New Orleans Saints 2000: A Time To Rise

a beautiful fall Sunday the perfect day for football but on this particular day the players decide to go with a foam shaving cream the severe lack of protection if these guys had simply used edge crogel with eight rich lubricants they would have had the protection they so badly needed not getting the protection you need make the go blue Edge Pro Joe Edge Pro you save your skin this NFL Films production is a presentation of the National Football League NFL team highlight videos are brought to you by edge pro gel lose the foam save your skin the first day on a new job is never easy but for New Orleans Saints coach Jim Haslett the first practice of April minicamp was a truly daunting task feels we're doing this I had no idea I look at these scripts have no idea what we're calling things yet I certainly offens a meeting they learned some stuff you should saw our staff meeting this one we're trying to figure out where was north south east and west on these fields it's right out of New Orleans in the morning and right out of bag incision I tell you what they had me confused they didn't know nobody knew which way the Sun come up nobody knew east from west north to himself all he knew that was a baseball field there and there's a church over there rivers over here anyway even get into that we didn't get that far I mean here's the worst thing we finally get figured out Texas about half our houses I don't want my returners returning the Sun I said well okay so we kind of switch it around then we figure out he's wrong the Sun comes up over the church so you sure you know which way we're going now we're good also our way the sun's coming up here I've been in this meeting I don't know what north-south-east-west was I didn't know all I know someday my son will know that the Sun comes over the church it's our learning process baseball in church when it will get the other stuff later on we got another segment this afternoon and we'll probably once they found their bearings hazard in the Saints embarked on an even more imposing challenge restoring the pride of a team that won just three games in 1999 look like a team we go I'll get the clothes on right they've got a long way to go but every mission must start somewhere and at least the Saints know which direction they're headed I don't think people are in this business at least I'm not too to win a few games and to get better I'm in it to win a championship that's what it's all about don't start coach looks like we know what we're doing don't see run down it always starts with the organization then it then it's the coaches administer players you know without you know the head the tail can follow never did the New Orleans Saints organization look more solid than on the opening Sunday of the 1999 season after pulling off an historic draft a trade for running back Ricky Williams the Saints kicked off the season in style the football season is underway this is Bates from the six across the tendon by the thermos point of this game that's one hell of a way to start a season Jim sparked by an energized Super Dome crowd and a defense that sacked Carolina quarterback Steve Beuerlein seven times the Saints pulled away with a 19 to 10 victory over three step drop pumps it twice it's cool bad pull breaks a tackle he's going down he's deep pool his score a week later in San Francisco the Saints appeared poised to topple the 49ers Keith pull-through averaged 19 yards of catch in 99 scored his second long touchdown in as many weeks helping the Saints build the 21 to 14 fourth quarter lead with matters seemingly in control though the game and the Saint season took a sudden turn for the worst fill it deep for Tennyson in trouble this is shelters coming to the 45 and just like that the 99 Saints unraveled for four straight games the Saints held second half leads they lost each time and before they won again their losing streak reached seven games this is unbelievable Wow now look on my victims face well it says it out when they finish the season three and thirteen the time had come to make a change owner Tom Benson had a promise to keep well early last fall I made a statement to fans and the city of New Orleans that I was going to take whatever steps necessary to assure that we get a winning season the fact was that whatever reasons Mike Ditka thought was a fine person and a good coach it didn't work and that we had to take the steps necessary to try to get us a winning Club as a new on January 27 Benson split the Saints front office into two departments naming Arnold feel co-director of administration and Randy Mueller general manager of football operations it is Mueller who will be charged with rebuilding the Saints and he comes to the job with strong qualifications as the Seattle Seahawks chief personnel man Mueller was the architect of a team that won the AFC West title in 1999 to the Saints he brings a reputation as one of the most aggressive executives in the league and a mandate to do whatever it takes to bring New Orleans a winner when you have a commitment from ownership like we have here with mr. Benson that he'll do whatever it takes to win then it's up to us to get the right players to keep the right players and keep the group head in the right direction I want to try to create the atmosphere around here of passion people that will not accept losing I want people that are outward thinkers Muellers versed Haier is a perfect fit it can be done you got to change attitudes you got a you got to change the way of thinking not just on a football field not with your players but the whole building you know the people work in the building of secretaries administration I think you have to change the attitude not just you want to win you got expect to win on the field Jim Haslett played to win as a linebacker for the Buffalo Bills he was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1979 and his unrelenting style helped lead the upstart Bills to a division title in 1980 after retiring in 1987 he moved right to the sidelines eventually taking over as the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator in 1997 to his new job Haslet brings an old-school demeanor and a new-school approach don't cut him off I love it up turn it up aah worried behind about hey just rung with them move your feet don't be cutting them off guess Alessi needs a 50 yard penalty you can't armbar