What do you call these guys? They beat the latest edition of “Monsters of the Midway” 30-13.

They sacked the Chicago Bears’ Jay Cutler six times. They hit him a dozen times.

“We’re not monsters,” said Saints safety Roman Harper, who’s only 6 feet 1 and a mere 200 pounds. “We like to hit people, but we do it in a strategic way.”

He said it with a smile.

Are you more like assassins?

“I don’t know if that fits,” Harper said. “We like to blitz. Do assassins know how to blitz? We blitz a lot, but we blitz with a plan — and I guess we’ll keep on blitzing till the cows come home.”

On Sunday at the Superdome, the cows came home.

The Bears would not have scored a touchdown had Harper not been flagged for roughing Cutler on a bad third-down call.

The final score should have been 30-6.

The official tossed the flag, according to New Orleans Coach Sean Payton, because he felt Harper “continued contact,” which happened to be a poor explanation that, in a way, explained the story of this football game.

With Saints quarterback Drew Brees picking his spots in a workmanlike three-touchdown afternoon, with an aggressive defense lending a helping hand, the Saints became a 1-1 ballclub in a physical way that should have pleased the coach and his defensive coordinator.

A game up for grabs going into the fourth quarter was largely a chess match between Gregg Williams and Mike Martz, the man in charge of the Bears’ offense.

“The offense helped us, Drew hit that bomb to Devery (Henderson) to give us the lead,” Harper said, “then Turk (McBride) forces a fumble — and Drew turns that into a touchdown, then we’re up by 10 again. When they had to keep putting the ball in the air, we felt they were playing into our hands. Sure, we had to worry about Matt Forté catching the ball, but we didn’t have to worry about him running it. We could keep playing all-out aggressive. We love flying around out there.”

There was a back-to-back-to-back moment in the fourth quarter that best told the story of the Saints’ non-stop aggressiveness to the bitter end.

With the Bears down by 17 points after Brees hit Darren Sproles for the final points, the Saints find themselves backed up on their 2-yard-line facing a fourth-and-16.

Thomas Morstead knocks a punt 59 yards, backing the Bears to their 39-yard line.

On first down, Junior Galette roars in from the edge to sack Cutler.

On second down, Malcolm Jenkins plants Forté in the carpet after catching a pass for 1 yard.

On third down, it’s Jenkins again knocking the ball loose from Dane Sanzenbacher for an incompletion.

“We really did a good job in turning the intensity up,” Galette said. “We knew we didn’t play like we know how to play last week and that had a way putting us in one of those prove-it modes. We took it all to heart.”

McBride looked back on Sunday as “one of those complete team wins.”

“Offense, defense, special teams, they all stepped up big, which is what you have to do,” he said. “I know I felt charged up when I forced that turnover because it put the defense in position to score, and they did. When it comes to punting that football, you can’t say enough for Tom. It’s the kind of victory everyone on the team can feel good about.”

Cornerback Jabari Greer echoed those sentiments.

“Our safeties and linebackers played outstanding,” he said. “That’s what allowed us to keep pressuring. It was one of those games you had pure joy and a lot of fun. Where you played physical against a physical team and made things happen.”

As you read Payton’s postgame vibes, you realized the physicality of New Orleans’ victory was particularly special.

He especially enjoyed the 47 percent third-down conversions (8-for-17) and the 118 rushing yards for an offense which always will be battling for balance, on a team that has moved passing yards into the stratosphere.

Payton will spend the week telling us about the areas he would like to be more consistent in (perhaps in converting third-and-1), but he had to be encouraged in beating the Bears for the first time and the way it was done, with a “perfect” 79-yard touchdown play mixed in with six sacks and only one turnover.

As for next week’s opponent, the Houston Texans, his pep talk already is finished.

All he has to do is show the team the first half of the preseason game at Houston.

Roundup

Saints 30, Bears 13

From Our Press Services

NEW ORLEANS — Drew Brees threw for three touchdowns and New Orleans’ defense beat up on Jay Cutler.

Brees’ scoring strikes included a 79-yarder to Devery Henderson. Darren Sproles scored on a 12-yard swing pass and Robert Meachem had a 4-yard TD reception as the Saints (1-1) bounced back from an opening week loss to Green Bay.

“They play a tough physical brand of football that really makes you earn everything,” Brees said of the Bears, whom he had not beaten in three previous meetings since joining the Saints in 2006.

“Today, we knew the formula ourselves for winning this game. That was establishing the run, being patient, but also calling some shots, and hey, if it’s there, we need to take full advantage.”

Facing heavy blitzing and without injured receiver Roy Williams, Cutler passed for 244 yards and a score, but was sacked six times and fumbled once.

Running back Matt Forte had 117 yards receiving to go with 49 yards rushing for Chicago (1-1), which lost guard Gabe Carimi and safety Major Wright to injuries after entering the game without several other injured starters.

NFC

Packers 30, Panthers 23

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Aaron Rodgers threw for 308 yards and two scores, while the Green Bay Packers withstood another 400-yard passing day from Carolina rookie Cam Newton to beat the Panthers.

A week after throwing for 422 yards, Newton topped himself by throwing for 432 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for a 4-yard touchdown with 37 seconds left to bring Carolina (0-2) within seven, but the Packers (2-0) recovered the onside kick to seal the victory.

Rodgers found Greg Jennings for a 49-yard touchdown early in the third quarter to put the Packers ahead for good. Then, after Clay Matthews stopped Newton on a fourth-down run inside the 5, Rodgers found Jordy Nelson for an 84-yard touchdown to make it a two-possession game and help the Packers hang on.

Redskins 22, Cardinals 21

LANDOVER, Md. — Graham Gano kicked a 34-yard field goal with 1:45 remaining as Washington rallied from an eight-point, fourth-quarter deficit.

The Redskins (2-0) beat the Cardinals (1-1) for the eighth time in a row. Santana Moss’ 18-yard catch on fourth down with 5:17 remaining pulled Washington within two, but the 2-point conversion try failed.

After a Cardinals punt, the Redskins got the ball back at their own 36 with 4:20 to play and drove to Arizona’s 16 to set up Gano’s kick.

The Cardinals had one final possession to try to win, but Chansi Stuckey fumbled after making a catch at Arizona’s 32.

Buccaneers 24, Vikings 20

MINNEAPOLIS — LeGarrette Blount’s 4-yard TD run with 31 seconds left lifted Tampa Bay and completed another comeback by quarterback Josh Freeman — this time from a 17-0 halftime deficit.

