Q: Even though you've been able to overcome mistakes and win is there concern that the mistakes are becoming a trend? A: Sunday's game was more sloppy than we've seen. When you have an illegal formation or you have 'x' number of drops or 'x' number of turnovers or another big run for 50-plus yards against you -- that concerns you any week. I'm glad we've been able to overcome that. Our challenge is to be better and not try to say that was good enough. We have to be better and we have to look to improve and play better, have ball security, tackle better, create the plays that we're looking for and not have to settle for a field goal where we had to Sunday. You're not going to play a perfect game and we didn't Sunday.
Q: What game has come closest to satisfying you this season? A: There were games earlier in the year where we clearly won the turnover battle and we didn't put a team in a quick position. I thought we played pretty well against New York; I thought we played pretty well on the road at Philly -- those are a couple of games.But i know the game I just saw isn't on that list.
Q: How has the play of the defensive line been? A: Some of the depth has been important for us. A guy like Remi Ayodele is a guy that not a lot of people knew about a year ago. He has stepped up in the absence of a few guys. Kendrick Clancy (injured reserve) got hurt, Sedrick Ellis is out. DeMario Pressley is playing. Anthony Hargrove -- all those guys have stepped in and done a good job of holding up the fort. It hasn't been perfect, but I think the players understand. You take a guy like Pressley who a few weeks ago was disappointed he was going to be on the practice squad and then six weeks later, he's playing a lot of snaps. That happens in our league more than in other leagues where you might be a week removed. Jo-Lonn Dunbar for example, from being a starter to being inactive, Those guys have stepped up.It has happened in the offensive line with Jammal Brown's injury. I was encouraged with the way DeMario played in his first heavy amount of playing time
Q: What's the injury report look like?
A: In an injury report update for today, Sedrick Ellis (knee), did not practice. Jonathan Goodwin (ankle), did not practice. Lance Moore (ankle), did not practice. Jabari Greer (groin), did not practice. Marques Colston (flu) did not practice. Zach Strief (flu) did not practice. Darren Sharper (knee) did not practice. (Scott) Fujita (calf), limited. Garrett Hartley (ankle) was full. Marvin Mitchell (foot) full. We signed Earl Heyman to the practice squad and he took DeMario Pressley’s practice squad spot from last week as Pressley moved up to the active roster. It was all first and second down, base
Q: Are the flu cases swine related?
A: Right now, the way I understand it with both of those players, it’s just a common flu. I think we’ll have both of them back tommorrow.
Q: Are you taking any additional precautions?
A: We’ve talked to guys about making sure they’re doing a good job with all the things that Scottie (Patton) and his crew preach about to keep it from spreading. These are the first two players that have it.
Q: Can you discuss Darren Sharper’s knee injury?
A: We just listed it at knee. We’ll see where Darren’s at tomorrow. Jabari Greer, I’m encouraged about. We’ll see where he’s at tomorrow and then (Jonathan) Goodwin the same way. Sedrick Ellis is making real good progress. He’s a wait and see for this week as well.
Q: Did all of these happen in the games?
A: The game-related injuries would be Goodwin’s ankle, Greer with the groin and Sharper’s knee. That would be it. Those are the only three from the game. You have the two flus and the guys that we’ve been working on.
Q: Have you had your team try to get vaccinated for the flu?
A: We had that already, the Monday a few weeks back we had vaccinations for the normal flu.
Q: Can you discuss if the scoring disparity in the fourth quarter was a point of emphasis in the off-season?
A: I think we’re playing better defense and running the ball better. I also think Dan (Dalrymple) and his crew have done a real good job with the off-season program and I think by and large we’re in pretty good shape. I’ve been encouraged with our effort in the fourth quarter in some of these games that have come down to the last 15 minutes, but I think it gets back to our ability to execute as the game goes on. That’s been encouraging.
Q: Can you talk about the season Will Smith is having and how much does it have to do with the shape he’s in?
A: He’s healthy in his defense, different than a year ago when he was playing with a sports hernia. He’s healthy, he’s in real good shape and he’s having an excellent year. He’s been consistent each week. He’s a player that can play with speed but also has real good power and those are two good attributes to have at the end position when you can convert your speed rushes into power and have a pretty good one-two punch there. He’s playing pretty well.
Q: Has the delay in the Starcaps decision helped both you and Minnesota ?
A: When you have your starters playing it has to help you. It’s really how you’d look at it. Those guys being in the lineup week in and week out, certainly helps us because they’re guys that are key contributors.
Q: What does it mean to have a guy like Robert Meachem step up when a guy like Marques Colston struggles a little.
A: I’m encouraged with how Robert’s playing. We have to continue to find ways to get him the football. Week in and week out, he’s a guy that has great speed, he’s powerful and he’s playing with more and more confidence. The challenge each week is finding opportunities for him. In the second half last week there were some big plays he made certainly and it was good to see.
Q: Other than protecting the ball, is there anything else you’d like to see your offense doing better right now?
A: I think this. I’m somewhat concerned with the penalties that in the last three or four weeks have come up. In Miami it was the false starts and then we had a holding the other night. I just think we can play better or more efficiently than we’ve been playing. You point to the turnovers, that’s one aspect to it, just consistency. I think we can be better.
Q: Can you talk about Steven Jackson?
A: He’s a guy that we had the good fortune of coaching in the Pro Bowl a few years ago. He’s a back that runs with power. He has great speed. He’s physical. He’s one of the great backs in the league and we’ve seen a few weeks in a row with a few good running backs. This guy would be right up there. He’s dangerous in the passing game. He plays a lot of snaps. He’s not a guy you just have to handle on first and second down. He’ll take a checkdown thirty yards and he’s certainly a guy that’s someone you have to account for on every single play. He’s physical and he’s got speed and he’s got real good vision and balance.
Q: Can you discuss how Anthony Hargrove has handled success and highlights?
A: He had a real good game last week statistically and yet there are a number of things he can do better. Overall, I think he’s getting more snaps because of Sedrick’s (Ellis) injury. We’ll see this week where Sedrick’s at. I’m somewhat optimistic or guarded a little bit that we might have him back, but Anthony’s doing a good job. He just has to work at being more consistent and those are things he’s working on each day.
Q: Off the field is he doing a good job?
A: He’s doing very well and certainly we’re proud of where he’s come. He more than anyone would tell you that it’s something he works on daily.
Q: Did you miss Sedrick Ellis in the middle looking back at the tape or was the one long run by DeAngelo Williams an aberration?
A: I thought a couple things. You say other than that, but that run means something. I thought we settled in and played the run better after the first quarter. It’s a team that we played some really good rushing teams if you look at it statistically, if you look at Miami , Atlanta and Carolina , all three of those teams run the football very well and this is a team that does. Whenever you’re missing a starter, you have to fill in. I said a week ago the reality of our game is each week that there’s someone else on this list or someone else that has to get ready to play and so, we just keep working on it. The big concern you have with a short week like a week ago is how you’re going to fit the run, how you’re going to block and tackle when you’re out of the pads for a full week in practice. I thought we played better as the game wore on in that aspect.
Q: It was said on Sunday that because of your record every team will have a star next to the Saints and will want to knock them off. Do you agree?
A: I think that when teams prepare to play you, you certainly maybe garner more respect than other opponent. I think that part of that is understanding what it’s like to play when you’re having a good season. You’re going to get a challenge each week regardless of who you’re playing. We’re playing St. Louis at home coming off a bye week right now. That’s a 62 percent winner in our league, home off a bye. We went down to Miami and played them at home off a bye and so, this game is going to present a lot of challenges for us. It think it’s a team that’s well-coached and this is a talented team that we’re going to have to play better than we did a week ago on the road and playing a team like this. I think when you are playing good football, you get your opponent’s best shot and they understand what they have to do to win and what they have to do to get ready to play. That’s pretty common.
Q: Is that a stat from this year or overall?
A: When you look at the last three years, teams coming off a bye playing at home, they’re winning more games than they’re losing. We have to be ready. We have a normal week schedule this week. We had pads on today. We’ll do it again tomorrow and get ready to play a better game than we played.
Q: Are there any lessons you can draw from your last meeting with the Rams when you were on a four game win streak and they were winless?
A: I think it’s the lesson that’s existed as long as this league’s existed. There’s not a lot of difference in teams that are well above .500 or below .500 with their record. If you’re not ready to play a game, you can get beat and you can get beat handily. In that game, we got beat handily. We didn’t just get beat. Obviously it’s a whole different set of circumstances because their team’s different. Our team’s different, but I think that lesson has existed in all of sports for a long time.
