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Let's take a look at some of the top headlines from around the division.

The Falcons are without a first-round draft pick. That means you can expect plenty of criticism of last year’s trade to move up and get receiver Julio Jones between now and the draft. It’s understandable, as the Falcons are sitting there with needs on the offensive and defensive lines, and needs for depth in other areas. But I can’t say the trade to get Jones was a mistake. He showed plenty of promise in his rookie season, and could end up being one of the league’s top receivers. No doubt the cost was high, but it’s too early in Jones’ career to say the Falcons gave up too much to get him.

Carolina quarterback Cam Newton has said he expects major improvement over a debut season in which he won Offensive Rookie of the Year. Head over to SportsNation to vote on how much you think Newton will improve.

Jordan Gross’ high school in Idaho will get some new weight-room equipment, courtesy of the Carolina offensive tackle.

Here’s a list of five first-round draft prospects for the Panthers. I’d add Mississippi State defensive tackle Fletcher Cox and Boston college linebacker Luke Kuechly to that list. I’d also scratch Stanford guard David DeCastro from that list. He’s a great prospect, but I can’t see the Panthers using a top-10 pick on a guard.

There’s been wide-spread speculation that middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma will face a suspension when the NFL hands out player punishments for the Saints’ bounty program. Although the league has said anywhere from 22 to 27 players were involved in a three-season span, there hasn’t been much speculation about which other players could face suspensions. Until now. Safety Roman Harper and defensive end Will Smith are mentioned as possible candidates in this report.

Jeff Schultz takes New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees to task for not acknowledging the existence of a bounty program.

After going through the first day of the offseason program, New Orleans cornerback Jabari Greer talked about the strength of the Saints’ locker room, and how that should help the team with the adversity it faces in the aftermath of the bounty program. He's got a point. Although it was clear there was some friction between coach Sean Payton and former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, the chemistry among the New Orleans players has always been a big positive in recent years.

The Saints have re-signed special-teams player/receiver Courtney Roby. They also released linebacker Jeremiha Hunter.

Gary Shelton runs through the argument that is consuming Tampa Bay fans -- should the Bucs take LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne or Alabama running back Trent Richardson with the No. 5 overall pick? It’s a tough call, and I don’t think the Bucs would be making a huge mistake by going either way. I lean slightly toward Claiborne, because the trending wisdom in the NFL is that you don’t draft a running back early in the first round. Then again, the way coach Greg Schiano has been talking, his offensive system might make running back a more important position than it is for most other teams.

No NFC South team faces a more challenging period between now and the start of free agency than the New Orleans Saints.

They have to find a way to re-sign quarterback Drew Brees, and there are at least a couple other players that it’s essential the Saints retain. They’ve also got some important role players and will need to find ways to keep several of them despite a difficult salary-cap situation.

Let’s take a look at New Orleans’ potential free agents. They’re all unrestricted, unless noted otherwise:

Brees, defensive end Jeff Charleston, receiver Marques Colston, linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar, defensive tackle Aubrayo Franklin, tight end John Gilmore, tight end Tory Humphrey, kicker John Kasay, defensive end Turk McBride, offensive lineman Pat McQuistan, receiver Robert Meachem, guard Carl Nicks, cornerback Tracy Porter, receiver/return man Courtney Roby, defensive tackle Shaun Rogers, cornerback Leigh Torrence, safety Jonathon Amaya (exclusive rights), receiver Adrian Arrington (exclusive rights), center Brian de la Puente (exclusive rights), offensive lineman Justin Drescher (exclusive rights), linebacker Jonathan Casillas (restricted), quarterback Chase Daniel (restricted) and linebacker Ramon Humber (restricted).

Whatever deal Brees signs, it’s likely he’ll take up somewhere around $15 million of the 2012 salary cap. But the Saints will have to continue to spend big money. It’s imperative they keep Nicks. He might be the best guard in the league and he’s Brees’ top protector. Keeping Colston also would seem to be a top priority because he’s one of Brees’ favorite targets.

Once the accounting is done on Brees, Nicks and Colston, the Saints will have to make some tough financial decisions. Porter and Meachem are important role players. But they could have market value elsewhere. The Saints might not be able to afford to keep them. That would hurt, but it might not be disastrous because the Saints have good depth at receiver and cornerback.

