Saints' Sean Payton on Finally Winning PI Challenge: 'There's My Birthday Gift'
Dec 29, 2019
New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton speaks to the members of the media during the second half of an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, Dec. 29, 2019. (AP Photo/Brian Blanco)
Happy birthday, Sean Payton. Here's your pass interference.
"That's like a hard eight in Vegas, huh?," Payton said when asked about winning a pass interference challenge during Sunday's 42-10 win over the Carolina Panthers, per Katherine Terrell of The Athletic. "Right? That was nice. I thought it was the right [call]. I was appreciative of it. There's my birthday gift."
The New Orleans Saints head coach turned 56 years old Sunday and was rewarded with a pass interference call when he challenged that Panthers cornerback James Bradberry had interfered with receiver Michael Thomas in the end zone.
Mike Triplett of ESPN noted Payton was 0-for-2 on replay challenges entering play.
Of course, he would surely trade the whistle he received Sunday for one in last season's NFC Championship Game when Los Angeles Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman hit Tommylee Lewis late in the contest and was not flagged. A pass interference then likely would have helped set up a Super Bowl trip for the Saints.
The play also served as the backdrop for the discussion to allow pass interference reviews this season.
Antonio Brown Rumors: WR Brought Cameras, 'Whole Bleep Show' to Saints Workout
Dec 28, 2019
New England Patriots wide receiver Antonio Brown carries his helmet during an NFL football practice, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Free-agent wide receiver Antonio Brown reportedly caused a bit of a scene during his workout with the New Orleans Saints on Friday.
Mike Garafolo reported Saturday on NFL Network's Good Morning Football that Brown brought a camera and an entourage with him to the workout:
Per ESPN's Mike Triplett, Saints head coach Sean Payton said the team was "doing our homework" when they worked out Brown and several other wideouts. Payton added that the Saints still need clarity from the NFL regarding whether Brown would be eligible to play in the postseason if New Orleans signs him.
After getting released by the Oakland Raiders prior to the start of the 2019 regular season, Brown's former trainer, Britney Taylor, filed a civil lawsuit against him and said that Brown sexually assaulted her on two separate occasions in 2017 and raped her in May 2018.
Brown's release from the Patriots came after another woman, an artist, accused him of sexual misconduct, and Sports Illustratedreported on threatening text messages she allegedly received from Brown.
Given how little support Michael Thomas has in terms of wideouts, Brown could provide help for the Saints if he is deemed eligible to play by the NFL, though it's unclear how the Saints view the allegations or how the workout went.
Drew Rosenhaus Says Antonio Brown Will Continue Talks with Saints After Workout
Dec 27, 2019
Antonio Brown worked out for the New Orleans Saints on Friday, and the wide receiver's agent Drew Rosenhaus is hopeful something will come from it.
"Antonio had a very good visit today and we will continue our discussions with the Saints," Rosenhaus said in a statement (h/t Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio).
Brown has remained unsigned since the New England Patriotsreleased him Sept. 20 amid sexual assault allegations. The 31-year-old was named in a lawsuit by his former trainer, Britney Taylor, filed in September that accused him of three instances of sexual assault, including rape.
That was followed a week later by Sports Illustrated's Robert Klemko publishing a deep dive into additional accusations of sexual misconduct against Brown. Klemko later reported on threatening text messages from Brown to one of his accusers:
New tonight: Antonio Brown sent our source from Monday’s story menacing group text messages, including a picture of her children with instructions for his associates to investigate her.
3. She sent us screens of these new messages with the contact in her phone, so the sender showed up as “Antonio Brown”
4. We then asked her to delete AB’s contact from her phone, so the original number would display and we could verify. The number matched the 2017 IG exchange.
6. One more name jumped out: Darren Heitner, Brown’s attorney. We called Heitner, who declined comment other than to answer this question: “Did you advise your client to send those texts.” His answer: “No I did not, and you’ll notice I didn’t respond.”
