I know pre-season games are usually sloppy and sometimes boring, particularly the final one, but man, this was awful. 99 total yards of offense?!?! Obviously this wasn't our real team, but c'mon! That said, the good news is that the defense still seemed to look pretty good and last weeks performance against Cincinnati may not have been a fluke. Heck, even Jason David played well. All of the attention and work the Saints have put into that side of the ball seem to be paying off. If that's the case and this continues, then we should definitely expect big things this season. I am officially excited again!

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Today we continue with the second half of our in-depth analysis of last weeks pre-season game against the Bengals. Here we go.

Saints Defense First Drive

• After Mehlhaff finally boots one into the endzone for a touchback the Bengals start from their own 20 yard line. Their first play is a run to the right side. Randall Gay makes a nice tackle coming in for support as the play only gains 3 yards.
• Another run up the right side and Chris Perry hits a big hole and gains 13 yards for the first.
• Ryan Fitzpatrick, now the quarterback, tries the left side but Harper and Porter are all over it. Nice coverage. Very un-Jason David like.
  
• The Bengals then try a run up the middle but Fujita does a great job stuffing it at the line.
  
• On third down Fitzpatrick completes one to Chatman who is in the gap between the line of scrimmage and the secondary. Vilma brings him down from behind just shy of the first down. Bengals punt.

Review: Glad to see the defense still looks good after the half. The run defense wasn't so hot but, and I can't believe I am going to say this, the pass defense came through for us. I think Vilma has been looking pretty good but he just does a lot of things that don't usually get noticed. I'm a fan. I think it would be safe to buy his jersey.

Saints Offense First Drive

• Saints take over at their own 28. Sit back and relax, because the Pierre Thomas extravaganza is about to begin. It starts with Thomas to the right side for 5 yards. The O-line (Nicks, Bushrod, Lehr, Strief) does an awesome job of making room and they actually force their will on the Bengals plowing them all to the right side. Had Reggie been out there, he might have actually cut it back to the left side and been gone, as there is no one there. I am starting to wonder if maybe the problem with the run game lies completely with the first team offensive line. 
• Brunell throws a quick one to the right to Meachem for 4 yards.
• Third down and two tight ends. Pierre tries the right side, gains the first down, sheds a tackle and spins away from a second before being taken down for a gain of 14.
• Play action. Brunell completes one over the middle to Terrance Copper. Pierre Thomas does a great job blocking in the backfield and keeping Keith Rivers away from Brunell. The kid does it all.
  
• They give it to Thomas again up the middle and he gains 9 yards after avoiding one tackle. To be fair, the tackling looks weak.
• Brunell is forced to roll left and overthrows Copper in the endzone on what seemed like an improvised play.
• Third and 1 as Pierre cuts it back to his right and up the middle for 4 yards and the first.
• Brunell hurrys a throw to Pierre Thomas who is covered. Pass incomplete.
• On second down Thomas takes it up the right side. He eludes one tackler, barely keeps his knee from hitting the ground, then fumbles the ball as he spins and falls down. Bengals recover.

Review: Ugh. Not that I think the fumble will really cause Payton any distrust, but everything was looking so good. Had that fumble not occurred, I think all Saints fans, myself included, would be up in arms about letting Pierre start and referencing this very drive to make our point. If Pierre is always going to fight to stay on his feet, then he needs to remember to hold on to the ball tight. Regardless, the drive looked good. Pierre looked better. By the way, I love it when Pierre uses his hand and puts it on top of a defenders head to push him out of the way as he passes him.

Saints Defense Second Drive

• Cincinnati gets the ball deep in their own zone. Perry tries the right side. Lance Schulters comes in and makes the nice stop for only 3 yards. Then proceeds to take a stupid 15 yards Uneccesary Roughness (classic movie) penalty.
• First and ten now from the Bengals 23 yard line. Chris Perry tries the left edge and guess who comes in with the nice tackle and the stop for no gain. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? It's Jason David!
• Fitzpatrick completes short over the middle for 4 yards. Troy Evans makes the quick tackle.
  
• Third down and Fitzpatrick throws a short  incompletion to Kenny Watson. Chris Reis was all over him with great coverage. Bengals...you know. Skyler Green gets nowhere on the return.

Review: This was actually a good showing for the defense, minus the penalty, particularly the secondary. They showed great run support on two plays and tight coverage on another. After going through this game in depth, I think this defense looked even better than everyone is giving them credit for. It was solid all around. Even Jason David. I am very impressed.

Saints Offense Second Drive

• Palko checks into the game now and starts from the Saints 33. The first play is a short dump off to Pierre Thomas over the middle for 5 yards. No hesitation going back to Thomas after the fumble.
  
• Palko checks down to Thomas on a flare to the left. With plenty of room to work with and nice blocks from Matt Lehr and Tim Duckworth, Pierre turns it into 25 yards up the sideline. He does that hand on helmet thing to another would be tackler. Watch for it, its funny! It's almost like he uses them for more speed as he pushes off of them.
  
• Meachem shows off his running ability on a reverse. He gains a respectable 13 yards.
• Palko takes too much time in the pocket and is sacked by Keith Rivers.
• 2nd and 18 as Palko completes a short one over the middle to Thomas for 3 yards.
• Palko tries Thomas again on a short dump off. Not much doing.
• Mehlhaff nails a 45 yarder. He then kicks a blooper to only the Bengals 16 yard line. He is visibly upset as he walks off.

Review: More awesomeness from The Flying Frenchman. The drive just stalled at the end as Palko couldn't find anything downfield. This offensive line deserves some credit for working hard and looking pretty solid out there. None of Thomas' success would exist without some good play from those guys. Mehlhaff shows some inconsistency. I don't think it is looking as good for Mehlhaff as it once was.

Saints Defense Third Drive

• After a false start, the Bengals have 1st and 15 from own 30 yard line. Jeff Rowe now takes over for the Bengals and tosses one quickly to the right. Aaron Glenn, looking great in run support, wraps him up quickly for a gain of only two.
  
• The Saints line flush Rowe out of the pocket and forces him to scramble right and throw it away.
• Rowe tries over the middle on a crossing route but Glenn is on top of him and breaks it up which is good because the Saints sent eight guys in to rush and didn't have much help in the secondary. There had to be someone else open downfield that Rowe just didn't see. Bengals punt and Skyler Green lets it bounce before fielding it and losing 4 yards. Not pretty.

Review: Gotta love three and out. More straight up solid play from the defense. This drive was all Aaron Glenn. There isn't a doubt in my mind that Glenn makes this team. He looks better and better every week. I don't think he will start but its great to know he's there. Honestly, seems like you take away Jason David, and this secondary doesn't look half bad. We should probably give it a little more time and observation though.

Saints Offense Third Drive

• Saints start from their 12 yard line and Palko throws a quick pass to Meachem to the right. He gets six yards as the defender drags him down by his pants, ala the Coppertone girl, as Meachem refuses to go down.
  
