Posted by Mike Triplett, The Times-Picayune December 04, 2008 2:22PM

Michael DeMocker/The Times-Picayune

Will Smith was one of the Saints who tested positive for a banned substance.

A hearing has been scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Friday in a U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Minn., to review the NFL Players Association’s lawsuit on behalf of suspended Saints players Deuce McAllister, Will Smith and Charles Grant, as well as suspended Minnesota Vikings players Pat Williams and Kevin Williams.

Lawyers for both the NFLPA and the NFL are expected to argue the merits of the lawsuit before Judge Paul Magnuson, who has been assigned the case. He could choose to offer a quick ruling or schedule further proceedings. If that’s the case, the NFLPA will ask him to grant an injunction to allow the players to resume playing until the matter is settled.

If Magnuson grants an injunction, McAllister and Smith would be eligible to play Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. Grant is unable to play because he is on the injured reserve list for the remainder of the season with a triceps injury.

“I believe you will (see us back on the field Sunday),” said McAllister, who said he believes the players have a strong case, even if the NFL didn’t agree when it denied their appeal on Tuesday. “I think if we felt like we were wrong, we wouldn’t have even appealed it up to this point. But after not getting the appeal by the league looking at it, you still have other avenues you can take.”
Apparently, the Saints players have not filed any lawsuits on the local level. The Vikings players chose to file a lawsuit in Minnesota on the state level Wednesday, and they were granted a temporary injunction by the judge in that case, which allowed them to practice with the Vikings on Thursday.

The state case has since been reassigned to the federal court, but the injunction still stands pending Friday’s hearing.

Saints Coach Sean Payton said he’s aware of the possible change in McAllister’s and Smith’s status, but at this point, the only thing he can do is keep game-planning and practicing with the guys on the current roster.

“Really, after two days of practice (this week), that’s what it has to be now,” said Payton, though he added that McAllister and Smith “certainly understand and know the offense and defense” well enough that they could be inserted back into the lineup without great difficulty.

“If those guys are restored and allowed to play, then we’ll have a plan for that. And if not, then we already have a plan for that,” said Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis, who said he is disappointed for the players, but he also supports the league’s ruling on their suspensions.

“Listen, we support the league and the policies that we have. And the league ruled on the matter, so we support that,” Loomis said. “You know, I’m disappointed for our players, we’re all disappointed for our players, and we thought they made a strong argument. But the league made its decision, so as a member club, we have to abide by that.

“But I can tell you this, Deuce McAllister and Will Smith mean a lot to our team. They’re really good players. They’ve meant a lot to our franchise. They’ve been exemplary representatives of the NFL and our franchise, and I certainly wouldn’t be upset if they were able to play.”

Posted by Teddy Kider, The Times-Picayune December 04, 2008 2:05PM

The Saints placed starting safety Kevin Kaesviharn on the injured reserve list Thursday, ending his season after he suffered his second stinger in four weeks.

With defensive end Charles Grant’s move this week from the injured reserve to the suspended reserve list, there are now 14 players on the Saints’ injured reserve list.
The Saint signed defensive end Tearrius George from the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad to take Kaesviharn’s active roster spot.

Fullback Mike Karney and linebacker Troy Evans both were on the injury report Thursday but had full practices.

Posted by Mike Triplett, The Times-Picayune December 02, 2008 7:23PM

Saints tailback Deuce McAllister said he was obviously disappointed by the NFL’s decision to suspend him for the final four games of the regular season, but he said he had prepared himself for the worst.

McAllister, who was hosting his annual holiday shopping spree “DeuceGiving” for children in Jackson, Miss., on Tuesday said, “This was the toughest thing, hearing the news today. But I wasn’t gonna put a damper on the event we had for these kids tonight. They had a blast, we were having fun. I had to keep my head up high for them.”

He said it’s still possible that his attorney David Cornwell will file for an injunction to halt the league’s suspensions, but both he and Cornwell said they have not yet decided if they will follow that course of action.

As for what this means for him in the long-term, McAllister isn’t ready to go down that road just yet.

“I don’t feel like I’m through playing. I don’t feel like I’ve played my last game in the Dome,” said McAllister, who turns 30 this month. “I mean, whatever happens happens, but there’s no reason to try and speculate at this point.”

