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By Brett Martel / AP

NEW ORLEANS — Saints coach Sean Payton is trying not to let New Orleans’ latest bout with key injuries undermine his club’s Super Bowl aspirations.

A pair of starting defensive linemen who are both former first-round draft choices — end Marcus Davenport and tackle Sheldon Rankins — left last week’s loss to San Francisco with what turned out to be season-ending injuries.

But as the Saints (10-3) prepare to meet Indianapolis (6-7) on Monday night, they do so having already demonstrated how resilient they can be without prominent players in the lineup.

The Saints went 5-0 while record-setting quarterback Drew Brees was out with a thumb injury early this season. Star running back Alvin Kamara, top receiving tight end Jared Cook, left tackle Terron Armstead, left guard Andrus Peat, top cornerback Marshon Lattimore and return specialist Deonte Harris have missed games with injuries this season as well. Rankins also sat out the season’s first three games while completing his recovery from an Achilles tendon tear in last season’s playoff opener.

Yet by Thanksgiving, the Saints were NFC South title holders for a third season running and are still in contention to capture one of the top two playoff seeds in the conference. ...

Full Story - Fox Sports

John DeShazier | Senior Writer - NewOrleansSaints.com

Wil Lutz figures he has no choice. Which, in turn, has helped make him one of the best choices the New Orleans Saints ever have made.

Twice this year, the fourth-year kicker has made walk-off field goals – a 58-yarder as time expired in New Orleans’ 30-28 victory over Houston in the season opener, and a 33-yarder as the clock struck zeroes in a 34-31 win against Carolina on Nov. 24.

He scored all of the Saints’ points in their 12-10 victory over Dallas on Sept. 29, and kicked four field goals against Atlanta on Thanksgiving night in a 26-18 win.

And currently, Lutz, the Pro Bowl leader in votes at his position, has made 14 straight and is 29 for 33 (87.9 percent) this season. He made a franchise-record 26 straight field goals last year, when he finished 28 of 30 during the regular season, and earlier this season he set an NFL record by making his 35th straight road kick. ...

Full Story - NewOrleansSaints.com

By Bob Rose | Si.com

The New Orleans Saints lost a member of the family on Thursday when former linebacker Vaughan Johnson passed away at age 57 due to kidney disease. Johnson, a member of both the Saints and Louisiana Hall of Fame, was a star on a New Orleans defense that dominated the NFL from 1986 to 1993. He was a key member of the famed “Dome Patrol” linebacking corps that included Pat Swilling, the late Sam Mills, and NFL Hall of Famer Rickey Jackson. I caught up with a few of Vaughan’s former teammates and opponents; Here’s what they had to say about their fallen friend. ...

Toi Cook (CB - New Orleans Saints 1987-93, 49ers ‘94-95, Panthers ‘96-97)

“Wow! Vaughan was not only a great player but like Rickey Jackson said: ‘For as ferocious as he was on the field he was more laid back off of it’. He was a great teammate and hilarious friend! I loved hanging with Vaughan off the field. He was extremely intelligent, which he proved with his business ventures post-football. Everyone thought he was the athlete and Sam Mills was the intellect when in fact they were the same player just different heights.”

Full Story - Sports Illustrated

NewOrleansSaints.com

GAME DETAILS:

The Saints (10-3), who have won three of their past four games, host the Colts (6-7) this Monday night in a battle that kicks off at 7:15 p.m. from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Saints lead the all-time series with the Indianapolis Colts, 7-5 in the regular season, while also picking up the 31-17 victory in Super Bowl XLIV. Of the 11 regular contests between the two clubs, five have been decided by six points or less, with New Orleans winning four including escaping Lucas Oil Field Stadium with a 27-21 win on October 25, 2015.

BROADCAST INFORMATION:

Fans can catch the action on ESPN (WDSU 6 locally) with Joe Tessitore (play-by-play), Anthony McFarland (color analyst) and Lisa Salters (sideline). The game will air on local radio's WWL-870 AM and 105.3 FM with Zach Strief (play-by-play), Deuce McAllister (color analyst) and Steve Geller (sideline) as well as nationally on Westwood One with Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Kurt Warner (color analyst) and Hub Arkush (sideline). For Spanish language radio, tune in to KGLA 830 AM and 105.7 FM with Mario Jerez (play-by-play), Juan Carlos Ramos (color analyst) and Victor Quinonez (sideline).

Full Story - NewOrleansSaints.com