We've got a lot to get to this morning so let's not waste any time. Below is the first half play by play analysis for your digestion.

I believe he dropped this one.(Getty Images)

Saints Offense First Drive

• After an average return to the 20 yard line by Skyler Green, the Saints take over. First play is from the I formation and its a play action fake. Nobody picks up the rusher from the right side at the line and Karney has too far to go to get to him in time. Drew makes a sweet sidestep to avoid getting rocked by Robert Geathers (yes, that is Jumpy Geathers nephew) then Brett Favre's it to Karney. Eight yards out of what should have been a costly sack.
  
• Brees to Colston's ridiculously long outstretched arms. First down.
• Brees has plenty o' time to hit Billy Miller over the middle. Protection is great.
• Bush tries between the tackles and it looks like he has a tiny hole to squeeze through but he gets tripped up while doing it.
• Another Brees to Colston hookup over the middle for 15 yards. He also had Deuce to check down to.
  
• Drew blows a sure touchdown to Patten when he overthrows him in the endzone. Looks like they were supposed to meet in the corner but Drew makes the bad throw.
  
• Brees and Colston connect yet again on a a quick curl but the defender is all over Marques, gets a hand on it and the ball falls out of his hands. No catch.
• On third and 10 the throw is to Colston...again. Drew threads the needle between two defenders and Colston catches then drops it after taking a shot. I believe this was the play in which Colston is injured.
  
• Saints settle for a Gramatica field goal.

Review: For the most part the offense looks sharp. This could have easily been 7 points instead of 3. Drew will certainly work out those kinks with his receivers by week one. Colston looks very uncharacteristic with two drops that are normally sure catches for him. It's going to be a long season if Colston starts imitating Devery and comes down with his very own case of the drops. Personally, I wish the Saints wouldn't put Colston in dangerous situations, like going over the middle, during meaningless pre-season games.

Saints Defense First Drive

• Evidence that this defense plans on turning things around are seen on their first play from scrimmage. Cincinnati starts on their own 31 and kicks things off with an end around to the left side as Tracy Porter breaks free of his blocker and gets a hand on the ball enough to jar it loose. The Bengals recover but its a great sign for the rookie and this unit.
• The Bengals try running up the middle but there's nothing there. Clancy and Grant on the tackle.
• After a false start penalty its third and 16. Palmer has good protection and decides to go deep. McKenzie makes a diving leap and appears to make the amazing interception but couldn't trap it as it winds up hitting the turf. It doesn't matter though because Who Dat Nation now knows that MM is here to stay and everything appears okay.
• Bengals punt away. They have no idea this will be their theme of the night.

Review: Hopefully, in the near future, we will all look back on this one drive and say, "That was the drive that turned it all around." The two positive aspects were the excellent play of rookie Tracy Porter and the healthy return of Mike McKenzie. This unit had not one but two chances to force a turnover. Thank you sir, may I have another.

His big catch.(Al Behrman, AP)

Saints Offense Second Drive

• Saints take over at their 35. Deuce tries the left side but only gains a yard.
• After Meachem is called for a false start, his number is called and Brees hits him deep on a 54 yard pass. Meachem needs to come back to the ball and makes the necessary adjustments.
  
• From the 15 yard line now and Deuce catches a screen pass for 7 yards.
• Only a yard for Deuce on the next play.
  
• On third and 1, two tight end set. They give the ball to Stecker who looks like he is shot out of a cannon, gets tripped up and tries to stumble over the goal line but he's a yard short. He does get the first down.
  
• Next play and there are three TE's out there, Campbell, Miller and Ghent. It's a play fake and a toss to the back of the endzone to an open Ghent.

Review: Saints are just making it look easy. This offense continues to be a well oiled machine. Meachem has the play of the drive with his 54 yard catch. This is a great sign that he is for real and that first pre-season game was not just random luck. Ghent probably won't even make the team so with the eventual addition of Shockey, this team should be even more potent in the red zone.

Saints Defense Second Drive

• Bengals begin at their 24 yard line and start with a run to the left side. Kendrick Clancy brings him down from behind.
• Bengals then try the middle and its, guess who, Clancy with the stop.
• Third down now and the Saints are in Nickel. Bengals have four WR's on the line. Shanle has to pick up the fourth receiver , Utecht, in the slot as Palmer makes a nice throw and finds the TE over the middle. Shanle immediately takes him down.
• First down now and its a quick swing pass in the flat. Fujita does a great job containing and the Bengals only get 3 yards.
• Clancy notches another tackle when the Bengals try to run up the middle.
• Third down and Palmer is working out of the shotgun. Saints bring the blitz, Shanle is the extra man and he shoots right through the middle of the line untouched. Carson barely gets a throw off to no one. More punting.

Review: Another pretty solid looking drive for the defense. Kendrick Clancy was all over the field on this one. He's made this team, no doubt, and he is also a huge help in stopping the run game. Some pretty good play from our linebackers as well. Fujita and Shanle both stepped it up. One of the more important things to note is who I am not talking about, and that is our secondary. Nobody getting burned or caught out of position and on the one complete pass this drive, Shanle was the man in coverage. Much of that improvement is due to good pressure by the front seven. It certainly helps the guys behind them.

Saints Offense Third Drive

• Reggie Bush returns Cincinnati's punt for 14 yards and appears to hurt himself on the play.
• From their 23 yard line on first down and Patten catches a seven yard pass on a crossing route.
• Reggie heads to the left side, cuts it back up the middle and finds only two yards.
  
