Super Bowl Champion Saints Back In The Dome
The last NFL football game I shot was the biggest game in New Orleans Saints history, Super Bowl XLIV the last time I saw the Saints in the Superdome was the NFC Championship game in January. Yes it has been far too long since I’ve shot Saints football, and on Saturday night the Super Bowl champs returned to the Superdome for their preseason home opener against the Houston Texans.
Never have I looked forward to a preseason game like this week, sure it’s always exciting to have football season back, but preseason is hard to get hyped up about, but this was different. I arrived at the game roughly three hours before kickoff, set up my computer in the photo workroom and chatted up a few photog’s I haven’t seen in quite a while, two hours later, it was time to go get some photos. Warm ups are boring to shoot, but they are important to photographers as it is an opportunity to get action photos of just about anyone on the roster. I have to be mindful of the time because the warm up session really flies by and to get the photos of everyone you want is pretty difficult.
I didn’t know much about the Texans besides to shoot Mario Williams and Matt Schaub so first I got my photos of the Saints players I needed before moving on to the Texans. After getting the photos it was back to the photo workroom to download my take before kickoff and transmit a few photos to the wire.
I’m not going to post any of the photos from warm ups, no sense in wasting the space, so lets move on to the game!
The Saints seemed to take immediate control of the game from the start as quarterback Drew Brees drove the team down the field, and on one play early in the first quarter Brees threw to tight end Jeremy Shockey who leaped over a defender on the play.
August 21, 2010; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints tight end Jeremy Shockey (88) leaps over Houston Texans safety Bernard Pollard (31)during the first quarter of a preseason game at the Louisiana Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle
Saints running back Reggie Bush made several nice runs on the initial drive and finished things off with a touchdown run up the middle.
August 21, 2010; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush (25) runs during the first quarter of a preseason game at the Louisiana Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle
August 21, 2010; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush (25) follows his blocks for a touchdown during the first quarter of a preseason game at the Louisiana Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle
August 21, 2010; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush (25) celebrates a touchdown during the first quarter of a preseason game at the Louisiana Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle
Quarterback Drew Brees looked sharp as usual, the Saints first team offense looked to be running as smoothly as ever.
August 21, 2010; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) looks to pass during the first quarter of a preseason game at the Louisiana Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle
The Saints defense also looked strong with the first team defense putting pressure on the Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub
August 21, 2010; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis (98) goes in for a sack against Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub (8) during the first quarter of a preseason game at the Louisiana Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle
August 21, 2010; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis (98) sacks Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub (8) during the first quarter of a preseason game at the Louisiana Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle
August 21, 2010; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis (98) celebrates with teammate defensive end Alex Brown (96) following a sack during the first quarter of a preseason game at the Louisiana Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle
Saints head coach Sean Payton was apparently satisfied with his team’s performance as some of the starters were pulled well before halftime, normally the second preseason game starters play the first half and the third game they will play into the third quarter that was not the case this week as early in the second quarter Drew Brees was watching from the sideline.
One of the first plays by the Saints in the second quarter was a deep pass to wide receiver Adrian Arrington from quarterback Chase Daniel.
August 21, 2010; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Adrian Arrington (87) catches a deep pass over Houston Texans safety Eugene Wilson (26) during the second quarter of a preseason game at the Louisiana Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle
The 40+ yard gain could have been a touchdown, but Arrington had to slow down to make the catch, after being tackled Arrington celebrated in front of a Houston Texans defender.
August 21, 2010; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Adrian Arrington (87) gestures in front of Houston Texans safety Bernard Pollard (31) after a big gain during the second quarter of a preseason game at the Louisiana Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle
Arrington is one of the most impressive young players for the Saints, he is now in his third year with the team the last two years he spent most of the season on injured reserve his rookie year and most of last season on the practice squad. Arrington has been hampered by injuries both seasons, but this year he appears to be healthy and he is making a strong bid to make the final roster.
Finding the diamonds in the rough is one of the things preseason is all about and another player making a strong bid for a roster spot is rookie running back Chris Ivory who is getting an opportunity since running back Lynell Hamilton was lost for the season with a knee injury. Ivory runs hard between the tackles and seems to call for multiple defenders to take him down, Ivory who has had a solid training camp, showed some promise against the Houston Texans.
August 21, 2010; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Chris Ivory (48) runs through a hole against the Houston Texans during the second quarter of a preseason game at the Louisiana Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle
Another rookie to watch close is the Saints first round selection, Patrick Robinson, he didn’t do much in the game against the Texans, but high draft picks are important to get photos.
August 21, 2010; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints cornerback Patrick Robinson (34) in coverage during the second half of a 38-20 win by the New Orleans Saints over the Houston Texans during a preseason game at the Louisiana Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle
One other training camp battle I will highlight is the backup quarterback battle between Patrick Ramsey and Chase Daniel, Ramsey didn’t play this week after seeing a bulk of the action last week against New England. Daniel with his opportunity to work looked impressive.
August 21, 2010; New Orleans, LA, USA; Houston Texans defensive end Jesse Nading (72) pressures New Orleans Saints quarterback Chase Daniel (10) as he throws during the second half of a 38-20 win by the New Orleans Saints over the Houston Texans during a preseason game at the Louisiana Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle
To close today’s entry, one of the shots that caught my eye from the game, as Saints defenders combine from all direction to tackle a Houston Texans receiver.
August 21, 2010; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints defenders Jo-Lonn Dunbar (56), Anthony Waters (59) and Harry Coleman (95) combine to tackle Houston Texans wide receiver David Anderson (89)during the second half of a 38-20 win by the New Orleans Saints over the Houston Texans during a preseason game at the Louisiana Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle
That is all for now, next up the San Diego Chargers come to visit the Superdome, check for that blog next week. Until next time.
Update:
One of my sideline photographer friends Tyler Kaufman sent an image of me that he took, I thought I’d share it. I was happy to be back on the sideline and it showed.
My first game for the 2010 New Orleans Saints season. Photo by: Tyler Kaufman
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