May 15, 2025 • 31 mins
The Voice of the Saints Mike Hoss joins Erin Summers to break down the Saints schedule and how Derek Carr's retirement affects the quarterback room.
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Welcome in to the New Orleans Saints Podcast, presently by Seatcake.
You'll hear from players, coaches, broadcasters and writers that cover
the NFL on a daily basis. The New Orleans Saints
Podcast starts right now. Here's your host, Aaron Summers.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Welcome to the New Orleans Saints Podcast. Aaron Summers here,
we have a lot to break down because it's been
a week since we had a podcast and a lot
has happened. The schedule got released Wednesday night. Now we're
all booking trips, figuring out when we are available or
not for the upcoming season. And there's been some news
on the quarterback in the front as well. So we're
(00:48):
bringing in the Voice of the Saints, my cost to
talk to us about everything that we can think of
that has happened in the past week. Mike, how are you.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
I'm well, I was like you, I mean, I'm very
enamored with the schedule. I mean, right, it's fifteen people
in a room a few months ago deciding our fate
for the next six months. Right, And so I got
two weddings I'm involved in. I'm like, oh, you know,
trying to So it's just I find it interested I
just love the schedule re lease. I for whatever reason,
(01:19):
I'm a very symmetry guy, and I hate things with
that are not symmetry because it feels unfair. And when
I do that, I look at home in a way
when you play the playoff teams, when you play your South,
your division team. So I get way deep into it.
But you're right, you know, I mean many mini camp
was you know, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. But so much has happened. Yeah,
(01:41):
I mean the Derek Carr situation on April eleventh, that's Friday.
I was like, what, you know, it was such a shock,
and then within a month to May tenth, it was
done retired like so and essentially it really kind of
happened quick, but didn't feel like it did. They have
the whole thing resolved and him retiring, which quite frankly,
(02:05):
how do you feel about Derek Carr? It helped the Saints,
I mean helped them financially. He could have gone to
camp and did a sixty nine million dollar hit next
year cap wise. So it's just been so sports talk
shows are having a field day and they will continue to.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
No one saw that coming, and I think that's why
even from the very beginning with the injury news that
came out. The whole thing was kept under wraps, so
we don't exactly know the timeline, what was said, who
talked to who, But there is finality to it now,
which I think is the big key in all this.
We know now Derek Carr is not going to be here.
(02:48):
New head coach Kellen Moore comes in and gets to
move forward with a new slate, really a full new
coaching staff, a ton of new players, and completely different
looking quarterback rooms. So a lot to get into on
that front. But you mentioned the schedule being your favorite thing,
so what stood out to you the most.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
Well, obviously the primetime situation. I mean, first time in
twenty five years. First off, I didn't realize until yesterday
before the Skelul commement. I thought you had to have
a game. I thought everybody got a game. I don't
care what it was. I thought, you know, but Carolina
didn't have one last year. So to go from twenty
twenty one where you had five primetime games to zero,
(03:31):
A lot of three o'clock games but no primetime games.
I mean, it is what it is. I mean, you've
got to earn the right to play in those games.
The NFL is not an equal opportunity employer. They want
what they want, and unfortunately for the Saints, they've not
necessarily played well in primetime of recent and it hasn't
(03:52):
even really been close. And I think that's been the problem.
It's not that they were really in games. You know,
they've in the last four years, so it's been a
struggle for whatever reason. And so that obviously stood out.
Number one for me was primetime. Then I look at
what I always called the imbalance, and I used to
always think, and I believe this until last night, still
(04:16):
kind of that the NFL is not fond of giving
New Orleans a ton of home games in September, right
in the early season, hurricane season October. I just maybe
it's in the back of my mind, maybe it's not,
maybe it's just me, but they've had three of their
first five on the road in three of their last
four years. But this year, boy, it's front loaded, right,
(04:40):
four of your first six, five of your first eight
games are at home. You better make your hey at
that point. You don't play a division opponent until Week eight,
so five of your first eight at home. But then
the math of course flips because you play six of
(05:01):
your last nine games, including the final two, on the road.
This team has always been a pretty good road team.
But you can't look at that situation and go, let's
plan on that to you know, make back some of
the losses be made at her You've got to win it.
They're not good teams coming to the Supernowner's one that
has a winning record, that's Tampa. Other than that, no
(05:22):
one has a winning record. So you got must make
your your your money at home this year, winning and early.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
With the no primetime games, I do think though, it's
an opportunity to establish what this team is going to
look like under Kellen Moore without a ton of people
scrutinizing things. Kind of fly under the radar for a
little while, build your brand. The last time the Saints
didn't have a primetime game was in two thousand and
they won the NFC West and they went on to
(05:52):
win the franchise's first playoff game. So if we can
do that again get back into the playoffs, I think
everybody's gonna be happy.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
Yeah, I think I'm fine with flying under the radar,
and I'm fine with quite frankly, this team having a
little chip on the shoulder that people that disrespect them
so much that you're one of three teams that didn't
have one. Now, Tennessee surprises me a little bit, just
you got the number one pick, like you'd figure early
in the season they throw that cat on there somewhere
(06:21):
in Cleveland, you know who doesn't. But man, I totally
agree it's and it's also let's say, let's say we
are not the coach, but you're gonna go with a
rookie quarterback, whether it's Spencer who's played in some games,
or it's Jake, or it's Tyler. Quite frankly, this is
not you don't want to have to play the first
(06:43):
play schedule. You want to be against the teams that
are struggling as well. And that's exactly what this season is.
Of their seventeen opponents, their average record is seven and ten.
So if you're gonna roll out some newness and some
stand of the radar, you know, this is kind of
the year to do it.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
If you look at the overall strength of schedule, the
Saints have the second easiest one in the league. So
again to your point, it set up very well for
the Saints in the situation that they're in with a
lot of new on this team, what teams and stretches
do you feel like will be the biggest challenge.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
It's you know, it's tough because of what's are teams?
How much better are our teams? You start off three,
you start off a three NFC West right away, Arizona,
San franc Seattle. You know, you have to me, you
got Buffalo at Chicago in September and October. That's going
to be lovely. Those games could have been you know,
that would have changed a lot. Ye. I just feel
(07:43):
like despite the fact that this team has won its
first last six the NFL's longest active streak hombo just
open season openers, and they've been to and zero their
last two seasons. That they get they they're climbing up
hill in that first eight nine games, right they're and
you just continually climb up hill. So you look at
(08:05):
those games and I kind of go out of those
first four Arizona, San Francisatle Buffalo, you got to come
out of that two and two. That next stretch Giants,
New England at home at Chicago, then finally Tampa. But
it's home those four games. If you are two and two,
you know can be you know, five and three, six
(08:28):
and two something like that. Now you've set yourself up
for that for that back end, which is they're not
necessarily you know, world beaters. I mean, your final four
games are Carolina Jets, Tennessee, Atlanta, so you know they're
not you know, like you can't win these games, but
they're just so much on the road. When you know
(08:48):
what's Miami going to be? Like, you face a lot
of teams, what's Atlanta. It's about pressure, you know Atlanta.