Eight of Freeman’s 14 career victories have come when the Bucs (1-1) went ahead in the fourth quarter or overtime. Given how overwhelmed they were before halftime, outgained 284 yards to 62 during the first two quarters, this might have been the most impressive.

Freeman found Arrelious Benn for a 25-yard touchdown pass over Cedric Griffin with 6:39 remaining to cut the lead to three points. A 19-yard leaping catch by Dezmond Briscoe and a 15-yard late hit penalty on Jared Allen set up the score.

Adrian Peterson had 25 carries for 120 yards and two touchdowns in the first half for the Vikings (0-2).

Falcons 35, Eagles 31

ATLANTA — Matt Ryan threw a career-high four TD passes and Atlanta rallied to beat Philadelphia after Michael Vick was knocked out with an injury late in the third quarter Sunday night.

Ryan hit Tony Gonzalez with a pair of TDs, the tight end going past Terrell Owens for fifth on the NFL’s career receiving list. Then, Ryan hooked up with Ovie Mughelli on a 1-yarder that brought Atlanta to 31-28 with just over 6 minutes remaining.

The Falcons (1-1) completed the comeback with Michael Turner breaking off a 61-yard run, then powering over from the 3 with 3:24 remaining.

Vick left with a neck injury after getting spun by a Falcons rusher into a Philadelphia blocker. He staggered off the field and Mike Kafka came in for his first NFL game.

AFC

Browns 27, Colts 19

INDIANAPOLIS — Peyton Hillis ran for 94 yards and two TDs, Colt McCoy threw for 211 yards and a score and Cleveland ended a five-game losing streak against Peyton Manning-less Indianapolis.

The Colts are 0-2 for the first time since 1998, and Manning likely will miss two months following his third neck surgery in 20 months. The Browns rebounded with their first win for new coach Pat Shurmur after a loss to the Bengals last week.

With Kerry Collins starting again, the Colts never seriously challenged after falling behind 14-9 late in the first half.

Bills 38, Raiders 35

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Ryan Fitzpatrick threw a 6-yard TD pass to David Nelson with 14 seconds left to cap a wild back-and-forth fourth quarter.

The Bills scored touchdowns on all five of their second-half possessions to overcome a 21-3 first-half deficit. The teams traded leads five times over the final 14:10.

Jets 32, Jaguars 3

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Mark Sanchez threw two touchdown passes as the offense started quickly and Antonio Cromartie had two of New York’s four interceptions of Luke McCown.

First-round pick Muhammad Wilkerson had his first NFL sack for a safety early in the game, helping set the tone for a long day for McCown and the Jaguars (1-1). Eric Smith and Josh Mauga also intercepted McCown, who was replaced by rookie Blaine Gabbert early in the fourth quarter.

AFC vs. NFC

Steelers 24, Seahawks 0

PITTSBURGH — Ben Roethlisberger threw for 298 yards and a TD as the Steelers put their opening week loss to Baltimore behind them.

Mike Wallace caught eight passes for 126 yards and a score and Rashard Mendenhall ran for 67 yards and a touchdown for the Steelers (1-1), who limited the listless Seahawks (0-2) to 164 total yards.

Lions 48, Chiefs 3

DETROIT — Matthew Stafford threw two of his four TD passes to Calvin Johnson and Detroit came away with its largest margin of victory in a regular season game.

The Lions broke the mark they set with a 44-0 win over expansion Jacksonville in 1995 and matched the record set in the 1957 NFL title game when they beat Cleveland 59-14.

The New Orleans Saints suffered critical temporary losses in their 30-13 win against the Chicago Bears on Sunday at the Superdome, and yet in both cases the end result was a big positive. Linebackers Jonathan Vilma and Jonathan Casillas were hurt at one point against the Bears and missed time. Both of them returned to the lineup, however, and made big plays.

In the case of Vilma, the Saints’ defensive captain and mainstay in the middle, the reason for his departure toward the end of the second quarter remained unclear.

“You know I’m not going to talk about that,” Vilma said with a laugh, when asked what had sent him to the locker room.

He finished with one solo tackle and two assists. Although early in the game Vilma had some trouble twice on sweeps right by Bears tailback Matt Forté, that hardly stood out because the entire Saints’ defense had trouble with Forté.

When the second half began, however, Vilma was back on the field, and it didn’t take him long to make a play. With 10:11 remaining and the Bears facing a second-and-11 on their 36-yard line, defensive end Turk McBride slammed Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler, jarring the ball loose. Vilma recovered the balll at the 29, and from there it took New Orleans five plays before quarterback Drew Brees connected with wide receiver Robert Meachem on a 4-yard scoring pass to give the Saints a 23-13 lead.

It was precisely the sort of big play the Saints have been talking about but not making recently.

“Whatever it takes to win,” Vilma said. “That’s our motto. Live by it. Fortunately, I was able to set an example not by words but by my actions.”

Casillas went down on the Bears’ subsequent possession, grabbing his right knee and falling to the turf away from the play. After trainers huddled around him for a moment, Casillas got up and walked off on his own, but it was nonetheless a scary moment for a player who missed all of 2010 with a lisfranc foot injury.

Despite that backdrop, Casillas said he didn’t feel any panic or dreadful sense of déjà vu.

“Right now, no, and during the game it’s just let’s see if I can get back out there,” he said. “I just got it twisted up under me. I feel like it was nothing major. I put a brace, on and I went back out there.”

With a vengeance. Casillas, who tallied two solo stops, and on the Bears’ opening fourth quarter possession he nailed Cutler for a 12 yard loss on a third-and-15 that forced a punt.

“If my number is called, I’ve got to take advantage of it,” he said. “I appreciate (defensive coordinator) Gregg (Williams) to keep calling my number. We’re a pressure team, and I think we put on a good show.”

When New Orleans Saints kicker Garrett Hartley went down in the team’s third preseason game at Oakland, there was some concern. When just-signed veteran John Kasay came in and missed a field-goal attempt and an extra-point attempt in the team’s final preseason game against visiting Tennessee, some fans allowed their concern to drift toward panic.

Chalk up that situation as calmed.

Kasay has been perfect thus far. He made both of his field-goal attempts at Green Bay in Week 1 and added three more against Chicago, including a 53-yarder just before the two-minute warning at the end of the first half to put New Orleans up 16-7.

With Sunday’s field goals, Kasay now has made 438 and passed former Denver kicker Jason Elam for sixth place on the NFL’s all-time list. The 53-yard kick was Kasay’s 41st of more than 50 yards, which broke a tie with Morten Andersen for second place on that all-time league list. He has made at least one field goal of 50 yards or more in 18 of his 20 NFL seasons.

