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 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!!

This will be the only practice of the day since Coach Payton has canceled this afternoon's practice.

Must Reads

Fox 40's offensive notes form the morning practice.

Fox 40's defensive notes from the morning practice.

New Orleans Saints official website report from the morning practice.

Times-Pic's notes from the morning practice.

Larry Holder's notes from his blog.

Here is the transcript of Coach Payton's press conference today, per the New Orleans Saints official website.

Opening Statement: The afternoon practice today is cancelled. We’ll go two tomorrow. We livened it up a little bit this morning and got some full contact work, which was good. Andy Alleman has a hip contusion; he didn’t go and I think he should be ready tomorrow. Adrian Arrington is still working with the turf toe – it’s pretty serious. Bobby McCray should be ready tomorrow – he didn’t practice. Jeremy Shockey – the same way, did not practice. Brian Young – the same. We signed long snapper Ryan Senser who we had at the beginning of camp and James Reed was placed on reserve/injured with the Achilles injury he had yesterday. Our numbers are still at 80.

Q: Is Adrian Arrington still at camp?

A: Yes. He was in the training room because of the nature of his injury. It’s pretty significant; it’s going to be a little bit here for him. It will be at least a week. We’ll see where we’re at then.

Q: What exactly is Arrington’s injury?

A: It’s a grade two turf toe, which is the ligament below the big toe. He hurt in the game the other night and he’ll have to rehab that.

Q: Terrance Copper had his leg wrapped in practice. Is he alright?

A: He’s fine.

Q: Did Reed tear his Achilles?

A: He tore his Achilles yesterday.

Q: There was a lot of emphasis on the run today in practice. Is that more for the defense?

A: It was for the offense as well. We went in with the idea that we’d back off this afternoon and we wanted to have a physical practice in the running game. You get accustomed to this “full-go up” and then when you go live, it changes things. I wanted to see the backs finish and people on the back end with their run fits, and I think we got good work. Guys stayed healthy and played hard on both sides.

Q: How has Jason David looked? Has he improved since last year?

A: He’s doing well. I think so.

Q: Will there be meetings this afternoon or are the players completely off?

A: There will be a normal meeting schedule this afternoon and evening; that’s the same. They’re just going to be off their feet and we’ll have two practices tomorrow.

Q: Do you think you need to be better in short yardage than you were last year?

A: Our short yardage numbers last year were pretty good. There were goal line situations that concerned me a little bit more that come to mind. One was against Philadelphia at the end of the season where we got stopped on three plays, and it’s definitely an emphasis. It’s hard in training camp to get all the work, but the preseason games give you an opportunity to see where you’re at. But both goal line and short yardage need to be areas that we operate efficiently in; especially the goal line. If you look at last year’s numbers, that’s an area that I think we can do better in – our goal line running game.

Q: In short yardage defense, how much of it depends on the defensive tackles getting push at the point of attack?

A: It’s a push both ways. You’re pushing offensively and defensively you’re having to fit your gap and get penetration. Part of it is the scheme you choose to do with your running game, but part of it is that 1-2 and being physical. It was good to get some of that today. Some of it came up in the script where it just happened to be third-and-one as we moved the ball. Again, getting off the field on third-and-one defensively is critical and being able to convert those downs offensively as well. Knowing that there is a good chance that you’re going to run the football and the defenses know that and still being able to get the yard-and-a-half that you need is important.

Q: Did we see Thursday night just how valuable Mark Campbell can be?

A: He’s coming off of a year without playing, so I was encouraged in that first preseason game to see him make some tough catches, take some hits and get up. I thought he did pretty well for the first preseason game. He’s done a good job.

Q: Was that your high school coach out there today?

A: No, he was here this week and left yesterday. Bill Mallory – who used to be the head coach at Indiana University came in yesterday and will be here for a few days. I think that’s who you saw out there today. Bill’s son is with us as the assistant special teams coach, Mike Mallory. He knows a few of the guys on this staff and he’s come to visit with us, which has been good.

