Injury bug hits the Saints
Only three weeks into the 2010 season and the Saints are already seeing injuries play a major factor into their game planning and preparation.
One week after star running back Reggie Bush fractured his fibula and was sidelined for four to six weeks, several other star Saints are battling different ailments after the team’s hard-fought loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
Running back Pierre Thomas, who suffered an ankle injury late in the Atlanta game, will be a gametime decision against the Panthers in the Superdome. Safety Roman Harper has missed practice all week so far also with a hamstring injury.
And while Saints fans may have had serious heart problems seeing quarterback Drew Brees limp off of the field in the fourth quarter against the Falcons, the knee injury he suffered was not severe, and he will not miss any time because of it. He has been wearing a knee brace during practice this week, but X-rays and MRIs showed no damage.
Saints bring Carney back into fold
After Garrett Hartley’s struggles in Sunday’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons, the Saints brought in several veteran kickers for workouts, presumably for insurance in case Hartley keeps imploding.
On Tuesday, the Saints signed one of the kickers they tried out. John Carney, the 46-year old placekicker, signed with the Saints for the third time since 2001. He was signed last season after Hartley was suspended, but was replaced by the 24-year old kicker late in the season and served as a kicking consultant for the remainder of the season and the playoffs.
While Sean Payton’s plan is not yet known involving his kickers, all the fans and media know is that both kickers will be on the roster for the time being. Carney is a good friend and mentor to Hartley, so his presence may help push and motivate Hartley to get back to the level he was at during the playoffs in 2009.
It’s also unclear how much Carney has left in the tank at 46. He struggled mightily at the end of 2009 before being replaced by Hartley, so his signing should be considered a warning sign to Hartley, as his competition is coming from a friend and mentor. Hopefully for the Saints, this plan by Payton ends their kicking controversy and can help their special teams get back on track.
Saints trying out placekickers
After Garrett Hartley’s well-documented struggles during the first three weeks of the 2010 season, the Saints are bringing different placekickers in for workouts.
Various media outlets have reported that the team has reached out to former Saints kicker John Carney and former Ravens and Colts kicker Matt Stover. Both players are expected to be at the Saints facility in Metarie at some point this week for workouts.
It is unclear what the team’s breaking point will be on Hartley. The Saints postseason hero has performed dismally in 2010. He missed two field goals in the Saints home opener against the Minnesota Vikings, which nearly cost the team the game, and missed a 29-yard field goal in overtime on Sunday that would have given the Saints a hard-fought victory over divisional foe Atlanta.
Carney, who kicked for the Saints last season when Hartley was suspended, served as a kicking coordinator for the team when Hartley took over the kicking duties. He acted as a mentor for Hartley last season, and the Saints may be hoping that Carney’s presence may help boost Hartley’s confidence again. Cutting Hartley would be a costly proposition, as the 24-year-old has made some clutch kicks, and could still be a dependable kicker if he can figure out the mental aspect of the position.
One other item of note is that Stover was the kicker for the Colts last season who missed a field goal in the Super Bowl that helped the Saints secure their first ever Super Bowl title.
Week 3 NFC South Roundup
While two NFC South teams hooked up in the Superdome on Sunday, the Atlanta Falcons came out on top of the Saints in their first NFC South matchup of the season.
However, while the Saints lost in heartbreaking fashion on Sunday, they were not the only NFC South team to lose. Both the Buccaneers and Panthers suffered bad losses, making a three-way tie on the top of the NFC South with the Saints, Falcons, and Bucs all carrying records of 2-1.
In rookie quarterback Jimmy Claussen’s first career start, the Panthers played poorly in a 20-7 loss to Cincinnati, as Claussen completed less than half of his passes and tossed an interception.
The Buccaneers did not fare much better, as they were routed by the Steelers 38-13. Graybeard quarterback Charlie Batch had a field day on the Buccaneers’ defense, and the Buc’s undefeated season was dashed.
Saints lose to Falcons 27-24
For the first two games of the season, the Saints did all the little things right on the way to their 2-0 start. On Sunday, they played slopped and suffered a tough loss in overtime to their division foe, Atlanta.
Drew Brees uncharacteristically threw two interceptions, and the Saints played from behind for the majority of the game before Garrett Hartley tied the game with a field goal with 10 seconds left in regulation. However, Hartley went from the hero to goat in record time.
After stopping the Falcons on their first possession in overtime, the Saints marched down their 11 yard line and lined up to kick a game-winning field goal on first down. However, Hartley shanked the field goal wide left, giving the Falcons new life, as they marched down the field and got the game-winning field goal.
With Bush’s absence, the Saints running game suffered, as the team only had 43 yards rushing. A bright spot on the day was Saints receiver Lance Moore, who had 149 yards receiving and two touchdowns.
