NEW ORLEANS SAINTS WEEKLY MEDIA INFORMATION GUIDE GAME INFORMATION ROSTERS DEPTH CHART STATISTICS CLIPS

Transcription

1 NEW ORLEANS SAINTS WEEKLY MEDIA INFORMATION GUIDE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT GREEN BAY PACKERS SEPTEMBER 8, LAMBEAU FIELD GAME INFORMATION ROSTERS DEPTH CHART STATISTICS CLIPS

2 SUPER BOWL XLIV CHAMPION SAINTS TO OPEN SEASON AT XLV CHAMPION GREEN BAY With training camp and four preseason contests in the books, the New Orleans Saints will open the NFL season under the NFL s brightest spotlight. The Super Bowl XLIV Champions New Orleans Saints will travel to Lambeau Field to face the GreenBay Packers, who captured Super Bowl XLV. The contest will be nationally televised on NBC with a 7:30 p.m. kickoff. The Saints will be kicking off the NFL season for the third time in the last five seasons. It marks the first time since 2007, when they opened the league s season at Indianapolis that they will start the season away from the Louisiana Superdome. The Saints have been able to get off to fast starts in their season openers under head coach Sean Payton, posting a 4-1 mark, while not losing to open a season since The Saints have won three consecutive season openers for the first time in club history. Thursday night s matchup will mark a meeting between the two most successful franchises in the NFC since the 2006 season. In addition to the Saints and Packers being the last two Super Bowl champions, Saints head coach Sean Payton and Green Bay head coach Mike McCarthy, both call plays for the only two clubs to finish in the top 10 offensively each of the last five seasons. Since both coaches have been hired in 2006, Payton has posted a overall record, while McCarthy, who coordinated the New Orleans offense from , has a mark. Both clubs have also featured aggressive attacking defenses since the hiring of Gregg Williams and Dom Capers as coordinators in New Orleans finished the 2010 season ranked fourth overall defensively, while the Packers were just one spot behind the Saints at fifth. SAINTS SCHEDULE/RESULTS PRESEASON Date Opponent Aug. 12 SAN FRANCISCO 49ers W, 24-3 Aug. Houston Texans L, Aug. Oakland Raiders W, Sept. 1 TENNESSEE TITANS L, 9-32 REGULAR SEASON Sept. Green Bay Packers 7:30/NBC Sept. 20 CHICAGO BEARS Noon/FOX Sept. 25 HOUSTON TEXANS Noon/CBS Oct. Jacksonville Jaguars Noon/FOX Oct. Carolina Panthers Noon/FOX Oct. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3:15/FOX Oct. 23 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS 7:20/NBC Oct. St. Louis Rams Noon/FOX Nov. 6 TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS Noon/FOX Nov. Atlanta Falcons Noon/FOX Nov. 20 BYE Nov. 28 NEW YORK GIANTS 7:30/ESPN Dec. 4 DETROIT LIONS Noon/FOX Dec. Tennessee Titans Noon/FOX Dec. Atlanta Falcons Noon/FOX Dec. 26 ATLANTA FALCONS 7:30/ESPN Jan. 1 CAROLINA PANTHERS Noon/FOX GAMEDAY AT A GLANCE DATE: Thursday, Sept. 8 TIME: 7:30 (CT) SITE: Lambeau Field WORTH NOTING: Thursday evening s matchup will be the first time since 2007 that the Saints have opened the season on the road, when they played in the NFL s kickoff contest at the Indianapolis Colts...The Saints have won a club-best three consecutive openers...the Packers lead the all-time series The Saints have a 1-2 record at Lambeau Field...New Orleans has also played seven contests against the Packers at Milwaukee s County Stadium...Thursday night s contest will be nationally televised on NBC (WDSU-6 in the New Orleans area) with Al Michaels handling play-byplay, Cris Collinsworth serving as color analyst and Michele Tafoya as the sideline reporter...the game can be heard throughout the Gulf Coast on the New Orleans Saints Radio Network (870 AM or FM serve as the flagship stations locally in the New Orleans area) with Jim Henderson handling play-by-play duties, former Saints fullback Hokie Gajan serving as color analyst and Kristian Garic providing reports from the Saints sidelines...a Spanish language broadcast is available on WFNO 830 AM with Victor Quinones handling play-by-play duties and Marco Garcia serving as the color analyst.

3 NEW ORLEANS-GREEN BAY PREVIEW SAINTS-PACKERS SPECIFICS THE COACHES Saints coach Sean Payton has posted a regular season record and a 4-2 postseason mark, guiding the team to the Super Bowl XLIV championship. He s the lone head coach in club history to open a season with 13 straight wins and post a 13-game winning streak, and has the franchise s top all-time winning percentage (.613). Over this period, the Saints have the best winning percentage in the NFC, fourth in the NFL. Payton s (.600) home record and (.625) road mark are the club s top winning percentages. He s recorded a (.633) mark vs. NFC opponents. Since taking over, the Saints have the best record among NFC South teams. In 2006, he took the Saints to the NFC Championship and was named NFL Coach of the Year by most major outlets. Payton s only one of four coaches to lead his team to two conference championship games since Calling the offensive plays, the Saints are one of only two NFL teams to finish in the top 10 in yards per game each season since Payton was hired as New Orleans 14th head coach on Jan. 18, 2006, after serving on the Dallas Cowboys staff from Prior to joining the Cowboys, Payton served on the New York Giants staff from , including the final three seasons as offensive coordinator. His tenure was highlighted by a Super Bowl berth in his first full season as coordinator. Payton s prior NFL coaching experience came as quarterbacks coach for the Philadelphia Eagles from Packers head coach Mike McCarthy is in his sixth season with Green Bay after serving as offensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers in 2005 and a fiveyear stint serving in the same position with the Saints from He has guided the Packers to a record, including three postseason appearances aand the Super Bowl XLIV Championship. In his first stint in Green Bay McCarthy served as quarterbacks coach in 1999, after seven seasons on the staff in Kansas City. SUPERLATIVES A look back at the top yardage performances by Saints players vs. the Packers: RUSHING YARDS RB Deuce McAllister, 123 yards on 21 carries, at Lambeau Field, Sept. 15, RB Bob Gresham, 113 yards on 26 carries, at Milwaukee County Stadium, Sept. 15, RB Mike Strachan, 105 yards on 23 carries, at the Louisiana Superdome, Oct. 12, PASSING YARDS QB Jim Everett, 364 yards, 29 completions of 45 attempts, at the Louisiana Superdome, Sept. 11, QB Drew Brees, 353 yards, 26 completions of 41 attempts, at Lambeau Field, Sept. 17, QB Drew Brees, 323 yards, 20 completions of 26 attempts, at the Superdome, Nov. 24, QB Archie Manning, 303 yards, 33 completions of 53 attempts, at Milwaukee County Stadium, Sept. 10, RECEIVING YARDS WR Eric Martin, 164 yards on three receptions, at the Louisiana Superdome, Sept 14, RB Tony Galbreath, 122 yards on 14 receptions, at Milwaukee County Stadium, Sept. 10, WR Joe Horn, 120 yards on six receptions, at the Louisiana Superdome, Sept. 15, WR Quinn Early, 117 yards on eight receptions, at the Louisiana Superdome, Dec. 16, WR Lance Moore, 115 yards on five receptions, at the Louisiana Superdome, Nov. 24, TE Henry Childs, 112 yards on seven receptions, at Milwaukee County Stadium, Sept. 9, LAST MEETING Nov. 24, 2008: Saints 51, Green Bay Louisiana Superdome Returning to the Superdome after a sixweek absence, the Saints exploded on a Monday night matching a franchise record with 51 points and climbing above.500 for the first time since week one QB Drew Brees completed 20-of-26 for 323 yards with four TD passes to set a new career-high passer rating of He became the first Saint to have two TD strikes of at least 70 yards in the same contest. Green Bay struck first on a one-yard run by FB John Kuhn. But the Saints would score the next two times in the first quarter on a 70-yard throw from Brees to WR Lance Moore and a four-yard TD run by RB Pierre Thomas. The two clubs traded touchdowns to tie the score at 21-21, but K Garrett Hartley booted a 30-yard field goal with two seconds left in the first half to give the Saints a lead. The Saints would then rip off three consecutive touchdowns in the third quarter. Of considerable note was a three-yard run by RB Deuce McAllister, who with his scoring rush became the club s all-time touchdowns leader on his 54th trip to the end zone. WR Marques Colston also caught a 70-yard touchdown from Brees.

