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By Ken Trahan | Crescent City Sports

After two days of good work against a very good AFC team, the Saints capped off a productive week with the Chargers Sunday in Carson, Calif.

While the game was not necessarily a reflection of that is to come in the 2019 regular season, these are two good teams whose players and coaches respect each other.

That starts with head coaches Sean Payton and Anthony Lynn, who worked together under Bill Parcells in Dallas previously. The respect that the fine coaches have for each other is evident in how the teams get work in without the usual skirmishes such exercises between teams typically produce.

As we always caution, do not put too much emphasis or pay too much attention to preseason games. They can be false, sometimes very false predictors.

A year ago, Taysom Hill turned the ball over four times in a preseason game, all in one half. It was a disaster zone. Everyone in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome left that evening feeling he could never be an NFL quarterback, much less a real contender to eventually take over for Drew Brees in New Orleans.

Full Story - CCS

By Herbie Teope | The Advocate / Picayune

CARSON, Calif. – The Saints went heavy with backups for the second straight week in preseason action.

Not a big surprise, however, as starters typically won't see heavy action until the third preseason game, which for the Saints is an upcoming meeting with the New York Jets.

Meanwhile, quarterback Drew Brees did not play Sunday and observed the game on the sidelines with a white baseball cap for a second straight preseason game. Wide receiver Michael Thomas and starting left tackle Terron Armstead did not dress.

Teddy Bridgewater drew the start at quarterback for the second straight week and totaled 24 snaps. Bridgewater was mostly ineffective as he battled an illness before giving way to Taysom Hill (40 snaps) shortly before halftime.

Full Story - NOLA.com

By Brian Allee Walsh - Special to the Sun Herald

The New Orleans Saints may not have lit up the scoreboard Sunday with backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, but I bet he scored valuable points where it counts most.

Inside the organization and locker room.

Yes, Bridgewater played poorly during the first half of the Saints’ 19-17 comeback win over the Los Angeles Chargers in a nationally-televised exhibition game at Heath Dignity Sports Park in Carson, California.

With good reason.

Full Story - The Sun Herald

By Luke Johnson - USA Today | The Advertiser

NEW ORLEANS — As expected, the New Orleans Saints let their top players get a little bit more run in as they inch ever closer to the start of the regular season.

The first team offensive unit, minus a couple of key players who did not suit up, mostly stayed in the game for the first four series, playing into the second quarter. The same goes for the first-team defensive unit.

From an offensive standpoint especially, the results probably did not align with what New Orleans was hoping for out of its second preseason contest, but some of that can probably be chalked up to an ill signal-caller.

We took a look at the long list of numbers and isolated a few notable ones here, something we'll do every week as the season progresses.

Full Story - The Advertiser

By Mark Patrick Spencer | myNewOrleans.com

The ways of media and its younger, but now potentially bigger brother social media, flow like an ocean. Sometimes the tide is for you and sometimes it is against you. You’ll never control it. Thus, as we roll into the 2019 NFL season the New Orleans Saints are still at the top but now the waves are slightly going against them as the national media ponders Drew Brees’ age and arm strength and talk about missed opportunities.

You just have to ride it out, New Orleans. The backsplash was inevitable and, again, words on a page mean nothing. Writers are basically just your drunk uncle at the family picnic who goes on and on about how the country would be perfect if everyone would just listen to all of his great ideas.

So, the heck with negativity. Here are the top five reasons the New Orleans Saints are going to win the Super Bowl.

Full Story - myNewOrleans.com

Did the Saints have a hand full of injuries that potentially wreck depth and special teams? Check.

By Ralph Malbrough / Contributing Writer | WWL-TV

NEW ORLEANS — Can we just pretend that New Orleans Saints game never happened? It isn't like we will want to remember anything from the Saints 19-17 win over the Los Angeles Chargers by the time lunchtime arrives today. Between the injuries and poor play in the first half, this game checked damn near every box for what makes preseason Saints football such a miserable experience and why we all just want it to hurry up and be finished.

