Which Saints Team Will Show Up? - Part Deux

September 2, 2011 - Okay, that question was easy to answer.  New Orleans Saints Head coach Sean Payton kept most of his key players on the bench for this, the last preseason game against the Tennessee Titans.  Third string quarterback Sean Canfield started and played the entire game and only one of the starting offense played.  Some of the defensive starters played, but not for long.

So which Saints team showed up?  It was the ugly one.  The Saints played ugly and lost ugly 32-9.  This was the opportunity for the players on the bubble to shine and get themselves noticed.  Well, they got themselves noticed.

The game started off okay.  Canfield drove the offense a little and had to punt.  When Tennessee got the ball, I wondered if the classic Sean Payton Saints defense would show up or the kind of Saints defense Walter Payton used to run all over.  To be honest, Sweetness would have had a field day with this defense.  Granted, it was mostly backups trying to make the team, but if this is your last, best chance to make the team, don’t miss tackles, which several of them did, and don’t provide huge running lanes for Jake Locker to stroll into the end zone.  That run started with, you guessed it, a missed tackle.

The offense wasn’t much better.  They turned the ball over three times, including two interceptions by Canfield.  Even kicker John Kasay missed a field goal and an extra point.  On a positive note, Canfield was 29-39 for 249 yards, with a touchdown and two interceptions.  His completion percentage, as high as it was, was hampered by drops.  Joicque Bell had a five yard per rush average and may have helped his case.  One thing this game probably did was make it easier to decide who stays and who goes. 

On another note, Saints announcer Jim Henderson noted that in the Sean Payton era, when the Saints lose their last preseason game, they win their season opener.  The only time they won their last preseason game, they lost their season opener.  Let’s hope history repeats itself.

So which Saints team will show up Thursday night against the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers?  Easy…it’s the one that’s much better and much hungrier than the Saints team who played last night. 

Geaux Saints!!!