• Next is a hard run up the left side by Lynell Hamilton for six yards.
• Palko completes a pass to Lance Moore for 14 yards.
• 1st and ten now, as Palko throws a bad pass nowhere near Terrance Copper that almost gets picked off.
• Lynell Hamilton takes it up the middle for 7 yards. He looks very powerful. End of third quarter.
• On third down with 3 to go Hamilton takes it again, this time to the left side for 4 yards, picking up the first.
• Palko throws an interception on a deep pass intended for Terrance Copper. The throw was into double coverage.

Review: It would have been nice to see this drive continue. Hamilton was looking pretty impressive. As bad as I feel for Pierre Thomas and Aaron Stecker, I will feel even worse for Lynell Hamilton who will most likely not see any playing time with this team though he looks pretty good. I can't find anything in Palko to get excited about.

Saints Defense Fourth Drive

• We have to pick up this drive from 3rd and 7 since the broadcast team favored doing some piece on how Fujita would make the best Olympian over showing us the first two plays of the drive. And what a wonderful place to pick up from, as we're just in time to see the dynamic duo of Jason David and Josh Bullocks get beat on a 9 yard pass that keeps the drive alive. They were both right there and still couldn't make a play! How much longer must we suffer? Even on a night when everyone else is looking great, these two manage to suck. Who are we going to make fun of after Payton hopefully cuts these two?
• First down now and a short completion to the right side for three yards.
• Another Rowe pass to the right for 10 yards as Craft is no where near his receiver.
  
• After a Kenny Watson run for only two yards, Rowe dumps it off over the middle for 9 yards and a first down.
• On first down now and Bobby McCray shoots through the gap and gets the sack for -8 yards. I can't say enough about how fast he is.
  
• Rowe completes a short dump off to Kenny Watson but the Saints react quickly and McCray and Harris stop it for -1 yards.
• More pressure from the line again as McCray, who is forced to take the long route behind the quarterback, doesn't give up and eventually beats his man deep in the backfield and gets to Rowe to disrupt the pass. Bengals punt.
  

Review: I think this drive is very telling. This was the Bengals longest drive of the night play-wise. Bullocks, Craft and David, who all saw a lot of time in the Saints secondary last year were all out there against the third team and still having trouble. What does that say? Bobby McCray saves their butt however as he was a monster on the last three plays. Can't wait to see what he brings this season.

Saints Offense Fourth Drive

• Saints start at their six. Hamilton runs for two yards.
• Palko looks good as he avoids a safety and shows some nifty moves eluding would be tacklers and running for 9 yards. A personal foul call takes the Saints to their 32 yard line.
• After a botched snap, Palko fires a bullet to the right side for Buck "Naked" Ortega for 17 yards.
• Hamilton then makes a short three yard catch on the left sideline.
• Palko goes to the left side again and finds Meachem for 7 yards and a first down.
• The Bengals' Angelo Craig notches a sack for -4 yards. Duckworth failed to pick up LB Corey Mayes who broke through the line, caused disruption and barely missed the sack himself.
  
• A draw to Hamilton up the middle for six yards.
• Palko, looking solid on this drive, fires another rocket, this time to Todd Blythe, over the middle for a gain of 15.
• After scrambling left Palko throws a short 6 yarder to Hamilton. Holding on Bushrod.
  
• 1st and 20 now as Palko throws another dump off to Hamilton who has room to turn it into 16 yards.
• Palko throws two straight into tight coverage. The first one should probably have been picked off.
• Saints go for it on fourth down but Palko is forced to scramble to the left and throw it away.

Review: After a nice start to this drive by Palko, the Bushrod penalty and some poor passing decisions kill it. Tyler is just too inconsistent for my taste. A couple of nice hard passes mixed in with poor decisions and botched snaps. That's just not gonna cut it. Bushrod has been the culprit on quite a few penalties this pre-season and really needs to fix that.

Saints Defense Fifth Drive

• Carson Palmer's younger brother Jordan comes in to lead the charge. First play is a run up the middle for a gain of two.
• Palmer completes a short one to the right but Chris Reis is right there to bring him down quickly.
  
• Scrambling left, Palmer gets the needed 2 yards for the first down.
  
• He follows that play up with an interception to Lance Schulters to end the Bengals night. Jason David, whose receiver it was, was behind the play, but Lance, probably figuring David wasn't going to do anything, decided to jump the route and pick it off.
  

Review: Good sign from Schulters. Maybe he is the help this team needs over the top. He was very aggressive on the interception as Jason David stood there and watched. Literally!

Saints Offense Sixth Drive

Nothing important to report about the final drive. Lynell Hamilton runs for 2, 3 and 3 yards to run out the clock.

That does it. I was very happy with the teams performance after watching the game the first time. Having taken a closer look I have to say I am ever happier. There were a lot of good signs and we can only hope that this is a better representation of what we can expect from the defense and the team in general this season.

I've finally put last weeks pitiful performance behind me by drinking myself into an oblivion blocking it from my memory. It's time we all move on, hope the team has learned some lessons and pray we get a better showing against the Bungles. The Bengals, much like the Saints, have a suspect defense and a high power offense, making this a good team to play in pre-season and work out those defensive kinks.  Here's what I think we should all be watching as the game unfolds on Saturday night.

Shockey I figured everyone was expecting me to talk about JD and the secondary first but I decided to kick it off with a positive note. We're finally going to get to see Russell Crowe, er, I mean Jeremy Shockey. Expect Brees to look for Shockey in the redzone or on third and long. Payton, who has been pretty cautious with J. Shock up to this point said he only plans to play him the first quarter. Then again Reggie begged and pleaded his way onto the field last week after being listed as a no go, and with Shockey's verbose nature and intense competitive nature coming as no surprise, maybe he will make Payton play the entire half.

Mike McKenzie Isn't this exciting!? We have two players making their debut's this season, and I think its safe to say "Thank God!" I will never be happier to see MM take the field than I will be tomorrow night. The timing couldn't be better. Honestly, after suffering the same injury as Deuce only two months after him, I can't believe he is actually ready to go. I'm pretty nervous about this one. Just like Deuce last week, we will have to see if he can make the necessary movements and cuts. Cornerback is not one of those positions where you can hide a serious knee injury. If MM and JD both look bad then I think it might be time to start panicking. Hey, anyone know if the Eagles have a cornerback we might be able to use!?

Jason David Now it's time to talk about the Toast Master General himself (thanks BigTMill), Chasin' David. I'm being harsh and I don't hate JD. Yet. This is it. This is the last chance I am giving him. I have probably actually been more patient than most of you guys, but this is my final stand. He needs to step it up, Big time. I'm talking, like, a pick six. He better be within one foot of his receiver at all times.

Tracy Porter Thanks to JD's performance last week, Tracy Porter has gotten the call. Usama Young also probably won't go tomorrow night, so this is Porter's big chance and I have to think he realizes it. He didn't look much better than David against Houston so I am definitely focusing on #22 this week in the hopes that we see the makings of a legitimate candidate for starting cornerback.

The O-Line Can we please open up some holes. I am referring to the first team line here. Reggie Bush is a Heisman winner not Moses. I know Reggie has been knocked the last two years because of his hesitation, "dancing" and failure to run between the tackles but the dancing and hesitation both seem to have improved and any inability of him breaking off big runs up the middle so far this season I think has to be blamed purely on our line. The second string guys have looked great opening up lanes for Stecker.

