The Saints just confirmed that Hamilton's ACL is torn and he'll miss the entire season. Bummer! Our depth at RB sure looked better yesterday. It's time for P.J. Hill and Chris Ivory to really step up and prove they're worthy of the 3rd RB spot. Look for Payton and Loomis to bring in another RB soon. Forget about Justin Fargas, though. He just signed with the Broncos. Take a deep breath and relax. We'll get through this.
In other less bummer-esque news from Day 2 of the Saints/Patriots joint practice, both coaches lighten today's load in preparation of preseason game 1 tomorrow night, Malcolm Jenkins wows the crowd with his dance moves, and Tracy Porter celebrates his 24th birthday today. Happy B-day, Tracy! Lots of links, tweets, transcripts, and video after the jump.
TWEETS:
JasonLaCanfora Saints just got MRI results on RB Lynell Hamilton, which confirmed a season-ending ACL injury. They have been looking at RBs lately.
JonVilma51 finished up with a short practice against the pats today, gearing up for our preseason game vs them tomm... i'm... http://fb.me/FSr5JJYj
T_Porter22 Lol I like this RT @blmaniscalco: Happy Birthday @T_Porter22! Peyton Manning #18 + Brett Favre #4 = Tracy Porter (cont) http://tl.gd/32h3qu
JeremyShockey @T_Porter22 Happy B-DAY
jeffduncantp My guess is Saints wait for cuts & scour the waiver wire to find LH's replacement. Goal-line/short-yardage skills are not hard to find.
jeffduncantp As far as a potential replacement for Hamilton, I think the Saints will look for a big back with short-yardage skills. That was LH's role.
bobbymccray RT @JeremyShockey: @T_Porter22 Happy B-DAY
T_Porter22 I would like to thank EVERYONE who wished me a happy bday...it really meant a lot and you guys made me feel special
LanceMoore16 RT @alexbrown96: RT @iWillSmith: Just finish up three practices against the Pats, the trip has been cool so (cont) http://tl.gd/32fqb5
alexbrown96 Seriously! RT @karimarbrown: RT @cnnbrk: "Large" tropical depression heads for #Gulf Coast, #Hurricane Center says. http://on.cnn.com/9lCpN5
Pierre_Thomas dont forget to swing thru my website: http://pierrethomas.com ...up-to-date videos and the chance to win 2 FREE tickets to a home game!
Pierre_Thomas our third practice against the Pats is in the books...now its game time! #saints
LYNELL HAMILTON INJURY:
Saints' Hamilton injures knee in joint practice with Patriots | New Orleans News, Local News, Breaking News, Weather | wwltv.com | Eye on Black and Gold
Lynell Hamilton left Wednesday’s practice with a right knee injury that could put him out for an extended period of time.
New Orleans Saints running back Lynell Hamilton hurt at practice; Reggie Bush returns | NOLA.com
Early reports have him out for the season
NFL.com news: Saints RB shuffle: Hamilton injures right knee, but Bush returns
New Orleans Saints running back Lynell Hamilton left practice Wednesday after injuring his right knee.
AUGUST 11th PRACTICE WITH THE PATRIOTS (There will be no afternoon practice today):
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees weighs in on NFL labor divide | NOLA.com
Brees is outspoken member of the NFL Players Association's executive committee
Practice Observations: Bush returns for light workout | New Orleans News, Local News, Breaking News, Weather | wwltv.com | Eye on Black and Gold
The Saints and Patriots went through a light workout Wednesday morning ahead of their Thursday preseason opener. Bradley Handwerger filed a practice report from it.
New Orleans Saints, New England Patriots lighten the workload Wednesday | NOLA.com
Abbreviated practice session was mostly a half-speed walk-through
New Orleans Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins puts on a show before practice | NOLA.com
He breaks into 'Atomic Dog' dance routine during stretching session
New Orleans Saints Head Coach Sean Payton Post-Morning Practice Transcript (August 11)
New Orleans Saints RB Reggie Bush Post-Morning Practice Transcript (August 11)
New Orleans Saints TE Jeremy Shockey Post-Morning Practice Transcript (August 11)
MISCELLANEOUS:
Forecast: Preseason games - can't watch, can't look away | New Orleans News, Local News, Breaking News, Weather | wwltv.com | Eye on Black and Gold
The best thing about preseason games is looking forward to them because it means football season has arrived, the worst thing about preseason games is everything else.