Q: Who has been consistently getting good performance reviews in the offensive line/defensive line areas?

A: I thought Jonathan Goodwin had a good game the other night. Jon Stinchcomb has been solid. Those guys up front have been pretty solid. There are some things that we needed to clean up with the second group. Jammal Brown has had a good camp and he’s healthy. This time last year he had that injury and that kind of set him back a few weeks to the start of the season. He’s healthy now and he’s had his best offseason since we’ve been here and I think that’s carried over to how he’s playing. Defensively, we have some guys that are nicked up in Brian Young and Bobby McCray, but both ends – Will Smith and Charles Grant – are healthy. Sedrick Ellis is getting a lot of work and a lot of reps and Kendrick Clancy is doing a good job. He’s in there battling with Hollis Thomas and he’s been consistent. We have a lot of time still and a lot of practices left. We’ll have two tomorrow and then break camp and the focus then goes to Wednesday’s and Thursday’s practices with the Texans as we prepare to play them then on Saturday night.

Q: Do you see Carl Nicks as competing for a starting role?

A: He has a chance to compete. We wanted to get the 1s going and then at some point get Nicks some reps with that group because he also had to go to tackle in the later part of the game. In order to get him some work at guard, we did it a little earlier. He’s big and he’s done some good things. Mentally, there are some things that he has to work on. He had a (mental error) in the game the other night that Reggie Bush turned into a big run. As a rookie, there are some positives but there’s still a lot of work ahead of him to develop. He has size and he’s powerful.

Q: Who do you see as being the key figures in the punt and kick return game at this point?

A: There are three or four guys that we’re going to look at as punt returners: Reggie Bush, Lance Moore, Skyler Green, and then we’re going to look at Tracy Porter and Jason David. In the kick return game, you saw Pierre Thomas the other night with a big play, Aaron Stecker, Robert Meachem, Devery Henderson – all of those guys throughout this preseason are going to be called on to get work.

Q: Do you see Green and Moore competing for one spot?

A: I don’t know if it’s just those two competing for one spot. Certainly Skyler is competing for a roster spot and Lance is competing both at the receiver and the returner spot. There’s a lot of competition there and you have to take into account what these guys can do on special teams when it comes to your final 53.

Q: What would set one of the two kickers apart if they’re playing for one spot?

A: One thing about the kickers is that you can really chart every kick in practice and in scrimmages and then in the games and begin to get percentages to understand a) their accuracy when it comes to field goals and PATs, and then b) their kick hang-time and location when it comes to kickoffs. That’s unlike a lot of other positions, so there is a little bit more exactness to their performance and that’s a good thing. Over a period of time – and what’s important is time – through training camp and preseason week one, two and three, you begin to get an idea of who is batting at a higher percentage and that’s important when it comes to evaluating that position.

Q: So it’s a lot more intricate than just missed and made field goals?

A: It’s a confidence level as to what their efficiency is. When it comes to the preseason games, you don’t have the same percentages. Maybe Mehlhaff just had one kick the other night and that’s it. But every kick they kick out here in practice is charted, so I think they understand that not only is it charted but the snap-hold time is charted and you begin to know fairly soon as to who has been more consistent. That being said, I think both of them are in a strong battle. Both of them are competing and the good news is that they have three-and-a-half more weeks still with more games to play and more practices. It might be a little bit easier to evaluate that position than some others that might be a little bit more nebulous.

Q: How much patience do you have with that? It seems that Gramatica has been more consistent but does Mehlhaff being the rookie with potential carry extra weight in the decision?

A: I think it’s really important for us to play the best player. Martín has been consistent. When we brought him in last year, he came in in a tough situation and did a good job. For Taylor’s case, he has a challenge to beat out a player like that. He has to beat him out. I think both of those guys are doing a good job right now, so we’ll see.

Q: With Arrington’s injury keeping him out for a while, have you had enough of a chance to evaluate him at this point?