McAllister has four years remaining on his contract, but his salary-cap figure for next year is $7.3 million, which would likely need to be significantly restructured to keep him in a Saints uniform.

“We all know something will occur. What will occur we don’t know,” said McAllister, who said it would be premature to start talking about changing his contract. “Right now I have a contract.”

McAllister and Saints defensive ends Charles Grant and Will Smith were all suspended for four games without pay on Tuesday for violating the league’s policy on steroids and related substances. They all tested positive for the banned diuretic, bumetanide, which they say came from an over-the-counter weight-loss product called StarCaps, which advertises itself as all natural and does not list any diuretics or other banned substances among its ingredients.

McAllister said he has been taking the product for four years, and that he had a team trainer inquire about the product through the league’s hotline before he started taking it. Although the league didn’t officially approve the product, McAllister said he was informed that there was nothing bad in the product.

“Probably the saddest part about it is that I went about it the right way,” McAllister said. “My only question now is, ‘What is a player supposed to do if it’s not calling the league hotline?’ Obviously that’s not working, because that’s what I did and that’s not working. Something needs to be revamped.

“Now we find out that the league doesn’t test it. They just read the label. I can read the label.”

The NFL reiterated its policy Tuesday, both through a lengthy statement and a conference call with the league’s Vice President of Law & Labor Policy, Adolpho Birch. Birch said the league does not test products for players or teams, but that the hotline is there for informational and educational purposes. The league has long advised players to avoid weight-loss supplements, because they are unregulated and often contain diuretics that are both prohibited by the league and harmful to the body.

McAllister said the StarCaps product has been used for years by several players around the league, including one unnamed player he described as a future Hall of Famer, and he said Grant estimated during the appeals process that at least 25 players on the Saints had used it at one point or another over the past seven years.

Saints guard Jamar Nesbit also was suspended this season under the same circumstances, but he elected to waive his right to appeal and served his suspension. He later filed a lawsuit against the manufacturer of StarCaps.

Neither Smith nor Grant were reached for comment.

Posted by Mike Triplett, The Times-Picayune December 02, 2008 9:01AM

Michael DeMocker/The Times-Picayune

Deuce McAllister insists that the supplement he took was for weight loss.

The NFL officially announced that six players, including Saints Deuce McAllister, Will Smith and Charles Grant will be suspended four games for violating the league’s policy on steroids and related substances.

Grant, who is already on injured reserve for the remainder of the season, will be able serve his suspension while on the injured list, but he will have to forfeit his pay. McAllister and Smith will miss the final four games of this regular season.

The players all appealed their suspensions two weeks ago at the league office in New York, but their appeals were denied Tuesday. Their attorney, David Cornwell, said he has not yet decided if he will pursue an injunction to halt the suspensions or pursue legal action against the manufacturers of the weight-loss product, StarCaps, which allegedly caused the Players’ positive test for a banned diuretic.
“We are disappointed,” Cornwell said in a statement. “Based on the unique circumstances presented in this case, the NFL’s decision is inconsistent with the objectives of the steroid policy, Dr. Lombardo’s (Dr. John Lombardo, the independent admindistrator of the league’s testing program) closure obligations under the law, and the best interests of NFL players.

“Deuce, Will, and Charles did not try to enhance their performance with steroids, nor did they knowingly expose themselves to the adverse health risks of a diuretic. They took a weight loss supplement that they had every reason to believe was safe. Against the backdrop of the federal government’s refusal to require accurate labeling for nutritional supplements and Dr. Lombardo’s specific, but undisclosed knowledge that StarCaps contained bumetanide, it is grossly unfair that Deuce, Will, and Charles are the only ones that must bear a burden.

“We will take further action as is appropriate.”

Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis said, “We are disappointed for Deuce, Will and Charles.” The Saints have not yet announced any corresponding roster moves.

Following is the league’s official statement on the decision:

Michael DeMocker/The Times-Picayune

Will Smith was one of the Saints who tested positive for a banned substance.

The NFL announced today the suspension without pay for four games of six players that violated the NFL Policy on Anabolic Steroids and Related Substances.

The players specifically violated a longstanding provision of the policy relating to the use of diuretics and water pills, which serve as masking agents for steroids and are potentially dangerous to the health of players.

The policy states that the use of so-called “blocking” or “masking” agents, including diuretics and water pills, is prohibited and that a positive test will not be excused because it results from the use of a dietary supplement that unknowingly contained a banned substance. Supplements are not regulated or monitored by the government and players have been warned about the risks of supplement use.