4 CONNECTIONS Assistant head coach/linebackers Joe Vitt tutored the defensive backs in Green Bay in Vitt and Green Bay quarterbacks coach Tom Clements served on the same coaching staff in Kansas City in Clements served in the same position with the Saints from Secondary Coach Tony Oden served as a summer coaching intern with Green Bay in Green Bay Coach Mike McCarthy served as offensive coordinator in New Orleans from McCarthy and Vitt served on the same Green Bay coaching staff in 1999 Green Bay assistant head coach/inside linebackers Winston Moss and tight ends coach Ben McAdoo served on the Saints coaching staff with Mc- Carthy. Packers running backs coach Jerry Fontenot is a Lafayette native who started at center for the Saints from , ending his career in black and gold with 100 starts...green Bay secondary-safeties coach Darren Perry played for the Saints in Green Bay offensive quality control coach Joel Hilgenberg played in 142 games as an offensive lineman with the Saints and was inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame in Packers Vice President of Football Administration/Player Finance Russ Ball spent six seasons ( ) with the Saints, the final two as vice president of football administration and the first four as senior football administrator...green Bay offensive coordinator Joe Philbin served as a graduate assistant at Tulane from , where he tutored Packers offensive line coach James Campen. Campen originally signed with the Saints as an undrafted free agent in 1986 and played with the club from Defensive line coach Bill Johnson and Green Bay special teams coordinator Shawn Slocum served on the same coaching staff at Texas A&M from DE Will Smith and S Malcolm Jenkins played with Packers LB A.J. Hawk were teammates at Ohio State...Smith and Green Bay DT Ryan Pickett were also teammates at Ohio State...Green Bay QB Matt Flynn played at LSU from and was the starting signal caller for the Tigers 2007 National Championship squad. Flynn played with Packers FB Quinn Johnson at LSU, who prepped at West St. John HS...FB Korey Hall played for the Packers from Packers NT Howard Green prepped at Donaldsonville HS, played at LSU from and played in 18 games with 12 starts for the Saints from CB Jabari Greer and Green Bay C Scott Wells were teammates at Tennessee...LB Jonathan Casillas played at the University of Wisconsin...TE David Thomas and Packers TE Jermichael Finley were teammates at the University of Texas, where they were both members of the BCS National Championship squad...dt Sedrick Ellis and Green Bay LB Clay Matthews were teammates at USC. SERIES HIGHLIGHTS New Orleans and Green Bay have met 21 times, and six of the games have been decided by a touchdown or less, three of them by two points or less. What follows is a chronological look back at some of the series defining moments: Sept. 17, 2006: Saints 34, Packers Lambeau Field QB Drew Brees engineered his first of 17 fourth quarter rallies as a Saint to break a tie on a 35- yard TD pass to WR Marques Colston in the middle of the fourth period. Sept. 15, 2002: Saints 35, Packers the Superdome The Saints came out of the locker room hot, jumping to a 21-3 lead and responded with more firepower when Green Bay threatened. RB Deuce McAllister in his second game as a starter rushed for 123 yards and two TDs on 21 carries and WR Joe Horn added 120 yards on six grabs. New Orleans had a 14- point burst in the second quarter to put them up Nov. 14, 1993: Packers 19, Saints 17, at the Superdome The Saints fell to 6-3 after a game-winning field goal with three seconds left by Packers K Chris Jacke after QB Brett Favre hit WR Sterling Sharpe for a 54-yard completion on Green Bay s final drive in a contest the Saints led going into the fourth quarter. Sept. 17, 1989: Packers 35, Saints 34 at Lambeau Field Green Bay notched 28 second half points to erase a 21-0 first half deficit, and spoil New Orleans first-ever trip to Lambeau Field. Packers QB Don Majkowski had three touchdown passes after the Saints opened a 21-point lead. QB Bobby Hebert threw for three touchdowns, and RB Dalton Hilliard ran for a TD, while WR Lonzell Hill caught two more scores. Dec. 27, 1987: Saints 33, Packers 24 at Louisiana Superdome The Saints won their franchise record ninth consecutive game as they prepared for their first playoff march in club history. QB Bobby Hebert found TE John Tice on a timely third quarter touchdown pass to give the Saints the lead for good on a drive that was set up by a Dalton Hilliard 74 yard kickoff return. Sept. 14, 1986: Saints 24, Packers 10 at Louisiana Superdome First-year head coach Jim Mora was a winner for the first time as the Saints jumped out to a 17-0 first quarter lead. QB Bobby Hebert opened up the scoring with a 72-yard TD pass to WR Eric Martin. The Saints were backed by a defensive effort where six defensive backs intercepted a club-record seven balls. Sept. 18, 1977: Packers 24, Saints 20 at Louisiana Superdome Green Bay scored all 24 of their points in the first half. RB Chuck Muncie rushed for 86 yards with two TD runs and QB Archie Manning found TE Henry Childs for a 59-yard fourth quarter TD pass to put them within four, but time would run out on the Saints in the loss.

