New Orleans Saints

Legendary former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees shot down any speculation that he'd be ending his retirement.

The Saints are facing the possibility of being without starting quarterback Jameis Winston for the rest of the season after he suffered a knee injury in Sunday's win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. When Brees was asked about the chances of him returning to New Orleans halftime of Sunday night’s Cowboys-Vikings game, he said he only has plans to continue his job at NBC.

"I'll be there Saturday to call the Notre Dame-Navy game, and I'll be here Sunday," Brees said.

The Saints improved to 5-2 with Sunday's win. Backup quarterback Trevor Siemian replaced Winston and threw for 159 yards and a touchdown in the victory. Brees also was asked about his opinion as Siemian as New Orleans' starter moving forward, and he only had good things to say about him.

"I think he's going to do well," Brees said. "That's exactly why he brought him in last year when I got hurt. He's a cerebral guy who can pick up the system quickly. He can execute it.

"The bottom line is he has two really good running backs and a great defense," Brees continued. "He'll play within the system and I think Sean Payton has a lot of confidence in him."

The Saints also have versatile quarterback Taysom Hill, who has four pass attempts, three rushing touchdowns and four receptions so far this season.

A future Hall of Famer, Brees is the NFL's all-time leader in career pass completions, along with being second in career completion percentage, touchdown passes, passing yards, and pass attempts. He led the Saints to their first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XLIV.

If New Orleans wants to make a move to add a quarterback, it will have to do so quickly as the NFL trade deadline is Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET. The Saints will host the Atlanta Falcons (3-4) next Sunday.     

New Orleans Saints starting quarterback Jameis Winston was ruled out of Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers because of a knee injury.

Winston was replaced by Trevor Siemian, who tossed a one-yard touchdown to fullback Alex Amrah in the second quarter. Siemian might be able to dink-and-dunk the Saints to success on the field, but his presence under center is not a welcome sight for fantasy football managers.

Trevor Siemian just threw his first TD pass in 1,421 days 🤯 #Saints

(via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/RjZXPiQvx4

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) October 31, 2021

A seven-year veteran with 25 starts, Siemian has not been a consistent quarterback throughout his career. He started his career with the Denver Broncos before spending time as a backup for the Minnesota Vikings and New York Jets. He was signed by the Saints during the 2020 season and New Orleans re-signed him prior to this year.

Siemian is known as a game-manager. He likely won't be asked to do too much in New Orleans' offense, which features star running back Alvin Kamara. The Saints also acquired veteran Mark Ingram II from the Houston Texans on Wednesday. Without Winston, New Orleans is likely to lean more on its run game.

But Siemian showed that he can make plays when called upon, like this 38-yard completion.

Trevor Siemian to Kevin White for 38 YARDS!!! 🙌#TBvs NO | 📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/RZB9nOkx9a

— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) October 31, 2021

Saints wide receivers Marquez Callaway and Deonte Harris have not done much this season so far. Entering Sunday's game, Kamara led the team with four receiving touchdowns ahead of Callaway (three) and Harris (two). It would be wishful thinking for fantasy managers to expect them to see a bump in production with Siemian under center.

Callaway is known as the New Orleans' deep threat, but he has not topped 100 yards in a game this season entering Sunday. His longest reception of the year is 58 yards. Harris had only been targeted 16 times and made 12 catches.

Trevor Siemian has completed passes to three players who did not have a catch all season

—Alex Armah (first TD since 2019)
—Garrett Griffin (first regular season catch since 2017)
—Kevin White (first catch since 2018)

Backup QBs sometimes have better chemistry with the twos!

— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) October 31, 2021

The Saints are missing the presence of Pro Bowl receiver Michael Thomas, who started the season on the PUP list after undergoing ankle surgery in June. Thomas is eligible to return to practice, but NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported last week that he's likely "a few weeks away" from returning.

When Thomas returns, he will draw a ton of attention from opposing defenses and open things up for Callaway and Harris. Until that time, the Saints wide receivers will likely remain an afterthought in New Orleans' run-heavy offense.

Fantasy managers should stay away from Siemian, and keep Callaway and Harris benched until the New Orleans offense is back at full strength.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston suffered an ACL injury during Sunday's 36-27 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to Jane Slater of NFL Network. 

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Winston may have also damaged his MCL.

Those developments come after Saints head coach Sean Payton told reporters he believed Winston suffered a "significant" knee injury. Earlier, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported Winston was undergoing an MRI on the injury.