The D-Line  Pressure. Pressure. Pressure!

Jonathan Vilma I would rate Vilma's play last week as just mediocre. He gets a pass however because of such high expectations and being away from the game for so long. With one game under his belt and little bit of the rust off, I am hoping to see Vilma make some "Oh no he didn't" type plays that amaze and excite us all. Simoneau is out so this is Vilma's chance to firmly entrench himself at the position and do what Brian Simmons couldn't last year; knock Simoneau out of his spot.

Devery Henderson  He's a first teamer. You heard it yourself from coach. Meachem, Moore, Copper and Arrington are all below him looking up. If the speculation by many Saints fans that Payton may be posturing and shopping Devery is true, then I would think he might give him a lot of looks and pray to the football gods that he actually catches the ball. Of course, if that were to actually happen, wouldn't we then want to keep him? This whole situation gives me a headache. I'm not going to pretend like I know what is going on inside Sean Payton's head.

Lance Moore This might actually be where the answer to the whole Devery situation lays. His play could greatly affect the future of Devery; cut, trade, whatever!

Deuce I don't expect the man to work miracles. Just a little improvement on top of last week or continued positive signs from D-Mac will be sufficient. He can wait until week one before he starts running people over. Limping off the field would be bad.

Skyler Green Skyler was MIA last week but Payton has said that he, as well as Moore and Porter, will see significant action in the return game. He's going to have to make his mark somewhere tomorrow night and it doesn't seem like he is really in the running for a WR spot. Otherwise, this could be the end of the road for our local boy.

Orien Harris This guy has set the bar pretty high for himself with his play the first two games of the season. Granted, with the starters playing the entire first half of the game this time around, he won't have as much time to make his impact, don't be surprised to see him right at the top of the tackles list.

All of the DT's With Hollis out, Young looking like someone has put some awful voodoo curse on him and his little dog too and Sedrick being held out for precautionary measures, the door is open for Clancy, Lake and the aforementioned Harris.

Taylor Mehlhaff Gramatica took all of the field goals last game so the next game should be Mehlhaff's turn. I love the hang time this kid gets on his kickoffs. This position battle is tough, I really don't know how Payton is going to decide.

Lance "in my pants" Schulters Poor Lance. His debut is being overshadowed by Shockey's. I honestly don't know much about this guy and I won't pretend that I do. I am just going to hope that he is better than Josh Bullocks. In reality, he's probably a long shot.

Keith Rivers Just for fun, we should all pay attention to him. He was a real possibility to be drafted by the Saints and was actually the guy I thought they would go with. Of course I didn't think they would actually be so aggressive as to move up in the draft. This will be a good chance to check out what we did or didn't miss out on, hopefully the later.

With the first round of roster cuts coming up next week, each practice and game becomes ever more important to many of the players who aren't a lock to make the team. What follows is my analysis of the bubble players whose chances of making the 2008 New Orleans Saints roster or "stock" may have changed following this week's game against the Houston Texans.

Jason David You knew he'd be on this list and you knew he'd be right at the top. We're all aware of what happened this week and I don't think you need me or a financial analyst to tell you that as far as "stock" goes, this game against Houston was Black Tuesday for Jason David. Don't tell me it's just pre-season either. Every guy out there should be playing to the best of their ability and working their butt off trying to make this team. Jason David of all people! So either JD really is still a little behind the learning curve or he was just dogging it. Pick your poison. The reports that JD has been dropped down the depth chart in favor of Tracy Porter should say it all. I am going to refrain from harsh words and anger however, and I am going to give David one more game. Thats it. One more game. If he continues to look completely lost and confused out on the field against what should be the Bengals second or third team, then it's war with JD, Coach Payton, Mickey Loomis and the entire Saints organization because it's just not fair. I'm not talking about fairness to me, you or other fans, I'm talking about fairness to the other players on this team. The Saints are legitimate contenders this season and every player should be allowed the courtesy of taking comfort in knowing that they are putting the best available product out there on the field. I refuse to believe the performance of Jason David this week against Houston is the best this team can muster up. Otherwise, the Saints players may need to go all Lord of the Flies on Jason David. It frustrates me to watch a drive extended after David gives up 14 yards on 3rd and 8, so I can't imagine how his defensive teammates feel when they have to stay out there on the field even longer after working so hard just to get themselves in that 3rd and 8 position.

Aaron Glenn Glenn made one of the nicer plays of the game by the secondary in the last match-up by jumping a route and knocking away the ball. He also wasn't directly to blame for giving up big passing plays. While Glenn might not be the young shutdown corner we would all love to have, he might just be the reliable, consistent veteran that is just good enough.

Devery Henderson Certainly nothing special from Devery this week. Only two catches for a paltry 14 yards. At this point, I think Devery needs to do something extra special to make sure the coaches remember why they like him. Uh, and oh yeah, he dropped a sure catch. That is the exact opposite of what he needs to be doing.

Lance Moore Velcro like hands. Check. Special teams contribution. Check. Gritty, hard working attitude. Check. If he can solidify himself as a big play guy by creating separation, using his speed and making catches like the long one he had against the Texans, Devery Henderson might find himself looking for a new team.

Andy Alleman, Jermon Bushrod This drop is only based on the fact that they were the culprit's on quite a few penalties. Four of them to be exact between the two players, three of those false starts. It doesn't mean certain dismissal but when it's time for roster cuts and its neck and neck between you and the other guy, stupid penalties may make a difference.

Orien Harris This kid has been consistently delivering so far in the pre-season. Add the fact that fellow DT's Hollis Thomas and Brian Young are both dealing with their own individual injury problems and the fact that the team apparently decided to take a pass on "Booger" MacFarland, and he might have a good shot at making this team.

Kendrick Clancy He also looked pretty solid the other night and shares the same fortune as Orien Harris with regards to the loss/limiting of other defensive tackles on this team.

Josh Savage He and McCray were looking pretty good in the second half together, getting some pretty good pressure and showing a lot of motor. I think he's definitely solidified a spot as the fourth end for this team.

Skyler Green We saw very little from Skyler in the past game. In fact, I think the only time we did see him was on a single kick return which he brought back for 26 yards, so I don't know what the heck is going on here. Does it mean coach has seen enough of him for the time being and wants to check out other players? I certainly don't know of any injury problem.

Taylor Mehlhaff A much better performance this year from the most jacked up kicker I have ever seen. He didn't have any field goal attempts but nailed his five kickoffs to the 5, 3, 2, 3 and 5 yard lines. Couldn't quite get it into the endzone but let's hope Payton had him intentionally hold back and keep the kicks in play so that he could get a better look at special teams.

Waylon Prather The new guy boomed a kick sixty yards that was downed on the 3 yard line. Nothing is wrong with Weatherford and I don't think Prather is going to knock him out of a spot but this is about his stock and if I am being fair I think it did go up.

As always, opinions/comments/questions/angry tirades are always welcome!

It's time for the second half of our breakdown of the breakdown. I am glad you guys enjoyed this post yesterday and I will try to do it every week. That being said, let's put these guys under the microscope.

