Marching to a perfect beat, the Saints (9-0) go in to Raymond James Stadium against improving TampaBay (1-8) on Sunday for a noon kickoff.
The Saints could be missing as many as three defensive starters: defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis (knee), safety Darren Sharper (knee) and Jabari Green (groin). Cornerback Tracy Porter (knee) is out for several weeks.
The Saints nearly ended their magic ride last Sunday against an equally meek St. Louis. The Rams cut an 11-point deficit to 5 with 2:44 remaining and got the ball back 23 seconds later. That drive ended at the Saints' 32 yard line with a fourth-down incompletion in the end zone as the game ended.
The Saints committed three turnovers, giving them 13 in the last four games. Drew Brees has seven interceptions and three fumbles in that span as the Saints have survived some close calls.
"We're not content with where we're at, and we're not content with the way we've played these last few weeks," said Brees, tied for second in the NFL with 19 touchdown passes. "We need to close the game out when we've given the opportunity."
The way Bree's started the season, the NFL considered making him throw left-handed. Not now.
"With the Saints, you're playing the top team in the NFL," said Bucs linebacker Barrett Rudd. "that's what you want to do, play against the best.
"We're not a great team right now, we're 1-8, but we're improving. Maybe we match up great with the Saints. We haven't played them yet, but it'd be a great thing for a 1-8 team to knock off a 9-0 team."
Bucs rookie quarterback Josh Freeman is improving. He'll be matched with Brees on Sunday. Bucs offensive coordinator Greg Olson was Brees' quarterback coach at Purdue.
"I hear a lot about Drew," said Freeman. "Coach Olson is trying to give me tips on how Drew works in practice, how he works throughout the week, just his commanding presence on the field."
At Purdue, Olson would take Brees to Indianapolis to chat with Peyton Manning.
"I've spoken to Brees about the offseason, about him spending time with this kid we have here," said Olson.
On a conference call this week, Brees had fun with that.
"I could give some advice that could come back and haunt me," Brees told the Tampa media. "But seriously, I'm all for talking to young quarterbacks and I guess helping them along. I was that guy at one time. I'm still that guy in a lot of ways, looking for all kinds of ways to get better. So,yeah, I'm very receptive to that sort of thing."
The Bucs barely missed back-to-back wins after rallying from a 13-point deficit last week at Miami. They took the led on Carnell Williams' 1-yard run with 1:14 left, but lost 25-23 on a field goal with 10 seconds remaining.
Prediction: I know the Saints are playing one of the worst teams in the league, but games will get harder for them to win as the winning streak continues. The Saints will go to 10-0, but take the Bucs and 11 1/2 points.
Q&A with Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman
Q: What have you learned over the course of two NFL starts?
A: I’ve learned a lot. Whether it be learning about myself, what defenses are trying to do to me, speeding up my game to make it a little even, because sometimes there are instances like last week where I was scrambling and I felt like I had more time. Some of those d linemen ended up closing on me pretty fast and ended up stripping it out.
Q: What have you learned about yourself?
A: My preparation week to week, just what it takes to give your team a chance to win.
Q: Does Will Smith stand out to you at all?
A: Yes. They have a lot of guys that that stand out. They play a really aggressive style. They have a lot of standouts. We haven’t really gotten into a ton of personnel. There’s a whole lot of schemes and looking at the pressures.
Q: Did everyone seem to be on board with the rebuilding effort?
A: I guess. You have to go along with it. Everybody wants to be successful. That’s the way the management is going along with it. Everybody’s bought in and going in the same direction.
Q: Was it hard for the club to go through the start to the season?
A: Yes. It’s always miserable when you’re not winning. For me in particular, not being in the game, being on the bench and having your team lose is really tough.
Q: What have you seen in the growth of Raheem Morris as a head coach?
A: Coach Morris has done a good job. He demands respect from the team.. They team respects him and everybody plays hard for him. He’s found a way to be player’s coach, but at the same time maintain the respect he has for everyone.
Q: Have you noticed growth in him from week one to week ten in how he goes about things?
A: I don’t know. I don’t really know what being a head coach all entails, but from what I’ve seen he’s been doing a great job.
Q: What additional things do you want to get better at after your first two starts?
A: I definitely say fumbling. Versus Green bay we had a fumbled snap. This week we had one where I fumbled and one where I dropped a shotgun snap. It’s definitely being more ball secure.
Q: How long did you expect to wait before playing? Did you expect to not play this season or expect to get a chance?
