The first trend is one that has become an expectation – the offense scoring points and putting up huge offensive statistics. Against the San Diego Chargers, the Saints gained 552 total net yards, with approximately half coming with the first-team starters on the field. Drew Brees is in mid-season form, tossing the ball to various receivers and has yet to throw an interception in three games. In contrast, media darlings and talking head favorite quarterbacks like Tony Romo of the Cowboys and Mark Sanchez of the Jets have thrown interceptions and haven’t led their teams to many scoring drives – Romo left last night’s game against the Houston Texans by posting a big, fat zero on the scoreboard in a 27-7 loss, and Sanchez’s Jets squad posted 11 points in a loss Saturday night.

The second trend that has become obvious in just three contests is the Saints defense has not caused as many turnovers as last season’s defense at this point in the preseason. I know it is just preseason, but the numbers don’t lie and there is reason for concern. The defense forced 10 turnovers in four preseason games last year, while forcing just three takeaways in three games this preseason.

The key component to repeating as Super Bowl champions in 2010 will be the Saints defense causing lots of turnovers and setting the table for the offense to turn those gifts into points. If last season didn’t teach us anything, then the two seasons that followed the team’s run to the NFC Championship showed what a leaky defense and a high-octane offense can do. Or not do. As 8-8 and 7-9 season records attest.

By forcing 39 takeaways last season and turning eight of those into touchdowns, the Saints were able to overcome deficits during games and put the offense in position for Drew Brees and company to do what they do best, which is score touchdowns. There is no debate that the defense often put the Saints in a hole last year by giving up a touchdown on their opponent’s first drive. The Saints defense was ranked in the bottom half of the league for total  yards given up. But it was that penchant for being opportunistic at the right time and place that helped seal the team’s first Super Bowl victory.

The Saints became the first team in NFL history to overcome deficits in the three postseason games and still win it all. Some of that has to do with head coach Sean Payton’s aggressive playcalling and Brees’ ability to direct an offense that most in the league are trying to emulate. But it was the defense that did their part in causing nine turnovers in the postseason, which played a huge part in helping the Saints to now be called ‘World Champs’.

It wouldn’t be fair to pick on the defense without pointing out that two of the defense’s best players – cornerback Tracy Porter and free safety Darren Sharper – are hobbled by injuries. In three preseason games, it is obvious that the defensive backfield missed Sharper’s on-field leadership and confidence, while Porter’s ability to lock down on a team’s best receiver is sorely missing.

Which leads me to the biggest question mark that hangs over this team today. How bad is Jonathon Vilma’s groin injury? Just how bad is the injury? How long will he be out? If he does play, what percentage will he be able to play? 50%? 75%? Vilma being in the starting lineup is going to be the biggest concern for this defense, but a 100% Vilma is going to be needed if the Saints hope to find themselves in Dallas for the Super Bowl.

While I am talking about the defense, there are two other areas that are going to need better production if this team is going to buck all recent trends and repeat as Super Bowl champions. The interior run defense remains soft and the pass rush has to get better. Stopping the run is still key in this league, and forcing a team to pass then opens up blitzing opportunities where interceptions are made when quarterbacks throw under duress. The Saints ranked 21st in the league last season in sacks per pass play. They have just five sacks in three preseason games and only one by a starter. The Saints brought in two defensive ends to help in this category, but neither has produced the results the coaching staff expected.

Against the Chargers, Williams came up with a new defensive front in an attempt to shake things up and get more pressure on the quarterback by featuring four defensive ends on the line during passing plays. Bobby McCray and rookie Junior Galette outside with Jimmy Wilkerson and Anthony Hargrove at tackle.

While the team prepares for its final preseason game this Thursday night against the Tennessee Titans, the starters will see limited action while the backups will make a case for making the final roster. Avoiding injury and then preparing to open the season against Brett Farve and the Minnesota Vikings will be next up for the defending Super Bowl champs.

What was done was a record-tying performance by quarterback and game MVP Drew Brees, an opportunistic defense led by Tracy Porter’s 74-yard interception return for a touchdown that sealed the victory and play calling by head coach Sean Payton that left the Colts and their all-everything quarterback Peyton Manning on the sidelines watching Brees and the NFL’s highest scoring offense take control of the game in the second quarter.

But the big plays and record-breaking stats have been re-played and re-read many times over for most of the “Who Dat Nation.” There are some side stories and observations from the weekend and game itself that deserve their due attention. What follows is a recap of the best-of, the worst-of and everything else that encapsulates the biggest win in the biggest sporting event in the United States on the biggest stage for a team who previously was best known for being star-crossed rather than shining stars.

Biggest Play of the Game:

With apologies to Tracy Porter’s thievery, it was defensive captain and middle linebacker Jonathon Vilma’s break up of a third down pass at the goal line early in the fourth quarter. The Colts faced a third-and-11 from their own 33-yard-line. They led 17-16 with 10:56 remaining in the game. Prior to the snap, Manning went to his pre-snap reads and began to display his typical hand signals and yelling at his offensive line and receivers.

