The Saints have dramatically retooled their defense over the weekend. A trade for star MLB Jonathan Vilma has been followed up by two AFC free agent additions in CB Randall Gay (New England) and DE Bobby McCray (Jacksonville). The moves accompany a flurry of re-signings including G Jamar Nesbit, C Jonathan Goodwin, WR Terrance Copper, K Martin Gramatica, DT Brian Young, MLB Mark Simoneau, WR Devery Henderson and RB Aaron Stecker.Gay signs with Saints

Randall Gay, a cornerback who spent the past four years with New England, has agreed to a four-year contract with the New Orleans Saints.

Gay’s agent, Albert Elias, told The Associated Press that the deal is worth up to $17.6 million. Gay was an unrestricted free agent.

Signed out of LSU in 2004 by the Patriots, Gay has recorded 83 career tackles, five interceptions and recovered three fumbles, including two returned for touchdowns. He played in all 19 games for New England in 2007 after his previous two seasons were cut short by ankle and hamstring injuries.

Saints sign McCray

Defensive end Bobby McCray, who has played the past four seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, agreed to a five-year contract today with the New Orleans Saints.

Other terms were not disclosed by the team. McCray had been an unrestricted free agent.

Drafted out of Florida by the Jaguars in 1994, McCray has played in 61 regular season games, recording 94 tackles, 22 sacks and seven forced fumbles. He recorded a career-high 10 sacks in 2006.

Stecker stays a Saint

Running back Aaron Stecker has agreed to a contract with the New Orleans Saints.

Terms were not released. Stecker had been an unrestricted free agent.

Stecker originally signed with the Saints in 2004 after four years with Tampa Bay. He rushed in 2007 for a career-high 448 yards, scored five touchdowns and caught 36 passes during six starts.

What’s shocking about this column is Schein’s picture. I’ve been listening to him on the NFL Network via Sirius and pictured a 285-pound former linebacker. Not a skinny music man from  Jersey…

Look who’s back, just in time for a playoff push to start the second half.

Ladies and gentlemen, re-introducing your 2007 New Orleans Saints.Write it down — AGAIN — the Saints are headed to the playoffs.

Buried by some, but not here, after an unfathomable 0-4 start, New Orleans has won four straight and tore apart the vaunted Jaguars defense 41-24 this past weekend.

According to receiver David Patten, it was more than just one single “W.”

Patten said Monday, “I really cannot truly express what winning this game, in the fashion that we won it, what this does for us. This is a great opponent. We not only get back to .500, we beat a quality opponent, a great defense. This is exactly what this team needed.”

And the Saints are doing what they did during their incredible ride in 2006; they are winning with the passing attack.

First, we need to give a lot of credit to the offensive line. Drew Brees’ bodyguards were so good last year, then so strangely out of whack to start the season. They have evened out their play, starting with the Seattle game, and it has made a huge difference. There is no reason to believe they will regress.

And that has allowed Brees to play like the MVP we thought he was going to be in the preseason.

He put on another clinic, showing a quick release, supreme confidence and pinpoint accuracy against the Jags. Distributing the ball brilliantly, he finished with 445 passing yards. For the second week in a row, Brees hit nine different receivers. You can’t stop that if you are an opposing defense.

Patten offered high praise for Brees.

“I’ve seen him do some drills that I haven’t seen any quarterback do, including Tom Brady when we played together in New England. He is s meticulous in the way he goes about his business and preparing himself. I truly believe it is his confidence combined with his work ethic that makes Drew so great. It doesn’t matter if we win by 21 or lose by 21, he’s the same guy working the same way, acting the same way in front of the guys.”

Patten totaled 81 receiving yards and a touchdown vs. Jacksonville. The veteran has been incredibly instrumental during the turnaround. When we talked to Brees last week, he told us that Marques Colston has regained his confidence. It showed this week; Colston had 10 catches for 159 yards. Reggie Bush is thriving as both a runner and receiver. Lance Moore, Devery Henderson and Eric Johnson have made key contributions.