A: Even in the minicamps he had done a lot of things that had encouraged us and again early in this camp. He had a slight hamstring which kind of slowed him down some, but I like the prospect. He’s big and he’s smart and he knows what we’re doing. The key is just getting healthy and that’s tough.

Q: Can you discuss the contributions of Scott Fujita since you acquired him?

A: He is somebody both Gary (Gibbs) and I both had with the Cowboys and he was a free agent when we came here and we signed him. He’s played outside linebacker. He’s somebody that has really had to earn a lot. He was a walk on in college and a late draft pick in Kansas City. He’s been a guy that’s worked hard, detailed his assignments and he’s one of the veteran players on this team. Still, there are certain areas and specifics you’re looking for improvement on, but he does provide veteran leadership and is one of our core players.

Q: Can you discuss how he is so consistent?

A: He keeps himself in shape, he works hard in the offseason. He’s a good athlete who’s big and has range. There are things he’ll give you and things he’ll continue to work on and improve. He’s been a good acquisition for us.

Q: You hear a lot about Fujita, Jonathan Vilma and Mark Simoneua, what about Scott Shanle and his play?

A: He had a good game the other night and he’s playing well. He has good foot speed, he runs well, is athletic and gives you good nickel snaps. He’s had a good camp, he’s stayed healthy, so that’s been encouraging.

Q: Is the kicking competition close and would you consider keeping both on the roster?

A: I think you consider that. But until you get to those final cuts until you look at the comparison at that point you are comparing the second kicker to someone else who will get a certain number of snaps. Right now the competition’s close. That’s something that down the road will become one of the tough decisions we will have to make. Right now, it is a competition that is very close that you potentially weigh in. The challenge isn’t keeping two on the 53 (man roster). The challenging is keeping two active when you go from 53 to 46. That’s the trick, because now when you get to that 46, if you’re taking two kickers, which we’ve done before, now you’re taking one less tight end or one less cornerback. That’s the trick.

Q: Is it impossible to now stash guys on injured reserve due to rules changes?

A: You have your practice squad and you have your active roster. Your practice squad doesn’t secure a player. A player on the practice squad can be claimed by any team. The key is the player receiving enough reps and us receiving enough looks to make the proper evaluation. The thing that keeps you up at night right now is knowing you have some decisions to make and wanting to make the right one.

Q: Dallas gave the kicking job to a rookie last year and other teams like New England have done so in the past. As a head coach, knowing that you play only 16 games and the magnitude of each game, are you a little concerned about going with a rookie?

A: I’m not concerned with giving any job to a rookie if we’ve seen enough, like we did with Marques Colston. You can’t completely compare a receiver to a kicker, but we saw enough from Colston to feel like he was playing better than the starter playing ahead of him. It’s the moment of truth where you make the decision and you that what you have gotten is what you will receive during the season. At some point, and I’m not talking about Taylor (Mehlhaff), these kickers started somewhere. Somebody had to say that he’s going to kick for our team whether they were rookies or maybe they didn’t kick their first year. At some point, a coach said that one of these guys was going to be his kicker and then you go from there. We’re going to try to keep the one who’s most consistent and not factor in that one’s been a draft pick and one hasn’t. That’s been our approach. Those two guys both know that. The key for us is to make the right decision based on what we’ve seen.

Q: Don’t you leave yourself open to second guessing if you keep one and make the wrong decision?

A: Not just with kickers. We signed (Olindo) Mare last year and we had success the year before with (John) Carney and it didn’t work out. There’s reason to criticize and ask if we had done it over again would we have done the same thing? Probably not. You try to make the best decision based on your evaluation and what you think will help the team with these cuts coming.

Q: Do you think about that decision a lot?

A: Yes, everyday. I think about these decisions everyday. That decision is one of these decisions. I think about how the running back position will shape up. I think about how the corners will shape up and how it will sort out at tight end. Within each group, you begin to look at how you see this roster taking place without trying to pre-evaluate and really go by what you see. Fortunately we still have a long way to go here in the preseason. Hopefully the decisions will become clearer.

