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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Of all the problems the New Orleans Saints have faced in the past year, no one could have imagined their woes would be compounded by a reckless driving mascot.
"T-Rac," the Tennessee Titans' raccoon-like mascot, hit Saints quarterback Adrian McPherson with a golf cart as he walked onto the field for the second half Saturday night, bruising him and knocking him out of New Orleans' 19-16 victory in the teams' exhibition opener.
"He got run over by the mascot," coach Sean Payton said. "I don't know what to do. We've got to play the Titans. The mascots and all the other stuff going on, it's crazy."
The good news for New Orleans: Reggie Bush needed all of two carries to show why New Orleans took him with the second pick overall.
On his second carry, the Heisman Trophy winner was stopped behind the line while going to his left, but bounced out, turned right and zoomed past two Titans up the sideline for 44 yards to the Tennessee 24. He finished with 59 yards on six carries.
"He can bring big plays, and he had a couple of nice runs," Payton said.
Payton said McPherson, who was attended by a trainer on the sideline before walking off to the locker room, had a bruise. He did not say where the quarterback -- fourth on the Saints' depth chart -- was hurt.
The incident was part of an unusual exhibition that was supposed to feature the NFL debuts of Bush, Vince Young and LenDale White.
Bush looked every bit as good in the NFL as he did at Southern California. Young, who drew cheers when he took the field, demonstrated that he still needs to learn when to throw the ball away. White was forced to watch, part of his discipline for spitting on a teammate Thursday.
Those events overshadowed Todd Bouman's 22-yard touchdown pass to Lance Moore with 3:30 left for the victory in Payton's coaching debut.
Young, the No. 3 pick overall, showed off his strong arm by throwing a pass 50 yards in the air into the hands of Roydell Williams -- who couldn't hold on. He was 4-of-11 for 56 yards and ran four times for 28 yards.
The star out of Texas also failed to throw away the ball as he scrambled right looking for a receiver and ran out of bounds for a 6-yard loss in the fourth quarter for one of two sacks.
He then scared the fans still left after Saints end Javon Norton yanked him down from behind. Young walked gingerly to the bench with a mild ankle sprain and was examined by a team doctor; he watched the rest of the game from the bench.
Rob Bironas kicked three field goals, including a 48-yarder, and Travis Henry added a 1-yard touchdown for Tennessee. But with the Titans' defense unable to stop the Saints in the second half, it wasn't enough.
White, the third member of the trio from last January's Rose Bowl, didn't even dress. Fisher said White will return to work Monday.
"I respect Coach Fisher's decision for not playing tonight. I don't like it just because I like competing ... I understand what's going on," White said after the game.
Billy Volek filled in well enough in his first start as the Titans' starter of the moment with Steve McNair now in Baltimore and Young waiting his turn. Volek was 4-of-7 for 55 yards and left early in the second quarter with a 10-6 lead.
Chris Brown, whose agent has threatened a walkout without a trade or extension, carried only nine times for 47 yards for Tennessee.
New Saints starter Drew Brees looked a little rusty early and settled down in completing 5 of 9 passes for 60 yards.
"I like what I saw, and it was important for Drew to get back on the field," Payton said.
Brees tossed a 9-yard pass to Bush when the Saints got an assist from Titans cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones.
The cornerback celebrated stopping Bush at the sideline by jumping in the rookie's face, drawing a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct even as Titans coach Jeff Fisher tried to intervene. Jones broke up a Brees pass to Chris Horn on third-and-7 at the Tennessee 8 to hold the Saints to a 26-yard field goal by John Carney.
"You've got to celebrate with your own guys," Fisher said. "There's a lot of things to learn from this."
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/football/nfl/specials/preview/2006/08/12/saints.titans.ap/index.html
"T-Rac," the Tennessee Titans' raccoon-like mascot, hit Saints quarterback Adrian McPherson with a golf cart as he walked onto the field for the second half Saturday night, bruising him and knocking him out of New Orleans' 19-16 victory in the teams' exhibition opener.
"He got run over by the mascot," coach Sean Payton said. "I don't know what to do. We've got to play the Titans. The mascots and all the other stuff going on, it's crazy."
The good news for New Orleans: Reggie Bush needed all of two carries to show why New Orleans took him with the second pick overall.
On his second carry, the Heisman Trophy winner was stopped behind the line while going to his left, but bounced out, turned right and zoomed past two Titans up the sideline for 44 yards to the Tennessee 24. He finished with 59 yards on six carries.
"He can bring big plays, and he had a couple of nice runs," Payton said.
Payton said McPherson, who was attended by a trainer on the sideline before walking off to the locker room, had a bruise. He did not say where the quarterback -- fourth on the Saints' depth chart -- was hurt.
The incident was part of an unusual exhibition that was supposed to feature the NFL debuts of Bush, Vince Young and LenDale White.
Bush looked every bit as good in the NFL as he did at Southern California. Young, who drew cheers when he took the field, demonstrated that he still needs to learn when to throw the ball away. White was forced to watch, part of his discipline for spitting on a teammate Thursday.
Those events overshadowed Todd Bouman's 22-yard touchdown pass to Lance Moore with 3:30 left for the victory in Payton's coaching debut.
Young, the No. 3 pick overall, showed off his strong arm by throwing a pass 50 yards in the air into the hands of Roydell Williams -- who couldn't hold on. He was 4-of-11 for 56 yards and ran four times for 28 yards.
The star out of Texas also failed to throw away the ball as he scrambled right looking for a receiver and ran out of bounds for a 6-yard loss in the fourth quarter for one of two sacks.
He then scared the fans still left after Saints end Javon Norton yanked him down from behind. Young walked gingerly to the bench with a mild ankle sprain and was examined by a team doctor; he watched the rest of the game from the bench.
Rob Bironas kicked three field goals, including a 48-yarder, and Travis Henry added a 1-yard touchdown for Tennessee. But with the Titans' defense unable to stop the Saints in the second half, it wasn't enough.
White, the third member of the trio from last January's Rose Bowl, didn't even dress. Fisher said White will return to work Monday.
"I respect Coach Fisher's decision for not playing tonight. I don't like it just because I like competing ... I understand what's going on," White said after the game.
Billy Volek filled in well enough in his first start as the Titans' starter of the moment with Steve McNair now in Baltimore and Young waiting his turn. Volek was 4-of-7 for 55 yards and left early in the second quarter with a 10-6 lead.
Chris Brown, whose agent has threatened a walkout without a trade or extension, carried only nine times for 47 yards for Tennessee.
New Saints starter Drew Brees looked a little rusty early and settled down in completing 5 of 9 passes for 60 yards.
"I like what I saw, and it was important for Drew to get back on the field," Payton said.
Brees tossed a 9-yard pass to Bush when the Saints got an assist from Titans cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones.
The cornerback celebrated stopping Bush at the sideline by jumping in the rookie's face, drawing a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct even as Titans coach Jeff Fisher tried to intervene. Jones broke up a Brees pass to Chris Horn on third-and-7 at the Tennessee 8 to hold the Saints to a 26-yard field goal by John Carney.
"You've got to celebrate with your own guys," Fisher said. "There's a lot of things to learn from this."
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/football/nfl/specials/preview/2006/08/12/saints.titans.ap/index.html