Atlanta has six prime time or standalone games, six five
time and they play Indie in Berlin. You talk about
pressure on a franchise. Tar Fontineau and those guys to perform.
(09:08):
The NFL thinks you're you're you get more than Tampa
uh prime time and standalone. So I feel like that's
where they're You know, there's there's pressure out there. And
I don't care what anybody says NFC South is open
for business or care that Tampa's won the last four.
I do not care. That's the team the Saints to
play the best against, especially on the road. But you're
(09:31):
gonna have to you can have to sweep some people
in the South. You can't this. You can't get swept
and you can't one on one. You're gonna have to
play better in the South this year.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
I think when you start the season off, as you mentioned,
Arizona at home, a team that you could definitely beat,
and they haven't done well in season openers, and they
haven't done well here in the Superdome. But the stretch
between the San Francisco forty nine ers and then you
go at Seattle, and then the next week you go
all the way across the country to Buffalo. Playing in
(10:01):
Seattle is going to be hard. And then go in
and play against Buffalo, who is a team that was
one of the most difficult teams to play last season,
one of the teams it has a winning record on
the schedule for the Saints from last year. That is
is going to be a tough few games to get
through early in the season, right.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
And it's and so, And you will have already traveled
to the West Coast once for the first preseason game,
which undoubtedly will be practice. Go out there early, go
back to Calvine, spend some time, which I love. I
think that's I couldn't have you couldn't have set it
up better. And for me, how who cares for me?
(10:39):
But I mean for this team because I feel like
where it was last year, before that second game they had,
they were you know, the Niners were beat up, but
the Saints were just as beat up. You played a
preseason game. This gives you the opportunity to practice here
in Metali, go out there, spend some time, get back
in so far where you've not played well, and you've
(10:59):
got to come back to so far. But that's a
West coast trip. And then week three you go back
to the West coast. And the Saints have three West
Coast trips in the season two, you know, in the
first eight. If you want to consider Week five and seats,
you're right, those those that at Seattle at Buffalo, I
mean you come out of that one one that that's
(11:20):
that's a that's a victory. Yeah sure. But to me,
I think that the ability to go out there to
so far and to get out of this heat, then
I think it's gonna be hugely.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
Beneficial if they can come away with the wind, Like
you said, you build some confidence in that stadium where
they haven't played so well. When then you know you're
gonna have to go back there against the Rams where
there's all this history, and yeah, that's later in the season.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
I don't I don't know why. It's just I don't
like the building. I don't like it's funny. I don't
like the building. They don't play well there. It's a
crappy press booth for the radio five billion. I'm like, man,
I could have done so much more with this money.
But they need to. They need to get off that
snide and play better at that building.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
Was it because you had to go through it was
that hurriquake, a hurricane.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
An earthquake at one same game. That was a preseason game.
That one didn't bother me too much. But they've just
they just have not They have had Thursday night games
out there. They just have not played their best in
LA against either team. Really.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Yeah, first game against the division is, as you mentioned,
against the Bucks, not until week eight, so they do
have some time to figure themselves out before they have
to go against the division opponents. But what is the
most intriguing game and why is it against the Bears?
Speaker 3 (12:42):
You know, I guess I don't I know why. Again,
I think we'll know Chicago's better, right, And so I
don't know if Dennis was the head coach, Yeah, I
don't think. I don't I think the defensive coordinator going
against his defense. I mean, we know what that defense
is going to be. Like the quest, I think the
(13:03):
bigger question is where are these teams through six games?
Right that October nineteenth, Week seven at Chicago at noon.
You know, last time they played was here in twenty
three Saints one. You know, I look at the I look.
(13:24):
I always go Division kind of first, and to me,
your Tampa game Week eight, They've played terrible at home
against Tampa of late, right, and I've played well in
the road, but I haven't always won. So Week eight
and Week fourteen at Tampa, I just you know, I don't.
(13:44):
I just don't know. I can't. I can't get a
feel for Atlanta. I got a pretty good idea about Tampa.
They seem to get better. Baker Mayfield gets better. I
don't care who's the offense coordinator. They get better in
the draft, and so I feel like you've got to
that's your first division game, Week eight, October twenty six.
(14:04):
It's three o'clock, and then you don't play another one
until November twenty third and after a bye week in Atlanta,
and I just feel like that game can do a lot.
That's a stretch of three or four games at home Giants,
New England, Road, Chicago, then Tampa. So man, I just
(14:25):
feel like that's an important one.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
Yeah, the Bucks have won their last three games here
in the Superdome, and we don't need to talk about
what happened last year. Hopefully it does leave a little
bad taste in the Saints' mouths to come out here
and dominate that game because of how poorly they played
the last time they faced the Bucks here. But you
never know how that's going to work out as a
new coaching staffs. You don't know how much it matters
(14:50):
to them how they played last year. Maybe play, but I.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
Think, like you said, I think they do. They don't
do it. They certainly don't think about it as much.
Maybe they about what happened and you know, hey, they
came in and embarrass us in our building, but not
like hey, the last time they played in twenty two
at home, and you know that. I think a game
that's important for another reason is that Arizona game, And
you talked about it with Kyler Murray Saints struggle stopping
(15:17):
running quarterbacks last year? Is that going to be a
theme for the like are we going to they going
in and he rushes for one hundred and five, you
know on third and eighteen, picks up first downs. You know,
we we know this chapter and you don't want to
live it again because once you live it, you've got
to keep living it until you stop it. And so
(15:37):
I think that is a that's a statement game about
how where this its first game, where this defense is
with stopping kind of mobile quarterbacks block parties not nearly
as mobile, but Ken Josh Allen week four, you know,
and men, and it's not running quarterbacks like RPO runs.
It's the escapability turning a third and fifteen into a
(15:58):
first down that are just killed and you've got to
got to stop that and you've got to be able
to stop the run period or you know, just going
to run it down, you know, up the middle of
every play.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Okay, which game are you looking forward to calling the most?
Speaker 3 (16:13):
Because I haven't been there a long long time. I'm
looking forward to at Buffalo Orchard Park Stadium.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Is not going to be last year?
Speaker 3 (16:22):
Right the very first game I ever did in New
Orleans was a preseason game in Buffalo in August was
a Saints preseason game. And so it's and you know,
no one will give the Saints a chance. That'll be
a tent way, you know, not knowing where they do
it were one two three, they come out, you know,
(16:42):
like last year, one two three. Who knows what the
spread would be, but nobody expects you to win. And
I just think that'll be It's a it's a great atmosphere.
