Football
Associated Press 17y

Injuries hit Saints hard as they prepare for Buccaneers

METAIRIE, La. -- The New Orleans Saints are the most injured
they have been all season as they prepare to play the Buccaneers in
an NFC South game Sunday in Tampa, Fla.

Three key offensive players -- starting left tackle Jammal Brown
(sprained left ankle), wide receiver Joe Horn (strained groin) and
rookie running back Reggie Bush (sprained left ankle) -- were held
out of or limited in practice Wednesday.

Each is listed as questionable for Sunday's game, though Brown's
availability seems to be the only one in question.

Bush said his ankle is fine, and he plans to practice Thursday
and play Sunday. Coach Sean Payton said Horn is fine, too, but
Brown, who wore a protective boot on the ankle that was injured
during the second quarter of a 35-22 loss to Baltimore, said he's
unsure if he'll play in the road game against Tampa Bay.

"It depends on how far the swelling comes down and the pain,"
Brown said Wednesday. "It's a sprain and a bone contusion."

Brown's backup, rookie seventh-round draft choice Zach Strief,
also is questionable because of a dislocated right ring finger. The
third-string tackle would be Rob Petitti.

Whoever lines up at left tackle could be matched against
three-time Pro Bowl end Simeon Rice, who also is questionable
because of a shoulder injury.

"I'm confident whoever lines up there will get the job done,"
quarterback Drew Brees said. "I've been on teams where a rookie
has gone against a Pro Bowler and done fine. We'll be all right."

Bush aggravated an injury originally sustained in the season
opener against Cleveland.

"I could have gone today, but the trainers wanted me to give it
a day's rest," Bush said. "There's no rush."

Bush was asked about comments made by Ravens linebacker Bart
Scott, who tackled Bush on the play on which the injury occurred.
After Bush was held to a season-low 21 total yards, Scott said he
thought Bush "was just a guy," and called him a "media darling"
and "the golden boy of the NFL."

"It doesn't bother me; it comes with the territory," Bush said
of Scott's comments. "The guy doesn't make a play all day and he
tackles me once and suddenly he's satisfied. His day is done."

Scott tackled Bush three times among his six tackles in the
game.

The Saints were eager to get back on the practice field after
their worst performance of the season in which they committed five
turnovers, were penalized 10 times and fell behind 21-0 in the
second quarter.

"Everybody was a little salty after that loss," Brees said.
"We know we have a division game coming up on the road after being
home for a while."

New Orleans had three consecutive home games separated by a bye
week, meaning they haven't been on the road since a 21-18 loss at
Carolina on Oct. 1. That homestand began with a 24-21 victory
against the Buccaneers, who led midway through the fourth quarter
until Bush returned a punt 65 yards for the winning touchdown.

Payton had the team practice outside for the first time since
the Carolina game to simulate the conditions in Tampa.

Meanwhile, New Orleans released wide receiver Chase Lyman, a
2005 fourth-round draft choice, from its practice roster. The team
re-signed wide receiver Lance Moore, who had been released last
week when wide receiver Michael Lewis was activated from the
Physically Unable to Perform list, to replace Lyman on the practice
roster.

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