“He’s hitting the ball well, with a lot of confidence, and that’s good to see,” Coach Sean Payton said.

New Orleans wide receiver Devery Henderson also had a banner day, catching all three passes Drew Brees sent his way, including a 79-yard touchdown in the second quarter that put New Orleans ahead for good, 10-7.

Henderson now has back-to-back 100-yard receiving games, the first Saints receiver to record them since Marques Colston last season. Henderson hadn’t had such consecutive games since 2006, and he now has nine for his career, tying him with Wes Chandler and Donte Stallworth for fifth-most in Saints history.

New Orleans Saints players discuss Sunday’s 30-13 win over the Chicago Bears at the Superdome. Players interviewed include cornerback Jabari Greer, tight end Jimmy Graham, linebacker Jonathan Casillas, defensive end Junior Galette, safety Malcolm Jenkins and defensive end Turk McBride. 

Greer

On Sunday’s performance: “The way our safeties played and linebackers played was outstanding. Itallowed us to put some pressure on them. It was one of those game where you just had pure joy and hada lot of fun. It was a physical game and we were able to get some turnovers and make some things happen.”

Jimmy Graham

“Every game, Drew is getting more and more confident with me.”

On passion for game: “(Jeremy) Shockey taught me well. He played with passion, and that’s definitely how I play. He taught me well.”

“That’s just how I am – I’m a very vocal player. I kind of play with my heart on my sleeve.

“We’ve been talking about it all week. To come in here and give this crowd – it was the loudest I’ve heard it since I’ve been playing – it was special.

“I feel that Drew is so good at finding the open receiver. Even if you’re the fifth one (option), you still have an opportunity to get the ball. In the end, he just finds the open receiver.”

Casillas

On defense bouncing back this week: “We definitely did. We came out physical. We hadn’t beaten Chicago under this coaching regime and it was a good win.”

On importance of this game for the defense’s psyche: “It was very important especially after last week against Green Bay. We knew we were facing another tough NFC North opponent. It is just good to get out there and play well. This will game will give us some momentum heading into next week.”

Galette

On defensive play: “We turned the intensity up today. It was kind of disappointing last week. That wasn’t our standard of defensive play and not what Gregg (Williams) wants us to accomplish. We took that to heart this week and practiced real hard.

“I felt like we were more crisp today. We had the home field advantage. Their offense couldn’t hear anything. We had a lot of great pressure and was at the right place at the right time. We just went after it.”

Jenkins

On Sunday’s performance: “Our offense put up a lot of points. Today was the type of defensive effort that we like to have. We just came out and executed.”

On defensive intensity: “We are never going to stop. We keep going and going until the end of the game. That’s how we always play. They struggled with some of our blitzes, but that team is talented. They are going to be good. We just have to see how it all pans out.”

McBride

On getting pressure on Cutler: “Yes, to a point. He’s a veteran quarterback, so you know he can handle the situation. That’s when you just have to keep at it and wreak havoc.

On if he took last week personally: “Definitely, we know that we had to come out here today and showcase to everybody what we can do. We prepared well this week and went out and showcased it. We still have a long way to go.”

The floodgates finally opened for the New Orleans Saints’ defense with 10 minutes, 11 seconds remaining in the third quarter against the Chicago Bears on Sunday. That’s when defensive end Turk McBride came around the right side, sacked the Bears’ Jay Cutler and forced a fumble for New Orleans’ first takeaway of the season.

The Saints ran away after that, scoring the final 14 points to rout Chicago 30-13 and even both teams’ records at 1-1.

The Saints’ offense and defense partied like it was 2009, feeding off of one another brilliantly during the second half in front of a record crowd of 73,019 fired-up fans at the Superdome.

“I guess it’s the 2011 model. Let’s hope it is,” quarterback Drew Brees said when asked if the Saints followed their 2009 model in Sunday’s win. “Obviously, the defense came out and played extremely well, gave us a lot of great opportunities offensively with field position and a big turnover in the third quarter, which I thought was a huge momentum giver to the offense. Because then we go down and score a touchdown, and we come right back the next drive and score a touchdown.

“I’d say that was the big turning point in the game. I felt like it was one of those games where we fed off each other.”

The performance was especially uplifting for a much-maligned Saints’ defense that was coming off of its two worst performances in the Gregg Williams era — a 41-36 playoff loss at Seattle in January, and a 42-34 shootout loss at Green Bay in last week’s season opener.

Although the Saints’ defensive players insisted all week that they had already put those performances in the past, they did admit that they were eager to play up to the level they know they’re capable of.

“As professionals, you have to let that go. But obviously the loss last week and (Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ postgame) interview kind of rubbed us the wrong way,” Saints cornerback Jabari Greer said, referring to the way Rodgers mocked the importance of organized player workouts in the offseason — something the Saints did and the Packers skipped.

“So we understand that we’re better than we showed last week. And fortunately we were able to, with the Who Dat Nation, go out there and have some fun. These fans deserve it. They deserve that type of performance today. And give glory to God, we were out there having fun.”

The Saints were especially dominant in the second half. After the Bears closed the gap to 16-13 with a field goal early in the third quarter, the Saints held them to 35 yards and zero third-down conversions while sacking Cutler six times over the final 27 minutes.

“The way we communicated, the way we rose up, it was special,” said Greer, who had a standout performance while fellow starting cornerback Tracy Porter was out with a calf injury. “It was one of those games that you just had pure joy playing. We just had fun.”

The Saints also got another huge monkey off their backs by beating the Bears for the first time since 2003.

Chicago had infamously beaten the Saints three straight times during the 2006-08 seasons — all three times at Chicago in difficult weather conditions in December or January.

Coach Sean Payton (0-3) and Brees (0-4) had their worst career records against the Bears. They were one of only two teams Brees had never beaten, along with the Baltimore Ravens.

Playing at the raucous Dome certainly helped the Saints change their fortunes. Players raved about how loud the place got, especially on some key third downs when the Bears’ offense was on the field.

The Saints’ patience on offense also helped. In those three previous games, the Saints had sabotaged themselves with a total of nine turnovers. On Sunday, they had none until a harmless fumble by tailback Mark Ingram late in the fourth quarter.

“(Chicago’s philosophy is), ‘Don’t give up the big play, rally to the ball, we’re going to hit you, we’re going to strip the ball, we’re going to force you to be impatient and make critical mistakes,’” Brees said. “That’s how they’ve beaten us the last three times. But we felt like we had the formula.”