Buffalo fans are very much like New Orleans. It's small market.
They live and die with their team. And so and
thank gosh, it's gonna be September twenty eighth, It'll be autumn, right,
(17:03):
and so I'm looking forward to to that again. They
got to be a fun game to call.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
Well, coming into this season, for the first time since
two thousand and six, we will have a new head
coach and a new quarterback. It's been a minute that
two thousand and six season was very successful. So what
is your take on the quarterback room here and the
departure Derek Carr and where that leaves this team?
Speaker 3 (17:27):
The Derek Carr situation kind of it didn't surprise me
now that we know, if you'd told me in April
he's got a torn labor you know, and some degenerative rotator.
Come all right, Well it changes this conversation. But we
didn't know that, so I'm surprised, but now that I know,
not as much. Look, Derek Carr came in in the
second year, the Dennis Allen, who not fans were not
(17:50):
necessarily Again with the Dennis Allen, you were on one
side of the fence of the other, very few people
at all. I don't have an opinion. No, no, you
had an depinion on Denis, and Derek come in there.
So he's he's kind of that same lightning rod. And
I look at that first season and he started every game,
got hurt three times, came back and started the very
next week. He showed you some of his kind of
(18:12):
core toughness, but it didn't change anything. You were still
he was a lightning rod and that wasn't gonna change.
I kind of agree with you and the fact that
he did retire in May. It's over done. He's not
gonna get traded, He's not gonna end up somewhere else
at the Saints. You're going to play in week two, right, Uh,
(18:36):
it does give this room the ability to go forward,
and so I think I think it's Tyler Shuck's job
to lose. I just do you know, camp, we'll we'll
learn them more. But at some point, you can't you know,
at four right now with Heckers, I still kind of
thought they'd get a veteran, and they still might at
some point once they figure out who there three are
(18:57):
and maybe who that fourth might be. But you can't
spend all camp trying out three. You gotta you gotta
at some point you gotta figure out pretty early on
who's gonna be my guy, because that guy's got to
get ready for three preseason games, which they'll all play
some in the preseason. That's you know. Even Kellen said
that the other day. You know, we're gonna learn a
(19:17):
lot more once you get the camp and once you
you know, they didn't talk about the practice with the Chargers.
I'm saying that and the preseason games. But we talked
about this last night on w W Wells. I'm not
playing Tyler Shuck unless I got my first team line
and are very close to my first team line. So then, now,
how many STAPs do you want him to get He
needs the reps, but I don't need everybody, everybody on
(19:41):
the officer line getting reps. Now, that depends what are
we doing with Banks. Are we moving for Waga? Are
we moving Penny? You could have a situation where, you
know what, my starting line could use some reps. Everybody's
moved around, and you know we saw in the mini
camp that Kelvin Bank played everywhere. Yeah, played played across
the line. So I don't I don't know that, but
(20:01):
I'm it's it's a new era, right, I mean, it's
a new you know. It's funny you went back to six.
I'm like, we had the post Drew Brees new era
after twenty then we had the post Sean Payton air
after twenty one twenty one. By the way, we had
four starting quarterbacks and four kickers, so we went right
from Drew to Holy cow. This is what the rest
(20:22):
of the league's been dealing with. This sucks, right, We've
had eight quarterbacks in the last four years. So new
era of Darren Razzie Dennis, new coach, Kellen and new quarterback.
I'm fine with this being a new era, but after this,
we don't get a new we're done new Eras for
a while. I want some stability and some victories and
(20:42):
some games that mean something. That's what I kind of want.
On this schedule. You know, they fall behind two and four,
two and five to you know, you fall behind early.
You don't really have these meaningful games I'm talking And
on this schedule you could have some meaningful games that
begin it three o'clock in the afternoon, right four home
(21:03):
three o'clock games. Three of them are three twenty five,
so you can go to LSU the night before, wake up,
no rush. And I want the atmosphere back, yeah, right,
I mean noon games sometimes it's a it's a tough
atmosphere for a team that is totally so I want
games that matter and the atmosphere back in this In
(21:23):
this I say that building. This building is where I'm
sitting right now because it's been a while. It's been
a while since we've had a game that mattered, I
mean mattered in this building. I hope that's the situation
this year, and I think it can be.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
Trying to put stress on me for the end of
the season, coming down to whether we win or lose
against the Falcons to go into the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
I'll take that. I'll tike right now. Would you not
take Week eighteen? It'll be in twenty six a game
against at Atlanta. Winner goes to the playoffs. Maybe lets
you know winner as it's been, it's the NFC South,
for God's sake, the winner wins the division and no wildcard.
(22:05):
We have seen a wild guard, you know, come out
of this division. I think since since Tampa and twenty
probably the last and they won it. They're the last
wild guard. We won the division in twenty but they
won the Super Bowl. So I'll take it because that
puts you somewhere eight nine wins at that point, seven
eight nine wins and we're going to week eighteen. I'll
(22:28):
take it.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
Quarterback Derek Carr was only here for two years, which
I think is surprising. It felt like a lot longer.
It felt like we went through a lot of iterations
with Carr. He ends up fourteen and thirteen three four
over six thousand yards, forty touchdowns, thirteen interceptions. You know,
he definitely had some issues with durability, the injuries. And
(22:52):
you're looking at a quarterback and Tyler Schuck who's going
to turn twenty six in September. He has also had
some durability issue. But you look at his last season
at Louisville when he was healthy and he put it
all together. He threw for over three thousand yards, twenty
three touchdowns and only six interceptions. He played under center,
(23:12):
he did a lot of play action. He showed you
that he can be an NFL quarterback in the way
that he understands the game and he can play. How
confident are you that, since he is the oldest one
in the quarterback room, that he can he can come
in and be maybe the more solidified quarterback.
Speaker 3 (23:33):
I think you make it. You make it a positive.
Now I'm not looking at it right now, but I
did this draft night. He will turn twenty six on
September twenty eighth, Right, So, Spencer Rattler turns twenty five
on September twenty eight the same day.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
That's crazy and airs up.
Speaker 3 (23:51):
Yet, does anybody out there talk about Spencer Ratler's age?
They're a year apart, right, right? Nobody? I mean so,
I mean Spencer went to two different schools. I think
you're right about the Louisville year, and if you look
kind of closer at the Tech years and I spent
two years in love it working, you know, working there.
I mean, you're in an island. If you look at
(24:12):
those seasons a little closer he had, he was, you
know until the you know, collar bone and the rankle
got rolled up. He did some good things. But the
positive is that guy's been in three different offenses. He's
had three different head coaches, three different offensive coordinators. Nothing
phases him. Bring him in. You use that experience to say, yeah,
(24:34):
you know he hasn't you know, played in the NFL.