Winston signed with the Saints last April to serve as Drew Brees' backup after five up-and-down years as a starter for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He re-signed with the team in the offseason after Brees retired and beat out Taysom Hill to earn the starting job to open the 2021 campaign.

The 27-year-old Florida State product has posted a 102.4 passer rating entering Week 8.

He's remained mostly durable throughout his career with his only injury-related absences coming in 2017 when he was sidelined by a sprained shoulder joint. He was placed on the COVID-19 list ahead of Week 15 last year.

Trevor Siemian entered Sunday's contest after Winston exited and figures to remain under center as long as the starter is sidelined. Siemian completed 16-of-29 passes for 159 yards, throwing one touchdown in the win over the Buccaneers.

Taysom Hill, who missed today's game with a concussion, may take more snaps as a quarterback if Winston misses extended time.

Winston showed promise as a playmaker with the Bucs but made too many mistakes. The key question is whether he can limit those to eventually reemerge as a franchise quarterback in New Orleans or elsewhere.

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf and New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore have each been fined for numerous altercations that occurred between the two during New Orleans' 13-10 win over Seattle last Monday, per ESPN's Mike Triplett.

Lattimore was fined $10,815, and Metcalf was fined $6,949.

"The two were shoving, grabbing at face masks and jawing at each other throughout the night while Lattimore shadowed Metcalf on most plays," Triplett noted.

Metcalf was never penalized for his actions. Lattimore was penalized 15 yards for unnecessary roughness on two occasions after pushing and swinging at the 6'4", 235-pound wideout.

However, replays showed that Metcalf made first contact for each scuffle leading to a penalty, shoving on the first one and grabbing Lattimore's face mask the second time around, per Triplett.

Saints head coach Sean Payton was not pleased with the officiating decisions regarding Lattimore and Metcalf, as he told reporters postgame.

"I got to be careful of how I word this, I didn't agree with all the calls that were made in the game," Payton said. "I did not think it was officiated well."

Lattimore was tasked with covering Metcalf for much of the night.

Metcalf got the best of Lattimore after catching an 84-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter.

DK Metcalf takes an 84-yard trip to the crib 🔥

(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/ooUUlZZdw2

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 26, 2021

However, Metcalf was quiet after that catch, as Next Gen Stats showed:

DK Metcalf vs Marshon Lattimore 🪞

🔹 78% shadow (18 of 23 routes)
🔹 3 targets, 2 rec, 96 yards, TD*
🔹 56% pressed at LOS

*Includes Metcalf's 84-yard TD in first quarter#NOvsSEA | #Saints | #Seahawks pic.twitter.com/UeKgPcosjm

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) October 26, 2021

New Orleans ultimately got the last laugh with the win to move to 4-2. Seattle dropped to 2-5.

The New Orleans Saints have reportedly signed running back Mark Ingram to a one-year contract extension for the 2022 NFL season worth up to $2.8 million.

ESPN's Field Yates reported Friday that the new deal, which comes in coordination with acquiring Ingram in a trade with the Houston Texans, includes a reduction in base salary for 2021 from $1.5 million to $1.075 million but also a $250,000 signing bonus from the Texans.

Ingram returns to New Orleans, where he started his career as a first-round pick in the 2011 draft.

The 31-year-old University of Alabama product recorded 7,605 yards from scrimmage and 55 total touchdowns in 106 appearances (63 starts) in eight years with the Saints. The last two seasons were spent forming a terrific one-two punch with Alvin Kamara.

He left during the 2019 free-agent period to sign with the Baltimore Ravens. After two years in Baltimore, he joined Houston on a one-year contract in March.

The Texans' backfield construction didn't make sense on the surface as they entered the campaign with four proven backs on their roster: Ingram, David Johnson, Phillip Lindsay and Rex Burkhead. There weren't enough snaps to go around within a sputtering offense.

Ingram should return to his previous role of sharing work with Kamara in New Orleans. It probably won't be a direct 50-50 split, but the three-time Pro Bowl selection will get his fair share of drives.

The running backs celebrated the reunion on Twitter:

🥲⚜️ https://t.co/dDVnBoUBpU

— Mark Ingram II (@markingramII) October 27, 2021

Ingram provides much-needed backfield depth after Latavius Murray was released in September and Tony Jones Jr. landed on injured reserve in early October with an ankle injury.

Saints head coach Sean Payton said Thursday it's possible the veteran rusher could join the active roster for Sunday's Week 8 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"That's a good chance," Payton told reporters. "That's like a high chance."

It's an important midseason game as New Orleans (4-2) sits second in the NFC South behind the reigning Super Bowl champion Bucs (6-1).