Saints Defense First Drive

• Texans start at their own 32. First play of the half is a quick pass to the right that Aaron Glenn jumps in front of and bats away. One of the best plays of the night for the secondary. Might have been able to pick it off.
  
• On the second play, Bobby McCray puts a move on his guy and blows past him into the backfield, so quickly that he overshoots the runner and misses the tackle. A little more control and that is probably a tackle for a loss. As it is Marvin Mitchell takes him down for a gain of a couple.
  
• 3rd and 8 after two nice defensive plays. Another decent display of pressure as Josh Savage gets to Rosenfels just a half second too late. The pass is over the middle completed for 13 yards. It's Tracy Porter's man. The drive stays alive as the second half continues in the same manner as the first.
  
• After a Slaton run for 12 yards in which huge holes were created by the Texans offensive line, it's a Rosenfels pass for 20 yards down the left sideline to Jacoby Jones. Tracy Porter is, oh, 5 yards behind him. I am praying hoping assuming that the defensive strategy here for Porter is too keep everything in front of him. More likely, Jones made a nice play by immediately button hooking, leaving Porter still streaking down the sideline.
  
• Chris Reis makes an awesomely hard hit to stop a run.
  
• In the redzone now and the Texans run a couple of times for medium yardage. The defensive line is getting pushed around a bit.
  
• Jo-Lonn Dunbar makes a quick stop for two yards on a shirt pass to the right sideline.
  
• Two more nice runs from Taylor puts the Texans in the lead.

Review: This drive started off promising for the Saints defense then quickly turned sour after giving up yet another 3rd and 8. Knowing Jason David isn't out there anymore and assuming they might meet a little more resistance in the secondary, the Texans decide to keep it on the ground, and instead, make a mockery of the Saints run defense. Taylor had his choice of holes to run through for the last half of the drive. Add that to the poor cornerback play toward the beginning of the drive and you've got the makings of an awful defensive showing.

I'm starting to like this guy. (Getty Images)

Saints Offense First Drive

• Stecker has two decent runs for 5 and 8 yards. He's actually got some decent sized holes to run through as the offensive line gets some good pushes.
  
• Brunell throws to the right side and finds Billy Miller wide open. Miller, sadly, drops a pass that any of us could have caught. I say that with a decent amount of confidence.
  

Review: This drive is only three plays but still revealing. I feel about Stecker the way I feel about Pierre. The guy has done nothing but prove himself worthy yet he stays under utilized. The only other explanation would be that our second team offensive line is more dominant then Houston's second team defensive line which would be pretty good news itself. All of that happiness is quickly lost when Billy Miller blows a sure thing and the thought of the Saints leading the league in dropped passes again causes me to throw up a bit in my mouth. Watching the game the first time, I didn't notice the myriad of dropped passes.

Saints Defense Second Drive

• Texans start on their 39 with a run up the middle but Kendrick Clancy is having none of that. He gets a great jump off the line and manhandles his lineman, getting into the backfield and making the tackle for a loss of 1. Very nice play by Clancy.
  
• Second play and McCray blows by his man on the outside. Dude has got a motor. So fast in fact, he yet again overshoots and tries to catch Rosenfels from behind. Rosenfels does his best Favre impression and overhand shovel  passes it to Slaton for a couple of yards. Jo-Lonn Dunbar is all over it and stop him immediately.
• Rosenfels drops back to pass and its more great pressure from McCray and Josh Savage. Both overshoot (McCray overshoots, Savage might have been blocked away). McCray almost gets his hand on the ball as the pass is released. The pass is into almost triple coverage by the Saints and Craft leaps in front of it as the interception goes off his hands and eludes him. He probably should have actually come up with it. Texans punt.
  

Review: Best defensive series of the night. In fact, this was the first time the Texans punted. McCray and Savage look pretty good. McCray needs to control himself a little more. Hope is out there.

Moore is like a vacuum. (Getty Images)

Saints Offense Second Drive

• Saints start from their 18. The first play is a Brunell pass for 13 yards to Lance Moore. The announcer says the same thing I always do, "...Lance Moore who simply catches everything thrown his way..."
• On the next play, Lance Moore doesn't make the catch. However, its thrown behind him and a defender is all over him and gets a hand on the ball. Brunell mouths, "My bad Lance" and taps himself on the chest.
• Stecker gains 5 yards through some decent holes. This is so backwards. The first team should be opening holes like this.
  
• Andy Alleman: false start.
• Brunell throws a nice pass to the right for Terrance Copper and a gain of 17. I remember this pass during the game. Brunell put some mustard on this one and I remember thinking the old guy still has some left in the tank.
  
• More Stecker. This time 7 yards after cutting back to the right and finding a hole. That is followed by a 2 yard run up the middle.
• Alleman: false start.
• Brunell and Moore connect for 42 yards on what seems to be the same play Brees and Patten connected on earlier. The results are identical. Moore streaks down the left side line, totally beating his man, getting separation and makes an over the shoulder grab that is perfectly placed by Brunell. Is this guy our backup? Saints on the 6.
  
• Two plays later (one a defensive penalty) and Brunell connects on a bootleg left with FB Kevin Dudley.

Review: Lance Moore might make a good replacement for Devery Henderson. Pretty darn good drive for the second team offense. Alleman surely got a mouthful from Payton on the sideline.

Don't know how they got this picture. He didn't have too much to celebrate. (Getty Images)

Saints Defense Third Drive

• Texans immediately get to work carving up our secondary some more as Rosenfels hits David Anderson for 43 yards to the Saints 34 yard line. It was Tracy Porter's man but Porter slips and allows the receiver to get 5 yards of separation. David Roach comes in to help but does an very poor job of tackling and its Porter who has to hustle to catch Anderson and take him down.
• Slaton between the tackles. Orien Harris with the tackle
• Aaron Glenn gets beat when Rosenfels rolls out and completes an out route just before the sideline. This play killed us all night. I hope they work on it this week.
• After a nice run stop, the Saints defensive line gets pushed around and Slaton makes it look easy up the right side through a huge hole. 

Review: Just more crap from the defense. Not much to say about this drive. I think Porter's injury is definitely hampering his play. I am trying to be optimistic here guys! By the way, because of his performance in this game Slaton earned the right to start Houston's next game against the Cowboys.

Saints Offense Third Drive

• Meachem makes his first catch of the night for 11 yards.
• Jermon Bushrod: false start.
• Pierre Thomas gets a nice chunk of 9 yards.
• After a bad, uncatchable throw that was over Robert Meachem's head on the previous play, Brunell gets tripped up and taken down from behind. It was Zach Strief who slips in the backfield and allows his man to get past him and make the sack. Saints must punt and its a nice one from Waylon Prather for 60 yards. It's downed on the 3.
  

Review: Nothing special on this drive, but they've been doing a pretty good job so I'll cut them some slack.

Saints Defense Fourth Drive

• From deep in their own zone the Texans start. Alex Brink comes in to quarterback. Completes a 4 yarder after scrambling. Orien Harris with the tackle.
  