Q: What is the injury that has kept Jeremy Shockey off the field for much of camp?

A: It’s still his lower leg/ankle. It’s the injury he had in New York. He’s battling through it and just getting himself to where he feels 100 percent. Today we had contact, he’s part of the walk throughs. I think we’re getting to where we’ll have him full go. I don’t know that we’ll have him for the Houston game, but I think after that for those last two preseason games you see him with no limit at all. That’s kind of been the goal with him. He’s doing fine. He’s picking things up and he’s going to give us a boost when he gets in there.

Q: How did Usama Young grade out in the last game?

A: Pretty well.

Q: Is he getting a look because he’s an unknown commodity?

A: He played some nickel for us last year, so he’s in the mix there with those guys. He’s big, he’s physical and he’s in his second year now.

Q: Can you discuss the large number of snaps on defense and special teams he received?

A: He received a lot and when you take out (Mike) McKenzie and (Tracy) Porter out and all of a sudden you look at those numbers. (Jason) Craft received a lot of reps. Aaron Glenn received a lot of reps. There are players injured behind them, like at receiver. Terrance Copper was in the 30’s (reps). That’s a lot for a guy like him. With guys that are injured at some of these positions, it just forces you to play some players maybe more than you normally would.

Q: Is Mike McKenzie still progressing along the lines of where you want him to?

A: Yes, he was full go in the drills today. I don’t know if he made any tackles, but he was in the drills. He’s getting there.

Q: Is he fluid and are you satisfied with his progress?

A: Yes, he’s getting there. I don’t know if he’s 100 percent yet, but he’s getting there.

Here are some initial observations after having watched the game twice (Tivo is a bloggers best friend). All discussion, agreement and disagreement is welcome.

This was the play of the game. (Associate Press)

Wide Receiver Battle Heats Up This will no doubt be what everyone is talking about today. David Patten should feel like a proud pop after Meachem's performance last night. We know the veteran receiver has been Meachem's biggest supporter and last night all their workouts together paid off. Meachem was just plain nasty! The first catch, an over the shoulder grab on an overthrown ball showed us just how much talent he has. The touchdown grab in the fourth quarter displayed his YAC ability after a spin move and a stiff arm helped him gain another 54 yards after the catch.

Meachem's performance last night was promising to say the least. It's his second year so that rookie buzz doesn't surround him anymore but it would be fair to view him as just that, a rookie. Saints fans should count their blessings because not very often do we have the pleasure of seeing two first round draft picks make their NFL debuts in one season. We should expect a lot out of this kid. Coming off a season when the Saints had the  number one offense in the league, Payton <em>still</em> used a first round pick on Meachem, so you better damn well believe he had a reason. That being said, we need to remember that this was just one game and pre-season games should never be used as accurate measuring tools. Meachem faced some pretty weak tackling.

Adrian Arrington also stepped it up last night and showed us why we have been talking about him the last two weeks of training camp. One of his two catches was nice as he came back to the ball and got his body in front of the defender.

That being said, the wide receiver battle has gotten more interesting. Meachem and Arrington both having good games means Copper, Moore, Henderson, Green and Blythe are in trouble.

Pass Rush The pass rush looked much improved. We seemed to be a step quicker and got much more pressure and penetration. Nothing amazing from Sedrick Ellis but I think he will be fine. One thing I am worried about, however, with our new pass rush that I noticed last night. Sending everyone over the line is risky. When you get good penetration in the backfield, you really have to get to the quarterback quickly otherwise the space behind those defensive linemen opens up. If a quarterback can get a short pass off quick enough, they can exploit this gap, dink and dunk, and allow the receiver to pick up lots of extra yardage after the catch. This was the case on several big plays early in the game last night.