There is no reason to believe New Orleans will slow down.

Yes, the defense can still be beefed up a bit. So can the special teams (how does Olindo Mare hold a job?)

While it is so dangerous to dive into a schedule in the NFL, the Saints have a great chance to make it seven straight. They have a home game against St. Louis, followed by games at Houston and division rival Carolina, which handed New Orleans one of its early-season ugly losses. A rematch with the Bucs looms large the first weekend in December.

But as Brees, Bush, Patten and Scott Fujita have all told me over the last two weeks, the key to the club morphing into a winner was everyone staying together. There was no finger-pointing, no second-guessing and no back-stabbing.

An energetic Patten told us, “It is so fun playing for Coach Payton. He is so filled with confidence and knowledge. And he has no fear. He kicks on-sides kicks. He lets Drew be Drew. We feed off of that.”

And the Saints will keep feeding until January.

This is my impression of the first half of the Saints-Jacksonville Game.

Quarter 1 — yeah!!! ….. No!!!

Quarter 2 — Yeah!!! …..No!!! …. Yeah!!! … No!!!!

Two missed field goals by Orlindo Mare and yet another deep ball burn by DB Colt David will hopefully be enough to get these two newcomers back on the bus from whence they came.

How about Drew Brees’ steady leadership to respond  methodically to everything Jacksonville could mount, complemented by Reggie Bush’s determined running between the tackles and linebackers to keep the clock rolling? Or Mike MacKenzie’s explosive interception TD that gave the adrenaline this team needed?

The Saints showed the poise, and toughness to stand toe to toe with a dangerous AFC opponent. Bush was darting and lunging for first downs like he had something to prove. Hmmm. Heisman winner possessed to overcome specter of Heisman disappointments?

But how about Mike MacKenzie? His play to step up in the third quarter when Jacksonville was driving and gaining momentum just sucked the air right out of their sails. He made something happen on Defense. That’s what the Saints needed. Hopefully that will send a message to his teammates how important a stiff defensive backfield is to becoming a champion.

This team is 4-0 in the second quarter of the season and they go into half time with momentum and the pride we saw all year…. They’re fighting with tenacity we were not seeing earlier in the season. I say we give them a pass.

I love seeing David Patten catching those long passes from Brees. Taking pressure off Colston creates opportunities for Colston. He’s a perfect number 2 receiver — and a solid number 1 as long as he doesn’t know he’s number 1.

Whatever Payton is doing is working. Bush looked good for the three quarters he was in the game. I’d like to see Pierre Thomas get a few more touches. The Giants just didn’t score enough to get him involved in kickoff returns.

I think we witnessed more of an awful 49ers offense instead of a shutdown defense. While SF’s scoring efforts are in complete disarray their defense is nothing to sneeze at, which means so much more for Captain Drew and company. They’re on a roll, got some momentum and can retake the top of the NFC South next week.

They should dispatch Jacksonville if they’re worth their stones. I know they haven’t defeated an AFC team since the lowly Browns, but COME ON!

One more win and we’ll be perfect in the second quarter of the season.

Btw, it was a beautiful day in Candlestick.

I live in San Diego. I moved here with my wife Jessica who is on a Navy posting.

But lately things are beginning to feel oddly familiar. I have a feeling the Chargers will have a city to come back to.

SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Chargers boarded a plane for Phoenix on Tuesday night, not knowing where or when they’ll play their next game.

They left town because of the wildfires that chased many in the organization out of their homes, fouled the air and left Sunday’s scheduled home game against the Houston Texans in doubt.

Their superstar running back knows his home survived the firestorm. Their general manager hasn’t heard if he’ll have a house to come home to.

While they spent Monday taking care of their families, it was time to get back to business.

“We need to get ready to play football,” said general manager A.J. Smith, who evacuated his home and doesn’t know if it’s still standing.