• Brink continues to throw all over us like his two predecessors this evening by completing a 8 yard pass on 3rd and 6 and converting yet another third down. Craft was on the coverage.
  
• Slaton runs up the right side and the Saints look weak in trying to take him down.
  
• Slaton right side for only 1 yard. Orien Harris with the tackle.
• Brink sneaks it for the first. Then, on first down, Slaton left side for 1 yard. Orien Harris with the tackle. You getting the point?
• Brink botches the hand off and the Texans lose 11 yards.
• 3rd and 20 as Slaton gets another 11 yards through a giant hole. Texans must punt.

Review: Orien Harris shows up on the stat sheet with six tackles for the night and the team leader for the second time in a row. Some of those tackles were nothing special and just being at the right place at the right time, though that does take some skill. Not sure what kind of chance this kid has of making the team but he sure does take his shots in the limited amount of time he's gotten in these first two games. The defensive line continues to get pushed around. Please tell me that Houston's O-line is just that good.

Saints Offense Fourth Drive

• Saints start off from their own 16 yard line. Palko now in for the black and gold. He starts of with a pass to Moore for 10 yards.
• Palko does a nice Michael Vick impression and dances along the sideline but a Bushrod holding penalty brings it back.
• Six yards for Pierre Thomas on a catch and run.
• Zach Strief: false start.
• Tyler throws wide out of bounds intended for Copper. After the play he points to his head and mimes to the sideline that he didn't hear the play call. I'll give him that one.
• Meachem is open over the middle and jumps as high as he can. Unfortunately, its not high enough as Palko's throw sails way high.
  
• Saints decide to go for it on fourth down. After the announcers remark how Payton probably wants something positive for Palko to end the game on, he throws a short dump pass off his back foot to a wide open Billy Miller. It hits the ground in front of Millers outstretched hands. Poor throw.
  

Review: Well this wasn't a good drive at all. Penalties killed this drive as they did earlier in the game. Stupid penalties are commonplace during pre-season football but that doesn't make them alright. Strief, Bushrod and Alleman all had two each. That's a quick way to piss off a coach and make him think long and hard about cutting you. Palko looked like crap but I am willing to chalk it up to the fact that he just came off the bench and had no time to get into a rhythm. His mechanics looked bad and to be honest, I'm not really sure where this Payton pet project is going. The scramble and the run down the sideline looks good, though didn't count, and he didn't bobble any snaps, so good news there.

The Texans ran three run plays just to run out the clock so we don't need to discuss that. Of course your thoughts and opinions are welcomed and encouraged.

Those of you who know me (in the internet sense of the word) know that I talk "business" sometimes. I wanted to give you guys all a shout out because participation has definitely been on the rise. Glad to see a lot of lurkers or shy people out there getting involved in the conversation. That's what this thing is all about. For those of you out there who are still "just browsing" you don't have to worry. We won't bite. Hard. (sorry, had to) In all seriousness, if you think you don't know what you're talking about or you're scared someone might make fun of you, you should be. And then you should remember that it's the internet and nobody has any idea who you are. This whole thing is about the sharing of information and the uniting of people with a common interest love obsession. Make your contribution and put your stamp on this website. The more the merrier. As I said earlier, things are coming along great and the community is ever growing, but it can always be better. If you've read CSC/The Chronic for a while, you may get the impression that I am pretty much never satisfied, and you'd be right, so get off your butt and say something. I promise you will be welcomed warmly. The season is almost here and it's going to be a good one with lots to talk about. The only thing missing is you!

It's time to get down and dirty and analyze this game a little better. I watched the game on my Tivo and tried to pick up on things I missed while actually at the game. Here is what I saw in the first half.

Best QB in the league. (Getty Images)

Saints Offense First Drive

• Pierre Thomas makes a decent kick return for 33 yards to the 33 yard line.
• On the first play from scrimmage, Deuce takes it up the middle for 4 yards. Typical Deuce. That's the last we see of him for a while.
• Reggie gets a pitch to the left side and gains a yard. He might have been able to bounce it a little further outside but gets taken down by Will Demps. Campbell gets beat quickly by Mario Williams on the right side, but it doesn't matter because he's so far away from the play.
• Weatherford punts it away to New Orleans native Jacoby Jones who bobbles the punt. Usama Young is right in front of his face but slips feet first into Jones. The ball pops out of a scrum and Troy Evans comes up with it.
  
• First down now from the 10 yard line. Bush gets a hand off and tries the left side. Mario Williams is already in the backfield after getting past Jammal Brown. Brown seems to go straight for a linebacker and ignores Williams. Reggie tries to cut it back to the inside but by now, Will Demps has arrived to put an end to that idea as Bush falls forward.
• Three receiver's stacked on the left side (Colston, Henderson, Patten). Brees throws a quick out to Colston on the left side. Patten and Devery are the two blockers. Houston reads the play quickly and the secondary immediately comes in to help. Patten and Henderson can't handle it and Colston is stopped after only 2 yards.
• Brees drops back to pass and has plenty of time. It's unfortunate our o-line can't run block as great as it pass blocks. Not sure if it has to be a trade off or not, but its probably best that they are better pass blockers and protect Brees. He hits Mark Campbell right in the numbers but DeMeco Ryans is blanketing Campbell and has one of his hands in Campbells back pocket. Probably pass interference but no call.

Review: Slow start for the offense. It all looked sloppy and the team didn't seem ready to play. This drive was pretty much 2 three and outs. Nice to see special teams recover the fumble. Payton always stresses turnover ratio and it always helps to be on the winning side of that stat.

Saints Defense First Drive

• The Texans start on their own 20. Schaub short pass in the soft spot over the middle to Kevin Walter. Shanle takes him down.
  
• Schaub drops back to pass. The line actually gets good pressure and Will Smith is right in Schaub's face. Sedrick Ellis also bursts in late and pressures Schaub. He is forced to throw it away. This is the only significant pressure the first teamers will get all game.
  
•  Chris Taylor gets a pitch to the left side. It takes about four Saints to get him down, including Jason David. Texans pick up the first down.
• On 3rd and eight, Schaub passes to the left side to Andre Davis who runs out of bounds. David was soft on the coverage and got beat to the sideline by Davis. 14 yards. The fans boo. Payton is standing right there on the sidelines in front of the action. Very frustrating play on third down.
  
• Two plays later and its David getting beat...again. This time its Kevin Walter. David, perhaps a little overeager after the earlier play, dives to make a play on the ball, but it fails. Walter turns it around and upfield for 17 yards total. David looks weak on trying to make the tackle from behind. More booing.
  
• Taylor runs up the right side. Sedrick Ellis beats his man and gets good penetration. With one arm free he attempts to grab Taylor but a nice spin move causes Ellis to miss.
• On the very next play, Schaub goes over the middle to Walter on the goal line. Jason David is out of position yet again with too much separation and he can't bring down Walter before the end zone. David is the deepest defender and no safeties are around for help. Even louder booing as this drive is reminiscent of the Colts game last season.

Review: The Texans seemed to deliberately pick on Jason David's side, not forgetting last years mid-season match-up. In fairness, Matt Schaub looked pretty sharp on the drive.