Dave Dixon was a visionary who got things done | NOLA.com
Funeral today Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church
LATE REPORTS FROM AUGUST 10th AFTERNOON PRACTICE:
New England coach Bill Belichick said Tuesday's work against the New Orleans Saints was productive | NOLA.com
Saints will practice against New England again today
New Orleans Saints getting a pat on the back and want to keep it | NOLA.com
Team hopes to have the same success repeating Super Bowl wins as the New England Patriots
New Orleans Saints are still rock stars of the NFL | NOLA.com
Foxboro, Mass. -- Jon Bon Jovi was on the sideline, and Tom Brady was under center -- but the biggest rock stars at the New England Patriots' training camp were the New Orleans Saints on Tuesday.
Saints' Bush limited in Tuesday afternoon's practice with Pats | New Orleans News, Local News, Breaking News, Weather | wwltv.com | Eye on Black and Gold
Reggie Bush sat through Tuesday afternoon’s practice with the Patriots without going through any drills for an unknown reason.
Patriots learn vs. Saints - BostonHerald.com
FOXBORO - NFL officials were on the field, and so was an opponent for the Patriots to hit. The first preseason game is a day away, but coach Bill Belichick’s team received its initial opportunity to gauge its progress yesterday on the Gillette Stadium practice fields. And it was the Super...
Patriots, Saints share the field - The Boston Globe
New Orleans Saints DE Will Smith hounds Pats QB Tom Brady in afternoon drills | NOLA.com
New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith was a thorn in the side of Patriots QB Tom Brady during Tuesday afternoon's practice, stripping Brady from behind on one play and then batting down a pass on another. Brady was clearly frustrated in the afternoon, the second of three joint practices the teams will hold before meeting in their preseason...
Practice Observations: Saints, Patriots split two-minute drill | New Orleans News, Local News, Breaking News, Weather | wwltv.com | Eye on Black and Gold
The Saints and Patriots practiced for a second time Tuesday. Here's a practice report.
SEAN PAYTON POST-PRACTICE TRANSCRIPT:
Opening Statement:
"We’ll go back to the hotel this afternoon and meet; we’re not going to practice this afternoon. Initially on our schedule we had a practice, but we’ll have meetings, take a look at the tape and meet again tomorrow and get ready to play tomorrow night."
How beneficial have these head-to-head practices been?
"I think at this time of training camp especially it certainly raises your awareness level and it’s certainly a good change of scenery. When you get a chance to see different looks, both offensively and defensively for both teams and as well as in the kicking game, it has really worked out well. I thought we had good tempo and for us it was a little break in the weather from what we’re used to. It has been good."
Have you worked out yet how much the starters will go tomorrow night?
"We’ll take a look at the snaps. We always play maybe a quarter – somewhere around 15 to 18 plays. Generally one group will get more reps in the first quarter and you might have to keep the other group in a little longer to get the snaps even. Then the seconds will get into the third quarter and we’ll make a change again with the thirds."
Do you know what happened to Lynell Hamilton in practice today?
"No, I don’t. We’re going to get an exam right now. It was something that was kind of a freak deal. He planted – and it’s his knee – so we’re hopeful it’s not serious but we’ll find out after he gets examined."
What have the former Patriots players – Randall Gay, Heath Evans and David Thomas – brought to your team?
"Those three guys have certain roles. In Randall’s case, he’s played the nickel for us and he’s played outside. He’s versatile and he has given us a lot of snaps at corner. Heath got off to a good start before his injury last year and in Thomas’ case, he played maybe more snaps than we thought he would after Heath’s injury because he somewhat filled in the role of the ‘F’ as well as at tight end."
What will the rotation be at quarterback tomorrow and what do you expect from the backups?
"Drew (Brees) will get ‘X’ number of snaps and we’ll see how the offense is doing. Patrick (Ramsey) will come in and then with the third wave, you’ll see Chase (Daniel) and we’ll see how many snaps we can get him and whether Sean Canfield gets in in this first game or not."
Overall, how was the whole experience up here?
"It’s been good. It’s been a good opportunity for us to see a lot of things differently than we’ve been used to seeing them and I think it’s good for the players too."
What do you think Rex Ryan brings to the game?
"He has a confidence about him and that certainly rubs off on his team. He’s a good football coach and in a very short time, he has a team believing and playing very well. He’s done a great job."
Do you find him amusing?
"I think he’s very talented. A year ago, I had to do a short piece for Sports Illustrated and I projected the Jets to have a good season and sure enough they did. He’s a guy that has always been respected as a defensive coach and now you see him as a head coach and I think he’s extremely talented. We played them early in the year last year and that’s a real good football team."
