It was bound to happen.

Mark Sanchez couldn’t continue to play like he was Joe Montana week after week without suffering a setback. The Saints proved to be Sancehz’s setback on Sunday by constantly harassing the rookie into three huge mistakes in the New Orleans’ 24-14 victory at the Superdome.

Sanchez’s first mistake came early in the second quarter when Darren Sharper intercepted his pass on the goal line, then returned it 99 yards for a touchdown. Two possessions later while backed up to his own end zone, Sanchez held onto the ball too long on a 2 and 7 from the 5-yard line and was sacked by Will Smith. Remi Ayodele recovered the fumble in the end zone to give the Saints a 17-0 lead early in the second.

Down 14 points with about five minutes remaining, Sanchez made his final mistake on a desperation fourth down play in which he was once again intercepted by Sharper. For as much swagger as Sanchez had played with throughout the year, he looked like a beaten rookie on Sunday.

This loss doesn’t fall squarely on the shoulders of Sanchez, though. New York offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer didn’t do the rookie any favors by failing to offer him max protection when the Saints proved early in the game that they could generate a pass rush with only their four down linemen. On multiple occasions, Charles Grant came off the edge untouched and forced Sanchez to scramble in attempt to make something happen.

It’s great that the Jets have confidence in Sanchez to make plays in the passing game, but Schottenheimer’s play-calling was atrocious and he should re-visit how he plans on protecting his quarterback in future weeks.

For the Saints, this win further proved their elite status in the NFL. Drew Brees and the passing game was held in check throughout the game, but Pierre Thomas and the Saints’ rushing attack racked up 153 yards and often kept the chains moving. Hopefully Sean Payton was paying attention to how hard Thomas ran throughout the game, so he doesn’t continue to leave the talented back on the sidelines in short-yardage situations.

The Saints defense has improved dramatically this season. Sharper has played like a man possessed and veterans like Roman Harper and Jabari Greer have stepped up in the secondary. New Orleans’ front four is as good as anyone in the league, too.

The NFC South is the Saints to lose, if not the conference.

Zero receptions, 0 yards, 0 touchdowns. That was the stat line for Terrell Owens in the Bills’ 27-7 loss to the Saints on Sunday.

For the season, T.O. has five catches for 98 yards and one touchdown, which are rather pedestrian numbers for one of the best receivers in the league.

Don’t think for a second that Owens is going to let this fly. He figured that when he signed with the Bills this offseason, that he would be the center of their offense. But so far, he isn’t even quarterback Trent Edwards’ fourth option in the passing game.

When asked about Edwards’ decision-making following the loss, T.O. said: “I don’t want to answer that, because whatever I say you guys are going to turn it into however you want to say it.”

Don’t worry T.O., because we can still read between the lines. You’re pissed off and don’t like the play calling. You don’t think Edwards is making wise decisions and you want to have a bigger role in the offense.

Eventually, Owens will say all of this himself. If Tony Romo couldn’t keep him happy, then Edwards sure as hell won’t. I don’t blame the Bills for taking a shot on him in the offseason (what did they have to lose?), but they’re about to see the real T.O. emerge soon if he continues to be a ghost in their offense.

As for the Saints, it was nice to see Pierre Thomas rush for 126 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries. As long as he’s healthy, he needs to be a part of their offense, especially on a day where Drew Brees (16 of 29, 172 yards, 0 TDs) looked human.

Hopefully Sean Payton won’t shelve Thomas once Mike Bell is healthy again.

According to Saints’ beat writer Jeff Duncan via his Twitter page, Lynell Hamilton took the first-team reps for New Orleans during practice on Wednesday. Duncan expects Hamilton to see a heavy workload against the Bills, which begs the question: What is going on with the Saints running back situation?

My question revolves around Sean Payton’s obvious hatred (okay, so I’m exaggerating) for Pierre Thomas, who practiced on Wednesday but who still isn’t seeing first-team reps in practice. I understand that he’s been battling a knee injury, but if he went through practice on Wednesday with no complications, why is Hamilton expected to get the majority of the rushing load on Sunday?

It stands to reason that the Saints may have possibly soured on Thomas, whom many people (me included) thought would have a breakout year in 2009. Thomas was supposed to be New Orleans’ every down back this year and the perfect complement to Reggie Bush. But whether it’s his knee or the possibility that he egged Payton’s house at some point during the offseason, Thomas has taken a backseat to other backs like Hamilton.

Just to get you up to speed on Hamilton, he went undrafted in 2008 and spent the entire season on the Saints’ practice squad. He made the team this year as a fourth back despite fumbling twice in the team’s preseason opener. Had Thomas and Bush not been dinged up entering the season, it stands to reason that Hamilton may not have even made the final roster.

And with that, it’s perplexing that Hamilton would get the start over Thomas this week. Again, maybe Payton and the Saints are still worried about Thomas’ knee and they’re taking it slow with him. But if they’ve soured on him being a No. 1 back, then do him (and fantasy football fans for that matter) a favor and either release him or trade him to a team that could use a runner with his skill set.

