A topic after practice was the potential for weather to have an effect on the game Sunday. Currently there is a 40% chance of showers in Buffalo.
“Tomorrow we’ll do some wet ball drills like we’ve done before just to anticipate bad weather,” said head coach Sean Payton of how his team will prepare for the potential of rain. “It’s a field turf surface so that provides decent footing. You got to be able to deal with elements whether its cold wind or rain, those are all apart of playing on the road especially for us.”
Rain isn’t a friend to a pass happy offense such as the Saints but for the other side of the ball, well the more inclement the weather the better. “It’s always great for a defensive coach to have about a hundred mile an hour winds, have as much rain, snow on the field, because it becomes a ground and pound and that kind of stuff,” says Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. “Defensive guys always like it, offensive guys always hate it.”
Teams begin looking at the weather reports on Wednesday for the upcoming games, but for Williams who spent three seasons as head coach of the Bills, he’s well familiar with weather patterns in Buffalo. In fact, Williams almost comes across as a meteorologist when he talks about how weather effects how he calls plays during the game.
“I’ll talk to our guys when all of a sudden they go on the field and the wind is at the quarterbacks back and the wind is at the quarterbacks face. We’ll do things differently that way. They’ll be certain things,” Williams says. “Did I start watching the weather report in Buffalo from the time we got back home from Philly, yes. That flag right outside my office window was starched for three years. Very, very seldom that you play in that stadium and there’s no wind. There’s a lot of wind usually, and it’s a kicker’s nightmare.”
BUMPS AND BRUISES
LT Jammal Brown (hip) and TE Darnell Jenkins (foot) did not practice and are already listed as being out for Sunday’s game.
RB Mike Bell (rightknee), WR Lance Moore (right hamstring), and DT Kendrick Clancy (right knee) all did not practice.
LB Jo-Lonn Dunbar (left hamstring), S Roman Harper (right hamstring), DE Bobby McCray (back), and DE Charles Grant (left hamstring) were listed as having a limited practice.
QB Drew Brees (left shoulder), LT Jermon Bushrod (right knee), TE Jeremy Shockey (left ankle), and RB Pierre Thomas (right knee) all were full go at practice.
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