Ed Anderson, The Times-Picayune

Citizens of the Who Dat Nation may have to wait another month or so to get the New Orleans Saints Super Bowl license tags, state officials said Friday.

Office of Motor Vehicles spokeswoman Michelle Rayburn said Saints officials have approved the redesign of the speciality plate in the past two days after rejecting the first design several weeks ago. The approved version, in black and gold, includes the team’s signature fleur de lis and the words World Champions incorporated with the Super Bowl XLIV logo across the bottom.

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Jeff Duncan, The Times-Picayune
Here’s my First Take:

I realize the coverage of New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees can be a bit syrupy these days.

The Onion even took a satirical jab at New Orleans’ love affair with the Saints star quarterback in a recent feature.

But it’s hard not to genuflect on Brees. He’s playing the position as well as anyone in the history of the game.

Brees isn’t off to the high-flying start he had a year ago but he’s still playing at a very high level.

Here are some interesting numbers about him as he heads into the NFC South showdown against the Falcons on Sunday at the Superdome:

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James Varney, The Times-Picayune

With Reggie Bush out for weeks with a broken right fibula, free agent rookie Chris Ivory is more in the New Orleans Saints mix than ever. Or would be, in theory, if he wasn’t recovering from a knee injury he suffered against Tennessee in the team’s final preseason game.

Payton said Ivory was limited at practice Wednesday, but he hinted the back may not be on the inactive list, as he was for the team’s first two games, when the Falcons come to the Superdome this Sunday.

“He was limited and he has been limited; if we’re looking at his progress, so we’re expecting him based on the way he moved around today,” Payton said. “He looked pretty good.”

After practice Ivory said he is trying to prepare himself mentally, and make sure he has his assignments down pat. But he has not been given any indication as to his status for Sunday’s game, he said.

Story from TP.

Nakia Hogan, The Times-Picayune

Two weeks into the season, the New Orleans Saints don’t appear to be the NFL’s most dominant team. But the Saints are one of eight that remain unbeaten.

And until a team finds a way to knock off the defending Super Bowl champions, something the San Francisco 49ers couldn’t do on Monday Night Football at Candlestick Park, the Saints likely will remain where they are today – atop the NFL Power Rankings by The Times-Picayune.

If there is a slipup by the Saints, though, the Green Bay Packers are playing well enough to supplant the Saints as the No.1 team. The Packers are at No. 2 for the second straight week, while the Houston Texans pulled off an improbable come back win over the Washington Redskins to catapult six spots to the No. 3 position.

Click here to see the rankings

Nakia Hogan, The Times-Picayune

Saints kicker Garrett Hartley, who struggled in the team’s season opener, redeemed himself in Monday night’s 25-22 win against the San Francisco 49ers.

Hartley made all three of his field-goal attempts — all of them in the fourth quarter, including the game-winning 37-yarder as time expired.

And for his efforts he will be named the NFC special team player of the week when the weekly awards are announced on Wednesday, a league source said.

It’s the first time Hartley, who converted on kicks of 46 and 19 yards, has received such an honor. It also marked the first time a Saints kicker has received NFC special team player of the week honors since John Carney did so in Week 1 of the 2005 season. 

SAN FRANCISCO — New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush has a fractured fibula in his right leg, sources tell ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

The injury is not expected to end Bush’s season, sources said, indicating he could return in four to six weeks. More tests were scheduled for Tuesday.

Bush had to leave Monday night’s 25-22 victory over San Francisco in the fourth quarter. Bush, who said he would likely get X-rays after the team returned to New Orleans, had an ice bag wrapped around his right leg in the locker room and was using crutches to get around.

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James Varney, The Times-Picayune

New Orleans Saints kicker Garrett Hartley hit three fourth-quarter field goals, the last a 37-yarder as time expired, and New Orleans benefited from four San Francisco turnovers to beat the 49ers 25-22 on Monday night.

The improbable game, with wild momentum swings in the fourth quarter, puts the Saints at 2-0 – the first time in franchise history they have begun consecutive seasons with back-to-back victories. San Francisco, meanwhile, fell to 0-2.

Although the Saints escaped with the victory more than one person among the 69,732 at Candlestick Park felt the win was gift-wrapped by home team blunders. That view may not be entirely accurate – the Saints had no turnovers and their special teams played superbly with Hartley hitting three field goals one week after missing two attempts, and punter Thomas Morstead controlling field position in the Saints’ favor – but there was little question the 49ers’ offense moved the ball better than the Saints did most of the night.

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SAN FRANCISCO — New Orleans Saints tailback Reggie Bush apparently injured his right knee in the fourth quarter of Monday’s 25-22 victory against the San Francisco 49ers. Bush was fielding a punt, muffed the ball, and appeared to hurt himself lunging to try to recover it. He tried to get up and run off the field but then fell to the turf. He was carted off and didn’t return.

He left the stadium on crutches. The extent of his injury is unknown.

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San Francisco – The New Orleans Saints have announced the winner of the raffle for an official Super Bowl XLIV championship ring identical to the one that was awarded to the ownership, players, coaches and administrative staff that was custom designed by Tiffany and Co. to benefit those affected directly by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Christopher S. Lynn of Hattiesburg, Mississippi is the winner of the ring. The Saints Gulf Coast Renewal Fund raised nearly $1.4 million through the raffle.

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