Bush breathtaking in first NFL game

By Connor Byrne | Monday, August 14, 2006 | ( 1 )

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To anyone who follows the National Football League, Saturday evening was mostly about the New Orleans Saints' matchup with the Tennessee Titans. It was Saints tailback Reggie Bush taking on Titans quarterback Vince Young, like last January's National Championship Game, when Young's Texas Longhorns took down Bush's USC Trojans in a thriller. These two first-round picks are thought by many to be the future of the league, and Bush showed why in the Saints' 19-16 victory.

Young had his struggles, completing just four passes in 11 attempts; Bush, meanwhile, stole the show.

In the absence of No. 1 back Deuce McAllister, Saints head coach Sean Payton turned Bush into the team's featured runner for the night, and he dazzled. The 5-foot-11, 200-pounder finished the game with six carries for 59 yards, good for just under 10 yards per rush. Pretty crisp, huh?

The San Diego native even demonstrated toughness, standing toe-to-toe with Titans cornerback Pacman Jones when the two knocked into each other out of bounds early in the second quarter. Rather than backing down from Jones' challenge, Bush got right up in the defender's face.

The runner was at his best late in the first quarter, when he suddenly became Gale Sayers part deux on a 44-yard gallop into the Titans' zone.

After quarterback Drew Brees handed the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner the ball, he tried to take off left but saw a wall of defenders; he swung back toward the right, found an opening and simply outran everyone and followed his lead blocker, receiver Devery Henderson. Bush was finally dragged down, but not before everyone in New Orleans cheered and the city of Houston collectively lamented, since the Texans passed up the runner/receiver/returner with the No. 1 overall pick in April's draft.

"I was a little disappointed I didn't score," Bush said. "I'd like to see a tape of that. As a team, we still have a lot of work to do if we are going to be a Super Bowl-contending team."

Despite his great run, Bush is already disappointed. He seeks perfection and is bringing a winning mentality to a Saints team bogged down in the cellar for most of their existence. With No. 25 in the backfield, the sky's truly the limit for the New Orleans franchise. He'll put on plenty of shows in the Louisiana Superdome.

Welcome back, New Orleans. For the first time in years, the postseason isn't an impossibility. And you can thank President Bush for that - not George W., of course, but Reggie.

As for the rookie's Super Bowl dream, give him a few years to make that into a reality.

--Connor J. Byrne can be reached at cbyrne@realfootball365.com

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