You had, Yeah, well guess what. Neither Pencer Rattler last
year until Derek Carr got hurt. So I think you
turned what the age thing? You know, I'm not worried
about that at all. I really, I really am. Not
twenty six. When people go, what what if he gives
you twelve years, will be thirty eight? I go, if
(24:54):
he gives us twelve years, we are gold because that
means that cat's been here twelve years. Uh So, not
not worried about that. I think it's gonna be really healthy.
I mean he's used to He played against Brock Party
in high school. Right now, they're going to play in
week two. Uh I won't it was not pretty for uh.
Toddler's team, by the way, Brock's team handled him pretty
(25:18):
pretty pretty well. I was high school. Uh, But I
think you turned it into a positive. I think his
experience and the ability and and Kellen said it Saturday,
command of the huddle. You know, did he come in?
He's he going to work hard. Know the plays. If
you don't know the plays and throw to the right
people off the start, then nothing else matters. And get
him some weapons around him and run that football, baby,
(25:40):
run that football. And offensive line certainly better. I don't
know what it's gonna look like, but I feel like
it's better across the board.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
Definitely stay healthy, Like how do you know?
Speaker 3 (25:50):
I mean, you know, take that. I always go back.
You know, Spencer Ratler, go get him a star. You
don't ever seed. You don't have a lave. I have Taysom,
and I canna have Alvin most of the time, and
I canna have hardly any of your offensive line. But
go get them. I'm like, what, so you know? And
you can't. You can't avoid it. But when it hit
(26:13):
position groups like O line and wide receiver and dbs,
it's a killer. You can handle thirteen injuries at a
time if they're spread out, but not when they're bunched
like they were last year. You can't have that. You
can't avoid it, but you can't have it.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
It's honestly surprising that he only got sacked twenty two
times if you look at it that way. Twenty two
is a big number when you only played six games.
But he was dealing with a lot of injuries on
the line and then not having a lot of weapons
to get the ball too. So it was it was
a tough situation for him to walk into, and he
held his head high and he attacked it the best
(26:47):
that he could. I think we're looking at what's going
to be a really, really fun quarterback competition throughout camp.
Speaker 3 (26:54):
Yeah, you know, I agree, Oby.
Speaker 2 (26:56):
Knows who's gonna be, so there's an opportunity for you
to go out and take it.
Speaker 3 (27:00):
I think, you know, Jake had that rough way outing
with Washington, but if you look at Spencer, I look
at Spencer Rattler at second half Washington, first half final
game Tampa, second half Washington, it leads him back to
what you know, should have been an overtime game at worst,
but they lose on the two point conversion. That's all Spencer.
(27:21):
First half against Tampa, he is dominant. He ran that
offense like a fifteen year veteran. Now that's the only
team that he'd ever played twice in the NFL. Right,
he had film of him versus Tampa and then Week
eighteen film with rom versus Tampa. I couldn't continue in
the second half. But those two halves you see things
(27:41):
that go okay, but unfortunately just didn't have enough consistency.
But I agree, I think, you know, they're they're similar.
They both you know, they're not in stature. I mean,
nobody is with Tyler that came big. But I think
it's gonna be fun. I think it's you know, it's
it's the it's the unknown that I like, Right, It's
(28:02):
the unknown that I think we have to gravitate to
and hold on to.
Speaker 2 (28:07):
Yeah, it's gonna be a fun lead up to the
first game against Arizona. Whoever the quarterback is, if it
is Shuck or Rattler, they're gonna be playing against their
hometown team. And that's another fun little facet of the
scheduling and the makeup of this team. But it's nice
and more said this, he called it a blank slate
(28:28):
for everybody coming into this year. You don't know what's
going to happen, and so it's going to be fun
to sit back see it play out and not really
have a ton of expectations. We may come out of
it pleasantly surprised. I know that there's a lot of
respect for more and his ability to adapt to what
he has. He got to go out kind of pick him,
choose a couple pieces to add. He's obviously put together
(28:50):
his coaching staff. So I don't know. I'm a little
excited right now look at the schedule getting ready for
the season. It feels like now that the schedule's out,
you can really start building up to something.
Speaker 3 (29:01):
I agree. I'm I'm as you know, Jeff Duncan's gonna
come out with this article and we have to pick
and I'm I'm just there are many things in life,
many things where I am not a glass half full guy,
and in fact a lot most things, But for whatever reason,
with this football team, I am a glass half I do.
I never think they're gonna have a losing season. I
don't think they're gonna have a losing season this year.
(29:22):
I just don't the teams they play are not that
good yet They've gotten better, but so of the Saints.
And I look at the roster now, and I look
at the changes just made since mini rookie mid camp. Right,
you signed a couple of wide receiver, quarterback, you you know, safety,
a wide receiver. Like, I don't think the until we
see that roster in late July. I think there's gonna
(29:42):
be a lot of tinkering. Uh. And I'm I'm excited
because you don't know, right, San Francisco is six and eleven,
what do they? Where are they? I don't know. I
don't know what that is. Right, it was weird. Arizona's
eight and nine, Seattle's ten and seven then make the playoffs,
so you know it's it's I'm like you, I'm excited
(30:03):
of the unknown.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
Yeah. Well, we have the first set of OTAs starting
next week, so we'll be able to get back out
on the field see some of the players. What this
team is going to start looking like. I'm going to
move a little by little here as we get towards
that first game.
Speaker 3 (30:19):
Yeah, you know, there's nothing better than watching guys and
shoulder pads and shorts in a running place, Right, and
people go, how did X look? And I go, well,
I don't know, it looked fine. You know, I don't
know what the proute was, but I mean Spitzer Routler
through one left handed rookie Meunichamp just going right. And
I'm like, so it's hard to it's hard to tell,
but you're right. It's it's steps step step step, steps
(30:41):
step steps OTAs mini camp and then band training camp
and then September seventh feels like a year away and
a lot can happen. But I'm you know, hope. You know,
it's not a strategy, but hope is the unknown right now.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
Yeah, Well, thank you so much for taking the time
to break down the schedule, talk about the quarterbacks and
kind of build up towards what we're going to be
seeing this season.
Speaker 3 (31:06):
I appreciate it. You heard me. I love the schedule
release man, and I'm as nerdy as it gets, so
I appreciate it. We'll talk to you soon, all right.
Speaker 1 (31:17):
Thanks for listening to the New Orleans Saints Podcast, presented
by Seat Geek. Join us three times per week on
New Orleans Saints dot com, the Saints Mobile app, or
you can download the podcast on iTunes. We'll see you
next time right here on the New Orleans Saints Podcast,
presented by seat Geek
Welcome in to the New Orleans Saints Podcast, presently by Seatcake.