5 SAINTS ON OPENING DAY As the Saints prepare for their 45th season, they have posted a all-time record on opening-day. New Orleans has won seven of their last ten season openers, including a 14-9 win over the Minnesota Vikings on September 9, 2010 when they hosted the NFL s kickoff contest as defending Super Bowl champions. They ve won a franchise-best three consecutive openers. The Saints have opened at home 31 times over the last 44 seasons, but have started on the road in six of the last 10 years leading up to Thursday. The Saints have a 4-8 all-time mark in season openers played on the road. This will be the second time the Saints have faced the Packers for their season opener in club history, as the Saints previously dropped a decision at the Superdome on September 18, It will be the third time the Saints have played in the NFL s kickoff contest, the second consecutive season and third time in five campaigns. MEMORABLE INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES IN OPENING GAMES: A look at the top statistical performances for the Saints in the first game of the season over the club s previous 44 years: PASSING: 358 yards, QB Drew Brees. The signal caller completed 26 of 34 passes with a career-high and club record-tying six touchdowns, one interception and a passer rating on Sept. 13, 2009 in a defeat of Detroit at the Superdome. RUSHING: 206 yards, RB George Rogers. The running back opened 1982 by setting a club record for rushing yards on 24 carries vs. the St. Louis Cardinals. In 2002, RB Deuce McAllister had 109 yards on 31 carries at Tampa Bay, and in 2003 he had 99 yards on 22 attempts at Seattle. RECEIVING: 117 yards, WR Wes Chandler. Chandler torched the Falcons in 1981 on eight catches. SACKS: Three, DE Joe Johnson. This 2007 inductee into the Saints Hall of Fame started 2001 with three sacks in a dominating performance in the Saints 24-6 victory at Buffalo. SAINTS COACHES ON OPENING DAY A review of the opening-game records for the Saints previous head coaches. Sean Payton has the highest opening day winning percentage (.800) among Saints coaches: COACH YEARS RECORD Tom Fears J.D. Roberts John North Hank Stram Dick Nolan Bum Phillips Jim Mora Mike Ditka Jim Haslett Sean Payton STARTING FAST How the Saints have finished the seasons that have started with an opening-day victory: Year Date Team Result Final Record 1971 Sept. 19 L.A. Rams W, Sept. 3 Vikings W, Sept. 4 Cardinals W, Sept. 13 Browns W, * 1989 Sept. 10 Cowboys W, Sept. 1 Seahawks W, * 1993 Sept. 5 Oilers W, Sept. 6 at Rams W, Sept. 12 Panthers W, Sept. 9 at Bills W, Sept. 8 at Buccaneers W, ot Sept. 11 at Panthers W, Sept. 10 at Browns W, * 2008 Sept. 7 Buccaneers W, Sept. 9 Lions W, * 2010 Sept. 9 Vikings W, * *Made the Playoffs. NFC West title in 1991, NFC South title in 2006, NFC South title and Super Bowl XLIV championship in 2009, NFC Wild Card in INTERCEPTIONS: Three, S Sammy Knight. The safety started 2001 with three interceptions at Buffalo and was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week.

6 SEAN PAYTON NOTES Since he was named head coach in 2006, the Saints have enjoyed a significant turnaround under Payton, leading them to three postseason appearances and the Super Bowl XLIV title, posting a (.613) regular season record and 4-2 postseason mark. He holds the top winning percentage for a Saints coach all-time. No NFC team has won more games during this period and only four AFC clubs have more victories. Payton s road (25-15,.625) winning percentage is tops in club history. He s recorded a (.633) mark vs. NFC opponents. New Orleans record in division play during this period is best in the NFC South. Under his supervision, the offense has been ranked first in yards per game three of the last five seasons. New Orleans has excelled in the biggest spotlight, since the hiring of Payton. Eight of the club s 13 victories on Monday Night Football have occurred since New Orleans has posted an 11-5 record in primetime contests since The Saints are the only NFC South club to capture two division titles since SAINTS HEAD COACHES Payton has the highest winning percentage among the 14 head coaches in Saints history: Coach Seasons Record Pct. Sean Payton Jim Mora Jim Haslett Records reflect regular-season contests only. Playoff games with the Saints: Jim Mora 0-4, Jim Haslett 1-1, Sean Payton 4-2. IN THE NFL Under Payton, the Saints have enjoyed the best regular season record in the NFC and fifth-best in the NFL since Team W L Pct. New England Patriots Indianapolis Colts San Diego Chargers Pittsburgh Steelers New Orleans Saints IN THE NFC SOUTH Under Payton, the Saints have enjoyed the best regular season record among NFC South teams since Team W L Pct. New Orleans Saints Atlanta Falcons Carolina Panthers Tampa Bay Buccaneers TEAM NOTES WIN STREAKS After starting 13-0 in 2009, which marked the club s longest winning streak and best start, New Orleans put together a long win streak again in 2010, winning six consecutive contests. Under Payton, the Saints have put together five win streaks of at least three games. DOUBLE DIGIT WINS In 2010, New Orleans won at least ten games for the third time since Payton became head coach and for the second straight season for the first time since 1991 and It was only the second time that the Saints have posted back-to-back 11-win campaigns. DOMEFIELD ADVANTAGE In 2010, the Saints posted a 5-3 record at the Superdome, the 13th time they posted a winning home mark. For the first time since the period between , the Saints posted home winning records for three straight seasons. Since 2008, the Saints have a 17-7 home regular season record. ROAD WARRIORS Since Payton became head coach in 2006, the Saints have the fourth-best winning percentage in the NFL at visiting stadiums at (.625). The Saints posted a 6-2 regular season road record in 2010, giving them back to back winning records at visiting stadiums for the first time since 1991 and NFL s BEST REGULAR SEASON ROAD RECORDS SINCE 2006 Team Record 1. New England Indianapolis New York Giants New Orleans Philadelphia SCORING EXPLOSION Since 2006, the Saints have scored an average of 26.9 points per game (2,149 points) in 80 regular season games, ranking third in the NFL. During this period since Payton became head coach, New Orleans has scored 20 or more points in 62 games (77.5%) and 30 or more points in 35 contests (43.8%). NFL POINTS PER GAME LEADERS SINCE 2006 Team Pts. Pts./Gm. 1. NE 2, SD 2, NO 2,

