Young Saints safeties Abdul-Quddus, Bush stepping up late in season

papz · 12-21-2012, 05:33 PM

METAIRIE, La. — The optimistic tweets began to grow the longer New Orleans’ game against went.

The Saints’ safeties were playing well, showing athleticism and ball skills most thought didn’t exist.

Only, they were watching Rafael Bush and Isa Abdul-Quddus, not Malcolm Jenkins and Roman Harper.

“Both of them when they come in, all they’ve done is make plays,” Jenkins said. “If they can continue to do that and just create that depth for us, it makes our depth a lot better.”

With Jenkins on injured reserve with a hamstring injury and Harper playing a portion of games at a hybrid linebacker position, it’s likely that the Bush-Quddus combo will continue seeing the light of day, including Sunday when the Saints (6-8) travel to play Dallas (8-6).

In just two games, Bush and Quddus have matched the interception total (3) of Jenkins and Harper.

Additionally, Quddus has 29 tackles and a fumble recovery to go with seven special teams tackles. Bush, meanwhile, has 10 tackles, a forced fumble and a recovered fumble in limited playing time. He also is second on the team with 11 special teams tackles and has a fumble recovery there, too.
It’s what the duo did on special teams that has caught the eye of the coaching staff.

“I think when you have a young defensive player and all of a sudden you see him on the coverage teams, you see him on the return teams, you see the courage, you see the play making in space, now it is the natural evolution to go play defense or offense,” Saints interim coach Joe Vitt said.
Special teams coach Greg McMahon believes, in fact, that if a player can’t cut it on special teams, they’re going to have a hard time making it on the regular teams.

“It all ties in together,” McMahon said. “There is no question, if a guy can’t go out and play special teams, then he is going to have a hard time playing defense or offense.”

Read more: Young Saints safeties Abdul-Quddus, Bush stepping up late in season | wwltv.com New Orleans

ChrisXVI · 12-21-2012, 06:17 PM

It's the future. Isa is a terrific player and absolutely should be starting at free safety going forward.

Saintaintso · 12-22-2012, 01:45 AM

Start em now and fulltime ... Tired of Watching Harper get Moss'd

Danno · 12-22-2012, 03:07 PM

Originally Posted by Saintaintso

Start em now and fulltime ... Tired of Watching Harper get Moss'd

Yeah, the 1 or two times that happens every year can be really frustrating huh? /sarcasm.

dizzle88 · 12-22-2012, 03:42 AM

Isa has the instincts to play FS, it just comes natural to him

I've been one of the first to defend Jenkins, but Quddus is the better safety

joker-saint · 12-22-2012, 04:30 AM

Originally Posted by dizzle88

Isa has the instincts to play FS, it just comes natural to him

I've been one of the first to defend Jenkins, but Quddus is the better safety

I will beleive that when he has played more games. Jenkins is still one of the fastest guys on the team and nobody in the secondary or in the safties has compared to his level of intensity and dedication. If you have a hard time beleiving this go back and watch what Jenkins has done this year. I have never seen somebody come from the 30 yard line with about 30 yards between themselves and the receiver and still chase them down and stop the play. Not to mention he stayed in on the next 4 downs and stopped the final play on a 4th down conversion. Jenkins stays where he is at and Quddus should alternate.

Marlboro Man · 12-22-2012, 12:21 PM

Originally Posted by joker-saint

I will beleive that when he has played more games. Jenkins is still one of the fastest guys on the team and nobody in the secondary or in the safties has compared to his level of intensity and dedication. If you have a hard time beleiving this go back and watch what Jenkins has done this year. I have never seen somebody come from the 30 yard line with about 30 yards between themselves and the receiver and still chase them down and stop the play. Not to mention he stayed in on the next 4 downs and stopped the final play on a 4th down conversion. Jenkins stays where he is at and Quddus should alternate.

