Saints Still Sting From Loss To Bucs
February 6th, 2010
Maybe because he got sandwiched by the Bucs, Saints wide receiver Marques Colston didn't want to talk about an earlier loss to the Bucs during Super Bowl media day.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — It was late November. The Bucs were in the midst of a horrid season. New Orleans had added to the Bucs misery at the CITS, roasting the Bucs defense for 38 points, the sixth consecutive game the Bucs defense had given up 25 or more points, a disgusting franchise record.
Hours later, Raheem the Dream defrocked defensive coordinator Jim Bates.
In short, Drew Brees and the Saints got Bates fired.
Fast forward five weeks later. At New Orleans, the Bucs turned the tables on the high-octane Saints, holding New Orleans to 17 points in one of the season’s biggest upsets.
So when Joe obtained credentials for Super Bowl media day, he decided to go on a quest: Joe was going to find out if Raheem the Dream was that much of a better defensive coordinator than Bates, or if the game was simply a fluke?
Who better to ask than the Saints themselves?
Joe didn’t really find out the answer to his question. But what he did find out is the loss to the Bucs is still very much a sore subject with members of the Saints offense.
In fact, the normally affable Brees turned surly at the line of questioning, his mouth initially, literally, agape at the gall Joe had to have Brees revisit the loss to the Bucs.
Joe will print verbatim his questions to Brees, and Brees’ emotional response.
Joe: Drew, the first time you played Tampa Bay this season, you got their defensive coordinator fired. The next time you played the Bucs, you got tripped up. Was the Bucs’ defense that much better, or were they doing something different or was it just one of those days for the Saints?
Brees: Why are we talking about Tampa right now?
Joe: Because I work there.
Brees: Obviously.
Joe: Was the Bucs defense that much better the second time around?
Brees: The fact is we had our chances late near the end of the game. We played good defensively. Obviously, we’ve moved past that. We’ve won some games since that.
That was that. End of discussion. Clearly, Brees’ nerves are frayed.
Saints receiver Marques Colston was slightly more diplomatic. However, like Brees, he didn’t want to talk about the loss to the Bucs. It seemed he has done his best to purge the loss from his memory. He never quite gave Joe a clear answer, continually shrugging his shoulders as if trying to recall something from his distant past.
“I think any time you play a team inside your division, they are going to be very familiar with your scheme,” Colston said. “I think at that point, it was who is better on that day. Tampa, obviously, caught us.
“I mean, that was months ago. I don’t think [the Bucs defense] did anything extremely different. But it has been so long ago.”
Saints coach Sean Payton, who Joe went to college with, was more forthcoming, admitting, yes, the Bucs did things differently that second game which, in the long run, wasn’t different for the Bucs.
Payton also praised Raheem the Dream.
“There were a couple of things,” Payton said. “No. 1, they did change schematically. Raheem did a good job of going back to the things they had done under Monte Kiffin. That being said, they did a great job in that second game, especially in the second half. In the first half, I thought we played the way we wanted to. I thought [the Bucs] players and coaches did a good job of making adjustments at halftime, and then on special teams they beat us with a big play.
“Those were two different types of games. Tampa has always been, for us, a hard-fought game.”
February 6th, 2010 at 9:13 am
WOW….Brees sounds like a real douche bag. I can’t wait to watch him get owned by Manning tomorrow…
February 6th, 2010 at 9:36 am
Payton is the Class Act as usual, but Joe obviously rattled Brees. Now, when the Colts blow out the Saints in a 42 to 17 rout, Joe can take credit for getting in Brees’ head. Brees may even go as far as to blame Joe after the fact, and Joe can question Brees again next season when the come to Tampa for another loss.
Way to go Joe. BTW, are you taller than he is too? Most people are you know.
February 6th, 2010 at 10:26 am
1st round #?
(Trade back and pick up a 2nd rounder)
DT Brian Price – UCLA*
2nd round #3
DE Brandon Graham*
2nd round #?
(From trading back in the first round)
WR Golden Tate – Notre Dame*
2nd round #11
(From Bears for Adams)
SS Chad Jones – LSU*
3rd round #3
CB Akwasi Owuhsu-Ansah – Indiana*
4th round #3
WR Taylor Price – Ohio*
5th round #3
DT Michael Neal – Purdue*
5th round #? (From Jacksonville for McCown)
TE Jimmy Graham – Miami
6th round #3
TE Drake Dunsmore – North Western (FB/TE?)
7th round #3
Your mom
February 6th, 2010 at 11:44 am
Good Job … That was by far the best part of a miserable season !!!!
And to know how much the Saints hate us .. Well … Makes me Feel Good
🙂 .. We officially endedtheir season 2 years in a row .. Then beat them when they wanted to win BADLY
And the Best Part of all .. It did not cost the Bucs a draft slot since Detroit had us on a tiebreaker of SOS anyways 🙂
February 6th, 2010 at 11:50 am
Interesting. Brees still seems sore about that game. That was the last regular season game where they tried and lost. So bad memories I guess. Not sure why he couldn’t answer the question.
Good answer from Payton. I am bit surprised he answered it. Not sure many sports writers would say he’s a class act BigMacAttack.
I do believe the Colts will beat the Saints. Payton has been known to tense up in tight situations. He was thoroughly outcoached by Childress until the last 2 minutes of regular season. The last couple of times the Saints have lost in NO to TB, Payton had a big hand in it.
February 6th, 2010 at 12:22 pm
To be fair about Brees, who ordinarily seems like a good guy, just before Joe got a chance to ask him a few questions, some Ross character from the Jay Leno Show, who plays an effeminate male — but Joe heard him talk to his producers and it’s all schtick — was pestering Brees and threw some prop at him.
Just after that Joe asked Brees the Bucs questions. Joe would like to believe Brees was already pissed off at getting badgered by that Ross fool to begin with, and Joe’s questions just set him off.
February 6th, 2010 at 1:18 pm
I can’t stand the Saints.The victory was a huge bright spot on an otherwise disapponting season.
For the first time in my life I am rooting for Manning and the Colts. The choice was difficult. Kind of like choosing between constant vomiting or constant diarreah
February 6th, 2010 at 5:01 pm
“The Saints haven’t lost since.”
They lost to Carolina in the last week, although they were definitely not trying to win that game.
February 6th, 2010 at 6:00 pm
How dare you ask questions regarding the lowly Bucs and not how Brees feels about his team of destiny and their upcoming win! After all they are going to win because the City of New Orleans deserves it right? I had always liked Brees until this week. He has come across as an a-hole though. Can’t believe I’m saying this but Go Colts!
February 8th, 2010 at 11:55 am
Nice going Joe! It may take the edge off of the Saints pulling out a stunner last night…
Sidebar, did Brees have THE MOLE removed?????
February 8th, 2010 at 9:44 pm
Joe,
You’re f*cking moron.
You’re put off that Brees was suprrised to be asked about a game that took place months ago and had zero bearing on the super bowl? Get a clue, jackass.
February 9th, 2010 at 12:26 am
ek:
So a “reporter” from the Jay Leno Show asking Brees if he would play with the “reporter’s” balls is related to the Super Bowl?
Oh, kay!