December

Dec. 8, 2008   

Thomas gives Saints workhorse element they lacked

For the first time since Week Seven of last season, the Saints were able to win a game even though Drew Brees was held to less than 250 passing yards. New Orleans didn’t have to rely squarely on Brees in this one — RB Pierre Thomas gave him a rare break and continues to solidify his role as the team’s backfield workhorse. Thomas was the pulse of the Saints’ offense in Sunday’s 29-25 win over ... More>

Dec. 2, 2008   

Suspensions cast further doubt on Saints' postseason hopes

After a long wait to settle the appeals process, the league doled out four-game suspensions without pay on Tuesday to Saints DEs Will Smith and Charles Grant and RB Deuce McAllister for violating the NFL’s policy on anabolic steroids and related substances. All three players tested positive for a banned masking agent, after taking StarCaps, an illegal water pill. Grant already was done for the season with a triceps injury, but he can serve his ... More>

Dec. 1, 2008   

Brees' costly picks leave Saints out of postseason picture

The rain and the Buccaneers’ stingy defense washed away the Saints on Sunday. A 23-20 loss could be the final dagger for New Orleans’ fading playoff hopes. Tampa Bay picked off QB Drew Brees three times — once in the endzone by LB Cato June after CB Ronde Barber tipped his pass — including two fourth-quarter interceptions with the game on the line, dropping the Saints' record to 6-6 with four games remaining. In a division that is likely ... More>

November

Nov. 10, 2008   

Bad Saints' pass 'D' is even worse without CB McKenzie

The Saints’ pass defense, already one of the league’s worst units, received bad news Sunday night when the leader of the secondary, CB Mike McKenzie, was ruled out for the season with a fractured right kneecap. Word is this injury could take more than a year to recover from. The 32-year-old suffered a torn ACL late last season, but he worked his way back, rejoining the team in training camp. He was ready for game ... More>

Nov. 3, 2008   

Saints put Grant on I.R.; McCray moves into starting lineup

The Saints announced Monday that DE Charles Grant has been placed on injured reserve, ending his 2008 season. Grant, a seventh-year veteran, suffered a triceps injury in Week Eight against the Chargers, but played through it and finished the game. He is tied for the team lead in sacks (three) with his likely replacement in the starting lineup, Bobby McCray, who is in his first year with the team after being signed as a free ... More>

October

Oct. 27, 2008   

Uncertainty overshadows Saints' win

As the Saints and Chargers prepared to meet in London, the high stakes were clear — one team would head home 3-5 with the deck stacked against it in the second half of the season. The other would be 4-4 in a less-than-ideal, but far better situation heading into the bye week. The Saints prevailed, improving to .500 with a 37-32 win that was fueled by Drew Brees’ continued MVP-style play. This was New Orleans’ most ... More>

Oct. 20, 2008   

Saints' offense down, not out after Bush's injury

As they continue in arguably the toughest stretch for any NFL team this season — 42 straight days without a home game — the Saints will be without their most versatile weapon on offense. RB Reggie Bush is slated to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Monday to have the meniscus repaired and is expected to miss the next 3-4 weeks, according to various reports. Bush did not travel with the team to London, where the Saints face the ... More>

Oct. 13, 2008   

Run defense suddenly is a Saints strength

After more than a year of searching to strike a balance, the Saints finally appear to have a defense capable of complementing their overpowering offense. New Orleans shut down the Raiders in a 34-3 win on Sunday and it crushed a top-tier rushing attack for the second consecutive week. Oakland's three points were the fewest a team has scored on the Saints since Sept. 25, 2006 — a season in which New Orleans advanced all the way to ... More>

September

Sept. 29, 2008   

McAllister brushes off rust, sparks Saints

For the first time in about one full year, the Deuce was let loose in New Orleans on Sunday. After getting just two carries through the first three games, McAllister toted the ball 20 times for 73 yards and a touchdown as the Saints knocked off the 49ers, 31-17, to get back to the .500 mark. Head coach Sean Payton had been very cautious with McAllister, who is coming off his second torn ACL in three ... More>

Sept. 22, 2008   

Shockey's absence will be major test for Payton, Saints' offense

Drew Brees’ arsenal of weapons is being quickly depleted.

The latest setback for the Saints (1-2) is that TE Jeremy Shockey, who had eight catches for 75 yards in Sunday’s loss to Denver, will be out 3-6 weeks after he undergoes sports hernia surgery sometime this week, according to PFW correspondent Mike Triplett, a beat writer for the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

The Saints are already without their top receiver, Marques Colston, who could be out ... More>

Sept. 22, 2008   

Saints looking awful lot like last year's version

The Saints are off to a slow start for the second consecutive season after dropping to 1-2 in a 34-32 loss to the Broncos on Sunday. Like last season, New Orleans has one of the most capable offenses in the league and its passing game looks just as good, if not better, ranking first in the league through three games. QB Drew Brees threw for 421 yards and a touchdown in Sunday’s loss, but it didn’t make ... More>

Sept. 10, 2008   

Report: Saints WR Colston out 4-6 weeks

The Saints will be without their top target in the passing game, WR Marques Colston, for 4-6 weeks, according to a FOXsports.com report. Colston tore a ligament in his left thumb, the story indicates, and had surgery on Tuesday to reattach the ligament. It’s a major loss for the Saints. Colston, a seventh-round pick in 2006, had more than 1,000 yards receiving in his first two seasons. He had three catches for 26 yards in ... More>

Sept. 8, 2008   

Saints' defense looks much improved

They appeared to be faster, tougher, and smarter than last season. A retooled defense came up huge for the Saints on Sunday in their 24-20 win over the Buccaneers, and it could be the key to getting New Orleans back into the postseason. The new-look defense faced Tampa on 4th-and-6 from the Saints’ 24-yard line as the Bucs took one last shot at victory. LB Scott Fujita picked off Jeff Garcia’s pass with 38 seconds remaining, sealing the ... More>

July

July 21, 2008   

PFW spin: Saints finally land TE Shockey

The Saints acquired TE Jeremy Shockey in a deal with the Giants on Monday. New Orleans sent 2009 second- and fifth-round picks to the defending champions. The swap is pending league approval, and Shockey must pass a physical before the trade is finalized.

Reports indicate the Saints’ offer was the same one they gave the Giants prior to the draft in April, when Shockey trade rumors began to heat up. New Orleans had been targeting ... More>

June

June 4, 2008   

Saints fire V.P. of player personnel Mueller

Updated at 7:15 p.m. EDT Wednesday, June 4

The Saints have fired vice president of player personnel Rick Mueller, sources tell PFW. Mueller spent eight seasons with the team, including its surprise run to the NFC championship game at the end of the 2006 season, but he fell out of favor with those in the front office and did not play a key role in personnel decisions recently. Mueller’s duties included evaluating current and future ... More>

February

Feb. 29, 2008   

Jets send MLB Vilma to Saints for draft pick

The Saints took a chance Friday and traded a future conditional draft pick to the Jets for MLB Jonathan Vilma. Vilma, who was named Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2004, came relatively cheap, considering he led the league in tackles (187) and made the Pro Bowl just two seasons ago. The soon-to-be 26-year-old had season-ending surgery after seven games last season to repair a bone chip in his right knee, which resulted from an injury ... More>