“You and you alone are responsible for what goes into your body,” the policy has always stated. “Claiming that you used only legally available nutritional supplements will not help you in an appeal…Even if they are bought over-the-counter from a known establishment, there is currently no way to be sure that they contain the ingredients listed on the packaging or have not been tainted with prohibited substances…If you take these products, you do so AT YOUR OWN RISK! For your own health and success in the league, we strongly encourage you to avoid the use of supplements altogether, or at the very least to be extremely careful about what you choose to take.”

The six players are each suspended for the final four games of the regular-season. If the player’s team qualifies for the playoffs, he is eligible to return to the active roster on Monday, December 29. The suspended players are:

Charles Grant, New Orleans
Deuce McAllister, New Orleans
Bryan Pittman, Houston
Will Smith, New Orleans
Kevin Williams, Minnesota
Pat Williams, Minnesota

The appeals process in this matter included close to 30 hours of hearings. NFL Executive Vice President of Labor and League Counsel Jeff Pash heard and decided all of the appeals except for Bryan Pittman’s. The appeals officer for Pittman was former NFL Executive Vice President and League Counsel Jay Moyer. Following are key excerpts from Jeff Pash’s decision upholding the suspensions:

• Bumetanide, a potent diuretic, has long been a prohibited substance under the policy and is similarly banned by other drug-testing programs. Diuretics are banned for two reasons - first, because they can be used to mask the use of performance-enhancing drugs; and second, because they can pose a threat to player health and safety.

• The policy contains numerous specific warnings about dietary supplements. NFL players received separate advisories regarding supplements (attached). These included two memos from Dr. John Lombardo (the program’s independent administrator) entitled “Weight Reduction Products,” which were sent to players in July of 2007, and again in July of 2008.

• In addition, two notifications specifically mentioning Star Caps were sent on December 19, 2006. One was sent to the presidents, general managers, and head athletic trainers of all NFL clubs. The second was sent to Stacy Robinson, the NFLPA executive who oversees the Steroid Policy on behalf of the union. The letter to Robinson states that “Balanced Health Products, which distributes Star Caps, has been added to the list of prohibited dietary supplement companies. Please distribute this information to the agents and players through your normal channels.” In response, Robinson had Balanced Health Products added to the list of banned companies that is maintained on the NFLPA’s website.

• (For those players with weight clause bonus provisions in their contracts,) the player specifically agreed not to engage in any “last-minute weight reduction techniques,” which included “use of diuretics.”

• There is no question that the policy embodies a collectively bargained rule of strict liability - a rule that players alone are responsible for what is in their bodies; that inadvertent or unknowing use of a prohibited substance will not excuse a positive test; and that supplements are used at a player’s own risk.

• With respect to the question of whether a specific warning should have been given regarding Star Caps, the policy does not set forth an obligation to issue specific warnings about specific products and no testimony suggests that the NFL and NFLPA have ever contemplated imposing such a requirement on Dr. Lombardo, who oversees the development of education materials on steroids. In keeping with that responsibility, the NFL, NFLPA, and Dr. Lombardo have emphasized the need for extreme caution in the use of any supplement, including weight reduction products, have established a Hotline for players to call for information regarding supplements, have established a Supplement Certification program with EAS to provide players with supplements that are free of banned substances, and have, in conjunction with reinforcing the strict liability rule, repeatedly warned players about the dangers of unregulated and inaccurately labeled dietary supplements. In the past, players have been suspended for using dietary supplements that contained a banned substance.

• The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) does not issue specific warnings about specific supplements, nor are such warnings issued in other drug testing programs.

Posted by Brian Allee-Walsh, The Times-Picayune December 01, 2008 4:20PM

Michael DeMocker/The Times-Picayune

New Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton is stating the obvious, that the team needs to play better.

A night of reflection did nothing to change the plight of the New Orleans Saints as they head into the final month of the NFL season.

The way the NFC playoff picture is shaping up, it’s likely the Saints will have to run the table and finish the regular season at 10-6 just to stay in playoff contention. And they’ll have to do it without safety Kevin Kaesviharn who is expected to miss one, perhaps two games after suffering a shoulder injury in Sunday’s 23-20 divisional loss at Tampa Bay.
The Saints (6-6) are last in the NFC South and will play host to the Atlanta Falcons (8-4) at noon Sunday in the Superdome. The Falcons are currently holding down the No. 6 playoff seed in the NFC after beating San Diego 22-16 at Qualcomm Stadium on Sunday.

