Tag: Sean Payton (Page 10 of 13)

      Saints looking for ultimate respect on Monday night

      November 30, 2009 /

      The New Orleans Saints have done everything right so far. They’re averaging over 35 points a game, they’ve played well defensively and they haven’t lost a game.

      The Saints don’t need anyone’s respect because they’ve earned it to this point. But beat the Patriots tonight and they’ll go from Super Bowl contenders to Super Bowl favorites.

      Even though they didn’t make the playoffs last season, the Pats are still the gold standard in terms of how teams measure themselves. Beat New England and you don’t need anything more in terms of confidence. Lose to New England and you might find out how far you still have to go in order to compete with the best.

      Personally, I think the Saints will come out victorious tonight. While the Falcons and Panthers gave them somewhat of a scare, no team has come close to beating the Saints in New Orleans. The team feeds off the energy of the Superdome and it’s hard for opponents to reach the same emotional level that the Saints do when they play at home.

      That said, Bill Belichick is still one of the greatest game planners in the game and if anyone is going to figure out a way to slow down Sean Payton’s offense, it’s Belichick. Even if New England doesn’t have the personnel to stop Drew Brees and company (which they don’t), Belichick will still put his players in the best position to win.

      I’d be shocked if the game tonight doesn’t live up to its hype. It’s going to be fun to see if Belichick and Tom Brady can march into New Orleans and earn a win, or if the Saints will rise to the challenge and overcome the most elite team on their regular season schedule.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      NFL

      NFL Week 11 COY Power Rankings

      November 29, 2009 /

      Once again we can’t ignore the two guys who have their teams at 10-0. Beyond that, there are a few others who are still overachieving, including Josh McDaniels, who brought his team back from the dead last night with a feisty effort against the Giants. Meanwhile, is anyone starting to sense that Jeff Fisher may be on our radar here? If you start 0-6 then win four straight and start to sniff any chance at the playoffs, that is just mind-blowing. It’s safe to say that if he does bring his Titans all the way back, it may be even more impressive than 16-0 would be.

      1. Jim Caldwell, Indianapolis Colts—They just beat the Patriots and Ravens back to back, and are absolutely going to coast to a first round bye. However, they need to finish the job this time as they did three seasons ago.

      2. Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints—Finally the Saints dominated in a game they had to dominate. Now they face their biggest test of the season at home Monday night against the Patriots. Both offenses are so explosive that I’m fully expecting 80 points between the teams. And if Payton’s Saints win, he will have earned his spot here again.

      3. Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati Bengals—A heartbreaking loss in Oakland was a devastating blow, but the Steelers and Ravens also lost. Now, Lewis has a chance for his team to be 6-0 in the division by beating the Browns at home Sunday. Can he do it? Does Howdy Doody have a wooden butt?

      4. Brad Childress, Minnesota Vikings—His team is 9-1 heading into Sunday’s game against Chicago, and if he wins that one, as he should, Childress will continue to remain on this short list.

      5. Josh McDaniels, Denver Broncos—After being 6-0 and losing four straight in horrible fashion, McDaniels and his potty mouth brought his team back from the dead last night. That was impressive (the comeback, as well as the mouth). They will be a tough out for someone in the playoffs, assuming they can still get there.

      Honorable mention: Ken Whisenhunt, Cardinals; Jack Del Rio, Jaguars, Jeff Fisher, Titans; Bill Belichick, Patriots

      NFL

      2009 NFL Week 12 Point Spreads

      November 25, 2009 /

      Along with a complete list of odds for Week 12 in the NFL, here are quick-hit previews for the marquee matchups.

      Patriots at Saints, Monday, November 30
      The Saints don’t have to prove anything to anyone because their record speaks for itself. That said, a win over the Patriots on Monday night will go a long ways in proving that they’re a Super Bowl contender. New Orleans has the best team in the NFC, but how does it stack up to one of the best that the AFC has to offer? The matchup between Bill Belichick vs. Sean Payton is going to be terrific.

