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Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rashid Shaheed's season-opening 59-yard TD is the Saints Play of the Day
Our countdown to the New Orleans Saints' 2025 season opener is on Day 59, which means this 59-yard yard touchdown pass from Derek Carr to Rashid Shaheed is our pick for the Saints Play of the Day. You can see it for yourself right here. This was the Saints' opening score of the 2024 season. They got off to a hot start against the Carolina Panthers -- Carr took the snap out of the shotgun on 3rd and 4, surveyed the field, and got the throw off under pressure to find Shaheed around the Panthers' 14-yard line. The receiver caught the ball and stumbled untouched into the end zone, diving forwards for a score. Advertisement And it wasn't even close after Shaheed set the tone. New Orleans scored 30 unanswered points before the Panthers got on the board with a field goal to close out the first half; the Saints piled on 379 yards of offense to win the afternoon 47-10. The passing game was efficient (Carr completed 19 of 23 passes for 200 yards and 3 touchdowns, taking only one sack) while the rushing attack fulfilled a lot of the promise it had built up through the offseason, rumbling for 180 yards and 2 touchdowns off of 37 attempts. It's a shame the Saints couldn't keep this momentum going once injuries wracked the team, but for a couple of weeks they played like the best team in the league. This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints Play of the Day: Rashid Shaheed's season-opening 59-yard TD
USA Today
21-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Former Vikings WR honored on 'Actual Underrated' team ahead of training camp
Ahead of training camp, numerous analysts are compiling lists examining the NFL and its history from various angles. One recent list of players to make a team caught our eye, and we wanted to share some of the details. John Sigler of Saints Wire wanted to build the ultimate NFL All-Underrated Team ahead of the new season. He wanted to create a list of players who are often overlooked, and he did so with some great selections and throwback picks. He explains his selection process, stating, ". . .For this project we limited them to two benchmarks. For one thing, players must have logged at least 128 games in the NFL; that's equivalent to eight 16-game seasons (which was the norm until 2021), or one standard four-year rookie contract and another four-year extension. For the next point, qualifiers must have been selected for no more than two Pro Bowls in their careers. And for one more, we're trying to emphasize guys who weren't drafted early in the first round, but that's kind of a case-by-case basis." One Vikings player made the cut for Sigler, and it was a hometown player who went from undrafted camp invite to All-Pro, Adam Thielen. Both Thielen and former Saints wide receiver Marques Colston made the first-team selection at wide receiver on this unique team. Sigler writes, "Thielen is an NFL success story, too, having played college ball at Minnesota State and tried out for the Vikings as, essentially, a walk-on rookie free agent. He's 11 years into his career and still playing well." In nine seasons with the Vikings, Thielen racked up 6,682 receiving yards on 534 catches while scoring 55 times. He did all this while not really finding his footing till his third year with the team either. Once again, it speaks to the work ethic of Thielen and his deserving placement on this list.
USA Today
21-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Several current, former Tennessee Titans named to 'All-Time Actually Underrated Team'
Many of those around the Tennessee Titans feel certain players are underrated. Just a few weeks ago, there were posts on social media after safety Amani Hooker was snubbed by analysts breaking down the top safeties in the league. But what does it mean to be underrated? John Sigler of Saints Wire recently undertook a project to identify which players have been underrated during their careers. To accomplish this, his team created some basic guidelines to sort through the vast number of players. First, the players had to demonstrate longevity, having played in at least 128 games during their careers. And second, they could be named to no more than two Pro Bowls. When the dust settled on the offensive players from 2002 to 2024, four current or former Titans found themselves on the "Actually Underrated Team." Quarterback Second team: Ryan Tannehill Tannehill is a funny case. His numbers on paper are very solid: 34,881 passing yards (36th-most), 216 touchdown passes (41st), and a record of 81-70 as a starter. But he's never been seen as the engine running his offense, even with being a former No. 8 overall pick. Still, he did well for himself, and his career is one many quarterbacks would be proud of, despite the lack of all-star recognition. After struggling at the quarterback position in recent seasons, many fans would have welcomed Tannehill back to Nashville with open arms before drafting Ward. Tannehill was not spectacular, but he was solid and brought stability to the quarterback position. Wide receiver Second team: Derrick Mason Mason entered the league as a fourth-round pick by the Tennessee Oilers back in 1997, and the longevity of his career speaks for itself: 15 years, 12,061 yards, and 645 first-down conversions. He was recognized as a Pro Bowler only twice, and once as an All-Pro. Earlier on Sunday, Titans Wire covered Mason being inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, and discovered exactly how much of an impact he made on the Titans' record books. In his prime, Mason was a dynamic receiver who became a consistent target everywhere he played once he established