Saints - Cardinals Game Notes

Here's what I came away with from Thursday night's preseason opener against Arizona. 

First, it was just fun to see the Saints in live action again (outside of training camp), even if it was just the first preseason game, with a simplified playbook and mostly backups in the second quarter and beyond.

Second, Brees and the receivers looked sharp on that first drive, and it seemed that Brees had good pass protection that whole time.  And of course, Meachem looked good the whole game.  I can't decide which of his big catches I was more impressed with - the final burst and extension to catch what looked like an overthrown ball from Brunell (let's just hope he can make catches consistently - Devery could make that catch, too, but would also be likely to drop 3 out of 4 over the next two games), or the run after the catch from Palko's pass later  in the game. 

Third, I am concerned about two things in regard to the offense: a) Run blocking from the OL, and b) the use of Reggie in the offensive game plan.  

a) After watching Thursday's game, I'm wondering if even a healthy Deuce would have gained anything on the ground behind that line, especially in the early going.  It seemed that there were no holes at all and the Arizona DL had an awful lot of penetration into the backfield on running plays.  

b)     We saw for 8+ games in 2007 (in Weeks 4-11 after Deuce went out and before Reggie sat out with his bum knee) that it does not work to have Reggie as the "featured back" carrying the ball on 1st and 2nd downs (he averaged 3.7 per carry and we barely had 1000 yards rushing as a team).  I think we need to use him in the same role he had in 2006's offensive attack (all over the field - lining up as a wideout, or as FB/RB, or  sometimes as the #1 RB) with Deuce as the "featured back."   Let's just adjust so that if Deuce does not return healthy this season, we plug in Aaron Stecker or Pierre Thomas in  the "featured back" role with Reggie continuing as the "satellite" player he was in 2006.  Because of this punchless running game, we had to rely waaaay to much on Drew's arm last season, and I'm worried that it won't be able to hold up much longer with that kind of use every season. 

Fourth, did anyone besides me wish that Payton had trotted Melhaff out onto the field to try a 50-yarder instead of that pass attempt on 4th and 1 on the Arizona 33 in the first half?  It seems that another side effect of our poor run-blocking/lack of a pounding RB last year was that we could not successfully grind out a 4th and 1 by running "up the gut", and with Mare so unreliable, we were left with a very limited set of  ill-advised 4th down options, which I'd like to see changed for this year.  I'm very much in support of  going for it on 4th downs, but I really would have liked to see that kid try a long one in "real game" conditions.  We've got to see what his leg can really do!

Fifth, the defense looked better than last year, but there's still much to be improved.  With Vilma and McKenzie returning to game action soon, I think that will give us a much better picture of what to expect in the regular season.

Sixth, I totally agree with all that's been said about Tony Kornhole-eiser and the media coverage of the Saints in that game.  TK stinks on ice (on PTI and on MNF) and between Favre and the intense focus on the Cardinals sideline, the Saints were ignored (like the late great Rodney Dangerfield used to say, "I don't get no respect, I tell ya!"), as they (and other teams that are not traditional "NFL powerhouses") always have been.

Onwards, and upwards, Saints Fans.  Three more practice games until the Bucs come to town for real on September 7...