You'll hear from players, coaches, broadcasters and writers that cover
the NFL on a daily basis. The New Orleans Saints
Podcast starts right now. Here's your host, Aaron Summers.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Welcome to the New Orleans Saints Podcast. Aaron Summers here,
we have a lot to break down because it's been
a week since we had a podcast and a lot
has happened. The schedule got released Wednesday night. Now we're
all booking trips, figuring out when we are available or
not for the upcoming season. And there's been some news
on the quarterback in the front as well. So we're
(00:48):
bringing in the Voice of the Saints, my cost to
talk to us about everything that we can think of
that has happened in the past week. Mike, how are you.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
I'm well, I was like you, I mean, I'm very
enamored with the schedule. I mean, right, it's fifteen people
in a room a few months ago deciding our fate
for the next six months. Right, And so I got
two weddings I'm involved in. I'm like, oh, you know,
trying to So it's just I find it interested I
just love the schedule re lease. I for whatever reason,
(01:19):
I'm a very symmetry guy, and I hate things with
that are not symmetry because it feels unfair. And when
I do that, I look at home in a way
when you play the playoff teams, when you play your South,
your division team. So I get way deep into it.
But you're right, you know, I mean many mini camp
was you know, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. But so much has happened. Yeah,
(01:41):
I mean the Derek Carr situation on April eleventh, that's Friday.
I was like, what, you know, it was such a shock,
and then within a month to May tenth, it was
done retired like so and essentially it really kind of
happened quick, but didn't feel like it did. They have
the whole thing resolved and him retiring, which quite frankly,
(02:05):
how do you feel about Derek Carr? It helped the Saints,
I mean helped them financially. He could have gone to
camp and did a sixty nine million dollar hit next
year cap wise. So it's just been so sports talk
shows are having a field day and they will continue to.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
No one saw that coming, and I think that's why
even from the very beginning with the injury news that
came out. The whole thing was kept under wraps, so
we don't exactly know the timeline, what was said, who
talked to who, But there is finality to it now,
which I think is the big key in all this.
We know now Derek Carr is not going to be here.
(02:48):
New head coach Kellen Moore comes in and gets to
move forward with a new slate, really a full new
coaching staff, a ton of new players, and completely different
looking quarterback rooms. So a lot to get into on
that front. But you mentioned the schedule being your favorite thing,
so what stood out to you the most.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
Well, obviously the primetime situation. I mean, first time in
twenty five years. First off, I didn't realize until yesterday
before the Skelul commement. I thought you had to have
a game. I thought everybody got a game. I don't
care what it was. I thought, you know, but Carolina
didn't have one last year. So to go from twenty
twenty one where you had five primetime games to zero,
(03:31):
A lot of three o'clock games but no primetime games.
I mean, it is what it is. I mean, you've
got to earn the right to play in those games.
The NFL is not an equal opportunity employer. They want
what they want, and unfortunately for the Saints, they've not
necessarily played well in primetime of recent and it hasn't
(03:52):
even really been close. And I think that's been the problem.
It's not that they were really in games. You know,
they've in the last four years, so it's been a
struggle for whatever reason. And so that obviously stood out.
Number one for me was primetime. Then I look at
what I always called the imbalance, and I used to
always think, and I believe this until last night, still
(04:16):
kind of that the NFL is not fond of giving
New Orleans a ton of home games in September, right
in the early season, hurricane season October. I just maybe
it's in the back of my mind, maybe it's not,
maybe it's just me, but they've had three of their
first five on the road in three of their last
four years. But this year, boy, it's front loaded, right,
(04:40):
four of your first six, five of your first eight
games are at home. You better make your hey at
that point. You don't play a division opponent until Week eight,
so five of your first eight at home. But then
the math of course flips because you play six of
(05:01):
your last nine games, including the final two, on the road.
This team has always been a pretty good road team.
But you can't look at that situation and go, let's
plan on that to you know, make back some of
the losses be made at her You've got to win it.
They're not good teams coming to the Supernowner's one that
has a winning record, that's Tampa. Other than that, no
(05:22):
one has a winning record. So you got must make
your your your money at home this year, winning and early.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
With the no primetime games, I do think though, it's
an opportunity to establish what this team is going to
look like under Kellen Moore without a ton of people
scrutinizing things. Kind of fly under the radar for a
little while, build your brand. The last time the Saints
didn't have a primetime game was in two thousand and
they won the NFC West and they went on to
(05:52):
win the franchise's first playoff game. So if we can
do that again get back into the playoffs, I think
everybody's gonna be happy.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
Yeah, I think I'm fine with flying under the radar,
and I'm fine with quite frankly, this team having a
little chip on the shoulder that people that disrespect them
so much that you're one of three teams that didn't
have one. Now, Tennessee surprises me a little bit, just
you got the number one pick, like you'd figure early
in the season they throw that cat on there somewhere
(06:21):
in Cleveland, you know who doesn't. But man, I totally
agree it's and it's also let's say, let's say we
are not the coach, but you're gonna go with a
rookie quarterback, whether it's Spencer who's played in some games,
or it's Jake, or it's Tyler. Quite frankly, this is
not you don't want to have to play the first
(06:43):
play schedule. You want to be against the teams that
are struggling as well. And that's exactly what this season is.
Of their seventeen opponents, their average record is seven and ten.
So if you're gonna roll out some newness and some
stand of the radar, you know, this is kind of
the year to do it.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
If you look at the overall strength of schedule, the
Saints have the second easiest one in the league. So
again to your point, it set up very well for
the Saints in the situation that they're in with a
lot of new on this team, what teams and stretches
do you feel like will be the biggest challenge.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
It's you know, it's tough because of what's are teams?
How much better are our teams? You start off three,
you start off a three NFC West right away, Arizona,
San franc Seattle. You know, you have to me, you
got Buffalo at Chicago in September and October. That's going
to be lovely. Those games could have been you know,
that would have changed a lot. Ye. I just feel
(07:43):
like despite the fact that this team has won its
first last six the NFL's longest active streak hombo just
open season openers, and they've been to and zero their
last two seasons. That they get they they're climbing up
hill in that first eight nine games, right they're and
you just continually climb up hill. So you look at
(08:05):
those games and I kind of go out of those
first four Arizona, San Francisatle Buffalo, you got to come
out of that two and two. That next stretch Giants,
New England at home at Chicago, then finally Tampa. But
it's home those four games. If you are two and two,
you know can be you know, five and three, six
(08:28):
and two something like that. Now you've set yourself up
for that for that back end, which is they're not
necessarily you know, world beaters. I mean, your final four
games are Carolina Jets, Tennessee, Atlanta, so you know they're
not you know, like you can't win these games, but
they're just so much on the road. When you know
(08:48):
what's Miami going to be? Like, you face a lot
of teams, what's Atlanta. It's about pressure, you know Atlanta.