just run you can run with these guys underworld tips out there today it's always that way he has a innate ability to deal with people honestly and upfront and I think you have to have that with players in this modern era somebody that can confront players but at the same time hug them and they have a lot of respect for him and he just has that knack and charisma of doing it teaching a tackle right don't have to be a killer just bring him down she gets in the secondary how you got to do things down right if again a secondary somebody up up front yeah all right you don't have to be a trained killer you get this tackle and to be a brain surgeon play this game do it didn't take long for the Saints new management team to identify priority number one in the rebuilding process we couldn't talk to an assistant coach and agent another player a fan without the first question out of their mouth not being what he can do a quarterback so we said time we said well let's get herself a quarterback so we can hire some people their target former Cincinnati Bengal quarterback Jeff Blake just the guy we wanted he was a number one guy that we thought on the board and we went undid it about an hour after a frenzy open and that helped us do a lot of things down the line because people knew the direction we're going at that position I mean that's that's what starts the addition of Blake stabilizes a position at which the Saints had started four different players in each of the past three seasons in six seasons with the Bengals Blake never threw more interceptions than touchdowns his deep ball ranks among the best in the game and he's every bit as dangerous with his legs as he is with his arm my main thing when choosing a team I want to go somewhere where I was wanted and the Saints were real sure of what they wanted who they wanted hands lit for one knows firsthand the kind of damage Jeff boy can do to a defense for the past three seasons Blake always seemed to save his best for hazlit Steelers when you have opportunity to see a certain player play certain amount of years twice a year and know that you've thrown everything you can't add him and he still prevails like old saying you know it can't beat them join them so that's why I mean well you know that's part of the reason obviously I know I saw what he could do but he just didn't torch me torched a lot of people it's not let's go let's go he's a great leader he really loves playing the game likes to be on the field and he's competitive he's in the endzone touchdown it could be great for the orphans we're going to try to really develop the offense around him take advantage of what he does best he has a big lively arm and he's mobile so we could take advantage of what he does of course the best way to take advantage of a good passer is to give him plenty of people to throw to so the Saints revamp their receiving core acquiring wideouts Jake Reed from the Vikings and Joe horn from the Chiefs as well as tight end andrew glover also from minnesota glover should form a potent tandem with incumbent ID and cam Cleveland in the Saints version of the West Coast offense while horn will provide a second deep threat to go along with Keith's pool in Reed the Saints believe they found the go-to receiver they've been looking for in 9 NFL seasons Reed has caught nearly 400 passes and scored more than 30 touchdowns still no passing game can be successful without a productive running game and in 2000 the Saints will count on Ricky Williams to erase the memories of a disappointing rookie season you coming to your Ricky season with all these expectations and you think that you're gonna go out there and fulfill them all when you get hurt in the first preseason game and then you overcome that and you get hurt again and you ever come back you get hurt again it's just really frustrating you know I wanted to do so much but I was physically unable to do it because of the injuries when he was healthy in 99 Williams showed he's the kind of back who can carry an NFL offense finishing with nearly 900 yards rushing in just 12 games Ricky showed some flashes over his last one play Jackson Fielder may make some big ones Williams with running room to the left hurtles a tackler touchdown what I really like in my Ritchie he kissed the ball the backfield well and these these are our Barker so I think Rick he's the total package I think it's just of us getting all the potential out of Ricky but to get the most out of Ricky the Saints will need to realize the potential of an offensive line that returns intact in 2000 we got a probably as good as line as anybody in the National Football League now obviously we need to go out and play and we got to do some things better than they did last year but I think keeping intact as a key to this team we got three or four first rounders and all the guys can play I think it's just a matter of getting a system that they can understand and they can they can work with and I think we're gonna have a great offensive line regardless it's Williams ultimately who will receive the lion's share of the attention whether the Saints succeed or fail like it or not that is the charge of a superstar he's not the Saviour he is a part of a team built around some other guys also that if they all do their own job will be successful we need a guy to carry the ball every week you know 20 22 times we need a guy to rush for twelve thirteen hundred yards and catch 40 or 50 balls that's it Ricky just need to be Ricky just run the football you know and he let me handle the rest get that meeting all the pressures all the naysayers I can handle all that stuff and I've been through it for last four years it's net once I hand him the football run Ricky run that's all I want the Saints 99 season did have it's bright spots a pair of them came against the two most dominant teams of the last decade prior to their week 10 rematch against the 49ers New Orleans had been beaten by San Francisco seven straight times as time gonna throw it deep down the middle for pull with a huge but it's going to be first and goal for New Orleans on this day the Saints took the Niners best shot and kept right on coming Billy Joe Tolliver ran for two touchdowns and threw for another as the Saints rolled past the struggling Niners 24 to 3 six weeks later the Cowboys paid a Christmas Eve visit to the dome but Dallas's holiday was spoiled by an unknown local boy