The NFL has been conducting an investigation into Brown. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Adam Schefter each provided context as to how the ongoing investigation affects Brown's eligibility should the Saints or any team choose to sign him:
More context on Antonio Brown’s potential NFL future...all three teams that have expressed interest made clear they would want to talk further with him after the conclusion of the NFL investigation. Anything before that is considered a non-starter.
NFL has not concluded its investigation of Antonio Brown; uncertain when it will. Even after it wraps, Brown still could face additional discipline. Saints bringing in Brown for due diligence, not Sunday’s game vs. Panthers. But Saints take big WR swings; see Dez Bryant last year
Saints head coach Sean Payton confirmed to reporters that Brown was one of six receivers worked out by the team Friday, according to ESPN's Mike Triplett, and per Triplett, New Orleans would "need to clarify from the league on whether Antonio Brown would be eligible to play this postseason."
Brown has displayed contradictory behavior online about a possible NFL return, tweeting he's done with the NFL or insulting former teammates only to offer a broad apology on Instagram.
When playing, Brown has established himself as one of the most dominant receivers in recent league history. The seven-time Pro Bowler played with the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2010 through last season and posted seven seasons with 1,000 receiving yards or more during that time.
Before the Patriots released him, Brown appeared in one game and recorded four catches for 56 yards and a touchdown.
Overall, Brown has 11,263 yards and 75 touchdowns in his career.
Antonio Brown Rumors: Ex-Steelers, Raiders, Patriots WR Working out with Saints
Dec 27, 2019
MIAMI, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 15: Antonio Brown #17 of the New England Patriots looks on against the Miami Dolphins during the fourth quarter at Hard Rock Stadium on September 15, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the free-agent wide receiver is in New Orleans to work out with the NFC South champions.
Schefter noted the Saints are "doing their due diligence" with Brown and that Brown is one of a "group" of wide receivers, which includes ex-Redskins receiver Maurice Harris. Per Schefter, Saints head coach Sean Payton "wanted an updated WR list for the playoffs in case any WRs went down."
The Athletic's Katherine Terrell took a screengrab from Brown's Instagram story that shows the waiver he signed to participate in a workout with the Saints:
Antonio Brown posted this on his Instagram story followed by a video clearly from inside the Saints locker room pic.twitter.com/D4mupZERcB
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport noted the NFL has made it clear that if Brown signs with a team, he will likely be placed on the commissioner's exempt list while the league continues to investigate the allegations of sexual assault made against him.
Schefter also reported the NFL "has not concluded its investigation of Antonio Brown; uncertain when it will. Even after it wraps, Brown still could face additional discipline."
Brown's former trainer, Britney Taylor, filed a federal lawsuit against him in September. She said he sexually assaulted her on two different occasions in June 2017 and raped her in May 2018.
Separately, an artist told Robert Klemko of Sports Illustrated she was hired to paint a mural in Brown's home and at one point "turned to find Brown behind her, naked, holding a small hand towel over his genitals."
The artist's lawyer sent a letter to the NFL on Sept. 19, three days after the Sports Illustrated story published, with screenshots of "intimidating texts" that appeared to be from Brown to his client, per Klemko.
On Sept. 20, the New England Patriotsannounced Brown had been released. The 31-year-old filed grievances against the Patriots and Oakland Raiders in October attempting to recoup $40 million in unpaid salary, fines and voided guarantees in his contract.
It's unclear at this point if the Saints will sign Brown. If they do and he's placed on the commissioner's exempt list, he would be unable to play in games.
Brown only appeared in one game for the Patriots this season. He had four receptions, 56 yards and one touchdown on Sept. 15 against the Miami Dolphins.
Sean Payton Says Saints Won't Rest Starters with NFC Playoff Seeding on the Line
Dec 25, 2019
NASHVILLE, TN - DECEMBER 22: Head coach Sean Payton of the New Orleans Saints watches game action during the fourth quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on December 22, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. New Orleans defeats Tennessee 38-28. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
When asked if his team might rest its starters for the regular-season finale against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, head coach Sean Payton responded adamantly in the negative.
