NEW ORLEANS (AP) -Reggie Bush looks back on his bouts with inconsistency during his first two seasons and sees life lessons that he can apply even to – say – his girlfriend Kim Kardashian’s appearance on the new season of “Dancing with the Stars.”
“She’s doing great and it’s about improving, just like in the NFL,” Bush said this week. “When you start out as a rookie you can’t expect to be All-Pro right off the bat. You have to get better and better. I just try to tell her things like that and help her confidence.”
While the Saints (1-2) have gotten off to a shaky start, Bush’s play has drawn rave reviews from teammates and coaches each week. He’s had at least one highlight-reel touchdown in each game, scoring as a receiver, punt returner and rusher.
he Saints and 49ers (2-1) have met.
“When we saw him, he was pretty good both times,” Nolan said. “All players, as each year goes on, they mature, they get better, they understand the system they’re in. They understand the players around them.
“The quarterback obviously has a lot of confidence in Reggie because he goes to him a lot.”
Bush had arguably the best game of his rookie season against San Francisco in 2006, scoring a career-best four touchdowns to lead New Orleans to a 34-10 triumph. Last year, Bush accounted for 113 total yards as a runner and receiver against the Niners, and the Saints won again, 31-10.
Now, New Orleans needs him more than in either of the teams’ previous encounters. The Saints are beat up. Receiver Marques Colston remains out from a Week 1 thumb injury. Tight end Jeremy Shockey had sports hernia surgery this week and will miss a month or so. Starting receiver David Patten missed practice time this week after pulling his left groin in Denver last weekend.
That left Devery Henderson, Robert Meachem and Lance Moore as Brees’ most likely receivers. That’s in addition to Bush, who leads the team with 26 receptions for 250 yards, mostly on short catches out of the backfield.
loss at Denver last week, howls of discontent over Payton’s decision not to run McAllister echoed on local radio call-in shows. One television station encouraged fans to print up placards from its Web site reading: “Let Deuce Loose.”
Payton said he wanted to be cautious with McAllister’s comeback from a second knee reconstruction in three seasons, but assured that McAllister’s time was coming. This might be a good time: The 49ers rank 21st in the league in rushing defense, giving up 131 yards per game.
The 49ers have been a strong rushing team themselves for several years thanks to Frank Gore. Now, with Mike Martz as offensive coordinator and with J.T. O’Sullivan’s emergence at quarterback, San Francisco is developing a formidable passing attack again.
O’Sullivan, a career backup since the Saints drafted him in the sixth round in 2002, said Martz prodded him to change his footwork, his stance, his drop, and the way he sees the field since he arrived in San Francisco this summer. Obviously, it’s working.
He became the surprise starter and directed an offense that racked up 735 total yards in the Niners’ past two games, victories over Seattle and Detroit.
id in my decision making as he expects.”
His numbers don’t approach what Brees has been able to do in New Orleans; Brees had 421 yards passing last week, O’Sullivan had 189. But O’Sullivan has avoided turnovers and made the key throws that keep defenses honest and allow Gore, who rushed for 130 yards last week, to flourish as well.
“A Mike Martz offense is always going to be pretty efficient and they’re going to do a lot of different things that you have to prepare for,” said Saints linebacker Scott Fujita, who became friends with O’Sullivan when both played in college in northern California, Fujita at Cal and O’Sullivan at UC-Davis. “With a running back like Gore, you’ve got one whole bag of worms with that, and then this quarterback who no one has ever really heard of is clicking with his receivers. It presents a lot of challenges.”
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