Saints Clips
The Vikings may or may not have their top two receivers when they play the Saints on Sunday.
Minnesota has listed both Justin Jefferson (ankle) and Jordan Addison (hamstring) as questionable.
Jefferson was limited in practice all week, while Addison did not practice Wednesday but was limited on Thursday and Friday.
With Odell Beckham Jr. signing to the practice squad this week, the Vikings could elevate him if Jefferson and/or Addison are unavailable. But if Jefferson and Addison can play, Beckham is unlikely to see the field.
“We’re still working through kind of what that looks like,” head coach Kevin O’Connell said Friday. “Obviously with Justin and Jordan, obviously we’ll have to make that determination tomorrow based upon what it looks like for Sunday.
“But we’ve prepared really the whole receivers room — rostered guys and all of our practice squad — for just about anything.”
Additionally, offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw (concussion) and cornerback Charles Demmings (hamstring) are out.
Offensive tackle Brian O’Neill (knee), center Michael Jurgens (elbow), and tight end Ben Yurosek (ankle) are questionable.
Punter Brett Thorson (hamstring) will be back, as he’s off the injury report and set to play.
The Saints will have wide receiver Chris Olave in the lineup against the Vikings on Sunday.
Head coach Kellen Moore told reporters at Friday’s press conference that Olave is good to go despite being in a walking boot after Thursday’s practice. Olave’s foot was stepped on, but he was able to fully participate in the team’s final practice of the week.
Running back Alvin Kamara (back) also practiced on Friday, but he’s been listed as questionable for Sunday. Safety Julian Blackmon (shoulder), wide receiver Barion Brown (thigh), and defensive lineman Christen Miller (toe) are in the same category.
The Saints have ruled out linebacker Kaden Elliss (calf), linebacker Anfernee Jennings (knee), and guard Jeremiah Wright (concussion).
The Week 3 Monday night game between the Eagles and Bears racked up 22.6 million viewers on the Disney family of networks. The Week 4 Monday night game between the Falcons and Saints did almost half that number.
Via ESPN, the latest Monday night game on ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN Deportes attracted a total average audience of 11.9 million.
It’s a surprising drop in audience, especially in light of the significance of the game. It happened 20 years after the return of the Saints to the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina, with a 23-3 win over Atlanta sparked by a blocked punt by Steve Gleason that is immortalized in a statue outside the stadium. There was extensive focus, and rightfully so, on the relevance of the 2026 rematch.
Ultimately, the game has to hold the audience. The Falcons led 24-7 at the half, en route to a 45-24 win. By then, it was easy for many to check out.
Also, the fact that (unlock most Monday night games) the game wasn’t simulcast on ABC ate into the audience.
Through the first three weeks, Monday Night Football had averaged 21.8 million viewers. The Week 4 game pulls the average down to 19.325 million.
This week’s game should make up for it — the Bills visit the Rams in what could be a shootout that goes down to the wire.
Hall of Famer Mike Ditka, the legendary coach of the 1985 Bears, has died. He was 86.
Via ESPN, Ditka’s family announced his passing on Friday morning.
“It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, Mike Ditka,” Ditka’s family said. “While the world knew Mike as a Hall of Fame football player, legendary coach, and leader of the Chicago Bears’ Super Bowl XX championship team, we knew him as the heart of our family.
“Mike will be missed beyond measure and remembered forever.”
An Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, native who played college football at Pitt, Ditka was the first tight end to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. As a rookie in 1961, he was the first tight end in NFL history to generate 1,000 receiving yards in a season.
As a player, Ditka was a member of the Bears’ 1963 NFL Championship team. He also played for the 1971 Cowboys, who won Super Bowl VI.
After a 12-year playing career, Ditka joined the Cowboys as an assistant coach. In 1982, he became the head coach of the Bears.
Ditka became a larger-than-life figure in Chicago, and beyond. He oozed football, and his temperament matched the intensity of the game.
The Bears fired Ditka after the 1992 season. He became head coach of the Saints in 1997. He negotiated the famous Ricky Williams trade, in which the Saints gave up all of their 1999 draft (and another first-rounder) to get the Heisman Trophy winner from Texas.
Ditka also worked for NBC and ESPN, as an analyst.
We extend our condolences to Ditka’s family, friends, players, colleagues, and to the Bears and their fans.
Saints defensive coordinator Brandon Staley pushed back at comments ESPN analyst Troy Aikman made during the Monday Night Football broadcast.
With 2:43 remaining in the third quarter of the Saints’ 45-24 loss, Aikman said Staley didn’t have answers for the Falcons. Atlanta gained 420 yards, including 205 rushing yards, and the Falcons scored five rushing touchdowns.
The Saints played without linebacker Kaden Elliss and edge rushers Carl Granderson and Andernee Jennings.
“Brandon Staley, he just simply doesn’t have any answers, and I think he knew it when we talked to him coming in,” Aikman said Monday night. “I think he knew. He didn’t tell us, but the guys that are out — their big edge rushers and guys who can play the run and set the edge — they’re not on the field, and they just don’t have that star defender that can erase mistakes for other people.
“This was a matchup issue coming into this game, and it’s proven true.”
Staley heard the comments and said he has “no idea” what Aikman was talking about.
