ESPN NFL

BALTIMORE – The New Orleans Saints will be without leading rusher Chris Ivory for Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens.

Ivory has been declared inactive after experiencing hamstring problems in last week’s victory against St. Louis. An undrafted free agent out of Tiffin University, the rookie took on a prominent role after Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas suffered major injuries early in the season.

Ivory has carried 130 times for 683 yards and five touchdowns. The Saints have been easing Bush back into the rotation since he first returned in a Thanksgiving game with Dallas. Thomas made his return last week after suffering an ankle injury in late September.

Bush and Thomas likely will get the bulk of the work at running back today, but Julius Jones also could be used as a backup.

» NFC Stock Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

FALLING

1. Jeff Davidson, Panthers offensive coordinator. It's kind of tough to come up with guys whose stock is falling when three NFC South teams are coming off victories and virtually everybody with the Panthers has been used in this category at one point or another. So we're going to be creative -- in other words, something Davidson is not. I know the head coach sets the tone for what his coordinators do and there's no question John Fox has limited his offense for virtually his entire tenure. But Davidson deserves some heavy blame. I mean, at least try to come up with ways to get Steve Smith the ball. As Fox's time in Carolina comes to an end and I reflect on it, I think one of the worst moves was making Dan Henning the scapegoat for a disappointing 2006 season. Fans thought Henning lacked imagination. After four years of watching Davidson's offense, Henning's offense, in hindsight, looks like the Tampa Bay Bandits of Steve Spurrier in the United States Football League. Fox's staff will be scrambling for jobs. Davidson might have to return to his roots as an offensive line coach because his coordinator résumé isn't looking too good.

2. Geno Hayes, Buccaneers linebacker. He's doing fine on the field, but he got into trouble in the wee hours of Monday morning. If the Bucs really are a playoff team, they should be focused entirely on football at this time of year.

3. Charter flights for the Falcons. They have to cross the country to Seattle this weekend after playing road games at Carolina and Tampa Bay. But if the Falcons keep doing what they're doing, they won't have to get on a plane again this season -- unless it's to Texas for the Super Bowl.

RISING

1. Pierre Thomas, Saints running back. Thomas, who injured his ankle in late September, returned to the playing field Sunday when the Saints defeated the Rams. He wound up probably getting even more playing time than the Saints envisioned. The logical thing to do would have been to ease Thomas back into a rotation with Chris Ivory and Reggie Bush. But that plan went out the window when Ivory started experiencing hamstring issues early in the game. Thomas ended up carrying 12 times and catching four passes. His numbers weren't overhelming (39 rushing yards and 29 receiving yards), but he held up well. Thomas' long-term future in New Orleans might not be all that bright because of Ivory's emergence. But a strong finish could help Thomas get a nice contract somewhere else.

2. Michael Turner, Falcons running back. With backup Jason Snelling banged up, the Falcons have been riding Turner even more than usual. He carried 28 times in Sunday's victory against Carolina and produced 112 yards and three touchdowns. Turner has rushed for more than 100 yards in three of the past four games and five times in Atlanta's seven-game winning streak. He has scored at least one touchdown in four straight games.

3. Arrelious Benn, Buccaneers wide receiver. He was chosen in the second round of this year's draft and fellow receiver Mike Williams was picked in the fourth round. But Williams emerged instantly as the No. 1 receiver and Benn wasn't much of a factor early on. But Benn had a huge game in Sunday's victory at Washington. He had a career-high four catches for a career-high 122 yards.

The injury reports are in for all four teams, so that means it’s time to take a look at the significant injuries in the NFC South.

Buccaneers. The Bucs have had more than their share of injury problems lately and it’s continuing. Defensive end Tim Crowder was added to the injury list Friday with a shoulder problem and the Bucs say he’s questionable for Sunday. Linebacker Quincy Black (ankle) also is questionable, but the good news there is backup Dekoda Watson (hamstring) is probable.

Panthers. Cornerback Chris Gamble (hamstring) and guard Travelle Wharton (toe) are doubtful and did not participate in Friday’s practice. On the plus side, linebacker Jon Beason (knee) returned to practice after missing two days. Beason was limited in practice and is listed as questionable for Sunday.

Falcons. It looks like the Falcons will be without backup running back Jason Snelling (hamstring) for a second straight game. He’s listed as questionable and did not participate in practice Friday. That means a full workload for starter Michael Turner and maybe a few carries for backup Gartrell Johnson. Linebacker Curtis Lofton (knee) is listed as questionable, but he practiced Friday and that’s a sign he should be able to play unless he has a setback.

