NSU names captains, coaches
October 22, 2013
Miles takes blame for LSU’s loss at Ole Miss
October 22, 2013
While the New Orleans Saints are happy with their 5-1 start and first-place standing in the NFC South through the first seven weeks of the season, several key players acknowledge that the Saints have yet to play their best football.
In that sense, the Saints are overly pleased with how they’ve started, but far from content.
“We have the opportunity to be better,” Saints quarterback Drew Brees said during the team’s recent bye week. “We’ve just scratched the surface. As well as our defense is playing, I know they’re sitting there saying there are things they can do better. Offensively, certainly I know there are things we can do better. When you’re sitting there at 5-1 and you’re able to say those things, that’s a good thing.”
Saints receiver Lance Moore agreed, saying the team feels fortunate to be 5-1 but not ready to rest on its laurels with such a long road still ahead.
Moore also believes the Saints’ best football is still ahead.
“I’d say it’s a pretty good start,” Moore said of the team’s play through the first seven weeks of the season. “Obviously we’re still on top of the division. I feel like the sky’s the limit for this team and we haven’t even scratched the surface with how good we can be.”
The Saints’ first task coming out of the bye week will be to put behind a tough-luck loss in the closing seconds to the New England Patriots.
The Saints are coming off a disappointing 30-27 loss in which they surrendered the game-winning touchdown with just 5 seconds to play.
With the team having an off week afterward, many may have been concerned about the bye coming at the wrong time given the way the New England game played out.
Not these Saints, players say.
Brees pointed to the fact that the Saints have been involved in three games this season in which the outcome hinged on the final play of the contest.
The Saints won two of those three contests. Being in close games is nothing new.
“We won a game in the first week of the season in a similar situation,” Brees said, referring to the Saints’ 23-17 victory over Atlanta in Week 1. “It was fourth-and-goal and we knocked it down. Then we won one in Week 2 and we had no business winning that game. Sometimes you win and sometimes you don’t. You just hope that you’re in a position where more of them go your way than not. Arguably half of the games in this league are decided on the last possession and at times the last play. You could say that’s been the case for our team. Three of the last six have come down to the last play.”
So rather than sulk about the New England loss, the Saints appeared to use their bye week to get several players with various injuries some time off before preparing for their Week 8 contest against Buffalo at the Mercedes Benz Superdome.
Brees said the timing of the bye week worked out well for the Saints given that the team had played 10 straight weeks dating back to the preseason and will have 10 more regular-season games to play beginning this week.
“Going into the bye week, I think this is good timing in that we’re going to be able to get some guys healthy,” said Brees. “Coming out of (the New England) game, we had some guys dinged up. We’ve had some guys — Roman Harper, Lance Moore — that have missed some time that you’re looking forward to getting back. We’ll use this to our advantage.
“With 10 more games in the regular season and then hopefully more, it’s time to make that late-season run,” he added.
That quest will start Sunday when the Saints host the Bills in a noon kickoff.
Buffalo is 3-4 following a late rally in a 23-21 victory at Miami last Sunday. The Bills started Thad Lewis at quarterback in that game after an injury to rookie starter E.J. Manuel forced the team to make a change behind center. Buffalo also recently signed former LSU standout Matt Flynn, who was released by the Raiders this month.
The Bills’ best strength on offense, though, has been its running game. Before Sunday’s game at Miami, Buffalo was third in the league in average rushing yards per game with 148.8 yards per contest.
Stopping Fred Jackson and – when healthy – C.J. Spiller will be a priority for the Saints’ defense, which ranks near the middle of the pack in average rushing yards allowed through the first seven weeks.
The Saints’ defense as a whole had averaged giving up just 17 points per game in its first six contests.
“It’s been a good ride so far and I can’t wait to get back after the bye week and continue working,” said Saints defensive back Keenan Lewis. “We know we have to come back and get the ‘W.’ We’re excited about it and are ready to go.”
Sunday’s game will be televised locally on CBS.
It will be the team’s first game on the network this season.
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees fires a pass during a game last season. After a bye week, the Saints said they are ready to take the field and continue their season. New Orleans will get its next chance to do just that this weekend against the Buffalo Bills. The AFC East foe will enter Sunday’s game with a 3-4 record. Their last game was a 23-21 victory over the Miami Dolphins.