A: I really didn’t know at first going through camp because Luke McCown and Byron Leftwich, they were the showcase competition. They ended up trading Luke and moving Josh Johnson to second string. At that point, I was thinking I might get to play. Then they made the switch to Josh, played me at second string. That’s when I really felt like I would get an opportunity at some point this year.
Q: Was it everything you hoped for?
Q&A with Sean Payton
Q: Can you discuss Reggie Bush’s status?
A: There’s swelling still. We backed off it today and we just have to see where he’s at tomorrow and monitor his progress and rehab.
Q: Is it the same knee that bothered him last season?
A: Yes, but really after last week’s game it has been 100 percent healthy. He had a couple plays in the game, he had some swelling afterwards and some soreness in it. He got his treatment earlier in the week. We’re just trying to see if we can get it close to 100 percent right now. We’ll see where he’s at tomorrow. I’m hoping we can practice him tomorrow, but at the same time, I don’t want to set it back.
Q: What is the reasoning for practicing outside this week?
A: We’ve had good weather out here and our surface is real similar to Tampa’s surface. With some of these injuries it’s a little bit easier on the joints on the grass than on the indoor with some of our players. It’s been a while since we’ve gone two days in a row outside.
Q: Is Reggie Bush’s condition any different than at this time last week?
A: It is. Last week he practiced. Yes.
Q: Do you feel like it’s temporary?
A: It’s an injury.
Q: Do you remember him wearing his brace?
A: Last week there was no injury and when we go inside and you’ll see him anytime inside, especially later in the week, put on the brace. It just takes pressure off that area. It’s different this week though to answer your question.
Q: Has Aaron Kromer had an impact on the running game?
A: He sure has. He coaches the offensive line and he installs and is responsible for the run game. There’s certain things in the offseason, we talked about trying to emphasize certain areas and do certain things better. Maybe look at shortening the run list. He handles all that. He’s done a good job with that.
Q: Has he been responsible for changing any techniques?
A: I’m sure that there’s certain things anytime you switch a coach in a position group there are certain things they emphasize more or certain beliefs that they have and I think so far, he’s done a real good job and there’s been a big reason for the improvement there.
Q: Are you happy with your work the past couple of days and some of your work in regards to turnovers?
A: I think we practiced it. Our guys have handled that part of it well. I think the coverage units are challenged this week with an elite returner when you look statistically, their kickoff return and punt return (units), they’re at the top of the league in both categories, so that’s a big challenge for us in this game.
Q: Is Drew Brees playing the same he did earlier in the year?
A: I think the possessions or the snaps have been less in the games you turn it over, because it does just that. He’s playing at a high level and doing a very good job. There’s things he’s working at to improve. The first thing would be just the ball security issues in the pocket. Like I said before, he’s his hardest critic. For
A: It’s definitely very emotional for me, not necessarily because it’s the NFL, but because it’s the thrill of competition, always trying to find a way to win and putting all you have into it.
LSU
With an invitation to the Capitol One Bowl awaiting the winner, LSU takes on Ole Miss on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at Oxford. The game is being televised by CBS.
Against teams not named Alabama, the Rebels are averaging 42 points per game at Oxford this season. But the Tigers defense comes to town allowing less than 14 points and 312 yards per game.
Dexter McCluster's 71-yard touchdown run against Tennessee last Saturday was so impressive that CBS play-by-play announcer Craig Bolerjack exclaimed "Houdini Lives!" as the Rebels players celebrated his fourth trip to the end zone.
McCluster will go against one of the best defenses in the country on Saturday. The Tigers are giving up 13.7 points per game, which ranks them third in the SEC and 10th nationally.
"John Chavis has done an awesome job with their defense," said Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt. "They believe him, they are in sync, they mix up their blitzes and they have a rush."
Rebels quarterback Jevan Snead began the season with a ton of hype -- including some Heisman talk --but his season hasn't gone as planned. His modified role is game manager and he has been effective.
LSU warmed up for this game by beating Louisiana Tech 24-16 last week without four of its offensive starters.. Quarterback Jordan Jefferson, tight end Richard Dickson and center T-Bob Hebert are expected back with Keiland Williams replacing Charles Scott,who is out for the season.
The Rebels follow the lead of McCluster who has rushed for 591 yards in his last three SEC games. Last week, he ran for 324 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns in a 42-17 victory over Tennessee.. The Rebels bet the Tigers 31-13 last season, which snapped a six-game losing streak to LSU.
Prediction: This will be a very close game. Take the Tigers and four points.
Peja Stojakovic scored a game-high 25 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead the Hornets to a 110-103 victory over the Phoenix on Thursday night before 14,520 at the Arena.