Saints. Running back Pierre Thomas (ankle) is listed as probable and coach Sean Payton said he expects Thomas to play Sunday for the first time since he suffered the injury in the third game of the season. But I think the Saints will work Thomas in gradually, like they’ve been doing with Reggie Bush the last two weeks. If you have Chris Ivory on your fantasy team, he still is a good guy to start.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 14.

'Matty Ice' thaws out. Prior to last Sunday’s game in Tampa Bay, Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan had gone four games without throwing an interception, and the entire offense had gone the same period of time without turning the ball over. The streak ended as the Bucs picked off Ryan twice. Almost all day long, Ryan looked just a little off with his passes. But I don’t think that’s any cause for concern. When the game was on the line, Ryan led the Falcons on a sharp touchdown drive. The bounce back will continue this week. That’s partly because Ryan is good and partly because he’ll be playing the Carolina Panthers.

Something to play for. Speaking of the Panthers, if I’m one of their veterans, I’m making sure I go all out in these final four games. Yes, coach John Fox is on his way out the door and this has been a lost season. But back in 2002 when Fox was hired to replace George Seifert, the first thing he and general manager Marty Hurney did was to sit down and watch film from the previous season. They noticed some veterans who pretty much packed it in at the end of the season. Those guys immediately were gone. All indications are that Hurney still will be around, and you can bet he and the new coach will do the exact same kind of film review.

Bucking the trend. For the first time this season, the Bucs have lost back-to-back games. That would be a sign of trouble for a lot of teams, but I don’t think that’s the case here. The Bucs have lost close games to Baltimore and Atlanta, two good teams. That’s not enough to end the momentum they had going before that. The Bucs go up to Washington on Sunday, and the Redskins have some issues. I usually avoid predictions, but I’m going to make one here. I say the Bucs beat the Redskins 24-17.

Where’s the defense? A lot has been said about how New Orleans’ offense has come together, scoring 30 or more points in each of the last four games. That’s a great sign and this is a wonderful time of the year for that to happen. But, if the Saints really are going to make a run, their defense still needs to show some major improvement. When the Saints have to score 30 or more to beat teams like Dallas and Cincinnati, it makes you wonder what would happen against a good team in the playoffs.

Doubting Thomas. One other big storyline on the Saints is that running back Pierre Thomas appears likely to return Sunday from an ankle injury that has kept him sidelined since late September. This probably won’t be much of a story. Chris Ivory has come in and shown he can do most of what Thomas did last year. With Reggie Bush also in the mix, the Saints aren’t going to suddenly give Thomas 20 carries. They’ll probably use him only sparingly, and Ivory’s success doesn’t bode well for Thomas’ future with the Saints. He’s a free agent after this season. Unless there are injuries and Thomas suddenly lights things up, he’s probably out of New Orleans as soon as the season is over.

Their fans like to say the New Orleans Saints are flying beneath the radar, but that’s simply not true.

There might have been a bit of turbulence on takeoff, and the rise to 30 points a game took longer than expected. But in the last month, the bell has sounded indicating the Saints are free to move about the cabin, all over the field and maybe even straight back to the Super Bowl.

“Just kind of hitting our stride,’’ New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees said. “Midseason form is what you guys like to call it. But we’re getting into crunch time here. This is December. These are the games you want to remember. These are the games that kind of define your season in a lot of ways where you fit into the whole playoff picture. You want to play your best football in this stretch.’’

That’s precisely what the Saints have been doing. They’ve won their last five games and scored 30 or more points in each of the last four games. Brees has thrown for more than 300 yards in four of the last five games, and Robert Meachem and Devery Henderson are breaking free with regularity on deep routes.

It’s starting to look a lot like last season, when the Saints were lighting up scoreboards and winning the Super Bowl. The early-season panic that swept Bourbon Street when the Saints were looking only ordinary on offense has faded with each touchdown in the five-game winning streak. The realization is setting in that the 9-3 Saints are right on the heels of the 10-2 Falcons in the NFC South.

The two teams play each other Dec. 27 in a game that could go a long way in deciding the division. But there are things to take care of before that. The Saints host St. Louis on Sunday and travel to Baltimore next week. The Falcons are pretty much guaranteed a win at Carolina on Sunday, and they have to fly cross-country to Seattle next week.

