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By John Hendrix | SI

The Saints return from their bye week after some much-needed rest. It wasn't quiet at all, as the Michael Thomas drama seemingly kept growing along with the news coming out of owner Gayle Benson being the victim of an attempted robbery. However, it all calmed down, and there was even some good news to come out like rookie Zack Baun getting married. Now, it's back to football for Sean Payton's squad, as they look to keep pace with the Bucs in the NFC South.

We know the big players like Alvin Kamara and Demario Davis who have been huge for the team through their first five games, and they obviously deserve a ton of praise, but what about the others? The Saints News Network Crew recently got together to weigh in on who the most underrated player has been this season.

Kyle T. Mosley

Erik McCoy has done a great job in his second season at the center position. He has not given up many inside pressures while pass protecting for Drew Brees. Trey Hendrickson has 4.5 sacks and is one of the NFL leaders in that category. Cam Jordan said Hendrickson is starting to get chips and double-teams, which is a sign of respect from opposing offensive coordinators. They recognize his talent.

Full Story - SI

By BtBoylan | SI

The New Orleans Saints (3-2) enter their bye week in Week 6 of the NFL season. While the Saints did not play this past weekend, the other three teams representing the NFC SOUTH were in action. The Falcons, Panthers, and Buccaneers all battled NFC NORTH foes Sunday afternoon.

Below are three things to watch in the NFC SOUTH in Week 6 while the Saints take their BYE Week.

Falcons Play Best Game of Season Under Interim Head Coach Raheem Morris

Following a disappointing 0-5 start to the 2020 NFL season, the Atlanta Falcons parted with Head Coach Dan Quinn and General Manager Thomas Dimitroff. The Falcons announced Monday that Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris would take over the coaching duties as the Falcons' interim head coach. Morris is no stranger to coaching in the NFC SOUTH, serving as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach from 2009-2011.

The 0-5 start to 2020 is the worst start in quarterback Matt Ryan's career and for the Falcons, their worst overall start since 1997. Sunday, against the Vikings, the Falcons provided their best game of the season. The league's 31st ranked defense forced QB Kirk Cousins to throw three INTs in the first half, setting up Matt Ryan's offense into short field situations where they capitalized. Ryan threw for 371 yards and 4 TDs and connected with WR Julio Jones 8 times for 137 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Full Story - SI

Two quarterback hits, one pass defended in limited snaps against Chargers

By John DeShazier | Senior Writer - NewOrleansSaints.com

"Collapsing the pocket" isn't listed on the end-of-game stat sheet for defensive players, and neither is "occupying multiple blockers."

But even without that added metric, New Orleans Saints defensive end Marcus Davenport undoubtedly was impactful in his 2020 debut, a week ago against the Los Angeles Chargers in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

In the Saints' 30-27 overtime victory, Davenport played limited snaps after missing the first four games due to injuries to his elbow and toe. But in that small window, the third-year veteran posted a couple of quarterback hits and a pass defended, a snippet of the disruptiveness he caused when he was on the field for less than half the defensive snaps.

"Yeah, made some impact," Coach Sean Payton said. "He definitely had a handful of good rushes. Our plan was to play him right at that number count. It was his first game back. Those snaps will gradually increase.

"(Defensive end) Trey (Hendrickson's) playing well (with a team-leading 4.5 sacks while starting at right defensive end in Davenport's absence). We've got to just continue to grind on the pressure package, whether it's coming from a three-man rush or four-man rush or pressure."...

Sarah Thomas has been changing the game since starting on her path to becoming
an NFL ref, as the first female official at multiple levels.

By Andy Gallagher | Pro Football Network

Sarah Thomas, an NFL official, has defied the odds throughout her professional career, competing for positions in the male-dominated industry of football officiating. Being an NFL ref and official comes with pressure, expectation, and responsibility. A high school sporting superstar in Pascagoula, Mississippi, Thomas has paid her dues at all football levels. Now, as the NFL’s only female official, she is one of the key figures involved in making the game-changing decisions each week.

Who is Sarah Thomas?

Sarah Thomas is an NFL official who made history in 2015 when she became the first female hired as a full-time official. While she wasn’t the first woman to officiate an NFL game – Shannon Eastin stepped in as a replacement during the 2012 referee lockout – she is the first to earn the position full-time.

In January 2019, Thomas became the first female on-field official in NFL playoff history as part of the crew for the Divisional Round game between the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Chargers.

How long has Sarah Thomas worked for the NFL?

The NFL announced Sarah Thomas’ hiring as a full-time official on April 8, 2015. She had previously spent time officiating during training camp practices for the New Orleans...