Mark Ingram II is back with the team that drafted him 28th overall in 2011, and he could play his first game for the franchise since the 2018 campaign on Sunday.  

New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton told reporters Thursday there's "absolutely" a "high chance" that Ingram will suit up for a Week 8 divisional matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, per ESPN's Mike Triplett.

The Houston Texans traded Ingram to the Saints on Wednesday in a deal that included a swap of late-round picks. 

Ingram spent the first eight years of his career in New Orleans. He ranks first in Saints' history with 50 rushing touchdowns and second in team history behind Deuce McAllister with 6,007 rushing yards. 

The Saints let Ingram leave for the Baltimore Ravens in 2019 free agency. He spent two seasons with the franchise, rushing for 1,317 yards and 12 touchdowns in 26 games. 

Baltimore waived Ingram in January as he became an afterthought in the team's offense behind J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards. He signed a one-year deal with the Texans in March and rushed for 294 yards and a score in seven games. 

The Saints were in desperate need of help at running back after releasing Latavius Murray in September and losing second-string running back Tony Jones Jr. to an ankle injury. 

Star back Alvin Kamara has handled much of the workload on the ground this season, leading the Saints with 419 rushing yards on 114 carries. Quarterback Jameis Winston ranks second on the team with just 28 carries for 126 yards. 

If Ingram does play against the Buccaneers, it's unclear how much time he'll see on the field. Kamara should continue to take the majority of offensive snaps until the Alabama product gets more comfortable. 

The Saints are second in the NFC South behind the Bucs with a 4-2 record. New Orleans has won its last two games, but Tampa will be the team's toughest opponent since its Week 1 win over the Green Bay Packers.  

The New Orleans Saints are reportedly reuniting with a veteran running back.

Mark Ingram II, who played eight seasons in New Orleans after being drafted in 2011, is being traded from the Houston Texans to the Saints, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero.

Details still being finalized, but the trade expected to involve late-round future picks. A bargain addition for the #Saints, who get buddies Ingram and Alvin Kamara together again. https://t.co/6hkL13guEm

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 27, 2021

The acquisition of Ingram provides New Orleans with a strong backup behind four-time Pro Bowl running back Alvin Kamara. Saints rookie running back Tony Jones Jr. has been on injured reserve with an ankle injury. Current New Orleans backup running backs Ty Montgomery, Devine Ozigbo and Dwayne Washington have five carries between them this season.

Ingram formed a strong friendship with Kamara during their two seasons together. Ingram enjoyed the best season of his career in Kamara's rookie year in 2017. He totaled career highs of 230 carries, 1,124 rushing yards, 12 touchdowns, 58 receptions and 416 receiving yards. Both Ingram and Kamara were named to the Pro Bowl that year.

Aye @markingramII ….. we back mudaaapuckaaaaaa 😭😭😂😭😭

— Alvin Kamara (@A_kamara6) October 27, 2021

Ingram ranks second in Saints franchise history with 6,007 rushing yards, trailing Deuce McAllister by 89 yards.

Ingram's situation this season also sees a marked improvement with this trade. The Texans are one of the worst teams in the NFL at 1-6, while the Saints are in second place in the NFC South at 4-2.

Ingram led Houston in rushing through seven games with 294 yards on 92 carries. A three-time Pro Bowl selection, Ingram spent the previous two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens before signing a one-year deal with Houston this past offseason.

After trading Ingram away, the Texans will rely on veteran running backs David Johnson, Phillip Lindsay and Rex Burkhead. Second-year pro Scottie Phillips will also likely see more action, as he's been inactive for all but one game this season.

Michael Thomas' return to the New Orleans Saints' lineup can't come soon enough. 

The Saints offense, led by quarterback Jameis Winston, sputtered through another rain-soaked primetime affair on the West Coast yet captured a 13-10 victory over the Russell Wilson-less Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. 

From a big picture point of view, the Saints are set up nicely as one of six NFC squads with a winning record. Granted, their 4-2 tally places them behind five squads with one or fewer losses. Still, New Orleans is in control as it navigates the rest of its regular-season schedule. 

A closer look unveils major concerns with the team about to run a gauntlet with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills and Dallas Cowboys as four of the Saints' next six opponents. If Sean Payton's squad makes it through that stretch reasonably well, only one of the remaining adversaries currently claims a winning record. 

Those worries reside on the offensive side of the ball.

Defensively, the Saints entered Monday's contest with the ninth-ranked pass defense and second-best run defense in DVOA, according to USA Today's Doug Farrar. The unit allowed only 219 yards to the Geno Smith-led Seahawks. Dennis Allen's group can hold up its end for the bargain. Winston and Co. must do the same. 

