5 Saints That Need to “Come Up Big” to Beat the Bucs
By Bob Rose
Sep 11, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks (10) celebrates his second quarter touchdown catch against the Oakland Raiders at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
The Young Guns (Brandin Cooks, Michael Thomas, and Willie Snead)
Yeah, we know: we only said FIVE players, but this makes it 7 altogether.
But hey: it’s Christmas after all, and so in the spirit of the holiday, we thought we would give a little extra by presenting our last key performer in the form of a talented trio.
Saints wide receivers Brandin Cooks, Willie Snead and Michael Thomas combined for 22 of Drew Brees’ 37 completions, 314 yards and 3 scores in the Arizona desert. It was a resounding return to form from the young trio that had struggled with consistency over the past month.
Cooks in particular, with 7 receptions for 186 yards and 2 touchdowns, briefly silenced critics who were questioning the attitude and effort of the 23 year old receiver.
The rookie star Thomas returned to the lineup after missing the Buccaneers game; and with the return from injury it drew extra attention from the Cardinals defensive backs; allowing Cooks more open looks down the field.
The 24 year old Snead was Brees’ most productive wideout against Tampa Bay two weeks ago, and continues to be a trusted security blanket for number #9.
Such success against Arizona’s talented secondary has hopefully boosted the confidence of this youthful group, who looks to become the first trio of recievers in franchise history to each surpass 1,000 yards in the same season…….