The Saints have seen many “colorful” players over the years. And none have captured the attention of the media more than Mike Ditka’s pick: Ricky Williams (from the Texas Longhorns). The “bride and groom” photo that Ditka and Williams posed for on the ESPN magazine is infamous, and unfortunately, one that is etched in our memories. Link  Instead of trying to recap his pre-Saints years, I’ll refer you to the best pre-draft information that I found on Deuce McAllister. It is from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Link

When Deuce was drafted by the Saints, he got ANYTHING BUT a warm welcome from Ricky Williams. When a rookie breaks-in, the mentoring of experienced veterans is very valuable. But that wouldn’t happen because Ricky saw Deuce as a competitor and a threat …instead of a teammate. As things would go, Williams’ attitude became more weird as the months went by. He was finally traded to the Miami Dolphins for two first-round draft picks. Once he became the featured back for the Saints, Deuce’s career took off. And even though he’s been bitten a few times by the injury bug, he’s fought through it time-after-time. The results: Deuce possesses most of the Saints’ all-time rushing records, and is raising the bar at the same time. Fast-forward to the 2006 draft.

The aftermath of Katrina was at the forefront of Saints’ fans’ minds, Tom Benson cleaned house, and there was a new sheriff in town in the person of head coach Sean Payton. Aaron Brooks and other Jim Haslett hold-overs were sent packing. Then, Payton and G.M. (Micky Loomis) pulled off a move of genius by snagging Drew Brees, a talented QB that the San Diego Chargers felt had his best years behind him, and one that the Miami Dolphins felt wasn’t as healthy as Dante Culpepper. And if that wasn’t enough drama, the Houston Texans determined that Reggie Bush was not as valuable as Mario Williams (…yet another player named Williams in the mix). San Diego, Miami, and Houston: We STILL thank you.

So with all the ecstasy and rave that Reggie Bush brought on draft day, the “buzz” started that assumed “Deuce’s days with the Saints are numbered.” But oh, how far from the truth that speculation was. Instead of a talented veteran (Deuce) feeling sorry for himself, or pouting in front of the media, he let his actions speak louder than words. Yes, the media went “goo-goo” over Reggie Bush, and YES, some of them tried to “stir the pot” by asking Deuce if he felt that his job was threatened ---while on camera, or in front of a hot mike. Deuce kept on his road of excellence, and mentored Reggie Bush in that all important rookie season. But how many stopped to think about the fact that this was something that Deuce NEVER got from Ricky Williams. In fact, RW made a statement to the media AFTER he was traded to the Dolphins: “I don’t care how many yards I get, as long as it’s more than that other guy (Deuce McAllister) gets.”

Yes, Ricky Williams went on to lead the NFL in rushing that year, and he took a cheap shot at Deuce in the process. But Deuce (as usual) took the moral “high ground,” and didn’t return a shot back at RW. Instead, he set a tremendous example for Reggie and the entire team by his work ethic, dedication and overall team play. Deuce is a stalwart in community service and supporting civic events. His donations to his alma mater (University of Mississippi) have exceeded one-million dollars, he had a visible presence in helping in post-Katrina efforts, he has contributed time-and-time again to other organizations, and he works tirelessly as an NFL “Goodwill Ambassador.” Is Dulymus “Deuce” McAllister the real “heart and soul” for the New Orleans Saints? You be the judge. Geaux Saints!

The Saints continued their stumble out of the gate this week with a loss to Tampa Bay.  Perhaps the three biggest areas that hurt the Saints this week were the offensive line, overall offense, and the defensive secondary.  These three seemed to plague the Saints for yet another week as they try to figure out what is wrong.

The Saints continued their stumble out of the gate this week with a loss to Tampa Bay.  Perhaps the three biggest areas that hurt the Saints this week were the offensive line, overall offense, and the defensive secondary.  These three seemed to plague the Saints for yet another week as they try to figure out what is wrong.

Heading into this season the Saints thought they had addressed all the problems that they had, adding help on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.  However, for the second week in a row the Saints stumbled on offense and the defensive secondary appeared unable to stop anybody.  Tampa Bay seemed to pass the ball at will, able to pull off big play after big play.  However, unlike last season, the Saints offense appeared unable to keep up with the Tampa offense, leading some to wonder what types of changes Coach Payton and his staff will make this week.  With a loss to the Colts and to the Bucs, the Saints appear not to have addressed some of their glaring needs in the off-season, which leads fans to wonder how long before Saints rookie Usama Young is given the start to determine if he can help add some support to the secondary.

