Undrafted rookie RB Chris Ivory is making a huge push towards making the Saints’ opening day roster.  With Lynell Hamilton out for the year the Saints are looking for someone to step up behind Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush.  Chris Ivory has been that guy so far this pre-season.  In the Saints’ first 3 pre-season games, Ivory has carried the ball 37 times for 141 yards (3.8 ypc) with 1 TD run.  He has also caught 1 pass for 76 yards and it went for a TD.  Ivory played at tiny Tiffin College in Ohio so this would be a huge jump in competition for him but he’s looking like he might be able to handle the gig.

The Saints offense was outstanding in this game but the defense was not.  Drew Brees looked sharp as he completed 18 of 27 passes for 240 yards with 2 TD passes.  Patrick Ramsey finished up by completing 10 of 18 passes for 191 yards with 1 TD pass and 1 INT.  Undrafted rookie RB Chris Ivory was the offensive star for the Saints in this game.  He carried the ball 11 times for 45 yards (4.1 ypc) and he also caught 1 pass that he took to the house (a 76-year reception!).  Pierre Thomas (7 rec, 41 yards) and Reggie Bush (3 car, 16 yards and 7 rec, 70 yards) also had solid games for the Saints last night.  WRs Marques Colston (4 rec, 55 yards), Devery Henderson (1 rec, 46 yards, TD) and Robert Meachem (2 rec, 28 yards, TD) all had solid games for the Saints last night in the passing game.  The Saints finished up with 129 yards rushing (4.6 ypc) and 423 yards passing in this game.

LBs Jonathan Vilma (7 tackles) and Scott Shanle (6 tackles) led the way for the Saints’ D last night.  CB Leigh Torrence pitched in with 5 tackles, 1 pass defensed and 1 interception.  Torrence returned his pickoff 87 yards for a TD with only seven seconds left in the game to seal the victory for the Saints last night.  The Chargers finished up with 68 yards rushing (3.4 ypc) and 255 yards passing last night.  The Saints are now 2-1 on the season.

The Saints have released 32-year old linebacker Troy Evans and 28-year old WR Mark Bradley.  Evans was the special teams captain of the Saints so it’s a little bit of a surprise to see them let him go.  He played in both pre-season games for the Saints and he had 6 tackles.  Evans played in 16 games (2 starts) for the Saints last season and he had 29 tackles and 1 pass defensed.  He played in 3 years for the Saints appearing in 47 games (2 starts) in which he had 59 tackles and 1 pass defensed.  Mark Bradley didn’t catch any passes in the first two pre-season games for the Saints and he was buried on the depth chart.

The Saints have signed 26-year old RB DeShawn Wynn.  Wynn played in 4 games for the Packers last season in which he carried the ball 6 times for 19 yards (3.2 ypc) and he also caught 2 passes for 19 yards (9.5 avg).  Wynn has now played in 16 games (4 starts) in his three years in the NFL and he has carried the ball 64 times for 332 yards (5.2 ypc) with 5 TD runs.  He has also caught 14 passes for 122 yards (8.7 avg) thus far in his career.  Wynn is a talented back when he’s healthy which hasn’t been too often in his NFL career.  Still taking a chance on a talented back like Wynn is not much of a gamble for the Saints.

The Saints have put 23-year old RB P.J. Hill on the Injured Reserve List ending his season due to a leg injury.  Hill played in both pre-season games for the Saints and he carried the ball 15 times for 62 yards (4.1 ypc).  He also caught 4 passes for 23 yards (5.8 avg) for the Saints during the pre-season.  Hill was playing good enough to be considered for the opening roster for the Saints if he didn’t get hurt.  At worst, he would have been stuck on the practice squad.