• Stecker gets the call for the dirty work on 3rd and 1 and gains five as he shoots up the middle with lightning quick speed again.
• Deuce tries the middle on first down and only gets 2 yards.
• After Brees and Miller can't connect on a ball thrown slightly behind Miller, Brees tries the left side and finds Henderson for 11 yards and the first down. It would be Henderson's only catch. End of the first quarter.
• More of Deuce up the middle for only 2 yards. Stecker follows that with only a yard.
• The play stalls after a short pass to Patten fails to get the first down.

Review: This was where the offense started to look poor. Deuce, Reggie and Stecker both had little to work with as the O-line just can't seem to open up holes for them like other teams do. If this continues, it may not matter who the running back is as victory will have to come through the air. I hope Drew's arm can handle it one more year. Right now, Stecker is the most impressive back on the field and he looks so darn quick.

Saints Defense Third Drive

• Bengals start from their own 14 yard line. Palmer throws a quick swing pass to Antonio Chatman on the left side. Shanle isn't quick enough to contain him but Porter makes a nice tackle by releasing from his blocker and wrapping up Chatman's legs. 9 yards.
  
• Pretty much the same play as last only it's to Utecht and to the right side. Pretty much the same result too, as Shanle isn't fast enough to get to him (even farther this time) and McKenzie must leave his man to make the tackle. 11 yards.
  
•  Now it's a blitz from the Saints and Kaesviharn runs into the backfield untouched on the left side. Palmer tried to escape but KK catches him from behind. Sack.
• Palmer dumps it over the middle to Chris Perry for 6 yards.
• 3rd and 10 for the Bengals and the Saints bring more pressure. Vilma, the late man, breaks through the line and is right in Palmer's face as he barely gets the pass off. Perry is the intended receiver but Roman Harper, with great coverage, is all over. Guess who has to punt.

Review: Some good and some bad on this drive. Once again, the dink and dunk short stuff hurt us in the beginning and their fast receivers were able to take advantage of our not so fast linebackers. Those are the plays that are gaining significant yardage and doing the most damage. Hopefully, opposing coaches do not read this blog. I think it is safe to assume they don't. The defense picks it up however with some good pressure and the Bengals are stalled yet again. This defense is looking fairly impressive.

Saints Offense Fourth Drive

• Saints take over from their 30. A defensive holding call later and they start from their 36.
• It's a nice 38 yard pass to a wide open, sure handed Devery Henderson but Jammal Brown is called for holding and it's like the catch never happened.
• Saints try and start one more time on 1st and 20. Stecker takes the hand off and tries the right side. Still nothing for him to run through. In fairness, the Bengals linebackers did a great job reading the play and zeroing in. Keith Rivers looked very nice on this play taking down Stecker.
  
• Brees gets the pass off just in time as the pressure was on and he gets taken down. It's a great throw down the right sideline for Lance Moore. Moore is blanketed but still manages to make the grab. Love this guy. Credit is due both to Lance and Drew.
  
• Drew tries the right side again, this time to David Patten. More pressure as Drew has to hurry and Rivers nearly sacks him. Patten is well covered and the pass is not great.
• Only one yard gained by Stecker on a screen pass to the right side.
• Saints can't convert on third down as Brees tries for a well covered Billy Miller. It was Johnson, a linebacker, on Miller so the matchup was in the Saints favor but Miller can't come back to the ball in time. Saints punt.

Review: Another stalled drive for the Saints high powered offense. The Bengals stepped up their defensive play on this series and looked pretty good applying pressure. Saints fans got a good look at Keith Rivers who could have very well been the Saints first round draft pick this year and he looks pretty darn good.

Saints Defense Fourth Drive

• Bengals from their 12 yards line. Chris Perry has nowhere to go up the middle as Clancy makes yet another big stop for the run defense.
• Next it's Palmer trying the right sideline Holt but McKenzie is right there in great coverage and times his hit perfectly. Holt can't bring it in.
• Third down now and the line applies some good pressure as Palmer dumps it off over the middle to Perry in wide open space in the flat. Fortunately, Shanle does a great job closing in and the play only goes for 5 yards on what could have been much more. Punt.

Review:  Three and out. Can't beat that. Clancy looked good. McKenzie looked good. Shanle looked good. Period. Still really worried about the short yardage passing over the top and the YAC, but if our linebackers can close in like Shanle did, then we should be okay.

Saints Offense Fifth Drive

• Saints have it at their 40 and start off with a Brees pass to Lance Moore down the left sideline for 35 yards. Moore has to stretch and reach to make the grab. I honestly think Henderson doesn't make that catch. The announcer again agrees with me by saying, "He just catches everything it seems thrown his way."
  
• Deuce tries the right side but only gains one yard. No holes.
• Brees tries Patten but there is a communication error as Patten turns inside and Brees throws outside. The ball is almost intercepted.
• Third down now and Brees looks for Henderson right on the goal line. You know what happens. Granted the Bengals had some pretty good coverage, but when he has the ball in his arms and against his chest, he should come down with them.
• Payton decides to go for it on fourth down needing nine yards. Much like the very first play of the game from scrimmage, Drew shows some great footwork and eludes a untouched blitzer, making him miss, as he shovels it off to Moore for a yard. While it wasn't the needed nine yards, Brees' athleticism stopped it from becoming -9 yards.

Review: This is the third drive in a row that the Saints offense has not looked up to snuff. The running game is still non-existent, Henderson is doing his usual ball dropping and I don't know what was going on with Brees and Patten but they just couldn't seem to get on the same page. The only consistent person on these last couple of drives has been Lance Moore.