Stojakovic, 33, who was scoreless against the Suns (10-3) in a loss at Phoenix last week, made seven three-pointers on Thursday night. With the score tied and the shot clock winding down, Stojakovic made a long three-pointer with 2:49 to start a 10-2 run.
The Suns' imperfection on TNT continued with their first bad loss of the season. Phoenix lost a game broadcast by TNT for the 16th straight time.
The Suns dominated the Hornets last week, and coach Byron Scott was fired a day later. The Hornets got no points from Stojakovic in that game and 11 second-chance points.
It was the second straight win for new coach Jeff Bower. The Hornets improved their record to 5-8.
The Hornets shot just 36 per cent on the first shot of their possessions, but had 25 offensive rebounds, an NBA season best and one more than the Suns had on defense.
"When we let the Hornets get off to that start, their confidence was really high," said Suns coach Alvin Gentry.
The issues with the Hornets' second chances started early with two Emeka Okafor follows and six Channing Frye misses, fueling the Hornets' run to start the game.
The Suns worked their way back, but looked nothing like the team that had a 75-point first half against the Hornets eight nights earlier. Amare Stoudemire's 23 points and Jared Dudley's five three-pointers led the Suns.
Rookie guard filled in superbly for injured Chris Paul, pushing the pace, setting up teammates for shots and leading the Hornets with 11 points in the final quarter on 3-of-4 shooting. He finished with 15.
Rookie guard Marcus Thornton of LSU scored 10 points before tweaking his foot when he stepped on the foot of a fan standing near the court..
Okafor had 13 points and 12 rebounds.
"Coach Bower wanted us to play with confidence, just get there and play the game," said Hornents guard Devin Brown. "We spread the floor and got the ball to Peja and David (West)."
The Hornets host Atlanta (10-2) on Saturday night. The Hawks have the best record in the Eastern Conference.
Courtney Roby, former Indiana star, fulfilled a childhood dream when he survived the Colts' final cuts entering the 2008 season, But it didn't last. He was waived after one game. He signed with the Saints and averaged 24.8 yards on 19 kickoffs that season, including returns of 62, 54 and 41 yards. The Saints are his fourth team since he entered the league in 2005. A season that showed he belonged unfortunately ended early with an injury in December, but Roby came back better than before, His 29.1 kickoff return average ranks fourth in the NFL. thanks to the 97yard TD return he head against the Rams last week.
FEARLESS PREDICTIONS: NFL -- Jaguars -8 over Bills; Steelers -10 over Chiefs (lock); Colts -1 over Ravens; Giants - 6 1/2 over Falcons; 49ers +4 1/2 over Packers; Vikings -10 1/2 over Seahawks (best bet); Cowboys -11 over Redskins; Cardinals -9 over Rams (lock); Patriots -10 1/2 over Jets; Bengals -8 1/2 over Raiders; Chargers -3 over Broncos; Eagles -3 over Bears; and Texans -5 over Titans. Last week: 10-4.
College: Central Florida -19 over Tulane; Ohio State -12 over Michigan; Northwestern +1 over Wisconsin; Iowa -10 over Minnesota; Virginia Tech -21 over N. C. State; UConn +7 over Notre Dame; Penn State -4 over Michigan State; Air Force +10 over BYU: Texas -28 over Kansas. Last week: 9-5.
SOME HITHER, OTHERS YON: Hornets players David West, Julian Wright, Devin Brown and Bobby Brown will distribute nearly 900 Thanksgiving meals courtesy of Rouses Markets to students from the Recovery School District who are part of the Hornets' and The Salvation Army's Emerge program and have achieved perfect attendance at school. These families have been Prue-selected based on the students reaching their attendance benchmark and attending class each day with no absences. West will be at Rouses, 4500 Tchoupitoulas from 3-4 p.m.; Brown will replace him at the store from 5:30-6:30; Wright will be at Rouses, 6600 Franklin Ave., from 5:30-6:30 p.m; and Brown will be at the store at 400 N.. Carrollton Ave....
Drew Brees on Darren Sharper: "He's made a huge impact. Getting up against him in practice every day has made me a better player because I know I'm not going to face many palyers that are that instinctive."...Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post counted it up by last weekend, and the Knicks had gone 2,995 days and played 666 times since last wining a playoff game.-- on April 29, 2001, against Toronto. In that game, the Knicks got 18 points from Glen Rice (now 42 years old) and used Dell Curry, the father of Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors. "Most people still used dial-up Internet, wrote Vaccaro. "And compact discs and VCRs."...
