New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints have placed the franchise tag on Drew Brees — giving them exclusive negotiating rights with their Pro Bowl quarterback for the next year. Brees has been involved in lengthy contract talks with the Saints and, without the tag, could have negotiated with other teams as a free agent. Team spokesman Greg Bensel said Saturday that the Saints were officially notifying the NFL of the designation. The New Orleans Times-Picayune and ESPN.com previously reported that Brees would get the tag. In January, Brees said he would be "beyond stunned" if he and the Saints...

Short-handed and disappointed, but hardly crippled, the New Orleans Saints may at last be able to put bounty scandals behind them and focus on putting together a fourth-straight playoff season. When the NFL first announced as many as 27 current or ex-Saints participated in a cash-for-hits bounty program, seemingly all Saints regulars on defense faced suspensions. As it turned out, only two current Saints — linebacker Jonathan Vilma and defensive end Will Smith — will be sanctioned.

FOXBOROUGH -- If this is Wednesday, it must be Heap Praise On The Other Team Day. This week's installment features the New Orleans Saints, and now it's time to ask Coach Bill for a look at his team's next foe. "Two words describe just about everybody on the team: big and fast. " "They have very good skill people. They run the ball well. The quarterback is athletic. They have speed. They have big-play people. " "The defensive line is as good and as deep as any in the league.

Jonathan Vilma, the New Orleans Saints' defensive captain, was suspended by the NFL without pay for the 2012 season Wednesday for his role in helping former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams in "establishing and funding" the team's bounty program that has rocked the Saints this offseason and also led to the suspension of coach Sean Payton. Vilma's suspension is the longest of those imposed on four players - Cleveland's Scott Fujita and Green Bay's Anthony Hargrove, both former Saints; and New Orleans's Will Smith received lesser penalties.

NEW ORLEANS -- The New Orleans Saints have fallen behind early and often this season. And they have seldom come back. Yesterday, with more than a little help from the Kansas City Chiefs, the Saints recovered from an early 10-point deficit, then scored a late touchdown to win. Aaron Brooks threw a 42-yard touchdown pass to Joe Horn midway through the fourth quarter and New Orleans beat the Chiefs, 27-20. New Orleans (4-5), which has been outscored, 54-0, in the first quarter in the last seven games, trailed, 10-0, after one quarter against the Chiefs.

Jonathan Vilma, the New Orleans Saints' defensive captain, was suspended by the NFL without pay for the 2012 season Wednesday for his role in helping former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams in "establishing and funding" the team's bounty program that has rocked the Saints this offseason and also led to the suspension of coach Sean Payton. Vilma's suspension is the longest of those imposed on four players - Cleveland's Scott Fujita and Green Bay's Anthony Hargrove, both former Saints; and New Orleans's Will Smith received lesser...

THE VERY nature of football is implicated in the growing body of research on the lingering effects of head injuries, a problem that may yet require sweeping changes to tackling rules. In the meantime, though, the National Football League can show its commitment to player safety by strongly punishing the New Orleans Saints, Coach Sean Payton, and General Manager Mickey Loomis for allowing a system of payouts to teammates who injure opposing players. Under the auspices of former defensive coach Gregg Williams, Saints defenders earned $1,500 for hitting a player so hard as to knock him out of...

NEW ORLEANS -- The Superdome got a new roof after Hurricane Katrina. The New Orleans Saints did their best to blow it off again. In an earsplitting return to their rebuilt stadium, the Saints gave the Big Easy something to cheer about -- an undefeated football team that made it look easy with a 23-3 victory over the Atlanta Falcons last night. This one couldn't have been scripted any better for a team that spent all of last season on the road, and it couldn't have come at a better time for a city that is still struggling to overcome the devastation of Katrina.

The NFL playoffs have shown us that defense may have been resting during the 2011 regular season, but it's not dead. Preventing points is still as important as scoring them in the most meaningful football games of the season. Just ask the New Orleans Saints and the Green Bay Packers, owners of two of the most prolific offenses in the history of the league and front-row seats in front of their flat-screens for Sunday's NFC Championship game. As the Patriots prepare to face the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday in the AFC Championship game, they should take heed of the...

NEW ORLEANS - So we thought the Patriots were going to come in here and beat these guys? Neaux way. Bill Belichick wasn’t kidding. The Saints are good. The offense is for real, the defense is for real, and the Superdome is most definitely for real. If this was supposed to be the big test, the obvious conclusion is that the New Orleans Saints are going to get an A, maybe even an A-plus for their regular-season work. With this 38-17 victory over a team many thought would at least give them a hard time, the Saints moved to 11-0, and now everybody can start thinking...