The Chargers will practice at the Arizona Cardinals‘ headquarters in Tempe on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. They packed for any eventuality, since the NFL and the Chargers are still debating what to do about Sunday’s game.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the options for Chargers-Texans include playing the game in Los Angeles, at Arizona State’s Sun Devil Stadium — the Cardinals’ former home — at Texas Stadium in Dallas or Reliant Stadium, the Texans’ home field.

Qualcomm Stadium is being used as an evacuation center. An estimated 10,000 people were there on Tuesday, under smoky skies.

“Our attitude is, we’re going to practice for three days, and give us a buzz and let us know where we’re going,” Smith said as the Chargers lined up at their headquarters to board buses to the airport. “Wherever it is, or whatever day it is, we’ll do the best we can to get a victory against Houston. That’s where it’s at.”

The Cardinals have a bye Sunday, and their stadium, located in Glendale, is scheduled to host a motorcycle show Friday through Sunday afternoon.

Qualcomm Stadium general manager Erik Stover said the building can be ready to host an NFL game by Sunday, but it all depends on when the fires are contained.

“The longer it goes, the less likely,” Stover said. “We’re an evacuation site until we’re no longer needed.”

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has been meeting with Chargers president Dean Spanos and others. Goodell said the options include playing the game in Los Angeles, at Arizona State’s Sun Devil Stadium — the Cardinals’ former home — at Texas Stadium in Dallas or Reliant Stadium, the Texans’ home field.

The precedent for playing at Reliant Stadium would be the New Orleans Saints playing a “home” game against the New York Giants at the Meadowlands after Hurricane Katrina. That move was later criticized.

Regardless, flying to Arizona is a drill familiar to 15 players on the active roster.

Four years ago to the week, the Chargers were forced to move a Monday night game against Miami — and Junior Seau’s much-anticipated homecoming — to Tempe on short notice because of deadly wildfires. As it is now, Qualcomm was being used as an evacuation center and the air quality was awful.

“It’s a little weird,” running back LaDainian Tomlinson said. “It wasn’t expected. Two times in my career. You’re just thankful you haven’t lost a house. This is the closest I’ve come to losing one, though. It was burning on my property line.”

Tomlinson and his wife had to flee their suburban home early Monday.

“I could see the fires coming,” said Tomlinson, the reigning NFL MVP. “You wake up at 4 o’clock in the morning. You get the phone call, ‘You need to evacuate.’ I see the sky was orange, so I’m like, ‘It’s serious.’

“You just adapt to it and deal with it. Everybody is. Look at all those people over there at the stadium.”

Some 46 players, coaches and staff members had to evacuate, including coach Norv Turner and quarterback Philip Rivers.

Rivers said smoke was coming under the doors of his suburban home, and he and his wife and three young daughters got out before the evacuation orders came. He said his house was OK.

“It was scary,” Rivers said. “A lot of us haven’t experienced it. A lot of us were not here in 2003. It’s such an unknown, too. You don’t know what it’s doing.”

Rivers said the players are in a good frame of mind.

“All our families are safe. That’s what’s most important. Obviously we feel for the people that were more directly affected. There is going to be a game this week. We’ve got to put all the focus there. From what I gather, we’ve all been able to do that.”

While the Chargers would love to be back in town Sunday, they know it’s out of their control.

“Again, you can let it affect you really as much as you allow it to,” Rivers said. “It’s an unfortunate situation, but again, it can be more unfortunate. We’re all safe, and for the most part, everybody’s home is safe. We could be in the position like a lot of people are in the county, that are worse off.”

The Chargers (3-3) are coming off their bye. After a stunning three-game losing streak, they righted many of their early season wrongs by routing the Broncos 41-3 in Denver and then beating the Oakland Raiders 28-14 at home behind Tomlinson’s 198 yards rushing and four touchdowns.