That was a great play, but the fact of the matter is, that it was only 1 play. The rest of his year hasn't been very good. Dropped INT's, missed assignments, missed tackles, and speed?? Are you serious? The whole reason Jenkins was moved to Safety is because of his LACK of speed and the fact that we played mostly man to man defense. The recent talk about a possible move back to CB next year is because we now play a lot more zone coverage which does not suit Robinson or Greer, but does suit a slower CB like Jenkins. Not hacking on ya man but Jenkins ran something like a 4.6 or 4.7, 40, just saying. In his first two years Jenkins did make some great plays, not so much the last two.

papz · 12-22-2012, 03:17 PM

Originally Posted by Marlboro Man

That was a great play, but the fact of the matter is, that it was only 1 play. The rest of his year hasn't been very good. Dropped INT's, missed assignments, missed tackles, and speed?? Are you serious? The whole reason Jenkins was moved to Safety is because of his LACK of speed and the fact that we played mostly man to man defense. The recent talk about a possible move back to CB next year is because we now play a lot more zone coverage which does not suit Robinson or Greer, but does suit a slower CB like Jenkins. Not hacking on ya man but Jenkins ran something like a 4.6 or 4.7, 40, just saying. In his first two years Jenkins did make some great plays, not so much the last two.

4.55 at the combine. 4.46-4.51 at his Pro Day.

He's not slow by any means... as we've seen the past two years(running guys down). I've said this in the past... Jenkins plays like a SS on the field. If he's still here when Harper is gone, I think he'll play very well there. It's weird as when he flashed his All Pro potential, he was playing nickel/safety. One would have thought a move to FS full time would have been perfect for him. I'm not ready to give up on him as a FS, but I'd like to see him go back to that role that he had success in. That way Jenkins, Quddus, and Harper can all see time on the field together.

joker-saint · 12-23-2012, 02:26 AM

Originally Posted by papz

4.55 at the combine. 4.46-4.51 at his Pro Day.

He's not slow by any means... as we've seen the past two years(running guys down). I've said this in the past... Jenkins plays like a SS on the field. If he's still here when Harper is gone, I think he'll play very well there. It's weird as when he flashed his All Pro potential, he was playing nickel/safety. One would have thought a move to FS full time would have been perfect for him. I'm not ready to give up on him as a FS, but I'd like to see him go back to that role that he had success in. That way Jenkins, Quddus, and Harper can all see time on the field together.

Jenkins, Quddus and Harper would be a nasty combination. What if there was a way to work Bush into the rotation as well? All 4 of them are turning out to be excellent players. Imagine of they were all on the field at the same time. I think I have seen this happen on 2nd and 3rd downs at times. And if I recall correctly it either ended up in a pass deflection, an interception, or a dropped pass.

joker-saint · 12-23-2012, 02:21 AM

Originally Posted by Marlboro Man

That was a great play, but the fact of the matter is, that it was only 1 play. The rest of his year hasn't been very good. Dropped INT's, missed assignments, missed tackles, and speed?? Are you serious? The whole reason Jenkins was moved to Safety is because of his LACK of speed and the fact that we played mostly man to man defense. The recent talk about a possible move back to CB next year is because we now play a lot more zone coverage which does not suit Robinson or Greer, but does suit a slower CB like Jenkins. Not hacking on ya man but Jenkins ran something like a 4.6 or 4.7, 40, just saying. In his first two years Jenkins did make some great plays, not so much the last two.

He had a couple games this year where he showed excellent closing speed. I am not certain why he only does this at certain times, but the speed is there when properly motivated.