All the Saints can do at this point is take care of themselves, and recent events have put them in a prime position to do this. In some ways, the Saints are in a better spot now than they were a year ago. Last season, they started 13-0, lost their final three regular-season games and sort of limped into the playoffs.

This season, at least on offense, the Saints appear to be headed for the peak -- or at least deep down the field -- at the right moment. The deep passing game is prospering when it matters most. Meachem has at least one catch for more than 50 yards in the last two games. Henderson, who had a 57-yard catch in a Thanksgiving victory at Dallas, also seems to be emerging at the right time.

Why is the deep passing game suddenly working so well? Coach Sean Payton points first to Brees.

“He’s playing at a high level,’’ Payton said. “He’s playing very efficiently. Each week we keep looking at opportunities for our players and it varies where the shot plays go. Meachem had a few this past week and Devery at Dallas. It’s something in each plan where we want to aggressively get the ball down the field.’’

Early in the year, when Brees and the offense weren’t putting up huge numbers, conspiracy theories were flying. That's understandable -- Brees was on the cover of this year’s “Madden’’ video game, and New Orleans is a town that believes in voodoo and curses. Theories were also flying that Brees was struggling because he banged up his knee in a home loss to Atlanta and wore a brace for a few weeks. There were even rumors that Brees was playing despite major knee damage.

But all that was untrue, and the talk of the “Madden Curse’’ has pretty much disappeared over the last month. Brees is back to the Brees of old, and the strongest proof of that came this week when the quarterback was asked whether he feels he’s been playing better. Keep in mind, there generally is not a person more critical of Brees than Brees. But even the quarterback is willing to admit he believes he’s playing better these days.

“I do,’’ Brees said. “I feel like early on for whatever reason some of the breaks weren’t going my way. I wasn’t quite as sharp as I wanted to be. I think a lot of that was timing and just getting into it and getting going again.’’

But the surge by New Orleans’ offense isn’t simply due to Brees. There are reasons that Meachem and Henderson suddenly are getting open downfield and Marques Colston consistently is getting open in the medium-range passing game and the red zone.

“I think we’re running the ball a little better in this last quarter of the season, if you look at it statistically,’’ Payton said. “If you’re able to do that, you’re able to get some of the looks that you would prefer in regards to your down-the-field shots.”

As long as Payton is coaching this team, the Saints never will be perceived as a running team. But Payton will be the first to tell you that the running game is an important part of his offense and that he’s always seeking some sort of balance between the run and the pass.

He’s found it in a very unlikely place -- undrafted rookie running back Chris Ivory. With top two running backs Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas hurt for much of this season, the Saints were searching for some consistency out of the backfield early on. Defenses weren’t even worrying about the running game.

Ivory broke off a 55-yard touchdown run in last week’s win at Cincinnati, and he’s run for five touchdowns in the last three games. Bush has returned from a broken leg to play in the last two games, although the Saints are taking a very gradual approach to getting him involved in the offense.

The news keeps getting better. Thomas hasn’t played since September because of an ankle injury, but it appears he might return Sunday. Look for Thomas to be worked in slowly, like Bush, and for Ivory to keep getting the bulk of the carries, at least for the short term.

But, come the final weeks of the regular season and in the playoffs, the Saints might have three strong options out of the backfield. That’s good news for the running game. But it might be even better news for the passing game and the entire offense.

“As you effectively run the ball, it’s a little bit harder to sit in the same soft zone coverage and two-deep safety looks,’’ Payton said. “I think it all goes hand-in-hand. Our ability to run the ball efficiently and then come off of it with play-action or a drop-back pass, I think that goes together.”

The first-place Atlanta Falcons are the final stop in Thursday’s round of team-by-team mailbags for the NFC South.

John in Hollywood, Calif., writes: Just re-watched the Atlanta New Orleans game. Great game, but Atlanta caught the Saints on the first week without Reggie Bush, lost Tracy Porter to injury for the second half, had three turnovers, Atlanta won the coin toss in overtime and Sean Peyton kicked the famous missed field goal on first down. Can you really see this happening again? Also, Atlanta caught them on a short week because the Saints had a Monday night game the week before.

Pat Yasinskas: All valid points. But I’m going to ask everyone to read the next question before responding.