Saints Defense Fifth Drive

• Great pressure from the line on the Bengals first play from the 23 yard line as Antwan Lake gets himself a sack for -8 yards.
• More good pressure as Shanle comes in off the left side and almost reaches Palmer in time. Instead he gets the short dump pass off to Utecht as Vilma and Porter, who are right there, look very weak in tackling and can't grab him. The play goes for 10 yards.
• It's 3rd and 8 (it's always 3rd and 8!!!) and Chatman runs an out right on the right sideline. This is the same play we saw the Texans carve Jason David up with last week. This time it's Randall Gay doing a poor job in coverage and the Bengals gain 19 yards for the first down. Ugh! These are the most frustrating.
• Perry tries the middle and is met by a flying Roman Harper in the hole. Nice hit.
  
• Palmer tries deep down the field as Shanle, again, runs into the backfield untouched and almost gets to him. Porter is on the coverage, and unbelievably, draws the offensive pass interference call. Nice coverage.
  
• 2nd and 17 now and Palmer throws it underneath on another dump off to Chris Perry that gains eight yards.
• Palmer throws over the middle for Jerome Simpson but Aaron Glenn is right there for the immediate tackle and only 6 yards. Bengals...punt.

Review: Shanle looks hungry in this game. Twice this drive he was in the backfield quickly, forcing the quick pass and nearly coming away with sacks. Aaron Glenn also looked reliable again. I do hate to see those 3rd and longs get converted, especially when it's our secondary to blame, but they were very few and far between in this half so it's fair to say there is definite improvement. More short underneath passes that turn into significant yardage. Not the best series for the defense but they again manage to force the punt.

Stecker deserves more touches. (Getty Images)

Saints Offense Sixth Drive

• Saints are deep in their own zone on their eleven yard line. Brees' night is over as Brunell comes in with under two minutes remaining in the half. His first play he takes a sack for -6.
• Stecker runs twice in a row, both for 7 yards. Three and out.

Review: Well this drive wasn't great at all. Stecker, however, looks so darn good. Again, he is so quick and his feet are always churning. It does look like he has some larger holes to run through than Deuce and Reggie before him, but not by much. Stecker's talent and hard running style are probably equally the reason he is breaking off bigger chunks of yardage.

Saints Defense Sixth Drive

• Not much time left in the half as the Bengals take over from their 36 yard line. The first play is a short pass underneath to Utecht. Vilma is there but Utecht makes a quick cut inside to get past him. Vilma slaps his hands in frustration.
• After a spike by Palmer to stop the clock, the Saints bring the pressure on 2nd and 10. Kaesviharn, again untouched, shoots into the backfield from the right side. It is McCray coming in later who puts the finishing shot on Palmer. This was the hit that caused the infamous bloody nose.
  
• False start on the Bengals.
• On third down, Perry gets eight yards on the right side. Not enough for the first as the Saints call timeout and the Bengals are forced to punt one final time this half. The crowd boos as the Bengals walk off the field.

Review: If you have a tight end playing against the Saints this season in fantasy football, make sure he starts. Tight ends have looked pretty good against our defense these last two games. On the positive side, I don't know whether the Saints defensive players just played harder or Gibbs decided to get a little more exotic with the blitzing schemes, but the pressure tonight was vastly improved and it was from all angles.

That does it for the first half. All in all, as stated earlier, I think we have to be happy with this performance. There were some bad plays on both sides of the ball, but that is to be expected every single game. The larger picture is what's important and on Saturday night, the larger picture was a much improved defense. There was a little bending but absolutely no breaking.

Let's hear what you guys think!

“I thought we played much better defensively,” Saints coach Sean Payton said. “We were better on third down, we defended the run well even in our seven-man fronts, coverages were tight and we hurried the quarterback.”

“So that was the big difference from last week, I thought we played with some energy and enthusiasm,” he said. “You could see it on the sideline.”

“I thought we got sloppy at times in the red zone. I was disappointed we didn’t score more because we had a lot of opportunities inside the 30,” said Payton. “We had penalties, a fumble. Those things, we have to clean up. But it was certainly a better performance for us coming off last week’s game.”

- Sean Payton, The Advocate

“We needed a little redemption because we wanted to get not only physically ready, but get in the right mind-set for the regular season,” said Kaesviharn. “It’s important to build on everything, and I think we did that tonight.”

- Kevin Kaesviharn, The Advocate

“Tonight, it was about us executing and showing people how good we can be,” middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma said. “We felt like we did some good things last week that were kind of overlooked. People are going to say things, so it’s about us showing it.”

- Jonathan Vilma, The Advocate

“I felt like we moved the ball very well today, but we left some opportunities out there for sure — especially in the second quarter,” Brees said. “And that’s frustrating.”

- Drew Brees, The Advocate

"I think it was a big boost for us today," said safety Kevin Kaesviharn, who had 1¤1/2 sacks against his former team on two blitzes. "We had a bad taste in our mouth after last week. We felt we were a better team than what we showed. And we knew going into this game that we had to step up our game, especially being that this is usually the time (the starters are) going to play the most before you get into the regular season."

"It always feels good to play well against a team you used to play for," said Kaesviharn, who signed with the Saints before the 2007 season. "But like I was saying, it was more important for the team to go into this game and come away with a lot more confidence mentally, and we were able to do that."

-Kevin Kaesviharn, Times-Pic

"Honestly, I think having confidence coming off the preseason is important," Saints Coach Sean Payton said. "And I think certainly (defensive coordinator Gary Gibbs) and the defensive staff and the players felt like this was an opportunity where we were going to get more snaps for a longer period of time. And the situations, fortunately, we got them into some third-and-longs.

"So I'd say the one thing you saw tonight is we were ahead .¤.¤. defensively. We had them in third-and-11, third-and-9. It's easier to dial up your defense."

-Sean Payton, Times-Pic

"When you've got guys outside like Will (Smith) and Bobby McCray pushing the quarterback up in the pocket, that's going to help us in the middle," Grant said. "That's going to be a dominant package. A lot of people are going to feel that. You can't block all of those guys."