12-21-2012, 05:33 PM	#1
papz Problem? Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: New Orleans Posts: 11,772	Young Saints safeties Abdul-Quddus, Bush stepping up late in season METAIRIE, La. — The optimistic tweets began to grow the longer New Orleans’ game against went. The Saints’ safeties were playing well, showing athleticism and ball skills most thought didn’t exist. Only, they were watching Rafael Bush and Isa Abdul-Quddus, not Malcolm Jenkins and Roman Harper. “Both of them when they come in, all they’ve done is make plays,” Jenkins said. “If they can continue to do that and just create that depth for us, it makes our depth a lot better.” With Jenkins on injured reserve with a hamstring injury and Harper playing a portion of games at a hybrid linebacker position, it’s likely that the Bush-Quddus combo will continue seeing the light of day, including Sunday when the Saints (6-8) travel to play Dallas (8-6). In just two games, Bush and Quddus have matched the interception total (3) of Jenkins and Harper. Additionally, Quddus has 29 tackles and a fumble recovery to go with seven special teams tackles. Bush, meanwhile, has 10 tackles, a forced fumble and a recovered fumble in limited playing time. He also is second on the team with 11 special teams tackles and has a fumble recovery there, too. It’s what the duo did on special teams that has caught the eye of the coaching staff. “I think when you have a young defensive player and all of a sudden you see him on the coverage teams, you see him on the return teams, you see the courage, you see the play making in space, now it is the natural evolution to go play defense or offense,” Saints interim coach Joe Vitt said. Special teams coach Greg McMahon believes, in fact, that if a player can’t cut it on special teams, they’re going to have a hard time making it on the regular teams. “It all ties in together,” McMahon said. “There is no question, if a guy can’t go out and play special teams, then he is going to have a hard time playing defense or offense.” Read more: Young Saints safeties Abdul-Quddus, Bush stepping up late in season \| wwltv.com New Orleans Attached Thumbnails Marlboro Man likes this.
	Everyone is entitled to be stupid, but some abuse the privilege. All little common sense goes a long way.

12-21-2012, 06:17 PM	#2
ChrisXVI 10000 POST CLUB Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 11,482	Re: Young Saints safeties Abdul-Quddus, Bush stepping up late in season It's the future. Isa is a terrific player and absolutely should be starting at free safety going forward. dizzle88 likes this.

12-22-2012, 01:45 AM	#3
Saintaintso 500th Post Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 937	Re: Young Saints safeties Abdul-Quddus, Bush stepping up late in season Start em now and fulltime ... Tired of Watching Harper get Moss'd Marlboro Man likes this.
Saintaintso 500th Post Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 937

12-22-2012, 03:07 PM	#4
Danno Truth Addict Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Spanish Fort, AL (via NO and B/R) Posts: 24,751	Re: Young Saints safeties Abdul-Quddus, Bush stepping up late in season Originally Posted by Saintaintso Start em now and fulltime ... Tired of Watching Harper get Moss'd Yeah, the 1 or two times that happens every year can be really frustrating huh? /sarcasm.

12-22-2012, 03:42 AM	#5
dizzle88 10000 POST CLUB Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 11,521	Re: Young Saints safeties Abdul-Quddus, Bush stepping up late in season Isa has the instincts to play FS, it just comes natural to him I've been one of the first to defend Jenkins, but Quddus is the better safety Marlboro Man likes this.

12-22-2012, 04:30 AM	#6
joker-saint 100th Post Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 382 Blog Entries: 12	Re: Young Saints safeties Abdul-Quddus, Bush stepping up late in season Originally Posted by dizzle88 Isa has the instincts to play FS, it just comes natural to him I've been one of the first to defend Jenkins, but Quddus is the better safety I will beleive that when he has played more games. Jenkins is still one of the fastest guys on the team and nobody in the secondary or in the safties has compared to his level of intensity and dedication. If you have a hard time beleiving this go back and watch what Jenkins has done this year. I have never seen somebody come from the 30 yard line with about 30 yards between themselves and the receiver and still chase them down and stop the play. Not to mention he stayed in on the next 4 downs and stopped the final play on a 4th down conversion. Jenkins stays where he is at and Quddus should alternate.

12-22-2012, 12:21 PM	#7
Marlboro Man 1000 Posts + Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 1,469	Re: Young Saints safeties Abdul-Quddus, Bush stepping up late in season Originally Posted by joker-saint I will beleive that when he has played more games. Jenkins is still one of the fastest guys on the team and nobody in the secondary or in the safties has compared to his level of intensity and dedication. If you have a hard time beleiving this go back and watch what Jenkins has done this year. I have never seen somebody come from the 30 yard line with about 30 yards between themselves and the receiver and still chase them down and stop the play. Not to mention he stayed in on the next 4 downs and stopped the final play on a 4th down conversion. Jenkins stays where he is at and Quddus should alternate. That was a great play, but the fact of the matter is, that it was only 1 play. The rest of his year hasn't been very good. Dropped INT's, missed assignments, missed tackles, and speed?? Are you serious? The whole reason Jenkins was moved to Safety is because of his LACK of speed and the fact that we played mostly man to man defense. The recent talk about a possible move back to CB next year is because we now play a lot more zone coverage which does not suit Robinson or Greer, but does suit a slower CB like Jenkins. Not hacking on ya man but Jenkins ran something like a 4.6 or 4.7, 40, just saying. In his first two years Jenkins did make some great plays, not so much the last two.