7 WORTH NOTING ON OFFENSE DOMINATING OFFENSE Since 2006, the Saints have been the NFL s top ranked offense, averaging net yards per game. In the past four seasons, they ve been ranked first three times. They re the only team to be ranked in the top ten each season since In 2010, they were ranked sixth overall, averaging net yards per game. NFL TOTAL OFFENSE LEADERS SINCE 2006 Team Yds. Yds./Gm. 1. NO 31, NE 29, Phi. 29, THROUGH THE AIR For four consecutive seasons the Saints have been ranked in the NFL s top five in net yards passing. In 2010, they finished the regular season ranked second, averaging yards per game. The Saints have ranked in the top five every season since Payton was named coach and lead the NFL during the period throwing for net yards per game. NFL PASSING OFFENSE LEADERS SINCE 2006 Team Yds. Yds./Gm. 1. NO 22, Ind. 21, GB 20, NFL PASSING OFFENSE LEADERS IN 2010 Team Yds. Yds./Gm. 1. Ind. 4, SD 4, NO 4, KEEPING DRIVES GOING In 2010, the Saints converted 106-of-217 (48.8%) third down attempts to rank first in the NFL for the second consecutive season. Third down efficiency has been a benchmark of the New Orleans offense since Payton arrived in 2006, as the Saints have successfully converted an NFL-best 46.6% of their attempts during that period to rank second in the NFL NFL THIRD DOWN CONVERSION PERCENTAGE LEADERS Team Made Att. Pct. 1. NO NE Atl NFL THIRD DOWN CONVERSION PERCENTAGE LEADERS SINCE 2006 Team Made Att. Pct. 1. Ind NO 495 1, NE 469 1, FIRST DOWNS Since 2006, the Saints are ranked first in the NFC and third in the NFL in first downs. In 2010, New Orleans finished second in the conference and fifth in the league with 351 first downs, the second-most in club history. NFL FIRST DOWN LEADERS SINCE 2006 Team No. Rush Pass Pen 1. NE NO Min YARDS AFTER THE CATCH Since 2006, the Saints offense has been ranked first in the NFL in yards after the catch. The Saints finished ranked sixth in 2010 with 1,999 yards after the catch MOST YARDS AFTER THE CATCH BY NFL TEAMS SINCE 2006 Team YAC 1. NO 10, GB 10, NE 10,115 HOLDING THE LINE The Saints offensive line remains one of the New Orleans offensive unit s foundations. Since 2006, New Orleans has been the second-least sacked club in the NFL, surrendering only 98 in 80 games. In 2010, the line gave up only 26 sacks for the NFL s sixth-ranked offense, the fifth-lowest total in the NFL. LEAST SACKS ALLOWED BY NFL TEAMS FROM 2006-PRESENT Team Sacks 1. Ind NO Tenn. 113 LEAST SACKS ALLOWED BY NFL TEAMS IN 2010 Team Sacks 1t. Ind. 16 1t. NYG Atl NE NO 26

8 Ahead is a synopsis of the Saints offensive line: LT Jermon Bushrod - A 2007 fourth round draft pick, this promising young lineman helped spur the NFL s sixth ranked running game in The Towson product has continued adding strength and working on his technique as he continues to line up against many of the NFL s elite pass rushers entering his third season as a starter on one of the offensive line s most challenging positions. LG Carl Nicks - This 6-5, 343 pound mauler who was a 2008 fifth-round draft choice, has needed very little time to make a smooth transition to life in the NFL trenches. Selected for All-Rookie honors by several publications, Nicks has opened every contest since the fourth of his first year and combines with Jahri Evans for one of the NFL s top young interior combinations, as the two were both selected to the Pro Bowl in C Olin Kreutz - This six-time Pro Bowl selection was lured to New Orleans to anchor the middle of the offensive line. A third round draft pick of the Chicago Bears in 1998, the former University of Washington standout has appeared in 191 career NFL games with 183 starts, appearing in every game with the exception of one since Overall, Kreutz has opened 134 consecutive games, the third-longest current games started by an active NFL center. MOST CONSECUTIVE GAMES STARTED AMONG ACTIVE NFL CENTERS Center No. 1. Casey Wiegmann, KC Todd McClure, Atl Olin Kreutz, NO Chris Myers, Hou. 89 5t. Matt Birk, Bal. 80 5t. Eric Mangold, NYJ 80 5t. Jason Brown, StL 80 RG Jahri Evans - The 2006 fourth round draft choice has made a rapid ascent from his small school roots at Bloomsburg into one of the NFL s top guards. Evans was has been named to two consecutive Pro Bowls, elected as a starter. His 80 straight starts with the Saints is the longest streak in team history among offensive linemen to begin a career, second overall among Saints, the most by a current Saint and also tied for the fourth-longest current streak by an active NFL guard. Re-signed to a seven-year contract in 2010, Evans is a cornerstone of the line for years to come. MOST CONSECUTIVE GAMES STARTED BY A SAINTS OFFENSIVE LINEMAN TO OPEN CAREER Player Pos. No. Years How acq. Jahri Evans G D4, 06 William Roaf T D1, 93 Don Morrison T D4e, 71 MOST CONSECUTIVE GAMES STARTED BY A SAINT TO OPEN A CAREER Player Pos. No. Years How acq. Rickey Jackson LB D2b, 81 Jahri Evans G D4, 06 Bob Pollard DT D11, 71 MOST CONSECUTIVE GAMES STARTED AMONG ACTIVE NFL GUARDS Tackle No. 1. Brandon Moore, NYJ Jake Scott, Ten Chris Snee, NYG 96 4t. Jahri Evans, NO 80 4t. Daryn Colledge, GB 80 T Zach Strief - This 2006 seventh round pick out of Northwestern has appeared in 71 regular season games, opening five at left tackle, also filling in on the right side. The versatile Strief has also served as an extra blocking tight end in short yardage situations. Strief is competing with Charles Brown for the starting spot on the right side in T Charles Brown - Considered one of the top blockers in the 2010 NFL draft, as a rookie, the club s secondround pick provided depth at both tackle spots, appearing in three games, contributing primarily on special teams. A first-team All-Pac-10 selection as a senior and two-year starter at left tackle at Southern Califonria, Brown is competing with Strief for the starting spot at right tackle in C/G Matt Tennant - This intelligent, hard-nosed lineman, who was the club s fourth-round draft choice in 2010, saw action in all 16 games as a rookie. Tennant was a three-year starter at center at Boston College who opened 41 games in the middle. He will also serve as one of the club s top backups at both guard positions behind Evans and Nicks.