A lot can change between now and the start of free agency and I sure don’t see any way the New Orleans Saints let quarterback/King Drew Brees walk away. I also think there’s a pretty good chance tight end Tony Gonzalez can return to the Atlanta Falcons if he chooses. Same for cornerback Ronde Barber with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and maybe even Jeremy Shockey with the Carolina Panthers.

But all we know about those guys at the moment is they’re not under contract for 2012. We’ll do much more on free agency as it gets closer but I’ve got the complete list of every NFC South player presently not under contract for 2012.

I’ll list them by team here and we’ll only go with the guys who have at least four years of service and can become unrestricted free agents. We’ll deal with restricted and exclusive-rights free agents at another time.

Atlanta Falcons: Tony Gonzalez, tight end; Reggie Kelly, tight end; Todd McClure, center; Mike Peterson, linebacker; John Abraham, defensive end; Joe Zelenka, long-snapper; Chris Redman, quarterback; Kirk Chambers, offensive line; Kelvin Hayden, cornerback; Brett Romberg, offensive line; James Sanders, safety; Jason Snelling, running back; Kroy Biermann, defensive end; Thomas DeCoud, safety; Harry Douglas, receiver; Brent Grimes, cornerback; Curtis Lofton, linebacker; Eric Weems, receiver.

Carolina Panthers: Jeremy Shockey, tight end; Reggie Wells, offensive line; Derek Anderson, quarterback; Geoff Hangartner, center/guard; Omar Gaither, linebacker; Cletis Gordon, cornerback; Legedu Naanee, receiver; Antwan Applewhite, linebacker; Mackenzy Beranadeau, offensive line; Dan Connor, linebacker; J.J. Jansen, long-snapper; Jerome Felton, fullback; Jordan Senn, linebacker.

New Orleans Saints: John Kasay, kicker; Drew Brees, quarterback; Shaun Rogers, defensive tackle; John Gilmore, tight end; Aubrayo Franklin, defensive tackle; Marques Colston, receiver; Pat McQuistan, offensive line; Courtney Roby, receiver; Leigh Torrence, cornerback; Jeff Charleston, defensive end; Turk McBride, defensive end; Robert Meachem, receiver; Jo-Lonn Dunbar, linebacker; Carl Nicks, guard; Tracy Porter, cornerback.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Ronde Barber, cornerback; Earnest Graham, running back; Sean Jones, safety; Connor Barth, kicker; Geno Hayes, linebacker; Josh Johnson, quarterback; James Lee, offensive line; Corey Lynch, safety; Elbert Mack, cornerback; Frank Okam, defensive tackle; Micheal Spurlock, receiver; Jeremy Zuttah, offensive line.

The results of the fan voting for the Pro Bowl are in and the NFC South didn’t fare very well.

New Orleans tight end Jimmy Graham and strong safety Roman Harper were the only players to lead the NFC at their positions. New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees finished third overall in league-wide voting, but Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers was the league’s top vote-getter.

Fan voting counts for one-third of the final tally. Votes from coaches and players make up the rest. The Pro Bowl rosters will be announced Tuesday night.

I was able to obtain the top five in fan voting at each position and I’ll run down the NFC South representatives. Carolina rookie quarterback Cam Newton was third behind Rodgers and Brees.

Atlanta’s Michael Turner was No. 5 among running backs and New Orleans’ Jed Collins was No. 3 among fullbacks.

Atlanta’s Tony Gonzalez was second to Graham among tight ends and Carolina’s Steve Smith was fourth among receivers.

New Orleans’ Jahri Evans was third among guards and teammate Brian de la Puente was No. 4 among centers.

On defense, Atlanta’s Sean Weatherspoon (No. 5 at outside linebacker) was the only NFC South player besides Harper to finish in the top five.

New Orleans punter Thomas Morstead finished fifth, return man Darren Sproles was No. 4 and Courtney Roby was No. 5 among special-teams players.

The fan portion of Pro Bowl voting comes to an end Monday, and the NFC South isn’t faring well so far.

Fan vote counts as one third, with players and coaches each taking up a third. Here’s a link to go cast your ballot before the deadline.

But, as of the moment, New Orleans tight end Jimmy Graham and strong safety Roman Harper would be the only NFC South starters. I’ve obtained a list of the top five vote getters at each position and it’s light on NFC South representation.

Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers is running away with the voting for the NFC quarterback. But New Orleans’ Drew Brees is No. 2 and Carolina rookie Cam Newton is No. 3.

