Here is a great website, TheSaintsnation.com’s Andrew Juge joins us for a candid interview about all things Saints, before our HUGE matchup for First Place in the NFC South!
Q) At what point did you think…oh no, were going to lose this game against the Rams?
It was pretty clear when they scored that second touchdown to go up 17-0 right before halftime that it was going to be a really tall mountain to climb. With the Saints’ offense I had a small hope they’d explode in the second half… but I wasn’t exactly optimistic at halftime down 17-0, mostly because the offense was scoreless to that point. Through an entire half. I still can’t believe the Saints lost that game.
Q) Sean Peyton up in the Box. Really. No, really, is there anything lost? Anything?
A little bit. I think it was understated in the big win and overstated in the big loss. The main issue I think is he isn’t able to communicate with players. He’s their leader in a sense and players look to him for direction. I think that presents some intangibles that you lose. As far as the play calling and X’s and O’s, though, that’s all scripted well before gameday. I think the lack of human interaction is a challenge, but beyond that I think the big decisions are still things he decides with the headset and the plays and relay of the play call works fine.
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Q) Where did you get that Tight End from? Jimmy Graham is amazing, did anyone see that coming?
He only played one year of football at Miami and the Saints thought enough of him physical attributes to draft him in the 3rd round. There was no question, when drafted, that while raw he was a gifted guy with freakish skills. He’s still putting it all together (blocking etc…) but his learning curve is incredible due to his athleticism. Add Drew Brees to the mix and it’s accelerated his growth as a playmaker. He’s only going to get better. The minute he was drafted we were all hopeful he’d turn into something special. So this doesn’t come as a huge surprise, we’re just glad it’s panning out. That was definitely the hope as a basketball guy that he was the next Antonio Gates/Tony Gonzalez. Not ready to say he’s arrived by any means yet, but he’s off to a great start.
Q) What do Saints fans think of Gerald McCoy?
I think we all respect him as a solid player. He’s had a lot of hype as a draftee that I’m not entirely sure he’s 100% lived up to yet, though. He’s not a player that I necessarily “fear” in the Julius Peppers, John Abraham, BJ Raji sense of “oh, crap, we need to block that guy?”. I’d love to have him on the Saints, don’t get me wrong, I just think he needs to be more consistent over a longer period of time before he’s respected as one of the best at his position.
Q) What about Kellen Winslow?
He’s an awesome talent. He’s a lot of bite, but also a lot of bark. He reminds me of Jeremy Shockey in some ways. He’s a loud mouth that talks tons of trash, and I kind of think he’s an idiot. I know he competes hard but he’s just not the kind of guy I would want on my team. I feel like guys like that are hard to root for. He’s a big frame, good hands, and he can definitely hurt the Saints badly. I respect that he’s a good player, I just really don’t like him. I’m still not over that whole “soulja” rant in Miami, and he strikes me as a really immature guy that despite being a fantastic talent may not be worth the distraction. I do think guys like that are great for rivalries. It’s makes me dislike your team just that much more. Deion Sanders always did that to me with the Falcons. I’m sure you guys felt the same way about Shockey… It adds something to the competitive spirit.
All Points nicely put! Good luck this week, but, um, I’m gonna need an address to send that broom. 🙂
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