Fairly or unfairly, the lion's share of the blame will fall on Winston. He's the quarterback who's trying to replace an all-time great in Drew Brees. The Saints offense isn't humming along as it has for so long under Payton's supervision. With such significant change, the brunt of the criticism will land on that particular spot. Winston can certainly play better. At the very least, he could be more consistent with his overall performance. 

However, he's capable of leading a successful offense, as long as the right pieces are around him. Winston certainly would have been more effective Monday if his receivers played better overall. He hit his targets with accurate throws multiple times only to see them drop the passes. Some weren't even on the same page, which appeared to aggravate the quarterback during the contest. Running back Alvin Kamara is the only real threat in the Saints' passing attack at this juncture. 

In total, the Saints' wide receivers combined to make four receptions for 43 yards. 

Tre'Quan Smith's return from a hamstring injury should have injected some life into the position group. But he didn't seem to be himself, struggled with getting on the same page on his quarterback and lacked the explosiveness seen earlier in this career. At one point, cameras caught Winston losing his cool with the veteran target after yet another on-field disconnect. 

"It was communication. We had to be on the same page," the quarterback told reporters after the contest. 

Kamara is the squad's only reliable option in the passing game. The running back caught a team-high 10 passes for 128 yards and a score Monday to go along with his 51 rushing yards. Of the back's total receiving yardage, 92.9 percent of what he gained came after the catch, per NFL Next Gen Stats. 

In doing so, Kamara became the fastest player in NFL history to reach 3,000 rushing and 3,000 recieving yards to start his career. 

All of this points to why Thomas' return is crucial to this year's campaign. 

The fact the wide receiver is still recovering from an offseason ankle surgery is a thing unto itself. Thomas played through pain last season and posted his worst year to date, which wasn't hard to do considering his record-setting pace through his first four seasons. Issues arose during the offseason when Thomas apparently took umbrage with the Saints' handling of his situation. 

NOLA.com's Jeff Duncan reported that Thomas ignored calls from the team. Once the receiver finally decided to get surgery in June, Payton and general manager Mickey Loomis both openly questioned why it took so long. Payton and Thomas sat down in August to clear the air, according to Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson. 

Maybe the Saints still try to trade the wide receiver before the Nov. 2 deadline if he's activated from the physically unable to perform list. Otherwise, Winston should look forward to having Thomas back in the lineup. 

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported last week that Thomas was still "a couple of weeks" away from being cleared. 

"We'll have to see how it goes," Payton responded Thursday when asked about the receiver's status. 

Consistency is the key. A healthy and in-rhythm Thomas provides a credible threat at all times. He may not be the same receiver who once led the NFL in receptions and captured NFL Offensive Player of the Year two years ago. But he's someone the defense must account for at all times. Aside from Kamara, who can be limited based on usage, the Saints lack any consistency at the wide receiver position. 

Thomas can be the big slot and serve as Winston's security blanket or work outside the numbers to stretch the field vertically and horizontally. The former No. 1 overall pick always had plenty of gunslinger in him. He needs capable options to push the ball downfield and get the best most out of the quarterback's skill set.

New Orleans had two-plus weeks to prepare for Monday's contest. The Saints faced the league's 32nd-ranked defense. Yes, inclement weather made things difficult. Yet the unit struggles to move the ball when it needed to do so.

The receivers' issues have already been noted. Kamara averaged only 2.6 yards per carry. The offensive line isn't playing to its normal standard. Winston's 6.3 average yards per attempt was less than Smith posted (7.6) despite Seattle's offensive ineptitude. 

One player may not solve all of the Saints' problems. Thomas is one of the game's best and a superstar when he's healthy, though. He's the potential lightning rod to galvanize the Saints' offense during the most pivotal point of their season. Once he returns to the lineup, the entire group should look drastically better. 

—

The Seattle Seahawks' playoff chances are slipping away, and fast. 

On a rainy night in Seattle, Jameis Winston and the New Orleans Saints came away with a 13-10 win, plunging the injury-riddled Seahawks to a dismal 2-5 record on the season.

In what was an ugly game in general, the Seahawks were downright poor. They hurt themselves with untimely penalties. Jason Myers missed two field goals. They struggled to get much going on the ground (90 yards) despite insisting on pounding the rock (28 attempts). The continuously let superstar running back Alvin Kamara hurt them at key moments.

