April 2008 - New Orleans Saints Wiretap

Saints' Payton 'Discouraged' By London Trip

Jul 17, 2014 6:20 AM

Saints' cCach Sean Payton struggled to be diplomatic about his team's game against the Chargers in London on Sunday, railing against everything from field conditions to the flight home. "Logistically, I think it's hard to bring two teams over there and play a game during the regular season like this," Payton said Tuesday. He did point out some positives, saying that the fans in England were great and that it will help expose fans overseas to the best level of American football. "The travel, transportation, those aren't club issues; those are league issues. We've been unable to figure that part of it out," Payton said. "When we play a game and we're in a plane that's over 30 years old a day later and we have players sitting in (small) seats ... I think they just have a lot of work to do to figure this thing out. It's hard for me to say it's a great experience and a great thing for your club."

NFL.com

Tags: New Orleans Saints, Misc Rumor

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Saints' Nesbit Sues Drug Maker After Positive Test

Nov 25, 2014 6:26 AM

Saints' guard Jamar Nesbit has sued the maker of a weight-loss supplement, alleging it was improperly spiked with a diuretic that is banned by the NFL. The lawsuit against the makers of StarCaps, an over-the-counter product, was filed in federal court in New Jersey. Nesbit returned last week from a four-game suspension after he tested positive for Bumetanide, a substance the NFL considers a masking agent for steroids. It is the same substance for which several other players around the league have reportedly tested positive.

ESPN

Tags: New Orleans Saints, Misc Rumor

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NFL Investigating 6-8 Players For Drug Use

Jul 21, 2014 9:01 AM

Six to eight NFL players are under investigation for violating the league's drug policy by taking a weight-loss diuretic that is considered a masking agent for steroids. Saints' running back Deuce McAllister confirmed Sunday that he is being investigated although he stopped short of saying he had tested positive. Defensive end Will Smith of the Saints and defensive tackles Kevin Williams and Pat Williams of the Vikings also have been identified in various reports.

