Record Setting: Brees Breaks Unitas' Record

Congratulations Drew!

Saints need their mojo back

What is going on around here? The Saints were finally looking like the team we thought they'd be. They were ahead 24-6 over the lowly Chiefs and had the game at hand, then the next thing you know, Saints fans are watching Ryan Succop's field goal sail through the uprights and 0-3 is exactly who the Saints are today.

There's no sugar-coating this, the Saints are a bad team right now. They have no direction and are like a rudderless ship. Of course, that's exactly what they are without head coach Sean Payton.

What was crazy about the Chiefs lost was how bad both the offense and defense looked in the second half. Saints coaches placed mirrors in each player's locker after the Carolina loss last week so there would be no finger pointing and everyone would look at themselves first. Well, I guess the offense wanted a reason to have to look at themselves in the mirror because they joined their atrocious defensive counterparts this week and stunk up the Superdome in the second half.

What happened to this team? The offensive line couldn't block anyone and the receivers have a bad case of the droppsies. Runningbacks can't get more than a few yards and Drew Brees is forcing way too many passes into coverage and suffering interceptions as a result.

That's not even to mention the defense, which is playing some of the worse football Saints fans have seen in the Sean Payton/Drew Brees era. Running backs are all looking like hall of famers and receivers are catching first down after first down with nary a defender in site. Little to no pressure is being put on opposing quarterbacks, and the once beaten down former coordinator Gregg Williams, is now being looked at in a new light, bounty scandals and all.

To not feel left out in the mirror gazing, sure-footed Garrett Hartley missed what could have been the game-sealing field goal in that unbelievable second half as well.

So where do the Saints go from here? These are all professionals and they won't just give up, but the odds and the schedule are against them. Looking at the next few weeks, the schedule is brutal (Green Bay, San Diego, Denver, Philadelphia and Atlanta are five of the next six games).

This may be one of those years where Saints fans can start reciting the old school Saints unofficial slogan, "Wait 'til next year!" Of course, next year can't come soon enough because then, Sean Payton will be walking through the door and the team will have it's mojo back.

Football is back! The Giants and Cowboys kicked off the regular season this past Wednesday and the rest of the league gets started this weekend. For Saints fans, the start of the season can't come soon enough. With bounty-gate, the ESPN-crafted eavesdropping story and Drew Brees' contract dispute, this offseason is one that fans soon want to forget. Here's a look at my take on how the season will play out: 

NFL Playoffs:
AFC North: Baltimore Ravens
AFC South: Houston Texans
AFC East: New England Patriots
AFC West: Oakland Raiders
Wild Cards: Buffalo Bills, San Diego Chargers

NFC North: Green Bay Packers
NFC South: New Orleans Saints
NFC East: Dallas Cowboys
NFC West: San Francisco 49ers
Wild Cards: Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears

AFC Championship: Patriots over Texans
NFC Championship: Packers over Saints

Super Bowl: Packers over Patriots

#1 Pick in 2013 Draft: Cleveland Browns

League Awards:
MVP: Drew Brees, QB, Saints
Offensive Player of the Year: Tom Brady, QB, Patriots
Defensive Player of the Year: DeMarcus Ware, LB, Cowboys
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Andrew Luck, QB, Colts
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Chandler Jones, DE, Patriots
Comeback Player of the Year: Adrian Peterson, RB, Vikings
Coach of the Year: Chan Gailey, Bills

Coming Sept. 1

Doctor Who Series 7 Looks Awesome

Dell Demps Still Wheeling and Dealing

Dell Demps still isn't through tweaking the Hornets roster. In yet another solid move in an A+ offseason, the Hornets are acquiring center Robin Lopez and PF Hakim Warrick from the Phoenix Suns in a three-team trade that also involved the Minnesota Timberwolves. Finally, fans and the Times-Picayune can stop complaining about the Hornets lack of a "true" center. While Lopez may not be the long-term answer in the middle (then again, he may actually be), this is still a great move for the team. 

Anthony Davis will get some minutes at center and that may eventually be his position in the pros, but right now he's too fresh and too thin to spend all his time banging with the bigs. Lopez will help in that area. He can man the middle and hopefully, show Davis a few things he's learned about playing center in the NBA.

There's still some details being worked out on the deal. No word yet on if Eric Gordon's heart is being sent back from the Suns, but some articles have the Hornets shipping soon-to-be-retired Brad Miller's contract to Minnesota, while others say this can't be done per the CBA since we just acquired that asset from the Timberwolves themselves a few weeks ago, so Miller may be going to Phoenix. Needless to say, the Hornets aren't giving up much in this deal -- along with Miller, supposedly, NOLA gives up some future 2nd round picks (the same ones from that original Minnesota trade?) and PG Jerome Dyson, who was outplayed in summer league by teammate Brian Roberts.

Now the question is, are the Hornets finished? The likely answer is nope. Warrick joins a now crowded group of bigs, so his time in the Big Easy may not be a long one. They may hold on to him for the time being, but he could be traded during the season for another asset.

Just think, last year the Hornets were a mess and now they are one of the more exciting young teams in the league who are turning into must see TV for NBA fans. The future certainly is bright for the Hornets ... now, if we could just see some movement on that rebrand.

Update: Whoops, the deal may not be legal.