The New Orleans Saints' crush-for-cash bounty system already cost them head coach Sean Payton for all of next season and general manager Mickey Loomis for half of it, plus two second-round draft picks and a $500,000 fine. Former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who oversaw and contributed money to the illegal fund, was suspended indefinitely. Unforgiving and unprecedented penalties Wednesday from an NFL determined to rid its sport of hits that aim to knock opponents out of a game.

Let's not be naive. The New Orleans Saints almost undoubtedly are not the only NFL team to have had a so-called "bounty system" in operation during the past 50 years. They are, however, the ones who got caught. They are now experiencing the wrath of a commissioner who feels he must make it perfectly clear that, however inherently violent the sport he governs is, the public must not be allowed to think that the enterprise is, well, completely barbaric. Don't mess with Roger Goodell.

NEW YORK — New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton was suspended without pay for the 2012 season by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, and former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was banned indefinitely on Wednesday because the team's players were paid bounties for big hits on opponents from 2009-11. The NFL said it is the first time the league has suspended a head coach. The explanation for Payton's ban indicates he tried to cover up what the Saints were doing. According to the NFL, Payton ignored instructions from the league and Saints ownership to...

THE VERY nature of football is implicated in the growing body of research on the lingering effects of head injuries, a problem that may yet require sweeping changes to tackling rules. In the meantime, though, the National Football League can show its commitment to player safety by strongly punishing the New Orleans Saints, Coach Sean Payton, and General Manager Mickey Loomis for allowing a system of payouts to teammates who injure opposing players. Under the auspices of former defensive coach Gregg Williams, Saints defenders earned $1,500 for hitting a player so hard as to knock him out of the game, plus...

The New Orleans Saints have placed the franchise tag on Drew Brees — giving them exclusive negotiating rights with their Pro Bowl quarterback for the next year. Brees has been involved in lengthy contract talks with the Saints and, without the tag, could have negotiated with other teams as a free agent. Team spokesman Greg Bensel said Saturday that the Saints were officially notifying the NFL of the designation. The New Orleans Times-Picayune and ESPN.com previously reported that Brees would get the tag. In January, Brees said he would be "beyond stunned" if he and the Saints...

The NFL playoffs have shown us that defense may have been resting during the 2011 regular season, but it's not dead. Preventing points is still as important as scoring them in the most meaningful football games of the season. Just ask the New Orleans Saints and the Green Bay Packers, owners of two of the most prolific offenses in the history of the league and front-row seats in front of their flat-screens for Sunday's NFC Championship game. As the Patriots prepare to face the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday in the AFC Championship game, they should take heed of the...

NEW ORLEANS — Businessman Dave Dixon, who fought to bring an NFL team to New Orleans and was the catalyst behind construction of the Louisiana Superdome, died yesterday. He was 87. Mr. Dixon had been ill since January, said his son, Frank, who confirmed his death. “He was always coming up with new thoughts and ideas. Until his dying day, he was thinking,’’ Frank Dixon said. Mr. Dixon persuaded New Orleans officials to pursue a football franchise rather than baseball in the 1960s.

NEW YORK — New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton was suspended without pay for the 2012 season by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, and former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was banned indefinitely on Wednesday because the team's players were paid bounties for big hits on opponents from 2009-11. The NFL said it is the first time the league has suspended a head coach. The explanation for Payton's ban indicates he tried to cover up what the Saints were doing. According to the NFL, Payton ignored instructions from the league and Saints ownership to make sure...

The NFL playoffs have shown us that defense may have been resting during the 2011 regular season, but it's not dead. Preventing points is still as important as scoring them in the most meaningful football games of the season. Just ask the New Orleans Saints and the Green Bay Packers, owners of two of the most prolific offenses in the history of the league and front-row seats in front of their flat-screens for Sunday's NFC Championship game. As the Patriots prepare to face the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday in the AFC Championship game, they should take heed of the demise of their...

The New Orleans Saints have agreed to terms with two more draft picks today, first with former Alabama Heisman Trophy running back Mark Ingram and then Illinois linebacker Martez Wilson. Ingram arrived at Saints headquarters on Saturday morning and walked out to practice in his No. 28 jersey and holding his helmet. Wilson's agreement occurred during practice. Terms have not been released for the deal with Ingram, who was taken 28th overall with the Saints' second of two first-round draft picks.