"No, no, no, no, no," Payton told reporters Wednesday. "Absolutely no. We're still playing for the 1, 2 or 3 seed."
The 12-3 Saints will enter Sunday at No. 3 in the NFC but aren't locked into that seed by any means. New Orleans can propel to the No. 1 seed if the 12-3 San Francisco 49ers, the projected top seed, lose at Seattle and the 12-3 Green Bay Packers, projected No. 2, lose to Detroit.
The second seed is available to the Saints should either the Niners or Packers lose.
"I don't think it's a long shot what we need this week," Paytonadded, referring to what the Saints need in order to lock up a first-round bye.
New Orleans clinched a playoff berth on Thanksgiving by defeating the Atlanta Falcons 26-18 to win the NFC South:
Saints clinch NFC South for third-straight season with 26-18 win over Falcons on Thanksgiving pic.twitter.com/hFNK0RuY2e
The Saints aren't strangers to the postseason, having made it three straight years. However, this year they dealt with All-Pro quarterback Drew Brees missing six games through September and October with a torn ligament in his right thumb that required surgery.
Backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater seamlessly led the team to a 5-0 mark as a starter in Brees' absence, and All-Pro receiver Michael Thomas has been one of the most consistent offensive producers in the league:
.@Cantguardmike is having one of the greatest receiving seasons of all time.
▫️No. 1 in rec. yards ▫️No. 1 in 1st downs ▫️No. 1 in targets ▫️No. 1 in catch % (among WR) ▫️No. 2 in rec. TDs ▫️Nine games with 10+ catches ▫️Broke Marvin Harrison’s single-season catch record pic.twitter.com/lqPGIE571H
Regardless of which seed the Saints land, they have revenge at the forefront of their minds. Payton's squad wascontroversially oustedin the NFC Championship Game last season after Los Angeles Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman was not called for a blatant defensive pass interference late in the fourth quarter.
Prior to that, New Orleans lost 29-24 to the Minnesota Vikings in the 2017 divisional round on the "Minneapolis Miracle" as time ran out.
The Saints play in Carolina at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Michael Thomas Joins 99 Overall Club in Madden NFL 2020 After Historic Season
Dec 23, 2019
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas plays against the Tennessee Titans in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 22, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/James Kenney)
The fourth-year player set the all-time record for most receptions in a season after having 12 in Sunday's win over the Tennessee Titans. It gave him 145 for the year, topping the 143 catches by Marvin Harrison in 2002.
Thomas also leads the league with 1,688 receiving yards and has 10 games of at least 100 yards in 15 opportunities.
Despite his outstanding production, the three-time Pro Bowler had a 98 overall rating in the video game until Monday. This has finally been rectified, giving the top receiver in the league the highest rating possible.
Five other players are in the 99 Club based on the latest ratings, including Saints teammate Drew Brees. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, Houston Texans wideout DeAndre Hopkins and Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey are the only other players with 99 ratings.
Saints' Michael Thomas Breaks NFL Single-Season Reception Record vs. Titans
Dec 22, 2019
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas (13) warms up before an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons in New Orleans, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2019. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
With his 11th catch of the game against the Tennessee Titans in Week 16, New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas set the NFL's single-season record for receptions.
The catch was originally called a touchdown, but after review, it was ruled that Thomas was down at the 1-yard line. Thomas then caught his 12th pass of the day for the touchdown, giving him a 12-catch, 136-yard, one-touchdown day to go along with breaking the record.
Thomas moves ahead of Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison, who had 143 receptions for the Indianapolis Colts in 2002.
Antonio Brown and Julio Jones flirted with history in 2015 but were unable to surpass Harrison. They each fell eight catches short of breaking the record.
With each passing week, the question shifted from whether Thomas would catch Harrison to when it would happen.
.@Cantguardmike had his fifth straight game with 8+ catches and 100+ receiving yards on Sunday.