9 WORTH NOTING ON DEFENSE Shrewd roster moves in free agency and the draft and the tutelage of coordinator Gregg Williams and his defensive coaching staff have produced an opportunistic, resurgent unit, resulting in a improvement to a defense that has moved up significantly in the league rankings in several categories since The improvement continued into 2010 as they finished ranked fourth in the NFL in opponent yards per game, fourth against the pass and seventh in opponent points per game. YARDAGE IMPROVEMENT After finishing ranked 25th in the NFL in yardage surrendered (357.8 yards per game) in 2010, the Saints improved their ranking to fourth (306.3 ypg.) in NFL TOTAL DEFENSE LEADERS IN 2010 Team Yds. Yds./Gm. 1. SD 4, Pit. 4, NYJ 4, NO 4, GB 4, OPPONENT POINTS PER GAME In 2009, the Saints were ranked 20th in the NFL in opponent points per game. In 2010, they finished ranked seventh in points allowed per game (19.2) OPPONENT POINTS PER GAME LEADERS Team Pts. Pts./Gm. 1. Pit GB Bal Chi Atl NYJ NO PASS DEFENSE After finishing the 2009 season ranked 26th in the NFL in opponent net passing yards per game, surrendering an average of yards per game through the air, the Saints gave up passing yards per game in 2010, improving their ranking to fourth NFL OPPONENT NET PASSING YARDS PER GAME LEADERS Team Yds. Yds./Gm. 1. SD 2, Oak. 3, Buf. 3, NO 3, GB 3, IN THE RED ZONE The New Orleans defense continued stopping opponents from reaching the end zone inside the 20 yard line in 2010, allowing only 20 touchdowns on 45 possessions (44.4%) inside the 20 to rank second in the NFC and sixth in the NFL. NFL OPPONENT TOUCHDOWN PERCENTAGE IN- SIDE THE 20-YARD LINE LEADERS IN 2010 Team Poss. TD Pct. 1. Arz Pit Ten Mia Bal NO THIRD DOWN DEFENSE The Saints allowed opponents to convert 82-of-216 (38.0%) on third down attempts in In 2010, New Orleans significantly improved their third down efficiency by allowing opponents to successfully convert only 67-of-193 (34.7%) of their third down attempts to rank fifth in the NFL NFL OPPONENT THIRD DOWN CONVERSION PERCENTAGE LEADERS Team Made Att. Pct. 1. NYG StL Pit SD NO PASSER RATING Since Williams arrived to coordinate the Saints defense in 2009, opposing clubs have only managed a 75.3 rating, fourth lowest in the NFL. LOWEST NFL OPPONENT PASSER RATINGS SINCE 2009 Team Rating 1. GB NYJ Bal NO Buf. 76.1

10 TOUCHDOWN PASSES Opponents only threw for 13 touchdowns against New Orleans in 2010, the lowest total in the NFL. The 28 thrown against the defense since 2009 is also the lowest NFL total. FEWEST TOUCHDOWN PASSES ALLOWED IN 2010 Team Passing TDs 1. NO Chi Pit. 15 FEWEST TOUCHDOWN PASSES ALLOWED SINCE 2009 Team Passing TDs 1. NO NYJ Car. 33 PICK CITY Since the 2009 season, an opportunistic New Orleans defense has snared 33 interceptions for 848 yards, seven for touchdowns. It s the highest number of return yardage off of the interceptions (848) and tied for the most returns for touchdowns in NFL totals over the twoyear period. INTERCEPTION RETURN YARDS SINCE 2009 Team Return Yds. 1. NO GB Arz. 762 AVERAGE YARDAGE PER AN INTERCPETION RE- TURN SINCE 2009 Team Average Ydg. 1. NO KC Arz INTERCEPTION RETURNS FOR TOUCHDOWNS SINCE 2009 Team Interception TDs 1t. NO 7 1t. NE 7 3. GB 6 QUARTERBACKS DREW BREES Since arriving in New Orleans in 2006, Brees has ranked among the NFL s elite quarterbacks, throwing for 4,000 or more yards each season and ranking at the top or among leaders in nearly every passing category, breaking nearly every club record. His list of achievements culminated with leading his club to the Super Bowl XLIV Championship. The five-time Pro Bowl selection continued his outstanding play in Brees completed 448 of 658 passes (68.1%) for 4,620 yards with 33 touchdown passes and a 90.8 passer rating. The righthander finished the regular season ranked first in the NFL in completion percentage, second in completions, tied for second in touchdown passes and ranked third in passing yardage. He broke the NFL record for completions in a single season that he originally set in 2007 with 440 until it was broken later on the week 17 afternoon by Peyton Manning (450). Few players in the free agency era have made the impact both on and off the field that Brees has had on the Saints. Since arriving in 2006 after spending the first five years of his career with the San Diego Chargers, he leads the league with 22,918 yards, 3,013 attempts, 2,020 completions, a 67.0 completion percentage, 37 games with at least 300 yards, five with at least 400 yards and 172 completions of 25 yards or more and is tied for the lead with 155 TD passes. Brees passing yardage total from was the most in a four-year period in NFL history and his total from 2006-present is the most in a five-year period. Brees is the first quarterback in league record books to pass for at least 20,000 yards and 150 touchdowns in the first five seasons with a new team. Brees has been selected to play in four Pro Bowls as a Saint and five overall. He s been selected twice as the NFC s starting signal caller. Brees is the only Saints quarterback to be selected to the All-Star game more than twice. His four selections as a Saint are tied for fourth all-time in club record books. With a regular season record in contests he s started since signing with the Saints, Brees has the fourth-most victories by NFL quarterbacks since 2006, tied for the most by a Saints signal caller all-time with Bobby Hebert, ( , 91-92). His 13-game winning streak in 2009 is the longest by a New Orleans signalcaller in team record books.

