SAINTS ROUT TEXANS AS BACKUP QB ORLOVSKY SHINES

Backup Mike Bell made the most of his opportunity, starting in place of Reggie Bush and helping the New Orleans Saints romp to a 38-14 road victory over the Houston Texans.  Bush was held out of the game with a strained calf, and Bell filled in admirably rushing for 100 yards in the easy victory.  New Orleans improved to 2-0 on the NFL preseason, while Houston evened their record at 1-1.

The Saints rewarded NFL preseason bettors, easily covering as -3 point road favorites.  New Orleans improved to 2-0 against the spread, while Houston evened their wagering tally at 1-1.  The 52 combined points went well OVER the posted total of 40.  Both teams have now split their O/U results in the first two games of the NFL preseason.

Bell is a former Denver Broncos starter who has produced only 45 yards rushing in the past two seasons.  He doubled that performance, and has the inside track to lock up the third running back roster spot.  After the game, he talked about his big afternoon:

"I just wanted to show the team that I could come here and be a consistent running back. This kind of game was great because it reminds me that I can still play running back. Just to get the carries, and to make the most of this opportunity, that was a real confidence builder."

Saints’ coach John Payton commended the effort, but said that it wasn’t a surprise due to Bell’s solid performance in training camp:

"He really has done a really good job. I was encouraged again to see him playing so well."

Texans’ starting QB Matt Schaub moved the ball fairly well in limited playing time, but couldn’t put points on the board.  Houston head coach Gary Kubiak put the loss into perspective:

"It's a humbling game. You can walk out of the stadium one week and feel good about yourself, and then walk out the next week and wonder what the heck is going on. We got pushed around. We have to play better than that up front in order to be successful."

Linebacker DeMeco Ryan concurred:

"We take too much pride in what we do to go out and perform the way we did today. That's not who we are."

New Orleans will continue their NFL preseason run next Saturday against the Raiders at Oakland.  Houston will host the Minnesota Vikings next Monday night.  The Saints will get the NFL regular season underway on Sunday, September 13th as they host the Detroit Lions.  Houston will start their schedule at home against the New York Jets.