Payton added that he emphasized to the team all week that punting against the Bears is not a bad thing. And sure enough, the Saints did have to stay patient for a while Sunday.

They trailed 7-0 early after a long Bears’ touchdown drive that was aided by a controversial roughing-the-passer penalty against Saints safety Roman Harper on third-and-6 from the Saints’ 15-yard line. Although the hit looked clean and the penalty incensed the home crowd and the head coach alike, Payton said the officials explained to him that they felt Harper carried on the contact for too long while driving Cutler into the ground.

The Saints had to settle for a field goal on their next drive after stalling inside the red zone once again. Then they finally broke through with a 79-yard touchdown pass from Brees to receiver Devery Henderson on third-and-12 early in the second quarter to give them a 10-7 lead.

The throw was beautiful, and the catch was terrific — as was the way Henderson stayed on his feet after two Bears defenders got in swipes at his legs.

“On third-and-12, it’s a defense that almost always gets into a certain coverage look. … It’s one of those third-and-long (play calls) that kind of sits in your pocket as a call for if it comes up,” explained Payton, who said the pass protection with extra help from the backs was key.

The teams exchanged two field goals apiece after that — including an impressive 53-yarder by veteran Saints kicker John Kasay in the second quarter.

Bears tailback and former Tulane standout Matt Forte was having a huge day early against his hometown team. He finished with 117 receiving yards and 49 rushing yards.

But the Saints remained patient and still led 16-13 when McBride came through with his key sack and forced fumble early in the third quarter. McBride cruised around the corner past Bears tight end Kellen Davis to make the blindside hit, and linebacker Jonathan Vilma recovered the loose ball.

McBride, a free-agent newcomer, came up big as the replacement for suspended veteran Will Smith, who will return to the lineup next week against the Houston Texans (2-0).

“Well, I believe that’s the name of football. You know, one person goes down, the other person steps up,” McBride said. “So I’m just glad they gave me an opportunity to showcase what I can do. And I can’t wait to have Will back because he definitely adds a piece of the puzzle … we’re definitely going to go a lot farther with him.”

Five plays later, the Saints were up 23-13 when Brees hit receiver Robert Meachem for a 4-yard touchdown pass — again on third down.

Then after a Bears punt, the Saints marched to a 12-yard touchdown pass from Brees to tailback Darren Sproles early in the fourth quarter — once again on third down.

The defense seemed especially energized while playing with leads of 10 and 17 points. Williams was dialing up blitzes all game, and he didn’t relent in the second half as the Saints piled up six sacks against the beleaguered Cutler.

The total would have been seven sacks, but Cutler was flagged for intentional grounding while being taken down by rookie end Cameron Jordan in the first quarter.

“It wasn’t even about Chicago, it was really about us. We came out swinging early and kept comin’ at ‘em,” said Saints linebacker Jonathan Casillas, who had one sack while end Junior Galette and Harper had two each. “We wanted to get back to what got us to the playoffs last year and what got us to a championship in 2009.”

Although the Saints were a playoff team last season, they hadn’t felt the thrill of victory in an awful long time — not since Week 16 last year at Atlanta.

Brees said the players didn’t approach this week as though they were on a three-game losing streak, but he did say they wanted to “get back on the winning track.”

“You hate that feeling after the Seattle loss and last week after the Green Bay loss,” he said. “You know, we want to get back to our winning ways. And like I said, just the formula for winning games. We showed that formula today.”

Mike Triplett can be reached at mtriplett@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3405.

The New Orleans Saints host the Chicago Bears  on Sunday at noon at the Superdome. The game will be televised on Fox 8 (WVUE) and broadcast on 105.3 FM, 870-AM and 830-AM (in Spanish).

Coaches: Sean Payton (49-32 regular season; 4-2 postseason in six seasons, all with the Saints); Lovie Smith (64-49 regular season; 3-3 postseason in eight seasons, all with Chicago)

Where they rank

Saints

Offense 1 Pass 2 Rush 17 Defense 23 Pass 22 Rush 17

Bears

Offense 12 Pass 9 Rush 14 Defense 20 Pass 19 Rush19

KEEP AN EYE ON DEVIN HESTER

There is no better return man in football. And he is contributing more on offense, too. Payton acknowledged the threat.

“He’s an elite returner, that’s a problem, both as a kick returner and a punt returner,” Payton said. “He has hurt us before. He has hurt us before as a receiver getting behind coverage up there in overtime. He’s dynamic with the ball in his hands. I think he has gotten better each year as a receiver. He can be involved in a Wildcat formation when the ball’s in his hands, usually a reverse, and quick screens. His speed is noticeable when you watch the tapes, and I think clearly you have to have an idea of where 23 is offensively. It’s easier to know where he’s going to be on kick return or on punt return. With that being said, you have to have a plan with what you want to do with him as a returner.”

KEY MATCHUPS:

SAINTS OT JERMON BUSHROD vs. BEARS DE JULIUS PEPPERS

These two are familiar to each other from Peppers’ days with the Carolina Panthers. The Bears run a 4-3 front, Peppers is the wrecking ball on the edge. The Saints’ offensive line is coming off a game in which quarterback Drew Brees was under unusually intense pressure. The Packers sacked Brees three times and hit him six times, in addition to forcing him to roll out on several other plays. Peppers, meanwhile, is coming off a big game against the Falcons in which he had two sacks and forced a fumble. Payton noted that Peppers will shift from left to right on some plays, and Bushrod said Saints blockers had better be aware of him. “He doesn’t really have any weaknesses,” Bushrod said. “A guy who is 6-6, pushing at 290-plus maybe. He’s just an all-around great player. So it’s going to be a challenge up front. They’ve got him doing a couple of different things in the run game.”

SAINTS DEFENSE vs. BEARS RB MATT FORTE

As New Orleans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams put it, Forte is “special and the real deal.” The knock on Forte was that he lacked breakaway speed, but Williams said every time he looks up on tape, Forte is running away from defenders. In particular, Williams said the Saints must take away the screen, the same sort of play Forte turned into a 56-yard touchdown last Sunday. On such plays, Williams said, the responsibility lies on the entire defense. The line must pick up on its screen cues, and linebackers and secondary members both have to tackle surely. “He’s very similar to Pierre Thomas here in that he has very good instincts and runs the screen very well,” Williams said. “Both are supreme threats in the screen game. How we play the screen is really everybody, and that’s not a pat answer. If you’re in man coverage, sometimes there’ll be a man defender. All 11 guys have to do it, and when you don’t see teams that pursue really strong and fast on screens, that’s when you get the really big plays. When there’s one or two guys out there in the open field, that’s when a Devin Hester and a Forte can make you miss.”