Morning Call

Tags: Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, Misc Rumor

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Titans Move To 7-0

Jun 28, 2014 6:19 AM

Chances are you saw a majority of the thirteen games played on Sunday in the NFL?s Week Eight, but there is no need to worry if you weren?t watching all the action. RealGM is here to help summarize all that went down as NFL teams took the field in the final full weekend of October. We will also calculate each team?s Trench Counter*. Philadelphia 27, Atlanta 14 Team Trench Counter: Eagles +13.6, Falcons -13.6 The Philadelphia Eagles (4-3) allowed the Atlanta Falcons (4-3) to take a 7-0 lead but rallied to win relatively easily at Lincoln Financial Field. Donovan McNabb went 19-for-34 with 253 passing yards and had 25 rushing yards and a touchdown, his first since 2006, in the victory. Brian Westbrook, who was returning from a pair of fractured ribs, starred for the Eagles. He had 209 total yards (167 rushing and 42 receiving) and two rushing touchdowns against Atlanta. Rookie Matt Ryan, who is a native of the Philadelphia area, went 23-for-33 with 277 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. Roddy White continues to be Ryan?s favorite target; he caught eight passes for 113 yards and two scores in the loss. Michael Turner had some troubles against the Eagles? rush defense, tallying just 58 yards on seventeen carries (including a 22-yard run). N.Y. Jets 28, Kansas City 24 Team Trench Counter: Jets +0.3, Chiefs -0.3 Brett Favre tossed a ton of interceptions, but the New York Jets (4-3) were still able to down the struggling Kansas City Chiefs (1-6) on Sunday. Favre went 28-for-40 with 290 yards, two touchdowns, and the three aforementioned picks. Laveranues Coles (7 catches, 64 yards) and Leon Washington (3 catches, 34 yards) were the beneficiaries of Favre?s touchdown strikes. Washington and Thomas Jones combined to rush for 121 yards and two scores in the win while New York?s defense sacked Tyler Thigpen four times. Thigpen played well for Kansas City, going 25-for-35 with 280 yards and two touchdowns in the loss. Jamaal Charles and Kolby Smith combined to tally 60 rushing yards on sixteen carries in the absence of the suspended Larry Johnson. Dwayne Bowe caught six passes for 102 yards while Tony Gonzalez and Mark Bradley connected with Thigpen in the end zone. Chiefs' rookie cornerback Brandon Flowers intercepted Favre twice, the first takeaways of his career. New Orleans 37, San Diego 32 Team Trench Counter: Saints +5.4, Chargers -5.4 The New Orleans Saints (4-4) defeated the San Diego Chargers (3-5) on Sunday at London?s Wembley Stadium. Drew Brees went 30-for-41 with 339 yards and three touchdowns in the victory, as the Saints won without Reggie Bush. Deuce McAllister had 55 rushing yards and a touchdown on eighteen attempts while Pierre Thomas added 28 yards in the win. Brees ran into his own end zone for a safety with less than ten seconds left on the clock in a strategic move by coach Sean Payton that paid off. Philip Rivers was nearly as good as Brees, but an interception ended up costing the Chargers. Rivers went 25-for-40 with 341 yards, three touchdowns, and the turnover. LaDainian Tomlinson, who said during the week that San Diego needed to run more, rushed for 105 yards on nineteen carries in the loss. He also caught five passes for 65 yards and a score while Antonio Gates and Vincent Jackson also had receiving touchdowns overseas. New England 23, St. Louis 16 Team Trench Counter: Patriots +7, Rams -7 Matt Cassel struggled, but the New England Patriots (5-2) still knocked off the St. Louis Rams (2-5) at Gillette Stadium on Sunday. Cassel went 21-for-33 with 267 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in the victory while Kevin Faulk and BenJarvus Green-Ellis combined to rush for 76 yards and a touchdown in the victory. Randy Moss, who appears to finally be gelling well with Cassel, caught seven passes for 102 yards. New England's defense was able to break through and sack Marc Bulger four times. Bulger went 18-for-34 with 301 yards, one touchdown, and an interception. Without Steven Jackson, who sat out with a thigh injury, Antonio Pittman ran for 83 yards on nineteen carries. Rookie receiver Donnie Avery had a career day, catching six passes for 163 yards and scoring in the loss. The loss ended a two-game win streak for the Rams, who began the season with four-straight losses. Miami 25, Buffalo 16 Team Trench Counter: Dolphins +11.6, Bills -11.6 The Miami Dolphins (3-4) notched a key win over a divisional rival on Sunday after downing the Buffalo Bills (5-2) in South Beach. Chad Pennington went 22-for-30 with 314 yards and a touchdown while Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams combined for 59 rushing yards and a score in the victory. Ted Ginn Jr. enjoyed a spectacular afternoon, catching seven passes for 175 yards against the stifling Buffalo secondary. Trent Edwards went 21-for-35 with 227 yards and an interception since a majority