making his first NFL star Louisiana native Jake Dell home threw two touchdown passes and ran through another leading the Saints to a 31 to 24 upset of the Cowboys draw he spikes of the law and zones into delight of everybody on their feet here in the Superdome today Dell Holmes Homecoming made for a nice Christmas treat but it didn't compare to the goodies that came to New Orleans in the months following the season indeed the Saints impressive free agent Hall addressed needs on both sides of the ball adding punch to the defense that sacked more quarterbacks than any other during the decade of the 90s and it's best the New Orleans defense swarms its opponents smothering ball carriers and collapsing past pockets five or six at a time it's a style Jim Haslett grew accustomed to during his stint as a Saints assistant in the mid 90s when I coached in New Orleans we led the league in sacks two years in a row obviously it'll be aggressive we kind of like that style but whatever we feel best take advantage of our players that's the kind of style we'll play with the arrival of mammoth defensive tackle Norman hand expect the defense to continue its aggressive ways hand one of the top run stoppers in the NFL led all San Diego linemen in tackles last season in New Orleans he'll line up next to the lightning quick Laroy Glover who fought through constant double teams last season to record eight and a half sacks Laurie is not real big guys really active he's a heck of a football player but we wanted to get that one anchor and Norman you know fit the bill and I think those two together are gonna be a good complement norman hand a young guy big body about 330 pounds to take off some of those double teams and not now think we're going to have a great year to go with the expected return of injured defensive end joe johnson and steady contributions from rookie Darren Howard as well as veterans Willie whitehead number 98 and Jared Tomich number 90 the st. should feel the formidable front four in 2000 but the strength of this defense may turn out to be it's linebackers with former Rams middle linebacker Charlie Clements joining speedy outside backers mark fields and Keith Mitchell the Saints have formed one of the quickest cores in the league the key to the defense however will be the improvement of its young secondary the Saints have high hopes for a group that includes returnees Fred Waring Alex Molden Rob Kelly and Sammy Knight as well as newcomers Fred Thomas formerly of the Seahawks Kevin Mathis formerly of the Cowboys and expatriate Steve Israel if the secondary plays up to expectations the Saints should have no trouble carrying the success of the 90s into the new decade and instead wrapped up in the bunk upstream picked up by wearing these are unprecedented times in the NFL in the 2000 season the Saints will field as many as 11 new starters in New Orleans the dawn of a new century is a time to rise people what fans want they want your win right now and it's not unrealistic if I were on the outside looking in I'd want my team to win right now - everybody's impatient nowadays and I think it's going to be a little bit harder here just from the circumstances at the last couple of years but it's going to take time we'll be a better football team than they were last year and just be patient with us because we'll hopefully get where we won't be the good thing is with free agency now a big part of the league if you embrace that you're better suited to build your team quickly to the foundation that's already in place the Saints will continue to add the necessary pieces until they build a winner the Jo horns the norman hands the Fred Thomas's the Charley Clemens is those guys are fairly young player has only been in league three four years each so we feel like they've if given the opportunity can kind of go to the next level I think the biggest challenge in my mind is getting everybody on the same page you've got to have a an ownership that's committed you've got to have coaches and personnel people willing to sacrifice grind it out and work together about how I getting out of business month five o'clock this morning build a bit build a bit of two and get up in five and I think the big thing with is you got to have people that care and have passion and really want to win bad just being out there this morning uh you know like that the the coaches and the players are ready for the season to start and so am i I think anytime you know there's a change whether it's coaching or an office it brings excitement and that's what we have right now a lot of excitement right he all the running pleasure you put my chin today it's a whole new team out there you know different quarterback different receivers it feels good to be out there you know for like we have a brand new start back here you go turn go the ball by the Saints why not the Saints and you got no organization basically you know knew each other manager and coach and it's not the same team new claims and we come in and we set to stand on our own terms I wouldn't have it no other way edge pro gel presents the New Orleans Saints ultimate performance of the century led by Pro Bowl linebacker Sam Mills Vaughan Johnson hats willing and Ricky Jackson the 1991 Saints won the first division championship in the franchise's 25-year history bless you boys and to sing the Saints are officially the N Western Division champion best football name in this damn division be happy enjoy it you're the champs of the NFC Edge Pro gel for unsurpassed comfort lose the foam save your skin you the greatest players who've ever played this game so many people just cheering it was a special time and a special team do you realize how great those moments were history couldn't be written without these guys some of the greatest memories in by you could have ultimate honor that a football player every see know it takes a team to get to the Hall of Fame they made the game what it is today what makes it fun is the cheering of the crowd fans are the greatest part of football and this is your whole thing this NFL Films production has been brought in by the National Football League the NFL is online at WWF Elcom

Channel: galaxies352

Views: 44,124

Keywords: New Orleans, Football, Louisiana, Tom Benson, Ricky Williams, Mike Ditka, New Orleans Saints (Professional Sports Team)

Id: vo6QT1-8qNU

Length: 25min 6sec (1506 seconds)

Published: Sat Feb 05 2011