BY THE NUMBERS

0: Times Drew Brees has beaten the Bears as a quarterback.

0: Times Sean Payton has beat Chicago as a head coach.

0: Times Payton and Brees have faced Chicago in the Superdome.

32,637: Official attendance of last home game Saints had against Bears (in Tiger Stadium, less than two months after Hurricane Katrina).

FROM THE COACH’S MOUTH

“I think you look at your launch points, and making sure you have some change-up protections so that you’re not just sitting in one protection. I think the importance of first and second down is critical against this team. If you’re efficient on those early downs, then you can help yourself and maybe help take the stress off the third-and-longer situations.”

Payton on the offensive checklist Sunday.

The New Orleans Saints trail the all-time series against the Chicago Bears 13-11 but are 4-2 in games played at the Superdome. Eight of the past nine meetings have been decided by a touchdown or less, including their most recent ones, a 27-24 win by the Bears in overtime in Chicago.

Date Score Site Attendance

Dec. 1, 1968: Bears 23-17 Tulane Stadium 78,285

Dec. 20, 1970: Bears 24-3 Tulane Stadium 63,518

Oct. 10, 1971: Bears 35-14 Soldier Field 55,049

Oct. 7, 1973: Saints 21-16 Tulane Stadium 56,561

Oct. 6, 1974: Bears 24-10 Soldier Field 45,818

Dec. 21, 1975: Bears 42-17 Superdome 33,371

Oct. 2, 1977: Saints 42-24 Soldier Field 51,488

Sept. 14, 1980: Bears 22-3 Soldier Field 62,523

Sept. 19, 1982: Saints 10-0 Soldier Field 56,600

Sept. 18, 1983: Saints 34-31 ot Superdome 64,692

Oct. 7, 1984: Bears 20-7 Soldier Field 53,752

Oct. 18, 1987: Saints 19-17 Soldier Field 46,813

Oct. 27, 1991: Bears 20-17 Superdome 68,591

Sept. 13, 1992: Saints 28-6 Superdome 68,591

Oct. 9, 1994: Bears 17-7 Soldier Field 63,822

Oct. 13, 1996: Saints 27-24 Superdome 43,512

Oct. 5, 1997: Saints 20-17 Soldier Field 58,865

Oct. 3, 1999: Bears 14-10 Soldier Field 66,944

Oct. 8, 2000: Saints 31-10 Soldier Field 66,944

Oct. 12, 2002: Saints 29-23 Memorial Stad. 63,216

Oct. 12, 2003: Saints 20-13 Superdome 68,390

Nov. 6, 2005: Bears 20-17 Tiger Stadium 32,637

Dec. 30, 2007: Bears 33-25 Soldier Field 62,064

Dec. 11, 2008: Bears 27-24 OT Soldier Field 61,692

New Orleans Saints center Olin Kreutz insisted that he holds no ill will toward the Chicago Bears after they let him get away this summer in free agency. He does, however, want to make them pay for it Sunday when they visit the Superdome.

“None of those guys I’m playing against made a decision on me. (And) to be perfectly honest and perfectly fair, they made me a fair offer to come back and I didn’t go back. There’s no hard feelings,” said Kreutz, who reportedly left Chicago after 13 years because of a $500,000 divide.

Kreutz reportedly turned down a one-year, $4 million offer from the Bears because it fell $500,000 short of his $4.5 million demand. Then the six-time Pro Bowler signed a one-year deal worth up to $2.25 million in New Orleans.

Kreutz admitted that, “It’s hard to say it’s another football game.” But he insisted that the only emotional drive he’ll be feeling on Sunday will be the desire to compete against his longtime friends and teammates.

“It’s like playing against your brother or your friend. You probably want to beat them more than you want to beat anyone else,” Kreutz said. “I’m sure seeing them in the beginning will be a little emotional. But they know how I feel about them. I know how they feel about me.

“But that doesn’t mean we’re not going to try to kick each other’s ass.”

Kreutz can obviously provide a thorough scouting report to his new coaching staff on the Bears, having played in Chicago since he was drafted in the third round out of Washington in 1998.

“I know them very well,” he deadpanned.

But both Kreutz and Coach Sean Payton downplayed the effect that knowledge can have on the game.

Payton said the more useful information that guys like Kreutz can provide on their former teammates is personnel evaluations – individual players’ strengths and weaknesses – more than any scheme or tendency tips.

“You can give some tips on what you think they might do. But they’ve got great coaches over there. And to be honest, the Bears defense, they haven’t hid what they do for the last six years,” Kreutz said. “Everybody knows what they do. There’s not very many tips you can give people. It’s on film. They don’t try to hide what they do. They say, ‘This is what you do. Can you beat it?’”

The New Orleans Saints’ defense couldn’t wait to get back on the field last week, finally getting a chance to wash out the bad taste from last season’s disastrous 41-36 playoff loss at Seattle.

Then, on Thursday night, they were carved up just as badly in a 42-34 loss at Green Bay.

There was no sense of gloom and doom in the Saints’ locker room Wednesday, though, as the defense prepares to reboot once again. Players insisted it was just one game out of 16, that the Packers’ offense is awfully good, that they’ll correct the mistakes that showed up on video and they remain confident heading into Week 2′s home opener against the Chicago Bears.

The only thing they hope to carry over from last week to this week is a healthy bit of fire in their bellies.

“We’re going to be ticked off,’ said safety Malcolm Jenkins. “That’s not going to go anywhere. But we plan to bring that chip on our shoulder every week, regardless. But as far as dwelling on the past and what we did, you know there’s things we’ve got to improve on, and we’re doing that this week. We’ll take it day by day and get better.

“When you have a game like that, and it’s kind of a shootout, you’ve got to kind of just swallow the pill and put it behind you and move on to the next game. I think we’re ready. We’re excited to be back home and put something else out on film.”

Presumably, the challenge should be easier for the Saints on Sunday against the Bears, whose offense ranked 30th in the NFL last season in yards gained (289.4 per game) and first in sacks allowed (56).

But the Bears’ offense looked awfully good in Chicago’s season opener — a surprising 30-12 rout over the Atlanta Falcons in Chicago.

Bears quarterback Jay Cutler was especially impressive. Unlike the Saints’ defense, he was able to bounce back from his own disastrous January playoff performance and the cloud of negativity that hung over him throughout the offseason.

Cutler’s leadership was questioned from just about everyone outside the Bears locker room after he infamously left Chicago’s NFC Championship Game loss to Green Bay with a sprained knee ligament and glowered on the sideline.

