Emmanuel Sanders, missed practice on Thursday, raising questions about who would replace their production in New Orleans' passing attack." data-reactid="23">METAIRIE, La. (AP) — Two of the Saints’ beginning receivers, two-time All-Professional Michael Thomas and veteran Emmanuel Sanders, missed observe on Thursday, elevating questions on who would exchange their manufacturing in New Orleans’ passing assault.
Thomas limped off the sphere late in Sunday’s victory over Tampa Bay, and the staff mentioned Thursday he had an ankle harm.
Coach Sean Payton declined to handle Thomas’ prognosis with reporters, sustaining his ordinary coverage of declining to disseminate any particulars past what golf equipment are required to publish on harm stories.
Payton’s refusal to debate the matter left unsure Thomas’ prospects for Monday evening’s recreation towards the Raiders in Las Vegas – or video games past that.
Drew Brees in his Saints debut. The Saints said Sanders' absence from practice Thursday was not injury-related, but no further explanation was provided." data-reactid="31">Sanders, who left San Francisco as a free agent this previous offseason, caught a 5-yard landing move from Drew Brees in his Saints debut. The Saints mentioned Sanders’ absence from observe Thursday was not injury-related, however no additional clarification was supplied.
Sanders was not added to the Saints’ reserve/COVID-19 record, based on transactions launched Thursday by the NFL.
Thomas’ and Sanders’ absences come after Brees final Sunday handed for 160 yards, nicely under his ordinary normal and tying a season low from final yr – excluding a Week 2 loss towards the Rams in Los Angeles, which Brees left with an injured throwing hand after his fifth move.
The Saints (1-0) additionally acquired comparatively low manufacturing from Thomas, who opened 2020 with three catches after setting an NFL single-season file with 149 catches in 2019.
Dan Arnold and receivers Tommylee Lewis, Austin Carr and Keith Kirkwood." data-reactid="35">Brees has had video games earlier than wherein he is thrown a number of landing passes to reserves. Amongst them was a Thursday evening victory over Atlanta in November 2018, when Brees threw scoring passes to 4 gamers who had entered the NFL as undrafted free brokers inside three years of that recreation: tight finish Dan Arnold and receivers Tommylee Lewis, Austin Carr and Keith Kirkwood.
”Our teaching employees does a terrific job of placing guys in the very best place to succeed and constructing a recreation plan across the strengths of the fellows we do have,” Brees mentioned after Thursday’s observe.
Brees additionally makes loads of throws to working backs corresponding to Alvin Kamara, who had a receiving landing in Week 1, and tight ends together with Jared Cook, who caught 5 passes for a team-high 80 yards final Sunday.
”I am not frightened about Drew’s passing yards,” Kamara mentioned. ”We simply had a gradual offensive day, simply sort of working among the kinks out. It was Recreation 1, so these are when a few of these errors occur.”
Kamara added that the newer and youthful offensive talent gamers who could possibly be known as upon this week are ”locked in. They know what is going on on. They know what they must do. We’re centered on plenty of particulars this week and so they’ll be prepared.”
The Saints’ third beginning receiver, Tre’Quan Smith, is wholesome.
Final week, New Orleans had two different receivers on the lively roster: Deonte Harris and Marquez Callaway. Harris was an All-Professional returner as a rookie final season and his play in coaching camp, together with feedback by Payton, have foreshadowed a rising position within the offense for him this season.
”He might have had extra touches and extra involvement (within the offense) a yr in the past,” Payton mentioned final week.
Callaway is an undrafted rookie out of Tennessee.
The membership might select to activate any of a number of receivers from its observe squad, together with Bennie Fowler, Austin Carr, Juwan Johnson and Lil’Jordan Humphrey.
Folwer was activated in Week 1 and recovered a kickoff fumbled by Tampa Bay.
NOTES: The Saints activated working again Dwayne Washington from their reserve/COVID-19 record. The Saints now haven’t any different gamers on that record.
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