The Saints wind up their preseason on Thursday night in the Superdome against the Miami Dolphins at 7 o'clock.

Running back Deuce McAllister is scheduled to get more carries than in past games to see if he is durable enough to play full-time this season. Ditto tight end Jeremy Shockey. Quarterback Drew Brees likely won't play. allowing backups the very veteran Mark Brunell and Tyler Palko to shake off rust.

Coach Sean Payton is pointing his team to the season-opener against division-rival Tampa Bay in the Superdome on Sept. 7 when the games count and the division race is under way.

Former Saints No. 1 draft choice Ricky Williams is battling Ronnie Brown for the starting featured running back job with the Dolphins.

"I need to see more of Ronnie before I make a decision," new Miami coach Tony Saprano told the Miami Herald. "If I don't see a whole lot more of Ronnie, then Ricky will start."

Brown, who missed last Saturday's game with a sprained thumb, "will go through pregame warmups" against the Saints "and get a feel for where he is. I'd like to try and play him. If we can play him, we'll see whether or not he'll get some carries."

Unlike Williams, 30, Brown said he would be disappointed if he didn't start. But that sentiment will have no impact on the decision, said Sparano.

Williams has sat out most of the last two seasons for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy, but Bryant Gumbel went to bat for him on HBO's "Real Sports." Said Gumbel: "If you're tired of typical jocks you've go to like someone like Williams, who doesn't drink the league's Kool-Aid and who's capable of saying, as Ricky did, that he loves to play football, but hates being a football player."

Former Saints defensive end Rob Ninkovich is the Dolphins' backup strong-side linebacker.

I don't encourage gambling on the NFL, but...

 Those who live in Las Vegas or have a close. personal relationship with their neighborhood bookie can check out a bunch of Saintscentric odds from BodogLife.com.

Odds to win the 2009 Super Bowl XLIII

Saints 16/1

Odds to win the 2008 NFC Championship

Saints 13/2

Odds to win the 2008 NFC South Championship

Saints 1/1

Win Totals

Saints Regular Season Wins

Over 8.5 --165

Under 8.5 +135

Saints Regular Season Home Wins

Over 4.5 --130

Under 4.5 --Even

Player Performance Odds

How many passing yards will Drew Brees have this season

Over 4,300    --115

Under 4,300  --115

How many passing touchdowns will Brees have this season

Over 27 1/2    --115

Under 27 1/2  --115

Rushing Yards Reggie Bush will have this season

Over 650   --115

Under 650 --115

Receiving yards Bush will have this season

Over   550  --115

Under 550  --115

Total touchdowns Bush will have this season

Over 7 1/2  --115

Under 7 1/2 --115

Rushing yards Deuce McAllister will have this season

Over 475    --115

Under 475  --115

Total touchdowns McAllister will have this season

Over 4  --115

Under 4 --115

Receiving yards Marques Colston will have this season

Over 1,200    --115

Under 1,200  --115

Receiving touchdowns Colston will have this season

Over 10   --115

Under 10 --115

Receiving yards Devery Henderson will have this season

Over 420   --115

Under 420 --115

Receiving yards Robert Meachem will have this season

Over 520   --115

Under 520 --115

Receiving yards for David Patten this season

Over  500  --115

Under 500 --115

Receiving yards Jeremy Shockey will have this season

Over   520  --115

Under 520  --115

Total touchdown passes Shockey will have this season

Over  6  --115

Under 6 --115

Total sacks Will Smith will have this season

Over  8 1/2  --115

Under 8 1/2 --115

LSU is 20/1 to repeat as BCS champions and 4/1 to win the SEC.

SOME HITHER, OTHERS YON: After declaring a state of emergency in Louisiana and asking President Bush to do the same with Gustav churning toward the Gulf, Gov. Bobby Jindal on Wednesday said if traffic contraflow is ordered it could begin as early as Saturday. LSU is scheduled to open against Appalachian State at 4 p.m. Saturday in Tiger Stadium. "It would make it very difficult to have contraflow and a football game," Col. Mike Edmondson of the Louisiana State Police told Gannett Louisiana Wednesday night. "I don't think anyone would want to see that scenario," said LSU associate athletic director Herb Vincent. "I wouldn't want to try and play in that situation, but we'll know a lot more later. We could play the game during contraflow. Is it desirable? Probably not."...Mike the Tiger from LSU has been named to the seventh annual Capital One All-America Mascot Team, made up of 12 oversized and under-appreciated characters -- including three birds, three cats, one bison, one horse, one wolf, one turtle, one bear and a dog. Each one of these mascots will be attempting to claim the proverbial mountain of mascot fame and fortune -- the title of "Capital One National Mascot of the Year.?...

Thursday night former LSU quarterback Ryan Perrilloux begins to write the next chapter of his star-crossed life when he starts for Jacksonville State against Georgia Tech. He said he wants to make the best of what is clearly his last chance. "If I want a chance to play at the next level, I know I have to get this right," said Perrilloux. "I can't afford to mess up again."...The ESPN Sports Poll has the NFL No. 1 as the most watched sporting event on television. It has almost the popularity of No. 2 major-league baseball, while it's almost three times as popular as No. 3 NCAA football. Which raises the question" Where do the college football fans get off talking about how their version is better?...LSU is a 24-point favorite over App State. according to Las Vegas...

Hey Tulane, if you are having trouble selling tickets for your home football games, here's an idea that Stanford is using --  a "money back guarantee" to season ticket holders "unsatisfied with the entertainment value at season's end."...If you don't want to know who's going to win the Super Bowl, stop reading now. Or, maybe keep reading. The final score will be Patriots 30, Cowboys 16, according to Peter King of Sports Elevated. King, who bought two Saints season tickets after Katrina, said the Saints will finish behind Carolina and Tampa Bay this season in the NFC South because of a suspect defense...

Mail Bag: From Steve in Metairie: "All the Wal-Marts in Alabama are sold out of ammunition as of Wednesday. One of the purchasers said that while Russia invaded Georgia, they sure as hell ain't doing it in Alabama." I believe Alabama will have its hands full with Clemson on Saturday...App State will get for $750,000 for playing in Tiger Stadium on Saturday. Louisiana-Monroe will get $650,000 for visiting Auburn...Nielsen estimated that the telecasts of the Olympics reached 4.4 billion, or two-thirds of the world's population...Weather permitting, the remodeled City Park officials plan to hold their fund-raising event on Friday with the North Course  (my home course) opening to the public on Saturday...You know it's going to be a long season if your college team is playing in three or more homecoming games...My time is up. Ed Staton can be reached at edcoachstaton@yahoo.com.