Sep 11, 2008

Saints beat Tampa Bay, Lose Colston for 4-6 Weeks

All of Black and Gold Nation was feeling on top of the world after the Saints kicked off the season with a 24-20 win over division rival Tampa Bay, but news came yesterday that #1 receiver Marques Colston had thumb surgery and would be out 4-6 weeks. How will this affect the team during this time?

I don't see Colston's injury having too much of an affect on the team. While he only set the record for most catches ever for a player in their first two years in the league. He has been Drew Brees' safety valve and was by-far the Saints most consistent WR the past two years. So why am I not worried?

The Saints have a host of offensive weapons now to make up for teh loss of Colston, but the two main guys who'll pick up the slack are Reggie Bush and Jeremy Shockey. As fans saw this past weekend, the Saints offense goes through these two. Bush is the engine that runs the offense. With his runs and turning short passes into big gains, this is the year he lives up to his potential. Shockey will be there to provide the safety valve that Colston did. He will run up the middle and make tough catches in traffic.

On the positive side with this injury to Colston, it's early in the season. The Saints have a fairly easy beginning of the season and shoudl be able to win a few games before he comes back. Also, fans will finally get to see first round pick Robert Meachem take the field and that's something everyone has been waiting for.

Looking back at the Tampa game, the Saints offense was solid but had a few inconsistent drives. The defense looked a lot better than the past few years, even though Earnest Graham racked up too many yards in the 2nd half. Rookie Tracy Porter played well, and I look forward to watching him develop into a top cover corner in the NFL.

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