That was nice to see. Arnold had two catches for 35 yards. He was in the lineup with the game on the line and was split out wide on a few plays like an outside receiver. A little surprising from Sean Payton but I hope the confidence in him continues to grow. Taysom Hill being used every which way and impressing.
I don't get a great feel for the early games apart from the only one I am able to watch (yesterday Patriots) and then I travel for an hour and don't get home until 5:30. Then I bounce around from the Red Zone on NFL TV which I like a lot and the national game before settling in for the Sunday Night Game.
So in the Patriots game I couldn't help notice how many damn cheap shots WR Chris Hogan had to take. One was where the defender plowed into his knee while he was blocking in such a way to cause serious damage. Hogan was laid out for a moment but thankfully returned to the game. There were all these cheap semi late hits from second defenders after a catch and one time the DB yanked his facemask which was called. Seems to me black defenders continue to cheap shot white WRs. Sometimes it is obvious. Other times it is subtle. Maybe I am being paranoid but I can't shake the feeling these black players want these white skill players off the field for good. And Edelman and a DB were tussling but then the punk DB grabbed Edelman's facemask after a play and the refs turned the other way. Say this about Edelman he isn't going to back down.
Now I did see the Panthers highlights and once again they stumbled and bumbled their way to a win. Newton has been mostly bad this year with a few good bits mixed in but that was a key play by CM late. Despite his cartoon ways I can tolerate Newton even if I know damn well he isn't good enough to win a Super Bowl. I know many here can't stand him but one has to admit his set of WRs are deplorable. And with Olsen obviously not at 100% his only reliable receiver is CM. And at least Newton was running down the field late to block. He takes a lot of skull shots and he stays tough so I will give him that. But he does play ugly. Nothing smooth about him. But speaking of tough just looking at the stats as noted above Luke Kuechly must have played the best game of any NFL player this season. Yet here was NBC commentator Tony Dungy blathering on about the Rams Donald as the "clear best defensive player" in the league. In fact I didn't hear Kuechly's name once during highlights from separate stations. This does not look like a great team but you take Kuechly out of the equation what are they?
Dallas got screwed with some bogus procedure call which messed up their tying FG. Too bad. Beasley made several stellar plays to keep that drive alive and Sean Lee was back to anchor the defense.
Finally the enigmatic Saints. I have never been a Saints fan and except for that brief spell back a ways where they started three white LBs that were actually nicknamed the snow patrol I have always rooted against them. Don't like Peyton their coach either. And although they have ramped up drafting white players in the draft most don't fully pan out. As mentioned above rangy LB Anzalone is only getting spot duty and rarely is he on the field with starting LB Klein. And back up edge player Hendrickson must be hurt? I remember a few years back they drafted an athletic LB out of Chattanooga who never saw the field.
One has to go back to Keith Poole to remember the last time a white WR of any import played for the Saints. And they used swift TE Coby Fleener as an afterthought. Now in a shock I see small school TE Dan Arnold, which made me think of Bucky. I recall how well he performed on his pro day running the 40 yard dash in 4.55 and leaping 40 inches. So now that he is on the roster will the Saints utilize his awesome athletic abilities? Recent history suggests no but perhaps things are changing there.
That is because Taysom Hill is quickly becoming a household name. To me the most surprising thing about the NFL this year is the emergence of Hill as some sort of Paul Hornung backfield figure. Now he isn't a Paul Hornung like starter and is still relegated to spot duty but it seems more and more the Saints are relying on him when things get tight. The most exciting moments in the NFL so far this season for me is when he comes into the game. You never know when or how they will use him. And you expect something big to happen every time he touches the ball.