---

Kurk in Lulu, Ga., writes: I'm confused. Atlanta is 10-2 and seemingly Matt Ryan wills them to victory weekly. With the only game (seemingly) of concern being the home date with the saints, why am i reading at multiple sites that that game will be for the division? Don't the Falcons own the tie breaker? Also, Atlanta has beaten some very good teams in the six-game win streak. Why are people jumping on the Saints bandwagon solely because of a five- game winning streak against far lesser opponents?

Pat Yasinskas: Some more valid points from the other side. This is what makes the NFC South and the rivalry between Atlanta and New Orleans so great. In fact, you already have me looking forward to the Dec. 27 showdown in the Georgia Dome. I’m going to get with our travel department right now and make my arrangements to get there. I’ll let Atlanta and New Orleans fans argue this one out in the comments section below.

---

Ken in Washington, D.C., writes: If the Falcons make the playoffs, do you think we might get to see the games here in Washington or will they show highlights of the Redskins season?

Pat Yasinskas: I think you’ll be safe. If the Falcons are in the playoffs, the games will be shown nationally. Can’t say the same for the Buccaneers. If they somehow got a home playoff game, it might not sell out and that would mean another local television blackout in the Tampa Bay area.

---

David in Warner Robbins, Ga., writes: I can't help but wonder what Thomas Dimitroff is thinking about next year. What position he thinks could be filled by the next Michael Turner, Tony Gonzalez or Dunta Robinson?

Pat Yasinskas: Dimitroff has established a track record of going after one big free-agent each offseason. Not sure if the labor uncertainty will impact that for next season or not. But let’s stick with your basic premise for now. The Falcons have Tyson Clabo and Harvey Dahl in contract years, Todd McClure is nearing retirement and Sam Baker hasn’t developed into a Pro Bowler. That’s why I think the offensive line could be an area Dimitroff targets. But I’ll also throw defensive end out there as well. John Abraham has bounced back nicely and has nine sacks this season. But he’s aging and it might be time for the Falcons to look for a younger pass-rusher.

On Monday, we looked at the guys who are the best bargains (salary wise) in the NFC South. We’ll follow that up now with the flip side.

I’m not going to use the word overpaid because that’s one of my pet peeves. In fact, when I hear people categorically say that football players are overpaid, I always argue against that. My reasoning is that you can’t pay these guys enough because of what they’re putting their bodies through and what the long-term implications of that could be.

That said, however, there are some guys around the division whose production this season isn’t quite matching their contracts. Let’s take a look, and the guidelines we’re using are salary-cap numbers, even though there is no cap this year, because they include base salaries and bonuses.

Chris Gamble, cornerback, Panthers, $8.05 million. He’s been a nice player for a long time, but never a true star. This season, he hasn’t even been good. He doesn’t have an interception and, at one point, was benched by coach John Fox.

Jordan Gross, tackle, Panthers, $8.5 million. Another guy whose play this year isn’t close to what it’s been in the past. You can blame most of it on other problems on the offensive line. But Gross hasn’t been as dominant as he once was.

Steve Smith, receiver, Panthers, $8.7 million. Let’s put the blame for this one on the Panthers -- their problems at quarterback and conservative play calling. Smith is a tremendous talent, but the Panthers have just kind of wasted this season for him.

Erik Coleman, safety, Falcons, $2.785 million. With Thomas DeCoud and William Moore stepping up, Coleman has become nothing more than an expensive backup.

Chauncey Davis, defensive end, Falcons, $3.35 million. He’s made one start and hasn’t recorded a sack. He’s an even more expensive backup than Coleman.

Jamaal Anderson, defensive lineman, Falcons, $5.4 million. After a horrible start to his career as a defensive end, the former first-round draft pick finally has showed some value as a situational player. He gets time in the rotation as a defensive tackle and defensive end, and he can play the run. But there are a lot of guys who play the run for a lot less money.

Reggie Bush, running back, Saints, $11.99 million. A lot of people say Bush is overrated and I disagree with that because he can do so many different things. But, mainly because of injuries, his production has been minimal this season.

Jahri Evans, guard, Saints, $9.2 million. The Saints gave him a huge contract because a lot of people say he’s the best guard in the league. He can be that, at times, but he seems to have developed a knack for getting called for holding this year.

Jeff Faine, center, Buccaneers, $5 million. He just went on injured reserve yesterday and he missed significant time with injuries early in the season. Even when he’s healthy, Faine is only pretty close to ordinary.

Running back Pierre Thomas, who hasn’t played since suffering an ankle injury Sept. 26 could return to action Sunday when the New Orleans Saints host the St. Louis Rams.