But his teammates and coaches stood by him and praised his work ethic and attitude when the team returned from the lockout. And he delivered against the Falcons, passing for 312 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception.

“I am not really worried about what happens outside of our building,” Cutler said in a Wednesday conference call, clearly weary of the subject matter that has surrounded him. “I will continue to do the same. … As long as the guys in my locker room are OK, I will be the same.”

Bears Coach Lovie Smith said the controversy surrounding Cutler’s injury was “so long ago” and “we’ve moved so far past all of that.” But he did praise the way Cutler turned the page this summer.

“Jay has been great this offseason,” Smith said. “He did a super job of getting himself ready for the season, getting his body ready to go. He was the first guy in the building for training camp. He had good training-camp practices, and he hasn’t been an issue. He’s our leader, he’s our quarterback, he knows all quarterbacks in the league have to play well for your team to have success, and he led us.

“He made all the right moves this past week.”

Cutler is a dangerous opponent for the Saints. At 6 feet 3, 220 pounds, he has a strong arm, moves well out of the pocket and makes plays on the run. And for better and for worse, he’ll take chances down the field.

“He looks sharp and looked sharp the other day,” Saints Coach Sean Payton said. “When you have a defense that’s playing as well as they played, you begin to understand that there are a lot of other things that can help you in your performance as a quarterback. I think (former Tulane tailback) Matt Forte has given them some of that balance that they’re looking for. (Cutler) has an extremely live arm. He can make pretty much all the throws that you look for, and it was a good start for him.”

Cutler does provide opportunities for the defense, though. He threw one interception against the Falcons and two of his other passes were tipped balls that could’ve been picked off.

The Bears also give up a ton of sacks in coordinator Mike Martz’s offense. They gave up 56 last season, then got younger and less experienced this season, allowing veteran center Olin Kreutz to leave for New Orleans. They allowed five sacks in last week’s victory over the Falcons.

The Saints’ defense has to take advantage of that matchup. They pride themselves on being an attacking unit that likes to pressure quarterbacks and force turnovers. And they revamped their defensive front in the offseason, bringing in veteran tackles Shaun Rogers and Aubrayo Franklin, free-agent pass rusher Turk McBride and first-round draft pick Cameron Jordan, among others.

Last week, though, they did not get a takeaway at Green Bay.

“Definitely (we need to take advantage of any opportunities the Bears might present), but that’s basically any game,” Saints defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis said. “You want to try to disrupt the quarterback and get him to make bad decisions. So that won’t change in this game.”

“That’s one of the things we try to do,” Jenkins said. “We practice it every day. To get zero was definitely frustrating. And it’s been an emphasis this week to get the ball out, and well see how that translates to the game.”

The Saints’ defense showed signs of improvement in the second half last week. After allowing 28 points and 276 yards in the first half against Green Bay, they allowed only seven offensive points and 123 yards in the second half.

They didn’t allow quarterback Aaron Rodgers to find as many quick, open throws and made him hold the ball longer, and they came up big on third downs. After the Packers converted seven of eight third downs in the first half, they were 1-of-5 in the second half.

They hope that was a taste of better things to come.

Mike Triplett can be reached at mtriplett@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3405.

New Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton stuck by a best-case-scenario timetable for the return of Marques Colston, while also offering veiled hints that wide receiver Lance Moore may be available Sunday.

The Saints have lost Colston for some time because of a broken collarbone the team’s best receiver suffered while making a catch in the final minute of last week’s loss at Green Bay. Colston had surgery Friday, the day after the 42-34 loss to the Packers, and Payton said the procedure went well. Given the break was a clean one, surgeons were able to thoroughly repair the clavicle.

Consequently, Payton said the four-week timetable he initially provided for Colston’s return remains tenable. Normally taciturn about injuries, Payton was surprisingly loquacious about Colston’s.

“It was a fracture,” Payton said. “What they put in was a small plate to stabilize it. He’s out of a sling and everything now. Now it’s just soft-tissue flexibility. The time frame when we announced it was four weeks, and I believe the timeline is very realistic. He’s feeling good. It’s just a matter of getting the stitches out and letting the bone heal. The type of fracture he had was one that was fairly clean and was able to be repaired pretty thoroughly.”

Colston echoed that view, although his locker-room demeanor made it clear he is not happy with the situation.

“You’re right; it definitely is tough,” Colston said when asked about watching a game from the sideline. “But I guess the one silver lining is it is early in the season. It could be worse; it could be a playoff situation. So I’ve just got to do what I can do to get healthy, and the rest of these guys are going to step up and make plays.”

Meanwhile, one of those upon whom much would be expected with Colston out of the lineup, Lance Moore, was back at practice Wednesday. Moore, whose groin was injured during the team’s California training camp, appeared to be running fluidl,y and his routes looked crisp, but even he acknowledged questions remain.

In particular, Moore said he is anxious to see how he will feel today on the heels of some strenuous work. Moore practiced three days before the Packers game last week, but then was unable to play on Sept. 8.

“I feel pretty good,” Moore said. “It’s just a matter of getting back in there, getting reps and seeing how my body reacts. My mentality is I want to be out there, but Coach Payton has done a pretty good job of communicating with me that we don’t want this one-week injury turning into a four-, five- or even six-week injury. So we’re going to kind of see how my body reacts to being back out there at practice.”

Having missed six weeks with a high-ankle sprain in 2009, Moore said this hasn’t been the most frustrating stretch of his career.

“So this is something that I’m definitely positive about,” he said. “I’m just going to work as hard as I can to hopefully be out there on Sunday.”

LOVIE PRAISES CENTER: Center Olin Kreutz, whom the Saints signed during training camp after he rejected a salary cut proposed by the Bears, did not speak to reporters Wednesday. Saints officials said Kreutz will speak today about playing the team with whom he spent 13 years.

But Bears Coach Lovie Smith had nothing but praise for Kreutz, the offensive line anchor Chicago let go.

“We were disappointed — I was disappointed — where it couldn’t get worked out,” Smith said. “Every game up until this past week, every game I’ve coached as a head football coach, I’ve had Olin there helping us win. So that’s different, but I mean it’s a business. We couldn’t come to an agreement, and that’s just a part of the NFL, those kind of things happen. I’m just proud of the seven years I did have an opportunity to coach Olin.

“Olin is a lifetime friend — our relationship’s a lot bigger than just football. I’m excited since he couldn’t play for us, he was able to go to another quality team in the Saints.”

