Atlanta Falcons' head coach Mike Smith told NFL.com:
"Reggie Bush is a good football player, but they have a whole bunch of other players," Smith said. "In terms of game-planning, there is a little bit of an unknown. When Reggie Bush is in the game, he's going to get his touches. Now you're basically working on a premise of: Where's the ball going to go? Who's it going to go to?
"Drew has lots of weapons. If he wants to work the tight end, he can work the tight end. If he wants to work the vertical stretch with the receivers, he has the guys who can run down the field. (Marques) Colston's a guy who can catch it running across the middle. (Running back) Pierre (Thomas) is leading the team in catches right now. It's an unknown when you have players out."
As Jason Kirk updated you before, the Saints aren't panicking without their Heisman Trophy-winning running back and as the piece reminds us, the Saints played a big game last season without Bush and the result wasn't exactly a bad one.
Since Bush was drafted second overall in 2006, he has missed 12 games because of various injuries. The Saints are 8-4 in those games, and they played one of their best games last season -- a 38-17 triumph over the New England Patriots -- when Bush was unable to suit up.
Bush has sort become similar to our own Michael Jenkins. When he plays, everyone bashes him for not producing. Yet, when he's out of the lineup, millions of words are written about how he will be missed and he was the cog that drove the offense.