-Charles Grant, Times-Pic

'It is important to get ready for the regular season and get the confidence going," said Kaesviharn. "We were flying around out there and swarming guys and making plays. It was fun to see. The things that we worked on and the coaches were on us all week to improve is the result we came up with tonight. It's encouraging."

-Kevin Kaesviharn, New Orleans Saints official website

"I'll tell you what makes me angry: Seeing my quarterback get off the ground," left tackle Levi Jones said. "It infuriates me, especially seeing blood on his face."

- Levi Jones, Cincinnati Bengals, International Herald Tribune

"That's the thing that's hurting me right now, to see Carson getting hit," guard Bobbie Williams said. "It hurts me deeply."

-Bobbie Williams, Cincinnati Bengals, International Herald Tribune

"This was the (type of) game we kind of looked at as a unit," McKenzie said. "We wanted to have a good showing defensively. They obviously didn't have their top guns."

-Mike McKenzie, International Herald Tribune

"He had a good pregame, but I wanted to err on the side of caution," coach Sean Payton said. "I'm excited about where he's at right now, but I held him back. We didn't want to go through the scenario of him having a setback."

-Sean Payton, on Jeremy Shockey, International Herald Tribune

If the third exhibition game is supposed to be a dress rehearsal for the real games, then the New Orleans Saints undressed the scrappy local 11. It was thorough.

-Paul Daugherty, sportswriter, Cincinnati Enquirer

"There's going to be (heck) to pay for a lot of people,"

-Levi Jones, Columbus Dispatch

The Cincinnati Bengals made history Saturday night, Aug. 23.

Not good, memorable history.

Bad, forgettable and regrettable history.

For the first time in the franchise's 41 years, the Bengals were shutout at home in a preseason game.

- Chick Ludwig, sportswriter, Dayton Daily News

Punt, Punt, Punt, Punt , Punt, Punt, Punt, Punt, Punt, Punt, Interception.

That's exactly how the Cincinnati Bengals drive chart read last night. Just wanted to lay it out like that because it looks so pretty that way. I don't know what the heck Payton said to these guys this last week or what he did to motivate them, but it worked. With all eyes on them, the Saints defensive showing was a huge improvement over last weeks. The return of McKenzie, better pressure from the line, a more cohesive linebacking corp, and better play from the safeties all contributed to a defense that actually looked like they knew what they were supposed to be doing out there. I understand there are always going to be those people who say that it's just pre-season and that many Bengal's starters were not active, and they are right. But for this teams defense, one that is oft criticized and rife with deficiencies, to hold any team at any time to no points, not even a field goal, is an incredibly noteworthy feat. Yesterday's battle against the Bengals should be considered a very important victory in the long war that is this season.

On a less positive note, the offense didn't look as smooth and efficient as we all know it can be. The Bengals are not a very good team defensively. This Saints team cannot expect its defense to come up big like this every week and 17 points of offense just won't cut it against stronger teams. One thing that will be ever important this season, and something that I feel plagued us last season, will be for both offense and defense to play well together. I already know that in next week's game against the Dolphins, the most important thing that I will be watching for will be consistent play from all and the ability of both offensive and defensive units to get on the same page and turn in equally impressive performances. It's a must. Otherwise, all of  our hope and expectations for this season will flutter up and down in rhythm with this teams inevitable performance as we will all ride along on the roller coaster ride that is a typical New Orleans Saints season.

In the meantime, hope has been restored in Who Dat Nation and all is peaceful. At least for now.

Here are my immediate observations from the game. They may not be completely accurate because they were made on the fly. More in depth analysis will take place this week.

The Secondary

• When it comes to the Saints secondary, there's Mike McKenzie and there's everyone else. Is this guy recovering from a torn ACL? Sure didn't look like it. MM looked solid out there, almost picking off a pass. We can all breathe a sigh of relief now knowing that with MM back, our secondary should never look as awful as it did last week against Houston.
• I don't think Tracy Porter is necessarily ready to start but it is awesome to see some improvement after last week. He made that great play in the first series knocking the ball loose after getting away from his blocker. He also drew an offensive pass interference call by getting great positioning on his wide receiver. However, he failed to do anything in the return game.
  
• Randall Gay looked just okay.  He was caught out of position at least once last night. Sad to say but I don't think he has totally locked up that second starting spot.
  
• Aaron Glenn is starting to look good. Decent anyway. Dare I say that he gives this unit a little depth? Can I use that word when I am talking about the cornerbacks? I think I just did. He seems pretty solid and consistent. A good "break glass in case of emergency" kinda guy.
  
• Great play from our starting safeties last night. Maybe it's because he was playing his old team but KK looked solid with 1.5 sacks. Roman Harper also looked sharp making some nice hits, including that hard one against the run when he flew in to fill the gap. Lance Schulters also got into the mix by nabbing an interception.

The Rest of the Defense

• The line as a whole looked much better than last week. To be fair, I don't think the Bengals offensive line was doing such a great job and didn't seem to pick up a couple of blitzes but definitely a noticeable improvement in the application of pressure. Still nothing from the most expensive bookends I have ever seen but Bobby McCray looked awesome! 93 Octane had 1.5 sacks on the night and decided to leave his mark in this game; all over Carson Palmer's face. For a big guy, he sure is fast. I don't mean to rip off McDonald's but, "I'm lovin' it."
• Good news on the defensive tackle front. Even though Hollis Thomas is out for a good while and Young will probably have an injury plagued year, Kendrick Clancy is really stepping it up, as well as Antwan Lake. Clancy came on strong right out of the box and led the team with 3 tackles and 2 assists. Lake added a sack. While Thomas and Young are out, I think Ellis and Clancy are your starters.
• I was very happy to see the linebacking play looking much better. I think this may actually have been a position group whose performance was underrated last night. Those short dump off passes in the flat by our opponents were killing us in the last two games and I am glad to see that get significantly reduced. These guys were covering a lot of ground, doing a great job of containing and on top of their receivers quickly.
  