Atlanta has six prime time or standalone games, six five
time and they play Indie in Berlin. You talk about
pressure on a franchise. Tar Fontineau and those guys to perform.
(09:08):
The NFL thinks you're you're you get more than Tampa
uh prime time and standalone. So I feel like that's
where they're You know, there's there's pressure out there. And
I don't care what anybody says NFC South is open
for business or care that Tampa's won the last four.
I do not care. That's the team the Saints to
play the best against, especially on the road. But you're
(09:31):
gonna have to you can have to sweep some people
in the South. You can't this. You can't get swept
and you can't one on one. You're gonna have to
play better in the South this year.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
I think when you start the season off, as you mentioned,
Arizona at home, a team that you could definitely beat,
and they haven't done well in season openers, and they
haven't done well here in the Superdome. But the stretch
between the San Francisco forty nine ers and then you
go at Seattle, and then the next week you go
all the way across the country to Buffalo. Playing in
(10:01):
Seattle is going to be hard. And then go in
and play against Buffalo, who is a team that was
one of the most difficult teams to play last season,
one of the teams it has a winning record on
the schedule for the Saints from last year. That is
is going to be a tough few games to get
through early in the season, right.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
And it's and so, And you will have already traveled
to the West Coast once for the first preseason game,
which undoubtedly will be practice. Go out there early, go
back to Calvine, spend some time, which I love. I
think that's I couldn't have you couldn't have set it
up better. And for me, how who cares for me?
(10:39):
But I mean for this team because I feel like
where it was last year, before that second game they had,
they were you know, the Niners were beat up, but
the Saints were just as beat up. You played a
preseason game. This gives you the opportunity to practice here
in Metali, go out there, spend some time, get back
in so far where you've not played well, and you've
(10:59):
got to come back to so far. But that's a
West coast trip. And then week three you go back
to the West coast. And the Saints have three West
Coast trips in the season two, you know, in the
first eight. If you want to consider Week five and seats,
you're right, those those that at Seattle at Buffalo, I
mean you come out of that one one that that's
(11:20):
that's a that's a victory. Yeah sure. But to me,
I think that the ability to go out there to
so far and to get out of this heat, then
I think it's gonna be hugely.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
Beneficial if they can come away with the wind, Like
you said, you build some confidence in that stadium where
they haven't played so well. When then you know you're
gonna have to go back there against the Rams where
there's all this history, and yeah, that's later in the season.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
I don't I don't know why. It's just I don't
like the building. I don't like it's funny. I don't
like the building. They don't play well there. It's a
crappy press booth for the radio five billion. I'm like, man,
I could have done so much more with this money.
But they need to. They need to get off that
snide and play better at that building.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
Was it because you had to go through it was
that hurriquake, a hurricane.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
An earthquake at one same game. That was a preseason game.
That one didn't bother me too much. But they've just
they just have not They have had Thursday night games
out there. They just have not played their best in
LA against either team. Really.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Yeah, first game against the division is, as you mentioned,
against the Bucks, not until week eight, so they do
have some time to figure themselves out before they have
to go against the division opponents. But what is the
most intriguing game and why is it against the Bears?
Speaker 3 (12:42):
You know, I guess I don't I know why. Again,
I think we'll know Chicago's better, right, And so I
don't know if Dennis was the head coach, Yeah, I
don't think. I don't I think the defensive coordinator going
against his defense. I mean, we know what that defense
is going to be. Like the quest, I think the
(13:03):
bigger question is where are these teams through six games?
Right that October nineteenth, Week seven at Chicago at noon.
You know, last time they played was here in twenty
three Saints one. You know, I look at the I look.
(13:24):
I always go Division kind of first, and to me,
your Tampa game Week eight, They've played terrible at home
against Tampa of late, right, and I've played well in
the road, but I haven't always won. So Week eight
and Week fourteen at Tampa, I just you know, I don't.
(13:44):
I just don't know. I can't. I can't get a
feel for Atlanta. I got a pretty good idea about Tampa.
They seem to get better. Baker Mayfield gets better. I
don't care who's the offense coordinator. They get better in
the draft, and so I feel like you've got to
that's your first division game, Week eight, October twenty six.
(14:04):
It's three o'clock, and then you don't play another one
until November twenty third and after a bye week in Atlanta,
and I just feel like that game can do a lot.
That's a stretch of three or four games at home Giants,
New England, Road, Chicago, then Tampa. So man, I just
(14:25):
feel like that's an important one.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
Yeah, the Bucks have won their last three games here
in the Superdome, and we don't need to talk about
what happened last year. Hopefully it does leave a little
bad taste in the Saints' mouths to come out here
and dominate that game because of how poorly they played
the last time they faced the Bucks here. But you
never know how that's going to work out as a
new coaching staffs. You don't know how much it matters
(14:50):
to them how they played last year. Maybe play, but I.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
Think, like you said, I think they do. They don't
do it. They certainly don't think about it as much.
Maybe they about what happened and you know, hey, they
came in and embarrass us in our building, but not
like hey, the last time they played in twenty two
at home, and you know that. I think a game
that's important for another reason is that Arizona game, And
you talked about it with Kyler Murray Saints struggle stopping
(15:17):
running quarterbacks last year? Is that going to be a
theme for the like are we going to they going
in and he rushes for one hundred and five, you
know on third and eighteen, picks up first downs. You know,
we we know this chapter and you don't want to
live it again because once you live it, you've got
to keep living it until you stop it. And so
(15:37):
I think that is a that's a statement game about
how where this its first game, where this defense is
with stopping kind of mobile quarterbacks block parties not nearly
as mobile, but Ken Josh Allen week four, you know,
and men, and it's not running quarterbacks like RPO runs.
It's the escapability turning a third and fifteen into a
(15:58):
first down that are just killed and you've got to
got to stop that and you've got to be able
to stop the run period or you know, just going
to run it down, you know, up the middle of
every play.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Okay, which game are you looking forward to calling the most?
Speaker 3 (16:13):
Because I haven't been there a long long time. I'm
looking forward to at Buffalo Orchard Park Stadium.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Is not going to be last year?
Speaker 3 (16:22):
Right the very first game I ever did in New
Orleans was a preseason game in Buffalo in August was
a Saints preseason game. And so it's and you know,
no one will give the Saints a chance. That'll be
a tent way, you know, not knowing where they do
it were one two three, they come out, you know,
(16:42):
like last year, one two three. Who knows what the
spread would be, but nobody expects you to win. And
I just think that'll be It's a it's a great atmosphere.