There were two wide receivers split out wide left and one split to the right side. Rookie cornerback Malcolm Jenkins was up on the line of scrimmage in man-on-man coverage on Colts wide receiver Austin Collie. As Manning was getting under center to take the snap of the ball, Vilma, who played his college ball just down the road at the University of Miami, began using hand signals and calling out a change in the defensive play call.

Just as Manning was about to call for the ball from his center, Vilma turned and began running away from the line of scrimmage and his defensive linemen. Rather than cover Collie, Jenkins blitzed Manning from his inside slot corner position, leaving Collie an open route to the end zone with the hashmarks as his guide. The blitz was picked up,  however, and Manning gave a pump fake to draw safety Darren Sharper away from the middle of the field and redirect him to the route of the outside receiver breaking toward the far sideline .

But there was Vilma, running with his back to the ball in flight and virtually step for step with Collie as they reached the goal line, turning at the last moment to have the ball bounce off of the linebacker’s facemask and fall harmlessly to the turf. That play has been used by the Colts for years and is often completed for a touchdown. When the Saints played the Colts in the 2006 season opener, they ran a very similar play that burned former Colt Jason David for a touchdown.

Past sins not withstanding, this group of Saints, with Vilma’s athleticism and smarts leading the way, then forced the Colts to attempt a long field goal attempt that was missed wide left. It put the Saints in great field position with enough time to drive down the field and score the go-ahead touchdown on a pass from Brees to tight end Jeremy Shockey with 5:42 remaining.

If Vilma had not made the play of the game, the Colts go up 23-17 and the entire end of the game, including Porter’s interception may never have occured. The second-guessing and what ifs could be discussed over and over, but it was the play by Vilma that set into motion the wheels of the Saints on path to victory in the Super Bowl.

Best Sign not seen in the stadium:

Colts: Boo Dat! Saints: Who Dat!

Best metaphorical representation of the game:

Driving down the Florida Turnpike on the Friday before the game, there was a motor home with an Indiana license plate puttering along at about 55 mph in the right-hand lane. It was one of those early 1980s model motor homes, small in size, with sleeping quarters that hang over the driver and front passenger area. The body of the motor home was made up of a chalky white siding with painted stripes down its side that had long since begun to fade. Supporting it were white colored rims, marred by rust spots and there were faded curtains hanging in the windows and there was one Indianapolis Colts sticker on the bumper. A few miles ahead was another motor home – more like a motor coach – clipping along at about 80 mph in the left hand lane. Picture a tour bus that rock stars use while touring the U.S., and it was pulling an SUV to be used once in town to get around stealthly on Miami’s narrow downtown and beachfront roads. Both the motor coach and SUV were a shiny black and gold in color, with a huge Saints flag flapping in the wind off the back of the motor home. It was adorned with fleur-de-lis stickers in all of the windows and was chugging its way to Miami on shiny metal rims with nothing in its way to stop it.

It was such a metaphorical depiction of the difference between the Colts and the Saints. From the Saints fans and their passion, or joie de vivre, that is usually big, loud and in your face with a huge grin, to the size of heart that the Saints and its fans displayed all season long. It also represented the difference in the two teams. A big, fast, can’t-be-stopped, pedal-to-the-medal, shiny and gold machine compared to the plodding, predictable, same-old, tired and not very pretty or flashy Colts. Remember that the Colts had seven fourth quarter comebacks during the season. They didn’t exactly blow by people on the road to the Super Bowl.

There could be only one winner that Sunday and it was clear that size, strength, beauty and speed really would matter.

Best Tailgate Party:

The invitation-only VIP tailgate party outside Sun Life Stadium was more wine-and-cheese crowd than beer and chicken fingers. Those fortunate enough to get in the party were greeted by artificial turf-lined walkways that lead to a gigantic white-topped covered area with 20-foot ceilings and air conditioning and fans pumping in cool air for people that had their choice of every swanky food choice  imaginable. Cold strawberry soup? Yep. Carving stations with the finest selections of meats and cheeses? Yep. Chocolate-dipped strawberries with a 10-foot tall fondue station? Yep. Open bar with your choice of top shelf liquor? Yep.

The accommodations for sitting and visiting or getting loaded were white and black leather couches, chairs, love seats and high chairs. There were four black, baby grand player pianos that were positioned strategically with the sounds of classical music emanating from them. If that was not so much your style, then there was an open-air concert featuring Chris Daughtry and Steve Winwood, a little new mixed in with the old.

Did I mention that there was plenty of free booze? There were artists to airbrush your face with your favorite team’s logo, a booth where you could choose a background and have your picture taken and printed while you waited. Sun Life Stadium background or South Beach? Hmmmm. Wait in line for a restroom? Nope. There were plenty of those and they were air conditioned, too. Outside this lavish – compared to most tailgate parties – the lines for chicken fingers, hamburgers and fries were twenty to thirty people long. The lines for the bathrooms were longer and there was no a/c in those portables. Interestingly, there was a special VIP section which was part of the tailgate party for player’s families and dignitaries that was elevated above the crowd of people further heightening the already over-the-top exclusivity of it all. There was more, but you get the picture.