himself as an NFL receiver. Looking back at his career, it is hard to believe he was only named to two Pro Bowls. Left guard Second team: Andy Levitre Levitre moved around the NFL a bit after the Buffalo Bills drafted him in the second round, but every team he ended up on reached the same conclusion: he needed to be a starter. Both the Tennessee Titans and Atlanta Falcons trusted Levitre to start at guard, and though injuries cut his career shorter than it ought to have been, he still did really well for himself with over 9,000 snaps played. He was a key part of some fun Bills teams back in the day and more than held his own for some of the greatest Falcons teams of all time (and Atlanta still didn't win a Super Bowl). At some point, he should've been a Pro Bowler. Injuries prevented Levitre from living up to expectations after signing a six-year, $46.8 million deal with the Tennessee Titans in March 2013. In all, he played two seasons in Nashville before being traded to the Atlanta Falcons in 2015. Right guard Second team: Kevin Zeitler At one time, Zeitler was the highest-paid guard in the NFL, which feels like a nice consolation prize for being recognized at just one Pro Bowl in his 13-year career. Zeitler is on to his sixth team in his 198-game career. But he was picked in the first round, so we're putting him behind Garza, who was a fourth-rounder when he entered the league. It's hard to believe that Zeitler made this list. Widely regarded as one of the top offensive guards in the game, the fact that he has only been named to one Pro Bowl comes as a surprise. The Titans are his sixth team since entering the NFL, but he remains a high-level player, and Tennessee is counting on him to bring stability and leadership to their offensive line in 2025.
USA Today
21-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
4 former Arizona Cardinals honored in 'Actually Underrated' team
Players who should have gotten more recognition include Karlos Dansby and other former Cardinals. Many NFL players have fantastic careers without getting the recognition they deserve. Saints Wire's John Sigler decided to wrap up the quiet part of the offseason by putting together what he called the "Actually Underrated Team," both on offense and on defense. The concept of it goes like this: We set out to highlight the best players who weren't recognized with Pro Bowl popularity contests or coveted spots on the All-Pro teams from the Associated Press. And when possible, we tried to avoid players drafted high in the first round. Those guys are expected to start for eight or nine years and make a consistent impact. It's a different set of expectations for even a mid-round draft pick, much less a late-round lottery scratch-off or rookie free agent. On the defensive squad, four former Arizona Cardinals players were mentioned. One played only a season. Another only spent a part of a season. Two played many seasons, including one who had three different stints with the team. 'Actually Underrated' former Cardinals Breaking it down Peko played 15 seasons, finishing his career after the 2020 season when he played six games for the Cardinals. He never made the Pro Bowl but started 194 games in his career and was a steady, reliable nose tackle. Williams played just one season with the Cardinals in 2017. He played 14 years in the NFL and made one Pro Bowl. Peters had a 13-year NFL career from 2010-2022. He spent 2015-2021 with the Cardinals. He had 135 total starts but did not make a Pro Bowl. Dansby was an interesting player. He never made the Pro Bowl, but statistically he could make a case for the Hall of Fame. He won't make it because he never was a Pro Bowler, but he had 20 interceptions and 43 sacks in his career. His 2013 season should have gotten more Defensive Player of the Year consideration (122 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, 12 QB hits, an incredible 19 pass breakups and four interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns. In his 14-year career, he played eight for the Cardinals, from 2004-2009, then again in 2013 and again in 2017 to close out his career. Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Saints share slick highlight reel from latest OTAs practice
Here's our latest look at the New Orleans Saints. The team shared a slick highlight reel from Tuesday's organized team activities practice session, which you can see here, featuring several players who figure to have critical roles for the Saints this year. "Money got made today, no cap," second-year wide receiver Bub Means said into the camera. Players are still practicing in helmets without shoulder pads, but this phase of the offseason ramps up contact to help them prepare for a grueling summer training camp. Advertisement It's good to see so many of them in attendance and hard at work. Not just rookies and young pros like quarterbacks Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler, Jake Haener, and Hunter Dekkers; but seasoned veterans got their reps in like Pro Bowl center Erik McCoy and future Hall of Famer Cameron Jordan, entering his fifteenth year in black and gold. And some new faces are stepping up as vocal leaders. Cornerback Alontae Taylor addressed the huddle at the end of the session: "Hey good work first day boys, let's get in the classroom, learn from mistakes." It's just a shame this was only a one-minute clip. Fans will be in attendance at a couple of open practice dates in June, so hopefully the Saints will start to give greater access to the team and how they're working to get better. Coming off a five-win season and staring down a schedule lacking any prime-time games, they could use some positive buzz. This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Bub Means, Alontae Taylor stand out in Saints' OTAs highlight reel
