THURSDAY: The New Orleans Saints will take the practice field at Ochsner Sports Performance Center for the final workout of Training Camp Presented by Verizon. The practice begins in the indoor facility and then the team will transition outdoors for the team portions at approximately 10:15 for the portion open to the public. There will be an autograph session following practice.
NEWEST SAINTS: On Wednesday, the Saints signed tackle Olufisayo Owolaja and veteran linebacker Will Compton and placed tackle Chris Clark on Injured Reserve and waived long snapper Nick Moore. Owalaja will wear 79 at practice and Compton 40.
SAINTS LEGEND IN LA: The Saints held joint practices with the Chargers in Costa Mesa, Calif., this past week, and former Saints running back Aaron Stecker came out to support the club. The talented, versatile veteran was stout between the tackles and had a burst to get outside, that proved to be invaluable during his tenure in New Orleans. He always stepped up when injuries weakened the running back position and became a force in the rushing attack. Named one of the club's five season-long captains in 2007 for his traditionally excellent special teams play, Stecker posted career-highs with 448 yards rushing, five touchdowns and 36 receptions while starting six games. Stecker was originally signed by the Saints in March 2004 after a four-year stint with the Buccaneers, where he played in 55 contests and departed ranked first in team record books in kickoff return yards with 2,376. Typical of his grit and determination, Stecker took the road less traveled before becoming an established NFL veteran, playing for the Scottish Claymores of NFL Europe in 1999 and earning Offensive MVP honors. Over his five seasons in the Black and Gold, Stecker accumulated 2,017 yards of offense (1,109 rushing/908 receiving) and caught 128 passes. A special teams captain, he has also returned 67 kickoffs for 1,504 yards – including a 98-yard TD in 2004 – and posted 24 tackles on the coverage units.
LIGHTS, KAMARA, ACTION: Since being drafted in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft, the Tennessee product ranks second in total touchdowns with 32. Kamara is also ranked second in overall rushing touchdowns with 22 behind only Los Angeles' Todd Gurley. In his first two seasons, Kamara has averaged 5.4 points per game in 2017, 7.6 points per game in 2018, 705 yards after the catch (8.7 avg.), all while scoring 200 points.
LIGHT UP THE DOME: The New Orleans Saints launched a new feature on Saints Mobile App Called "Light Up the Dome" presented by SeatGeek, an interactive fan-engagement tool that enhances the game-day atmosphere during the introduction video and player introductions. Download the Saints mobile app presented by Verizon to participate in the synchronized light show during video and player introductions. The feature allows users in attendance to activate their mobile device during introductions and participate in a synchronized light show produced by the fans themselves. In order to participate, fans will need to have the most up-to-date version of the Saints Mobile App and grant permission for the app to use their microphone, as the light is activated by in-arena audio. The Saints encourage fans to download the Saints app (Apple/Android) prior to entering the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and have their phones open and ready prior to introductions. For more instructions, please visit here.
#7SWISSARMYKNIFE: Entering week three of the preseason, Saints quarterback Taysom Hill has done it all on the offensive side of the ball. He ranks second in the league with 98 yards rushing on 11 attempts and has completed 19-of-29 (65.5 percent) passes for 216 yards and three touchdowns.
DID YOU KNOW: The New Orleans Saints' TV ratings dominated the rest of the league in Week 1 of preseason, as the broadcast of the Saints-Vikings game Friday, Aug. 9 delivered a 40.0 rating, nearly 15 points ahead of the No. 2 team. The Saints regularly deliver huge ratings, but the Gray Communications broadcast (shown on Fox-8 locally) was up 26 percent from Week 1 in 2018 and 31 percent from the comparable 2017 broadcast. The Kansas City Chiefs were the second-highest broadcast with a 25.3 rating. In the NFC South, the Carolina Panthers were 14th at 12.4, the Atlanta Falcons had the 26th-rated broadcast with a 6.0 rating and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were 22nd with a 7.6 rating, the Saints' Week 1 preseason broadcast also was No. 1 in another metric, household share, with a 57, up 23 percent from 2018. The Chiefs has the league's second-highest share with a 48. Saturday's matchup at the New York Jets will be regionally televised on the Gray Communications network of stations regionally (WVUE-Fox-8 locally). The action starts at 6 p.m. CT with a pregame show, kickoff is at 6:30 with Joel Meyers (play-by-play), Jon Stinchcomb (color analyst) and Meghan Payton (sideline) on the call. Further analysis in studio will take place with a postgame show from the Fox-8 studios with Juan Kincaid and former Saints great Pat Swilling.
FRIDAY: The Saints will travel to New York to take on the Jets on Saturday, Aug. 24, with kickoff set for 6:30 p.m.