11 Brees has helped lead the Saints to numerous dramatic comebacks since in He s engineered 15 regular season game-winning drives in the fourth quarter and overtime, including five in Brees also engineered a pair of comebacks in the 2009 postseason, including in overtime of the NFC Championship game and a fourth quarter scoring drive in Super Bowl XLIV. In his ten-year NFL career, Brees has completed 3,145-of-4,822 passes (65.2%) for 35,266 yards, 235 touchdown throws and a 91.7 passer rating. He s the league s third-most accurate passer all-time, owns the NFL s tenth-best passer rating ever, is ranked 17th in passing yardage and 20th in touchdown passes. Overall in seven postseason games, Brees has completed 189-of-285 passes (66.3%) for 2,052 yards with 15 touchdown passes, two interceptions and a passer rating. Brees was named the 2010 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year, the 57th honoree of the award since the magazine s founding in 1954, which is based on both his on the field and off the field accomplishments. He also was only the fourth quarterback to be honored as the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year. Single-Game Superlatives Attempts: 60, at Chicago (12/30/07) Completions: 39, at Denver (9/21/08) Completion Pct.: 88.0, at Oakland (10/31/04) Passing Yards: 510, vs. Cincinnati (11/19/06) Long Pass: 86t, at Carolina (10/1/06) TD Passes: 6 vs. Detroit, (9/13/09) Passer Rating: 158.3, vs. New England (11/30/09) Rushes: 8, at Kansas City (11/28/04) Rushing Yards: 31, at Kansas City (12/24/05) Long Rush: 22, vs. Oakland (10/31/04) Rushing TDs: 2, at Miami (10/25/09) Brees By The Numbers 155 Touchdown passes as a Saint, ranked first in club records, and tied for first in the NFL during this time. With 235 career touchdown passes, he s ranked 20th all-time. 5,069 Club record and career-high 2008 yardage total, the second highest in NFL history, making him the second player to reach 5,000 yards NFL single-season record completion percentage in In 2010, he completed 68.1 percent of his throws to rank first in the NFL. 5 Brees is only the second player in NFL history to throw for 4,000 yards in five consecutive seasons. It s the number of contests where he s has thrown for 400 or more yards. Five is also the number of consecutive seasons Brees has thrown 25 touchdown passes, making him only the fourth player in league record books to do so. 2,020 Completions since 2006, which ranks first in team history, and the most in the NFL over the period. 27 Consecutive games with a TD pass, the seventhlongest streak in NFL history. 37 Team-record regular season games with 300 yards or more passing as a Saint, the highest NFL total since 2006 and an NFL record for a five-season period. With ten 300 yard games in 2008, he tied the NFL singleseason record. He did so six times in The number of regular season games as a Saint with a passer rating of 100 or more owning a 29-7 record in these games. This is the second-highest total among NFL quarterbacks since Brees has reached the century mark seven times in In his ten-year career, he has reached the mark 52 times. 35,266 Passing yardage in his NFL career, 18th-best in NFL history. Brees has tossed for a club record 22,918 yards since coming to New Orleans in 2006, the top NFL total during that time. 18,500 Passing yardage total from , his first four seasons in New Orleans and also the highest passing yardage total in a four-year period in NFL record books. 10 NFC Offensive Player of the Week awards won by Brees in New Orleans. He s captured the most weekly league awards by an individual in club history. Brees won the weekly award three times in He s the only player in NFL history to win multiple Player of the Week Awards in four consecutive seasons. Brees is the first player in league annals to be named Offensive Player of the Week three times in back-to-back years. 2 NFC Offensive Player of the Month awards won by Brees in his career, capturing the honor in September of 2008 and Brees team-record completion percentage as a Saint, ranked second in the NFL during this period. With a 65.2 career completion percentage, Brees is the thirdmost accurate passer in NFL history. 22 Consecutive contests from Dec. 16, 2007-Sept. 20, 2009 when Brees threw for at least 200 yards. Clutch Quarterback Since 2006, Brees has engineered 15 regular season drives in the fourth quarter or overtime for a touchdown or field goal to lead New Orleans to victory from a deficit or tie, including five in In the 2009 postseason, Brees engineered a game-winning overtime drive in the NFC Championship Game and a fourth-quarter goahead touchdown drive in Super Bowl XLIV.

12 Rating Success With 35 games (minimum 10 attempts) of a passer rating of at least 100 since 2006, Brees is tied for second in the NFL. MOST GAMES WITH A 100+ PASSER RATING BY NFL QUARTERBACKS FROM 2006-PRESENT (min. 10 attempts) Quarterback No. 1. Philip Rivers, SD Drew Brees, NO Peyton Manning, Ind. 35 With a 91.7 career passer rating, Brees has the tenthbest passer rating of all-time. TOP TEN PASSER RATINGS IN NFL HISTORY (Min Att.) Rating Quarterback 98.4 Aaron Rodgers 97.2 Philip Rivers 96.8 Steve Young 95.5 Tony Romo 95.2 Tom Brady 94.9 Peyton Manning 93.7 Kurt Warner 92.3 Joe Montana 92.5 Ben Roethlisberger 91.7 Drew Brees The Saints have posted a 29-6 (.829) overall record in the 35 career regular season games where Brees has posted a passer rating of or above (minimum 10 attempts). In 2010, Brees reached the century mark in seven games, posting a 6-1 record in these contests. Pinpoint Passer Brees 65.2 percent career completion percentage is ranked third all-time in NFL record books. He s completed a club record 67.0 percent of his passes since coming to the Saints in 2006, the best percentage in the NFL during this time period. NFL ALL-TIME LEADERS IN COMPLETION PERCENTAGE (min. 1,500 atts.) Quarterback Years Comp. % 1. Chad Pennington (1,632-2,471) 2. Kurt Warner (2,666-4,070) 3. Drew Brees (3,145-4,822) 4. Peyton Manning (4,682-7,210) 5. Matt Schaub (1,288-1,987) Brees 70.6% completion percentage in 2009, set a single season NFL record. He was only the fifth passer in NFL history to complete at least 70 percent of his passes in a single season. In 2010, Brees was ranked first in the NFL in completion percentage (68.1%) NFL SINGLE-SEASON COMPLETION PCT. LEADERS Quarterback Team Comp. % 1. Drew Brees NO 68.1 ( ) 2. Peyton Manning Ind ( ) 3. Philip Rivers SD 66.0 ( ) Where He Ranks The tables below show where Brees ranks in all major NFL passing categories since 2006: ATTEMPTS Quarterback No. 1. Drew Brees, NO 3, Peyton Manning, Ind. 2, Eli Manning, NYG 2,578 COMPLETIONS Quarterback No. 1. Drew Brees, NO 2, Peyton Manning, Ind. 1, Brett Favre, GB, NYJ, Min. 1,622 COMPLETION PERCENTAGE Quarterback Pct. 1. Drew Brees, NO Chad Pennington, NYJ, Mia Peyton Manning, Ind YARDS Quarterback No. 1. Drew Brees, NO 22, Peyton Manning, Ind. 21, Philip Rivers, SD 19, PASSING YARD GAMES Quarterback No. 1. Drew Brees, NO Peyton Manning, Ind Tony Romo, Dal. 26