“I think this is a year where I don’t think in the NFC you’re going to see any 9-win teams, aside from a division winner, in the postseason,” Saints Coach Sean Payton said Monday at his weekly press conference. “You could very well see a 10-win team left home.

“We have four weeks left, and (we) certainly understand how everyone else is playing ahead of us and that makes it much more challenging. Nonetheless, we have a home game here against Atlanta in the division. We’re going to have to play better. I think that’s where it’s at.”

By FRED GOODALL,

AP Sports Writer

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) New Orleans put the game in Drew Brees’ hands, and Tampa Bay took it right away.

The relentless Buccaneers defense pressured the NFL’s leading passer all afternoon, then intercepted him twice in the closing minutes Sunday to stay atop the NFC South with a 23-20 victory over the Saints.

“You know you’re going to get opportunities,” Bucs cornerback Ronde Barber said after Brees threw on nine of New Orleans’ first 11 plays and finished with 47 attempts on a rainy day that might have discouraged some other quarterbacks.

Instead it was Tampa Bay’s defense, sometimes overlooked during the team’s 9-3 start, that got the best of the Saints star.

“We’ve got to relish this because we feel like we’re one of the best secondaries in the league, and I think our performance today, at least in our minds, proves it,” Barber said.

Brees, on pace to break Dan Marino’s single-season yardage record, threw for 296 yards and two touchdowns but also was picked off three times - once in the end zone on a pass that Barber tipped to Cato June - and sacked once.

“We had our perfect chances out there and we didn’t take advantage of it,” Brees said. “It’s disappointing, very disappointing. It’s probably one of the more disappointing losses I have ever been a part of.”

The victory was the fourth straight for Tampa Bay. The Bucs are 6-1 since Jeff Garcia regained the starting quarterback job, which he lost after a poor performance in a season-opening loss against the Saints (6-6).

Garcia was limited to 119 yards passing, but threw 38 yards to Antonio Bryant for a third-quarter touchdown that put the Bucs up 20-10. Carnell “Cadillac” Williams also scored on an 8-yard run, his first TD since a career-threatening knee injury 14 months ago.

“That was big,” said Williams, who gained 20 yards on four carries in his second game since being activated from the physically unable to perform list. “I was just glad that down around the goal line they called my number.”

Brees was 25-of-47 and wiped out a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit by throwing a 20-yard TD pass to Pierre Thomas and taking advantage of a short punt to tie the game on Garrett Hartley’s second field goal with 5:34 to go.

With the game on the line, though, he couldn’t stop New Orleans from falling to 0-17 when trailing after three quarters under coach Sean Payton.

“We talk all the time about (putting games away in the fourth) despite what happens through the entire course of the game. We had a chance, at least two chances, and we didn’t take them at all,” Brees said.

“Give them credit because they played very well and knew what to do to throw us off offensively and make the plays on defense. What hurts really is that we had a chance to win it in the end and didn’t take it.”

A week after gaining 418 yards in a 51-29 rout of Green Bay, the Saints’ high-powered offense sputtered until Brees put together a six-play, 72-yard drive just before the half to give New Orleans a 10-6 lead on his 13-yard TD pass to Lance Moore.

Brees hurt the Bucs with three completions of 39 or more yards in the season opener, but Tampa Bay’s secondary did a much better job this time. Marques Colston’s 37-yard reception set up the Saints’ first TD, though Brees’ longest completion other than that was 22 yards to Colston in the first quarter.

The Bucs took control early in the third quarter, marching 46 yards to regain the lead on Williams’ first TD since Sept. 23, 2007, against St. Louis - the week before he torn the patellar tendon in his right knee.

Special teams has been a big part of Tampa Bay’s success, and return man Clifton Smith was a huge factor again Sunday. He ran down Glenn Pakulak’s 70-yard punt and raced 42 yards to the Saints 39 to set up a second-quarter field goal, then had a 12-yard return to the New Orleans 43 to position the Bucs for Garcia’s TD throw to Bryant.