Performance by a player that causes fans to overreact negatively but in the grand scheme of things means absolutely nothing? Check.

Teddy Bridgewater, who Sean Payton told us after the game played sick, was dreadful, horrid, and unpleasant to watch. Missed throws, a missed snap, and an interception were all part of Bridgewater's day.

I'll give Teddy credit for not making excuses and for attempting to play through being ill, and I still think he can be a good quarterback if 2019 is indeed Drew Brees final season, but it was a reminder the post Drew Brees Saints quarterbacking situation could be a dystopia nightmare filled with overthrows, interceptions, and sadness. I'm sorry Drew, we are going to need you to play forever for Saints fans mental well being...

By John Roach | AccuWeather staff writer

Paul Boudreaux didn’t know that his favorite NFL team since childhood, the New Orleans Saints, were interested in what he could do for the team. But when the Saints called saying Head Coach Sean Payton and General Manager Mickey Loomis wanted to see him, Boudreaux cut short his vacation and drove to New Orleans.

“I’m tickled to death to be able to help the Saints,” Boudreaux told The Daily Advertiser.

Boudreaux wasn’t worried about being stuck on the bench for the Saints: He wanted to provide the bench.

He invented the Body Recovery Zone, essentially a refrigerated freight container used to lower the body temperatures of athletes working out amid high heat and humidity. In Louisiana, where his company, Boudreaux Athletics, is based, AccuWeather RealFeel™ Temperatures routinely top 100 degrees.

Full Story - AccuWeather

Like everyone on here (it appears) I was extremely pleased with Taysom Hill's performance last night. And before we even get into the technical aspects, the first thing that always stands out about him when he's on the field is his mental/physical toughness and what a competitor he is. He brings those key intangibles to the table not just as a QB but as a football player.

From a coaching perspective, what I enjoyed seeing was the level of improvement his QB play has undergone since last year.
--He has really improved his pocket presence, his progressions, and his timing and ball placement down the field.
--He managed each drive very well and followed the old adage of 'taking what the defense gave him,' throwing away from the conflict defender and checking down when his progressions dictated.
--His placement on the wheel route to Austin Carr on the TD, for example, showed how he has matured as a passer, as the ball was delivered on time and placed properly vs. a cover 2 shell (he delivered a 2-ball to the hole between the flat defender and deep half player, whereas in the past I think he's still trying to touch that ball over the top to the back pylon in that situation).
--He is standing tall on the balls of his feet with his eyes down the field in his drop backs, and he is going through full-field progressions. And he has a really nice delivery.
--His improved pocket...

By Ken Trahan | Crescent City Sports


After two days of good work against a very good AFC team, the Saints capped off a productive week with the Chargers Sunday in Carson, Calif.

While the game was not necessarily a reflection of that is to come in the 2019 regular season, these are two good teams whose players and coaches respect each other.

That starts with head coaches Sean Payton and Anthony Lynn, who worked together under Bill Parcells in Dallas previously. The respect that the fine coaches have for each other is evident in how the teams get work in without the usual skirmishes such exercises between teams typically produce.

As we always caution, do not put too much emphasis or pay too much attention to preseason games. They can be false, sometimes very false predictors.

A year ago, Taysom Hill turned the ball over four times in a preseason game, all in one half. It was a disaster zone. Everyone in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome left that evening feeling he could never be an NFL quarterback, much less a real contender to eventually take over for Drew Brees in New Orleans.

Full Story - CCS

By Sean Fazende | FOX 8

NEW ORLEANS, La. (WVUE) -Take One: Taysom takes over

Yes, it was against backups and third teamers. Yes, it was only preseason. But, regardless, Taysom Hill is fun to watch huh? In the second half, he was the best player on the field by far and rallied his team from a 14-point deficit to a 19-17 win.