Tickets were selling for more than $1,000 online. AND THIS WAS FOR A TAILGATE PARTY, not the game itself. Upon exiting this tailgate extravaganza, you were just a few steps from the gate to get inside the stadium. Truly a super-sized party for a super Sunday evening outside of Miami.

Best Representation of how the Super Bowl is a “corporate” event:

My attendance at the game, in seat four of the ninth row dead even with the goal line. Don’t forget that VIP tailgate party. Chicken Fingers, anyone? No thanks. I’ll take the Kobe beef kabob with marinated asparagus tips, along with a cup of cold strawberry soup. It’s not shrimp etouffee, but when in Miami…

Worst Representation of how the Super Bowl is a “corporate” event:

The number of people in attendance with other team’s jerseys, fleece pullovers or no team colors at all. A woman two rows in front of me had a Brett Farve, Minnesota Vikings jersey on. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that the Vikings weren’t playing in this game. The three New England Patriots fans dressed in red and blue garb sitting behind me. Sitting right next to me was a gentleman from Oregon who flew in the day of the game and just hoped for a ‘good game.’ He showed up mid-way through the first quarter because he tried to bring a backpack into the stadium (a huge no-no) and had to walk about a mile from his spot in the stadium parking lot. He was a nice enough fellow who gave one of his no-team related fleece pullovers to a woman two seats over who was wearing a Drew Brees jersey…but was from California and was just pulling for the Saints because she liked the “flower on the side of the helmets”. At least she knew what the fleur de lis represents.

I met two gentlemen wearing a Reggie Bush jersey and a Brees jersey while getting a soft drink at the bar. I asked them where they were from, expecting them to say Marrero or Metairie. They said they were from New Jersey and had just flown in that morning for the game. I don’t know how or where they got their tickets from, but they asked if it was OK for them to be on the bandwagon. I told them that the bandwagon had plenty of room on it, because it had been empty for so many years and it had all the room needed to welcome fans from all over the country.

Then there was the father and son seated in the row in front of me that got up and left the stadium following Tracy Porter’s interception return with more than three minutes still remaining in the game. Face value of the tickets in that section were enough that staying until the end would have made sense, but then again not for everyone in attendance. I had heard that this game has turned into a corporate event with its parties and people who go to the game. Those reports have been viewed, verified and confirmed.

Best Music heard all weekend:

First thought was hearing, “When the Saints Go Marching In”, following every score by the Saints, just like in the Superdome. Then there was, “Halftime (Stand Up and Get Crunk)” prior to the Saints kicking off following a score, just like in the Superdome. But this vote is for the Mardi Gras music that was played blasting through the stadium speakers following the game. Seeing Saints fans dancing, second-lining and shimmy-shaking to the beat was a priceless image that no other team’s fans could or will ever replicate.

Worst experience with Public Transportation:

Tie for two events. The first was the Saturday night free concert in Ft. Lauderdale. It cost just $10 for a bus ride to and from the parking garage. Perhaps they should have charged more, because the bus driver got lost, finally dropped us off but did not know where to go for the pick up. Ft. Lauderdale police didn’t know where the pick up area was located so a cab ride back was the best way to get back to the car.

Getting to the stadium on game day took three hours, waiting for the train and then bus ride to just outside the stadium parking lot. Leaving the game would have taken much longer, so another cab ride was needed to get back to the train depot.  A nice couple from Virginia then drove us to our car so we didn’t have to wait for the train. Yes, Virginia. There is a Saints Super Bowl victory. Next time, pay the $75 to park in the stadium lot and walk the mile or so the entrance.

Now I know why New Orleans is a favorite of many NFL owners and the folks at the NFL office. The ability to walk to any event you want or take a short cab ride proved how spoiled New Orleans fans are for the ease of getting around during a major sporting event. It didn’t help that there were so many Saints fans with the same experience who were just as frustrated. For those fans from other cities it probably wasn’t such a big deal. One more tip if you are travelling to South Beach for a Super Bowl. LEAVE EARLY to find a parking spot or get a hotel room so you can walk to where you want to go.

Best Thing About the Super Bowl:

THE SAINTS WON!

Or they win the tiebreaker.

No one has ever not said I don’t look ahead. With that in mind, the best chance for  the Saints to lose are on the horizon with games against the New England Patriots, at the Atlanta Falcons and at home against the Dallas Cowboys. Could the Saints and the Vikings finish the season with the same record?

The Saints sit at 10-0 and a Monday night date with the New England Patriots – a de facto undefeated team in the eyes of many NFL followers – and their three Super Bowl rings awaits a raucous Superdome for a dance under the lights, so it seems the right time to start looking ahead.

As races go, the one for the NFC South is just about wrapped up. The Saints can clinch with a victory Monday night and/or an Atlanta loss this Sunday.

The race for home field throughout the playoffs has not been decided as the Vikings are stalking the Saints with one loss, coming to the hands of an AFC team (Pittsburgh Steelers). I began to think about the tiebreaking scenarios that determine which team will play host to all of their playoff games at home.

With that thought in mind - can you ever look too far ahead? - here are the rules, courtesy of NFL.com,  for breaking a tie when it comes to which team will be at home during the playoffs.