The Running Game

• All I asked for was just to see continued improvement out of D Mac and I think it's fair to say we saw that. Of course he's not out there moving piles the way we know he can but give it time. For a second knee injury, he's looking pretty good and he's coming along nicely. Patient with this one you must be.
• Nothing unusual from Pierre Thomas. He only ran five times for 46 yards (by the way, thats a 9.2 average) and caught four passes for 35 more yards. The announcers even complimented him on this blocking. Okay, okay he had a fumble deep in the red zone when he was practically down. It doesn't matter though, don't worry about it. He will stay buried on the depth chart. If I write any more I will get angry and break my keyboard.
• It's unfortunate for Lynell Hamilton that we already have four other pretty talent backs ahead of him because he looked pretty impressive last night. The reality is, at this point, he's probably trying out for another team with these performances in the pre-season for the Saints. Maybe we could package him together with Devery in some sort of trade?
• Reggie was pretty much non-factor last night. Hopefully his injury is not too serious.

Receivers

• Both Lance Moore and Robert Meachem  are starting to prove themselves to be consistent. You can add both of their names to the list of Saints who are playing well but not seeming to get the respect they deserve. Honestly, at this point, they may both be ahead of Devery on the depth chart. 
• Oh, Devery. What to do with you...what to do? Technically on the stat sheet he only caught 50% of his passes tonight, but we will give him credit for the nice catch he had for about 20 yards that was inevitably called back, raising his percentage to a whopping 66%. Either way, he continues to be inconsistent leaving me to wonder why Payton continues to think so highly of him.
  
• Colston looked good in the one series he took part in. He and Drew are on autopilot. We did see a rare drop on the goal line from Colston while taking a tough hit.

Quarterback 

• If I'm being honest here, Drew looked just a little off. Just a tiny bit. He threw one a little behind Billy Miller but he was really off with receiver David Patten, overthrowing him and seeming to mix up routes. Minor, I know, but just thought I would mention it.
  
• Brunell was fine. Ol' reliable he is.
  
• Palko looked much better last night as well. No bobbled snaps. Had a nifty little run. My question is: How long is this Payton project going to continue?

Special Teams

• Mehlhaff finally kicked one in the endzone but then followed it up with a not so great kick. He did nail his 45 yard field goal however.
  
• Gramatica was also reliable as usual hitting his field goal attempt. I really have no idea what is going to happen with this position battle. It might come down to a coin flip.
  
• I think Skyler Green's career with the Saints may be coming to an end very soon. Punt returning is really the only way he is going to make this team and he didn't look impressive at all last night. Unfortunately, he hasn't gotten too many chances and because of that, he is forcing those chances which is only exacerbating the situation.
  

Of course, I will get into more detail about everything in the upcoming days. As always, the floor is open for your thoughts and opinions.

Here is the final roll call for both open threads combined. Props go to Steve the fan who proves he is worthy of the name he has given himself. Again, I am so happy to see such a good turnout for the open threads. I always enjoy them.

The team has off today as they make their way back to Metry. Having gotten a clearer picture of just what this team looks like, I thought what better time to throw out another attempt at predicting just who will make this team of 53 and who wont. This, of course, is meant to spark conversation and your input is welcomed and awaited. Where did I go wrong and where did I go oh...so...right? Let us all know what you think about who makes what will inevitably be the greatest Saints team of all-time.

Offense

Defense

Special Teams

Here is my thinking on some of this:

• Brian Young's health concerns me. If it continues to be spotty, the staff may say to hell with it and go with one of the other talented options in Antwan Lake and Orien Harris.
• I went with Reis over Roach at safety.
• Yeah, I went with six receivers. Copper and Moore both contribute on special teams. Skyler Green was so close I practically flipped a coin for this one.
• I only went with one fullback. We should expect better blocking from our tight ends. Maybe keep another fullback on the practice squad in case Karney is injured.
• Jason David is still around. I just don't think the coaches are going to give up on him. I don't really feel we have seen enough from Tracy Porter, but I gave him a shot anyway.

For a good laugh, compare it to my roster prediction back in May. Also check out  how much nicer looking my tables have become. We've come so far.

The floor is now open. Take it away.

Only one practice today for the Black and Gold before preparations begin for the first preseason game of the year against Arizona. Here is all you need to know from the practice session and other Saints happenings from the day. I will update as more info is released.

Must Reads

Fox 40's offensive practice notes.

Fox 40's defensive practice notes.

The Times-Pic's notes from practice.

Notes from today's practice from the New Orleans Saints official website.

Trancsript of Q & A with Antwan Lake

Trancsript of Q & A with Kevin Kaesviharn

More roster moves today from the Saints. They have signed defensive end Jeremy Geathers and waived defensive tackle Tim McGill. Man, that was quick! McGill got two practices to prove himself. Life in the NFL is not as easy and glamorous as many people think.

Check out Scott Cody from WWL talk about Meachem's rough day today in this video.

More audio clips for you guys from WWL. The first is with Mitch Light from Atlhon Sports. The second is Doug Moreau, LSU football color analyst. Pierre Thomas brings up the rear.

 SportsTalk - MITCH LIGHT
 SportsTalk - Doug Moreau
 SportsTalk - Pierre Thomas

And as if that wasn't enough coverage for you from WWL, check out this article about the teams 2008 expectations.

