JOESAM2002

Safety first on Haslett's mind

Jackson in doghouse again; McAllister on pace for career year


Tuesday October 28, 2003


By Brian Allee-Walsh
Staff writer

Coach Jim Haslett said the Saints should have been awarded a safety in the first quarter of Sunday's 23-20 overtime loss to the Carolina Panthers at the Superdome.

Referee Mike Carey initially called intentional grounding on Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme in the Panthers' end zone. But, after conferring with other officials, Carey waved off the penalty.

Carey said Panthers tight end Mike Seidman was in the "vicinity" when Delhomme flipped the ball backhanded to avoid a sack with 11:59 remaining in the first quarter.

"Hell, I was in the vicinity," Haslett said Monday. "There was nobody anywhere. The tight end (Seidman) was 15 yards away. To me, the quarterback should be trying to throw it to somebody. He wasn't trying to throw it to anybody. He was trying to save his life. But there was nobody in the area."

Haslett said Carey's call directly impacted the outcome, and he would submit that play along with others to the league office for further review.


FYI: Saints defensive tackle Grady Jackson finds himself in Haslett's doghouse after missing Sunday's game because of a sprained ligament in his left pinky.

Haslett and other team officials believe Jackson could have played with the injury.

Jackson, who's pushing 370 pounds, had surgery Wednesday to reattach the ligament.


DYNAMIC DUO: Saints running back Deuce McAllister, who has rushed for 761 yards in eight games this season, is on pace to rush for a career-high 1,522 yards.

Wide receiver Joe Horn, who has caught 45 passes for 537 yards and six touchdowns, is on pace to catch 90 passes for 1,074 yards and 12 touchdowns.


INJURY REPORT: Saints reserve running back James Fenderson is expected to be sidelined for Sunday's game and possibly longer after spraining a ligament in his left foot.

Also, defensive linemen Kenny Smith (knee) and Kenderick Allen (knee), wide receiver Donté Stallworth (quadriceps) and strongside linebacker Sedrick Hodge (leg) will be evaluated on a daily basis.


THIRD-AND-GOOD: Despite converting two of 12 third-down situations Sunday, the Saints continue to lead the NFL in third-down efficiency with a 49.1 success rate.


DID YOU NOTICE? On second-and-7 from Carolina's 43 in overtime, Saints quarterback Aaron Brooks scrambled for two yards after being forced out of the pocket. During the play, Panthers linebacker Lester Towns tackled McAllister, who ran a pass route in the middle of the field. No flag was thrown.

"(McAllister) had the linebacker beat, and the guy grabbed him and threw him to the ground," Haslett said.


TICKET UPDATE: Although each technically is a sellout, approximately 200 tickets remain for upcoming home games against Atlanta on Nov. 16 and Tampa Bay on Dec. 7.

Ticket prices range from $65 to $150.


BY THE NUMBERS: 30 -- Touchdowns by Horn in 3 ½ seasons in New Orleans, tying him with Wayne Wilson for fifth most in franchise history. Dalton Hilliard (53), Eric Martin (48), Danny Abramowicz (37) and Tony Galbreath (33) lead the way.


WORTH REPEATING: "It's disappointing from the aspect that when the game is on the line and you know who's getting the ball." -- Haslett on his team's inability to stop Panthers running back Stephen Davis late in Sunday's game.

saintfan

That wasn\'t Iced Tea those refs were drinkin\' before the game.

Yup, boys, that was \"08 Kool-Aid\" straight from the source. What\'s really amazing is that the officials let the Saints take the field at all.