Blog

The New Orleans Saints were the best team in football in 2009, as they defeated the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 in Super Bowl XLIV. The Saints will have the difficult challenge of coming back even stronger the next season, as teams will do whatever it takes to knock them off their throne. Without question there is enough talent on this team to get back to the Super Bowl this season, but it all depends on how much the players and coaches want to win it all again this season. Here is a look at what the Saints will bring to the table in 2010, plus a look at where they will finish the season in the NFC South.

Offense:

If quarterback Drew Brees comes in focused and ready to go, the offense should have no problems getting going this season. Brees threw for 4,388 yards with 34 touchdowns to just 11 interceptions and set the NFL record for completion percentage at 70.6%. If Brees puts up those kind of numbers again in 2010, there is no question that he deserves to be mentioned with the likes of Brady and Manning.

The Saints decided to stick with the running duo of Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas. These guys don't have to put up huge numbers in the Saints offensive scheme, as Bush is primarily used as a pass catching back, while Thomas does most of the running between the tackles.

At wide receiver it might not matter who the Saints put out there with Brees at quarterback, but they do have some very talented guys on the field at this position. Devery Henderson and Marques Colston, are the two likely starters on the outside, but this team gets plenty of production from guys like Robert Meachem, Lance Moore, and tight end Jeremy Shockey.

The offensive line was pretty solid for the most part in 2009, and will start the season with the same group they had to finish the year. The key will be for left tackle Jermon Bushrod to continue to play well, as he did a very good job stepping in last season when starter Jammal Brown went down.

Defense:

The Saints decided to let defensive end Charles Grant go this offseason, but that won't be a problem as they went out and signed veteran defensive end Alex Brown, who played for the Bears last season and will give them a much needed pass rush opposite of Will Smith. In the middle Sedrick Ellis and Remi Ayodele are expected to start the season at the two tackle spots.

The Saints lost a key player in outside linebacker Scott Fujita this offseason, and will likely turn to third year pro Jo-Lonn Dunbar to take over his spot, as Scott Shanle returns at the other outside spot. The key to this group is Pro Bowl middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma, who has really excelled in the Saints defensive scheme.

In the secondary the Saints had their struggles with staying healthy at the corner spots., as 2010 projected starters Jabari Greer and Tracy Porter missed 11 games combined. The Saints did use their first round pick on Patrick Robinson, who will compete with Randall Gay for the starting nickel job. A big key to the Saints offseason was bringing back veteran free safety Darren Sharper, who played a huge role in this team winning the Super Bowl last season. Roman Harper is back at strong safety, and was the only defensive back to start all 16 games last season.

Prediction - 1st NFC South: I am counting on Brees and head coach Sean Payton to make sure this team is ready to go when the season gets underway, and I think that if this team comes in focused they are still the best team in the NFC. If the Saints struggle, look for the Falcons to take over the top spot in the South.

For a complete look at the upcoming season, be sure to check out our 2010 NFL predictions. If you plan on betting the NFL this season, be sure to check out our live NFL odds page each and every week!

I have a feeling that when all is said and done we are going to end up with a number of newly famous New Orleans Saints players at the end of this season.

At present the Saints roster is full of unassuming team players who do not get national recognition at their position. That is sure to change if they continue to play in the same vein of form that has taken the Saints to 5 and 0.

Chief among them are the receiving corps, running backs and the totally unheralded Offensive line. So I hereby present to you my soon to be famous New Orleans Saints players. I only pray we can keep hold of them come years end:

1. Lance Moore - the Wes Welker of our receivers, the slot guy and 3rd down specialist. I've watched Moore's progress with great interest over the past year and a half more out of disbelief that the Saints scouts had unearthed yet another unheralded gem. I really like his selfless team play, a coach's dream.

2. Pierre Thomas - the undrafted 2007 free agent has been a real find and has helped balance the offence by powering the running game. An excellent inside runner he also has the speed to turn the corner and is another team first player.

3. Robert Meachem/Marques Colston - both have already posted good numbers in previous seasons so there is some level of awareness out there but I believe they will both end up with stellar numbers this season. Both are tall, strong and quick with good hands. Like the rest of the team they are more interested in doing their talking on the field than the media, a blessing for any cohesive play off bound contenders.