Josh Bidwell’s 18-yard punt helped the Saints tie the game, but he redeemed himself with a 37-yarder that pinned the Saints at their own 7 with just under four minutes to go. Phillips intercepted a pass intended for Colston to set up the winning field goal, then Buchanon sealed the victory with his pick on a throw intended for Moore with a little more than a minute left.

“I really feel something special about this team. This is a championship team. We continue to get better; the chemistry continues to grow,” Williams said.

“We’ve got a lot of unselfish guys on this team that play roles. If we keep it rolling like this, the sky’s the limit for this team.”

Notes: Colston had six catches for 106 yards. Reggie Bush played for the first time since tearing the meniscus in his left knee on Oct. 19 and having arthroscopic surgery. He finished with zero yards rushing on three carries and five receptions for 32 yards. … Warrick Dunn led Tampa Bay with 74 yards rushing on 22 attempts.

Posted by Jeff Duncan, The Times-Picayune November 28, 2008 11:33PM

Michael DeMocker, The Times-Picayune

The Saints’ offense has gotten along just fine during Reggie Bush’s four-game hiatus due to a knee injury.

The education of Reggie Bush continued this week. In his rookie season, the Saints’ ultra-back learned he couldn’t outrun NFL defenders the way he did at Southern Cal.Last season he learned how to run between the tackles, to wait on blocks to develop, and trust the scheme.

This season Bush is learning another facet of Advanced NFL Running 101: How to play with pain.

Bush has missed the past four games as he recovers from arthroscopic surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left knee.

The surgery took place Oct. 20. Initially, team officials projected a two-to-four-week recovery time for the injury and indeed Bush himself predicted he’d play in both the Chiefs and Packers games.

Bush has watched the Saints’ two-game winning streak from the sideline, bedeviling his fantasy football owners along the way.

He said the decision to not play against Green Bay was “a mutual thing” between he and Coach Sean Payton.

“I didn’t feel like I could be me and be 100 percent, and I would be hurting the team, ” Bush said.

Bush is right in one respect. He’s not like most players. His effectiveness is based almost entirely on speed and cutting ability. If he can’t cut, juke or sprint, he’s useless.

And Bush isn’t shy about expressing his feelings about it. He’s made it clear the past few weeks that he isn’t about to play at anything less than 100 percent, explaining he needs to make a wise “business” decision.

This week Bush once again declared his intention to play.

“I know I said that last week, ” said Bush, who again was limited in practice Friday. “But it’s definitely a go this week.”

Asked if he was certain he’d be the Bush of old this week, Bush said “I wouldn’t be playing this game if I wasn’t . . . 100 percent certain I’ll be able to do everything that I was doing before I was injured.”

He added, “These last two years have been tough, just from trying to fight this injury bug. I obviously don’t want to be known as the guy who’s always injured.”

Bush better get used to it. Injuries are part of the game, especially at running back, where the average tenure is 3 1/2 seasons.

Bush need only look around him for evidence. Aaron Stecker, who dresses in the locker next to him, is out for the season with a torn hamstring. Next to Stecker, Deuce McAllister soldiers through pain on a pair of surgically repaired knees. Next to Deuce, fullback Mike Karney has missed the past two weeks with a right knee injury.

And Bush, with his slight build and heavy workload, might be more vulnerable than any of them.

Eagles running back Brian Westbrook, the man Bush is most often compared to, has endured a similar fate throughout his career. His injury history includes abdominal, knee, foot, rib, chest, triceps and wrist ailments.

Former Saints coach Jim Haslett used to say the NFL isn’t a league for little guys.

“They’re always going to be nicked up, ” Haslett said.

Bush has now been “nicked” each of the past two seasons. Each time he loses a fraction of the speed and elusiveness that made him the No. 2 pick in the 2006 NFL draft. It’s this very scenario that caused some NFL experts to question Bush’s effectiveness as an NFL feature back before the draft that year.

“More may be less and less could be more with Reggie, ” Cleveland Browns General Manager Phil Savage notably said that spring. “If they utilize him in the right way, he can still be a Heisman Trophy winner at the pro level, even if he’s touching the ball 10 or 15 times a game. At his size, carrying it 20 or 25 times a game for 16 games, I think that’s almost an impossibility for somebody to do that.”

Hopefully Bush, as well as the Saints, have learned this lesson.