As the defending champs, when he starts talking about them winning it this year do you have a reaction to that?
"No. We’re just worried about getting formations right right now."
How important has it been for you to replicate what you did last year from the get-go, starting with training camp?
"You never try to pick up where you left off. We start from scratch again and I think there’s a certain path you have to take that involves a lot of hard work and study and preparation. We’re early in camp still, considering that there are still four preseason games left. We have a lot of work to do and a lot of stuff to clean up. But any time you begin a season, you want to start off on a good note. We were able to do that a year ago and we’ll see what we do this year."
Is Hamilton a guy that needs to play in these games to show anything?
"We saw a lot of him a year ago. He played quite a bit for us in the kicking game as well as on offense. He’s certainly a guy that factored in last year and contributed quite a bit so we know him a little bit better than some of these younger backs."
So if he’s held out tomorrow night, that’s not necessarily fatal for his chances?
"No. Not at all."
Does this team haze rookies and in what form?
"I don’t think so. Occasionally you’ll see them sing a fight song or something like that and we do a rookie show but that’s about it. Maybe they’ll buy some chicken before we go on a plane flight but it’s pretty typical."
Is it a waste of time to do anything more than that?
"That’s just what we do."
Did anything stand out from your conversations with Bill Belichick this week?
"We just had some good visits about both teams and where we’re at in camp and what we’re trying to do. He has been real helpful and they’ve done a great job here. We really talked about this program and this organization in ’06 when we got here and really studying them closely, knowing that they were the model. They’ve been the model for teams in our league to have success."
Is there an ongoing bet with you and Drew Brees on the success of your books?
"Just a small wager. We have a year here though, we have a lot of time. It’s all been good. The focus now is obviously on training camp and everything is going well."
REGGIE BUSH POST-PRACTICE TRANSCRIPT:
Q: Can you talk about the week of work?
A: They’re a really good team. I think we got a lot out of it. It was very productive for us. Hopefully it will carry over to tomorrow and we’ll see what happens.
Q: What do you make of the Patriots saying that they’re trying to measure up to the Saints?
A: I guess that’s a compliment seeing that an organization that we kind of want to be like with everything they’ve done in their careers is where we’re trying to get to. We have a long way to go, but we’re just taking it one game at a time. We’re just trying to finish our final practice before the game tomorrow and we’ll see what happens tomorrow. Like I said, we’re just trying to take it one game at a time.
Q: People were alarmed yesterday when you didn’t take part in the afternoon practice. Was there any reason for that?
A: No, just a little dehydration and cramps in my legs. Other than that it was nothing serious. Practicing today everything was fine. It was just a little bit more precautionary than anything to make sure I was 100 percent for this preseason game tomorrow. I’ll be full go tomorrow in the preseason game.
Q: How productive have these practices been as opposed to just butting heads with people on your own team?
A: I think it’s been very beneficial, because it gives us the chance to look at a different defense and offense and go up against a different team entirely, giving us a chance to compete. Some of the guys that are draft picks and undrafted free agents, it gives them an opportunity to compete and earn their spot. It was really productive at the end of the day.
Q: Has the approach changed since the 2007 season following a successful 2006 where then you started off 0-4?
A: Our whole mentality has changed having won the Super Bowl last year. We have a lot of experienced guys on our team now. We’ve been through a lot. I think that’s prepared us hopefully for years to come we can keep this group and organization together for a couple years and go on a pretty solid run here and be a contender year in and year out.
Q: Did you talk to Lynell Hamilton on that play after he came off the field?
A: I was talking to him and asking him how he felt. Obviously it has something to do with his knee. I don’t know exactly because I’m not a doctor and I wasn’t back there, but I’m hoping for the best and praying for him. Obviously I’m going to go back there and check up on him as soon as I’m done with you guys.
Q: Did the playoffs help build up your confidence?
A: I think it is a little bit of confidence. Coming off of a microfracture surgery that takes a huge blow to an athlete’s confidence and I think the biggest thing we have as athletes is your self-confidence. I think when you chip away at that; it’s tough for us to be who we are. I think once I became healthy as the games progressed throughout the season, I think we started to see a healthy me and more explosive me and then I was back to myself. I was confident and felt great. I think it definitely has a lot to do with the confidence factor.
Q: How much do you expect to play tomorrow night and how much do you have to play in the preseason to be effective?