Hopefully next week the Saints will go into the game prepared and able to contain their opponents, something they were unable to do to the Bucs this week.  However, if the Saints are going to want to turn their season around they will need to make corrections to the offense, offensive line, and the defensive secondary, all three areas that have plagued the Saints so far in this early season.  If there were any positive to take out of this week’s loss is the fact that in the second half the Saints appeared to have a few moments where the offense appeared to be coming to life, something that they were unable to do for the first game and a half.

 

Saints vs. Titans Game Preview

The Saints will be facing the Titans this week in an effort to turn their season around.  While there are many areas the Saints will need to focus on this week if they want to compete next week against the Titans, perhaps one stands out the most.  That one area is for the Saints to limit the big plays by Titans quarterback Vince Young.  Young is a game breaker who can keep any team in the game if given the opportunity.  The Saints will need to assign somebody either to spy the quarterback or make sure that the defensive front four stays in their zones during the game and not to allow Young to make any big plays with his legs.  

Offensively the Saints will need to stretch the field and find ways to open up the run and the screen pass.  It appears that teams are not currently worried about the deep pass and if the Saints receivers continue to drop passes, it could make next week another long game for Saints fans.  Hopefully the team will be able to make corrections and the real Saints will show up for the Titans game.

 

Saints Player of the Game

Once again it was a struggle to determine who should be named player of the game for this game, not because of the fact that the Saints played that well, but instead because the Saints played so poorly that it’s tough to give any player a pat on the back for performances so far.  With that in mind, this week’s player of the game award goes to David Patten.  While Patten didn’t really have an exceptional week, he did do one thing that many on the offense seemed to struggle with this past week, catch and hold onto the ball.  Patten had two catches for 66 yards.  He has the potential to be that go to receiver that the Saints need with sure hands who can provide them with a solid third down option.  Hopefully the coaching staff will take a look at the game film and the struggles some of the young receivers had and then notice how Patten made the most of his chances and give him the opportunity to play.  With that in mind, Patten gets this week’s player of the game award and hopefully the opportunity to win a few more.

 

Q & A

Q & A is the question and answer section.  If you have a question you would like answered, email it to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it with the subject heading of Q&A and we will try to answer the question to the best of our ability.

 

Psycho’s View

Okay, while this is only the second week, I have to say that it is time to start calling for the rookie Usama Young.  He is a star quality cornerback and while he will have growing pains, it can’t be any worse than what we are seeing from the secondary right now.  Offensively and defensively the Saints need to get their heads in the game and start making some adjustments or by the end of the season the Saints will have to focus on whom they are going to take with an early draft choice instead of who they are going to be playing in the playoffs.  Perhaps the one bright spot is that the rest of the division has stumbled out of the gate also and leaves the door open to the Saints even with the slow start.
 

 In an exclusive interview with BlackandGold.com, Indiana Hoosier Defensive Backs coach, Joe Palcic, provides insight on why Tracy Porter is ready to vie for a starting position in the Saints’ secondary.

In an exclusive interview with BlackandGold.com, Indiana Hoosier Defensive Backs coach, Joe Palcic, provides insight on why Tracy Porter is ready to vie for a starting position in the Saints’ secondary.

B&G.com:  Coach Palcic, we appreciate your taking the time to fill Saints fans in on what you know about Tracy Porter.

Coach Palcic:  You’re welcome; it’s my pleasure.

B&G.com:  Coach, I understand you have some “ties” with the Saints… is that correct?

Coach Palcic:  Yes, I do.  My youngest sister (Monica) is married to Mark Simoneau, my dad (Bob Palcic) was a Tight Ends coach under Jim Haslett when he was with the Saints, and Sean Payton was on the coaching staff at Miami of Ohio when I played there.

B&G.com:  What can you tell us about how Tracy developed during his time at Indiana?

Coach Palcic:  Well, all you have to do is put yourself in his shoes.  Here he was, a kid from Louisiana, and he’s dropped in a college town in the Midwest ( Bloomington, Indiana).  He didn’t know anyone, and I’m sure he was a little homesick.  But as time went on, he applied himself, made friends, and really developed into a true leader on the football team. 

B&G.com:  Did you recruit him to Indiana; what was so intriguing about Porter?

Coach Palcic:  No, I didn’t.  Actually, he was brought here (recruited) by the prior coaching staff.  Former head coach Jerry DiNardo liked his talent and upside and persuaded Tracy to come.  In his first year, he was a true freshman.  He was “raw.”  By that I mean that you could see the athleticism, but he needed to polish his technique and anticipation. 