of the Bills' offense came on the ground. Marshawn Lynch had 61 yards and a touchdown, and Fred Jackson added another 41 yards in the loss. Lee Evans had another big day, catching seven passes for 116 yards, but he wasn?t able to find the end zone. The Bills lost three fumbles, stalling drives on multiple occasions. With the loss, the Bills are now tied with the Patriots for first-place in the AFC East. Washington 25, Detroit 17 Team Trench Counter: Redskins +10.4, Lions -10.4 The Washington Redskins (6-2) defeated the Detroit Lions (0-7) in a surprisingly close battle at Ford Field on Sunday. Jason Campbell went 23-for-28 with 328 yards and a touchdown while Clinton Portis rushed for 126 yards on twenty-four carries. Shaun Alexander, who made his Redskins' debut on Week Seven against Cleveland, had just 11 yards on six carries. Santana Moss caught nine passes for 140 yards and a score and also ran a punt back 80 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Dan Orlovsky, making his third-straight start for the winless Lions, went 21-for-35 with 223 yards and a touchdown in the loss. Rudi Johnson and Kevin Smith had just 33 yards and a touchdown between them while Orlovsky added 17 yards on a pair of carries himself. Shaun McDonald caught five passes for 68 yards while Calvin Johnson grabbed four balls for 57 yards and a touchdown. Johnson has now caught four touchdowns in his last five games. Dallas 13, Tampa Bay 9 Team Trench Counter: Cowboys +2.4, Buccaneers -2.4 The Dallas Cowboys (5-3) got back on track Sunday against the Tampa Buccaneers (5-3) in a very hard fought game. Brad Johnson went 19-for-33 with 122 yards and a touchdown in the win while Marion Barber carried the ball twenty-five times for 71 yards. Terrell Owens led the Cowboys in receiving with five catches for 33 yards. After Johnson threw three interceptions in Week Seven?s loss to the Rams, Wade Phillips limited him to immediate throws against Tampa Bay. Jeff Garcia went 27-for-43 with 227 yards in the loss, failing to throw a touchdown after a huge game against the Seahawks last Sunday night. The Dallas defense limited Earnest Graham, who rushed seventeen times, for just 42 yards. Running back Clifton Smith caught just one pass for 13 yards and lost a fumble, the only turnover of the game. Carolina 27, Arizona 23 Team Trench Counter: Panthers +7.3, Cardinals -7.3 The Carolina Panthers (6-2) outlasted the Arizona Cardinals (4-3) at Bank of American Stadium this weekend. Jake Delhomme went 20-for-28 with 248 yards and two touchdowns in the win while DeAngelo Williams exploded for 108 rushing yards and a score, as well. Jonathan Stewart had just 10 yards on eight carries against Arizona. Steve Smith was the beneficiary of both of Delhomme?s touchdown strikes as he caught five passes for 117 yards to move the Panthers into first place in the NFC South. Kurt Warner aired it out once again, going 35-for-49 with 381 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. Edgerrin James, who complained this week about his lack of touches, ran for 17 yards on seven carries and lost a fumble in the defeat. Larry Fitzgerald caught seven passes from Warner for 115 yards, and Anquan Boldin, who returned for the first time since fracturing his sinus in Week Four against the Jets, grabbed nine balls for 63 yards and two trips to the end zone. Baltimore 29, Oakland 10 Team Trench Counter: Ravens +6.4, Raiders -6.4 The Baltimore Ravens (4-3) jumped out to a 19-0 lead against the Oakland Raiders (2-5) on Sunday and never looked back. Rookie Joe Flacco went 12-for-24 with 140 yards and a touchdown, a 70-yard strike to Demetrius Williams in the second quarter. Flacco also ran in a 12-yard score in the fourth that put the game away for good. Ray Rice, Willis McGahee, and Le?Ron McClain helped Baltimore dominate on the ground, rushing for 154 yards and scoring a touchdown against Oakland?s defense. JaMarcus Russell was 15-for-33 with 228 yards, a touchdown, and an interception for the Raiders. Without Darren McFadden, Oakland struggled on the ground. Justin Fargas and Michael Bush combined to run for just 32 yards on seventeen carries in the loss. Rookie receiver Chaz Schilens had the best game of his young career against the Ravens, catching three passes for 76 yards. Russell was sacked four times while Flacco went untouched. Houston 35, Cincinnati 6 Team Trench Counter: Texans +18.4, Bengals -18.4 The Cincinnati Bengals (0-8) remain winless after getting beaten soundly by the Houston Texans (3-4) at Reliant Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Matt Schaub went 24-for-28 with 280 yards and three touchdowns while rookie Steve Slaton had 53 yards and a touchdown on fifteen carries in the victory. Schaub hooked up with Kevin Walter (five catches for 70 yards) twice and David Anderson (two catches for 28 yards) once in the end zone while connecting with Andre Johnson on eleven occasions for 143 yards. Jacoby Jones got the Texans on the board with a 73-yard punt return early in the first quarter. Ryan