DETERMINING HOME-FIELD PRIORITY

1. To determine home-field priority among division titlists, apply Wild-Card tie breakers.

Two Clubs

1. Head-to-head, if applicable.
2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games, minimum of four.
4. Strength of victory.
5. Strength of schedule.
6. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed.
7. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
8. Best net points in conference games.
9. Best net points in all games.
10. Best net touchdowns in all games.
11. Coin toss.

If the season were to end with the Saints and the Vikings with the same record, the tie would likely be broken at No. 3, 4 or 5 from the above tiebreakers. Strength of victory and strength of schedule could be the difference makers this season for the Saints and their chance at hosting all playoff games in the Superdome.

It won’t solely rest on who the Saints beat, but how badly they beat them that will play a key role for home field advantage during the playoffs.

Breaking up may be hard to do, but knowing how to break up the tiebreakers has never been easier.

How could I have predicted – no, make that foreshadowed – what was about to transpire inside of Bryant-Denny Stadium on the campus of the Alabama Crimson Tide.

It was at this very moment, just 30 minutes prior to LSU’s kickoff against Alabama in Tuscaloosa for first place in the SEC Western Division, that I began to think about the mortality and frailty of a team’s chances of winning a big, meaningful game without their star player.

So it was with this thought as a backdrop that I typed on my Facebook profile that the little things add up to one big thing, and that Iowa had lost their quarterback – A BIG THING – and that anything could  happen when the little things all come together. I also typed that the clouds of chance darken the plans of men.

How could I have predicted? In a happenstance of foreshadowing, those two statements that were typed by myself would play out in front of me for the next three hours as LSU was defeated by Alabama, thus ending any hope for a rematch with Florida in the SEC Championship game.

Who could have predicted that LSU would have six (I stopped counting at that number) players go down with some sort of injury, some more than once, in the first half? Who could have predicted that LSU would lose their starting quarterback and their starting running back, and still have what seemed like a cloud of a chance to pull off a minor upset of the unbeaten Crimson Tide?

What I typed on Facebook wasn’t a prediction, but a foreshadowing of things to come.

What couldn’t be predicted was that LSU would still have a chance to win early in the fourth quarter as players were dropping like my 401K for the past year. It was like watching a boxing match, where one fighter kept getting knocked down but there were no limits on knockdowns so the fight continued.

Alabama, with head coach Nick Saban at the helm of the defense, doesn’t outscore opponents as much as they out-man, out-muscle, and out-and-out beat the other team into submission for four quarters until they finally weaken their opponent into submission. It is a formula that has worked for Saban since he roamed the sidelines at Tiger Stadium as coach of the Bayou Bengals.

His defenses like to strangle another team’s offense by their throat, giving them just enough air to breath, but when the time presents itself, it squeezes a little harder until the other team has nothing left to do but drop to its knees and submit to their more powerful opponent.

There was that proverbial hand around the throats of the LSU offense as down went Jordan Jefferson and in comes much maligned back  up Jarrett Lee. Down went Charles Scott with a broken collarbone, thus ending his season and LSU’s chances at a comeback on Saturday.

But what I submit was the play of the game and the most costly occurred while another LSU starter was out, but not for the entire game, in Patrick Peterson. Peterson was fighting cramps all game long as he was hyped and playing on sheer emotion and guts against one of the best receivers in the country in Alabama’s Julio Jones. Prior to the game, Peterson had relived last season’s overtime play in which a pass to Jones was completed against Peterson and led to the game winning touchdown for the Crimson Tide.

Peterson had made it his mission leading up to the game to shut down Jones and vowed to have a better performance this time out. If only his body would have allowed it.

On what was to be the longest play of the day and broke the hearts of many LSU fans in attendance and watching on television, Jones took in a screen pass and made one move on Peterson’s replacement and was gone for a 73-yard touchdown.

Game over.

There was still time remaining, but as the game wore on, the Tigers were worn down by injuries and a defense that would not allow LSU the big play it needed. While I give credit to Alabama’s defense for doing its thing, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the obvious.

Anyone who thought an LSU team with Lee as its quarterback, and without Scott carrying the bulk of the carries, would have a realistic chance against the Crimson Tide is either very naive or they need to take off the purple and gold sunglasses.

Notice that I haven’t even mentioned Peterson’s interception that was ruled incomplete. To think that Lee was going to lead LSU down the field against an Alabama defense in prime position to squeeze the life out of these Tigers would be like saying you thought a hurricane would never be forecasted to hit the Gulf Coast in November.

Maybe miracles or anomalies can happen every 24 years, which is the last time a hurricane made landfall on the coast in November, but I like to keep it real. And reality to me said that for as much as Lee did not to thrown an interception that was returned for a touchdown, he did not have the game experience with this set of receivers nor did he have the moxie to step on the field in a hostile stadium against one of the best defenses in the country and lead LSU to victory.

How dominant was the defense against a depleted LSU offense? The stat sheet told the whole story.

Alabama outgained LSU, 452 to 253. They had 24 first downs to LSU’s 13. They averaged more than a yard more per play than LSU and was penalized fewer times.