Other random notes:

• The Saints got off to a great start, their first drive going for 80 yards. 25 of those were on penalties however.
• Brees of course was solid going 6/7 for 40 yards. The throw to Patten was pure beauty. The new goatee, however, is not. My fiance and I disagree on this point, as she liked Drew's younger new look. What does she know, she has poor taste in men!
• I am pleased with Bush's performance. Reggie tried between the tackles quite a few times but not much was to be gained. In fairness, the line was not doing a great job of blocking. Reggie also showed some promise by breaking two decent size runs, but were both called back due to penalty. Nothing last night said this couldn't be his big year.
• Brunell was pretty good also going 10/12. Good news in the horrific event that Brees goes down. Palko is just too shaky and inconsistent
  
• Lance Moore got a shot with the first team and was fairly unimpressive. His stock may have fallen after last night.
• The first team offensive line didn't look so hot. Reggie didn't have much to work with and as usual the Saints had to get it down through the air. This really needs to be cleaned up. Our running backs can only take so much of the blame.
• Mark Campbell is making a case for the second tight end spot. He had 4 catches for 42 yards. I thought for sure we might see some Billy Miller but he was no where to be seen.
• Mark Simoneau, yet again, refuses to go down without a fight when it comes to the starting spot. Simoneau had a nice sack in the first quarter. Hopefully Vilma will get a chance to show us what he's got and make his own argument.
• Stecker looked pretty solid. More reason why I really don't think we need to even be thinking about bringing in a veteran back. I think we're covered, you just have to have faith.
• Randall Gay was doing his best Jason David impression on the defensive first series, getting beat pretty badly on one play. Usama Young had to come in to make the tackle. Please not again this year...please. Jason David was trying not to do his best Jason David impression. Honestly, I don't feel like the cornerback picture has cleared up any after last night. We did not look much improved on that end. Hopefully this gets addressed or tonights performance was an aberration.
  
• Nothing too special in the return game, certainly not on Skyler Green's part anyhow. In fact, Pierre Thomas had the best run back of the game. Nothing else impressive from Pierre unfortunately.
• Mehlhaff made his field goal but skulled a kickoff. That may have been done on purpose however. The ESPN announcers seemed to think it was Gramatica's job to lose.
• Orien Harris looked pretty good tonight as well. He and Usama led the team with five tackles.
• I am glad the two Saints MNF games are home, meaning I will be in attendance and I won't have to listen to the "fingernails scratching on a chalkboard" sound that is Tony Kornheiser's voice. I do like his Ed Hochuli banter though.

Monday's two-a-days are over. Here is your essential info from this afternoon's practice session. More to come when it is released!

Must Reads

Fox 40's offensive notes from the afternoon practice.

Fox 40's defensive notes from the afternoon practice.

New Orleans Saints official website afternoon notes.

Times-Pic afternoon notes.

Larry Holder's notes from the afternoon.

Transcript of Coach Payton's press conference.

Transcript of Reggie Bush interview.

Transcript of Adrian Arrington interview.

Skyler Green's latest diary entry for WWL.

Check out today's photos from camp, thanks to the Clarion Ledger. Feel free to post your favorites in the FanShots.

The Times-Pic video wrap up of the days events.

The Associated Press had a story on defensive end Bobby McCray.

"When you start with a new team you have something to prove," McCray said. "You don't want to keep dwelling on what you've done in the past. If you just come in lackadaisical, they're going to feel like you're a bust and you don't want to have that on your shoulders."

"They think I'm probably just a slim defensive end that's just going to try to give you speed, but I'm going to give you variety," McCray said. "I can mix it up. I can beat you inside, beat you outside. I might run through you. You've just got to be ready for it."

"But I guarantee they're going to open their eyes and realize what we've got on that roster and what we've got coming in on Sunday."

