MNF Info

[Raji]

Monday night debate: Saints at Falcons
By RYAN STETSON AND ASHTON GREWAL | December 9, 2007 | 9 comments
It’s these types of games when sports writers consider their livelihood a job. Our NFL writers will be watching this game because they have to and because they really don’t have a life outside of football.

Who deserves the majority of the blame for New Orleans’ disappointing season?

Ashton Grewal: I think coach Sean Payton and general manager Mickey Loomis are both at fault. Payton convinced Loomis to draft three offensive players in the first three rounds when defense was clearly the team’s sore spot.

First-round pick Robert Meachem has essentially been a healthy scratch all year and fourth-rounder Antonio Pittman was released in September. You just can’t draft that poorly and expect to get by.

Loomis also struck out badly with his offseason pickups. Jason David might be the worst starting cornerback in the league and Orlando Mare hasn’t proved worth more than a bag of nickels let alone the sixth-round pick the Saints gave up to get him.

Hopefully for New Orleans backers Loomis will identify his club’s weaknesses this offseason and make the proper corrections.

Ryan Stetson: Last year the Saints rallied around the Hurricane Katrina cause and had a fairy-tale season. This year they’re suffering the aftereffects of starting the year with unrealistic expectations.

Sean Payton has tried everything to keep his team motivated, but the Saints just played way above their heads last year. Like Ashton said, a lot of offseason acquisitions didn’t pan out and Deuce McAllister’s knee injury really put them behind the 8-ball. I’m a big Sean Payton fan, but I guess he and Loomis have to share blame even if this team was fighting an uphill battle from the get-go.

Is Chris Redman a better option at QB than Joey Harrington or Byron Leftwich?

Ashton Grewal: I’m not sure if he’s better but it can’t hurt to see what he’s got. The coaching staff was impressed with his performance in relief of Harrington last week.

I haven’t seen Redman play before but I hear he has a decent arm. It doesn’t really matter though because none of these guys are going to be starting behind center for the Falcons next year.

I’d put money down now on Atlanta taking Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm in the April draft. The Falcons will have a high pick and you know Petrino would love to have his former prized pupil.

Ryan Stetson: Yes, Redman’s a better option, absolutely. We know what Harrington and Leftwich have to offer: interceptions and ensuing migraines.

Redman was pounding the sidewalk selling insurance last year, so he’s not going to get cheated with this opportunity.

"He gave us a lift. He gave us a lot of confidence," Petrino told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution after Redman helped to make last week’s loss to St. Louis somewhat respectable. "Chris has a real quick release, and he's very accurate. He's always been a very accurate passer. He's able to get the ball out of his hand really fast, which helped the other day with our timing.

"He's really tough. He's always been able to stand in there and take a hit. It's good to see him back. He's fought through a lot."

Redman’s probably not the long-term answer either, but I’d definitely give him a shot over Harrington or Leftwich.

Will the Saints be an ATS disaster the rest of the season after a heartbreaking loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?

Ashton Grewal: New Orleans was essentially knocked out of the playoffs after dropping a close contest against the Bucs. At 5-7 the Saints would have to win out and get a lot of help just for a chance at the big dance.

Drew Brees is a stubborn leader who won’t allow his teammates to pack it in. Expect the Saints to play all out as long as the club still has any chance at the postseason.

Ryan Stetson: Isn’t a 4-8 record against the number enough of a disaster? I don’t think the Saints will close up shop or anything, but with this defense and nearly non-existent running game, there isn’t a whole lot to get excited about as the season winds down.

They might be pegged as underdogs a couple of times down the homestretch. I’ll give them a look if that’s the case.

First-year head coach Bobby Petrino endured heavy criticism from his players early on this season. Is he the right man for Atlanta?

Ashton Grewal: Obviously Petrino got more than he bargained for when he agreed to become the Falcons’ boss. He expected to have Michael Vick tearing up defenses.

The Vick saga put considerable amount of stress on the entire franchise. Former coach Jim Mora Jr. used to cuddle his players in these types of situations, but that’s not Petrino’s style.

I won’t have any firm opinions on Petrino until I see what the Falcons do next season.

Ryan Stetson: Who knows? At this point I don’t know if Vince Lombardi himself would be able to do much with this team.

Petrino’s tried everything, he just doesn’t have a lot of talent to work with. I like Roddy White and Jerious Norwood, but that’s about all they have on offense and the defense is a mess.

At least Petrino’s making a stand and trying to get this team turned around. It wasn’t going anywhere under Mora.

Who you got?

Ryan Stetson: 28-21 New Orleans

Ashton Grewal: 27-19 New Orleans

Raji

[Raji]

New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons (+3 ½, 43)

Bush out for season?

Saints running back Reggie Bush will miss Monday’s tilt with the Falcons.

Bush was hurt in last Sunday’s loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Though he practiced Thursday, he was too sore to finish. Bush did not practice Friday and it was confirmed that he tore his posterior cruciate ligament.

“If you just study the history of PCL injuries, I know they vary with each player,” Payton told reporters. “But it is an injury that you come back from.”

It’s been a disappointing sophomore season for the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner. Bush has rushed for a meager 581 yards with four touchdowns and eight fumbles.

“Reggie is a great talent,” Saints quarterback Drew Brees told reporters. “Reggie is one of the best athletes I have ever seen, but that only gets you so far. “You need certain fundamentals and discipline to play this game. But these are learned, not something that just happens immediately.”

Bush, who could miss the remainder of the campaign, will visit orthopedic specialist Dr. James Andrews to determine if surgery is necessary.

Quarterback change

Falcons third-string quarterback Chris Redman will start.

Redman has not started since a 2002 stint with the Baltimore Ravens. He has completed 123 passes in 223 attempts for 1,292 yards in 13 career starts. He also has nine touchdowns and six interceptions.

“It's unbelievable,” the perennial backup told reporters. “I have a chance to be on a pedestal that I never thought I would be on again, to be honest. I want to take advantage of this opportunity.”

Falcons coach Bobby Petrino named Redman the starter to jumpstart an offense that is averaging less than 300 yards and 14 points.

“Chris has a quick release and he's always been an accurate passer,” Petrino told reporters. “He's able to get the ball out of his hands fast, which helped the other day on our timing. He's really tough. He's always been able to stand in there and take a hit.”

Redman was 16-of-24 for 172 yards with a touchdown and an interception in a notable relief appearance last Sunday against the St. Louis Rams.

“I did it for one quarter,” Redman told reporters. “Now I've got to show I can do it for four quarters.”

Clinging to hope

Though the playoffs aren’t out of the question, the Saints must win their final four games to ensure playing in January.

“We're not out of this thing yet,” Bush told reporters. “It's hard to believe, there are so many things that can happen. All we can do is control our part, try to win out and take it from there.”

Earlier this season, New Orleans established its knack for bouncing back. The Saints started 0-4 and then turned things around with four straight victories, including an Oct. 21 triumph over the Falcons at the Superdome.

“When you start the way we did, losing four games right out of the gate, your team can go one of two ways,” Payton told reporters. “I'm proud of the way we bounced back.”

The Saints’ final four opponents all have losing records, including the Falcons.

Head-to-head meetings

The Saints have won three consecutive tilts in Georgia. They have also covered the spread in six of their last eight meetings with Atlanta dating to 2004.

New Orleans is also 3-3 ATS outside the Big Easy, while the Falcons are 2-4 ATS at the Georgia Dome.

Interestingly, 19 of the last 35 regular-season tilts between the Falcons and Saints have been decided by seven points or less.


Raji