No one could have predicted that LSU would have lost so much in almost gaining a victory. But there was a foreshadowing of things to come.

Never were those words more poignant than this afternoon in Athens, Georgia, home of the No. 18 Georgia Bulldogs, when the LSU Tigers came to town for what many Tiger fans pointed to as a day of reckoning.

Courtesy of  a 20-13 come-from-behind victory over the Bulldogs, the Tigers disproved another old country proverb that says, “That dog won’t hunt.”

During a game in which the Tigers out-everythinged the Bulldogs in the first half ,  but lead just 6-0 in the first half due to LSU’s inability to score in the red zone, it was the much maligned offensive line and running attack that saved the day for the Tigers and showed there was plenty of fight and hunt in them there “dogs” of LSU.

The game was put out of reach on a 33-yard run by Charles Scott with 46 seconds remaining. A two-point conversion capped the scoring for LSU, and it was fitting when linebacker Perry Riley intercepted Georgia quarterback Joe Cox, thus ending the Bulldogs comeback hopes and putting an exclamation mark on a tremendous effort by the Tiger defense.

Led by first-year defensive coordinator John Chavis, who  some have called out for his zone -heavy defenses, LSU’s defense pitched a near shutout in the first half, limiting Georgia to just one first down prior to halftime. Just as impressive was Georgia had five possessions in the first two quarters and were forced into four three-and-outs. The Bulldogs didn’t get their second first down until 6:20 remained in the third quarter.

Looking at the stats for the first half, you would have thought the score would have been much more lopsided in favor of LSU. But like they have thus far this year, the Tigers struggle to put touchdowns on the board when they get inside the opponents 20 yard line.

On the year, LSU is scoring a touchdown 50% of the time when they enter the red zone. The nation average is 75%.

Additionally, LSU has struggled to gain yards on the ground, coming into the game ranked 105 out of 120 teams in Division I football. As a comparison, the other unbeaten teams ranked in the Top 10 of the national polls all rank 20 or better in total offense.

Coming off  last week’s 30-yard rushing total as a team, the stat that made the biggest difference and gives LSU some confidence as they begin preparing for No. 1 Florida is this one: LSU outrushed Georgia 156-45.

The stage was set for LSU’s comeback when Georgia put together its longest drive of the season late in the fourth quarter with an 18-play, 60-yard drive that took 7:52. The touchdown came on a pass from Cox to receiver A.J. Green, who outjumped cornerback  Chris Hawkins for the ball and the Bulldogs were ahead, 13-12, with just 1:09 remaining.

And then luck and execution collided in a series of events that would put LSU in great shape for their final game-winning drive.

Lucky break No. 1: Green was called for unsportsmanlike conduct following his touchdown catch, forcing Georgia to kick from their 15. Execution play No. 1: Trindon Holliday returned the kickoff to the Georgia 42-yard line. Lucky break No. 2: The Bulldogs were penalized for illegal formation on the kickoff, as just three Georgia players lined up on the right side of the formation, and the extra five yards put LSU in prime location with less than a minute to go in the game.

Scott’s game-winning jaunt off the left side of the Tigers line, in which he broke two tackles before sprinting to the end zone, was a fitting way for LSU to get their fifth win of the year, remain undefeated and send UGA and those ’dawgs limping back to their respective porch with thoughts of missed opportunities and hopes for another hunt on another day.

While walking down Madison Avenue in Manhattan last weekend, my mind started to wander and think about the large advertising agencies located in this larger-than-life city, and I pondered on what would be a great advertising campaign for this year’s LSU Tigers.

I thought of what is perhaps the greatest marketing strategy of this century – previously found on the back of almost every shampoo bottle in America – which extolled its users to use not once, but twice in one shower session.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

So as I got into a real lather over LSU’s performance last weekend in Seattle, WA, I decided while on my solitary walk back to my hotel at 72nd and Broadway at 1:45 in the morning, that I would rinse away the visions and thoughts I had about what I had just watched and would ready myself for a repeat the following weekend when the Vanderbilt Commodores would arrive at Tiger Stadium for both the home opener for the Tigers and the start of the SEC slate.

The clouds of chance were hanging over Tiger Stadium along with even darker clouds that brought intermittent rain throughout the contest. As was the case last weekend, by the end of the game, I found myself rinsing off the remnants of the results and preparing myself for another weekend of…

And then the strangest sensation came over me as the literal soap was in my eyes and I wondered if what I was seeing – or not seeing – is a harbinger of things to come or is this just a simple matter of  it being too-early-to-tell.

The first thing you should always do is ask yourself this question: Does what you are seeing pass the eyeball test?

I mean, does it just “feel” right? Is it appealing to the eyesight?

Following LSU’s  23-9 victory over Vanderbilt, the questions are starting to reveal some answers.

1. The weather had to play a part in the offensive play calling by coordinator Gary Crowten. Quarterback Jordan Jefferson threw more short passes into the flats than he has yet this short season. There were not many intermediate or deep passes attempted. Jefferson’s long passes were mostly off the mark and perhaps this was done on purpose.