      Colts at Texans, Sunday, November 29
      The Texans need a victory this weekend to keep their postseason hopes alive, while the Colts are eyeing a perfect season. In Houston over the past three years, the Colts only have a combined scoring edge of 85-78. Indy is 14-1 against the Texans in their history together, but the games have been tight at Reliant Stadium. Can the Texans rise to the challenge and finally knock off their AFC South rivals?

      Steelers at Ravens, Sunday, November 29
      The news surrounding this game is whether or not Ben Roethlisberger will play after suffering concussion-like symptoms in Pittsburgh’s loss to Kansas City last Sunday. At 6-4, the Steelers need a win and that means Big Ben needs to be in the lineup. Another loss would put them behind the 8-ball in terms of the playoffs, especially considering they play in a tight AFC race. Same goes for Baltimore, which would drop to 5-6 with a loss.

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      NFL

      NFL Week 10 COY Power Rankings

      November 21, 2009 /

      Some coaches here have changed positions but mostly it’s the same group. Still, just like with the players, November and December tend to bring out the best and worst of coaches as well. Here is the updated Coach of the Year power rankings….

      1. Jim Caldwell, Indianapolis Colts—Everyone kept saying the Colts hadn’t played a quality opponent yet. Well, they beat the Patriots in a thriller last Sunday night, and Caldwell’s team mirrored his calm sideline demeanor in working their way back from 17 points down late in the game to stay undefeated.

      2. Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints—Each game is getting to be an adventure, and after almost blowing it against the lowly Rams, coach Payton’s stock has to have dropped just a tad. Still, his Saints are 9-0, and at the end of the day, all nine of those wins count.

      3. Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati Bengals—The Bengals are for real. And Marvin Lewis, the defensive minded coach who has never had a defense to speak of in Cincinnati, finally has one. Boy, does he have one. But more than that, his Cardiac Cats are playing so inspired that they are now 7-2, leading the tough AFC North, and they are a combined 4-0 against the Steelers and Ravens. Wow.

      4. Brad Childress, Minnesota Vikings—Not much changes for Childress after disposing of the Lions last Sunday. It’s just that what Lewis has done is a bit more impressive.

      5. Josh McDaniels, Denver Broncos—He’s now lost three straight, but I guess if you look at this and think that McDaniels’ Broncos are 6-3 when everyone may have expected them to be 3-6 at this point, he deserves to stay here….for now.

      Honorable mention: Mike Tomlin, Steelers; Ken Whisenhunt, Cardinals; Jack Del Rio, Jaguars

      NFL

      NFL Week 9 COY Power Rankings

      November 15, 2009 /

      Not much has changed in the Coach of the Year power rankings, because most of the coaches here won last weekend. Josh McDaniels is the only one who did not, and he’s in danger of falling into honorable mention.

      1. Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints—Eight and Zero. 303 points for, 174 against. That’s an average score of 38-21. The 2007 Patriots’ had an average score of 37-17, and this team is reminding folks of that one.

      2. Jim Caldwell, Indianapolis Colts—Halfway through his rookie season as head coach, and Jim Caldwell hasn’t lost a game yet. Why isn’t anyone talking about this? Okay, so he inherited a pretty good team with an elite QB, but the Colts have had their share of injuries as well, and a coaching change.

      3. Brad Childress, Minnesota Vikings—We’re holding his place for the bye week, and he’s got the Lions this Sunday. Safe to say Mr. Childress’ seat here will stay warm.

      4. Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati Bengals—Two wins against the Ravens, and Marvin’s boys are a stunning 4-0 in divisional play, including two wins against the Ravens. This weekend’s rematch with the Steelers will tell us a lot, but win or lose that one, Marvin has earned a place here.

      5. Josh McDaniels, Denver Broncos—Despite two straight losses to Baltimore and Pittsburgh, the Broncos are still 6-2 when many thought they’d be 2-6 at this point.

      Honorable mention: Bill Belichick, Patriots; Wade Phillips, Cowboys; Mike Tomlin, Steelers; Ken Whisenhunt, Cardinals

      Bullz-Eye Sports Channel, NFL

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