“I would expect this week for him to practice, take more reps and be ready to play,’’ coach Sean Payton said Monday. “Yet we want to make sure that we’re not just deciding that today on a Monday, but that we’re paying attention to how practice is going. But he was encouraged and I was encouraged with the work week (last week’s practices). It was probably the first good full week that he’s had where he has taken reps both on offense, worked on scout team and done a number of things. So I’m optimistic that we’ll be able to get him into the lineup this week.’’

But it could be interesting to see just how much of a factor Thomas is if he does return to action. While he and fellow running back Reggie Bush were out, Chris Ivory stepped up and has been a steady contributor from the backfield. Ivory had a 55-yard touchdown run in Sundays’ win at Cincinnati. Bush returned from a broken leg and has played the last two games.

“Chris has done a number of good things and I don’t want to affect his snap count at all in regards to his carries,’’ Payton said. “We’ll be smart about who’s up and then having the plan that we think is best for our team, but certainly (Ivory) has earned the reps that he’s getting now and the touches that he’s getting now. He’s a different type of runner than either Pierre or Reggie or Julius (Jones).’’

While glancing through some salary and salary-cap numbers today, I started to come up with a list of the five biggest bargains in the NFC South.

As I dug in deeper, it quickly became apparent the list had to grow, because there really are a bunch of players in the division producing beyond their contracts. After looking at the Falcons, Saints and Buccaneers, the list stood at eight. Since there haven’t been a lot of positives from the Carolina Panthers, I thought the list might stay at eight, even though I was hoping to get it to 10.

But I was presently surprised because I was able to come up with three guys on the Panthers, who have played well and aren’t making a lot of money. So the list stands at 11.

I’m not going to rank them in any particular order. But let me just tell you the guidelines I used in assembling this list. I didn’t go by actual base salaries because those numbers can be a bit misleading. Although there is no salary cap in place this season, I went by salary-cap numbers because those include base salaries as well as things like roster bonuses and workout bonuses that are being earned this year.

I made the cutoff point $1 million. In other words, nobody that has a cap figure of $1 million or more was eligible, because I was looking only for bargains. Here’s the list.

Brent Grimes, cornerback, Falcons, $470,000. When you’re paying Dunta Robinson a ton of money to cover one side of the field, you can’t afford to pay your other cornerbacks a lot. Grimes has started every game this season and is producing. At $470,000 Grimes is one of the league’s best values. It’s rare to see a quality starting cornerback who isn’t well over $1 million.

Curtis Lofton, middle linebacker, Falcons, $918,000. In this case, the salary-cap number is a bit misleading because it includes almost $400,000 in original bonus money that’s pro-rated over the entire contract. Lofton’s only making $508,000 in base salary and isn’t collecting any roster or option bonuses this year. Not bad for a guy who has emerged as the leader of Atlanta’s defense.

Eric Weems, return man/receiver, Falcons, $470,000. Weems earned his salary Sunday with a franchise-record 102-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Even before that, he was a solid return man and he contributes a bit as a receiver.

LeGarrette Blount, running back, Buccaneers, $320,000. Undrafted out of college and cut by the Tennessee Titans in training camp, Blount has emerged as the feature back in Tampa Bay.

Mike Williams, wide receiver, Buccaneers, $454,562. Although he was only a fourth-round draft pick, Williams has been Tampa Bay’s best receiver since opening day.

Chris Ivory, running back, Saints, $321,666. He comes with a story very similar to Blount’s. With injuries to Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas, Ivory has been the most consistent player in New Orleans’ backfield.

Thomas Morstead, punter, Saints, $436,250. A lot of people scoffed when general manager Mickey Loomis used a draft pick on a punter in 2009. But Morstead has shown how valuable a punter can be. He’s averaging 47.3 yards a punt.

Carl Nicks, guard, Saints, $509,250. He gets overshadowed by teammate Jahri Evans, but some personnel people will tell you there isn’t much difference between New Orleans’ guards.

Charles Godfrey, safety, Panthers, $683,550. One of the few bright spots for the Panthers. This third-year player has five interceptions.

Mike Goodson, running back, Panthers, $518,000. He wasn’t supposed to be more than a return guy and maybe a third-down back. But injuries have forced DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart to miss a lot of playing time. That gave Goodson an opportunity, and he’s had two 100-yard rushing games.

