The Saints open their regular season in the Superdome against Tampa Bay on Sept. 7. The storm is expected to strike the Louisiana Gulf Coast around Tuesday morning.  Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said the Saints would practice next week in Indianapolis if the storm becomes a threat to the New Orleans area.

Saints coach Sean Payton said his team would be ready to play the Buccaneers.

"We're planning of the game being in the Superdome, but the powers that be will have a clear plan in place if that should change or if our preparation should have to be somewhere else," said the coach. "It won't be a distraction. We won't allow it to be."

The Saints were winning 10-0 while the starters for both teams were in the game. The Dolphins scored both first-half touchdowns with their starting offensive line in the game against the Saints' second-team defense.

Starters Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and tight end Jeremy Shockey didn't play. Saints No. 1 draft choice, defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis, beat Miami's top draft choice Jake Long on a play that resulted in a fumble by backup quarterback Chad Henne.

This game was the final chance for some of the Saints to earn roster spots.

Embattled cornerback Jason David, wide receiver Lance Moore and veteran kicker Martin Gramatica played well and improved their chances of earning a place on the 53-player final roster. Others, such as third-string quarterback Tyler Palko, wide receiver Devery Henderson and rookie kicker Taylor Mehlhaff didn't fare as well.

Payton said he would likely reduce his roster from 75 players to 53 in advance of Saturday's 3 p.m. deadline.

David lost his starting job two weeks ago. but gained redemption with three tackles, a forced fumble on special teams and a pass interception. He didn't hear the boos this night.

"I had to convince the coaches and my teammates that I'm a good player with a good heart," David said after the game. "One things I live by is before there's a resurrection, there's a crucifixion."

Moore is battling Henderson and Terrance Cooper for two roster spots. He scored the Saints' only touchdown on a two-yard pass from backup Mark Brunell.

Gramatica kicked a 40-yard field goal and he has not missed a field goal since joining the club last season. His kickoffs, including practice boots, have traveled deeper than Mehlhaff's. The rookie was wide on a 40-yard field goal try.

Palko completed 4 of 14 passes for 36 yards as the Saints gained just 47 total yards in the second half and 99 for the evening. Saints coaches could be checking the waiver wire for another quarterback.Palko had a 39.6 passer rating. He was sacked four times for 36 yards in losses and lost a fumble.

Payton said Palko's performance was poor. "You have to give him a chance," said Payton, a former quarterback. "You'd like to see some things done better, but on some plays he just didn't have a chance..

Henderson dropped another pass on the second play from scrimmage. Marques Colston and David Patten also sat out the game.

Deuce McAllister and cornerback Mike McKenzie, both recovering from ACL surgery, showed progress. McAllister carried 11 times for 30 yards and caught two passes for two yards. He's nto 100 per cent yet, but showed some flashes of the old Deuce on runs of  7 and 8 yards. McKenzie, picked on early, passed that test and had two pass defenses and a tackle.

This game wasn't artistic and the Who Dats didn't appreciate a lot of what happened out there.

So much for the highlights of the Saints' preseason finale.

SOME HITHER, OTHERS YON: "We know we're a huge underdog (28 points)," said App State coach Jerry Moore of Saturday's visit to LSU. "Our chances are even worse than David (against) Goliath. We don't have enough smooth stones." Saturday's game is  a unique battle of two reigning champions -- albeit in different divisions. App State, in fact, is a three-time reigning FCS champ. "They play BCS schools every year very tough," said Tigers coach Les Miles, nothing a 22-15 victory the Tigers eked out in 1999. "We need to play well." "We're getting ready for this game like it was an SEC game," said Tigers defensive end Tyson Jackson. App State might even have an edge at the game's most critical position. Quarterback Armanti Edwards became a household name after upsetting Michigan last season with some folk now offering him up as a darkhorse Heisman candidate...Ryan Perrilloux completed 22 of 37 passes for 136 yards, 2 interceptions, 2 touchdowns, sacked 4 times, 18 carries for 57 yards, in his Jackson State debut on Thursday night in a 41-14 loss to Georgia Tech...

President George Bush on gold medal winner Chris Paul: "At the airport I had the honor of saying hello to Saints  Drew Brees and Deuce McAllister. By the way, as you may know, Laura and I were at the Olympics, and there is no finer citizen of the U.S. and of this part of the world than Chris Paul."...The Chris Paul Youth Basketball Camp for Youth will be held at the Lakefront Arena on Sept. 13-14 from 9 a.m.-noon each day. Participation is open to boys and girls of all skill levels ages 7-18. For $133 campers will receive six hours of basketball instruction, a CP3 camp T-shirt and a team photo with Paul. For information to register, visit www.chrispaul3.com or call 513-793-2207...

Starting today, every week I will give you the winners of football games. It's just your job to them. The weekly tip-sheet is sometimes filled with "losses." But these "losses" merely are devices to throw off competing investment firms. You should be able to easily navigate through these "losses" with the decoder booklet that you received in the mail several weeks ago. Here goes:

LSU won't cover the 28, Clemson will cover the 4 against Alabama, Georgia will cover the 26 against Georgia Southern, Arkansas covers the 17 against Western Illinois, Mississippi State -10 covers against Louisiana  Tech, UCLA and 7 1/2 covers against Tennessee, Florida covers the 35 against Hawaii and Auburn covers the 26 against Louisiana-Monroe and Memphis and 10 covers against Ole Miss. My time is up. Ed Staton can be reached at edcoachstaton@yahoo.com.