State of the Saints Address - RB's

by Saint for life on Jul 20, 2010 12:08 PM CDT

Ok folks, let's talk running backs. Unfortunately, I have a lot to say on this one and when I generally have this much to say, IT AIN'T GOOD! This may not be going where you think, because I love the Saints backfield. Reggie Bush to me is not a bust. As a great football coach once said "He is who I thought he was!!!!" Ok, so maybe Denny didn't say exactly those words and yeah he wasn't talking about Reggie, but Reggie is what I thought he would be. Reggie is a dynamic playmaker who is an incarnation of Freddie Kreuger for Defensive Coordinators. I love his speed, versatility and when he's in the open field watch out. If you watched #25 during the playoffs you saw something I hadn't seen before ---a little power and a mean side! I am admittedly and optimist, but I expect to see a #25 on the field that may make people say "Reggie were you been since USC!"

Then there is Pierre "PT Cruiser" Thomas. The most mistreated, disrepected, underappreciated player in perhaps the entire NFL. This guy plays for the NFL equivalent of table scraps and gives stuff he doesn't have on every play. He leads your team in rushing and when I was watching last year during the Buffalo game,noticed that this team seems to take their game up a notch when he's in there....NOTE TO THE FIRM OF PAYLOO & BENSON - I love you guys, but PAY THE MAN, don't you think other free agents are watching! Enough Said!

Lynell Hamilton has impressed me each time I have seen him and he appears to be the perfect compliment to PT & RB. I am pleased that the Saints decided to go with a bit bigger back than Mike Bell and I believe that Lynell is set up for success in this system.

Heath Evans isn't the most dominant blocker in the league, but he is certainly one fo the smartest FB in the game. Hands, intelligence, good character guy and decent lead blocking make Heath a great part of the team and Peyton was definetly getting used to playing with this toy before his injury last year.

As always, I now open it up for your comments and let me know what you think of what I like to call the PT Disaster.

Poll

What do think PT will do after this season?

Play free agency but give the Saints a shot.

28 votes

Give the Saints the opportunity to sign him before free agency.

34 votes

Tell the Saints to stick it, because you did me wrong.

8 votes

70 votes | Poll has closed

This FanPost was written by a reader and member of Canal Street Chronicles. It does not necessarily reflect the views of CSC and its staff or editors.

Tweet Comment 14 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

i'm really excited about the running game this season

because i think Reggie might get some more carries and mostly because Evans is healthy again. I think he was a great asset to the team. A good run blocker, an excellent receiver(for a FB), and overall smart, motor-always-going type of player. I think that PT is a decent 3rd down back. I haven’t really thought of Hamilton as a bigger back. I would like someone that’s just not going down. Sort of like a Jerome Betts type of build. 3rd and short still kind of worries me. Nice post.

Superbowl bound!!!...I know! do you?! Go Saints!!

by skinnykinney on Jul 20, 2010 4:24 PM CDT reply actions

Stu, what are your happy thoughts about our running game for 2010?

I bet you already know who will emerge in training camp as Bell’s replacement…

If we want to do something we've never done before, we've gotta do things we've never done before. -- Drew Brees

by Hans Petersen on Jul 20, 2010 6:12 PM CDT reply actions

Nah, I don’t know. Had lunch with a non-Saints fan today. He said, essentially, Reggie Bush is all right, but he’s not a starting running back in the traditional sense. And Pierre Thomas is unproven, he’s just a big risk. Look for the Saints to fail in 2010 because if you take away the running game, defenses can key in on Brees and the receivers.

I put his ass on the List.

Good times are comin',
but they sure comin' slow.

by stujo4 on Jul 20, 2010 7:01 PM CDT up reply actions

oh I forgot to put it in the sarcasm font

You’re the one who’s most worried about our running game with Bell’s absence. If you knew, you wouldn’t be so worried.

You’d LOVE to know who’s gonna get Bell’s carries – we’ll see.

And, really? A non-CSCer is on the list? Does he have any idea what he’s done?

If we want to do something we've never done before, we've gotta do things we've never done before. -- Drew Brees

by Hans Petersen on Jul 20, 2010 7:36 PM CDT up reply actions

and I forget

last year at this time…did we KNOW Bell would be a hoss for us, especially in the first part of the year?

If we want to do something we've never done before, we've gotta do things we've never done before. -- Drew Brees

by Hans Petersen on Jul 20, 2010 7:37 PM CDT up reply actions

We did not know about Bell, he was a pleasant surprise. And a surprise that he took so many carries from PT even when PT was healthy. So who gets those carries this year? PT? What has changed to indicate that?

It may very well be PT. Payton doesn’t seem too worried about it.

Good times are comin',
but they sure comin' slow.

by stujo4 on Jul 22, 2010 10:47 AM CDT up reply actions

“So who gets those carries this year? PT?”

Yes, for the most part.

You just said Bell “took carries from PT”, so now they’re going to give them back. :-)

Want to go to the Saints vs. Cowboys game? I've got an extra ticket.

by Dan Kelly on Jul 22, 2010 11:13 AM CDT up reply actions

And a surprise that he took so many carries from PT even when PT was healthy

Mike Bell had 172 carries over the entire year. 45 of those were in the first 2 games where PT didn’t play. That leaves 127 carries. He didn’t get any carries in 3 games. PT also didn’t play in the last game, where Mike Bell had 17 more carries. So, in the 10 games that both PT and Mike Bell played, Mike Bell had 120 carries, 12 per game, whereas PT had 114 carries, 11.4 carries per game. I hate to say it, but stujo is right on this one. PT, Lynell and Reggie best be able to take those 120 carries, as well as the 62 he had while PT was out. It could be a bad year for our running game

"Here's the funny thing. Last night, I couldn't sleep too well. I called my dad (Bill) at 2:15 in the morning, and told him I had a feeling I was going to hit the game-winner from 42 yards on the right hash. I think I was two yards off."- Garrett Hartley

by Alex Swift on Jul 22, 2010 12:50 PM CDT up reply actions

LOL !!!!!

Don't worry I got your back cuz...

by TAYDIGGA on Jul 20, 2010 8:43 PM CDT up reply actions

Pardon My Ignorance

But, did this Non CSC’er watch any football at all last year? Maybe he missed a couple of leaping into the endzone TD’s by this mystery back of which we no nothing. IDK man, the people you hang out with worry me sometimes.

Underestimate No One, Take Nothing For Granted

by SaintsFanInIraq on Jul 21, 2010 1:14 AM CDT up reply actions

business lunch

I couldn’t very well say “How dare you? You just lost the account. We’re going with somebody else. I don’t know who, but they WILL respect the SAINTS!! THANKS FOR LUNCH!!!” and throw down my napkin and storm out or the place. Besides, my hamburger hadn’t been served yet. (mmm, I stank like raw onion all afternoon)

I don’t even know the kid’s name. He knows not of the Accountability Index. But he will. Oh yes, he will. In due time, my pretties.

Good times are comin',
but they sure comin' slow.

by stujo4 on Jul 22, 2010 10:52 AM CDT up reply actions