12-22-2012, 03:17 PM	#8
papz Problem? Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: New Orleans Posts: 11,772	Re: Young Saints safeties Abdul-Quddus, Bush stepping up late in season Originally Posted by Marlboro Man That was a great play, but the fact of the matter is, that it was only 1 play. The rest of his year hasn't been very good. Dropped INT's, missed assignments, missed tackles, and speed?? Are you serious? The whole reason Jenkins was moved to Safety is because of his LACK of speed and the fact that we played mostly man to man defense. The recent talk about a possible move back to CB next year is because we now play a lot more zone coverage which does not suit Robinson or Greer, but does suit a slower CB like Jenkins. Not hacking on ya man but Jenkins ran something like a 4.6 or 4.7, 40, just saying. In his first two years Jenkins did make some great plays, not so much the last two. 4.55 at the combine. 4.46-4.51 at his Pro Day. He's not slow by any means... as we've seen the past two years(running guys down). I've said this in the past... Jenkins plays like a SS on the field. If he's still here when Harper is gone, I think he'll play very well there. It's weird as when he flashed his All Pro potential, he was playing nickel/safety. One would have thought a move to FS full time would have been perfect for him. I'm not ready to give up on him as a FS, but I'd like to see him go back to that role that he had success in. That way Jenkins, Quddus, and Harper can all see time on the field together. joker-saint and Shoe. like this.
	Everyone is entitled to be stupid, but some abuse the privilege. All little common sense goes a long way.

12-23-2012, 02:26 AM	#9
joker-saint 100th Post Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 382 Blog Entries: 12	Re: Young Saints safeties Abdul-Quddus, Bush stepping up late in season Originally Posted by papz 4.55 at the combine. 4.46-4.51 at his Pro Day. He's not slow by any means... as we've seen the past two years(running guys down). I've said this in the past... Jenkins plays like a SS on the field. If he's still here when Harper is gone, I think he'll play very well there. It's weird as when he flashed his All Pro potential, he was playing nickel/safety. One would have thought a move to FS full time would have been perfect for him. I'm not ready to give up on him as a FS, but I'd like to see him go back to that role that he had success in. That way Jenkins, Quddus, and Harper can all see time on the field together. Jenkins, Quddus and Harper would be a nasty combination. What if there was a way to work Bush into the rotation as well? All 4 of them are turning out to be excellent players. Imagine of they were all on the field at the same time. I think I have seen this happen on 2nd and 3rd downs at times. And if I recall correctly it either ended up in a pass deflection, an interception, or a dropped pass.

12-23-2012, 02:21 AM	#10
joker-saint 100th Post Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 382 Blog Entries: 12	Re: Young Saints safeties Abdul-Quddus, Bush stepping up late in season Originally Posted by Marlboro Man That was a great play, but the fact of the matter is, that it was only 1 play. The rest of his year hasn't been very good. Dropped INT's, missed assignments, missed tackles, and speed?? Are you serious? The whole reason Jenkins was moved to Safety is because of his LACK of speed and the fact that we played mostly man to man defense. The recent talk about a possible move back to CB next year is because we now play a lot more zone coverage which does not suit Robinson or Greer, but does suit a slower CB like Jenkins. Not hacking on ya man but Jenkins ran something like a 4.6 or 4.7, 40, just saying. In his first two years Jenkins did make some great plays, not so much the last two. He had a couple games this year where he showed excellent closing speed. I am not certain why he only does this at certain times, but the speed is there when properly motivated.

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