13 Where He Ranks TOUCHDOWN PASSES Quarterback No. 1t. Drew Brees, NO 155 1t. Peyton Manning, Ind Tom Brady, NE 138 COMPLETIONS OF 25+ YARDS Quarterback 25+ Comp 1. Drew Brees, NO Philip Rivers, SD Peyton Manning, Ind. 145 PASSER RATING Quarterback Rat. 1. Tom Brady, NE Aaron Rodgers, GB Philip Rivers, SD Peyton Manning, Ind Drew Brees, NO 95.9 THIRD DOWN PASSER RATING Quarterback Rat. 1. Aaron Rodgers, GB Tom Brady, NE Drew Brees, NO WINS (as a starter) Quarterback Wins 1. Peyton Mannng, Ind Philip Rivers, SD Tom Brady, NE Drew Brees, NO Eli Manning, NYG 48 SAINTS QUARTERBACKS ALL-TIME ATTEMPTS Quarterback No. 1. Archie Manning, , , Drew Brees, , Aaron Brooks, ,771 Where He Ranks COMPLETIONS Quarterback No. 1. Drew Brees, , Archie Manning, , , Aaron Brooks, ,563 COMPLETION PERCENTAGE Quarterback Pct. 1. Drew Brees, Jim Everett, Bobby Hebert, , YARDS Quarterback No. 1. Drew Brees, , Archie Manning, , , Aaron Brooks, ,156 TOUCHDOWN PASSES Quarterback No. 1. Drew Brees, Aaron Brooks, Archie Manning, , TOUCHDOWN PERCENTAGE Quarterback Pct. 1. Drew Brees, Aaron Brooks, Bobby Hebert, , PASSER RATING Quarterback Rat. 1. Drew Brees, Jim Everett, Aaron Brooks, WINS (as a starter) Quarterback Wins 1t. Drew Brees, t. Bobby Hebert, , Aaron Brooks,

14 Yardage Leader With 35,266 career passing yards, Brees is currently ranked fourth among active passers and 17th all-time. TOP FIVE ACTIVE NFL PASSING YARDAGE TOTALS Yards QB Team 54,828 Peyton Manning Indianapolis 40,441 Kerry Collins Indianapolis 36,250 Donovan McNabb Minnesota 35,626 Drew Brees New Orleans 34,744 Tom Brady New England Brees amassed 18,500 yards passing from , more than any player in a four-year period in NFL history. Ahead are the top three totals: PLAYERS WITH THE MOST PASSING YARDS IN NFL HISTORY IN A FOUR-SEASON PERIOD Quarterback Yds. 1. Drew Brees, NO ( ) 18, Drew Brees, NO ( ) 18, Drew Brees, SD, NO ( ) 17,486 The 4,000 Club Brees is only the second quarterback in NFL history to have passed for 4,000 or more yards in at least five consecutive seasons. THREE OR MORE STRAIGHT 4,000-YARD SEASONS BY NFL QUARTERBACKS Rk. Player No. Yrs. 1. Peyton Manning t. Drew Brees t. Peyton Manning Fabulous At 50 Brees amassed 14,579 yards passing in his first 50 games with the Saints, more than any player in his first 50 contests with a new NFL team (rookies and veterans). Below are the top three totals: NFL QUARTERBACKS WITH THE MOST PASSING YARDAGE IN THEIR FIRST 50 GAMES WITH A TEAM (ROOKIE OR VETERAN) Quarterback Yds. 1. Drew Brees, NO 14, Kurt Warner, StL 13, Marc Bulger, StL 13, of 300 With 37 games of Brees throwing for 300-or-more yards in five seasons with New Orleans, it s the highest total for a NFL player over a five-season slice of NFL history. Top Of The Charts Brees has posted four of the top five passing yardage days in team history. Below is a rundown of these days: TOP TEN NEW ORLEANS SAINTS SINGLE-GAME PASSING YARDAGE TOTALS Yds. Quarterback Att. Cmp. Opponent Date 510 Drew Brees vs. Cincinnati 11/19/ Drew Brees vs. Jacksonville 11/4/ Aaron Brooks vs. Denver 12/3/ Drew Brees 58 Atlanta 11/9/ Drew Brees 48 Denver 9/21/ Drew Brees 49 Washington 12/6/ Drew Brees 47 Pittsburgh 11/12/ Drew Brees vs. Carolina 12/28/ Drew Brees 38 Dallas 12/10/ Drew Brees vs. Baltimore 10/29/06 Five Straight Of 25 Brees is only the fourth NFL quarterback to have thrown for at least 25 touchdowns in five consecutive seasons. FIVE OR MORE STRAIGHT 25 TOUCHDOWN PASS SEASONS BY NFL QUARTERBACKS Rk. Player No. Yrs. 1. Peyton Manning t. Drew Brees t. Dan Marino t. Brett Favre Six Of 25+ Brees is tied for fourth in NFL record books for the most seasons of 25 or more touchdown passes (6). MOST SEASONS WITH 25-PLUS TOUCHDOWN PASSES Rk. Player No. 1. Peyton Manning Brett Favre Dan Marino 7 4t. Drew Brees 6 4t. Tom Brady 6 4t. Joe Montana 6