The NFL released its fan code of conduct for all stadiums for all 32 teams today. You can find the press release at the New Orleans Saints official website. Here is what the policy states.

FAN CODE OF CONDUCT

“The National Football League and its teams are committed to creating a safe, comfortable, and enjoyable experience for all fans, both in the stadium and in the parking lot. We want all fans attending our games to enjoy the experience in a responsible fashion. When attending a game, you are required to refrain from the following behaviors:

· Behavior that is unruly, disruptive, or illegal in nature

· Intoxication or other signs of alcohol impairment that results in irresponsible behavior

· Foul or abusive language or obscene gestures

· Interference with the progress of the game (including throwing objects onto the field)

· Failing to follow instructions of stadium personnel

· Verbal or physical harassment of opposing team fans

“Event patrons are responsible for their conduct as well as the conduct of their guests and/or persons occupying their seats. Stadium staff will promptly intervene to support an environment where event patrons, their guests, and other fans can enjoy the event free from the above behavior. Event patrons and guests who violate these provisions will be subject to ejection without refund and loss of ticket privileges for future games.”

Awww, they are taking all the fun out of it!

ESPN is taking on vote on the greatest Saints player of all-time. Cast your vote now!

The Sporting News has random notes from each of the 32 teams training camp. Here is what they had on the Saints.

Carl Nicks is lining up at both left guard and left tackle but has stood out at tackle. He has held his own against pass rushers Bobby McCray and Will Smith. Nicks could challenge Jamar Nesbit for the starting left guard job, but chances are he'll enter this season as a backup.

I am still laughing my butt off from asaint's story about his Cox Cable experience in Stujo4's FanPost. Genius...pure genius.

Notes from Day 11:

• Gasp! Drew threw a couple of interceptions this morning. Randall "Blue" Gay and Scott Fujita were the culprits.
• The defense out performed the offense for most of the day, particularly the front seven in the morning
• Meachem and Arrington attempted returning kicks. It wasn't too pretty.
• Billy Miller looked pretty good this morning.
• Sedrick Ellis finally got some reps with the first team.
• Colston was limping today and his knee was wrapped. I am still worried about this one and I doubt Colston will play on Thursday, though Payton says if it was a real game he could go.
  
• Meachem made an awesome one handed catch.
• Marvin Mitchell deflected a Brees pass.
• Deuce participated in both sessions yesterday!
• Will Smith looked good and had what would have been two sacks.
• McKenzie also looked solid, knocking two passes away.
• Arrington made a nice, outstretched catch over Jason David. Ugh.
• Drew usually picks the movies for the teams charter flights. He loves "Caddyshack" while Payton likes "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest."
• The interception by "Blue" was the play of the day. Credit also goes to McCray who was applying pressure.
  

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Season Tickets I received my season tickets in the mail yesterday! I can't tell you how exciting a moment this is every year. Reality sets in that this is actually going to happen and that everything we have been talking, analyzing and harping over for months will actually materialize in front of my eyes and either seriously disappoint or incredibly delight me. Certainly nothing in between. The tickets are a symbol of a new beginning and a fresh start. Last year is officially over, this year is finally upon us and these beautiful pieces of paper represent a chance to be a part of Saints history. At the very least, they will provide me with lasting memories and the fix I need to slake my severe thirst for Saints football. Who knows, maybe this could be the year. I look forward to going through the season with all of you guys and I hope you get even a fraction of the same joy. Who Dat!?

Random camp notes:

• The afternoon was the most physical practice so far.
• Deuce had two very promising carries making some nice cuts.
  
• Carl Nicks is still looking impressive.
• Arrington is human and dropped a few. Camp may be wearing him down.
• Shockey did not participate again today. Cause for concern?
• Jon Stinchcomb is fine.
• There were NFL officials participating in the practices today.
• Robert Meachem had the play of the day with a 50-yard run after the catch.

Here are three hours of audio from WWL's Sports Talk with Bobby Hebert. That ought to keep you from not working for quite a while.

 SportsTalk - Live from Saints Training Camp
 SportsTalk - Hour 2 LIVE from Training Camp
 SportsTalk - Hour 3 LIVE from Training Camp

The millionth one of those articles meant for us, the reader, to get to know the featured player. The Advocate has this one and its about Kevin Kaesviharn.

“A lot of people are making it out to be me against Josh, but it’s not about that,” said Kaesviharn, who played in the Arena League and briefly in the XFL before landing a job with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2001. “It’s about who’s going to give our team the best chance to win on Sunday. He and I both understand that.

“We’re competing and that helps us both get better, personally, as players. But we’re both going to do what’s best for the team. We can only do what we can do and we’ll let the coaches make the decision from there.”

“I felt I did enough there to earn that right (to start),” Kaesviharn said, “but for some reason, they were always looking for the next guy. But that’s how it is for every position.

“Sometimes, you have to look at what you do already have here and remember that, ‘Hey, maybe we don’t need to go keep looking for the future. We’ve got what we need right here in front of us.’ ”

“Any time you come to a new team, there’s going to be a learning curve, but I feel much more comfortable this year because I’ve got a year under my belt,”

“I can play either (free or strong), so that’s one of my values to the team,” he said. “I can be more than just one thing. Knowing both gives me a better knowledge base and understanding of the defensive scheme.”

Times-Pic. Getting to know you article. Pierre Thomas.

"No, not at all -- I don't feel secure at all," said Thomas, smiling, his baby face still looking as if it never has been touched by a razor. "I feel the same way I did last year, where I've still got to prove myself.

"This year, I feel a little bit better because I understand the offense and I understand what it takes, and I've just got to keep pushing myself to be better than that. I still have a lot to learn from this game, and I'm still learning from these guys. I still have a whole lot to learn."