A: It’s up to coach Payton. I’m not exactly sure, so I can’t speculate on how much I will and won’t play. I’m just ready to go tomorrow and we’ll see what happens. I’m looking forward to this preseason game against the Patriots though.
Q: Can you talk about some of the rookies on your team?
A: Jimmy Graham has done a great job this training camp. He’s really impressed me with his knowledge of the game and his speed with his size. He’s a really good athlete. I’m looking forward to a lot of productivity out of him. Some of the other guys like Chris Ivory, Sean (Canfield) the quarterback and the rookie cornerback (Patrick Robinson). We’re looking forward to getting a lot of production out of those guys.
Q: Can you talk about guys on the Patriots talking about using you guys as a measuring stick?
A: I think that’s probably based on what you did last year. I think when you look at it from an organization standpoint and what they’ve been able to do, we look up to them more, because we’re trying to get to where they have and what (Bill) Belichick has done with this team, the amount of championships he’s won and them just being a contender year in and year out, I think that’s where we want to get to. We had our first taste of success really last year and in my rookie year. There hasn’t been that much. That’s where we want to get to. We want to be a constant contender year in and year out, just constantly winning games.
Q: Do you see the Patriots defense communicating better than on the Monday night game when you played them last year?
A: I think maybe last year we caught them off guard a little bit. When you practice against a team, they get to look at you a little more, so I don’t think we’ll be hanging 38 on them tomorrow, but I think it will be a tough test tomorrow. That’s what we’re here for. That’s what the preseason's for. It’s all about competing and getting better and progressing into that first game of the season. We look forward to this game tomorrow and I think it will be a tough contest.
Q: Did that Malcolm Jenkins dance routine during stretch catch you by surprise?
A: No because we have quite a few guys with us that were in fraternities in college and we joke around with them about the little dances, the fraternity dance. I don’t know what it’s called. I play football. I didn’t do the fraternity thing in college. They do it every now and then and they brag about it. When the song came on that’s the song they do the dance to.
Q: Did you guys encourage him?
A: We did encourage him. When you’re a rookie you have to do what your told. It was his time.
JEREMY SHOCKEY POST-PRACTICE TRANSCRIPT:
How are you guys able to focus on this year when you are coming off the franchise’s first Super Bowl victory?
"Playing in this league, you have to look at it as this is this year and that was last year. This is today, not yesterday. I think everybody on our team has done that. I know a lot of people have speculated ‘do we have the Super Bowl hangover?’ There have only been seven teams who have won it back to back so history tells you it is very hard to do. We are just focused on practice and getting better every single time. That is one thing our team has been very good at and concentrating on. Coming out here and practicing against the Patriots has been good for us. I think we definitely got something out of it."
What is your mindset heading into this season?
"It is a month away so we still have some work to do. Obviously it is early in the preseason. We just have to get better everyday and grind it out."
You have had some soreness in your knee during camp. How are feeling right now?
"I am fine. It’s football. You are going to get sore, nicks and bruises and stuff. I am not really concerned about that. I am just concerned about getting better everyday and I think our football team has gotten better."
Do you still find yourself looking back and celebrating on the great run you guys had last year?
"We have celebrated and did all that but it is time to put some stock into this season coming up not last year. Someone asked me that earlier and if I had to worry about all the teams I have played on through high school, college and every other team I wouldn’t be able to concentrate on the team I am on now. I look at it day by day and feel fortunate I am here with a guy that drafted me in Sean (Payton) and great teammates."
What are your thoughts on Jets head coach Rex Ryan’s style?
"I just worry about my team – that’s it."
How did the practices go with the Patriots?
"We have definitely gotten better here. I know coach (Sean Payton) always wanted to emulate this team as much as possible. I think this team does a great job on and off the field. I think our team has proven to everyone that we can be as notable as the Patriots."
Is it hard to think that the Patriots have been talking about looking up to you guys and your success?
"It’s not hard. I think both teams worked hard this week and we have one more day of work here tomorrow. We definitely got something out of it. The goal was to make each other better and I think we have done that."
Is your short hair here to stay?
"Till it grows (laughter)."
VIDEO:
| New Orleans Saints video: Insights into Saints-Patriots practice |
| New England coach Bill Belichick loves the Saints offense |
| Getting ready for Day 2 in New England |
| Saints defensive end Will Smith on New England compliments of the team |
| Saints running back Reggie Bush on practice against the Pats |
| Rickey Jackson addresses Madden Gras crowd |
| Joe Horn, Mike McKenzie take part in Madden Gras festivities |
| Can the New Orleans Saints repeat as champions? |