Saints open preseason tonight

The beloved New Orleans Saints finally take the field tonight in the friendly confines of the
Mercedes-Benz Superdome as the Black and Gold host the visiting Kansas City Chiefs. The
contest kicks off at 7 o'clock and as is the case with most preseason tilts it will be
interesting to see just how much playing time the starters will get, after all it is
preseason. The Saints' new 3-4 defensive scheme under coordinator Rob Ryan, which has had some
productive moments during training camp, looks to set the tone in actual game conditions going
against the Chiefs.
Fans attending tonight's game in the Dome should be aware of the NFL's new security rules, which
limits the size of bags, which are allowed to enter the stadium.
In preseason action last night,
the Cincinnati Bengals put together a strong team effort on the road, routing Matt Ryan and
the Atlanta Falcons, 34-10, with Dane Sansenbacher returning a punt 71 yards for a
score and was on the receiving end of a long scoring pass, helping to propel the victory.
Southeastern Louisiana University's Robert Alford, a second round pick, continued to
impress folks. The ESPN broadcast team of Mike Tirico and Jon Gruden raved about Alford's
ability during the game. Alford, the former Lions' player and graduate of Hammond High
School, turned in a solid performance in the Falcons' secondary. Alford, who runs a 4.35 forty, made big contributions defensively for Atlanta. At one point he made two consecutive
tackles and showed quick reflexes batting down a pass at the goal line. Gruden referred to Alford
as a player, who glides to the ball and has tremendous ball skills. It was also said that
Alford played at a small college playing with a chip on his shoulder and he is a physical
tackler. Alford definitely passed his first test on the big stage and hopefully continue to progress
making contributions for the Falcons.
Elsewhere, the defending Super Bowl champs, Baltimore Ravens crushed the Tampa Bay Bucs,
44-16, with Joe Flacco playing two series, hitting on 7-of-9 passes for 57 yards with an interception.
The Denver Broncos trimmed the San Francisco 49ers, 10-6, with Peyton Manning playing just
one series, connecting on 2-of-his 4 passes for 13 yards.
The Washington Redskins playing without QB Robert Griffin III slipped past the Tennessee Titans, 22-21. The Cleveland Browns topped the St. Louis Rams, 27-19 and the Seattle Seahawks cruised past San Diego, 31-10.