Brandin Cooks: Brandin Cooks lights up Pats for 117 yards

Football has always been important to Brady – even more so now with a four-game suspension hanging over his head – and it makes sense that he would fight to get in the game against the Saints. What was even more heartening than the turnaround from one week to the next was the way in which they did it. But with Patriots receivers Brandon LaFell, Julian Edelman, Aaron Dobson and Brian Tyms all sidelined by injuries, Slater was called upon to run routes with the first-team offense. We needed it this game, we’ve got to do better. “I thought that first half was pretty good”, Payton said of a solid effort, especially against Brady and the Patriots’ starters. Instead of getting bullied up front, they were either stonewalling their opponents, or they were pushing them back. “Any player can tell you that”.

Brock Osweiler has spent his first two seasons with the Broncos buried on the bench behind Peyton Manning, but he’s got skills.

Last year, the Patriots preseason didn’t exactly get off on a strong note, with a 23-6 loss to the Washington Redskins. Brady went 1 of 4 attempts and passed one ten yards. What you are hoping to see is a little bit more improvement from the week before. The pass rush is still a work in progress, but there was actual progress. Rookie Linebacker Hau’oli Kikaha was active early and often, registering five tackles and a pair of tackles for loss. While it’s possible that none of Brandon Gibson, Chris Harper, Jonathan Krause, and Jimmay Mundine make the roste, Garoppolo made it easy for these players to perform well in the spotlight. So it just looked good to me, from the outside looking in.

Every morning from now until the end of this football season he will greet me with either a winning “Who Dat'” or with tears as he tries to regroup and move on from the previous losing game. If he can bring the kind of motor and explosive movement that he displayed against the Patriots on a consistent basis, then the Saints may have found a steal in the second round of this year’s draft. Sign up today.

“With regards to injured players at this point in camp, I think you could go to any training camp and see numbers that are similar”, Payton said on Saturday.

This led to a Saints drive that ended with a 25-yard field goal by Hopkins to give New Orleans the lead, 24-20.

Jimmy Garoppolo – Although Drew Brees had a great start to the day it was Jimmy Garoppolo that stole the show at quarterback. “There really wasn’t a lot of pressure on the quarterback tonight and that’s always a good thing for the passing game”.

Speedy wideout Brandin Cooks led the Saints in receiving with 117 yards.

Brees, who has battled an oblique strain this offseason says he feels as good throwing the ball as he has in a long time.

What a nut? How hard is it to figure out a guy dropped a ball that was thrown to him? He opened the game by marching New Orleans 61 yards, highlighted by a 29-yard pass to running back Mark Ingram, to set up Dustin Hopkins’ 27-yard field goal.

Meanwhile in Charlotte, the Panthers overcame a miserable start by both their first-team offense and defense, riding a fourth-quarter rally behind third-team quarterback Joe Webb to beat the Dolphins, 31-30.