He’s instant energy and has that unique ability to change momentum quickly. Plus, he’s getting better as a true quarterback while still allowing himself to be an athlete. Two plays illustrated this perfectly.

The first came on his first touchdown pass. Hill stayed patient and allowed the play to develop. He read the ’flat’ defender and knew based on what he saw, Austin Carr would be wide open. Last preseason, he may have come off that read too quickly and missed the throw.

Full Story - FOX 8

By Amie Just | The Advocate / Picayune

CARSON, Calif. — Third-year defensive end Trey Hendrickson was a force to be reckoned with on Sunday, as he constantly disrupted the Chargers offense when he was lining up in place of Cameron Jordan.

Saints coach Sean Payton partially attributed his play to his weight. Hendrickson currently clocks in at 270 pounds, which Payton said is more than he weighed in at some point last year.

Full Story - NOLA.com

By Luke Johnson - USA Today | The Advertiser

It was not always pretty for the New Orleans Saints in their 19-17 win against the Los Angeles Chargers — in fact, at times things looked downright ugly.

The offense did not run at the smooth clip the Saints are accustomed to. The special teams unit gave up a monster return that put the team in a 14-point hole with seconds remaining in the first half. In general, the Saints looked out-classed for a solid chunk of the first 30 minutes Sunday.

But it is a preseason game that doesn’t officially count for anything, giving New Orleans an opportunity to correct what did not go so well. And there were some positive things to build on as the season inches closer.

Here are the top three observations from Sunday’s game.

Full Story - The Advertiser

John DeShazier | Senior Writer - NewOrleansSaints.com

Carson, Calif. – The New Orleans Saints’ 19-17 preseason victory over the Chargers on Sunday wasn’t the cleanest victory that the Saints will construct. But there were several performances worth noting at Dignity Health Sports Park that contributed to New Orleans evening its preseason record at 1-1.

OFFENSE: Taysom Hill has progressed quite nicely as a quarterback for the Saints. Sure, he’ll still run it when he needs to (five carries for a team-high 53 yards against the Chargers, including a 23-yarder that had his teammates celebrating on the sideline). But against the Chargers, he completed 11 of 15 passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns, leading the comeback from a 17-3 halftime deficit. Hill ignites the offense when he’s on the field, in ways that are quantifiable (the numbers) and, perhaps, not calculable (he inspires confidence). The Saints had a red-zone turnover in the second half, which Hill played in its entirety, and he still managed to lead touchdown drives of 60 and 69 yards, and the game-winning field goal drive of 50 yards. When coaches talk about his...

NewOrleansSaints.com

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS LINEBACKER A.J. KLEIN

On his interception:

“I was basically in the right place at the right time. I didn’t do anything special, the ball was tipped. We had pressure on the quarterback and forced a bad throw. So right place, right time — I didn’t do anything extraordinary.”

On first-team defense being locked in:

“I think, coming off of last week, we were a little bit disappointed with a few big plays that we gave up, some explosive plays. Coming back, we wanted to be able to stop the run game and obviously get off the field on third downs. I think we did that, so that’s a step forward. But second and third groups, obviously we still have things to improve on. [We had] some selfinflicted wounds, personal fouls, but I think we came out in the second half, especially in the fourth quarter and definitely turned the momentum back in our favor. And obviously, the interception to seal the game, too.”

Full Story - NewOrleansSaints.com

By Amie Just | The Advocate / Picayune

CARSON, Calif. — Teddy Bridgewater didn't feel well.

The Saints quarterback came down with an illness a few days ago and rested more than usual in the days leading up to New Orleans' game Sunday with the Los Angeles Chargers.

His undisclosed illness still plagued him, as he put up what he himself called "a poor game." But Bridgewater didn't write off performance as a result of not feeling well. He still owned up to his first-half stat line.

"I owe it to those guys to be out there," Bridgewater said. "I think I just have to do a better job just fighting through situations and things like that."

Full Story - NOLA.com