Lukewarm Hall game nothing to fear

blacksaint · 08-07-2007, 11:08 PM

by Jim Mashek

So far, not so good.

The New Orleans Saints played in the AFC-NFC Hall of Fame Game on Sunday night in Canton, Ohio, and their first-team units pretty much got played by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The final score - Steelers 20, Saints 7 - really doesn't matter. But the Saints' inability to establish any offensive rhythm in the first half was no doubt a concern for second-year coach Sean Payton. The Saints' secondary gave up some big plays in the early going, and this time, Fred Thomas was nowhere to be found.

It took a while, but the Saints generated a pass rush before the first half came to a close. Ben Roethlisberger sliced through the Saints' defense like nobody's business and quickly gave way to Charlie Batch, the Steelers' backup quarterback. The Saints' tackling left plenty to be desired.

In the final analysis, it's little more than a reference point, a dress rehearsal that went south in a hurry. The Steelers play in the AFC, the stronger of the two conferences, and defeated the Saints last season in Pittsburgh.

The Saints should be one of the NFC's better teams, at least on the offensive side of the ball.

Even if Sunday night's game suggested otherwise.

Drew Brees struggled with his timing and the Saints had little success running the football when their first offense was on the field. Backup quarterback Jamie Martin looked kind of lost on the field, and you get the impression Jason Fife may be making up some ground on Martin.

We finally saw Robert Meachem, the Saints' first-round draft pick from Tennessee, in the fourth quarter. Meachem took a big hit on a ball thrown behind him but got up quickly. He has yet to make much of an impression on the Saints' coaches, however, but will get plenty of opportunities to catch up over the next few weeks in training camp.

The Saints are coming off the best season in club history, a backhanded compliment if there ever was one. But there's a sense of anticipation we've seldom seen with this team, in part because Brees showed us the value of a big-time quarterback and in part because of the unusual dimension Reggie Bush brings to the offense.

You figure the Saints aren't going to have much trouble scoring points.

It's the defense that is the bigger concern. Hollis Thomas is perhaps the most colorful character in the Saints' locker room, but you could see why his coaches were disappointed in him reporting to camp overweight. We might see former Ole Miss standout Kendrick Clancy in that run stuffer role if Thomas doesn't whip himself into shape.

The Saints play another exhibition game on Friday night in the Louisiana Superdome, when the Buffalo Bills come to town. Payton will be looking for better offensive execution and a defense that plays with more of a sense of purpose.

Bottom line?

It'll be another month or so before they tee it up for real.

08-07-2007, 11:08 PM	#1
blacksaint DARE TO ENTER Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Home Sweet Home, NEW ORLEANS, La. Posts: 1,154	Lukewarm Hall game nothing to fear by Jim Mashek So far, not so good. The New Orleans Saints played in the AFC-NFC Hall of Fame Game on Sunday night in Canton, Ohio, and their first-team units pretty much got played by the Pittsburgh Steelers. The final score - Steelers 20, Saints 7 - really doesn't matter. But the Saints' inability to establish any offensive rhythm in the first half was no doubt a concern for second-year coach Sean Payton. The Saints' secondary gave up some big plays in the early going, and this time, Fred Thomas was nowhere to be found. It took a while, but the Saints generated a pass rush before the first half came to a close. Ben Roethlisberger sliced through the Saints' defense like nobody's business and quickly gave way to Charlie Batch, the Steelers' backup quarterback. The Saints' tackling left plenty to be desired. In the final analysis, it's little more than a reference point, a dress rehearsal that went south in a hurry. The Steelers play in the AFC, the stronger of the two conferences, and defeated the Saints last season in Pittsburgh. The Saints should be one of the NFC's better teams, at least on the offensive side of the ball. Even if Sunday night's game suggested otherwise. Drew Brees struggled with his timing and the Saints had little success running the football when their first offense was on the field. Backup quarterback Jamie Martin looked kind of lost on the field, and you get the impression Jason Fife may be making up some ground on Martin. We finally saw Robert Meachem, the Saints' first-round draft pick from Tennessee, in the fourth quarter. Meachem took a big hit on a ball thrown behind him but got up quickly. He has yet to make much of an impression on the Saints' coaches, however, but will get plenty of opportunities to catch up over the next few weeks in training camp. The Saints are coming off the best season in club history, a backhanded compliment if there ever was one. But there's a sense of anticipation we've seldom seen with this team, in part because Brees showed us the value of a big-time quarterback and in part because of the unusual dimension Reggie Bush brings to the offense. You figure the Saints aren't going to have much trouble scoring points. It's the defense that is the bigger concern. Hollis Thomas is perhaps the most colorful character in the Saints' locker room, but you could see why his coaches were disappointed in him reporting to camp overweight. We might see former Ole Miss standout Kendrick Clancy in that run stuffer role if Thomas doesn't whip himself into shape. The Saints play another exhibition game on Friday night in the Louisiana Superdome, when the Buffalo Bills come to town. Payton will be looking for better offensive execution and a defense that plays with more of a sense of purpose. Bottom line? It'll be another month or so before they tee it up for real.
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