METAIRIE, La. (AP) -Drew Brees keeps repeating what a quarterback should say when his best receivers get hurt.
“I’m confident in every guy who’s going to step on the field on Sunday, whether it’s a starter, a backup, and third-stringer, a scout team guy – it doesn’t matter,” Brees asserted after practice on Wednesday. “All those guys have put in the time and they’re going to be prepared.
“It’s never about one guy.”
How about two guys? In particular, wide receiver Marques Colston and tight end Jeremy Shockey?
Colston has led New Orleans in receiving each of the previous two seasons and Shockey is a former Pro Bowl player who was the Saints’ second leading receiver through the first three games this season.
Imagine how coach Sean Payton and Brees must have salivated at the though of Colston and Shockey on the field together, stretching defenses already preoccupied by Reggie Bush’s versatility as both a running and receiving threat.
im up to six weeks, and now Shockey is sidelined for a month or longer with a sports hernia.
It could be even worse when New Orleans hosts San Francisco this Sunday. Veteran starter David Patten, who has eight catches for 106 yards and a TD, hurt his left groin during New Orleans’ 34-32 loss at Denver last weekend and did not practice Wednesday.
“Obviously, it’s an opportunity for some young guys to step up and get a lot of playing time,” Brees said. “I have all the confidence in the world in that group though. … They deserve this opportunity.”
One player likely to see more action is Robert Meachem. If there was ever a time for him to prove he deserved to be the Saints’ first-round draft choice in 2007, now would be it.
Meachem couldn’t get on the field during his rookie season. He finally made his regular season debut in Washington two weeks ago. His first NFL catch was a 19-yard touchdown.
In Denver, he beat single coverage and hauled in a deep throw from Brees for a 74-yard gain that set up a touchdown.
Meachem, who now has three catches for 105 yards in his young career, said he doesn’t see any need to change his approach this week.
ke sure Drew’s happy.”
Patten said he hoped to be ready by Sunday, calling his status day-to-day. Meanwhile, Terrance Copper, a special teams regular who has started sporadically since 2006, was limited in Wednesday’s practice because of a hamstring pull that sidelined him for the Denver game.
If they are unable to play, the Saints remaining healthy receivers would be Devery Henderson, Lance Moore and Meachem. The Saints also could activate Skyler Green or Joe West from the practice squad, but would have to temporarily terminate a veteran player’s contract to make room. At tight end, the Saints will rely on Billy Miller, who was temporarily released during Week 2, then brought back last week. He caught two passes for 41 yards in Denver.
Payton conceded that losing two top receivers presents “a lot of challenges.” Yet, he also noted that most of the receivers who remain have been effective when given a chance.
“Robert’s been able to get more snaps. He’s done a good job. He made a big play for us last week,” Payton said.
Payton also spoke well of Moore, a former NFL Europe player who has worked his way into regular playing time since spending most of 2006 on the practice squad. He has 10 catches for 102 yards this season.
“I know the quarterback has a lot of confidence in him, as do we,” Payton said. “He’s got real good hands and he’s a guy that has to be a factor.”
‘s the Saints’ leading receiver, even though he’s a running back. Bush has 26 catches for 250 yards, including a 42-yard score on a swing pass against Tampa Bay.
“People obviously expect my workload to go up,” Bush said. “But with the way Drew distributes the ball, he’s not looking for one person. He’s looking for the open guy. He can really distribute that ball around evenly, so I feel like that takes a little pressure off of me having to carry all the workload. Plus, we’ve got other playmakers on this team who can step up in the absence of other guys.”
In the next few weeks, those “other playmakers” will get their chance to prove Brees and Bush right or wrong.
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