B&G.com:  How did it pan out?

Coach Palcic:  He showed us enough for him to make the roster.  He actually became a regular in the secondary and really showed his potential.  In his very first game, he got a “pick” and returned it 90 yards.  Unfortunately, he broke his clavicle (collar bone) midseason, in the 6^th game.  Of course, that cut his freshman season short. 

B&G.com:  What stands to you out about his development?

Coach Palcic:  His maturity and savvy as a player really took off.  After he returned  the following season, he was so good that we put him on the opposing teams’ best receiver.  He’s gone up against some of the best in the country, and really held his own. 

B&G.com:  What was the most impressive performance in any game you can recall about Tracy Porter?

Coach Palcic:  I’d say that two stand out.  The first was in ’06 vs. UCONN.  He dominated in that game.  He had two int’s, multiple passes defended, a blocked FG and returned a punt for a TD.  The other memorable game was last season vs. the Fighting Illini.  In that game, Tracy had two int’s, and he was stout in run support to help stop Mendenhall.

B&G.com:  When a player comes into the NFL, it can be a make-or-break decision if you have the wrong man in a man-to-man scheme if he’s more of a cover-2 player.  Can you explain why this is so critical, and tell us which Tracy best fits?

Coach Palcic:  Yes, I’d be glad to.  For instance, a team like the Indianapolis Colts (who uses the cover-2) don’t usually draft cornerbacks with their top (early round) choices because of their defensive schemes. This is because cover-2 only requires that a corner bumps and jams a receiver in the short to medium range, and releasing the receiver to the backpeddling safeties over the top in deep routes.  Because of this, a typical cover-2 cornerback may not be as easily exploited as true man-to-man cornerback (who has full coverage responsibility …even on deep routes).  So a cover-2 corner may be effective, and may be able to “cheat” more to provide run support sooner because he knows he can release the receiver after so-many yards.  But not all defensive backs can make the transition from zone/cover-2 to man-to-man.  In Tracy’s case, he can fit either system because he’s skilled and disciplined enough to hold man-to-man responsibility.  And he can also revert to the zone/cover-2, if that’s the scheme called for in the defense or game situation. 

B&G.com:  Did the Hoosiers make it to a Bowl game last season?

Coach Palcic: Yes.  We were invited to the “Insight Bowl” in Phoenix (Sun Devil stadium).  Tracy played well.  No int’s, but he held his own. 

B&G.com:  How does Tracy Porter compare to other CB’s taken this year?

Coach Palcic:  (laugh)  You want an “unbiased answer?”  Well, I know that he’s one of the most fluid defensive backs to be drafted in recent years…bar none.  If you want a quick comparison:  Many were touting Talib as a hot first-rounder.  In my opinion, Talib would fit in cover-2 schemes, but may have difficulty in man-to-man schemes because he’s not as fluid in hip & leg movement (to react & change direction) as Tracy is.  I could go down the list in comparison, but I think that gives you an idea of where I’m coming from.

B&G.com:  Seeing that Tracy Porter is a Louisiana native, how did he react when he found out he was coming back to the Bayou State?

Coach Palcic:  All I can say is that it was very special!  For him, it was a dream come true.  Throughout his time at Indiana, he’s always made it know that the Saints were his favorite team.  His mom traveled to see him as much as she was able, but she refused to take the airlines (…she hated to fly).  So, she sacrificed and drove the round trip more than a few times.  Now that Tracy is “back home,” I know that both he and she are ecstatic!

B&G.com:  What do think are Tracy Porter’s chances in making the final Saints’ roster?

Coach Palcic:  I believe his chances are excellent.  In game situations, Tracy let’s his play do the talking.  I know that in the NFL some defenders like to talk smack, but that’s not Tracy’s style  He has the talent, he has the confidence, and he has the game smarts that will translate into big dividends for the New Orleans Saints’ defense.  Realistically, I see Tracy making the cut as a nickel (at least) …and will likely push for a starting spot.  The term “draft steal” is an overplayed term.  But don’t be surprised if it resurfaces when people look back on this pickup by the Saints.

B&G.com:  Once again coach, we are delighted to have you share this information with an excited and eager Saints’ fan base.  On behalf of BlackAndGold.com and Saints fans everywhere, thank you for your insight and perspective on Tracy Porter.  All the best to the Hoosiers this season.

Coach Palcic:  You’re welcome; good luck with the Saints.