Consistency was key for Harrison in 2002; one or two monster games didn't skew his overall total. Instead, he had only one game with fewer than six catches and six games with double-digit receptions.
Thomas' output has been pretty similar. Only twice did he fail to register at least eight receptions and had nine weeks in double digits. Heading into Week 16, Thomas had 1,552 yards and eight touchdowns receiving.
His achievement is even more impressive when considering Drew Brees missed five games because of a thumb injury. He had 42 receptions when Teddy Bridgewater replaced Brees as the starting quarterback.
Michael Thomas is now a top 5 player in this league. Hard for people to see a wideout like this but if Antonio Brown, DeAndre HOPKINS, & Julio had times they were seen that way then this is @Cantguardmike’s era. Best in the biz right now
Saints head coach Sean Payton made the case for Thomas as an MVP contender when speaking to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio in November:
"It starts with you've got to win. Here are the things we know—you've got to be a winning team. You've got to be, generally speaking, having success and he's been a huge part of that for us. And then you have to have production, and he's on pace to have more production at that position than anyone in the history of the game. And, lastly, our Super Bowl champion just had the MVP at receiver, so there's no reason that can't happen relative to the length of the season."
Jumping ahead of Russell Wilson and Lamar Jackson in the MVP is basically impossible at this stage, but Thomas has now earned his place in NFL history.
If his career serves as any indication, Thomas could rewrite the record book again in 2020. This is the third straight year in which his receiving total climbed over the season before. He went from 92 as a rookie in 2016 to 104 in 2017 to 125 in 2018 and now sits at 145 and counting.
Drew Brees Breaks Peyton Manning's All-Time Passing TD Record vs. Colts
Brees has now thrown more touchdown passes than any quarterback in NFL history after hitting tight end Josh Hill for a score in their game against the Indianapolis Colts on Monday. It was the 540th touchdown pass of his career, which is one more than Manning retired with at the end of 17 seasons.
Congrats drew!! Couldn’t be more deserving. Passing Peyton in anything is an incredible achievement and your records will be tough to beat! But it’s worth trying 😉
Congratulations @drewbrees!! WELL DESERVED! ALL-TIME PASSING TD LEADER!! #540 and counting... #FutureHallOfFamer 👉🏾That record isn’t gonna be broken!! @Saints#100thYear What an absolute blessing!
The Saints signal-caller entered the 2019 campaign a mere 19 touchdowns behind Manning with 520. He wasn't the only one in pursuit, as New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was in third place on the all-time list with 517.
It was only a matter of time before the Purdue product passed Manning.
The last time he finished with fewer than 20 touchdown passes in a season was the 2003 campaign when he appeared in 11 games as a member of the San Diego Chargers. He also showed few signs of slowing during a dominant 2018 season when he completed an NFL-best 74.4 percent of his passes for 3,992 yards, 32 touchdowns and five interceptions while leading the Saints to the NFC Championship Game.
It was the 10th time in 11 years that Brees, 40, surpassed 30 touchdown throws, so reaching 20 this season was a formality.
Breaking Manning's records is also nothing new for Brees, who surpassed the former's 71,940 career passing yards last year.
Manning planned ahead and congratulated Brees on the upcoming touchdown record in an amusing video that saw the legend make fun of the fact that he held the yardage record for just 1,000 days and was too busy in retirement to continue offering congratulations:
The touchdown record is another notch on Brees' Hall of Fame resume that places him among the best quarterbacks in league history.
He is a Super Bowl champion, 12-time Pro Bowler, Super Bowl MVP and two-time Offensive Player of the Year, and he has now thrown more touchdowns than any other signal-caller ever to lace it up.
Brees will need to continue throwing touchdowns if he wants to hold the record longer than Manning did because Brady is two behind him, still active and coming off a Super Bowl championship. Whichever one plays longer will likely be on top of the list, but the record is Brees' for now.