Atlanta’s Michael Turner is No. 5 at running back and New Orleans’ Jed Collins is third at fullback. Graham leads the tight ends, but Atlanta’s Tony Gonzalez is No. 2.

The only other NFC South players in the top five on offense are Carolina receiver Steve Smith (No. 3), New Orleans guard Jahri Evans (No. 4) and New Orleans center Brian de la Puente (No. 5).

Aside from Harper, the only other NFC South player in the top five at any position is Atlanta’s Sean Weatherspoon. He’s No. 5 among outside linebackers.

New Orleans kicker Thomas Morstead is No. 5, return man Darren Sproles is No. 4 and Courtney Roby is No. 5 in the special-teams category.

CHICAGO -- As the Falcons, Panthers and Buccaneers get ready for Sunday's season openers, let's take a look at the top headlines from around the NFC South.

The Carolina Panthers continue to take care of their own. Safety Charles Godfrey reportedly has agreed to a contract extension.

Although a lot of wide receivers are individualists, Atlanta rookie Julio Jones is a team player, according to quarterback Matt Ryan.

Atlanta running back Michael Turner grew up in the Chicago area and has been in the league for eight years. But he’ll play at Soldier Field for the first time Sunday.

Atlanta owner Arthur Blank said he would like to see his team go deep into the playoffs. The team’s yet to win a playoff game under coach Mike Smith and, after offseason moves to get Jones and defensive end Ray Edwards, the pressure is on.

Marques Colston’s broken collarbone leaves the Saints without their top receiver for at least four weeks. The Saints were without Lance Moore (groin) for the opener and it’s unknown if Moore will be able to play next week against the Bears. If Moore is out again, the Saints suddenly would be very thin at receiver. They’d have Devery Henderson and Robert Meachem. But, after that, they’d have only Courtney Roby and Adrian Arrington. Roby primarily is a return man and Arrington is very inexperienced.

Bucs co-chairman Bryan Glazer referred to Lee Roy Selmon as a “gentle giant’’ and a "Tampa Bay treasure'' during Friday’s memorial service for the Tampa Bay Hall of Famer.

All four NFC South general managers have been doing some very astute salary-cap maneuvering when it comes to the veteran minimum salary benefit -- even Tampa Bay’s Mark Dominik, who seems to think the word “veteran’’ applies to anyone who has reached his 22nd birthday.

The minimum-salary benefit is designed to give teams that sign veterans a salary-cap break. It can be used on any player with four or more accrued seasons, who signs for the minimum base salary, which varies depending on the number of years the player has in the league. As a general rule, the cap hit for those players is $525,000, even though the player might actually earn far more in base salary. The cap hit can also escalate a bit if there is a signing bonuses involved in the deal.

Let’s use New Orleans safety Pierson Prioleau, a 12-year veteran to demonstrate because he the highest-possible minimum base salary. Prioleau is scheduled to earn $910,000 in base salary. He also got a $50,000 signing bonus. Under normal circumstances, Prioleau would count $960,000 million against the salary cap. But the benefit drops his cap figure to just $575,000.

The Saints also used the veteran minimum benefit on offensive lineman Jordan Black, linebacker Clint Ingram, safety Chris Reis, receiver Courtney Roby, cornerback Leigh Torrence, running back Patrick Cobbs, tackle George Foster and tackle Alex Barron. In the case of Barron, general manager Mickey Loomis did a very nice job of guarding his team against the cap. Barron’s deal, which was for $685,000, was structured with a split salary, meaning his salary and cap hit drop dramatically if he’s placed on injured reserved or waived while injured.

Barron currently is on the injured-reserve list and his cap figure has dropped to $228,000. It could be lowered even more if the Saints release Barron with an injury settlement.

Carolina general manager Marty Hurney was almost as active as Loomis with the benefit. He used it on six players – safety Sean Considine, quarterback Derek Anderson, linebacker Omar Gaither, receiver Legedu Naanee, cornerback E.J. Wilson and cornerback Cletis Gordon.

Atlanta general manager Thomas Dimitroff used it twice and got some big savings because both of his veterans have a lot of years under their belts. Tight end Reggie Kelly and linebacker Mike Peterson each got $910,000 base salaries with $50,000 signing bonuses. Kelly and Peterson each are counting only $575,000 against the cap.

Tampa Bay, which is poised to have the league’s youngest opening-day roster, used the benefit on only one player. That’s defensive tackle John McCargo. His base salary is $685,000 with no signing bonus, so his cap figure is $525,000. The Bucs also protected themselves against injury to McCargo. His deal also includes a split salary, which would pay him only $353,000 if he is injured.