“It was a tough night for us, and certainly, I’m responsible. I’m calling the defense, but we’ve got a great group of guys,” Staley said, via Katherine Terrell of ESPN. “No one defended that runner [Bijan Robinson] last year better than us. He’s a hell of a player. But our group defended him twice last year better than anyone through his time in the NFL.
“We’re focusing on Minnesota, learning the tough lessons from the other night. We’ve got the right guys to bounce back.”
Staley admitted the comments bothered him “because they’re not true.”
He also defended his players’ effort after Aikman commented that some of the Saints were “standing around watching the play, missed tackles, just bad football” on the fifth rushing touchdown.
“Our guys have played the right way,” Staley said. “And mainly that’s assignment, technique, effort, all in one. I think the other night, we were missing two out of the three. Our effort was there.”
Saints quarterback Tyler Shough downplayed his inclusion as a limited participant on Wednesday’s injury report and Thursday’s update on his participation supported that lack of concern.
Shough, who hurt his left hand in Monday night’s loss to the Falcons, is listed as a full participant. That should put him on track to play against the Vikings this weekend.
Running back Alvin Kamara (back) and wide receiver Chris Olave (rest, knee) also took steps in the right direction. Both players were limited participants after being listed as non-participants on Wednesday.
Linebacker Kaden Elliss (calf), defensive lineman Damon Godchaux (rest, groin), linebacker Anfernee Jennings (knee), and cornerback Jayden Price (personal) missed practice. Safety Julian Blackmon (shoulder), wide receiver Barion Brown (thigh), tight end Noah Fant (abdomen), linebacker Carl Granderson (ankle), and guard Jeremiah Wright (concussion) were limited participants.
Linebacker Jaylan Ford (ankle), safety Mike Reid (ankle), and safety Lorenzo Styles (calf) were the team’s full participants.
The Vikings got wide receiver Jordan Addison on the field for Thursday’s practice.
Addison sat out on Wednesday with a hamstring injury, but he was back for a limited workout as the team moved toward Sunday’s game against the Saints. Justin Jefferson (ankle) was limited for the second straight day, so the Vikings had both of their top wideouts on the field.
Left tackle Christian Darrisaw (concussion) remained out of practice, but he was the only player on the Vikings roster who didn’t work at all.
Cornerback Chuck Demmings (hamstring) and right tackle Brian O’Neill (knee) were limited. Center Michael Jurgens (elbow), tight end Ben Yurosek (ankle), and punter Brett Thorson (hamstring) were full participants again on Thursday.
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell and new Vikings receiver Odell Beckham Jr. spent time together with the Rams, and they both have a Super Bowl ring from it.
It was O’Connell’s influence that brought Beckham to Minnesota.
Meeting with reporters on Wednesday, Beckham said he had other options after being released by the Giants. He chose the Vikings.
“It seemed as if he wanted me to be here,” Beckham said as to O’Connell. “And that was expressed to me. And that feels good. . . . It always feels better when you’re doing it for somebody who, you know, you feel like their heart is there for it as well.”
With the Giants, his return always felt more like a feel-good story at best, and a publicity stunt at worst. Once the games started, it wasn’t sustainable.
Minnesota doesn’t have any marketing or P.R. reason to add Beckham. It’s all about making the team better. And O’Connell, who has had opportunities to sign Beckham in the past but didn’t, apparently believes that, in this specific moment, Beckham can make a difference.
The first opportunity could come as soon as Sunday, in a game in his home state of Louisiana against the Saints.
The Vikings got Justin Jefferson back at practice on Wednesday, but another wideout was missing from the workout.
Jordan Addison missed practice with a hamstring injury. He had four catches for 52 yards in last Sunday’s win over the Dolphins.
Jefferson missed that game with an ankle injury and he was limited in his first day back on the field. He addressed his outlook on playing in Sunday’s road game against the Saints later in the day.
“Hopefully so. That’s definitely the plan,” Jefferson said, via Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com. “Being back at home, being in Louisiana, is definitely something that I want to do. So the plan is for me to play, but who knows? We going to take it day by day.”
Left tackle Christian Darrisaw (concussion) and cornerback Chuck Demmings (hamstring) did not take part in practice. Running back Aaron Jones (rest) and right tackle Brian O’Neill (knee) were both limited while center Michael Jurgens (elbow), tight end Ben Yurosek (ankle), and punter Brett Thorson (hamstring) fully participated on Wednesday.
Saints quarterback Tyler Shough had his left hand hit in Monday night’s loss to the Falcons but played all 74 snaps.
Shough had his hand wrapped Wednesday, and the team listed him as limited in practice.
But Saints coach Kellen Moore and Shough downplayed the quarterback’s presence on the injury report.
“Yeah, just something to keep working on,” Shough said, via video from the team. “Just got it banged up in the game. Nothing different than anybody else is dealing with quite honestly. Just bumps and bruises and stuff like that.”
Shough said he will play Sunday against the Vikings.
“It’s a shorter week, so I’m obviously sore today, but it’s not going to limit me really at all,” he said.
Wide receiver Barion Brown (thigh), linebacker Kaden Elliss (calf), edge rusher Anfernee Jennings (knee), running back Alvin Kamara (back) and wide receiver Chris Olave (rest) did not practice.
Safety Julian Blackmon (shoulder), tight end Noah Fant (abdomen), linebacker Jaylan Ford (ankle), edge rusher Carl Granderson (ankle) and safety Mike Reid (ankle) were limited.