The Saints had off yesterday and that gave everyone, myself included, a much needed break. That being said, there isn't too much to report. The action returns full speed tomorrow and, of course, Thursday is the big day; the first preseason game!!! I think our friend cgolden from SB Nation's Cardinals blog, Revenge of the Birds, will stop by and answer some questions about his team and what we can look for while we watch the Cards lose. Badly. And of course we will have our first open thread of the 2008 season and my first with Canal Street Chronicles! We got a good response when I asked who would be taking part in the open thread, so I expect all of you to be there and the turnout to be great! Enough of my excited blabbering and on with some links. I will return later for some training camp updating.

Another Saints Minute video with Mike Nabors from Cox Sports TV. Skyler Green is the subject this time.

Big Chief Deke Bellavia from WWL's Sports Talk gave out grades for the team in his Black and Gold progress report. He gave the Saints an overall grade of B. For detailed analysis and individual position grades check out the whole article.

I guess the Times-Pic must have read Stujo4's Fujita FanPost, because they wrote this article about #55.

"I think I just bring an unchanging work ethic more than anything else," Fujita said, offering a reason. "And I have a good relation´ship with this coaching staff and with (linebacker coach) Joe Vitt, and I'm just always working to get better. I know that at some point my days in this city are going to be numbered.

"And I think it's having kind of a former walk-on mentality. Being a walk-on in college is where I feel like any day could be my last day or any play could be my last play. I just kind of approach everything that way. I'm always trying to get better and I try not to take any´thing for granted."

"There's always kind of a concern with guys like me where they almost put too much pressure on themselves. And I think at times I have been guilty of that and at times I'm probably still guilty of that. But as I've aged and gotten more comfortable with the teams I've been with I think you learn to relax a little bit.

"And that's important and that's a big part of success. But I think being demanding of yourself and coming in, I come in every year trying to be the most conditioned guy on the team, and I think that helps me as well."

"No question about it, we've got better competition right now out there at every position," defensive coordinator Gary Gibbs said. "So that competition is the impetus, I think, that will allow us to be a better football team because every´body knows that no job is secure."

"It's just because I know in this league, especially at the linebacker position, they're always looking for some younger, faster, prettier looking linebacker -- and they're always searching. At any point they can come in and try to replace me. And I know that at some point that's probably going to happen. Until then, I'm just going to come in and keep working away and do my best and try to be the best player I can for this team."

"That, and trying to do something great," he said. "I think it's a combination of all those things. Personally, I'm not big on the whole accolades and all the Pro Bowl stuff and all that.

"But once I get a Super Bowl, by all means I will have accomplished pretty much everything in life. I've got the wife, I've got the kids, I've got the college degree. Once I get that, then I can sail off into the sunset."

The Advocate. Getting to know you article. Mark Campbell.

“I wish I would have hurt my back the first day of training camp, then I wouldn’t have had to go through camp,” Campbell joked after a hot, steamy practice last week. “But truthfully, it was a struggle. It was a mental struggle more than anything else because it wasn’t as bad as a torn ACL.”

“That’s what I consider my strength,” he said. “Absolutely, I know where I make my money and it’s up on the line of scrimmage blocking. That’s not to say I can’t make plays. I’ve made plays throughout my career, but the reason I’ve played 10 years is because I can block.”

“Coming to camp, one of the things I thought about occasionally was there was going to be the test when we put our pads on and continuously hit,” he said. “That would be the test for me to see how I felt. I passed with flying colors, and I don’t even think about it any more.”

On Jeremy Shockey.

“Obviously, when he gets on the field we’re really going to appreciate him,” Campbell said. “He’s one of the best in the game, so we’re excited.

“We would be the ultimate tight end if they could be put our bodies together,” he said with a laugh. “That’s one of the things that will be a strength for us, no question.”

Mike Detillier had his usual Sunday article for Houma Today. This week, Mike fantasizes a little and came up with a list of players he would add to each team to help them get to the Super Bowl. He picks Champ Bailey for the Saints.

10. New Orleans Saints-Champ Bailey-cornerback (Denver Broncos)

Bailey is 30 years old, but he is still the best man-to-man cover cornerback in the league. With an improved pass rush and a healthy Jonathan Vilma in the middle, Bailey would be the final key for the Saints to make it deep into the playoffs.