Captain Munnerlyn, cornerback, Panthers, $410,225. With Chris Gamble in coach John Fox’s doghouse, Munnerlyn has gotten some time as a starter. Even as a nickel back, he still is a bargain at this price.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 13.

Point of no returns. The last time Tampa Bay and Atlanta got together (earlier this season in the Georgia Dome) Micheal Spurlock almost single-handedly knocked off the Falcons with a few huge kickoff and punt returns. I wouldn’t look for that to happen again. Mike Smith and his coaching staff sat down after that one and made some major changes to their coverage units. They switched where some guys line up and they also brought a couple of starters, most notably defensive end Kroy Biermann, onto the coverage units. Since then, the Falcons haven’t been giving up much in the way of returns.

Storm brewing. I just looked at the weather forecast for Cincinnati on Sunday and it’s not very pretty. The Saints are a much better team than the Bengals. But with the temperature near freezing and the possibility of snow, this could be a very tough game for New Orleans. They’re a team built for a dome, or at least good weather. Sean Payton may have to change his game plan and run Chris Ivory and Reggie Bush more than usual, and it would be nice if Bush did a better job of holding onto the ball than he did in Dallas on Thanksgiving.

Turnover-free zone. We’ve already talked several times about how the Falcons have gone four straight games without a turnover. But we’re going to do it again now because this is significant. If Atlanta can go without a turnover against the Bucs, the Falcons will become the first team since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970 to go five consecutive games without turning the ball over. If they do that, I think chances are pretty good they’ll also extend their winning streak to six games and get their 10th victory of the season.

Safety dance. Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris has been a little coy about his plans at safety after Cody Grimm's season ended when broke his left ankle. We may see some of Corey Lynch back there. He’s mainly been a special-teams guy but has been working in this defensive system in practice all year. I also think you might see cornerback Ronde Barber get some time at safety -- or maybe even some sort of hybrid position. What I’m saying is, if I’m Morris, I’m putting Aqib Talib on Roddy White all day. That’s strength against strength. Then, I’m looking at Atlanta’s other receiving weapons -- tight end Tony Gonzalez and receiver Michael Jenkins. I’d take my chances and let E.J. Biggers, Myron Lewis or Elbert Mack handle Jenkins, who is a role player. No matter if you line him up at safety or cornerback, I’d put Barber on Gonzalez and let the two veterans go at it.

An instant classic. Ah, there’s so much to say about this epic matchup between the Carolina Panthers and Seattle Seahawks. But we’re limited on space here, so we’ll keep it short. If John Fox really wants to get back at the people who are letting his contract run out, he should go out and win this game and maybe one or two more and cost Carolina the first pick in next year’s draft. That’s about the only thing the Panthers have to shoot for right now.

The New Orleans Saints are the final stop in today's series of team-by-team mailbags.

Rum in New Orleans writes: I read the other day that Saints fans accounted for approximately 1/3 of the 94,000 fans in the Cowboy Stadium on Turkey-Day. The TV showed a lot of Who Dats, and you could even hear the Who Dat chant drowning out the Cowboys fans in the game--but WERE there really that many Who Dats in attendance?

Pat Yasinskas: I was in Cowboys Stadium that day. While I didn’t have the time to do a detailed count on how many New Orleans fans were there, I’d estimate the number you cited was probably pretty close to accurate. There definitely was a strong presence by Saints fans. I saw a lot of them tailgating as I walked through the parking lot and I saw a lot of Saints shirts and hats in the stands. This is not uncommon. New Orleans fans, probably more than any team in the NFC South, travel with their team.

---

James in Louisville, Ky., writes: I know it isn’t even close but I'm always looking at the draft because I'm football nut. With Pierre Thomas being "hurt" for most of this year and Chris Ivory not being a true workload back, do you see the Saints drafting someone in an early round to fill that void?

Pat Yasinskas: Entirely possible. I think Pierre Thomas will be done in New Orleans after this season. The Saints have a history of going with a committee approach at running back and Ivory has done some good things this season. Reggie Bush also can do a lot of different things and he’s going to get playing time. Plus, the Saints like Lynell Hamilton, who should be coming back from injury next season. They could just stay with that group. But the injury problems at this position have shown you can never have enough running-back depth. I think there’s a good possibility the Saints look to add another running back. It doesn’t have to be a first-round pick because I don’t think they’re looking for one guy to come in and take on all the duties at running back. I think they just might look for a guy to play a role along with Bush, Ivory and Hamilton.

