TallySaint

Saints unable to avoid injury, insult vs. Pack


By SHELDON MICKLES
smickles@theadvocate.com
Advocate sportswriter

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- To fully realize what an incredibly bad game the New Orleans Saints played Sunday, all you have to do is consider what coach Jim Haslett did with 8:40 remaining in the third quarter.

Haslett pulled quarterback Aaron Brooks, who has probably taken about 99 percent of the snaps in 74 straight starting assignments, out of the game.

His two-interception first-quarter performance aside, the yanking was to preserve Brooks' health for the next 11 games with the Saints trailing the Green Bay Packers, 42-3, at that point.

"I would have taken everybody out if I had a chance," Haslett said.

He probably wishes he would have, considering the knee injury that two-time Pro Bowl running back Deuce McAllister sustained about two minutes after Brooks went to the sideline. McAllister is likely finished for the season with a slight tear to the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, the team learned Monday.

Unfortunately, Haslett had to put 11 guys on the field for each play and simply pray the final 23 minutes would go by as quickly as possible -- with no injuries and no more damage on the scoreboard.

That didn't happen in either case, sadly enough.


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8)

My Guardian Angel wears a hard hat.