METAIRIE, La. (AP) — Two of the Saints’ beginning receivers, two-time All-Professional Michael Thomas and veteran Emmanuel Sanders, missed apply on Thursday, elevating questions on who would exchange their manufacturing in New Orleans’ passing assault.

Thomas limped off the sphere late in Sunday’s victory over Tampa Bay, and the staff mentioned Thursday he had an ankle harm.

Coach Sean Payton declined to deal with Thomas’ prognosis with reporters, sustaining his typical coverage of declining to disseminate any particulars past what golf equipment are required to put up on harm reviews.

Payton’s refusal to debate the matter left unsure Thomas’ prospects for Monday evening’s recreation in opposition to the Raiders in Las Vegas – or video games past that.

Sanders, who left San Francisco as a free agent this previous offseason, caught a 5-yard landing cross from Drew Brees in his Saints debut. The Saints mentioned Sanders’ absence from apply Thursday was not injury-related, however no additional clarification was supplied.

Sanders was not added to the Saints’ reserve/COVID-19 record, in keeping with transactions launched Thursday by the NFL.

Thomas’ and Sanders’ absences come after Brees final Sunday handed for 160 yards, nicely under his typical commonplace and tying a season low from final 12 months – excluding a Week 2 loss in opposition to the Rams in Los Angeles, which Brees left with an injured throwing hand after his fifth cross.

The Saints (1-0) additionally received comparatively low manufacturing from Thomas, who opened 2020 with three catches after setting an NFL single-season report with 149 catches in 2019.

Brees has had video games earlier than during which he is thrown a number of landing passes to reserves. Amongst them was a Thursday evening victory over Atlanta in November 2018, when Brees threw scoring passes to 4 gamers who had entered the NFL as undrafted free brokers inside three years of that recreation: tight finish Dan Arnold and receivers Tommylee Lewis, Austin Carr and Keith Kirkwood.

”Our teaching employees does a terrific job of placing guys in one of the best place to succeed and constructing a recreation plan across the strengths of the fellows we do have,” Brees mentioned after Thursday’s apply.

Brees additionally makes loads of throws to working backs resembling Alvin Kamara, who had a receiving landing in Week 1, and tight ends together with Jared Cook dinner, who caught 5 passes for a team-high 80 yards final Sunday.

”I am not fearful about Drew’s passing yards,” Kamara mentioned. ”We simply had a sluggish offensive day, simply type of working among the kinks out. It was Recreation 1, so these are when a few of these errors occur.”

Kamara added that the newer and youthful offensive talent gamers who could possibly be referred to as upon this week are ”locked in. They know what is going on on. They know what they should do. We’re targeted on numerous particulars this week they usually’ll be prepared.”

The Saints’ third beginning receiver, Tre’Quan Smith, is wholesome.

Final week, New Orleans had two different receivers on the energetic roster: Deonte Harris and Marquez Callaway. Harris was an All-Professional returner as a rookie final season and his play in coaching camp, together with feedback by Payton, have foreshadowed a rising function within the offense for him this season.

”He might have had extra touches and extra involvement (within the offense) a 12 months in the past,” Payton mentioned final week.

Callaway is an undrafted rookie out of Tennessee.

The membership might select to activate any of a number of receivers from its apply squad, together with Bennie Fowler, Austin Carr, Juwan Johnson and Lil’Jordan Humphrey.

Folwer was activated in Week 1 and recovered a kickoff fumbled by Tampa Bay.

NOTES: The Saints activated working again Dwayne Washington from their reserve/COVID-19 record. The Saints now don’t have any different gamers on that record.

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