15 Three Straight Of 30 In 2010, Brees became only the third NFL quarterback to have thrown for at least 30 touchdowns in three consecutive seasons. THREE OR MORE STRAIGHT 30 TOUCHDOWN PASS SEASONS BY NFL QUARTERBACKS Rk. Player No. Yrs. 1. Brett Favre t. Drew Brees t. Dan Marino Three Of 30+ Brees is tied for fourth in NFL record books for the most seasons of 30 or more touchdown passes (3). MOST SEASONS WITH 25-PLUS TOUCHDOWN PASSES Rk. Player No. 1. Brett Favre 9 2. Peyton Manning 6 3. Dan Marino 4 4t. Drew Brees 3 4t. Kurt Warner 3 Brees Team-Record Watch Brees owns or shares a total of 19 team records: Career 300-Yard Passing Games - 37 Career Completions - 2,020 Career Passing Yards - 22,918 Career Completion Percentage Career Passer Rating Career Touchdown Passes Single-Season Passing Yards - 5,069 Single-Season 300-Yard Passing Games - 10* Single-Season Pass Attempts Single-Season Completions Single-Season Completion Percentage & Single-Season Touchdown Passes - 34 Single-Season Passer Rating Single-Game Passing Yards Single-Game Pass Attempts - 60 Single Game Pass Completions - 39 Single Game Passer Rating Tied w/mike Buck* Consecutive Completions - 19 Single Game TD Passes - 6 Tied with Billy Kilmer & NFL Record * Tied NFL record The Saints Record When Brees Passes for more than 250 yards Passes for less than 250 yards Passes for more than 300 yards Throws three or more TD passes Completes more than 60% of passes Posts a passer rating of 90.0 or more Posts a passer rating of 100 or more Home Games Road Games Indoors Outdoors Artificial Turf Natural Grass Day Games Night Games vs. NFC teams vs. AFC teams RUNNING BACKS PIERRE THOMAS In 47 games with 15 starts, Thomas has carried 411 times for 1,939 yards (4.7 avg.) with 18 touchdown runs and added 116 receptions for 938 yards (8.1 avg.) with six touchdowns. He s ranked third in club history in yards per carry. In 2010, Thomas carried 83 times for 269 yards with two touchdowns, also catching 29 passes for 201 yards, despite missing ten contests with an ankle injury. Single-Game Superlatives Rushing Attempts: 22, at Chicago (12/11/08) Rushing Yardage: 126, at Buffalo (9/27/09) Long Rush: 42t, at Chicago (12/11/08) Long touchdown Run: 42t, at Chicago (12/11/08) Rushing TDs: 2 (3x), last at Buffalo (9/27/09) Receptions: 12, last at Chicago, (12/30/07) Receiving Yards: 121, at Chicago (12/30/07) Long Reception: 36, vs. New York Jets (10/4/09) Long Touchdown Reception: 20t, at Tampa Bay (11/30/08) Receiving Touchdowns: 1 (6x), last vs. New England (11/30/09) Total Yards from Scrimmage: 226, at Chicago (12/30/07) Kickoff Returns: 8, vs. St. Louis (12/5/04) Kickoff Return Yardage: 233, vs. St. Louis (11/11/07) Long Kickoff Return: 88, vs. Atlanta (12/7/08) Scoring: 12 points (6x), last vs. Atlanta (11/2/09) Total Touchdowns: 2 (6x), last vs. Atlanta (11/2/09)

16 DARREN SPROLES Darren Sproles comes to the Saints entering his 7th season in the NFL. Sproles is a 5-6, 190 pound all-purpose threat who has been one of the NFL s most dynamic players rushing, receiving and on kickoff and punt returns, garnering a total of 9,958 all-purpose yards. Since 2007, no NFL player has matched his 8,260 all-purpose yards. In his six-year NFL career with San Diego, who picked him in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft, he carried 249 times for 1,154 yards (4.6 avg.) with six touchdowns and recorded 146 receptions for 1,400 yards with 11 touchdowns. On special teams, Sproles has returned 258 kickoffs for 6,469 yards (25.1 avg.) with two touchdowns and returned 114 punts for 935 yards (8.2 avg.) with two scores. All-Purpose Leader With 8,260 all-purpose yards since 2007, Sproles total is ranked first in the NFL over this period. MOST ALL-PURPOSE YARDS IN NFL SINCE 2007 Player No. 1. Darren Sproles, SD, NO 8, Josh Cribbs, Cle. 7, Adrian Peterson, Min. 7, Maurice Jones-Drew, Jax. 7, Leon Washington, NYJ, Sea. 7,124 In 2010, his final season in San Diego, Sproles played in all 16 games for the Chargers, starting three games and carried 50 times for 267 yards, had a career-high and team-best 59 receptions for 520 yards with two touchdowns, while returning 51 kickoffs for 1,257 yards (24.6 avg.) and 24 punts for 166 yards (6.9 avg.) for a total of 2,210 all-purpose yards. He finished ranked third in the NFL in all-purpose yardage (2,210) and fifth among running backs in receptions. MARK INGRAM A hard-nosed runner who punishes opposing defenses with a formidable combination of power and speed, the 2009 Heisman Trophy winner played in 39 games at Alabama with only 24 starts - but rushed for 3,261 yards and ran for 42 touchdowns, scoring 46 times overall. A unanimous first-team All-American, Ingram shattered school records in 2009 with 1,658 yards rushing on 271 carries with 17 touchdowns for the Crimson Tide s BCS National Championship squad, as he became the first player in their storied history to capture the Heisman. Chosen with a first round pick acquired by the Saints from New England in a draft day trade, Ingram is the ninth running back picked by the Saints in the first round and the fourth Heisman Trophy winner among the group. CHRIS IVORY A rugged, between-the-tackles runner, this undrafted rookie free agent from Tiffin (Ohio) earned a roster spot following a training camp where he turned eyes both running the ball as well as in the passing game and led the Saints in rushing in the regular season, carrying 137 times for 716 yards (5.2 avg.) with five touchdowns. Ivory finished ranked fourth in the NFL in yards per carry and second among league rookies in rushing yardage. Currently recovering from a foot injury suffered in the 2010 finale, Ivory is expected to team with his teammates to fuel a powerful running game. Ivory enjoyed a breakout performance at Tampa Bay, Oct. 17, carrying 15 times for 158 yards, averaging 10.5 yards per carry. This is the sixth-highest yardage total by an NFL runner in 2010, the 23rd most rushing yards by an undrafted player in NFL history and the secondmost yards per carry in a single-game by a Saint in club record books (min. eight att.), the first to gain 150 yards and gain ten yards a carry. Ivory s yards per carry was the fourth-best in a single game in NFL history by an undrafted player with at least ten rushes in a contest. Ivory was the first Saint to have two games of 100 yards rushing in a season since Deuce McAllister in 2006, when he carried 15 times for 117 yards (7.8 avg.) with two touchdowns, including a career-best 55-yard scoring rush at Cincinnati, Dec. 5. JOIQUE BELL After joining the Saints following the end of the 2010 regular season, Bell enjoyed a productive preseason as their leading rusher with 31 carries for 182 yards (5.9 avg.) with one TD, also adding nine receptions for 139 yards to lead the NFL in the preseason with 321 total yards from scrimmage. The 2009 Harlon Hill Trophy winner, who also spent time on the rosters of Philadelphia and Indianapolis as a rookie, will add to the depth at the running back position. WIDE RECEIVERS MARQUES COLSTON Since being chosen as the 252nd overall choice in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft, Colston has become one of the league s top targets. He s enjoyed one of the fastest starts to an NFL career during this period. Colston has recorded 369 catches for 5,097 yards (13.8 avg.) and 40 receiving touchdowns to put him among the club s all-time leaders in every receiving category. Colston s currently ranked third in franchise record books in receptions, receiving yardage and receiving touchdowns.