Fitzpatrick struggled once again, going 20-for-32 with 155 yards and a pair of interceptions in the team?s eighth-straight loss. Cedric Benson had 49 rushing yards, while Fitzpatrick added 42 yards on seven carries himself. T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Chad ?Ocho Cinco? Johnson combined for thirteen receptions and 98 receiving yards, but couldn?t reach the end zone against Houston. In addition to his two interceptions, Fitzpatrick also lost a fumble as he accounted for all of Cincinnati?s turnovers. Cleveland 23, Jacksonville 17 Team Trench Counter: Browns +5.4, Jaguars -5.4 The Cleveland Browns (3-4) are just one win away from .500 after holding off the Jacksonville Jaguars (3-4) in Florida on Sunday afternoon. Derek Anderson went 14-for-27 with 246 yards and a touchdown while Jamal Lewis had one of his best games of the season with 81 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Braylon Edwards caught two passes for 64 yards while tight end Steven Heiden, who was filling in for Kellen Winslow, led the team with three receptions for 73 yards. Donte Stallworth, who had three catches for just 13 yards, was the recipient of Anderson?s only touchdown pass. David Garrard, who had a very Garrard-like stat line, went 25-for-42 with 283 yards and two touchdowns in the close loss. Garrard added 59 rushing yards on seven carries while Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor had just 53 yards between them. Matt Jones led Jacksonville with eight catches for 117 yards and a touchdown, including a 35-yard reception that kept the Jaguars? hopes alive in the final seconds. Seattle 34, San Francisco 13 Team Trench Counter: Seahawks +4.7, 49ers -4.7 Seneca Wallace improved mightily over his performance against the Buccaneers last Sunday as he led the Seattle Seahawks (2-5) to an emphatic win over the San Francisco 49ers (2-6) at Candlestick Park. Wallace went 15-for-25 with 222 yards and two touchdowns, both connections with fullback Leonard Weaver, who had four catches for 116 yards. Maurice Morris and Weaver had problems on the ground, combining for 29 yards on thirteen carries, but Seahawks got all they needed on offense. J.T. O?Sullivan went 13-for-21 with 131 yards and an interception and was benched by new coach Mike Singletary after his eleventh fumble of the season. Shaun Hill replaced O?Sullivan and went 15-for-23 with 173 yards and a touchdown in the loss. Hill also rushed for twenty yards on two carries while Frank Gore added 94 yards on the ground and 65 receiving yards in the team?s fifth-straight loss. Seattle managed to record five sacks en route to their first win in four tries. N.Y. Giants 21, Pittsburgh 14 Team Trench Counter: Giants +7.8, Steelers -7.8 The New York Giants (6-1) scored twelve points in the fourth quarter on their way to a comeback win over the Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) at Heinz Field. Eli Manning went 19-for-32 with 199 yards and a touchdown, while Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward had 84 rushing yards on thirty-one carries in the difficult win. Kevin Boss, who had four catches for 34 yards, was the recipient of Manning?s only scoring pass. Plaxico Burress, who was held out of the starting lineup after missing a treatment for his injured neck on Saturday, had just three catches for 15 yards. Ben Roethlisberger had his worst game of the season, going 13-for-29 with 189 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions against New York?s ball-hawking defense. The Steelers were without Santonio Holmes, who was deactivated for the game after being arrested for drug possession last week. Mewelde Moore continued his hot streak in relief of the injured Willie Parker, running for 84 yards and a touchdown. Nate Washington caught just one pass, a 65-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter. Rookie Limas Sweed caught three balls for 28 yards in just his second appearance. Tennessee 31, Indianapolis 21 Team Trench Counter: Titans +3.1, Colts -3.1 The Tennessee Titans (7-0) remained unbeaten on Monday night after an impressive win over the rival Indianapolis Colts (3-4). Kerry Collins was more than good enough, going 24-for-37 with 193 yards, while Chris Johnson and LenDale White took care of business on the ground. Johnson had 77 yards and a touchdown and White added two scores and thirteen yards in the victory. Tennessee's defense also pestered Peyton Manning, forcing two interceptions. Manning went 26-for-41 with 223 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in the loss. Dominic Rhodes had 70 yards on seventeen carries, and Chad Simpson added 23 yards on four carries in the absence of Joseph Addai. Dallas Clark broke out, catching seven passes for 94 yards and two touchdowns, but the Colts struggled in key situations and couldn't stop the Titans' attack in the second half. Indianapolis led 14-6 midway through the third, but Tennessee rallied to score 25-straight points en route to victory. *Explaining The Trench Counter

