Dattitude with Jim Derry

If you have been a Saints fan for longer than a quarter-century, then you remember the miserable days of former coach Mike Ditka and his final season of 1999 when the Black and Gold had guys like the Billy Joes running the offense, as they struggled to score 14 to 17 points per game.

It’s starting to feel like that again under Coach Dennis Allen. Has the team given up on him? Can the veterans pull together and make something out of nothing? Will Derek Carr’s return mean anything at this point?

As the team hits the midway point of the season, there are way more questions than answers, although we do our best on “Mano E Monday” in asking the fans what they think on the Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 301) presented by Evangeline Securities. Also, in our “Mondays with Gabe Henderson” segment, it wasn;t much better for LSU on Saturday.

In September 2021, the Dattitude Podcast was launched with the idea we would be different than other shows that covered sports in and around southeast Louisiana. Sure, we focused on the Saints with leans to LSU, the Pelicans and Tulane, among other topics, but we wanted to find a way to give the viewers and listeners a voice.

It may have taken a while, and although we started as an audio-only podcast, we have evolved to what the original vision was: And that is to talk to you.

On milestone Episode 300 presented by Evangeline Securities, host Jim Derry brings in three regular commenters onto the show as guests. Also, he continues to read comments from other regulars and new members of the Dattitude Family, as we all try to figure out how to fix the New Orleans Saints and predict the outcome of Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

There are so many things to talk about Thursday, but first we ask: What else can go wrong for the New Orleans Pelicans. Despite winning their season opener against the Chicago Bulls, they lose their top free agent in Dejounte Murray likely for “several weeks” with a broken hand.

Meanwhile, the Saints seem to be getting healthier (Taysom Hill, Chris Olave, Cesar Ruiz and Pete Werner), but is it too late to care, as they prepare for the Los Angeles Chargers? Also, Garrett Nussmeier and the LSU Tigers are on the road for the second week in a row and are slight underdogs at Texas A&M, where one of the two teams will be the only remaining undefeated team in SEC play after Saturday’s game.

It's a jam-packed Thursday Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 299) presented by Evangeline Securities, and Jim Derry has plenty to say. He also welcomes in Bet.NOLA.com’s Gabe Henderson to hear his top play of the week, as well as Uncle Big Nick for his weekly five best bets. (He has been hot!)

We have had time to cool down from the Saints’ second consecutive blowout loss at home, and now the team is preparing for a trip out west to play the Los Angeles Chargers. Do we still have any hope for this team, or are you rooting for it to end as soon as possible?

The future of Dennis Allen, the contract extension for Alvin Kamara, the potential return of Derek Carr … Yep, there’s plenty to talk about on Wednesday’s Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 298) presented by Evangeline Securities. Host Jim Derry will chat about it with The Athletic’s Larry Holder, as well as “Wednesdays with Gabe Henderson.”

Also, Jim will tell you how you – the listener – can be a guest on Friday’s special Episode No. 300, and he will give you a brief preview of the New Orleans Pelicans’ season opener Wednesday night at home against the Chicago Bulls.

There are certain games or a group of games in particular seasons what will go down in New Orleans Saints lore as a time in which you knew change was coming. It’s probably safe to say Thursday’s humiliating 33-10 loss to Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos was one of those moments.

Coach Dennis Allen looked defeated in his postgame press conference, and the players on the field looked defeated in the first quarter. The injuries are mounting, and who knows when this string of losses will end? What do the fans think? We asked on a special “Mano E Friday” edition of the Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 297) presented by Evangeline Securities.

Host Jim Derry also played clips from Allen’s press conference, as well as comments from Alvin Kamara and a couple of questions Jim had for Payton after the game. Also, Jim shares his thoughts on Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener, and Gabe Henderson joined in on what might be next for the Black and Gold.

In case you have been living under a rock and missed it, Broncos coach Sean Payton returns to the Caesars Superdome on Thursday night to face his old team that he once led to a Lombardi Trophy. So the question is: Are you Who Dats going to boo him or cheer when he is announced?

Maybe a more important question is: Will Dennis Allen’s defense show up on a short week after getting blasted by an average Tampa Bay team just 4 days ago? In other words, Jim Derry has plenty of questions for The Athletic’s Larry Holder on Thursday’s Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 296) presented by Evangeline Securities.

Also, the duo will make their picks for the game, and Gabe Henderson and Uncle Big Nick’s best bets of the week will be revealed, as well as a plethora of comments from our “Dattitude Family” throughout the previously live show.

If it seems like it was just a few weeks ago many Who Dats were talking about how great this Saints defense was and they couldn’t wait to see how dominating they would be with Chase Young at defensive end … well, that’s because it was just a few weeks ago.

Here we are now, and the unit is dead last in the NFL in yards allowed per game, and they seemingly couldn’t tackle a turtle on concrete. What has changed, and can it improve before this season is too far gone? How much of this is attributes to Dennis Allen, and what about Mickey Loomis’ comments backing his head coach?

There’s plenty to talk about on Wednesday’s Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 295) presented by Evangeline Securities. We also spend time with Gabe Henderson and chat about LSU’s annual game against Arkansas for “The Boot,” and ask if the Tigers can hold on to the momentum they have following last week’s win over Ole Miss.

Remember when the New Orleans Saints were 2-0 and everything was right with the world? Yeah, me too. Fun times. That seems like years ago. Four weeks later, we’re here following a second consecutive embarrassing loss, and many fans are saying Coach Dennis Allen may have lost this team.

We hear from many of those Who Dats after the Saints 51-27 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on our weekly “Mano E Monday,” of the Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 294) presented by Evangeline Securities. Host Jim Derry shares his thoughts and responds to the fans’ reactions on Allen, the NFL debut of quarterback Spencer Rattler and where the Saints might go from here.

Also, it’s Monday’s with Gabe Henderson, as we also look back on LSU’s stunning comeback win in overtime against Ole Miss and who is up next on the docket for the 5-1 Tigers.

It seems like Saints fans can’t get enough talk about quarterback Spencer Rattler, as we prepare for his first NFL start Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. What should we expect, and can we coerce one podcast host to change the name of his show if The Rat comes through his first test with flying colors?

Indeed, Jim Derry is thinking of what would need to happen to turn the Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 293) presented by Evangeline Securities into “Rattitude.” WWL-TV sports director Doug Mouton is here to share the fun, as he makes a prediction on the game with Jim and talks about a crazy weekend of sports around south Louisiana.

Speaking of crazy, what about LSU and Ole Miss? Oregon-Ohio State? Texas-Oklahoma? Jayden Daniels and his Washington Commanders facing off against two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens? But most of all … yes … Spencer Rattler.

It's time to celebrate, boys and girls! Spencer Rattler has been named starting quarterback for the New Orleans Saints for Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and a franchise is ready to be saved! Well, it seems as if that’s what many Who Dats think, anyway.

They were loud and proud on Thursday’s Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 292) presented by Evangeline Securities, and challenged host Jim Derry at every turn when he asked them WHY it makes a difference who is starting with Derek Carr out due to an injured oblique. Why is Rattler better than Jake Haener?

And since it is Thursday, as always, Bet.NOLA.com Sports Director Tom Casale Gabe Henderson and Uncle Big Nick are here for their best bets of the week, as we have heated up in October as promised. Can they keep it going with the best of college football in Week 7 and NFL Week 6?