Alvin Kamara’s got eight catches for 109 yards and a TD in the first half! @A_kamara6 #Saints

📺: #NOvsSEA on ESPN
📱: https://t.co/qQQB8T9hRg pic.twitter.com/xLGmAmnGn8

— NFL (@NFL) October 26, 2021

Since Russell Wilson left the team's Oct. 7 game against the Los Angeles Rams with a fractured finger, the Seahawks are 0-3. With the Arizona Cardinals off to a blazing start (7-0) and the Rams not far behind (6-1), Seattle's division title hopes are all but extinguished, and their playoff aspirations aren't far behind. 

As for the 4-2 Saints, they remain hot on the heels of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-1) in the NFC South. So long as they keep feeding Kamara—and kicker Brian Johnson can keep the composure he showed in his first NFL appearance on Monday night—the Saints will remain a problem for opponents.

IT’S GOOD! @Saints take a 13-10 lead with 1:56 to go.

📺: #NOvsSEA on ESPN
📱: https://t.co/qQQB8T9hRg pic.twitter.com/PaRetqtOoq

— NFL (@NFL) October 26, 2021

Monday night was very much a battle of two teams moving in opposite directions. The Seahawks are entering must-win territory in the coming weeks. The Saints will be happy to have gutted out a less-than-pretty road win. 

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Key Stats

Alvin Kamara, NO: 20 carries for 51 yards; 10 receptions for 128 yards and a score

Jameis Winston, NO: 19-for-35 for 222 yards and a touchdown

Demario Davis, NO: 10 tackles (four for loss), two sacks, three quarterback hits

Geno Smith, SEA: 12-of-22 for 167 yards and a score

D.K. Metcalf, SEA: Two catches for 96 yards and a touchdown

Alex Collins, SEA: 16 carries for 35 yards

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Alvin Kamara Carried The Load

When in doubt, get Kamara the ball. 

That seemed to be the New Orlean's game plan Monday night, and while it wasn't always pretty, it ultimately worked. No surprises there—Kamara is the team's best player. 

Per @ESPNStatsInfo Alvin Kamara tonight reached 3000 rushing and 3000 receiving yards in his 66th career game––fastest in NFL history. Previous fastest: Roger Craig in 70 games.

— Mike Triplett (@MikeTriplett) October 26, 2021

Tom Brady on Alvin Kamara: "He's pretty unstoppable."

— Larry Holder (@LarryHolder) October 26, 2021

His first half alone was epic:

What a busy half for Alvin Kamara...

34 snaps (87%)
13 carries
9 targets
138 scrimmage yards
TD

— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) October 26, 2021

But he's especially important given the lack of weapons the Saints currently have in the passing game. When your other options are Kenny Stills, Marquez Callaway, Tre'Quan Smith and Adam Trautman in the passing game, well yeah, you're gonna find Kamara as much as possible. 

Thankfully for the Saints, he made the most of his heavy workload. 

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Can We Get More DK Metcalf?

For much of Monday night's game, Seahawks fans probably felt like Christopher Walken pleading for more cowbell. All they wanted, however, was more Metcalf. 

The star wideout torched the Saints in the first quarter for this 84-yard touchdown reception:

DK METCALF GOES 84 YARDS. #Seahawks

📺: #NOvsSEA on ESPN
📱: https://t.co/qQQB8T9hRg pic.twitter.com/FkZB4iBJgC

— NFL (@NFL) October 26, 2021

And then he didn't see another target—not a single one—until the fourth quarter. He had just five targets on the night, less than Freddie Swain (six). How does that happen?

Yes, there was some rain. It's no secret that Pete Carroll loves to establish the run game. And Carroll might be trying to protect Geno Smith with a more conservative gameplan. 

https://twitter.com/IanKenyonNFL/status/1452823076085895168

Russell Wilson deserves a Nobel Prize for carrying Pete Carroll all these years.

— Graham Barfield (@GrahamBarfield) October 26, 2021

all I'll say is if the Seahawks end up having to decide between Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson as some speculated it would in the offseason, the decision is overwhelmingly obvious

— Jeremy (@JeromeyR0me) October 26, 2021

But weapons like Metcalf need the ball. Seattle's offense was pretty impotent outside of his involvement.

On a night when the Saints built their gameplan around Kamara, Metcalf's disappearance was all the more jarring. This was an offense with a fever, and it sure seemed like the only prescription was more Metcalf. Instead, it took the loss.

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What's Next?

The Seahawks will try to end their skid when they host the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday at 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS). The Saints, meanwhile, will be gearing up for a crucial divisional matchup when they host the Bucs on Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX).