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By Lori Shontz
Of the Post-Dispatch
Ernie Conwell was born in Reston, Wash., and he stayed at home for his college years at the University of Washington. Since 2002, he has played tight end for the New Orleans Saints.
But when people ask Conwell and his wife, Andrea, where they're from, they often fail to mention either of those places.
"My wife and I, we still have a tendency to say we're from St. Louis," said Conwell, who played in St. Louis for seven years after the Rams chose him in the second round of the 1996 NFL draft. "That's where we really grew into adulthood as a married couple. Where our kids grew up."
So when Conwell returns to the Edward Jones Dome on Sunday for the first time as an opposing player, he expects to feel a twinge or two.
"I'm sure it's going to be a weird feeling to be on the opposite sideline," he said. "And it'll be a different experience. But I think all that'll happen in pre-game, the warm-ups, and then just like anything else, when the game starts we're playing football and it'll kind of just subside, I'm sure."
The Saints, as usual, are looked upon as a team with plenty of talent, particularly offensively, with running back Deuce McAllister (who was injured a week ago against the *****), quarterback Aaron Brooks and wide receivers Joe Horn and Donte' Stallworth. Somehow, however, that talent rarely turns into results.
"The key right now is we don't want to talk about talent, ability, potential," Conwell said. "They're almost like four-letter words in this business. We just know that we have to take care of business every week and that we're only as good as we are on game day.
"I think we're just maturing in that we realize that we're going to have to prepare like champions, we're going to have to practice like champions, and then go out and play hard and winning will take care of itself. I think we're starting to learn that as a team."
That said, the Saints started the season with a loss to the Seattle Seahawks, and although they beat San Francisco a week ago, they played sloppily at times. They also lost McAllister with a high-ankle sprain. He will be out for four or five weeks, leaving the running back duties to Aaron Stecker and Ki-Jana Carter.
"We'll package them up based on what they do best," Saints coach Jim Haslett said in his Monday news conference. "I think both of them have good qualities; both of them are good running backs.
"I think Aaron showed (Sunday against San Francisco) that he has good, pretty good running skills, he's tough. You can see why Ki-Jana Carter was the No. 1 pick in the draft - he's got great vision. He's lost a little bit of speed, but he's a good player."
By necessity, Haslett said, the Saints will need to rely more on their passing game.
A week ago, Brooks passed for three touchdowns and posted a 127.0 quarterback rating. Stallworth caught a career-high nine passes for 113 yards, including a 16-yard TD pass with 1:01 remaining, and Horn grabbed eight passes for 94 yards and a TD. Additionally, Horn completed two passes, including a 37-yard TD pass to Jerome Pathon.
Conwell, too, has been a receiving threat. Last season, he started the first 10 games for the Saints, catching 26 passes for 290 yards and two TDs. Then he missed the rest of the season with a fractured right ankle.
"I was just starting to get into a rhythm with Aaron," he said.
Now, Conwell said, he feels "as good as I've ever felt, physically." So far this season, he has started both games for the Saints, who frequently have been using a two tight-end offense, catching three passes for 32 yards, including a 6-yard TD reception against the Seahawks in the opener.
Of the Post-Dispatch
Ernie Conwell was born in Reston, Wash., and he stayed at home for his college years at the University of Washington. Since 2002, he has played tight end for the New Orleans Saints.
But when people ask Conwell and his wife, Andrea, where they're from, they often fail to mention either of those places.
"My wife and I, we still have a tendency to say we're from St. Louis," said Conwell, who played in St. Louis for seven years after the Rams chose him in the second round of the 1996 NFL draft. "That's where we really grew into adulthood as a married couple. Where our kids grew up."
So when Conwell returns to the Edward Jones Dome on Sunday for the first time as an opposing player, he expects to feel a twinge or two.
"I'm sure it's going to be a weird feeling to be on the opposite sideline," he said. "And it'll be a different experience. But I think all that'll happen in pre-game, the warm-ups, and then just like anything else, when the game starts we're playing football and it'll kind of just subside, I'm sure."
The Saints, as usual, are looked upon as a team with plenty of talent, particularly offensively, with running back Deuce McAllister (who was injured a week ago against the *****), quarterback Aaron Brooks and wide receivers Joe Horn and Donte' Stallworth. Somehow, however, that talent rarely turns into results.
"The key right now is we don't want to talk about talent, ability, potential," Conwell said. "They're almost like four-letter words in this business. We just know that we have to take care of business every week and that we're only as good as we are on game day.
"I think we're just maturing in that we realize that we're going to have to prepare like champions, we're going to have to practice like champions, and then go out and play hard and winning will take care of itself. I think we're starting to learn that as a team."
That said, the Saints started the season with a loss to the Seattle Seahawks, and although they beat San Francisco a week ago, they played sloppily at times. They also lost McAllister with a high-ankle sprain. He will be out for four or five weeks, leaving the running back duties to Aaron Stecker and Ki-Jana Carter.
"We'll package them up based on what they do best," Saints coach Jim Haslett said in his Monday news conference. "I think both of them have good qualities; both of them are good running backs.
"I think Aaron showed (Sunday against San Francisco) that he has good, pretty good running skills, he's tough. You can see why Ki-Jana Carter was the No. 1 pick in the draft - he's got great vision. He's lost a little bit of speed, but he's a good player."
By necessity, Haslett said, the Saints will need to rely more on their passing game.
A week ago, Brooks passed for three touchdowns and posted a 127.0 quarterback rating. Stallworth caught a career-high nine passes for 113 yards, including a 16-yard TD pass with 1:01 remaining, and Horn grabbed eight passes for 94 yards and a TD. Additionally, Horn completed two passes, including a 37-yard TD pass to Jerome Pathon.
Conwell, too, has been a receiving threat. Last season, he started the first 10 games for the Saints, catching 26 passes for 290 yards and two TDs. Then he missed the rest of the season with a fractured right ankle.
"I was just starting to get into a rhythm with Aaron," he said.
Now, Conwell said, he feels "as good as I've ever felt, physically." So far this season, he has started both games for the Saints, who frequently have been using a two tight-end offense, catching three passes for 32 yards, including a 6-yard TD reception against the Seahawks in the opener.