Needless to say I have left Drew Brees off this list as he already has some nationwide recognition. That said I still do not think that he gets the credit he deserves and a stellar season could see him widely accepted as the best QB in the league, a title he more than deserves in my wholly biased eyes.

Finally a big shout out to Jermon Bushrod, Jahri Evans, Carl Nicks, Jonathan Goodwin and Jon Stinchcomb, the offensive line who make it all happen around them. The way they handled the Giants front 7 on Sunday goes to show what a unit they have become. The pass protection has been flawless and they have helped establish the Saints as one of the leagues best running teams. Sadly these guys are never going to find the fame attached to the likes of Bush, Brees and Co. but if they continue playing as they have they could help make this the most famous New Orleans Saints team of all time. Here's hoping!

Peter Falconer is the author of the Saints NFL blog, dedicated to his love of the famous New Orleans Saints franchise.

* Saints defence saves the day - Anthony Hargrove, Will Smith, Jonathan Vilma and Co. take a bow

* Saints set franchise record with perfect 8 and 0 start

* This was football New Orleans Saints style - hard fought and never easy

Carolina Panthers 20 - New Orleans Saints 30

The Carolina Panthers rode into New Orleans Sunday with a win streak of 8 straight in the Super Dome and almost came away with yet another victory. But for some resolute defending and a couple of quick fire drives the Saints would have kissed goodbye to their 2009 perfect record and left wondering if they would ever beat the Panthers at home again.

Instead the Saints got the job done thanks to some impressive performances by a group of lesser known names to record a come from behind 30 to 20 win over the Panthers... but it was a tight run thing.

Gregg Williams works the problem

The Saints played some uncharacteristic football with penalties, turnovers and miscues littering their play and all but killing them at various stages of the game. That the Saints defence turned up with their A game helmets on whilst the normally explosive offence dozed through the first half owes as much to Gregg Williams aggressive play calling as anything else.

Whilst the D was culpable for the early DeAngelo Williams 66 yard touchdown run, thereafter they solidified the middle of the field and forced the Panthers into a number of 3rd and long situations which they failed to convert. Williams used a lot of blitz packages to unnerve Jake Delhomme on the few occasions he dropped back to pass. This ensured the Saints had an 8 or 9 man front to stop the repetitive Panthers running attack.

The Saints should be thankful for the telling contribution of back up Defensive Tackle Anthony Hargrove, filling in for the injured Sedrick Ellis, who soon found a way to plug holes whilst making a telling contribution with key tackles, a forced fumble and recovery for a touchdown. Along with more recognised starters Will Smith, Jonathan Vilma, Darren Sharper, Roman Harper, Tracy Porter, Jabari Greer et al, the Saints D once again showed that they are a vastly improved unit from years gone by with some great run pursuit and forced turnovers to keep the score competitive.

Brees, Colston and Co. stutter

That the Panthers were able to rack up such an impressive rushing total owes as much to the frequency with which the Saints offence gave up possession as it does to the Panthers conservative play calling. The failure of many key Saints O personnel to turn up for this game is at first worrying and in some ways comforting. If the Saints are able to pull out a win with a misfiring passing attack then it further demonstrates the total team package the Saints can call upon this season.

Amongst the more anonymous and downright sloppy were receiving stalwarts Jeremy Shockey and Marques Colston who had disappointing games by their standards. Speaking of which Drew Brees did not look his usual self assured best throwing a bad interception Colstons way as well as fumbling a bobbled snap in a key 3rd down on two drives in the red zone.

He still had the presence to pick out Robert Meachem and Devery Henderson for deep pass plays and use Reggie Bush in the flat on the way to racking up yet another 300+ yard game but this was far from his best. That fact alone is encouraging. If the Saints can pull out a win against a tough Panthers team with Brees, Colston and Shockey far from their A game then it bodes well for our championship prospects.

Pierre Thomas to the rescue

Some of the Saints early offensive play calling came back to haunt them as they looked to jump out to an early lead. Instead of establishing the running game head coach Sean Payton elected to throw from the offset. Whilst this was not an unreasonable strategy given the success the Saints have had so far this season it did leave them struggling to recapture the initiative when this tactic failed to deliver. It was only through the introduction of Pierre Thomas in a more central second half roll that the Saints were able to move the ball more freely and start to wear down the physical Panthers defence.

One drive in particular stood out with the Saints taking over possession at their own 2 yard line with 11.02 left on the clock. Payton employed a combination of inside running by Thomas and Mike Bell as well as dumping the ball to Reggie Bush and Thomas in the flat. 8 consecutive plays resulted from employing the trio and within 13 plays the Saints had marched all the way to the Panthers 16 before a dropped pass by Colston saw the Saints settling for a John Karney field goal for the go ahead score.

This was the balance of offence that had been so effective for the Saints all season but it took until well into the 4th Quarter to employ it.

Special praise should go to another unsung unit following this game; the Saints offensive line. They did a great job of protecting Drew Brees who, with the exception of an early forced fumble, had plenty of time to pick his targets. Honourable mention goes out to Jermon Bushrod who kept the mighty Julius Peppers quiet all night. Jermon Bushrod for the Pro Bowl; is that such an extravagant claim?

The DNA of Champions

To win and to win ugly is the mark of champions. This was not the best we have seen the Saints, far from it, but it did tell us a lot about the make up of the team and the depth of quality on the roster. When the A team were miscuing the Saints were able to call on some impressive performances by lesser known stars to get the job done. As Al Davis would say "Just Win Baby".

Peter Falconer is the author of the New Orleans Saints NFL blog, dedicated to all things New Orleans Saints. He sounds off about Saints players, displays everything from the latest Reggie Bush highlights videos to the roster, schedule, stories and more.

This week's win against the Carolina Panthers once again underlined the depth of the Saints roster and the total team effort it takes to win games this deep into the season. So without further ado please step forward Mr Underdog, Saint of the Week himself Anthony Hargrove:

Anthony Hargrove Saints Defensive Tackle - Hargrove was required to fill the big shoes of much missed and injured Sedrick Ellis, and he did this with some aplomb. After finding himself, and the rest of the run defence, culpable for an early 66 yard touchdown run by DeAngelo Williams, Hargrove set about solidifying the Saints soft under belly to keep the score competitive. He did this by filling the middle channels forcing Williams and Stewart into congestion and slowing down the Panthers progress. Yes he got penalised for a stupid penalty early on but he learnt from it and applied himself diligently to the team cause. This high work rate was later rewarded with a forced fumble recovery for a touchdown late in the 4th to see out the Saints win.

Without such a telling contribution from the Saints number 69 the game could have gotten away from us and Saints fans would now be saying prayers to the Gods of injury to get Sedrick Ellis back and healthy soon. As it stands we've found a willing and hard working down veteran lineman in Anthony Hargrove, a valuable addition to the roster. We'll still pray for Sedrick Ellis as we love the big man but at least Hargrove has proven he can fill the big mans shoes.

And the Runners Up are:

Robert Meachem Wide Receiver - With Marques Colston dropping his fair share of passes it was left to number 17 to spare the Saints receiving corps blushes with a stellar performance. His 54 yard touchdown catch and run to close out the 3rd Quarter and level the scores was a key moment in the game. He finished with 5 receptions for 98 yards and 1 TD. He was only narrowly shaded out by Anthony Hargrove for the Saint of the Week award and should feel himself hard done by - hey what can I say? I love the under under dog!

Jermon Bushrod Saints Tackle - Bushrod kept Panthers legend Julius Peppers quiet all game. Not once did I see or hear anything of the pass rushing All Pro beyond his introduction at the start of the game. For a lineman to so totally shut down such a great player is work indeed and Bushrod deserves huge helpings of praise for his efforts.

Will Smith Defensive End - Again the Hollywood moonlighting defensive end brought the outside pressure to register two important sacks and further reclaim his Saints sack king crown. I for one am glad to see the big man dominating opposing linemen. His sack in the 2nd Quarter was a highlight as he walked through the Panther tackle to jump all over Jake Delhomme.

Pierre Thomas Saints Running Back - When finally given more playing time in the 4th Quarter he made some great runs to get the Saints offence going. With the Saints backed up close to their own end zone Thomas took a pass out in the flat, broke a tackle just shy of the 1st down marker and tacked on a further 6 yards. It was a heck of a second effort and indicative of the running power Thomas brings to this offence. He finished with 13 for 50 and 1 TD rushing and a further 5 for 31 receiving.