Despite predictions to the contrary, the Saints have fared quite nicely without Bush. They’ve averaged 425.3 yards in the 4 1/2 contests they’ve played without him. In the 6 1/2 games with him, their average is 411.07.

The same thing happened last season when Bush was sidelined for the final four games with a knee injury.

In fact, the past two seasons the Saints are 5-3 in games without Bush and 8-11 with him.

Bush’s absence the past month has opened the door for players like Lance Moore and Pierre Thomas to step into leading roles. Now Payton has the dicey challenge of working Bush back into the rotation without upsetting the momentum of his high-powered attack, which is firing on all cylinders.

As Payton formulates the plan, he’d be wise to heed Savage’s advice.

With Bush, less is definitely more.

Posted by Mike Triplett, The Times-Picayune November 26, 2008 8:16PM

Ted Jackson, The Times-Picayune

Reggie Bush says he will play Sunday at Tampa Bay. ‘But I know I said that last week.’

Reggie Bush insisted that he’ll be back on the field Sunday at Tampa Bay. And this time he said he means it. “Oh yeah, I’m definitely a go this week. I know I said that last week, but it’s definitely a go this week, ” said the Saints tailback, who missed the last four games with a left knee injury. “I’m 100-percent certain I’ll be able to do everything that I was doing before I got injured. . . . I’ll be doing it all. Punts and everything.”
Saints Coach Sean Payton wasn’t quite as emphatic, but he too said that he thinks Bush will play against the Buccaneers.

Bush, who tore the meniscus in his knee on Oct. 19 at Carolina, participated in Wednesday’s practice on a limited basis. It will be a good sign if he can return to the practice field again today. He has not yet practiced two days in a row.

“I felt good today, ” Bush said. “I obviously didn’t do a whole practice today, but I was doing a little bit here and there, just kind of easing back into it. But I felt great. The leg feels great. It’s the best it’s felt since I injured it.”

The Saints have actually fared quite well without Bush, winning three of four games while he’s been out — including a dominating 51-29 victory over Green Bay on Monday night.

Bush still believes he can crank the offense up another notch.

“I’m a competitor, and Coach Payton and the rest of my teammates know when I’m on the field that they always have a chance, ” said Bush, who was leading the Saints in touchdowns, rushing yards and receptions before he suffered the injury. “No disrespect to any of the other guys, because we have a lot of great players on this team, a lot of game-breakers, and I think you saw a lot of that against Green Bay. But obviously I feel like I have the ability to break the game open anytime that I touch the ball, and that’s obviously a threat for defenses. They have to prepare for me, and Coach Payton does a great job of putting me in a position to score and to make plays.”

Both Payton and quarterback Drew Brees said they are looking forward to having Bush back in the lineup because he adds one more threat for defenses to worry about.

And it’s not just Bush coming back into form. Both receiver Marques Colston and tight end Jeremy Shockey have been inching closer to full speed and full strength after being saddled with injuries early in the year. Meanwhile, their replacements, Pierre Thomas, Lance Moore and Billy Miller, have developed into superior weapons.

“It’s, OK, pick your poison, ” said Brees who explained that the Saints’ goal is to put pressure on opposing defenses and dictate the tempo and rhythm of the game, forcing them off balance — rather than allowing defenses to set the tone. “We’re on our way back with all our guys, with everybody feeling like, hey, the roles are defined, everybody knows what to expect.

“You know, we go into every game plan with opportunities for every guy, and we kind of get into the game and see how we’re being played and who might have the hot hand and that sort of thing. We just continue to build, and I’m waiting for one of those games where Marques catches 10 balls for a buck fifty and three touchdowns. That type of game is right around the corner for him.”

Colston caught just one pass on Monday night, but it was a big one — a 70-yard touchdown in the third quarter after he put a move on cornerback Charles Woodson. It was his first touchdown of the year after he combined for 19 touchdowns in his first two seasons.

Colston has been inconsistent since returning from thumb surgery last month. He had just one breakout performance, seven catches for 140 yards at Atlanta while the Saints were in desperation mode, throwing the ball on every down late in the game.

“I think it’s only a matter of time, because I feel like the offense is rolling right now, ” Colston said. “You can tell that the vibe in here and just the rhythm on the field is getting close to what it should be, but we’ve still got a lot of work to do.”