As with just about everything else in the NFL, there is huge uncertainty when it comes to the use of franchise tags.

Get ready to start hearing a lot more about this. According to the league and its teams, franchise tags can be assigned starting Thursday. According to the NFL Players Association, franchise tags cannot be used – at least until there is a new Collective Bargaining Agreement in place, which could take months.

You’re probably going to see the two sides fight this one out and some teams will probably cast the first stone by announcing Thursday, or soon after, that they are assigning franchise tags. We’ll see how that plays out in the long run. But, at very least, we can take a look at guys who could get franchise tags in the NFC South.

I just went through all my contract stuff and I’m seeing three prime candidates. Again, there is some uncertainty here because there is no labor agreement and the way any potential deal is structured could play a big role in deciding if some players are restricted or unrestricted free agents.

But the three guys that could come into play are Carolina running back DeAngelo Williams, Tampa Bay offensive guard Davin Joseph and Tampa Bay linebacker Barrett Ruud. Each team can only use a franchise tag on one player, if they chose to use it at all.

We don’t know the price of 2011 franchise tags, but we can look back to 2010 as a reference point. The tag for a running back was $8.2 million. For an offensive lineman, it was $10.7 million. For a linebacker, it was $9.7 million.

Let’s take a look at the significant players for each team who currently are not under contract for 2011 and see how this might play into the situation with franchise tags. Again, some players may fall into the category of restricted free agents, depending on how a potential labor agreement is structured.

Atlanta: Mike Peterson, Tyson Clabo, Harvey Dahl, Jerious Norwood, Jason Snelling, Brian Williams, Justin Blalock, Brian Finneran, Matt Bryant, Michael Koenen, Stephen Nicholas, Brent Grimes and Eric Weems.

Summary: Grimes is coming off a breakout season and likely will be classified as a restricted free agent. Most of the veterans on this list are role players and wouldn’t be considered for the franchise tag. The two long-shot exceptions could be kicker Bryant and punter Koenen. The Falcons used the franchise tag on Koenen in 2009 and let him play for the restricted free agent tender last year. The 2010 franchise tag for punters and kickers was $2.8 million. I have a tough time seeing general manager Thomas Dimitroff using a franchise tag on a punter or kicker. The Falcons don’t really have any need to use the tag.

Tampa Bay: Ronde Barber, Barrett Ruud, Cadillac Williams, Davin Joseph, Stylez G. White, John Gilmore, Maurice Stovall, Jeremy Trueblood, Quincy Black, Tim Crowder and Adam Hayward.

Summary: The Bucs should have a ton of cap room to work with, so they should be able to handle a franchise tag easily. But it remains to be seen if they want to use it on either of the two realistic candidates: Joseph or Ruud. Joseph is a guy they want to keep in the middle of their offensive line, but they might be able to work a long-term deal that would be a lot more cap friendly. Ruud has made it clear to the Bucs for two years that he would like a long-term contract. That’s never happened. Maybe he’s just not in their long-range plans.

New Orleans: Jonathan Goodwin, Scott Shanle, Roman Harper, Darren Sharper, Jimmy Wilkerson, Lance Moore, Jermon Bushrod, Pierre Thomas, Anthony Hargrove, Courtney Roby, David Thomas, Remi Ayodele, Heath Evans and Carl Nicks.

Summary: The Saints have more than 20 potential free agents and even the guys I singled out above aren’t huge stars. Nicks is probably the best player on the list. But he has three years of service in and almost certainly would qualify as a restricted free agent in any new agreement. Goodwin’s a good player, but I think the Saints would rather take their chances on working a new deal with him than using the franchise tag on a center.

Carolina: Thomas Davis, Matt Moore, DeAngelo Williams, Jeff King, Richard Marshall, James Anderson, Ryan Kalil, Charles Johnson and Dante Rosario.

Summary: Kalil and Johnson are key players, but they could end up as restricted free agents. Williams is the key guy. The Panthers have depth at running back with Jonathan Stewart and Mike Goodson. But Stewart has had durability issues and Williams is a playmaker on a team that needs all the offense it can get. Maybe the Panthers try to work a long-term deal with Williams, but they might try to protect him in the short term by using the franchise tag.

With two big NFC South games -- Carolina at Atlanta and Tampa Bay at New Orleans -- coming up Sunday, let's take a look at the injuries of significance.