2. The offense appears to lack a certain rhythm. Against Washington, it was not enough snaps. Against the Commodores, it was the rain. Last night,  LSU started their third possession of the game with 5:34 still remaining in the first quarter. The Tigers failed to score touchdowns and settled for field goals, setting up a tense moment late in the game, when Vandy had the ball and was only seven points down.

3. The offensive and defensive lines still have more work to do. The defensive line is not getting pressure from its front four. The offensive line has got to give Jefferson more time to go through his progressions so he doesn’t tuck and run with the ball. I had a discussion a few years back with a man who had the father of an LSU player working for him. This employer told me that his employee’s son said LSU head coach Les Miles is not getting the best offensive and defensive lineman in his recruiting classes. At the time I dismissed it. I had forgotten about it until I saw last week’s game. I am just sayin’….

4. Jefferson takes off and runs with the ball too much. Thus far, we are two games into the season and Jefferson has had to come off the field for two plays following scrambles in which he was shaken up.

5.  Trindon Holliday needs to utilize his speed and skills and keep those little legs moving during punt and kickoff returns. Holliday did too many stops and starts with juking and shifting to outrun the Vanderbilt coverage teams.

6.  LSU got one of their two highly regarded recruits into the gameplan, with No. 1-rated recruit Russell Shepard taking a few snaps and showing off some of his quick burst capability. He got lifted off  the ground and dumped on his head on his first run. He fumbled a catch on the next play. He ran for a first down with 6:14 left in the second quarter. As he gets more attempts and the ball not so slippery, he has a chance to do something special this year similar to what Florida’s Percy Harvin did last year for the Gators.

7. R.J. Jackson. R.J. Jackson?

8. Miles had the opportunity to go for it on 4th down and short a couple of times and chose to go for a field goal instead. Just before halftime, he chose to kick the field goal rather than try one attempt to get into the end zone. Either he was concerned with footing and a slippery ball or he doesn’t have the same confidence in who is on the field compared to the team he had in 2007.

Lest you think a win is not appreciated, there also are a few things that were pleasing to the eye.

1. LSU is undefeated (Georgia can’t say that. Oklahoma can’t say that. Ohio State can’t say that. (I would mention Notre Dame here, but really, why?)

2. Looking forward. LSU gets University of Louisiana-Lafayette next week.

3. LSU has won 31 straight night games.

4. LSU gave up just 210 total yards to Vandy. Last weekend they gave up almost 500 to Washington, which was more than they had given up to any opponent they faced in last season’s defensive experiment gone wrong.

5. The defense showed better tackling technique.

As the season progresses, LSU fans are hopeful that all of the lathering, rinsing and repeating results in a much better looking and smelling product each weekend.

Only time will tell. If in doubt, just remember that marketing slogan.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

In the third preseason game for both squads, one appears to be hitting on all cylinders, while the other appears to be missing its target - however, don’t tell that to the Oakland assistant coach who suffered a broken jaw a few weeks ago from an “alleged” fall during an argument with head coach Tom Caple. It seems Caple has no problem “allegedly” hitting his target.

If only the Raiders had that much punch in them, then they would not have suffered what was the Saints best performance of this preseason, setting team records for most points and largest margin of victory in a preseason game.

The last time I checked, both teams were getting paid to perform on the field, preseason or not. True, this was not a game against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in December.

However, the Saints had their way in just about every statistical category and showed flashes of defensive ball hawking and running the ball in short yardage situations that hasn’t been seen in the Crescent City since…EVER?

Plays were made by new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams’ squad. They were all over the field, forcing three-and-outs and stripping the ball away from Oakland players in a myriad of ways.

There was the forced fumble at the line of scrimmage during a running play; there was a blind-side hit on Oakland quarterback JaMarcus Russell;  there was a ripping of the ball away from a Raider receiver after a 51-yard catch.

Those turnovers did more than keep the Raiders out of the end zone, it demoralized a team that is still searching for leadership from the owner and head coach all the way down to the quarterback and his receivers, who did Russell no favors by dropping a few wide open passes.

Another site to behold on Saturday was the performance from the offensive line and the holes they opened for the cavalcade of running backs in the New Orleans backfield. Second-year tailback Lynell Hamilton and undrafted rookie P.J. Hill took the lionshare of carries, with Hamilton gaining 95 yards on 16 carries and Hill accumulating 83 yards on 12 carries with two touchdowns.

A look at the numbers tells the story: Saints 31 first downs (14 by rush) – Oakland nine first downs. Total net yards: Saints 536 (232 on the ground), Raiders 289. Fumbles lost: Raiders 3.

The Saints scored on their first three possessions as Brees and his cache of receivers put on a passing clinic, converting on third-and-longs during the drives. Brees finished 14-of-17 for 179 yards and two touchdowns.

He was pulled from the game in the second quarter, which was about a quarter early, but Saints coach Sean Payton had seen enough from his star signal caller. So had the Raiders and their fans, who were booing the home team at times during the last of Brees’ drive when he was completing passes all over the field in a hurry-up flurry of offense to put the Saints up 21-0 in the second quarter.

Next up is the last preseason game against Miami in the Superdome which amounts to a last tryout for those hoping to make the Saints final roster. Avoiding injury and saving this victory in their memory banks to be opened when the season starts are what should be on the minds of Saints coaches and players.

