We're getting deep into camp and it's important to stay fresh. Lovie Smith is giving the team a day off tomorrow while the coaches pour over video and get ready for the next wave of activity.
The schedule has them practicing the following three days before an off day Monday, then we're in game week mode.
The 'iron-sharpens-iron' mantra you hear a lot of players talk about is prevalent because the team is going against itself every day. After a while they get to know the tendencies of the man across the line of scrimmage as much as old married couples know each other's stories.
By the time the Saints march into NRG, the team will be ultra-eager to hit someone in another jersey.
Ok, so I mentioned 'iron sharpens iron.' There's another expression you'll hear a lot – "We're stacking days." This is a way of keeping things in the moment and marking progress when an actual game is still relatively far away on the calendar.
On the air, John Harris and I are doing our best not to talk about the weather too much. But it's difficult. When you're out in 90+ degree heat broadcasting and watching people actually work out vigorously in these conditions it's tough to not comment on the 'surface of the sun' temperatures.
A big benefit for fans coming to camp is that the stands are completely covered and shaded at the Houston Methodist Training Center. Anyone who's been here before and felt like they were trending toward becoming a slice of brisket will be glad to know that it's so much more pleasant to watch the team work since the shade became a staple starting last year.
Even I have gone over to the East side of the facility to be in the shade, er, I mean to get another vantage point.
Thursday's day off doesn't mean we're shutting down programming. In fact, we're beefing it up as Nick Caserio will be in studio at 9am on Sports Radio 610. We'll talk about how it's going, how the roster is shaping up and I'll personally be getting his ideas on hydration. He looks like a cool customer out on the practice field.
