10 and Eaux!

The New Orleans Saints are 10-0, the longest string of victories in the history of the franchise. Even better, the Saints pounded the Buccaneers today 38-7 to get back in championship form while their biggest challenge of the season -- hell, their biggest challenge since playing the Bears in Chicago three seasons ago for the NFC championship -- looms on Monday Night Football after Thanksgiving against the Patriots.

To hell with Golden Boy and Vader's Chick and the Pattycakes. The Saints will stomp 'em on national TV like we did Dallas in 2006. Believe!

Up top Robert Meachem drags linebacker Geno Hayes into the end zone for a first quarter touchdown. Meachem scored twice today. In three seasons he had never scored more than one touchdown in a game as a Saint. But now he's helping us load up the arsenal.

Drew Brees was not sacked today. Here he gets rid of the ball in the second quarter.

Anyone else loving the fact Brees threw for less than 200 yards today but we still score 38 points? Last season, when he nearly broke Dan Marino's single season passing-yardage record, Brees would have to throw more than 400 yards to give us a chance to win. I'm digging the balance.

Hell, even David Thomas outshined jshox at the tight end position today.

Thomas had four receptions for 66 yards and one touchdown.

Not too shabby.

That touchdown catch for Thomas came when he was in the fullback position. That's what I saw in a highlight. I can't tell you how or where he caught other balls because the National Fascists League kept kept cutting streaming video of the game from the internets.

Jshox had two catches,

Pierre Thomas ran hard: 11 carries, 92 yards. 

Mike Bell ran hard: 13 carries, 75 yards, two TDs.

Reggie Bush and Lance Moore were out today. But New England, do you see how our weapons will destroy you?

We had, what, four cornerbacks out today? And the defense still smothered Tampa Bay. Here's Roman Harper and Leigh Torrence sacking quarterback Josh Freeman in the first half.

Hoo doggies, we're gonna be better on defense against the Pattycakes when tackle Sedrick Ellis and cornerback Jabari Greer get back in the lineup.

At the same time, here's a huge congratulations to rookie cornerback Malcolm Jenkins who stepped up big time in Greer's and Tracy Porter's absence. He had one interception and led the team with seven tackles. 

Brees is victorious again.

Here's a three-and-a-half minute highlight reel of the game set to some old skool Metallica.

And here's vlogumnist Deezzy with a different tune after last week.

What's up, Dock, with the no-hitter?

This has nothing to do with football, but in 1970 Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Dock Ellis threw a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres while tripping on LSD. Thirty-nine years later Brooklyn-based illustrator James Blagden captures that trippy outing with this cartoon:

We rock, we roll, the Saints are 9-0!

A Saints fan who traveled to St. Louie for yesterday's game sent me this video of a Who Dat rally on Rams turf:
And in breaking news today, Who Dats breathed a sigh of relief when the Saints revealed cornerback Tracy Porter's injury is a sprain to his left medial collateral ligament, which means he is likely to return this regular season. The MCL sprain is not nearly as severe as a season-ending ACL injury and the Saints have already seen this year running backs Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell return from MCL injuries and defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis due to return from one in a matter of one or two weeks. The only difference to Porter's injury is the apparent pain he was in for such a long time after it happened, meaning he's still hurt pretty bad and it could take a lot longer than the minimal four weeks for him to bounce back and possibly push the six-week timeframe. But he's very young and should be OK, even if we can't count on the Saints' front office to be totally honest about the injury's extent. In the meantime, rookie Malcom Jenkins should get plenty of opportunities to prove he can translate those college shutdown corner abilities into NFL capability.

Oh, and I nearly forgot to include the ever eloquent jshox vlogumnist Deezzy and his reaction -- WTF!!!??? -- to Sunday's win. Deezzy, I might not agree with everything you say, but you sure make me laugh.

Ugly win ties franchise record for consecutive wins

This 28-23 victory over the Rams, who averaged nine points a game going into this match up, wasn't pretty, but true Who Dats will take this win and many more like it. (Make that a couple.) And that's because any win on any given Sunday is a win -- just ask the Colts.

More on that later.

Not since 1987, when Bobby Hebert was quarterback and the Dome Patrol was gelling, have the Saints won nine straight games. That's the franchise record. But this Saints team has obviously reached that mark in its first nine games. That Saints team did it after a 3-3 start before losing to the Vikings in the playoffs. (The last of the 15-game regular seasons.)

Reggie Bush was in Stealth Bomber mode against the Rams. With some big-yardage runs and two touchdowns to his name, here he flys over Rams safety Oshiomogho Atogwe for a three-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

Tied at 14-14 to start the second half, jshox began contemplating the Any Given Sunday mantra and for at least half a minute felt it was OK for the Saints' undefeated record to skid to a halt against a one-win team in their dome. And then Courtney Roby took the second-half kickoff for an untouched tear down the left sideline and jshox realized the specter of the Saints dropping a gimme to the Rams was unfathomable.

A possesion later, after Reggie gashed up the middle for 55 yards to the Rams' 22, the Saints were poised to go up 28-17 when Drew Brees hitched a short pass to Marques Colston crossing over the middle with much of the right side of his field clear of defenders. But there was Atogwe meeting Colston at the goal line and redeeming himself with a forced fumble by putting his helmet on the ball which Colston outstretched with a promising leap for the end zone. The ball dribbled for a touchback -- Rams possesion at their 20.

Give Colston credit for the effort despite the lack of ball security. I'm sure a veteran like Colston has learned a valuable lesson.

Take a look back there. Can you see jshox and Robert Meachem celebrating? One possesion after the Colston fumble and the Saints march right back down the field and score with a dandy of a pass of about 30 yards from Brees to Meachem, after he beat two defenders to the end zone. (In the foreground is Rams cornerback Ronald Buntell.)

Defensive end Will Smith racked up another sack today, while his counterpart Charles Grant played a respectable run-defense game. Smith now has 7.5 sacks after nine games -- Who Dat! Here he sacks Marc Bulger and forces a fumble:

Smith and Grant were bright spots on the defense with missing action from free safety Darren Sharper, cornerback Jabari Greer, tackle Sedrick Ellis, and in the second half cornerback Tracy Porter. Porter appeared to have sustained a substantial knee injury after suffering from friendly fire from free safety Usama Young when both defensive backs were trying to make a tackle. Porter had to be escorted off the field and eventually carted to the locker room.

Early speculation is figuring Porter ruptured an ACL and could be out for the season, which downright sucks. Porter, a native of Port Allen and a lifelong Saints fan, has developed into a premiere cornerback, a position where the Saints lacked depth in previous years, and was looking forward to a full season after proving his worth last year as a rookie but missing about the last five games due to a broken wrist.

Porter, you're one of my personal favorites. I hope you get healthy and see action again this season.

As for rookie Malcom Jenkins, first-round draft pick cornerback out of Ohio State, now it's time to earn your paycheck. Dude, we need you to step up big time. Just like how Porter did as a rookie when we were fishing for anyone to play bigger than former cornerback Jason David.

Is Mike McKenzie for hire? Seriously, dude is available and likely in game shape. Hell, Denver signed Ty Law about a week ago -- why not Mike?

Will Smith, Usama Young and D'Juan Woods celebrate a Rams fourth-quarter stop. (All photos by AP.) Bring on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next week for a franchise record 10-straight wins before taking on Golden Boy and the New England Pattycakes.

That reminds me: I loved watching the Patriots lose to the Colts tonight. I threw in the towel on the Colts after they had fallen 31-14 in the fourth quarter and fell asleep on the couch, but sniffed a possible comeback with about three minutes left in the game and they were down by six. My wife, who has incrementally learned a little more about football each year over the past few seasons after knowing or caring for nothing about it, originally, also sniffed a comeback and turned up the TV when I rubbed my eyes and said "WTF?" And then just a couple of plays later it happened: Darth Vaderchick went for fourth and two on his own 28 and the Patriots failed on the conversion and the rest is history: Colts win in the waning minute and hand the Patriots their most ignominious defeat in the Golden Boy-Darth Vaderchick era. That I can clap for.  

Boldly going where no Saints team has gone before

8-0, 8-0, 8-0, 8-0, 8-0, 8-0, 8-0, 8-0, 8-0, 8-0, 8-0, 8-0, 8-0, 8-0, 8-0, 8-0, 8-0, 8-0, 8-0, 8-0, 8-0, 8-0, 8-0, 8-0, 8-0, 8-0, 8-0, 8-0, 8-0, 8-0, 8-0, 8-0, 8-0, 8-0, 8-0, 8-0, 8-0, 8-0, 8-0, 8-0, 8-0, 8-0. There's 42 of 'em for as many years as it took us to get to eight straight wins to start the season.

For the third straight week the Saints spot the opposing team a sizable lead, this one 17-3 against the Panthers before halftime, but come out ahead with a butt-kicking win, 30-20.


Darren Sharper, celebrating here, is happy about keeping Carolina to just three points in the second half after the Panthers' rushing attack ran roughshod over the Saints in the first half. But that's been the way it goes these past few weeks, first with Miami and its Wildcat, then Atlanta and bubble butt Micheal Turner, and today Carolina and DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart.


But just like the previous two weeks, the Saints adjusted to the run and the offense and Drew Brees found their groove.

The defense mobbed running back Tyrell Sutton in the second half. As for action photos, this is about as good as it gets on my end. I get shots from the AP and I think the one photog they sent to the game was busy eating Dome Dogs and shooting Saintsations, a la "Thib" of Houma style. Yeah you right!

Jshox and Marques Colston are like Tomahawk cruise missiles in this offensive juggernauts's weaponry, but both were off today with dropped passes, but better believe me and Marky C are going to the Pro Bowl.


By the way, did you see when jshox got called for offensive pass interference when it was obviously a foul on the defense? I could've sworn that ref was from a stupid SEC officiating crew.

Check out Will Smith -- all you can see is his hands on Jake Delhomme's shoulders -- sacking Carolina's quarterback for a fumble and turnover. Smith had two more sacks today for 6.5 on the season thus far. Playa in the house!

Here is jshox's confessional: when Delhomme was a Saint, about seven years ago, I once chanted with the Dome crowd "We want Jake!" during a poor Aaron Brooks performance, one of many at that point after the Breaux Bridge Bomber -- at least that's what I called him -- had shown a series of brilliance during his backup play when Brooks was hurt. In fact, those chants came against Carolina in the final game of the season when New Orleans was fighting for a wild card.

But then-coach Jim Haslett wasn't about to lean on the besotted advice of a crowd pining for Delhomme, who at that point in the season had completed eight of 10 passes. And the rest is history. The next season Delhomme led the Panthers to the Super Bowl, with Saints fans suffering tremendously more than usual, while Brooks regressed for three seasons until the Saints signed Brees in 2006 and traded Brooks to Oakland, where his career flamed out before the season's mid-point.

Jabari Greer, No. 32, played big again today but came up gimpy in the fourth quarter after tweaking his groin. Randall Gay and Malcom Jenkins filled in and rookie Jenkins, who came in for nickel packages, came up short on at least one play, proving how valuable Greer is. Here's hoping we won't miss him if he can't play in the next couple of weeks as we face the one-win apiece Rams and Buccaneers -- if Greer needs rest before our showdown against the Patriots on Monday Night Football after Thanksgiving then Jenkins should get the chance to hone his chops against these patsies.

Brees thanks Delhomme for showing up and attempting to extend his seven straight wins against the Saints in the Dome. Field play aside, let's break down this quarterback matchup by stature. OK, now Drew is listed at 6 feet tall, Jake is listed at 6 feet 2 inches tall. Although it's been rumored Drew is listed a little taller than he actually is. Someone said he's more like 5'10. Based on this picture, whaddya think? (Leave your answer in the comments thread.) And now here's jshox vlogumnist Deezzy getting crunkdiculous in his bedroom, at least for the first minute that's worth watching, after the game.

Saints are 8-0 for the first time in the history of the world. Whooooooooooo Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaatttt!!!

If you bite it, they will . . . score at least 40

You might remember former coach turned football analyst Jon Gruden on Monday Night Football raving about the highly specialized mouthpieces the Saints wear and benefit from in their offensive aerial attacks.  Fellow analyst and former quarterback Ron Jaworski mockingly bit on a pen and said that's all he had to help him lead the Philadelphia Eagles in the early 1980s.

Just when you thought the rambling Gruden had truly lost it that night, hours after he had donned a Joker mask and raved about the wild card-aspect with which tight ends Jeremy Shockey and Tony Gonzalez brought to both of their teams, the color analyst fits his upper jaw with molded plastic and says something to the like "This is what makes the New Orleans Saints perfect."

As if all the praise he had lavished the Saints with up to that point wasn't already hard enough to believe, now Gruden was saying mouthpieces have a role in their perfect start. And as much as jshox wanted to further investigate the space age polymer discussed by the good friend of coach Sean Payton's, the Los Angeles Times posts the following tonight: "I wouldn't have dreamed in a million years that I'd be wearing a $2,000 mouthpiece," Saints cornerback Tracy Porter said. "That's like a grill."    

Dome Patrol flashback

When I was a kid the Saints fired us up with quarterback sacks, goal line stands, a tandem rushing attack by Dalton Hilliard and Rueben Mayes, Bobby Hebert passes to Eric Martin, and Morten Anderson field goals. 

But no group of players on that team from 1987 till about 1993 was better than the 3-4 linebacking corps: LOLB Rickey Jackson, ROLB Pat Swilling, LILB Sam Mills, and RILB Vaughan Johnson. That foursome just destroyed opponents. Their defensive play was fierce and inspired a lot of cheering in the early Jim Mora years.

And Rickey Jackson, year in and year out, was a human wrecking ball whose play was second only to Lawrence Taylor of the New York Giants.

Without further ado, here's an homage to the greatest group of linebackers who helped the Saints finish the 1987 season with nine consecutive wins and start the 1991 season with seven wins:

Those were the days of the Dome Patrol. Saints fans revered the Dome Patrol, it was our pride and joy. The offense may have stalled often, but at least on defense we could say Look at all those black jerseys around the ball! Indeed. I wish there was a highlight reel on youtube that encompasses some of the best Dome Patrol moments over six years, but this one culled from a few games is good enough:

7-0 again, 18 years later

I remember when the Saints started 7-0 in the year of Cha-Ching, 1991. They seemed unbeatable. It was exciting. And it ended not so good. 

While it felt great to put the Falcons away 35-27 on Monday Night Football to get to 7-0, less than 24 hours later my optimism is guarded. Yes, we're three games ahead in the NFC South. Yes, we're the last unbeaten in the NFC. But all this talk of going undefeated less than halfway through the season is getting to me. So here's the weird thing: I want the Saints to drop a game or two somewhere down the line so their mission of winning the Super Bowl is not derailed by the media's pressurized focus of going undefeated. But the loss can't happen in the Dome. The Saints must have the attitude that we're unbeatable in our house. So that means our two toughest remaining scheduled opponents, the Patriots and the Cowboys, must go down in our house. And at least one loss is going to have to come against a lesser team, Atlanta or Carolina, on the road.

Then again, could you imagine if the hype were to happen? The Saints, mainly a perennial pushover for most of its 42 years' existence, would have to be considered the greatest NFL team of all time.

That irony would be the sweetest glory forever.

But what's really important to consider is that as long as Drew Brees and Sean Payton are in New Orleans we've got a real shot at winning a Super Bowl. Or two. Or three.

Jshox doesn't plan on going anywhere soon. Last night I rambled with five catches for 72 yards. This one came over defensive end Jamaal Anderson in the first half when the Falcons blitzed their weakside linebacker.

See how our weapons will destroy you?

Will Smith caught fire again last night and sacked Matt Ryan twice.

Charles Grant, you still with us? You've been quiet since the Jets game, and that was weeks ago.

Besides being thin up front without Sedrick Ellis, we're definitely thin at linebacker without Scott Fujita. Take for example Marvin Mitchell's crawling after Tony Gonzalez in the first half or his offsides on third and four.

Pierre Thomas, as seen in the photos up top, and Mike "The Hammer" Bell were banging last night. But Michael Turner for the Falcons was even tougher, running for 151 yards. I think it's that bubble butt of his that gives him so much balance.

Drew Brees to Marques Colston is unstoppable. Every week they score or set up a touchdown on that deep route of about 30 yards where Brees puts the ball high and on Colston's back shoulder where he knows only his receiver can catch it. It's like they've created an entirely new NFL offense: This quarterback can throw the ball precisely anywhere and this big receiver can outjump and outmuscle you. Deal with it.

Jabari Greer proved with his pick-six that he is becoming a premiere corner. The only bad play he's had it seems like was last night when Roddy White scored on that deep ball, and White had to push off illegally to get Greer out of his way. So of course you can't put that one on Greer either.

Tracy Porter also is playing exceptionally well. Could the New Orleans Saints be cultivating one of the best corner tandems in the league? Well hot dog and Jason David alive! I think it could be true.

Porter's interception at the 1-yard-line to keep us ahead 28-24 was key to winning.

Notice the concentration? This is Shockey and awe with a one-handed grab of about 30 yards, courtesy of Drew Breeeeeeeeeeesssss!

Pierre wasn't done in the second half after coughing up the ball previously and got his second touchdown on this swing pass which was a convoy led by Jon "Stinchy" Stinchcomb, 35-24.

 Archie told Drew that for the sake of Who Dat Nation he must destroy any and all Mannings who come before him in the postseason. Jshox concurred Archie's sentiments earlier on Halloween night by dressing in

an old jersey and pretending to be a lowly Giant. . . . What really matters is what you bring to the field. With that being said here's jshox columnist Deezzy on the win.

 Brees casually stares down Ryan and thanks him for the effort. . . . All photos by AP . . . Bring on Carolina in the Dome this Sunday.