He also has a list of Saints players to keep your eye on as you watch the game on Thursday.

More predictions and analysis from hardcore gamblers and Vegas handicappers. The news is good. Here is how they sum it up.

NFL Predictions 2008 New Orleans Saints – 1st NFC South

We don't expect the Saints to get off to a 0-4 start again and the result will be a league title. The defense is going to make mistakes, but it will be an improved unit with several key additions. The offense is as explosive as there is in the league.

For those fantasy football lovers, CBS Sports has an analysis of Deuce McAllister and the value you should expect to get from him this season if you decide to pick him up.

Outlook: McAllister will probably start but is a candidate for about 800 yards rushing and five touchdowns, which makes him a No. 3 Fantasy option at best. Draft him as a reserve to fill out your roster and hope he can return to his form of 2006.

Skyler's the Limit <--Pretty clever huh? Skyler Green was the man of the hour yesterday after his performance during the scrimmage. Being a local product, he is already a fan favorite, however it is widely believed that Green's chances of making this team as a wide receiver alone are slim to none and his special teams work will have to be what puts him over the edge. Heck, 52% of you, the majority I might add, chose him as the one receiver who doesn't make the team. Fortunately for Green, he is making a solid case. Was this kickoff return just a flash in the pan or can we expect him to regularly dial in this Devin Hester-like performance? Hester has shown the entire league the importance and power of a good return game, and that is a weapon the Saints have missed since Beer Man rode his beer truck out of town. All of this leads us to the "question of the day" below. Until then, here is your daily linkage.

If you want to hear Bobby Hebert's take on yesterday's scrimmage, check this article that includes an audio interview with the Cajun Cannon.

The usual Cox Sports TV Saints Minute video with Mike Nabors. This one features Marques Colston. Colston says Arrington is ahead of where Colston was at that point in his career. Awesome!

The Advocate's latest story offers quotes from Doug Marrone about an improved Saints offense.

“There really is room for improvement,” said Doug Marrone, the Saints’ offensive coordinator/offensive line coach. “Every year is a different year. We want to see our players that did well the year before do even better. It all comes down to making sure we’re putting them in the best position to make plays. That’s what we try to do.”

“This game is ever-evolving, you go back and you look at what you did last year and you want to build on it,” he said. “Then, you look back on what you didn’t do well and then you start doing some research. You’re always trying to stay ahead or catch up to what the defense is going.”

“We’re looking forward to having all those guys for the offense,” Marrone said. “It always goes down to the same thing: how the defense is going to perceive those players, how they’re going to try to defend those players.

“If they’re the ones they’re trying to defend, the other players have to get open. So everything really complements itself. The good thing is that we have a quarterback that can find the open target.”

Sedrick Ellis is starting to look good and here is what he had to say about his performance yesterday via this Times-Pic story.

"I think we did really well, especially on the D-line, " Ellis said. "We made some plays and got after the quarterback. We've got some wrinkles to iron out, but it was a pretty good day.

"It feels good to make any plays out here. You're in the NFL now, not in college anymore. Whenever you get a chance to make a play to help your team, it always feels good. I think I personally had two sacks. I don't think they gave me one, but it was obviously a sack in my opinion."

The kicking battle is starting to heat up and its neck and neck. WWLTV.com gets a little deeper into the conflict.

This is the third year in a row that it's happened to me," said Gramatica, who played six seasons with Tampa Bay before splitting the 2006 season at Indianapolis and Dallas.

 

"I don't put any extra pressure on myself. I've put enough on myself to do the best that I can, it doesn't matter who they bring in."

"I've been fortunate enough to get shots," he said. "I've been out of football a couple of times and got opportunities. That's pretty much it, getting second chances."

Mehlhaff, on the other hand, is pretty cocky for a rook.

"You line me up against anyone on kickoffs and I can outperform them," Mehlhaff said. "I have so much confidence in my kickoffs, whether it's hang time or distance. I've got a big leg."