Colston and Miller both caught their first touchdown passes of the season Monday night, bringing the total to 10 players who have caught scoring passes from Brees this year.

Even Brees, who has been putting up astonishing passing numbers all year, was a little surprised by that particular statistic.

And the list doesn’t even include Shockey, who was supposed to be a premier red zone target, or Thomas, who has become a focal point of the offense recently.

Brees started trying to figure out who else he can add to the list, first asking about Deuce McAllister, who already caught one at Atlanta, then asking about fullback Mike Karney, who has not caught one yet this season.

“We can really spread the love for the rest of the season, ” said Brees with a smile.

ADMONISHED: Colston said he was chastised by the coaching staff after he casually tossed the football away as he crossed the goal line on his touchdown catch Monday night. Replays showed that Colston released the ball almost simultaneously as he broke the plane of the end zone. He insisted that he knew he was in before he let go of the ball, but it was still a risky decision that could have erased six points.

OTHER INJURIES: Three players did not practice Wednesday — Karney (knee), cornerback Aaron Glenn (ankle) and defensive end Jeff Charleston (foot). Karney worked to the side with the training staff and said he felt good. He’s still doubtful for this week, but he’s hoping to be back sooner than later. Charleston aggravated his foot late in Monday night’s game. Payton said he’ll know more about his status Thursday.

GIVING THANKS: Several of the Saints’ more high-profile stars often receive recognition for their community service and charitable foundations, such as former Saints Man of the Year winners Brees, McAllister and Mike McKenzie. But they aren’t the only ones out there giving back to the community week in and week out.

Players make frequent visits to schools and hospitals, among other endeavors on their off days and during the offseason. Some of the most actively involved players who deserve special acknowledgement are Moore, Thomas, offensive linemen Jon Stinchcomb and Zach Strief, cornerback Usama Young and linebacker Troy Evans.

Posted by Mike Triplett, The Times-Picayune November 27, 2008

Michael DeMocker/The Times-Picayune

New Orleans Saints cornerback Aaron Glenn has been placed on injured reserved.

The Saints placed cornerback Aaron Glenn on injured reserve Thursday, officially ending his season, and they activated defensive end Josh Savage from the practice squad.

Glenn, who has been battling an ankle injury for almost the entire season, became the 14th member of the Saints’ injured reserve list this season.

The 15th-year veteran, who signed with the Saints in free agency this year, appeared in four games, mostly as a nickel back. He originally injured his ankle in Week 2 at Washington, then he re-injured it at Atlanta three weeks ago.
Savage, 28, has been with the Saints for the past two years, mostly on the practice squad. He was active for one game last season and two this September, but he played sparingly on defense and special teams. The 6-foot-4, 276-pounder will likely replace Jeff Charleston as the No. 3 defensive end in Sunday’s game at Tampa Bay. Charleston missed practice again Thursday with a foot injury.

Savage might be needed for the rest of the season if starting defensive end Will Smith winds up serving a four-game suspension over the final month.

The Saints replaced Savage on the practice squad with tight end Kolo Kapanui.

…

Charleston and fullback Mike Karney (knee) were the only two players who did not participate in Thursday’s practice. Tailback Reggie Bush participated on a limited basis and still appears to be on track for Sunday’s game. The Saints went through a light practice with no pads and no helmets. The players were dismissed early this afternoon for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Posted by Mike Triplett, The Times-Picayune November 27, 2008 6:49PM

Susan Poag, The Times-Picayune

Will Smith has not had a big season statistically, but he has been battling injuries for much of the season.

Sunday’s game at Tampa Bay might be the last hurrah this year for Saints defensive end Will Smith, who is facing a possible four-game suspension for the final four weeks of the regular season. But he said that won’t give him any extra incentive to “leave it all on the field.”

“I leave it all out there every game, so if I was to say that, that would mean I’m taking it easy the rest of the other games, ” Smith said. “Every game you’ve got to go out and play hard and do what you want to do. In this profession, you never know when your last game is, so you’ve got to go out and give it your all every week.”

For the record, Smith still believes he and teammates Deuce McAllister and Charles Grant can avoid their looming suspensions by winning the appeal they made to the league office last week in New York.

The three Saints players tested positive this summer for the banned diuretic bumetanide, which can be used to mask steroids in urine samples. But they claim the substance came from an over-the-counter weight-loss product called StarCaps, which advertises itself as all-natural and does not list the banned substance on its label.