Saints Offense Second Drive

• Second play of the drive and Reggie runs it to the outside for 6 yards. He runs out of bounds.
• On the next play Brees hits Patten deep for 39 yards. Brees is so amazing as he gently puts it right over Patten's shoulders and into his waiting arms. The timing between quarterback and receiver, when done properly, can be an amazing and wonderful thing of beauty. Patten makes a great catch and always seems to look so smooth and confident. He has great technique. This game made me realize how good Patten actually is.
• A few plays later and its a quick in to Devery Henderson on the left side. Guess what Devery does with it. Drops it.
• Next play is a short pass to Bush on the right side. Goes right through his hands and bounces off his helmet. Ugh.
  
• Yet another drop on the next play as Campbell gets hit immediately at the goal line. The hit obviously jarred him, but he really should have held onto the ball.

Review: This is why I think this play by play recap is great, because I didn't even notice this at the game. Three straight passes and three straight drops that should have been catches. I don't even know what to say. I just can't believe we are still dealing with the same stupid problems as last year. After this game, I'm not even really sure we have made any improvements at all.

Saints Defense Second Drive

• On the first play, Schaub passes over the middle as the ball goes right through a leaping Shanle's hands. Should have come up with the interception.
• On the very next play, 3rd and eight, its Schaub, yet again, to Jason David's side and into the hands of Andre Davis for 12 yards. It was the same exact play called and run as the 3rd and eight play in the Texans first drive. Exact route, exact blown coverage, and exact crappy result. I am Saintsational's silent rage. More booing.
• Next play and its Schaub on a bootleg to the right. He finds TE Owen Daniels over the middle on a crossing route. Again, a dink and dunk in the soft spot behind the linebackers. A nice 16 yards.
• After a penalty, the Saints blitz and Owen Daniels make another catch over the middle. Vilma and Harper are quickly on him.
  
• Next play, the first of the second quarter, its Kevin Walter on a crossing route in the flat. Tracy Porter can only chase him.
  
• Three straight play action, short dink and dunk passes later and the Texans are up by 8. It was just too easy. The good news is that it didn't seem to be the secondary's fault.

Review: Saints were 0/3 on third down while the Texans were 4/4 in the first quarter. Quite a contrast. The inability of the Saints to get off the field on third and longs is crucial. Twice on 3rd and 8 the Texans completed identical out routes against Jason David on the left side, keeping both drives, which inevitably lead to scores, alive. Replace him with a corner with better coverage skills who can make those plays and that is twice the Saints defense gets off the field quickly and keeps the Texans scoreless. Change those two plays and this entire game looks completely different. Schaub pretty much did whatever he wanted. Last week I was worried about the quick, short passes in between coverage and this week was more of the same. Yes, the secondary needs serious help, but I think it is drawing attention away from the dink and dunk stuff that is also killing us.  I didn't realize Tracy Porter saw some time with the first team. He wasn't impressive.

Man on a mission. (Getty Images)

Saints Offense Third Drive

Review: This is exactly how Reggie needs to be used. The play prior to his touchdown was a failed run attempt up the middle for a measly 2 yards. Forget that stuff for Reggie. Reggie can hurdle over guys and land cat like on his feet. Deuce, Pierre and even Stecker cannot. Deuce, Pierre and even Stecker can run it up the gut and carry a couple of people with them, somehow turning what looks like 2 yards into 6. Reggie cannot. Just play to their strengths. That goes for the entire team. Will someone please tell me I'm wrong?

Saints Defense Third Drive

• First play of the drive and guess where guess who finds guess who, yet again for 20 yards. Over the middle, Matt Schaub, Kevin Walter. Now here is the crazy part. It's a play action, and Vilma is watching and on his way in. The second he realizes its a pass, he turns right around and starts heading toward the backfield. He got there so quickly, practically outrunning the ball, that he actually makes a play to tip the ball and reaches Kevin Walter at the same time that Porter does! It was Porters man! I swear on my mother (who is probably reading this right now...seriously). If you've got a recording of the game, check it out. The play starts with 9:33 on the clock in the 2nd quarter. I want someone to prove my story.
  
• A little later, Owen Daniels catches a screen pass and takes it for 21 yards. Scott Shanle had a chance to wrap up his feet but whiffed.
• The drive stalls when Jason Craft wraps up his guy after a short catch. Craft is starting to look better and better at this point. Texans settle for a field goal.
  

Review: It's all about that Vilma play. Though the end result sucks, I think that says a lot about his talent. This was his first game back, so maybe after getting the rust off, those plays will have happier endings.

He's baaaaaaaack.(Getty Images)

Saints Offense Fourth Drive

• Deuce comes back. This drive was very promising with regards to Mr. McAllister. He has runs of 3, 5 and 4 yards along with two receptions of 4 and 6 yards. On the five yard run, Deuce stops and cuts to change direction and looks fine doing it. Choir sings "Hallelujah" Immediately after the run is the two-minute warning. On his walk back to the sideline, he is all smiles as Brees and Karney congratulate him. Remember it, because I think that was the play. He and everyone else knows it. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a running back!
  
• Here is some good news: Devery gets his arms underneath and makes a nice sliding catch on an under thrown ball that almost hits the ground.
  
• Colston uncharacteristically drops a short pass. Then comes the other big play of the night. Brees lofts it up in the end zone and Colston reaches out, pulls it down and tucks it in. His other hand touched the ball for all of about a quarter of a second. Colston's left arm isn't really even necessary, its just a nice luxury. Do you think if Colston lost an arm in some weird accident that he could still play wide receiver? Colston could be the spokesman for Elmer's Glue. Did you guys know that I love Colston?

Review: Good stuff. I liked this drive. Because of the whole Deuce thing, this drive could very well have determined the fate of this teams running game.

I think we all feel the same way about the game, so I won't beat a dead horse (where the hell did that saying come from). We should all be upset with the defense after this showing, but I don't think it necessarily means the season is already in the trash. We should keep in mind that McKenzie still isn't back and that can make a huge difference. Also, both Randall Gay and Usama Young left the game early with injuries.

What do you guys think? What do you gather from all of this knowledge I am dropping on you? What are your feelings about this post?

Just for you guys. Here are some WWL Sports Talk audio clips. In order they are: Sean Payton, Scott Fujita, Jason David, Hokie Gajan and Bobby Hebert. Enjoy.

 New Orleans Saints - SEAN PAYTON

 New Orleans Saints - SCOTT FUJITA
 New Orleans Saints - JASON DAVID
 New Orleans Saints - HOKIE GAJAN
 New Orleans Saints - BOBBY HEBERT

The Saints first home game of 2008, albeit a pre-season game, is in the books. In what will become a tradition here on CSC for all Saints home games, I present to you my personal notes from being at the game and observing all that surrounded me. I have chosen not to look at other websites, read any newspapers or watch any TV yet. What follows is my unfiltered, unbiased opinion of the game. I plan on watching the game a couple of times on Tivo and getting more in depth later. Please note, some of these observations may be completely wrong upon further review, so keep that in mind. It is hard to see everything when watching from my seats. Here are all the notes I wrote (read: typed) into my iTouch during the game.

