Bengals cornerback Eli Apple, one of three former Saints returning to the Caesars Superdpome Sunday (1 p.m.-Cincinnati’s Channel 12) as a defensive starter, has a pretty hefting scouting report on the New Orleans wide receivers.
If rookie Chris Olave (concussion) and vet Michael Thomas (foot) play. Neither practiced Wednesday.
The 6-3, 212-pound Thomas is Apple’s former college and Saints teammate while Olave is a fellow Buckeye and one of Apple’s favorite receivers.
“I was actually at the Michigan game when he was a freshman and he caught the two touchdown passes,” Apple said Wednesday of the memorable rout where Olave also blocked a punt that led to another Ohio State touchdown. “I would always watch his games after that.
“Great talent. Fast. He’s got moves. Catches everything naturally. I hope he’s healthy.”
Apple said he’s got “a lot of practice reps,” against the imposing Thomas from both Columbus and New Orleans.
“We’re everywhere,” Apple said of the Buckeyes. “I haven’t talked to (Thomas) for a minute, we were pretty tight … It’s a street fight every time. He’s physical, contested catches, stuff like that.”
Apple had a rather celebrated social media dust-up with Saints fans before the Super Bowl. A first-round pick of the Giants in 2016, they traded him early in the 2018 season to the Saints for a fourth-round pick in 2019 and a seventh in 2020. After 25 starts, they let him walk after the 2019 before he became a postseason hero in Cincinnati.
“They love to say my name,” Apple said. “I really enjoyed my time there. The fans were great, it was just some of the comments. It was kind of personal about my family You can’t get into it. You have to act like it’s not happening. But it is.”
Apple says it’s another game, “but it’s also a big game.
“They didn’t really believe in me, so you want to show them what it is. That’s every team, honestly.”
Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo knows Apple isn’t going to be undone by the exchange of words.
” Nah,” Anarumo said, “He’s used to all that.”