Here’s hoping Thomas eventually gets to shine in this league, because he certainly has the talent.

Unless this sorts itself out by week’s end, the message is clear: Stay away from Thomas/Hamilton this weekend if you can. The Saints might be taking it easy on Thomas during the week so that he can start on Sunday, or maybe they don’t feel good about his knee and are planning to give him another week by getting Hamilton ready to start. Hopefully, the Saints’ beat writers will get some answers for us, but HC Sean Payton is tight-lipped about injuries, so we may not get any before kickoff.

There’s a secret that most good fantasy football owners don’t want you to know: Knowing how good (or how bad) an offensive line is could be the difference between you making the playoffs in your league, and winning the whole damn thing.

The bottom line is that the offensive line is the key to whether or not an offense is going to be successful in any given season. They’re the reason why guys like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Drew Brews are able to rack up terrific passing yards year in and year out, and why Brandon Jacobs, Michael Turner and Adrian Peterson continue to be solid fantasy backs. So knowing which O-lines are quality and which act like revolving doors to their team’s backfield will give you an edge on draft day.

Below is a ranking of the top five best lines, the top five most improved lines and the top five worst lines in the NFL heading into the ’09 season. Use these rankings as a tool to help you make better decisions on draft day and to also aid you when you’re stuck between a couple of players in later rounds.

Granted, we’re not advocating bumping certain players to the top of your pre-draft rankings just based on these rankings. The Lions offensive line is the worst in football, but if Kevin Smith is there for the taking in the 5th round, by all means jump on him. This article is purely meant to be a helpful aid; obviously you still have to use solid judgment on draft day.

Read the rest of this entry »

In a recent radio interview in New Orleans, Saints quarterback Drew Brees admitted that Pierre Thomas is considered the team’s number one back now. Brees also said that he felt Reggie Bush will be able to “step in and do a great job”, but he believes that Thomas is the total package.

For those of you that haven’t hopped on the Thomas bandwagon yet, there’s plenty of room. Despite Sean Payton’s foolish attempt to try and add another back to the mix this offseason, the Saints (not just Brees) feel as though Thomas can be their workhorse and the backbone of their running game next season.

According to a study done by STATS inc., Thomas led the league last year in fewest rushing attempts for negative yardage. Some believe that he struggles in short yardage situations and that’s why the team considered drafting a big back like Chris “Beanie” Wells in April. But those of you that paid close attention to Thomas last year saw a back that can deliver in any situation.

So what happens to Bush? Well considering most NFL teams have adopted the two-back system, nothing. In fact, if Thomas takes the brunt of the work next year, Bush could benefit by seeing less carries and therefore staying healthy (something he’s failed to do so far in his career) throughout the course of the season.

It’s obviously too early to make any predictions, but the Saints should be right back in contention next year for a playoff berth. Their offense will be potent, although how well the defense plays will once again be the biggest factor in how much success they have.

But one thing is for sure – Thomas is going to play a big role in the Saints’ offense in ’09.

According to a report by FOXSports.com, the Saints are considering signing free agent running back Edgerrin James.

Saints general manager Mickey Loomis told FOXSports.com that the team is still considering making a contract offer to free-agent running back Edgerrin James.

“We’ve spent some time evaluating Edgerrin,” Loomis said Tuesday morning. “We think he can still play. We’re going to continue to evaluate that and see where it ends up. We haven’t made a decision on Edgerrin yet.”

James could be a nice fit in New Orleans, which didn’t draft or sign a replacement for the released Deuce McAllister. Loomis, though, expressed confidence that Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush could carry the Saints’ rushing load. A five-game starter last season, Thomas scored nine times and gained 625 yards on only 129 carries. Bush generated 844 yards from scrimmage in an injury-plagued 2008 campaign.

“Every time Pierre has had the opportunity to play, he’s performed really well,” Loomis said. “I think he was one of the leaders in the league in not getting tackled for a loss among running backs (in 2008). He’s not the big prototype back that Deuce was but we’re confident that Pierre can do some good things for us.

I completely disagree that James would be a good fit. I know the Saints are trying to replace McAllister, but Thomas proved last year that he deserves more carries and the team still has to make sure that Bush gets his touches as well (at least until he gets hurt).

If they want to add a bruiser for short yardage situations ala McAllister last year, then James isn’t the guy. And don’t forget that James wanted out of Arizona because he didn’t like splitting carries with Tim Hightower and feels as though he can still be a starter. Thomas has way more upside than James, so why eat into his carries?

The Saints only had one draft pick in the first three rounds this year. Had they had more, there’s a very likely chance that they would have selected a running back like Beanie Wells in the first round. Why? I’m a little confused by the Saints line of thinking here with how well Thomas played last season.

Listen in as Anthony and I discuss Brandon Jacobs’ and Marion Barber’s status, Tarvaris Jackson’s chances against the Falcons, and the RB situation in New Orleans.

Click here to listen to the podcast.

New Orleans Saints placed running back Reggie Bush on IR Wednesday, effectively ending his season.

Bush injured his left knee against the Carolina Panthers on Oct. 19, and had arthroscopic surgery the next day to repair a torn meniscus. He missed four games for rehabilitation.

He returned to action against Tampa Bay on Nov. 30, but struggled and Coach Sean Payton reduced his playing time because of ineffectiveness.

Bush scored a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons on Dec. 7 and appeared to be back on track. But he suffered a setback against the Chicago Bears the next week and was benched in the second half, again because of ineffectiveness.

This news obviously elevates Pierre Thomas’s fantasy value ten-fold. Anyone fortunate enough to have him on their roster heading into their championship game this week should feel pretty good about his matchup with the Lions on Sunday.

One has to wonder about the long-term status of Bush in New Orleans. Thomas has been incredibly effective as the workhorse back for the Saints over the second half of the season and is clearly ready to take over Deuce McAllister’s role in Sean Payton’s offense next season. If Bush can’t stay healthy, there’s no way the Saints will re-up once his contract expires. No sense in overpaying for a back that can’t run between the tackles and misses games with various alignments.

John Paulsen and I discussed this topic on our weekly fantasy podcast chat (which will post sometime Thursday morning), so make sure to check it out.

There’s an epidemic that continues to grow every year among NFL head coaches called, “cuteplaycallingitis”. I thought maybe the strain had subsided, but after watching the Bears’ 27-24 overtime win last night over the Saints, I realize the disease continues to grow.

In short, “cuteplaycallingitis” is when an NFL head coach decides to get cute with his play calling and/or approach within a game. There were several examples of this Thursday night.

The first example came in the fourth quarter with nine minutes remaining in the game and the Bears up 21-17. On a fourth and four from the Saints’ 47-yard line, Lovie Smith decided to fake a punt instead of pinning New Orleans deep in their own territory and forcing them to drive the length of the field. Adrian Peterson dropped the fake punt pass (which was more controversial than it should have been) and the Saints got the ball back at the 47-yard line and began to drive.

Of course, that’s when Sean Payton caught “cuteplaycallingitis” and decided to run a freaking sweep with Pierre Thomas on a fourth and one from the Bears’ 38-yard line. Why would you ever run a sweep wide against the Bears’ defense on fourth and one? Or any defense for that matter? How many examples do coaches need that a play like that doesn’t work before they stop running it? Payton has one of the most complex passing games in all of football, yet he decided to run wide with Thomas (who the Bears completely stuffed for a five-yard loss)? Okay, maybe he doesn’t put it in the air in that situation. There are still several better play calls than a sweep on fourth and one. It might have been the worst play call of the year.

But of course, that play didn’t wind up dooming the Saints because Lovie and his coaching staff caught the strain again on the Bears’ next possession. Instead of trying to run out the rest of the 5:29 remaining on the clock, Chicago decided to get cute and put the ball in the air on first and second down. The first play netted in an incomplete pass, which of course stopped the clock…the last thing the Bears needed up four points in the fourth quarter…while second down resulted in a Kyle Orton interception. The Saints eventually went down the field, scored the go ahead touchdown and then spent the rest of the game choking away a much-needed win.

Hey, I get it. If Peterson hangs onto the ball on the fake put, Lovie looks like a genius. If Thomas picks up the first down on the sweep, Payton looks like…well no, Payton would still have been a moron. But if Orton doesn’t throw the pick, the Bears might be applauded for staying aggressive late in the game. It’s easy to play Friday morning quarterback but even at the time, it appeared that both coaches got way too cute when they didn’t need to.

New Orleans Saints’ head coach Sean Payton was rightfully criticized throughout the week for not maintaining enough offensive balance this season. While the Saints statistically rank as the best offense in the league, they entered Sunday’s game against the Falcons as a 6-6 team with slim playoff hopes. No offense – not even the best in the league – can win consistently if they can’t run the ball. But the Saints rushed for 184 yards and beat division rival Atlanta 29-25 on Sunday.

Their running game was essentially the key because it opened everything up for Drew Brees and the passing game. Outside of the opening drive of the first quarter and most of the third, the Falcons’ defense looked befuddled at what Payton was throwing at them. They had no answer for New Orleans’ offense and allowed Pierre Thomas to rumble for 102 yards on just 16 carries. If Payton can keep himself from going Andy Reid on everybody, the Saints are going to be tough to beat the rest of the way.

For the Falcons, their loss cannot be placed on rookie Matt Ryan (24 of 33 for 315 yards, 1 TD) and the offense. Ryan was unbelievable and got a ton of help from Roddy White (10 catches, 164 yards) and Michael Jenkins (5 catches, 69 yards), who made the rookie quarterback look good on a couple of errant passes. Outside of a rookie mistake on an interception thrown in the first quarter, Ryan was damn near perfect and constantly kept drives alive with pinpoint passes.

The Falcons really put themselves in a hole with this loss, however. At 8-5, they’re still very much alive in the playoff race, but they host a tough Buccaneers team next week and then travel to Minnesota before finishing with the hapless Rams. They’ll have to win at least two of their next three games to make the playoffs, so a win over the Saints could have gone a long way.

We’ll see what Ryan and the young Falcons are made of over these next three weeks.