blacksaint

By LARRY HOLDER

His presence sparks turnaround in secondary


METAIRIE, La. --Roman Harper didn't play in the New Orleans Saints' opening preseason game. The Pittsburgh Steelers shredded the first-team defense.

Harper made his first appearance back on the playing field since tearing his ACL in Week 5 last season when he started against the Buffalo Bills on Aug. 10. A clear turnaround began when the defense as a whole improved during the Saints' last two preseason games.

Coincidence? Harper thinks so.

"I'm not going to give myself that much credit at all," Harper said. "I'm just filling a spot. As long as I'm doing my job, the defense will do the rest. I don't want to standout like a sore thumb."

Harper might be too generous. His teammates think so.

"Roman, he brings the wood from that position," defensive tackle Antwan Lake said. "He's coming in there flying. Next thing you know, 41 is coming out of nowhere to make the tackle. He's a great safety valve.

"The other day, I think they ran a toss at him, and he came out of nowhere and made an open field tackle. He saved what might have been a potential touchdown. He's a great addition from last year in being hurt. We see him this year, and it's a hell of a difference."

Harper tallied a combined seven solo tackles against Cincinnati and Buffalo. With the second-year safety in the lineup, the Saints only surrendered 15 points combined in the last four quarters the first-team defense was on the field.

Without him, the secondary looked lost against Pittsburgh's passing attack, and the Steelers marched all over the Saints in the Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 5. Saints coach Sean Payton sat Harper down for that game as a precaution after missing a couple of days of practice with soreness in his surgically repaired knee.

Harper hasn't missed a practice since, and the production of the defense has increased. He said he's still trying to feel his way back, but it's coming together more every day.

"The more I'm playing out there, the better I feel physically," he said. "As long as I'm able to stay on top of my rehab, I'll be able to fly around like I have been and being able to help the guys. I'm not going to say I've put on some big hits, but I'm just trying to play ball."

Defensive end Will Smith said having everyone together for a second run, including Harper, ranks atop the list for the Saints' early success. At the same time, Smith said there's still plenty of work left to do.

"It's a little bit different (than a year ago) because a lot of guys are more familiar with the system and the coaches," Smith said. "The coaches are more familiar with the players. That form of trust and that we already know play-wise what we are doing.

"We just have to go out and execute. Then we can start worrying about the little things that when you put in a whole new system, we don't really worry about."

Harper echoed Smith's sentiments.

"The biggest difference is that we all know what we are doing," he said. "We're on the same page, and we know each other. The whole group came back, and we just know each other.

"There's a lot of things that we have to work on. Right now, we're just fine tuning some things. We want to be full stride by the time the season starts."

Injury updates - Wide receiver Marques Colston didn't sound too confident about playing Thursday. He missed the Bengals game with soreness in his right leg.

"If I think this was the regular season, I'd be able to play," Colston said. "I guess the coaching staff just wants to take the precautionary measures and keep me out and not damage it more."

Mark Simoneau didn't reveal much about the leg injury he sustained in Cincinnati. The middle linebacker said it's not serious, but he wouldn't say if he would be available in Kansas City. If' he's not, Brian Simmons would be his likely replacement.

SunHerald.com : HARPER HELPS DEFENSE THRIVE

saint4life
(504)