• The boys were wearing the usual home whites with their gold pants. Pretty standard. I am always a fan of something different, like all black, but whatever.
• The Dome seemed pretty crowded, though not completely a sell out. The atmosphere is always more relaxed for these games and nobody seems to take it as serious as the regular season. And they shouldn't
• The first big play of the night came on a Brees pass to Patten. I know some of you think Meachem is deserving of that second spot, but Patten is a pro. The guy played for the Patriots and he's been around the league for years. He knows what he's doing, and I think it shows. I really don't think anyone is knocking him out of that second spot. I really like him. He's kind of like Colston; doesn't have a big mouth and gets it done on the field. Honestly, he may be one of the more overrated players on this team. I know he's not the biggest guy out there, but he's all professional, all the time and he's got some hands.
• One of the other big plays on the day was the Texans fumbled punt return. Usama Young was all over the returner (don't know who it was without looking it up) but I don't think he actually touched anyone. Plays like that will be important during the regular season.
• Dare I talk about Jason David? I guess we have to. Guys, this was really the most disappointing part of the evening. I can't tell you how helpless and frustrated I (and pretty much everyone in the Dome) felt watching the Texans do pretty much exactly what we watched them do last season.  I believe it was the second Texans drive in which they picked on Jason David three times for big plays in one series, the last time being for a touchdown. Really, this was the definition of deja vu. He was getting booed loudly. I honestly don't really agree with booing your own team, but it is almost getting to the point where it is all the fans can do to let Payton and the rest of the staff know that this just isn't working. We need help here and Jason David isn't the answer. He is clearly the weak link, as I explained to Erin (thats my fiance) who was feeling sympathetic for David. The guy who has the tickets next to me was very irate. I plan to check out the Houston's passing stats, because I really don't think they ever went to Randall Gay's side (their right side). I don't think we could even evaluate him because every play was run at Jason David. Seriously.
  
• Deuce is the other big story of the night I suppose. It was weird. He ran the first play from scrimmage, gaining just a few yards, then immediately ran off the field. At first I thought maybe that was going to be it for Deuce. One play then done. Maybe injury? But he wound up coming back in the second quarter. Certainly there was nothing spectacular about his play today, but it must be good that he was out there and it certainly wasn't bad. Just mediocre. In all honesty, I don't think he was getting too much help from the line.
• Mehlhaff's kickoff's looked fine. Actually, he seems to get a lot of height and hang time on his kickoffs.I don't think any went into the end zone but all of them seemed to be within the five yard line. Gramatica nailed his field goals. I really don' feel like we have learned anything from this match up.
• Our starting defensive line, from where I was sitting, didn't seem to be as aggressive as last week. Only one play comes to mind where we actually pressured their quarterback to throw it away.
  
• Mark Campbell had a chance for a touchdown but dropped the ball that was passed his way. Looked like he took an unexpected hard hit and couldn't hold onto the ball. Probably really should have held onto it.
• Our running game looked like crap. Still nothing to write home about there. I still think they need to start Pierre and let him get into a rhythm.
• Jonathan Vilma was out there, but I really can't remember him doing anything out of the ordinary or special.
• Winn Dixie always plays an ad during the game where they sing their theme song I am assuming is titled, "Getting Better All The Time." It, in fact, is NOT getting better all the time.
• One of the positives tonight was Reggie. Did you guys see that touchdown? It was sick! Yet another Reggie Bush highlight. He hurdled right over a diving tackler and actually landed on his feet like a cat.. He could seriously be on the U.S. Track and Field team for hurdles. They replayed it about 5 times after it happened and it was very reminiscent of his USC and 2006 highlights. It's always scary when he makes those plays because one day he is going to blow out a knee. I believe it was Gayle Sayers who told Reggie a similar thing. Reggie definitely looked hungry and improved, but again, he's not a replacement or answer for a back like Deuce. He is a great weapon to have, but he needs to be used in a special way. The Saints are still in need of an up the middle runner.
  
• Colston had a rare drop on a sure catch, but then made an amazing one handed catch in the end zone right in front of me. Marques pretty much snatched it out of the air. I almost had an action shot of him leaping and making the grab, but alas, it eluded me. His catch and Reggie's leap tied for play of the game. We've got some pretty talented guys on this team.
  
• Aaron Glenn has a nice pass breakup and I actually thought he was going to jump the route and make the interception.
• Brunell actually looked good. He looked like he had a bit left in the tank and some of those balls had a good bit of velocity on them. Not sure whether we would still be able to make the playoffs if Brunell had to lead us, but it certainly wouldn't be awful. We would at least have a chance. I really like him.
• We all got the wave going in the third quarter. The upper deck was a little behind the lower level.
• Lance Moore put an end to the wave when he caught that long pass. It was a good throw by Brunell but a better catch by Lance. The defender was all over him and he still came up with it. Lance Moore...catches...everything. I can't stress that enough. He has great hands. I know the knock on him is that he never does anything with the ball after the catch, and that is certainly fair, but at least you know he is going to come up with it. I think he may make this team.
  
• Kevin Dudley finished off that 82 yard drive, pretty nice for the second team.
• Tracy Porter looked like he still needs some work. He was the culprit on a couple of passing plays. After one play it did look like he still had a bit of a limp. I don't think he is 100%

I have to say I walked away from this game pissed off and disappointed. Bittersweet really. The offense looked pretty good but the defense is just garbage. I am seriously afraid that this season will wind up turning out just like last year. I know we have made lots of changes to the defense, but none of it seems to be making a huge difference. I think we all need to realize that there is no such thing as a quick fix in the NFL. I thought maybe I would regret being so pessimistic in my "inspirational" post a couple of days ago, but I have to say, after this game, I may have been more correct that I ever wanted to be. The hope has certainly been taken out of this season for me and at this point, I definitely enter week one with a mindset of mediocrity.

Here are the pictures I took from the game. I hope you enjoy.

Check out the tat! You don't need to see the whole thing to know what that bad boy says! However, I think it should be a ? and a ! It's a question yet you yell it at the same time.

Walking in the concourse to my seat. This was about 20 seconds before I completely ate it by slipping on some wet tile. This camera barely made it! Believe it or not, I did NOT drink at the game.  Pure carelessness.

MY seats. They are all mine, all year!! One thing I never understood is why they allowed Richard Simmons to upholster the Superdome seating. I mean, since they are spending so much money on fixing up the Dome, why not make the seats black and gold. Or even cooler, make it so that the chairs are colored in such a way as to form the fleur de lis logo in the upper deck. Anything is better than the random seat patterns consisting of incredibly curious color choices. No wonder they won't have a Super Bowl here.

The view from my seats.

More viewage from my seatage.

Get some perspective! God I love football!

For the guys.

More for the guys. Honestly, Erin and I both agreed, the Saintsations seemed a little chunkier this year on the whole. It is NOT because they have decided to place more importance on dancing ability.

For the ladies out there, let me say this: For some reason, jewelry and diamonds sparkle much more under the Dome lighting. Seriously. This picture is pretty pointless because you can't see the sparkle, but if you are recently engaged, or trying to impress a girl with jewelry, take her to the Dome. Can't lose. I don't know what hell it is, but something about the lighting in there is perfect for jewelry.

