 |
| |
|
 |
 |
||
 |
 |
||
 |
|||
EVENTS
CENTERS
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
|
 |
New Orleans Saints Building on last season's success is stumbling block
New Orleans opens its training camp at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, La. on July 27. By Rich Loup, CNNSI.com Last season, everything went right for the Saints. An untested quarterback, Aaron Brooks, stepped in after Jeff Blake went down with an injury in Week 12 and led New Orleans into the postseason. Even the six-game loss of Ricky Williams could not derail the Saints' express. Now comes the hard part: duplicating that success. The Saints can make the playoffs if … they don't relax on their 2000 laurels and if dissension doesn't swallow them up. Potentially divisive controversies loom at quarterback and running back and head coach Jim Haslett's disciplinarian style could get old should things go bad. Pivotal games: If the Saints are in playoff contention again, consecutive December games against St. Louis and Tampa Bay could have a major bearing on their postseason staus. Up-and-coming: All eyes will be on Brooks (1,514 yards, 9 TDs, 6 INTs, 8 games in 2000) as he competes with Blake (2,025 yards, 13 TDs, 9 INTs, 11 games) for the starting position. On the hot seat: Williams has had a rocky two-year career, fighting injuries, the media and most recently, Haslett. Williams flirted with a return to minor league baseball in the offseason, and the Saints responded by drafting running back Deuce McAllister in the first round. Sports Illustrated's season preview will post Aug. 29.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
