Sean Payton notified the media that the following players did not practice today: Garrett Hartley (hip), Marques Colston (collarbone) and Roman Harper (ankle). Lance Moore (groin) and Tom Johnson (calf) were both limited. The Saints also released Sean Canfield from the practice squad and added receiver Montez Billings.
We knew Hartley and Colston were going to be out, but Harper’s bad wheel comes as a surprise. While we’re all thinking “Harper has been so bad, it may be a blessing if he’s out”, I’m not going to be naive and subscribe to that theory. The Saints need Harper playing well because when he does, their defense is at it’s best. That would be a tough loss to counter because the backup strong safety is Jonathon Amaya and he’s been suspect in preseason.
The news about Lance Moore is…
encouraging. If he’s out there getting limited reps, there’s a decent chance he’ll play. With Colston out the need for him out there is even more pronounced. While I feel good about Adrian Arrington performing well with increased reps, I’d like for Lance Moore to be in the mix to solidy the receiving core with Colston out. Of course, I think we should all expect Jimmy Graham’s receiving duties to step up a notch with Colston out as well.
Finally, Brian Urlacher’s mother has passed away unexpectedly (RIP) and he’s left the team to deal with funeral arrangements and mourning. He is officially “questionable” to play. I hope he plays as I mentioned on the twitter account because I want the Saints to face the Bears’ best and still beat them. That said, I have seen some people criticizing Urlacher for leaving the team (Bears fans mostly). Let’s remember that while football is one of greatest things that exists, it doesn’t trump family. No sport and no job does. I feel like fans are often hypocritical with players and their expectations of them. He’s human, and furthermore, few NFL players are more dedicated to the sport or the league than Urlacher. If he misses this game, it’s because he has to/needs to. His decision should have all fan’s respect. No question though, if he doesn’t play, that’s a huge blow to the Bears’ ability to execute their defense at the level they expect.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
