Countdown to Kickoff: T-3

We've drafted our fantasy football players, ordered the NFL package, and bought our fashionable new Deuce jerseys in a bright white with black trim which we'll wear for away games. (Wearing the pink Reggie jersey for home games seemed to suit us well last season.) The case of Corona is in the fridge (along with some cheap stuff we'll share with the guests), the Hurricane mix is stocked, and the red beans will soon be soaking. So to answer your question ESPN: Yes, we ARE ready for some football.

On Thursday, our Saints will set out to give Peyton Manning a sense of rejection he hasn't experienced since his Newman days. The Colts and Saints kickoff regular season in a matchup that should have taken place back in February...but we digress. Both teams have a lot to prove but really it's only just one thing: "We're not a fluke!"

In the days to come, we'll break down the matchup. But before we look forward, we've decided to look back in a Chicks Cheat Sheet of sorts. We'll look back to what's happened in the offseason, what we did wrong, what we did right, and what makes us want to make out with the Saints even more this season than we did in '06.


The Draft: While everyone was screaming "Get a corner!! Get a safety!! Build up our defense!!", the Saints were thinking, let's make this unstoppable offense an even greater force to be reckoned with. In the first round, they shocked all the analysts by picking up Robert Meachem. The wide receiver out of Tennessee, known for his size and speed, made a modest preseason debut. Meachem survived the final preseason cut with the coaching staff still hopeful he can have a Colston like "that guy came out of nowhere" impact on the offense.
The Saints went on to pickup some defensive players deeper in the draft, like cornerbacks Usama Young and David Jones (who eventually got the boot.)


The Cuts: You're right Boyz II Men, it IS so hard to say goodbye to yesterday. This offseason we said bye-bye to the likes of Hollywood Horn and John "don't count on me for an extra point" Carney. The Saints also cut impressive rookie receiver Antonio Pittman who went on to sign with the Rams. Another notable cut, linebacker Dhani Jones. To put it plainly, he stunk last season. Seems like the Saints feared a repeat in '07.

The Pickups: Kicker Olindo Mare of Miami gives me palapations everytime he takes the field. He's 6 of 10 and had 1 blocked field goal in the Buffalo game. (I pray the Carney era will at no point in the near future be referred to as "the good ole days.") Another pickup, Colts cornerback Jason David.
This offseason, the Saints also picked up a new slogan: Earn it! What better way to do just that than to kick off the season beating up on the Super Bowl Champs.