Q: Is that bye stat from the three previous seasons?
A: In the past three seasons, because we do numbers and research. The reason I bring it up is because it’s obviously it’s been something we haven’t done well ourselves, play after a bye. We had a chance to play New York coming off a bye after the Jet game. It gives you an opportunity to focus more on your work week. It gives you an opportunity to get healthy. It gives you an opportunity and more time to prepare. The focal point for us this week is improving, trying to eliminate the things that hurt us in last week’s game even though we won. There were a number of things that we got to clean up.
Q: When the Rams featured “The Greatest Show on Turf” did you marvel at what they were doing at that time?
A: I think as someone that was coaching on another team while that team was having success, they were playing good defense as well. I think typically as an assistant or even as a head coach now you try to pay attention to or study the teams that are doing good things. It’s not uncommon during the work week to look at film outside of the opponent we’re playing. Oftentimes, we’re looking and trying to look at films of teams we’re seeing do some good things on offense or defense or the kicking game. Certainly during the time frame, I think it was a team that a lot of people in our league studied. There were a lot of weapons on that team that started with Marshall Faulk, the quarterback, but again, it’s hard to draw the comparisons. It’s different. I think we’re built differently. I think both defenses were doing a good job of turning it over. Certainly we’re doing a good job in that aspect right now.
Q: Is it flattering when people compare you to them?
A: Yes, hopefully that’s a comparison that can come when the season’s over with and not during the season. We’re doing a lot of things that we have to correct offensively. I said that after the game Sunday and I’m telling you now. We have a lot of room to improve right now.
Saints Notes:
Eight Saints didn't practice on Wednesday because of injuries or illness. WR Marques Colston (flu), OL Zach Strief (flu), S Darren Sharper (knee), CB Jabari Greer (groin), WR Lance Moore (ankle), DT Cedrick Ellis (knee) and C Jonathan Goodwin (ankle).
LB Scott Fujita returned to practice, but was limited with a strained calf.
LSU
Robert Rice, a member of the LSU Tigers’ vaunted Chinese Bandits defensive unit, has died at the age of 69.
Born Jan. 26, 1940, in Kenedy, Texas, Rice was raised in Lake Charles and graduated from LaGrangeHigh School in 1958. He attended LSU and received a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering while playing football for the Tigers from 1958 to 1963.
Rice worked for Martin-Marietta as a senior sales executive.
New Orleans Hornets
The Suns dominated the Hornets 124-194 on Wednesday night at Phoenix.
The Hornets (3-6) were supposed to be a team on the fringe of the playoff picture like the Suns. They had given the Suns the past two years with six wins in seven games. On Wednesday they looked very far apart from Phoenix.
Matching the 1980-81 team's best nine-game start in franchise history, the 8-1 Suns share the NBA's best record with the Boston Celtics. The Suns scored 40 points in the first quarter.
"I don't think we could have played any better than we did in the first half," said Suns coach Alvin Gentry.
The Suns shot 73.7 per cent in the first quarter and did not back off, staying above 60 per cent shooting until the final minutes.
Phoenix maintained it hot 3-point shooting, going 13 of 26 from long distance to become the fastest team in NBA history to make 100 3-pointers.
Chris Paul led all scorers with 25 points. Amar Stoudemire hit 21 to lead the Suns.
"Phoenix is a very gifted offensive team,: said Hornets coach Byron Scott. "They play all five guys on the perimeter. We took a step back from our last game (win over the Clippers)."
Peja Stojakovic went scoreless for the Hornets, going 0 for 8 and missing on all four 3-point attempts.
"It's tough to lose like this when we've successful against them in the past," said Paul. "Not only losing, but lose like this."
David West said the Suns were one of the better teams in the league. "We're going to struggle against teams like this," said West. "We're getting systemically beat."
The Suns' Steve Nash got to watch the final 14 minutes of play. His seven-point, seven assist first quarter had done enough.
The Suns led by as many as 30 points during the game and played reserves most of the final quarter;.
Hornets’ Notes
The Hornets’ Chris Paul and David West are looking to make third straight All-Star appearances and Emeka Okafor is on the ballot for the first time. Paul earned a starting slot last year while West was a reserve.