Bears quarterback Jay Cutler said the team reeled at first at the loss of one of its most popular players. But as professionals, they marched on at Soldier Field.

“I don’t know the inner workings of what exactly happened, but Olin was one of our leaders; he was one of the guys we relied heavily on,” Cutler said. “So losing him made things difficult for us. But like anything else, it’s business, and we had to continue as usual.”

Woodson fined: Packers cornerback Charles Woodson was fined $10,000 for throwing a punch at Saints tight end David Thomas in the NFL season opener last week, according to a person familiar with the situation.

The fine, first reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN, was not acknowledged by the NFL.

Woodson, in a radio interview after the game, acknowledged losing his cool. The punch was unacceptable in any situation and an especially egregious a mistake coming from a veteran like himself, Woodson said.

Some Saints grumbled Woodson should have been ejected from the game for throwing the body blow, which was clearly visible on replay tapes. Instead, his immediate punishment was a 15-yard penalty.

James Varney can be reached at jvarney@timespicayune.com or 504.717.1156.

New Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton was calm and collected in his Friday news conference as he reviewed Thursday night’s 42-34 loss at Green Bay.

Payton said team is following a normal day after plan Friday and  

players will be off Saturday and Sunday. The team will return to practice Monday but will it be a closed workout. The Saints play the Chicago Bears next Sunday at the Superdome.

A great deal of attention was paid to the last play of the game when  Saints running back Mark Ingram was stuffed on fourth and inches.

Said Payton: “Green Bay made the play and we didn’t.”

“We felt pretty good about our matchups inside … the penetration came from outside, which really stopped the play….We felt good about the play and I think collectively our group felt pretty good about it.”

Some of Payton’s comments other comments from Friday:

“The turnover ratio we felt was going to be important.”

“Protecting the quarterback: both teams threw the ball and had success throwing it but I think we were under more (pressure) than Green Bay was.”

“There are a lot of little things we have to work on and get cleaned up.”

Payton said there are some detail things the defense can work on, same with the kicking game and the offense. “We gave up a return on the kick coverage.”

“We saw one of the better offenses and when we needed a stop late in the game we got one.”

“They did a good job executing some back shoulder throws, especially in the red area and on third downs.”

Devery Henderson “came up big. The touchdown pass was a little sluggo route and he caught the corner flat-footed.”

“Darren Sproles obviously played very big in a lot of roles last night.”

Payton on Green Bay cornerback Charles Woodson not being ejected for punching David Thomas: “I’ve only heard it (hasn’t seen the TV replay). In hindsight, there is a protocol that is supposedly followed that obviously wasn’t last night.”

“We played a real good football team last night; we feel like we’re a real good football team.”

Payton said it’s important for the entire team to get better each week.

Payton said his players weren’t surprised that Randall Cobb brought the kickoff out eight yards deep. “I do know there wasn’t any let up because the ball was kicked into the end zone.”

On Sproles: “It’s great to see him play well early.”

“We’ve got a lot of football ahead of us and we feel real good about the players we have acquired. … we’re playing close attention to the film.”

Payton acknowledged that Marques Colston got hurt on the second to last play. He said an injury report won’t be made until Wednesday afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The New Orleans Saints signed Coach Sean Payton to a multiyear extension Monday, another step in an evolving policy of ensuring the organization locks up talented people in its top rungs for the foreseeable future.

Quarterback Drew Brees represents the last and perhaps most important cog in that machine, but with Payton and General Manager Mickey Loomis on board long term the club is widely expected to ink a blockbuster deal with Brees in the near future.

Those three are generally recognized as the trio that turned the Saints around, transforming one of the worst outfits in professional sports into a perennial playoff factor and Super Bowl champion.

The terms of Payton’s deal, which will run through the 2015 season, were not disclosed. However, it is believed to have propelled him into the top salary ranks of the NFL coaching fraternity and, if true, his annual pay would jump from somewhere north of $4 million to the neighborhood of $6 million or beyond.

Payton said he was grateful for the stamp of approval the deal represented.

“It is good news and I would start by recognizing the significant role that Mickey Loomis and (owner) Tom Benson have had not just in this contract for me but the stability and the success we’ve had as an organization,” Payton said. “I’m very thankful to have that opportunity here for another five years.”

When asked if his new pay scale represented a thank you for past accomplishments or a demand for new ones, Payton chuckled.

“It’s a performance-based business,” he said. “And our jobs as coaches, our jobs as front office people, our jobs as players are to be competitive and win. And I think when you have that success then these type of things happen.”

The success thus far has been unprecedented for the Saints. Payton, 47, took over as coach in 2006 and since then has taken a team with one playoff victory in its previous 39 years into the postseason three times. Twice those trips went to the NFC championship game and, in 2009, beyond as the Saints won Super Bowl XLIV.

Overall, Payton has amassed a 53-33 record with New Orleans.

“I also recognize the fluidness, if you will, of the profession in regards to each year you see six or seven head coaches that are out of jobs,” he said. “And so we’ve started, awhile back, in 2006 in trying to build something that is consistent, trying to build a program and that’s something that really never stops. You don’t ever really arrive, you’re just constantly ongoing.”

Benson echoed that point in a statement issued by the team.

“Our goal is to continue to build a TRADITION of winning here in New Orleans and Sean represents that tradition,” the statement read with the emphasis in the original.

The deal is presumed to make Payton among the league’s most handsomely compensated coaches. Salary information on NFL coaches is notoriously thin, but Patriots Coach Bill Belichick and Washington’s Mike Shanahan are multiple Super Bowl winners who, at roughly $7 million per year, are reputedly the top paid coaches in professional football, according to an analysis performed by Forbes magazine earlier this year.

Behind them were a cluster of coaches in the $5 million to $6 million range. They include Chicago’s Lovie Smith, the Giants’ Tom Coughlin, Philadelphia’s Andy Reid and Arizona’s Ken Whisenhunt. All of them have gotten a team to a Super Bowl and, in Coughlin’s case, won one.

Packers Coach Mike McCarthy, who was hired the same year New Orleans engaged Payton and is his opponent in the upcoming NFL season opener Thursday night, is also reportedly a member of the plus-$5 million club. McCarthy joined with a contract extension he signed within a month of Green Bay’s victory last February in Super Bowl XLV.

With only two exceptions — Seattle’s Pete Carroll and San Francisco’s Jim Harbaugh — all of the highest paid coaches are proven winners in the NFL. The league’s 10 top-paid coaches have a winning percentage of .591, Forbes reported, and have combined to win 41 division titles and seven Super Bowls since the early 1990s.