Reggie Bush Saints Running Back - Nothing flashy here but a solid performance none the less. With Jeremy Shockey taken away as a short yardage receiver Brees looked more and more to Bush in the flat and Reggie did not let him down. He picked up some useful first downs and ended up with 7 for 37 receiving and 2 for 16 on the ground.

Peter Falconer is the author of the New Orleans Saints NFL blog, dedicated to all things New Orleans Saints. He sounds off about everyone from the great Anthony Hargrove Saints Defensive Tackle, the roster, schedule and stories all from the inside of my New Orleans Saints helmet.

The Chicago Bears (7-6, 6-6-1 ATS) deal with the NFL's best offense when they host the surging New Orleans Saints (7-6, 9-4 ATS) on Thursday Night Football.

Public bettors don't seem too concerned about the Bears' predicament: About 64% of wagers on the spread have come in on Chicago as slight early favorites. That type of action could move the line in the Bears' direction before kickoff, although the numbers could change once wise guys start weighing in on the matchup.

The Saints maintained their stake in the NFC postseason picture with a huge 29-25 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, as New Orleans covered as 3-point home favorites. Running back Pierre Thomas' 5-yard touchdown run with 5:54 remaining put the Saints ahead for good, while the teams played over the 51.5-point total.

Thomas finished with 102 yards on 16 carries for the Big Easy, who got 106 all-purpose yards with a score from Reggie Bush. Quarterback Drew Brees was an uncharacteristically quiet 18-of-32 for 230 yards with two touchdowns, as the Saints relied on a running game that put up 184 yards - by far a season-high for New Orleans, winners of three of its last four games (4-0 ATS).

The Saints' potent attack could prove problematic for the Bears, who are ranked 28th in the league against the pass at 234.2 yards per game. Behind Brees, New Orleans is first in total offense (405.9 yards per game), first in passing yards per game (310.2), and third in points scored (28.2 PPG). What has kept the Saints from doing even better than their profitable 9-4 ATS record would suggest has been the running game, which is near the bottom of the league at 95.7 yards per game.

Enter Thomas, who is hitting his stride following almost two seasons as the Saints' No. 3 back. The undrafted RB had the best game of his short career in New Orleans' 33-25 loss at Chicago (-1) last December 30, rushing for 105 yards on 20 attempts while hauling in 12 balls for 121 yards through the air with a TD.

It's not as if Thomas has to be the second coming of LaDainian Tomlinson for the Saints. If Thomas can combine with Bush to give New Orleans backers some balance like they did last week against the Falcons, life gets a lot easier for Brees and suddenly New Orleans is one of the league's best teams.

Like the Saints, the Bears are on the outside looking in at the NFC playoff picture, although both teams are potentially a few wins away from grabbing a wild card spot. Chicago is coming off a 23-10 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday at Soldier Field, as the Bears rolled to the bank as 6.5-point faves.

QB Kyle Orton was 20-of-34 for 219 yards with two TD passes and an interception, while Devin Hester caught five passes for 80 yards for Chicago. The Bears managed to cruise despite an off-game from RB Matt Forte, who has become Chicago's main offensive weapon in light of Orton's overall poor play since spraining his ankle last month. Forte was held to only 69 yards rushing on 21 attempts, although the Bears defense made up for it by holding the Jaguars to only 159 yards through the air.

New Orleans is dealing with some injuries that might not heal by Thursday night. Cornerback Randall Gay left in the first quarter against Atlanta with a concussion, and is listed as questionable for the game against Chicago. Kick returner Courtney Roby could also sit out after heading for the trainer's table in the third quarter after suffering a right ankle injury.

Outside of Gay and Roby, the bigger question is whether defensive end Will Smith and RB Deuce McAllister will suit up after playing against the Falcons on appeal from the NFLPA. Both Smith and McAllister were handed a four-game suspension for violating the league's anti-doping policy last week, but were cleared to play on Sunday after a federal judge ruled he needed more time to review their respective cases.

Dennis Reynolds

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