Buccaneers. Although Tampa Bay has a slew of guys on injured reserve, the current roster is relatively healthy. Fullback Earnest Graham (neck) was the only player not participating fully in Thursday’s practice, and I wouldn’t expect to see him in Sunday’s game. Right tackle James Lee (ankle) participated fully for the second straight day, and the Bucs likely will have to choose between a healthy Lee and a healthy Jeremy Trueblood as the starter. Lee moved into the lineup earlier in the year when Trueblood was injured. He played well and wound up starting ahead of Trueblood until Lee was injured.

Saints. New Orleans listed 12 guys on the injury report, but we’ll knock the number down a bit. Receiver Courtney Roby was placed on injured reserve Thursday and six of the other guys on the list participate fully in Thursday’s practice. So let’s just focus on the five guys who didn’t practice at all – wide receiver Marques Colston (knee), defensive tackle Anthony Hargrove (knee), tight end Jeremy Shockey (groin), tight end David Thomas (knee) and linebacker Anthony Waters (ankle). The most significant thing here is that coach Sean Payton said Colston had arthroscopic surgery Tuesday to clean out some “loose bodies’’ in his knee. Payton said he’s not ruling Colston out for Sunday. As strange as that might sound, it’s not out of the realm of possibility. There have been many cases of athletes returning within days of minor surgery. But you have to think the Saints, who already have clinched a playoff berth, might rest Colston just to be safe. They’re very deep at receiver, and they activated receiver Adrian Arrington off the practice squad today.

Falcons. Defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux (shoulder) might be the most significant name on the list. Babineaux did not participate in Thursday’s practice. Receiver Roddy White (knee), center Todd McClure (ankle) and linebacker Curtis Lofton (knee) also sat out, but it’s not been unusual in recent weeks for any of those three to get a day off from practice. Defensive end John Abraham (groin) was limited in practice, but the veteran often gets days off or practices where he goes lightly.

Panthers. Fullback Tony Fiammetta (ankle) and cornerback Chris Gamble (ankle) were the most significant players who did not practice. Receiver Steve Smith was added to the report with a calf strain and took part in practice on a limited basis.

Just like their "Monday Night Football" opponent, the Atlanta Falcons, the New Orleans Saints aren’t required to put out the traditional Friday injury report that includes player statuses until Saturday.

But I just got the Saints’ post-practice injury report for Friday and it’s fairly lengthy. There are 12 players on the list, but the good news is that eight of them fully participated in Friday’s practice. Those eight are linebacker Danny Clark (hamstring), defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis (wrist), cornerback Jabari Greer (knee), defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove (knee), receiver Robert Meachem (toe), linebacker Kawika Mitchell (hamstring), receiver Courtney Roby (concussion) and linebacker Jonathan Vilma (quadriceps).

Defensive tackle Remi Ayodele (ankle), offensive tackle Charles Brown (back) and running back Chris Ivory (hamstring) each participated on a limited basis. Tight end David Thomas (knee) did not participate.

BALTIMORE -- As we previously reported, New Orleans running back Chris Ivory will be inactive due to a hamstring injury. But Ivory isn’t the only name of note on the list of inactives.

Return man Courtney Roby and defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove are injury-related inactives. It’s likely the Saints will use either Pierre Thomas or Lance Moore or a combination of the two to handle kickoff returns. Roby suffered head and neck injuries on a return last week.

Cornerback Patrick Robinson, the team’s first-round draft pick this year, also is inactive, but that’s not related to injuries. Robinson also was a healthy inactive last week and the Saints are just bringing him along slowly at a position where they are well stocked.

Safety Usama Young, linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar, tackle Charles Brown and tight end David Thomas are also inactive.

Just got home to Tampa and I can assure you Florida’s weather isn’t much warmer than what much of the rest of the country is experiencing. But it’s at least sunny. I saw a few snow flakes at the Atlanta airport earlier today. Anyway, let’s warm up by taking a quick trip through the latest headlines around the NFC South.

Carolina coach John Fox said he’s sticking with rookie Jimmy Clausen as his starting quarterback. Like Fox even has a choice as he just tries to finish up the season? One other thing on Clausen. He got ripped by receiver Steve Smith on Sunday. Smith pointed out Clausen “ain’t in Notre Dame anymore, that’s for sure.’’ That is for sure. But as best as memory serves me, Clausen was at least working with the Panthers in training camp and there were no reports of him letting his teammates down by breaking his arm playing recreation league flag football at the Siskey YMCA.