The Times-Pic had an article about Mark Simoneau and Skyler Green, who both had good days yesterday during the scrimmage.

Mark Simoneau

"I mean every time you go out there, it's an opportunity, " said Simoneau, who last season beat back a challenge by free-agent acquisition Brian Simmons and spent time on the sideline Saturday conversing with his latest challenger. "We've still got four preseason games left and a lot of training camp. I'm just looking to improve every play and get better.

"Jon and I get along fine. Playing the same position, we talk things over, how you see something. If you can help each other on a certain key you see and work that back and forth, it's only going to make you a better player.

"I knew he wasn't going to go. You know it's the 10th or 11th day out here, more like a game situation. It's still not like a game. You get a little simulation. But it's good to come out and try to make plays and execute what you've been learning."

Skyler Green

"I cut to the middle of the field, and whenever I see a crease I take it, " Green said of the kick return. "I saw the open field and I saw the green grass, and I took it."

"I think I went out and did everything I could do to show the coaches I've improved since I've been with the New Orleans Saints, and I'm ready to play some football. I can be a guy they can depend on to make some plays. I made the plays when they were there to be made. The return meant a lot to me. It showed the coaches I'm going to be a return guy, but I think I also showed them I can play wide receiver."

The Sun Herald says Reggie wants to prove himself this year. Where have I heard that before?

Reggie ignores Kim at training camp?

Question of the Day: Does Skyler Green make this team? Does yesterday's kickoff return change your feelings about Green in any way? Okay, that's two questions but whatever.

Saints fans got a chance to see close to game like situations today during the full go up intra squad scrimmage today, family day at training camp. On the whole, I would have to say the team looked pretty good, particularly the defense, and we should be pleased with what we have seen so far.

Notes from the game:

• Colston didn't play.
• Lance Moore looked pretty good and scored the first touchdown.
• We saw a bit more of the kicking battle. Mehlhaff went 4/4 while Gramatica only went 4/5.
• Reggie Bush saw the ball a lot and scored a touchdown on a short pass.
  
• Sedrick Ellis seems to be making up for lost time and has almost caught up with everyone else. He had a sack, possibly two.
• Scott Shanle also tallied a sack.
• Aaron Glenn was all over the place and defended three passes. He may be old but he certainly has a chance to make this team as a nickel or dime back.
  
• Drew Brees went 7/13 for 88 yards and 2 TD's. Pretty good.
• The defense as a whole looked pretty solid. Can't say enough about this defensive line.
• Skyler Green had probably the play of the day with a 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. That should greatly help his chances of making this team.
  

Must Reads

New Orleans Saints official website notes from scrimmage.

Times-Pic's notes from scrimmage.

Fox 40's offensive notes from scrimmage.

Fox 40's defensive notes from scrimmage.

Transcript of post scrimmage press conference with Sean Payton.

The New Orleans Saints official website has a Q & A's with punter Steve Weatherford and receiver David Patten.

The Advertiser had, what else, a getting to know you type article about Aaron Glenn.

When I was coming out (of college)," Glenn said. "I thought this would be one of the places I went. This was one of the teams I visited.

"I guess things just come back around in life. Just having the opportunity to play here and it being close to my home in Texas, it worked out being a pretty good deal for me."

"I'm out there just playing," Glenn said, "and whatever role that the coaching staff wants me in, I'm willing to do that. I always go out there and prepare as a starter because you never know what happens.

"Last year when I was with Jacksonville, I was told I was going to be the nickel and be the fourth corner and I ended up starting seven games."

"We have a great group of guys here," he said. "It's good to be on a team where you have a whole secondary that's eager to learn, that's eager to get better. That's what we have here."

"We have a great group of guys here," he said. "It's good to be on a team where you have a whole secondary that's eager to learn, that's eager to get better. That's what we have here."

"No matter how old I get or what happens, I feel I can go out there and compete and play at a high level," Glenn said.