In the city of Oxnard you will find the River Ridge Golf Course Complex which includes a Residence Inn and two pristine natural grass football fields. Over the last dozen years or so, this complex has been the Summer practice home for first the Oakland Raiders and then the Dallas Cowboys.
This week the New Orleans Saints have opted to use River Ridge for their five practices leading up to next Sunday's preseason game in Oakland after having played at Houston last Saturday night.
At nearby Rio Mesa H.S., the Spartans were working through our first day of two-a-days in pads with the typical ups and downs. Our afternoon practice ended at about 4:50 p.m. Since the Saints practice started at 4:30 p.m., I decided to hustle over to River Ridge, only a five mile drive, and watch a bit of an NFL practice.
Parking cost $10 but admission to the practice was free!
I found the Saints practice to be well organized with no wasted efforts and seemless transitions from drill to drill. Let's go through their last 90 minutes of practice once I arrived.
PUNT
Calling out the Protection Scheme
Gunner releasing off the LOS
KICKOFF COVERAGE DRILL
Two Covering against One Returner
Breakdown and Contain
This was a GREAT drill, you will see it soon at RMHS.
7-on-7 DRILL
Back-up QB Chase Daniels in action
Drew Brees, one of the NFL's BEST!
Pass Defense
Brees slinging it again
PASS BLOCKING DRILL
This might be holding
This one too
This one looks legal
Check out the guns on #63
He's Dexter Lattimore, a rookie out of THE Ohio State University.
TEAM OFFENSE
Darren Sproles with the rock
Sproles with the stiff arm
Sproles turns the corner
This was all part of the same long distance TD run by the former San Diego Charger.
FIELD GOAL
Pressure Off the Edge
Kicker Garrett Hartley
KICKOFF RETURN
Get Position FIRST!
#93 Junior Galette
Gallette makes a block
RED ZONE OFFENSE
Knock It Down!
#23 Pierre Thomas driving for paydirt!
#28 Mark Ingram running wild!
Ingram was the Saints #1 Draft Pick this year out of Alabama. He was also the 2010 Heisman Trophy winner and looked very good today.
TD by #13 WR Joseph Morgan
TWO MINUTE GAME
Brees to . . .
. . . Sproles
Hartley finishes the drive with a three
CONDITIONING
Gassers
Practice ended with some spirited Gassers. As you can see, the Saints ran a great practice with lots of variety and a great stress on the kicking game.
It was a fun 90 minutes watching them go through their paces!
1 comment:
Great pictures!
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