blacksaint

Posted by Jimmy Smith, Staff writer
August 18, 2007 7:43PM


CINCINNATI - It was obvious just how athletically limited backup quarterback Jamie Martin is by his effort in the second quarter.

Martin is slow-footed with an equally slow release. He was sacked three times and fumbled twice, one of which led to a Cincinnati field goal.

Martin was 6 of 9 in his quarter and a half of work and was scheduled to give way in the second half to free agent Matt Baker.

--Though the Bengals had a 15:40 to 14:20 edge in time of possession in the first half, they still trailed 17-12 because they could not put the ball in the end zone against the Saints defense. The Bengals were 0-for-3 in the red zone in the first half, while the Saints were 2-for-2.

--While the game might have appeared to be statistically even, based on the fact that the Bengals had 118 first-half total yards and the Saints 113, the Saints actually ran 11 fewer offensive plays in the first half. New Orleans had 30 offensive snaps, the Bengals 41.

--Martin's slow delivery made it appear that the Saints offensive line was doing a poor job blocking the Bengals up front. More likely, it was a combination of those factors that contributed to what seemed to be a bad first half by the line.

--Linebacker Dhani Jones, playing in place of injured Scott Fujita on the outside, had eight total tackles in the first half, six of those unassisted.

--But it's not a good sign when your second leading tackler in the first half is a defensive back. Cornerback Jason Craft had five total tackles, an indication that the Bengals were getting into the Saints secondary a little too frequently.

--Reserve running back Pierre Thomas is making a strong case for a roster spot with his play on special teams. Thomas had a 26-yard kickoff return in the second quarter.

--The Saints offense didn't convert a third down in three attempts in the first half.

Second quarter thoughts - New Orleans Saints Beat - Times-Picayune NFL - NOLA.com

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