---

Brison in New Orleans writes: Why is everybody just handing Atlanta the best record and home field in the NFC? The season has 5 games left, and the world champs are still in the hunt.

Pat Yasinskas: I can see where your perception comes from. There’s been a lot of talk about the Falcons being the best team in the NFC. They do have the best record and they are a good team. But, like you said, there still is a lot of football to be played and the Saints are right on the heels of the Falcons. Their Dec. 27 meeting could be a huge game and we’ll have to see how it all plays out.

---

Hank in Montana writes: Nice article about Malcolm Jenkins’ miracle play. Was that the defensive play of the year for the NFC South? Also, has Lance Moore had a drop yet?

Pat Yasinskas: To this point, I’d have to say Jenkins’ forced fumble and recovery in Dallas was the biggest defensive play in the NFC South this year. It allowed the Saints to win a game that was slipping away and kept them very much in the hunt for the division title. As far as Moore, I just looked at our weekly packet from ESPN Stats & Information. Moore still does not have a drop this season and he’s made 43 catches. That makes him one of only six receivers in the NFL that does not have a drop while making at least 25 catches.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Maybe it was one of the goat horns that suddenly was sprouting out of Malcolm Jenkins' helmet that caused perhaps the biggest play of the season for the New Orleans Saints.

The safety, who made a mistake in coverage, somehow chased down Dallas Cowboys receiver Roy E. Williams and popped the ball loose deep in Saints' territory. Just moments earlier, it seemed the Saints were about to let a shot at a repeat of the NFC South title and the Super Bowl championship fade away.

"It could have been a catastrophe,'' Jenkins said.

That's no exaggeration. Jenkins' play helped the Saints defeat the Cowboys, 30-27, in a bizarre Thanksgiving game at Cowboys Stadium. Jenkins chased Williams knowing he had to make more than a tackle. He needed something close to a miracle.

After all, Jenkins was a big part of the reason why Williams was running free downfield and the Saints were about to blow a game that seemed so winnable early on.

With Dallas leading 27-23, Williams caught a slant pass from Jon Kitna. Jenkins said he took a bad angle in pursuit, and a cornerback had slipped. That left Williams running free down the middle of the field with three minutes remaining. If Williams scored, the Saints would need two possessions to have a chance. Even if he didn't score, the Cowboys might have been able to run out the clock or, at worst, kick a field goal.

"If I just tackled him there, the game is over,'' said Jenkins, a second-year pro who made the transition to safety after playing cornerback as a rookie.

With Williams running free, cornerback Tracy Porter was the only New Orleans player downfield and Williams had a lot of room to beat him. As Williams got near Porter, he tried to wrap the ball up. Jenkins was in pursuit from the blindside.

At the New Orleans 11-yard line, Jenkins caught up to Williams and somehow popped the ball free.

"It kind of fell right into my stomach,'' Jenkins said. "All I can say about that is God is good.''

Divine intervention? Well, that might be extreme, but there's no doubt Jenkins did something extraordinary.

"I think I did everything I could have done,'' Williams said. "It went through my head to just fall down, but that’s not in my repertoire. The guy just made a great play. We had it in our pocket, and I let it go.''

Jenkins fell down with the ball and Drew Brees and the offense came onto the field.

"Whenever you have No. 9 out there, you have a chance,'' Jenkins said.

Brees marched the Saints 89 yards in five plays and one minute and eight seconds. He put New Orleans ahead to stay with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Lance Moore on the first play after the two-minute warning.

Even then, it wasn't over for the Saints, who spent most of the second half of the game looking like they were going to blow a game they'd led by 17 points against a 3-7 team. The Cowboys moved downfield. David Buehler's 59-yard field-goal attempt to tie the game with 31 seconds left had the distance, but was left of the goal post by just a few feet.

"To give up that lead and go home, it would have been a terrible weekend,'' Jenkins said.

An embarrassing loss after the Saints led by as much as 20-3 in the first half might have had implications beyond the weekend. It would have put the Saints two games behind the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC South race and started a downward spiral for a team that's been inconsistent all season.

The Saints squandered the big lead as Reggie Bush, making his return from missing eight games with a broken leg, dropped two easy passes and fumbled away a punt return. Rookie tight end Jimmy Graham had a pass go off his hands and turn into an interception for Brees.

"It's a credit to our team's fight,'' coach Sean Payton said. "That play Malcolm makes late is a heart play. It's an effort play and that inspires a whole team. It was kind of a gut-check win.''