You can vote in the Arena beginning Friday when the Hornets take on the Portland Trail Blazers at 7 p.m. All-Star balloting locations will be on the concourse outside sections 109 and 305.
Julian Wright and Darren Collison will help unveil commemorable uniforms on Wednesday at 3 p.m. at Mardi Gras World on the East Bank. The event will also feature Hugo the Hornet presented by Audubon Insectarium, Honeybees and a performance from the Hornets Drum Line as well as special giveaways for all attendance.
Hornets Interactive
The Hornets have announced the launch of the Hornets TV Companion on Hornets.com, a first-of-its-kind live game companion designed to enhance the television viewing experience for fans. The new full screen feature provides an in-arena experience with social media integration and video highlight packages that complement every single live telecast.
Highlights of the Hornets TV Companion include:
In-Arena Experience and Press Access - The unique application will simulate the experience of being in an NBA arena press box by giving fans access to pregame media notes, real-time statistical information, breaking news, 3D shot charts, and play-by-play analysis.
Social Media Integration - The Hornets TV Companion integrates current social networking features, allowing users to interact with other fans, team personnel, and on-air talent in real time, providing an innovative multi-screen experience. Fans can easily access their favorite social networking sites directly from the application, including Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and Yahoo! to participate in widespread fan forum discussions or private chats with friends.
Halftime and Postgame Video Highlights - Every game will feature special halftime and postgame reports that will include video highlight packages, updated box scores, leader boards, and the ability to follow the action taking place on the court via the interactive shot tracker feature, which displays the location of each shot taken on the court.
“The Hornets TV Companion provides fans with a user-friendly experience to lean back and easily access information while enjoying the game on television,” said Bryan Perez, Senior Vice President and General Manager, NBA Digital. “We recognize the growing number of fans who simultaneously consume the NBA via television and the Internet, and this is the perfect broadcast companion for fans to experience all the action on the court, while connecting with friends on their preferred social network.”
Currently, 57 percent of Americans with Internet access at home report that they use the TV and Internet simultaneously. Of those Internet users, 27.9 percent of their time spent online is also spent watching TV. Internet video viewing continues to grow significantly, with a 12.4 percent increase when compared to last year according to Nielsen Media Research.
Peyton Manning was selected over Drew Brees at quarterback on Peter King's mid-season all-pro team for SI.com. However, guard Jahri Evans, fullback Heath Evans and free safety Darren Sharper were selected to the team as well as defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and offensive line coach Aaron Kromer. King writes that Evans is underrated and adaptable to multiple New Orleans schemes; Evans is a sledgehammer for New Orleans run game until injured in Week 7 (out for year(; Sharper has as many interceptions (7( as 17 teams; Williams has given New Orleans much-needed balance; and Kromer is behind his rebuilt O line, and New Orleans has jumped from 28th to seventh in rushing. Denver's Josh McDaniels is the coach of the mid-season...
Boston Celtics forward Glen "Big Baby" Davisof LSU was musing recently about wanting to give pro football a shot some day. And that got Dan Daly of the Washington Times to thinking. "Imagine the possibilities: A 6-foot-9, 290-pound tight end," Daly wrote. "A 6-9, 290-pound offensive tackle. A 6-9, 290-pound defensive end. A 6-9, 290-pound outside linebacker. Heck. I'd give him $5 million a year just to see him kick off. Davis was a tremendous two-way player at University High in Baton Rouge. In fact, several of the opponents who lined up against him in his last season as a running back in his last season are still listed as missing." Then Tigers coach Nick Saban wanted Davis on his football team. but Davis decided to stay with basketball...Trivia time: Name the Saints head coach when Tom Dempsey kicked his NFL-record 63-yard field goal against the Detroit Lions. The Saints won 19-17...
Joe Montana played before salaries exploded, but the former 49er clearly made some good investments. His NapaCounty wine country estate is on the market for $49 million. The property includes a 9,700-square-foot main residence and the following amenities: A professional grade equestrian center, two creeks, a pond, full-sized basketball court, and a producing olive farm. The property was just used as a vacation house for the Montanas, who live in the Los Angeles area...Trivia answer: J.D. Roberts. It was his first game as Saints head coach.... Contact Ed Staton at edcoachstaton@yahoo.com.