The defense. Probably about to get toasted.

Patten. Literally right before he made his big grab.

Brees congratulating Patten.

  Reggie and Drew sharing a special moment right after Bush's acrobatic TD.

A dejected Jason David after getting beat...for the third time...in that series!

Colston after his amazing catch. He is so damn awesome! That catch was unbelievable!

Mark Campbell after his big catch and run. Look Stujo, he's okay!

Here is the roll call from the open game thread. Thanks to everyone who participated. You guys might not understand, but it really is a treat to come home from the game and see you guys have all convened here, at CSC, to come talk about the game. I am so proud.

I read over the comments from the open game thread. Thanks to everyone for participating. Next week I will join you all again. To Jjwest11: Great to have you on board and actively participating. I wish you had checked CSC earlier, because the seat went empty. I happened to stumble upon a free ticket late yesterday afternoon and, to my surprise, no friends or family were interested. If you are local, you very much could have been enjoying the game with my fiance and I.

Please leave your own comments/observations/game reviews from yesterday. Since this is my first post-game report from a home game I am definitely interested in hearing your feedback. What do you like? what do you want to see more of? What is your favorite part. Please speak up!

    It's time to put last weeks performance behind us and move on to our next challenge, the Houston Texans. Last years matchup against Houston still makes my blood boil when I think about it. If, for some reason, you ever get nostalgic and start missing Eric Johnson on our team, just watch that game and I promise you, sympathy is not one of the emotions you will feel. The picture becomes clearer with each game and with the return of Devery Henderson, Marques Colston and the one and only Deuce McAllister combined with Tracy Porter's first appearance, more answers will be revealed as we get ever closer to the season. 

    Below is what to keep your eye on during this weeks game and what the Saints need to do to improve on last weeks performance.

Running Backs Deuce is loose baby!! Coach Payton said himself that he expects D Mac to strap it up this weekend for the first time since that fated MNF game (you've never heard 70,000 people get so quiet so fast). How scary cool will it be to finally see Deuce take a hand off in an actual game situation. There is a good chance we will see a deluge of articles from the media this week about Deuce's return, so prepare yourself. Personally, I say they ought to put Deuce and Pierre out there with the first team just to see what would happen. Put Reggie out in the second half with all of the third stringers and let him go nuts. Now that would be interesting. It might actually look like his USC highlight footage. C'mon, it's pre-season, lets mix it up a bit. In all seriousness though, this is our first chance to get a glimpse of Deuce and maybe get a feel for what we can expect out of him this season. This team really needs to step up its running game this year or we are doomed to mediocrity and a dose of Deuce, healthy of course, would do wonders. Hopefully we see some big runs. Pierre will probably yet again over achieve, have a great game and still get no love in regards to first team reps.

Bush has something to prove. (Photo Source)

Reggie Bush Why didn't I just include him in the running back paragraph above? One word: revenge. I don't care what Reggie says, he wants to show everyone that the Texans made a mistake by passing him up and that he is the real number one draft pick from 2006, even if it is just pre-season. He might only play a quarter or so, but he will no doubt be looking to show off his moves and prevent further articles, like this one, to be written. Nothing would make Saints fans happier then to see Reggie run right over Mario Williams and into the end zone.

Cornerbacks We didn't see much in game one from anyone and I think more questions were raised then were actually answered. Certainly nobody stepped up and wowed us. I'm not okay with the "Our defense just needs to be mediocre because our offense is so good" philosophy some people have. We need to be a little bit better than average. I certainly don't think average defenses win Super Bowls. It sure would be nice to see these guys not only break up passes but make big plays and force turnovers. Again, this is where I will be paying close attention. Tracy Porter will be making his debut after missing last week. He certainly has some ground to make up and nothing would help his cause more than a big game on Saturday night. Randall Gay needs to atone for getting caught in soft coverage last week. Usama Young keeps getting some good press but still hasn't seemed to take that next step. He's got a good chance to start but at some point he needs to come up big in an actual game and say, "I'm here, and I'm not going away. You will notice me."

Receivers Of course, everyone will be looking to see if Meachem can repeat last weeks performance and prove he ain't no flash in the pan. Unfortunately, that will be pretty tough. As long as he looks decent, I will be satisfied. This should continue to be the most interesting battle of the pre-season. There are a lot of players on the bubble and they will all be hungry. Devery Henderson will be good to go and he's got a lot of ground to make up. Terrance Copper, Lance Moore and Skyler Green all want to have big games. This position took a hit this week however when Adrian Arrington was diagnosed with turf toe. Just when it was getting good! One of the local news stations here reported that it was more serious then originally reported and the IR list might very well be in AA's near future. Saints fans should talk solace, however, in the fact that beloved Marques Colston will be participating in this weekends showdown.

Offensive Line Some better blocking than what we saw last week would be nice. Early reports from this weeks practices with the Texans seem to allude to the fact that Houston's D-line was looking much better than the Saints O-line and thats not surprising. Houston has a pretty darn good front four so I would say anything better than average from our linemen should be pretty promising. We all know an improved running game is pertinent for the Saints chances of success this season and would make a great complement to our awesome aerial attack and it all starts with the big guys up front. If the Saints get into a goal line situation like last week, make sure to watch for better results and a bigger push this time around.

The Return Game It would be sweet to see Jason David back returning a punt just out of pure curiosity. I will be the first to admit I'm a bit skeptical. It's entirely possibly this is a last ditch effort for the coaching staff to find a reason to keep JD on this roster and that his pass coverage just ain't cuttin' it. We should be seeing some Skyler Green back there as well. These punt returns are actually very important to the players trying to make this team and they will be very hungry so it will be exciting to watch.

Defensive Line Pressure!! Last week looked good so let's keep it up. Sedrick Ellis should build more confidence with each game so lets hope to see better play from him. Again, its all about seeing improvement from week to week and with a decent showing in the first game, the pressure is on. Pun intended. A sack or two would certainly be nice.

Quarterback Tyler Palko better not even think about bobbling a snap!

No Injuries Please.

This is probably everything everyone will be discussing in the media leading up to the game. Feel free to add your own thoughts and observations.

Today we will continue what we started last week with CSC's first ever game predictions. Before we get to your predictions, we have some leftover business to take care of. Let's take a trip down memory lane and see what everyone said last week and find out who was closest and who was way off. Join me, wont you?

Winner: Nobody was dead on this week but I give credit to anyone who said something positive about Meachem and/or Arrington. I think Real Saint was probably the closest however, and so I crown him this weeks winner!

Loser: Xen-Cuts. Meet CSC's resident Debbie Downer. Glad to see he was way off on his prediction for the sake of the team. Maybe we can expect a brighter prediction from Xen today!

Funniest: B-n-G with Walter FTW in a close second.

It's time for round two! Leave your shiny new predictions in the comment section. Last week had a great response, so let's see if we can keep it up or even better, get more!! Kudos to those members who made their CSC debuts with their predictions last week. I encourage you guys to join in the conversation more often. We all want to know what you have to say about the team.

Have fun!!