By popping the ball loose and having it fall into his gut, Jenkins helped the Saints get to 8-3. They now have as many wins as the Falcons, who are 8-2 heading into Sunday's showdown with Green Bay at the Georgia Dome.

"The sweet thing about winning is it gives the players an extra three days off to get their feet wet,'' Payton said.

The Saints will get Friday, Saturday and Sunday off before returning to practice next week to get ready to face Cincinnati on the road the following Sunday. They likely would have had to work at least part of the weekend had they lost, and it certainly wouldn't have been pleasant. They would have to have played the rest of the season trying desperately to catch up to the Falcons.

There's a fine line between wins and losses and heroes and goats. Jenkins' play on Williams demonstrates that better than anything.

"Our mentality for the entire fourth quarter (was) to (get the ball back) and give our offense another chance,'' Jenkins said.

His play not only gave Brees and the offense another chance. It gave the Saints a chance to compete for another NFC South title and another Super Bowl title.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- I'm heading downstairs for interviews and will be back with more later. But, first, a quick Rapid Reaction on New Orleans' 30-27 victory against Dallas.

What it means: In one of the craziest games in a franchise with a history of craziness, the Saints came out on top. They led by as much as 17 points and fell behind in the fourth quarter before coming back to win. This puts them at 8-3, a half game behind the Atlanta Falcons who face Green Bay on Sunday. The Falcons lead the NFC South with an 8-2 record.

Heroes: Malcolm Jenkins, Drew Brees and Lance Moore. Jenkins stripped a ball away from Roy Williams as the Cowboys were on the verge of putting the game away. Brees and Moore hooked up on a 12-yard touchdown pass after the Saints drove down the field following Williams' fumble.

Near goats: Reggie Bush, Devery Henderson and Jimmy Graham. Bush, making his return after sitting out games with a broken leg, dropped two passes and lost a fumble on a punt return to give Dallas a touchdown. Graham was unable to hold onto two catchable balls and was called for being offsides on a fourth-quarter punt. Henderson dropped a perfect deep pass from Brees as the Saints were trying to come back late in the game.

What's next: The Saints travel to Cincinnati to play the Bengals next Sunday.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- New Orleans running back Reggie Bush will make his return Thursday after missing eight games with a broken leg.

Bush is on the active list and is listed as the starter, although he's likely to share time with Chris Ivory in the backfield.

Inactives for the Saints Thursday are running back Pierre Thomas, safety Matt Giordano, safety Darren Sharper, running back Ladell Betts, tackle Charles Brown, tight end Jeremy Shockey and defensive end Junior Gallette.

Sean Canfield is the third quarterback.

Five things to watch in Thursday's game between the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints.

1. Reggie Bush. The New Orleans running back might make his return from a broken leg and that could change the entire complexion of an offense that has come on strong in recent weeks. The Saints can put Bush in different spots or in motion and that allows them to free up other offensive weapons. If Bush plays, the Saints probably will ease him in with spot duty and still use Chris Ivory as their main runner.

2. Take advantage of matchups. As they almost always do, the Saints' receivers have a clear edge on Dallas' secondary. Top receiver Marques Colston is likely to draw Terence Newman and that should be a competitive matchup. But the real advantage comes deeper down the line. Devery Henderson, Robert Meachem and Lance Moore all rotate in. Dallas cornerback Mike Jenkins has been having a rough season and he's likely to be targeted often. Meachem is the deep threat here with three touchdown catches of more than 30 yards. The Saints should be able to wear down this secondary.

3. Student vs. pupil. New Orleans' Sean Payton was an assistant coach with the New York Giants when Dallas interim head coach Jason Garrett was a backup quarterback there. This is only Garrett's third game as a head coach. Payton is a veteran now and his team has had plenty of experience in dealing with the logistical issues that come with a short week. That could give the Saints a big edge.

4. Roman Harper versus Jason Witten. Harper is quietly putting together a nice season. He has one interception and five forced fumbles. He also is used as a blitzer at times. But Harper could get a big challenge from Witten. Although the Dallas tight end isn't putting up his usual big numbers this season, the Cowboys may look to get him more involved in the passing game.

5. Jon Kitna versus time. The Dallas quarterback is 38 and the short week could leave him a little tired. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams will try to exploit that. Williams brings the blitz often, but he might bring it even more than usual against Dallas.