- Mar 13, 2002
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Saints call Stafford "fresh meat", want to "break his spirt early"
The Saints don?t seem scared of Matthew Stafford. In fact, they seem happy Lions coach Jim Schwartz named the rookie the starting quarterback for the season opener Sunday.
Here are a few Saints quotes from the New Orleans Times-Picayune:
Defensive end Jeff Charleston: ?It?s fresh meat. It?s his first real game. He?s our opponent, and you still have to respect him, but we?re going to come after him.?
Defensive end Bobby McCray: ?I?m sure they?re not going to give him too much to handle in his first game, but it?s our job to get after him no matter what. It?s very important that we break his spirit early.?
Defensive tackle Anthony Hargrove: ?He?s from Georgia, and I?m from Georgia Tech. Any time I get a chance to go against a Bulldog, I?m definitely going to try to bring my ?A? game.?
Hargrove said he preferred playing against Stafford than veteran Daunte Culpepper.
?With a rookie you can do some different things to try to get him rattled and get him looking at the rush, instead of looking down field,? Hargrove said. ?Daunte is a guy who?s been in the league a while, and he knows how to stay in the pocket. Plus, he?s also a great escape artist, so you like playing against a rookie quarterback.?
The Saints don?t seem scared of Matthew Stafford. In fact, they seem happy Lions coach Jim Schwartz named the rookie the starting quarterback for the season opener Sunday.
Here are a few Saints quotes from the New Orleans Times-Picayune:
Defensive end Jeff Charleston: ?It?s fresh meat. It?s his first real game. He?s our opponent, and you still have to respect him, but we?re going to come after him.?
Defensive end Bobby McCray: ?I?m sure they?re not going to give him too much to handle in his first game, but it?s our job to get after him no matter what. It?s very important that we break his spirit early.?
Defensive tackle Anthony Hargrove: ?He?s from Georgia, and I?m from Georgia Tech. Any time I get a chance to go against a Bulldog, I?m definitely going to try to bring my ?A? game.?
Hargrove said he preferred playing against Stafford than veteran Daunte Culpepper.
?With a rookie you can do some different things to try to get him rattled and get him looking at the rush, instead of looking down field,? Hargrove said. ?Daunte is a guy who?s been in the league a while, and he knows how to stay in the pocket. Plus, he?s also a great escape artist, so you like playing against a rookie quarterback.?