Payton’s extension should also lay to rest speculation that arose in the off-season about his long-term intentions when it was revealed he had bought a mansion in suburban Dallas and his family was moving there. Though Payton did his best to tamp down fears among Saints fans that signaled a desire on the part of their team’s best head coach to ply his trade elsewhere, there were still rumblings among the Saints faithful that Payton had one eye on the Cowboys’ job.

“The speculation arises from that more than anything else,” Payton insisted at the NFL owners meeting in New Orleans last March. “It’s not a big topic otherwise.”

Still, a contract extension had been a big topic among Saints executives, Loomis confirmed.

“It’s been in the works for a little bit of time,” he said, adding it was the club that initiated extension talks.

Loomis declined to provide details, but did say the deal in no way reflected any fear Payton could win up coaching somewhere else in the near future.

“It’s important clearly,” Loomis said. “Sean is a large part of the success of our club the last five years, but I don’t think going to another team is part of the consideration here at all. Sean clearly wanted to remain the head coach of the New Orleans Saints. We clearly wanted him to remain the coach of the New Orleans Saints. It was just a matter of working out details.”

Loomis confirmed what Brees has also said on more than one occasion, namely that talks are ongoing between the quarterback and the club about a deal that is expected to make Brees among the highest paid players in football. Judging from contracts signed recently by New England’s Tom Brady and Indianapolis’ Peyton Manning, players who are also the heart and soul of their teams, Brees’ deal seems likely to be around $18 million a season. Brees will earn a $9.8 million base salary this season, the last year of his contract.

Payton said it is no secret Brees is next in line, but he said he did not think there was any preordained order to when the deals are concluded. In fact, a coach’s contract is generally a more streamlined document than a quarterback’s and thus it is no surprise his was wrapped up prior to Brees, according to Payton.

“The two didn’t really cross over at all,” Payton said of the parallel negotiations. “They’re two separate entities. I know there’s been discussions — I’m not really in that loop per se in regards to a player’s contract like Mickey would be. And yet we’ve got full confidence that’s coming and so this really wasn’t tied to that. It could have very easily happened in a different order and I think the contract that we did here with the club is a little bit simpler and less complicated than that would be of a player such as Drew Brees.”

Several players were still unaware of their coach’s deal when the Saints’ locker room opened up Monday afternoon, but the players were pleased and for the most part said continuity at the top does pay on-field dividends.

“I think if you’re here and you’re here long term as well — like myself, I’ve been here six years and I’ve gotten to have the same head coach, the same GM, and I think it’s important,” linebacker Scott Shanle said. Shanle and Brees are two of the eight players on the Saints’ roster who have been here for Payton’s entire tenure.

“But I think a lot of the time it really depends on how long you’ve been in one spot,” Shanle added. “None of us know how much longer you’re going to be anywhere. But I think if you’re a young player or a high draft pick and you know you’re going to be somewhere for three, four more years I think it’s encouraging when you see a team sign a GM or a coach to an extension that shows there’s certainty there and that always helps.”

•••••••

James Varney can be reached at jvarney@timespicayune.com or 504.717.1156.

Saints vs Packers Live 2011 NFL Regular season kicks off this week in Green Bay with the league’s past two Super Bowl champions taking the stage. New Orleans Saints vs Green Bay Packers Live Streaming NFL Regular Season Coverage starts at 6:30 p.m. CDT

New York, USA (PRWEB) September 05, 2011

Saints vs Packers Live 2011 NFL Regular season kicks off this week in Green Bay with the league’s past two Super Bowl champions taking the stage. New Orleans Saints vs Green Bay Packers Live Streaming NFL Regular Season Coverage starts at 6:30 p.m. CDT and kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CDT. The Packers are installed as four-point favorites. The game Saints Packers will be televised on NBC.

Saints vs Packers Live TV Channels Listing – http://nfltvlive.com/37/nfl-live-streaming-online-hd-channels-cable-tv-listing-2011/

New Orleans Saints last two Match Results :

New Orleans Saints vs Oakland Raiders (Win 40 – 20)

New Orleans Saints vs Tennessee Titans ( Lost 32 – 9 )

When the New Orleans Saints step onto the field in Green Bay, it will mark the third time in five years that the Saints have played in the inaugural game of the year. The Saints’ experience and familiarity in this game should help them ease into the game with confidence and composure.

Week 1 presents an opportunity to expand on those defenses I broke down and install new looks that are hidden from the training camp crowds. Challenge the QBs, attack the protection schemes and put your guys in a position to make a play.

Opening Statement:

“The next two days for us, like every year at this time, is going to be heavily spent on our roster and also on our Green Bay preparations. We’re kind of in the midst of some of that beginning right now. We’ll keep you guys updated as it pertains to any changes with our roster.

“The Green Bay community has a terrific opportunity to bask in the nation’s grand stage leading up to Thursday night’s Packers season-opener against the Saints,” said Romig.

New Orleans Saints vs Green Bay Packers History:

Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. New Orleans were founded on November 1, 1966 . they reached the NFC Championship Game in the 2006 season but lost 39–14 to the Chicago Bears . Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin and They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL).

Packers have won 13 league championships including nine NFL championships prior to the Super-Bowl era and four Super Bowl victories—in 1967 (Super Bowl I), 1968 (Super Bowl II), 1997 (Super Bowl XXXI) and 2011 (Super Bowl XLV).

Green Bay Packers :

Owner(s): Green Bay Packers, Inc. (112,158 stockholders)

President Barack Obama (minority owner)

Chairman : Mark Murphy

CEO: Mark Murphy

Head coach : Mike McCarthy

Team nicknames : Indian Packers (1919), Blues (1922), Big Bay Blues (1920s), Bays (1918–1940s), The Pack (current),The Green and Gold (current) .

New Orleans Saints :

Owner(s): Tom Benson and Rita Benson LeBlanc .

Head coach: Sean Payton

Team nicknames : Black and Gold, The Who Dats, The Bless You Boys, The Aints

Division championships: 1987, 1990, 1991, 1992, 2000, 2006, 2009, 2010 .

New Orleans Saints vs Green Bay Packers match Preview :

Nick Name : Saints vs Packers

Sautes : New Orleans Saints vs Green Bay Packers Live Online

Kick off Time : Thursday, 8:30 PM EDT

Stadium : Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI

Competition :National Football League (NFL).

Saints vs Packers Point Spread and Pick:

New Orleans Saints (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS) vs. Green Bay Packers (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS), 8:30 p.m. EST, Week 1 NFL, Thursday, September 8, 2011, Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wis., TV: NBC

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