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. – George Santayana,  The Life of Reason, Vol. I, Reason in Common Sense

Perhaps it is those that cannot change things done badly in the past will be those who are condemned to repeat them.

Those attending Friday night’s NFL preseason contest between the New Orleans Saints and Cincinnati Bengals in the Superdome may not have realized it was 2009 yet,  and may have thought they were watching a replay of the 2008 version of the Saints.

Sure, this was the first preseason game of the 2009 campaign, and there are many things that we didn’t see and won’t see until the regular season begins. Yes, there were more second- and third-stringers that saw action than did the starters, who lasted about one quarter in the Superdome, in a 17-7 victory over the visiting Bengals.

However, with all of the fanfare – this writer included – for new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and his attacking scheme of defense, and with no big-name running back brought into camp, there were still questions to be answered as the Saints kicked off their season.

The answers were not all that great. I always hope for the best, but know that anything can happen. What transpired in the first quarter was either a mirage, a not-that-big-a-deal reflection of where the Saints are at this early point in the season, or a troubling look at what the Saints are going to put on the field as they try to compete for the NFC title.

Let’s start with the defense, which was torched for passes of 55, 27, 18 and 16 yards. To be fair, the first play of the game was a bomb to Ocho Cinco, and it was knocked away at the last second. The Bengals held a 11:32 – 3:28 advantage in time of possession, but the Saints’  starting defense did keep the Bengals out of the end zone and forced a couple of turnovers.

We knew going into the game that Williams’ defense would not show their full blitz packages, but it felt just like 2008 watching Carson Palmer sit back there in the pocket – really not a pocket,  more like a swath of open land – and toss passes around like they were playing 7-on-5 drills in camp.

If the Saints can’t apply more pressure to opposing quarterbacks, then they have gained nothing.

In a comparison of sorts, the Saints run defense was gouged for decent gains on plays up the middle and off the right and left tackles, while the Saints were not able to gain much yards on the ground with their first team offense. In contrast, when the backups entered the game, the Saints were able to get a few good gains, but running back Lynell Hamilton needs to do a better job of holding on to the football.

But even more concerning was the lack of production from the Saints in the red zone. Coach Payton admitted as much in the post game press conference as an area that needs more work.

He ain’t kidding.

Following a fantastic return of  a fumble by Jonathon Vilma, the game’s Defensive MVP with 112 rushing yards on returns,  to the Redskins’ six-yard line, the Saints went nowhere and then missed a short field goal.

This is the area the Saints have been working on every day in preseason drills  for the past two weeks. If this is the best the Saints can do with short-yardage blocking – which was a weakness in their offense for the past two years – then there will be more of the same for the Saints in 2009 as we saw in 2008.

That is, more Drew Brees passing yards, more chances at interceptions, when the goal and hope is that when they need three yards, they can hand the ball off and get three yards.

I believe that running the ball is part will, part heart, part effort and part scheme. The will and heart of the offensive lineman can’t be questioned, but their lack of success in opening running holes while trying to gain a few yards is troubling.

Winning the turnover battle has been well documented as a predictor of success in the NFL, and the Saints got a few turnovers last night but were not able to make the Bengals really pay for them by scoring touchdowns.

For such a high-powered offense, and a defense that did them ZERO favors last year, this was their chance to return the favor to a squad led by Vilma’s fumble return. Vilma also had a 65-yard interception return foiled as he fumbled four yards from the goaline.

Drew Brees was not in-sync with his receivers early on, the running game was non-existent, but Brees was able to put together a wonderful drive that led to seven points on a catch by much-maligned tight end Jeremy Shockey.  He caught six passes for 61 yards in less than a half or work, and looked every bit the part of a new weapon for Brees and the offense.

As the Saints head into preparation for their next preseason game in Houston against the Texans, perhaps more work is needed in short yardage drills and in putting pressure on the opposing quarterback. More work in finishing teams off when they have the chance.

For the Saints to make the playoffs in 2009, they must do something to repair the leaks in those two problem areas. If not, then the Saints are doomed to repeat history from 2008 and miss the playoffs for the third consecutive year.

Wondering if….this year will provide another championship?

Remembering when…

It took LSU a few trips to get their first National Championship. There is a reason for this. It is called Rosenblatt Stadium and the best competition in collegiate baseball. There is a good reason (although I am not sure I believe in it) that a first-time participant in this tournament can’t win it. So that bodes well for the Tigers, right?

Remembering when…

It didn’t matter what pitcher LSU was facing at the CWS, the Tigers were victorious in the games that mattered. Remember the first one in 1991 against Wichita State? The Shockers pitcher for the championship game was supposed to be a “lights-out”, shut down pitcher and LSU never blinked en route to winning their first National Championship in a “major” sport since 1958. Remember 1993 and Darren Dreifort? Remember 1996 and Warren Morris’ homer (who doesn’t?) against Miami’s all-everything closer. Remember what LSU did against Mark Prior in 2000? One hit almost took the poor guy’s head off.

