Football Gumbo: Saints Bye Week Edition

“But there’s nothing like sampling a little gumbo, a little jambalaya and then diving face-first into a shrimp boil.” - Chris Low, ESPN.com.

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Hello folks and welcome to this new Saturday feature: a tasty mix of news and stories related to the Saints’ upcoming game. But wait...there is no upcoming game tomorrow, since the Saints are in their bye week. However, we can take a look at what happened last week and what’s to come for the Black and Gold as they rest and heal before embarking on their pursuit of the number one seed in the NFC.

Like a good gumbo, this series is full of all sorts of awesome ingredients and I will even occasionally add the slightly odd piece of news in the stew. Let’s dive in face-first!

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Crescent City Gumbo

• Three things we learned from Saints vs. the Cardinals, via NFL Network.

• Who is the Best Team in the NFC? NFL Network’s Deion Sanders weighs in.

• The Saints Have Found the Formula for Success, according to Prime Time

• Saints Eased Drew Brees Back into the Offense: NFL Network’s analyst Cynthia Frelund breaks down Brees’ performance against the Cardinals.

• Watch Teddy Bridgewater Strut His Stuff: The Saints’ quarterback was back at his high school (Miami Northwestern) and got his #SupaStrut on. Via neworleanssaints.com.

• 2019 Might Be Sean Payton’s Best Coaching Job Yet: John DeShazier of neworleanssaints.com talks about how through eight games, Payton has beautifully adapted to challenging circumstances to lead the Saints to a 7-1 record.

• Midseason MVP Awards: Rod Walker of nola.com dishes out his midseason awards for the 7-1 Saints.

• Get Out of Here!: Amy Just of nola.com recounts how Payton learned how to manage his bye week schedule and why the Saints are 8-2 after the bye since 2009.

• More Midseason MVPs: Our Bob Rose gives us some candidates for Saints offensive MVP through eight games.

• With Brees Back, Hill Can Be the Swiss Army Knife Again: Our Don Kellum dissects Taysom Hill’s increased role with the return of Drew Brees.

• No Sore Thumb for Brees: The Saints’ quarterback came out of the Cardinals game unscathed. Via nola.com.

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A Taste from Around the League

• T.Y. Hilton Out for 3-4 Weeks: The Colts’ talented wide receiver has suffered multiple injuries in his career and is now out with a calf. The Saints play the Colts in Week 15 (December 16) on Monday Night Football. Via nfl.com.

• Niners LB Kwon Alexander Out for Season: The former LSU standout is ouf to the year with a torn pectoral muscle. Previously with the Buccaneer, Alexander was acquired by San Francisco in free agency. New Orleans plays San Francisco in the Dome on December 8. Via nfl.com.

• No Josh Gordon for the Saints: The Seattle Seahawks claimed former Patriots WR Josh Gordon off waivers. Some Saints fans had hoped against hope that Gordon might’ve slipped through the cracks, alas he will suit up for another NFC contender. Via nfl.com.

• Chiefs Patrick Mahomes Questionable vs. Vikings: The 2018 MVP might not suit up against the Minnesota Vikings tomorrow as he recovers from an ankle injury. Via nfl.com.

• Injury Roundup for Week 9 Games: For all of you lovely degenerate Fantasy Football players. via nfl.com.

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Wait...What?

• Mystery Woman Sings Opera in LA Metro: Talented homeless woman or clever hoax? Mystery woman goes viral as she beautifully sings opera in Los Angeles metro. Via npr.org.