"I look at it like I did last year -- whatever it takes to get on this team," Thomas said. "Offense, special teams, whatever it takes, I'm going to be on this team. That's my whole attitude coming in, just like last year.

"I'm going to be on this team, and I'm going to make it, so I'm going to keep that same attitude, and wherever they want me at, that's what I'm going to do."

"That's what I wanted to prove to everybody, that I can play with these guys and I can play at this level, and just leave it in their hands," he said. "Because I'm going to go out there and keep doing my job, keep doing what I have to do to help this team out, to help us get a victory and get to the Promised Land where we want to be."

"It's very special, because you showed something," he said. "You showed a lot of people something. I accomplished a big goal.

"Nobody has done that in Saints history -- I couldn't believe that. It feels good to have that sit in my name. It's an honor to have it, but I'm not really satisfied with that. It's just one time. Hopefully, I can get more shots at that. That's my goal, just to get more, more and more."

This is actually a very interesting one from Gambit Weekly. It has a few random facts about Jonathan Vilma, including the fact that he can speak German, French and Creole...sort of.

“I’ve gotten real rusty with those,” he said. “I have an aunt and uncle that live in Germany. I speak German when I speak with them, but I’m all rusty right now.”

The article also tells us he hasn't had a soft drink since high school and that he wears #51 because there are too many famous linebackers who wear #52.

Question of the Day: Who should be the main punt returner this season?

Sedrick Ellis

Obviously we should expect that today will be all about him and how he looks out there. For his sake, he better look pretty sharp out there. Ed Orgeron's reputation is also slightly on the line. He has been vouching for this kid since day one. The five-year deal is reportedly worth $19.5 million guaranteed.

Jeremy Shockey

Do we have a possible problem on our hands? He spent most of yesterday evenings practice on the sideline after injuring himself on a passing play.

Shockey dropped a pass and said to a Saints official on the sideline immediately that "that might be it," talking about it being the end of the evening for him. He said it was a groin pull, and a trainer soon came over. - Times-Pic

Not sure what his status is at this point, but this wouldn't surprise me at all. You could add him to the ever growing list of injured players. One of the downsides of having the powerhouse that is Shockey is that he is very injury prone. This one really doesn't seem too serious. I would think the media would be making a much bigger deal if it was.

Bob Stoops

A few people, including the reporter doing the live blogging for Fox 40, was quite confused and a little upset about the Oklahoma coach's presence at training camp this morning. What the heck was he doing here?

"Our policy always to college coaches is that our camps have always been open, and we encourage it, " Payton said. "Well, if college coaches aren't coming, that means they're not really interested in studying what you're doing, so that's not a good thing." - Times-Pic

Punting Battle

This is a position battle I didn't think  would even need to be discusses. Steve Weatherford is pretty solid and he was pretty much the Saints MVP of the first half of last season, being the only consistent talent on the team. Waylon Prather has been creating a bit of a buzz with his funky, weird kick that he does by kicking the nose of the ball giving it backspin like a kickoff. Weatherford has been respectable in his own right.

Kicking Battle

Gramatica was reported to be the winner of the day as far as the kicking battle is concerned. He nailed all of his kicks out of the end zone on the kickoff drill, knocking  them further than Mehlhaff, who is known for his distance. I still think Mehlhaff will win this one, though today makes me a little uncertain. With some fans already upset about wasting a draft pick on a kicker, Payton will lose even more favor if the pick gets cut and winds up being a waste.

More random notes from camp:

• The morning was very uneventful. Boring walk through's and special teams work.
  
• Todd Blythe returned to practice this morning.
  
• Aaron Stecker looked good in special teams drills. No surprise there.
  
• Reggie Bush continues to show commitment. He stayed a few minutes after practice for more work.
• Devery Henderson and Tracy Porter are expected to miss a week of practice. At least.
• Lance Moore, surprisingly, had a few drops in the evening and didn't look so great.
• Jason Craft and Chris Reis knocked the crap out of Lance Moore simultaneously high and low for the biggest hit of training camp so far.
• Arrington isn't showing signs of slowing down.
• Chris Barclay needed to be carted off the field last night. No word on the seriousness of the injury.
  
• Usama Young has continued to step it up and looks great. The secondary on a whole seems improved.
  
• Tyler Palko threw back to back bombs to Skyler Green and Todd Blythe for  the plays of the day.

Just your luck. It's more of me! This time talking with the guys at Pigskin Podcast. I come in toward the middle. Joel and Brian were awesome and I had a lot of fun doing this. For general football info, you should definitely check out their site. Thanks to those guys for having me. Disclaimer: Man, I can freakin' ramble on!

More pictures of yesterday from the Clarion Ledger.

Here's an audio clip of the guys from Sports Talk speaking with the big man himself, Sean Payton.

 SportsTalk - Sean Payton

More video's for you guys. Again, they are from Cox Sports TV.

Here's more on the Sedrick Ellis signing from WWLTV.com.

"It’s about time," Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said. "It took a little longer than it should have. It is what is it is. We’re glad he got it done and glad he’s in the fold.

"We’ll see what kind of shape he’s in tomorrow afternoon."

"These are complicated contracts," Loomis said. "It’s not like the old days when it was like, ‘Hey, here’s the signing bonus check and here’s what you’re making.’ There’s a lot of things the rules create and the magnitude these contracts makes."

More quotes from Mickey Loomis on the Sedrick Ellis contract from The Advocate.

“There were some structural issues and some difference in opinion as to the structure of the deal. It probably shouldn’t have taken this long and I’m disappointed in that. But I’m excited that is done and agreed to.”

“It (the holdout) is going to set him back, he’s got some catching up to do,” Loomis said. “He’s missed 12 practices, so that’s a lot of catching up to do.”