Turner was Miami’s offensive coordinator in 2003, when the Chargers had to move their Monday night game to Tempe. The Dolphins flew into San Diego on Sunday evening, then to Phoenix the next day. The Chargers, who weren’t very good back then, were flat and lost to the Dolphins, 26-10.

“If we prepare properly, all the other things are irrelevant,” Turner said. “Obviously, with the way we started, we don’t have a lot of room to have a setback. So we have to focus in and we have to do a great job in the next three days.”

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

Coaches talk about a football season taking place in three quarters. Each quarter is four games. Folks, we are in the second quarter, and so far, we’re 1-0. Looking at it like that, we’re on a roll.

I was listening in on Reggie Bush during his weekly call-in session to Sirius NFL radio’s Afternoon Blitz program. Typically, those sessions have the player answering softball questions that they’re prompted for.

One thing stood out. They talked about the use of younger players, now that the saints have nothing to lose. We can expect more blitzes, more aggression and more youth. To me that says more passion, which was something that the team in the First Quarter lacked.

The youth movement — with CB Usama Young, more WR Lance Moore, RB Pierre Thomas — could show some of these old timers what it means to be hungry.

That said, I would still love to see David Patten become the number one receiver on this club, to be the new Joe Horn and take some pressure of M. Colston. He’s not ready for number one. And I don’t know what to make of Devery Henderson. LSU’s Blue Grass Miracle, where he caught the game winning pass with his fingertips through two Kentucky defenders, seems so far away.

I wonder if we’ll see the Saints top draft pick Robert Meachem this week…. Not holding my breath.

Pierre Thomas in my mind is a solid, hungry back and nice complement to Reggie Bush. I’ve always been a Stecker fan, but don’t know the extent of his injuries after he came up lame in the fourth quarter. I get a little nervous seeing so much youth in the backfield — especially in ball protection. Reggie coughed up another one Sunday. I wonder what it would take to get Antowain Smith back in a Saints uniform.

He’s worth more to Houston at the moment. Ouch. They need some running backs. And then there’s Tampa trading for Michael Bennett in mid- season. I haven’t seen Bennett play a full season since…well ever. I hope Tampa has an extra hospital cot for him Sunday night.

By the way, anyone know how to get a poll up on one of these sites?

Despite their best efforts to fold in the 4th quarter, the Saints managed to out-Saints the Seahawks and record their first win.

In the first half they looked brilliant. Reggie Bush was darting and jiving, scampering his way to first downs. Later in the game, he looked a lot more like the Reggie we’ve come to know this year, dropping balls, losing yardage and … a lost fumble. Drew Brees, who was also in 2006 form in the first half, couldn’t orchestrate a first down in the Saints final four possessions, practically begging Mike Holmgren and the ‘Hawks to stage a comeback. They didn’t, inexplicably.

We missed Deuce on the short yardage. And while Colston scored a touchdown, he dropped one in the end zone on the same series, and looked downright sophmorish all game.

Drew found some comfort in David Patten and Lance Moore, and I expect to see them a lot more involved in the offense going forward. Also, Fred Thomas is in the d-backfield again — which considering the poor play of Jason David and others — is an unlikely improvement. The Saints recorded 5 sacks, four better than they managed all season with some well called safety blitzes among the schemes.

Stecker left the game; I hope it’s not serious because the Saints really need some veteran leadership carrying the ball.

John Madden was impressed. I was impressed.

Reggie Bush said that last year the Saints were playing for the City after Katrina. This year, they’re playing for themselves. The City is looking better in comparison. We need to help these guys along. They showed some early brilliance, luckily, and it was enough to keep them ahead in the game, which apparently makes all the difference in play-calling and comfort level for the young team.

Hasselback and the gang are favored by 7.5 points with a 44 point over/under. Odds makers figure this one to be a healthy scoring game, with the Seahawks posting most of the offense.

Bet on the Saints to cover at least the spread on their way to an 0-5 start. Go ahead. Bet. I dare you.

On the baffling front, Olindo Mare is still on the roster, listed as probable for Sunday night’s action.