Andrew Perna/RealGM

Tags: New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, San Diego Chargers, Tennessee Titans, Game Recap, Team Achievement

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Drug Tests Could Lead To 8 Suspensions

Oct 31, 2014 4:38 AM

As many as eight NFL players, including Saints running back Deuce McAllister, could reportedly face suspensions after testing positive for performance-enhancing substances. McAllister, Saints defensive end Will Smith and at least one other player tested positive for the substance bumetanide recently. "It can be seen as a masking agent because it produces so much water that it dilutes drugs in the system," Dr. Don Catlin said Friday. "But we haven?t seen it used by athletes to mask drugs in over 20 years."

New York Times

Tags: New Orleans Saints, Misc Rumor

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Report: Two Saints Test For 'Water Pills'

Nov 23, 2014 12:45 AM

Both Deuce McAllister and Will Smith of the Saints have reportedly tested positive under the NFL's steroid policy as a result of taking water pills to lose weight. A number of NFL players have reportedly tested positive for water pills recently. The number is more than 10 and may exceed 15, according to two sources. NFL spokesman Michael Signora, who is in London, said the league will not comment on the reports.

ESPN

Tags: New Orleans Saints, Misc Rumor

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USC Battle: LenDale Is A Better RB, But Is Reggie The Better Player?

Jun 2, 2014 7:12 PM

It has been more than two years since the notorious 2006 NFL Draft, when the Texans famously passed on Reggie Bush and Vince Young in favor of Mario Williams. One of the most popular storylines of that draft was the entrance of Bush and LenDale White - the USC tailbacks that formed one of the best 'Thunder and Lightning' combinations in college football history - into the NFL. Bush, the lightning rod of the duo, was ultimately taken with the second overall pick by the Saints, the first of more than a dozen running backs that were drafted. White fell into the second round, taken by the Titans with the 45th overall pick. He was the fifth runner selected that year. Laurence Maroney (New England), DeAngelo Williams (Carolina), and Joseph Addai (Indianapolis) were taken in between the Trojans. So almost three seasons later, which USC running back has been the better pro? Bush has played 35 games for the Saints, having missed four contests in 2007, and has touched the ball more than 600 times on offense. Reggie, who has had problems transferring his running efficiency over into the NFL, has carried the ball 399 times for 1,440 yards, an average of 3.6 yards per rush. He has scored twelve rushing touchdowns thus far, but a good amount of his success has come through the air. Bush has 203 receptions for 1,525 yards and seven touchdowns in his career, tying Anquan Boldin as the fastest player to reach 200 receptions. Amazingly, White has also played 35 games through Week Seven of this season. Unlike Bush, White wasn?t an immediate contributor in Tennessee, but he took over in 2007 as the Titans' featured running back. He ran 303 times for 1,110 yards and seven touchdowns last season and has 314 yards and eight scores through seven games in 2008. White doesn?t possess the same soft hands as Bush as he has caught just 36 passes for 181 yards in his career. In addition to Bush?s advantage through the air, White has just one kickoff return in his career (for 14 yards) while Bush has returned 44 punts (with four touchdowns) in two-plus NFL seasons. White does, however, have the advantage in the win column. The Titans are 22-13 when White plays while the Saints are only 18-18 with Bush in the lineup. In case you have forgotten how they performed at USC, let?s take a gander at their numbers: NCAA Rushing Statistics Bush: 433 carries, 3,169 yards, 7.3 ypc, 25 TD's White: 541 carries, 3,159 yards, 5.8 ypc, 52 TD's White got more touches in Southern California and benefited by more than doubling Bush?s touchdown numbers. However, Bush was far more efficient when carrying the football. NCAA Receiving Statistics Bush: 95 receptions, 1,301 yards, 13.7 ypr, 13 TD's White: 31 receptions, 331 yards, 10.7 ypr, 5 TD's Bush was superior in the receiving department in college as well, but White didn?t trail him by as much as he has in the NFL. Like he did on the ground, White made the most of his touches (he scored a touchdown every 6.2 receptions) in college. Now let?s take a closer look at each running back?s NFL numbers: NFL Rushing Statistics Bush: 399 carries, 1,440 yards, 3.6 ypc, 12 TD's White: 444 carries, 1,668 yards, 3.8 ypc, 15 TD's White has had the better career on the ground and will probably only continue to build his lead over Bush as time goes by. Even with Chris Johnson stealing a good number of carries in Tennessee, White will find the end zone and has been slightly more effective than Bush per attempt. NFL Receiving Statistics Bush: 203 receptions, 1,525 yards, 7.5 ypr, 7 TD's White: 36 receptions, 181 yards, 5.0 ypr, 0 TD's Bush, obviously, has White covered, and covered well, in the receiving department. It?s almost unfair to compare their receiving numbers, but in today?s NFL it is important for running backs to be complete players. Both of the former USC tailbacks have had great starts to their NFL careers, but Bush has been the more well-rounded player. White is the better professional runner, but that much was expected despite Bush?s more heralded name. Bush has close to 3,000 yards from scrimmage for his career against less than 2,000 yards for White. Reggie also has four more touchdowns than White, eight if returns are counted. There is still plenty of time for White to overtake Bush as the best Trojan tailback to have been taken in the 2006 NFL Draft, but for the time being...Reggie takes the cake.