Janoris Jenkins Reportedly Claimed by Saints After Being Cut by Giants
Dec 16, 2019
The New Orleans Saints have reportedly claimed veteran cornerback Janoris Jenkins, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
He was waived by the New York Giants Sunday while also officially dealing with an ankle injury.
The Giants made a big splash when they signed the 30-year-old in 2016 to a five-year, $62.5 million deal. At the time, New York was coming off a 2015 season in which it allowed 298.9 passing yards per game, most in the NFL.
Jenkins delivered immediate returns, finishing 2016 with three interceptions and 18 passes defended en route to his first Pro Bowl. The Giants, meanwhile, climbed to 23rd in pass defense (251.1 yards per game).
Things then took a turn starting in 2017. The Giants suspended Jenkins for what proved to be one game, and he later underwent season-ending ankle surgery.
Jenkins remained healthy for 2018, but New York's defense was a liability nonetheless. The team ranked 24th in defensive efficiency and 26th in pass defense DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average), per Football Outsiders.
Gettleman acknowledged the need to reset the roster a bit by trading Odell Beckham Jr. and then selecting Daniel Jones with the sixth overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft. Jones had replaced Eli Manning by the third week of the season, making it clear a new era had started.
Jenkins was seemingly on his way out as well, especially with the seventh-biggest cap hit ($14.75 million) for a cornerback in 2020, per Spotrac.
As the deadline neared, he was prepared for a resolution regarding his future.
"At the end of the day, let me go be who I be," he told reporters. "Ain't no pressure. Ain't no arguments. If you are going to let me go, let me go. Don't beat around the bush."
While he stuck with the team beyond the deadline, he created controversy last week when he used an offensive slur when arguing with a fan on Twitter. The Giants released him, with head coach Pat Shurmur saying "it was in the best interests of the franchise and the player."
Jenkins will hope to be a better fit for the Saints, and the question is whether a change of scenery will help him rediscover his 2016 form.
He finished 2018 with 70 combined tackles, two interceptions and 15 passes defended, and his four interceptions and 14 passes defended through 13 games in 2019 mask the fact he's likely no longer a No. 1 shutdown corner.
There's no question Jenkins played well below expectations. Part of that could be down to the fact he had been on a team heading in the wrong direction.
His relatively underwhelming play, coupled with his contract, does add some risk to this trade. Even though the Saints didn't give up anything to get him out of New York, he'll have to improve to provide a worthwhile return on the remaining money in his contract.
At the very least, he should be able to help a contending team that entered Monday ranked 20th in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game.
Saints' Drew Brees Breaks Down LSU's Joe Burrow: 'He's Executing to Perfection'
Dec 12, 2019
FILE - In this Dec. 7, 2019, file photo, LSU quarterback Joe Burrow (9) warms up before the Southeastern Conference championship NCAA college football game against Georgia, in Atlanta. Burrow is a unanimous selection as the offensive player of the year on The Associated Press All-Southeastern Conference football team, Monday, Dec. 9, 2019.(AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)
New Orleans Saints star Drew Brees has been the best quarterback in the state of Louisiana for the past 13 years, but LSU's Joe Burrow did all he could in 2019 to give the Super Bowl XLIV MVP a run for his money.
Brees spoke about the Tigers' Heisman Trophy finalist's command of the offense and other traits he's seen from Burrow:
🐯@LSUFootball's Joe Burrow said he grew up idolizing Drew Brees
It's a good time to be a quarterback in Louisiana right now. Brees and the Saints have already clinched the NFC South for the third straight year, and the 40-year-old has them in the mix for a first-round playoff bye with three games left in the regular season.
Burrow could become the second LSU player to win the Heisman this Saturday after leading the Tigers to an undefeated regular season, SEC title and the No. 1 overall seed in the College Football Playoff. He has thrown for 4,715 yards and 48 touchdowns with a 77.9 completion percentage in 13 games.
It's possible both stars will be celebrating a championship when their respective seasons come to an end.
