Mike Shanahan believes his Denver team will make the playoffs and could well make something happen once it gets there. The Broncos, favored by five over the Saints, whose secondary is a mess, on Sunday at Denver (3:05 p.m.) followed by a road game at Kansas City and back-to-back home games with TampaBay and Jacksonville. In other words, the could well be 6-0 when they travel to New England.
The hottest Saints player is middle linebacker Jon (that's what his teammates call him) Vilma, who leads the NFL in tackles with 25, including 16 against the Redskins.
Who's not hot as a rusher: Reggie Bush. He has scored two touchdowns (one receiving, one special teams), but has yet to make an impact in the Saints; running game. He ranks No. 35 in the NFL with 79 yards on 24 carries.
The Saints, playing like a .500 team against the Redskins, have given up an average of 403/5 total yards in their first two games and rank 29th among 32 teams. That's worse than their performance last season.
As Coach Sean Payton said after the loss to the Redskins, "Defensively we played well at times, but in the end, they had 455 yards." That's not good enough to win games. Payton got an extension on his contract through 2012 for about $4 million a season.
The Eagles' Brian Westbrook is the best all-around running back in the NFL.
The Cowboys and the Eagles are the two best teams in the league.
Eli Manning, 27, is entering his athletic peak and in his own understated way is developing into a star. He completed a left-handed pass against the Rams.
Reggie Bush hasn't done enough to be taunting. He will get policed by Payton.
Saints running backs, who look like they're running up hill, could use more help from Deuce McAllister. Deuce should be playing more because he still has the ability to help the Saints with crucial gains or by protecting Drew Brees on blitzing defenders. Deuce will earn about $4.6 million in salary and bonuses this season if he produces this season as he did when he was healthy for an entire season.
Big Ten football fans have been humbled by the conference's lack of success in recent years. In recent months, Illinois got worked over by USC in the Rose Bowl, Ohio State got trashed by LSU in the BCS championship game, a repeat of the title game battering the Buckeyes too one year earlier from Florida. OSU's bowl record against the SEC is 0-9. Illinois barely slipped by Louisiana Lafayette by all of three points. Why is this happening? Weather. Kids with choices want to play in the South or the West. They want sunshine, co-eds in shorts, TV appearances and a shot at the NFL. Nine out of 10 of them would rather go South rather than Ann Arbor or Columbus.
Saints rushers have carried the ball 46 times for 156 yards (3.4 average) this season. Bush has a 3.3 average and Pierre Thomas a 3.8 figure. Former Tulane standout, Matt Forte, a second round draft choice. has carried 46 times for 215 yards (4.7) average. He's a rookie.
The Saints must learn to "close" a team in the fourth quarter to become a good team. "If you want to be a good team, when you're in a position to close someone out, you have to be able to finish," said Payton. "We weren't able to that against the Redskins."
When the Saints' running game is working, a defensvie line can't tee off on Brees. Defenses aren't biting on fake runs.
Quarterback Chase David of Mizzou is the front runner in this season's Hesiman Trophy race. He hit 23 of 28 passes for 405 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions against Nevada before he went to the sidelines in the third quarter. He led Missouri to seven touchdownd and a field goal.
SOME HITHER, OTHERS YON: Willie Roaf will be inducted to the Saints Hall of Fame on Friday, Sept. 26. at noon at the Landmark Hotel in Metairie. Barra Bircher will receive the Joe Gemelli Fleur De Lis award. Bircher worked for the Saints for 36 years in marketing and entertainment. Tables for 10 are $400. Call (504) 450-0893 to make reservations...Hornets owner George Shinn and his wife Denise were guests of Saints owner Tom Benson at the team's opening game. "I was going to buy tickets for the game, but Tom said he would like for us to sit in his suite," said Shinn. "I wanted to wear a Saints T-shirt, but found out I had to wear a coat and tie. But I wore a Saints' hat."...Athlon Magazine picks the Hornets to win the NBA this season. Pet shop sign: "Bark to School Supplies."...Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson. on announcers calling his game on TV" "They're morons. I don't worry about what they say."
HOLLYWOOD SOUTH: Benson's Horizon Entertainment football documentary television series is shooting here with production scheduled into December...The Nora Roberts Lifetime Network television movie of the week "Midnight Bayou" is in production here with shooting scheduled for October 13 for four weeks..."Hurricane Season" and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" with both filmed here, will open on Christmas Day. Tataji P. Henson co-stars in both. Forest Whitaker.who stars in "Hurricane Season," will soon begin shooting "My Own Love Song" with Renee Zellweger. The film will begin shooting in Metairie on Oct.20...The LA Film Axis feature film "Menage a Trois" is in pre-production here with shooting scheduled through mid-October... My time is up. Ed Staton can be reached at edcoachstaton@yahoo.com.
At large observations:
