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Saints’ bye week came at a great time; Former Saints having defensive success

By John Hendrix

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Oct 5, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Mike Glennon (8) makes a throw over New Orleans Saints middle linebacker Curtis Lofton (50) in the third quarter of their game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

The Gumbo Gazette searches the mass reaches of the interwebs to bring you New Orleans Saints news and notes that are sure to pique your interest right in one centralized location! Why The Gumbo Gazette? Because it’s N’awlins after all!

Here are today’s stories:

Amos Morale III | Times-Picayune | Thomas Morstead thinks New Orleans Saints’ bye week came at a great time

"“We are 2-3 and we are a game out of the division now,” Morstead said. “The bye week came at a great time. We got guys banged up a little bit so, hopefully, we’ll get guys healthy, rested and be ready to go in this final run of the season.”"

I couldn’t agree more with Morstead, and the rest of the Saints’ season could really be dictated by how this game goes. The Lions are a very strong team defensively, and despite a few struggles on offense, you can fully expect them to ‘bring it’ on Sunday. After all, remember that former quarterbacks coach Joe Lombardi served with New Orleans for several years (2007-2013). Don’t think for a second that the Lions haven’t used this to their advantage.

Ramon Antonio Vargas | The Advocate | Former Saints Roman Harper and Malcolm Jenkins each have more interceptions than the Saints’ defense

"But an examination of the unexpected numbers suggest that neither Harper (with the 3-2-1 Carolina Panthers) nor Jenkins (with the 5-1 Philadelphia Eagles) suddenly discovered a gear that could be benefitting the 2-3 Saints if only the organization had given them more time.Rather, with three interceptions each, they’re capitalizing on opportunities that simply wouldn’t have been presenting themselves had Harper and Jenkins been in New Orleans for the start of the season, mainly errant throws — whether or not they were caused by effective pass rushes — and plain old luck."

It’s easy for anyone to say, ‘It’s just another player that leaves the Saints and shines elsewhere’. As Vargas points out, the turnovers that Jenkins and Harper have racked up have not all been solely because of their effort, but more in the form of a ‘gift’. He further points out that these two would still struggle in the Saints’ defense today. What do you think?

Mike Triplett | ESPN | Saints position spotlight: Quarterbacks

"Brees was actually extremely sharp during the first four weeks of the season, even in the loss at Dallas. He led all full-time quarterbacks in completion percentage through four games, and he’s been outstanding at moving the chains on third downs — including many third-and-long situations.Brees’ biggest problem against Tampa Bay was throwing interceptions when he tried to force throws under pressure. But that’s something that’s always been one of his few flaws, so it wasn’t necessarily a red flag."

I know we all have our personal thoughts about how Drew Brees’ performance this season, and we can all play ‘coach’ and give our personal input on what’s wrong or not wrong with the New Orleans Saints quarterback. In a sense, Who Dat Nation demands excellence from Brees. The bottom line is that Brees is still looking good, remaining a top 10 passer in the league and completing nearly 70 percent of his passes.

Other Saints articles you might be interested in:

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