Buffalo fans are very much like New Orleans. It's small market.
They live and die with their team. And so and
thank gosh, it's gonna be September twenty eighth, It'll be autumn, right,
(17:03):
and so I'm looking forward to to that again. They
got to be a fun game to call.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
Well, coming into this season, for the first time since
two thousand and six, we will have a new head
coach and a new quarterback. It's been a minute that
two thousand and six season was very successful. So what
is your take on the quarterback room here and the
departure Derek Carr and where that leaves this team?
Speaker 3 (17:27):
The Derek Carr situation kind of it didn't surprise me
now that we know, if you'd told me in April
he's got a torn labor you know, and some degenerative rotator.
Come all right, Well it changes this conversation. But we
didn't know that, so I'm surprised, but now that I know,
not as much. Look, Derek Carr came in in the
second year, the Dennis Allen, who not fans were not
(17:50):
necessarily Again with the Dennis Allen, you were on one
side of the fence of the other, very few people
at all. I don't have an opinion. No, no, you
had an depinion on Denis, and Derek come in there.
So he's he's kind of that same lightning rod. And
I look at that first season and he started every game,
got hurt three times, came back and started the very
next week. He showed you some of his kind of
(18:12):
core toughness, but it didn't change anything. You were still
he was a lightning rod and that wasn't gonna change.
I kind of agree with you and the fact that
he did retire in May. It's over done. He's not
gonna get traded, He's not gonna end up somewhere else
at the Saints. You're going to play in week two, right, Uh,
(18:36):
it does give this room the ability to go forward,
and so I think I think it's Tyler Shuck's job
to lose. I just do you know, camp, we'll we'll
learn them more. But at some point, you can't you know,
at four right now with Heckers, I still kind of
thought they'd get a veteran, and they still might at
some point once they figure out who there three are
(18:57):
and maybe who that fourth might be. But you can't
spend all camp trying out three. You gotta you gotta
at some point you gotta figure out pretty early on
who's gonna be my guy, because that guy's got to
get ready for three preseason games, which they'll all play
some in the preseason. That's you know. Even Kellen said
that the other day. You know, we're gonna learn a
(19:17):
lot more once you get the camp and once you
you know, they didn't talk about the practice with the Chargers.
I'm saying that and the preseason games. But we talked
about this last night on w W Wells. I'm not
playing Tyler Shuck unless I got my first team line
and are very close to my first team line. So then, now,
how many STAPs do you want him to get He
needs the reps, but I don't need everybody, everybody on
(19:41):
the officer line getting reps. Now, that depends what are
we doing with Banks. Are we moving for Waga? Are
we moving Penny? You could have a situation where, you
know what, my starting line could use some reps. Everybody's
moved around, and you know we saw in the mini
camp that Kelvin Bank played everywhere. Yeah, played played across
the line. So I don't I don't know that, but
(20:01):
I'm it's it's a new era, right, I mean, it's
a new you know. It's funny you went back to six.
I'm like, we had the post Drew Brees new era
after twenty then we had the post Sean Payton air
after twenty one twenty one. By the way, we had
four starting quarterbacks and four kickers, so we went right
from Drew to Holy cow. This is what the rest
(20:22):
of the league's been dealing with. This sucks, right, We've
had eight quarterbacks in the last four years. So new
era of Darren Razzie Dennis, new coach, Kellen and new quarterback.
I'm fine with this being a new era, but after this,
we don't get a new we're done new Eras for
a while. I want some stability and some victories and
(20:42):
some games that mean something. That's what I kind of want.
On this schedule. You know, they fall behind two and four,
two and five to you know, you fall behind early.
You don't really have these meaningful games I'm talking And
on this schedule you could have some meaningful games that
begin it three o'clock in the afternoon, right four home
(21:03):
three o'clock games. Three of them are three twenty five,
so you can go to LSU the night before, wake up,
no rush. And I want the atmosphere back, yeah, right,
I mean noon games sometimes it's a it's a tough
atmosphere for a team that is totally so I want
games that matter and the atmosphere back in this In
(21:23):
this I say that building. This building is where I'm
sitting right now because it's been a while. It's been
a while since we've had a game that mattered, I
mean mattered in this building. I hope that's the situation
this year, and I think it can be.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
Trying to put stress on me for the end of
the season, coming down to whether we win or lose
against the Falcons to go into the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
I'll take that. I'll tike right now. Would you not
take Week eighteen? It'll be in twenty six a game
against at Atlanta. Winner goes to the playoffs. Maybe lets
you know winner as it's been, it's the NFC South,
for God's sake, the winner wins the division and no wildcard.
(22:05):
We have seen a wild guard, you know, come out
of this division. I think since since Tampa and twenty
probably the last and they won it. They're the last
wild guard. We won the division in twenty but they
won the Super Bowl. So I'll take it because that
puts you somewhere eight nine wins at that point, seven
eight nine wins and we're going to week eighteen. I'll
(22:28):
take it.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
Quarterback Derek Carr was only here for two years, which
I think is surprising. It felt like a lot longer.
It felt like we went through a lot of iterations
with Carr. He ends up fourteen and thirteen three four
over six thousand yards, forty touchdowns, thirteen interceptions. You know,
he definitely had some issues with durability, the injuries. And
(22:52):
you're looking at a quarterback and Tyler Schuck who's going
to turn twenty six in September. He has also had
some durability issue. But you look at his last season
at Louisville when he was healthy and he put it
all together. He threw for over three thousand yards, twenty
three touchdowns and only six interceptions. He played under center,
(23:12):
he did a lot of play action. He showed you
that he can be an NFL quarterback in the way
that he understands the game and he can play. How
confident are you that, since he is the oldest one
in the quarterback room, that he can he can come
in and be maybe the more solidified quarterback.
Speaker 3 (23:33):
I think you make it. You make it a positive.
Now I'm not looking at it right now, but I
did this draft night. He will turn twenty six on
September twenty eighth, Right, So, Spencer Rattler turns twenty five
on September twenty eight the same day.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
That's crazy and airs up.
Speaker 3 (23:51):
Yet, does anybody out there talk about Spencer Ratler's age?
They're a year apart, right, right? Nobody? I mean so,
I mean Spencer went to two different schools. I think
you're right about the Louisville year, and if you look
kind of closer at the Tech years and I spent
two years in love it working, you know, working there.
I mean, you're in an island. If you look at
(24:12):
those seasons a little closer he had, he was, you
know until the you know, collar bone and the rankle
got rolled up. He did some good things. But the
positive is that guy's been in three different offenses. He's
had three different head coaches, three different offensive coordinators. Nothing
phases him. Bring him in. You use that experience to say, yeah,
(24:34):
you know he hasn't you know, played in the NFL.