Andrew Perna/RealGM

Tags: New Orleans Saints, Tennessee Titans, Misc Rumor

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Saints' Bush Out 3-4 Weeks

Oct 29, 2014 1:27 AM

Saints running back Reggie Bush will miss 3-4 weeks of action after he undergoes surgery to repair an injury to his left knee suffered against the Panthers on Sunday. Bush will not travel to London with his teammates this week and the team has a bye in Week Nine, which means he could miss only two games. Bush had 55 rushing yards before he left the game, and the Saints lost 30-7 to the Panthers. "Of course it's tough. He's a big-time playmaker," quarterback Drew Brees said of losing Bush. "We're going to miss him, and I hope he's not out very long."

NFL.com

Tags: New Orleans Saints

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Cable: We Need To Use Brees As Model For JaMarcus

Aug 9, 2014 12:45 PM

Saints' QB Drew Brees threw for 320 yards and three touchdowns while JaMarcus Russell was 13-for-35 for just 159 yards for the Raiders. "You have to use him as a model if you are the Oakland Raiders," said new Oakland Coach Tom Cable. "That's where we want (Russell) to get."

NFL.com

Tags: New Orleans Saints, Las Vegas Raiders

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Without Kiffin, Raiders Still Lose

Oct 29, 2014 1:27 AM

The Raiders lost their first game under Coach Tom Cable on Sunday, falling 34-3 to the Saints at the Superdome in New Orleans. Saints' quarterback Drew Brees went 26-for-30 with 320 yards and three touchdowns while JaMarcus Russell was 13-for-35 with 159 yards, an interception, and a fumble for the Raiders. Oakland is now 1-4 on the season.

Andrew Perna/RealGM

Tags: New Orleans Saints, Las Vegas Raiders, Game Recap, Misc Rumor

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Bush Ties Record With 200th Catch In 34th Game
Saints' running back Reggie Bush tied an NFL record after grabbing his 200th career catch in just his 34th game in the league.

Andrew Perna/RealGM

Colston Set To Play Against Raiders
Saints' WR Marques Colston was officially listed as questionable on the injury report Friday.

NFL Network

Raiders Scared To Punt To Bush?
Reggie Bush returned two punts for a touchdown on Monday against the Vikings, which has left the Raiders gunshy about kicking to him on Sunday.

San Francisco Chronicle

Saints Place Gramatica On IR, Re-Sign Mehlhaff
The Saints have placed kicker Martin Gramatica on the injured reserve and re-signed Taylor Mehlhaff.

ESPN

Portis And Cooley Move Up In RealGM's NFL Player Rankings
Clinton Portis and Chris Cooley both had big days in Philadelphia in Week 5 and have moved up the board amongst RBs and TEs.

Christopher Reina/RealGM

America's Best Sports Surgeon Rooting For The Saints?
Dr. James Andrews was born in Touro Infirmary and conducted his residency in the Crescent City after graduating from LSU in 1963.

Times-Picayune