The Times-Pic must have read what I said about Bobby McCray yesterday, because they now have their own article about the new guy.

"I knew they had an All-Pro end (Will Smith) and one who had just gotten a big contract (Charles Grant). I knew they didn't give all that money to them and then not use them. But I came here to make plays, nothing else. If I make plays, everything else will take care of itself."

"They told me that I wouldn't have to worry about covering the running back or dropping into pass coverage. I liked that, " McCray said. "We have a lot of keys to this defense, with the new guys coming in and the ones we have."

"I've done it before, " McCray said. "I started my first four years in Jacksonville. I can play on those downs, too."

"I'm going to go out every day to make plays, " he said. "Sure, everyone saw what the Giants did. That's the reason I'm here. I have play-making ability."

Here is what linemate Will Smith said.

"Bobby gives Charles and me a chance to come out, and we couldn't do that, " Smith said. "He can really rush the passer, and he gives us a chance in a nickel situation to come in with Charles and me and Sedrick Ellis, when he gets in here, to really get after the quarterback.

"The coaches told me we were going to do something with our depth on the defensive line. That's kind of broad. It could have meant defensive tackle or defensive end.

"With Bobby, we've added to our depth. We haven't had (first-round draft pick defensive tackle) Sedrick (Ellis) in, but we saw what he could do in the OTAs. We know what (tackles) Hollis Thomas and Brian Young can do. We have plenty of depth so that we can keep after the quarterback."

Speaking of Bobby McCray, here is a video from Mike Nabors and Cox Sports TV with an interview with the man himself. I swear, I talk about someone and then everyone else starts talking about him. I am so cool.

Haven't  heard about this guy much so far. The Sun Herald had a piece about safety Kevin Kaesviharn.

"I try not to get in that mix," Kaesviharn said. "That's for the coaches to decide. Obviously I have a role that I'm playing out there and the better I do, the more confidence they'll have putting me out there. I plan and prepare to start and that's all I can do. I let them do the rest."

"Obviously I feel very capable that I can play and you've got to feel that way," Kaesviharn said. "But like I said, it's their decision to make and I'm going to continue to go out there and play hard every day and get better and just see what happens."

Yet another "getting to know you" type article from the Times-Pic. This time around, its about Skyler Green.

"I've just been working hard at it, and hopefully that opportunity comes, " said the receiver/return specialist, who was drafted in the fourth round by the Dallas Cowboys in 2006 and has since joined the Cincinnati Bengals and now the Saints. "And when it comes, I won't let it get away from me."

"The numbers are a little bit better on special teams, " said Green, who is lower on the receiver depth chart. "But I think I've just got to keep doing what I'm doing and worry about Skyler and let things fall into place.

"I think I still have a little bit in the tank. But I'm definitely going to lay it on the line and show the coaches that I still have it."

Our defensive line is going to be sick! That's all I'm going to say. The Advocate has an article about our d-line including some quotes from the members of said d-line.

Hollis Thomas

“We’re leaner, but it’s not like we’re not meaner,” said Thomas, who reported to camp weighing substantially less, according to him, than last season. “We’re just trying to become a unit that’s a force to be reckoned with.

“We did some good things last year, but obviously, it wasn’t enough to get us where we need to be,” he said. “We need to be the catalyst in this game of football and for the Saints to try and get where we want to go.”

“I feel a significant amount of difference in my endurance and my ability to be out there more and run a little bit faster,” said Thomas. “Obviously, without the weight, comes quickness.”

Charles Grant

“The pressure and sacks are going to come,” Grant said. “One of the problems last year was we started 0-4. Nobody comes back from that. If you start 0-4, you’re playing catch-up all year.

“So the key is to start fast. If we do, we’ll get a lot of sacks because we’ve got the guys to get it done.”

Will Smith

“I think we can be good. Our opportunities are unlimited,” said Smith, a Pro Bowl pick in 2006. “They know what me and Charles can do, and we know what Bobby can do. Hollis and B.Y. (Young), we know they can make plays. So, we think our success can be unlimited.”

Bobby McCray

“It’s a great thing to have all four of us out there,” McCray said. “You never know who’s going to be in there. We have a lot of guys we can mix into the rotation.

“That will be good to keep the guys fresh because we’re going to try and dominate offensive lines,” he said. “We’ll keep rotating players in and pound them and pound them.”

Three reasons we will be much better on the line:

1. Coach O
2. Much more depth and talent added
   
3. Players are in shape, came in under weight and are significantly more serious

Here is another one for the gamblers out there. Its from Sports Memo. If you like getting your sports info from Vegas bookies, check it out.

On paper, at least, this team probably deserves the respect they’ve been getting both in the national media and the betting markets.

New Saints coach Ed Orgeron aka "Coach O" speaks in this Clarion Ledger article. When Coach O speaks, you listen.

"ATTA BAY-BEE! WAY TO WORK! THAT'S IT! THAT'S IT! THAT'S WHAT WE WANT! NOW LET'S DO IT AGAIN! JOG, DON'T WALK!"

That's it. That's all he said. I'm just kidding...sort of.  Read the article if you want more.

There will be no practice this morning, only the afternoon session.

Thanks for those of you who listened to what I had to say and started FanPosts and put up FanShots. It will pick up eventually. Keep up the good work.

The New Orleans Saints love a good bargain, so they couldn't pass up a two for one deal in the injury aisle when Devery Henderson and Tracy Porter both injured their hamstrings on the same play. Add that to a couple of other rookie injuries and you've got the ingredients for a fairly awful day at training camp.

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Really not much today guys. Just a quick story on Kevin Kaesviharn. Everyone must be on vacation.

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