Remembering when…

It didn’t matter what the score was or what inning it was, you always felt like LSU was going to come back and pull out a victory. Although that same magic happened last year at the CWS against Rice in the bottom of the ninth, the end result was not a championship, so that may not count in this discussion but it deserves a mentioning to set the stage.

Remembering when…

There was always that one player, who may not have been the superstar of the team during the regular season, but who came up huge at the CWS when it counted the most? Armando Rios’ key home run blast (is that thing still going?) in 1991. Freshman Brett Laxton fanning a record number of hitters in the championship game in 1993 to beat Wichita St and Jim Greely getting a key hit during the run to the championship game. 1996: Warren Morris hits his first home run of the season – the only one that really mattered – after coming back from a hand injury that limited him all season. 2000: Remembering that catch against and over the right field wall by one of the shortest guys on the team, who leaped higher than he probably had his entire life to rob the opponent of a home run in a key time in the game. The clutch hits from guys at the bottom of the lineup who were not hitting well in the tournament in that 2000 championship game, coming back from a deficit in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Remembering when…

LSU fans were treated like gold when they arrive in Omaha and during their stay there…wait, that is not something from the past, but is still happening to this day but even more so. I personally was a witness and benefactor of the people of Omaha’s kindness toward LSU fans. Think about this: When was the last time you saw the favored, higher-ranked team in an NCAA tournament game being cheered when they are losing (or winning) by fans from the other teams in the arena. Never. But in Omaha, LSU is beloved by the locals who come out and give the Tigers a clear home-field advantage as far as crowd noise and support, no matter the opponent. And who can forget the Nebraska State Trooper who said that when LSU is not at the CWS there there are a few motor homes and thousands of fights, but when LSU is in Omaha there are 100 motor homes and a huge party. Nobody parties and eats and drinks like LSU fans.

Remembering when…

LSU last won a championship in baseball. 2000.

Remembering when…

I couldn’t wait for LSU to win their next one….this year, perhaps?

I have always said this. Golf is not difficult. Playing good, consistent golf is very difficult.

So what is that dirty little secret, you ask?

The fact that golf is more mental than physical. That’s right. In a game (and some don’t consider golf even a sport) that derives itself from hitting a golf ball into a hole, the biggest thing that can keep it from going down is what lies between the ears of a particular golfer.

Sitting on the couch with my stomach filled with Easter goodies, it was like watching a reality show survival of the fittest. The fittest mind, that is. At one point during the playoff, I was wondering if any golfer was just going to play a hole with any consistency and not spray the golf ball all over the place like a weekend duffer on a bender at City Park golf course.

Take for instance Kenny Perry and Chad Campbell, who lost in a playoff to Angel Cabrera at The Masters golf tournament in Augusta, GA.

Both Perry and Campbell displayed one of the biggest dual-choke jobs in PGA playoff history in losing to the Cabrera, the first Argentenian, to win The Masters.

I am skipping over the final round of regular play and getting right to the first hole of sudden death playoff between the three players on No. 18. Right off the tee, there was Cabrera pushing his tee shot right, into the trees where his ball landed right behind a tree. At that point, I was ready to right him off.

Meanwhile, Campbell and Perry found the fairway on their respective tee shots. Then, on display for the entire world and a packed gallery lining the 18thfairway to see, bothCampbell and Perry pushed their second shots, with Campbell’s ball going into the green-side sand trap and Perry pushing his shot to the right of the green.

The look on Perry’s face after that shot was typical of what us “normal” golfers look like when we mishit a shot. But this guy is playing for all that counts in professional golf and it could not have happened at a worse time. Perry’s problems would only get worse on the next hole.

Cabrera knocked his ball around the tree and shaped the ball to land in the fairway. His third shot landed on the green with a shot to save par. Unfortunately, Campbell was not able to save par out of the sand and was eliminated from the playoff.

With his wife and a national television audience watching, all Campbell had to do – and remember this was the guy who led the tournament for almost 3 days by himself – was hit a solid second shot from the fairway and land his ball on the green.

Instead, that dirty little secret was laid out for all to see and it reminded every golf hack watching as to how miserable this game can turn with just one swing of the club.

As Cabrera and Perry made their way to the second playoff hole, No. 10, you got the feeling that the entire Augusta crowd was secretly wishing for Perry, 48 years and six months, to win out and become the oldest winner of a major in professional golf history and the oldest winner at Augusta since Jack Nicklaus won it in 1986 at the age of 46.

Both men hit their tee shot right down the middle of the fairway, about 10 yards apart. And then it happened again. Perry’s second shot was hit way left of the green, setting up a tricky pitch just to get it on the green. Following Perry’s second shot, he let a sort of smirky smile come across his face that seemed to say, ‘Man, I just blew The Masters.’

But there was Cabrera, cool and poised and hitting it to within 15 feet of the cup. Finally, someone was able to step up when it counted. And boy, did it ever count.

Perry never threatened as he missed on his chip and then missed his last chance putt.

Cabrera two-putted and the green jacket was his. He  was not the strongest, fittest golfer to walk the course on Sunday.

He just had it where and when it counted. Right between the ears.

Viva Cabrera!