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New Orleans (2-0) was erratic in beating Minnesota and San Francisco. Atlanta followed a tight loss to Pittsburgh sans Big Ben (Roethlisberger) with a big win over Arizona, which has no viable quarterback.

One thing is easy to figure out, though. Anyone expecting gloom and doom because of Reggie Bush’s injury (fractured fibula) has no idea what he or she is saying.

Seriously, that idea is so off base, it is laughable.

FOX analyst Brian Billick talked on ESPN radio Friday about the multiple formations New Orleans could not use without Bush and how it would make the Saints easier to defend.

His words sounded good, but three year’s worth of evidence indicate he was dead wrong.

Since the start of 2007, Bush has missed 10 games due to injuries. Repeatedly, the Saints have been better offensively when he sat out than when he played.

In 2007, he missed the final four games with a knee injury. New Orleans averaged 413.2 yards and 28.2 in those contests after averaging 343.9 yards and 22.2 points in the first 12.

In 2008, knee problems kept him out of one four-game stretch and two more games at the end of the year. New Orleans averaged 444 yards and 35.2 points without him and 390.7 yards and 25.2 points with him.

In 2009, another knee injury sidelined him against New England and Washington. The Saints averaged 471.5 yards and 35.5 points, throttling the Patriots 38-10 and rallying to beat the Redskins 33-30 in overtime. They averaged 394.1 yards and 31.4 points in the games he played.

With Bush the last three years, the Saints were 30-20, a winning percentage of .600. Without him, they were 8-4, a winning percentage of .667.

Read the rest and final analysis at The Examiner

st thomas

the thing is they billick and fits smiths falcons have to guess which of the 7-9 different targets brees has to throw reggies balls to.

Choupique

get well soon.

i agree the Saints can do fine while he is sidelined.

have faith. believe. two dat.