Roughly 10 hours after Geno Hayes was charged with trespassing and disorderly conduct, Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris said the linebacker will play this Sunday. We don’t know all the legal details on this one yet, but Morris said the team will handle the situation in-house. There could be discipline coming from the league, but the Bucs seem to be walking a thin line when it comes to players getting in trouble. They quickly released tight end Jerramy Stevens after he got into trouble, but they stood by rookie receiver Mike Williams when he had a legal issue. Each situation is different and Stevens had been in trouble before. But Stevens was nothing more than an expendable backup. Hayes and Williams are starters and that raises questions about possible preferential treatment. No matter exactly how Morris and the Bucs handle the Hayes situation over the long haul, it seems like the coach might want to have a stronger talk with his team about avoiding situations that have the potential for trouble. I’m not saying Morris needs to follow the Tony Dungy approach and go only with choir boys. But the reality here is the Bucs are very much in the playoff race and the players should be focusing in solely on that.

Some good news out of New Orleans. Return man Courtney Roby has been released from the hospital after suffering what looked like could have been a major injury Sunday. Roby was carted off the field and taken to a local hospital. But he was resting at home by Monday afternoon.

I’ve yet to see anything on the wires on this. But I talked to a Falcons’ official who said coach Mike Smith said this afternoon the team is hoping running back Jason Snelling can begin practicing Wednesday. Snelling’s been out with an injury the last two weeks and that’s put a heavy load on starter Michael Turner.

NEW ORLEANS -- The early word on New Orleans return man/receiver Courtney Roby, who suffered a very scary injury near the end of the first half, is somewhat encouraging.

The Saints just announced that Roby has feeling in his hands and feet and is able to move them. The team also said Roby was conscious and alert as he left the field.

Roby was taken to a local hospital for further evaluation, according to the Saints. I’ll be sure to pass along any more updates we get on Roby.

The NFL just announced its Players of the Month for September and the NFC South avoided a shutout.

That’s because New Orleans’ Courtney Roby saved the day. Roby has been named the NFC’s Special Teams Player of the Month for September. It’s a good choice, because Roby is a guy who really doesn’t get the attention he deserves. He’s the first New Orleans non-kicker to earn the award since Tyrone Hughes in October 1994.

Roby is an all-around special-teams player. His primary role is as a kickoff return man. He averaged 25.8 yards per return in the first three games, but that’s not all Roby did. He also plays on the coverage units.

Roby’s made five special-teams tackles, including at least one in every game. He also recovered a fumble on a muffed punt in San Francisco that set up a field goal in a New Orleans victory.

A quick review of New Orleans' victory against San Francisco.

What it means: In a lot of ways, this was just like the opener against Minnesota. It wasn’t really pretty, it was played in prime time and it was difficult. But it was a win and that’s really all that matters. People expect perfection from the Saints because they were so dominant last year. But the reality is, this isn’t college football. Style points don’t matter. As long as you win, you’re doing your job. The Saints have won two very difficult games. The time that they need to be perfect, will come, and it might come very soon. But, for now, the Saints still haven’t lost a game in a very long time.

Hero I: Garrett Hartley. He made the game-winning field goal as time ran out.

Heroes II and III: Drew Brees and Marques Colston. They hooked up on a very nice pass play to set up Hartley's field goal.

Hero IV: Courtney Roby. He’s best known as a return man and a receiver. But he made perhaps the biggest play of the game with 5:27 left as a special-teams coverage guy. After the 49ers weren’t able to catch a punt, Roby pounced on the ball to give the Saints great field position.

What I didn’t like: Seeing Reggie Bush go down with 6:58 left in the game. He was helped off and wasn’t putting any weight on his right leg. This is a guy with a history of leg injuries and this one didn’t look real promising. We’ll wait for a more complete diagnosis before getting into much detail about what Bush’s injury means. But the Saints aren’t the same team without him. Before the injury, he scored the game’s first touchdown with a reception and he had a huge punt return at the end of the third quarter.

What’s next: The Saints better hope they get a good tail wind on their flight home. They now face a short week. They also might be about to face the most difficult opponent they’ve seen. That’s Atlanta in the Superdome on Sunday. The Falcons are coming off an impressive victory against Arizona, they’ve got an extra day of rest and they played the Saints tough twice last season.