The way things were in New Orleans today made it seem like the first game of the regular season instead of the third game of the preseason. But New Orleans Saints fans were wearing jerseys all over the city today because this was the first home game of the preseason. After our offseason in New Orleans, even preseason Saints games are fun.
Despite the tough loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, two Saints players made great strides in their quest to make the final roster in New Orleans.
No NFL team has a deeper depth chart at running back than the Saints. And no NFL team does a better job of identifying quality undrafted running backs than the Saints. Travaris Cadet joins Pierre Thomas and Chris Ivory as outstanding running backs in New Orleans who didn't receive phone calls during the NFL Draft.
Against the Jaguars, Cadet rushed for 28 yards on three carries and he caught five passes for 62 yards and a TD. Cadet runs with the power of Ivory and the speed of Thomas. Cadet has impressed Saints fans throughout preseason and training camp.
Joe Morgan
Joe Morgan was the Travaris Cadet of the 2011 preseason. Morgan is a wide receiver who also went undrafted. I still remember an incredible punt return that Joe Morgan made last preseason that was called back on a Saints' penalty. Despite a season-ending injury in 2011, Morgan returned this year with hopes of cracking a spot on a deep wide receiver corps.
After a lackluster start by the Saints' offense, Joe Morgan energized the New Orleans faithful by burning the Jaguars' defensive backs on a 53-yard TD pass from Chase Daniel. Morgan finished with 68 receiving yards on three receptions. Like Cadet, Joe Morgan may have made New Orleans' final roster tonight.
Replacement referees
I wanted to focus on something positive like the play of Travaris Cadet and Joe Morgan. But I would be doing my readers an injustice if I did not at least mention the horrendous job of the replacement referees in this game. I can safely say this was the most poorly officiated NFL game, from start to finish, I have ever seen.
Spotting the ball where an incomplete pass was not caught, overruling an obvious Corey White interception, and calling a phantom pass interference penalty on the last drive are only three examples of about a dozen horrific calls. Roger Goodell's lockout of the referees is almost as great of an injustice as his draconian punishments in the alleged Saints bounty program.
Fortunately, it was only a preseason game and New Orleans Saints fans can focus on the superior play of Travaris Cadet and Joe Morgan.
Patrick Michael lives in New Orleans and has always been a big fan of the New Orleans Saints. Patrick's favorite Saints season was 2009 when New Orleans won Super Bowl 44. Follow Patrick Michael on Twitter at patmichael84.
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