You had, Yeah, well guess what. Neither Pencer Rattler last
year until Derek Carr got hurt. So I think you
turned what the age thing? You know, I'm not worried
about that at all. I really, I really am. Not
twenty six. When people go, what what if he gives
you twelve years, will be thirty eight? I go, if
(24:54):
he gives us twelve years, we are gold because that
means that cat's been here twelve years. Uh So, not
not worried about that. I think it's gonna be really healthy.
I mean he's used to He played against Brock Party
in high school. Right now, they're going to play in
week two. Uh I won't it was not pretty for uh.
Toddler's team, by the way, Brock's team handled him pretty
(25:18):
pretty pretty well. I was high school. Uh, But I
think you turned it into a positive. I think his
experience and the ability and and Kellen said it Saturday,
command of the huddle. You know, did he come in?
He's he going to work hard. Know the plays. If
you don't know the plays and throw to the right
people off the start, then nothing else matters. And get
him some weapons around him and run that football, baby,
(25:40):
run that football. And offensive line certainly better. I don't
know what it's gonna look like, but I feel like
it's better across the board.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
Definitely stay healthy, Like how do you know?
Speaker 3 (25:50):
I mean, you know, take that. I always go back.
You know, Spencer Ratler, go get him a star. You
don't ever seed. You don't have a lave. I have Taysom,
and I canna have Alvin most of the time, and
I canna have hardly any of your offensive line. But
go get them. I'm like, what, so you know? And
you can't. You can't avoid it. But when it hit
(26:13):
position groups like O line and wide receiver and dbs,
it's a killer. You can handle thirteen injuries at a
time if they're spread out, but not when they're bunched
like they were last year. You can't have that. You
can't avoid it, but you can't have it.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
It's honestly surprising that he only got sacked twenty two
times if you look at it that way. Twenty two
is a big number when you only played six games.
But he was dealing with a lot of injuries on
the line and then not having a lot of weapons
to get the ball too. So it was it was
a tough situation for him to walk into, and he
held his head high and he attacked it the best
(26:47):
that he could. I think we're looking at what's going
to be a really, really fun quarterback competition throughout camp.
Speaker 3 (26:54):
Yeah, you know, I agree, Oby.
Speaker 2 (26:56):
Knows who's gonna be, so there's an opportunity for you
to go out and take it.
Speaker 3 (27:00):
I think, you know, Jake had that rough way outing
with Washington, but if you look at Spencer, I look
at Spencer Rattler at second half Washington, first half final
game Tampa, second half Washington, it leads him back to
what you know, should have been an overtime game at worst,
but they lose on the two point conversion. That's all Spencer.
(27:21):
First half against Tampa, he is dominant. He ran that
offense like a fifteen year veteran. Now that's the only
team that he'd ever played twice in the NFL. Right,
he had film of him versus Tampa and then Week
eighteen film with rom versus Tampa. I couldn't continue in
the second half. But those two halves you see things
(27:41):
that go okay, but unfortunately just didn't have enough consistency.
But I agree, I think, you know, they're they're similar.
They both you know, they're not in stature. I mean,
nobody is with Tyler that came big. But I think
it's gonna be fun. I think it's you know, it's
it's the it's the unknown that I like, Right, It's
(28:02):
the unknown that I think we have to gravitate to
and hold on to.
Speaker 2 (28:07):
Yeah, it's gonna be a fun lead up to the
first game against Arizona. Whoever the quarterback is, if it
is Shuck or Rattler, they're gonna be playing against their
hometown team. And that's another fun little facet of the
scheduling and the makeup of this team. But it's nice
and more said this, he called it a blank slate
(28:28):
for everybody coming into this year. You don't know what's
going to happen, and so it's going to be fun
to sit back see it play out and not really
have a ton of expectations. We may come out of
it pleasantly surprised. I know that there's a lot of
respect for more and his ability to adapt to what
he has. He got to go out kind of pick him,
choose a couple pieces to add. He's obviously put together
(28:50):
his coaching staff. So I don't know. I'm a little
excited right now look at the schedule getting ready for
the season. It feels like now that the schedule's out,
you can really start building up to something.
Speaker 3 (29:01):
I agree. I'm I'm as you know, Jeff Duncan's gonna
come out with this article and we have to pick
and I'm I'm just there are many things in life,
many things where I am not a glass half full guy,
and in fact a lot most things, But for whatever reason,
with this football team, I am a glass half I do.
I never think they're gonna have a losing season. I
don't think they're gonna have a losing season this year.
(29:22):
I just don't the teams they play are not that
good yet They've gotten better, but so of the Saints.
And I look at the roster now, and I look
at the changes just made since mini rookie mid camp. Right,
you signed a couple of wide receiver, quarterback, you you know, safety,
a wide receiver. Like, I don't think the until we
see that roster in late July. I think there's gonna
(29:42):
be a lot of tinkering. Uh. And I'm I'm excited
because you don't know, right, San Francisco is six and eleven,
what do they? Where are they? I don't know. I
don't know what that is. Right, it was weird. Arizona's
eight and nine, Seattle's ten and seven then make the playoffs,
so you know it's it's I'm like you, I'm excited
(30:03):
of the unknown.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
Yeah. Well, we have the first set of OTAs starting
next week, so we'll be able to get back out
on the field see some of the players. What this
team is going to start looking like. I'm going to
move a little by little here as we get towards
that first game.
Speaker 3 (30:19):
Yeah, you know, there's nothing better than watching guys and
shoulder pads and shorts in a running place, Right, and
people go, how did X look? And I go, well,
I don't know, it looked fine. You know, I don't
know what the proute was, but I mean Spitzer Routler
through one left handed rookie Meunichamp just going right. And
I'm like, so it's hard to it's hard to tell,
but you're right. It's it's steps step step step, steps
(30:41):
step steps OTAs mini camp and then band training camp
and then September seventh feels like a year away and
a lot can happen. But I'm you know, hope. You know,
it's not a strategy, but hope is the unknown right now.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
Yeah, Well, thank you so much for taking the time
to break down the schedule, talk about the quarterbacks and
kind of build up towards what we're going to be
seeing this season.
Speaker 3 (31:06):
I appreciate it. You heard me. I love the schedule
release man, and I'm as nerdy as it gets, so
I appreciate it. We'll talk to you soon, all right.
Speaker 1 (31:17):
Thanks for listening to the New Orleans Saints Podcast, presented
by Seat Geek. Join us three times per week on
New Orleans Saints dot com, the Saints Mobile app, or
you can download the podcast on iTunes. We'll see you
next time right here on the New Orleans Saints Podcast,
presented by seat Geek
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