That controversy is just one of several reasons why this has been the most frustrating season of Smith’s five-year career, but you won’t hear him complain.

Smith, who earned a trip to the Pro Bowl after the 2006 season, signed the richest contract in Saints history this offseason, a seven-year deal with a maximum value between $60 million and $70 million if he reaches all incentives.

He has had his worst statistical season to date, though, with just 3 1/2 sacks and one forced fumble through 11 games.

Smith lost his longtime running mate, fellow defensive end Grant, to a season-ending triceps injury last month. Smith also has been battling an abdominal/groin strain since early September, an injury that he didn’t want to talk about, but Coach Sean Payton reluctantly revealed this week.

“There are a lot of issues that go on that you deal with that aren’t really public knowledge, ” Smith said. “You have to fight through those other issues and go out and play and do your best on Sundays. What happens happens, and your team knows what’s going on and all that stuff. So as long as everybody’s on the same page and knows that you’re busting your butt, I think it’s fine.”

Teammates and coaches indeed have been praising Smith this season. Rookie defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis said he is a great teacher and leader for the defensive line and pointed out that he has stepped up big in some big moments — like the two stops he made during the Saints’ two goal-line stands at Kansas City two weeks ago.

Assistant defensive line coach Travis Jones said Smith has remained a high-energy, motivated worker who hasn’t let the challenges wear on him this season.

“Will’s got one of those mentalities on game day where he’s a warrior, ” Jones said. “He’s got a look in his eye that when the ball kicks off, you don’t want to be in his path. And it’s exciting to be around a guy like that who has that type of intensity on game day.”

The Saints have 20 sacks this season, which ranks tied for 22nd in the NFL.

Part of the reason for the lack of sacks is the quarterbacks and offenses they’ve faced. Guys like Denver’s Jay Cutler, San Diego’s Philip Rivers, Atlanta’s Matt Ryan, Tampa Bay’s Jeff Garcia and Carolina’s Jake Delhomme do a good job of releasing the ball quickly and avoiding the sack.

When the Saints have faced quarterbacks who tend to stay in the pocket longer, such as San Francisco’s J.T. O’Sullivan, Oakland’s JaMarcus Russell, Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers and Kansas City’s Tyler Thigpen, they’ve taken advantage.

Smith, who racked up 33.5 sacks and 12 forced fumbles in his first four seasons, said of course he wants to put more quarterbacks in the ground, like any competitor. But he said he hasn’t had to fight the urge to get down on himself.

“When you don’t have them, it just makes you try harder and encourages you to do more things to try to make things happen, ” Smith said. “As far as being satisfied, I’m never really satisfied with anything. Even when I do play good, I think I can always play better. Never get too satisfied and never get too down. Just try to always stay on an even keel.”

If this is indeed Smith’s final game of the regular season, he’d sure like to end on a high note.

A victory would put the Saints at 7-5 and give them a fighting chance to make the playoffs — leaving open the door for Smith and McAllister to return in the postseason, even if they do lose their appeal.

GLENN PLACED ON IR: The Saints placed cornerback Aaron Glenn on injured reserve Thursday, and they activated defensive end Josh Savage from the practice squad.

Glenn, who has been battling an ankle injury for most of the season, is the 14th member of the Saints’ injured reserve list this season. The 15th-year veteran, who signed with the Saints in free agency this year, played in four games, mostly as a nickel back. He injured his ankle in Week 2 at Washington, then he re-injured it at Atlanta three weeks ago.

Savage, 28, has been with the Saints for the past two seasons, mostly on the practice squad. He was active for one game last season and two in September, but he played sparingly on defense and special teams.

The 6-foot-4, 276-pounder will likely replace Jeff Charleston as the No. 3 defensive end in Sunday’s game at Tampa Bay. Charleston missed practice again Thursday with a foot injury. Savage might be needed for the rest of the season if Smith serves a suspension.

The Saints replaced Savage on the practice squad with tight end Kolo Kapanui.

PRACTICE REPORT: Charleston and fullback Mike Karney (knee) were the only two players who did not participate in Thursday’s practice. Tailback Reggie Bush participated on a limited basis and still appears to be on track to play Sunday. The Saints went through a light practice with no pads and no helmets. The players were dismissed early Thursday for the Thanksgiving holiday.