Mickles: Winning all that matters for LB Fujita

• By SHELDON MICKLES
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Nov 14, 2008 - Page: 1C - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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Considering the fiery competitor that he is, New Orleans Saints strongside linebacker Scott Fujita would go to the ends of the earth this weekend to get a win.

But to Fujita, one of Sean Payton’s defensive captains, Kansas City will do just fine.

With his team stumbling along at 4-5, without back-to-back wins this season and in danger of falling out of playoff contention as frustrations mount, a victory Sunday over the Chiefs would be a two-for-one for Fujita.

The seven-year veteran was a fifth-round draft pick of the Chiefs in 2002 and he was voted the team’s top rookie that year before leading the club in tackles in 2003 and ’04.

A makeover of the defensive unit, however, led him to request a trade before the 2005 season. After one year with the Dallas Cowboys, he followed Payton to the Saints in 2006 — where he’s been one of their top players.

But as he returns to Arrowhead Stadium for the first time for a meaningful game (he played exhibition games there with the Saints in 2006 and ’07), Fujita has a lot more than that on his mind.

Because they’re not going there with a better record, Fujita knows his main focus Sunday has to be on getting his current team on track rather than spend time reminiscing.

After blowing a chance to get back into the thick of the NFC South race last week in Atlanta, Fujita was one of the more outspoken players in the locker room — as he was Wednesday.

“We’re all searching, we’re putting the work in and putting the time in,” he said. “We have the kind of guys that want to get it done. I’m one of those guys, but we’ve got to find something immediately.”

Immediately after a 34-20 loss to the Falcons in a game in which the Saints were dominated on both sides of the ball, Fujita was fuming.

“We’ve got the talent and we’ve got the smarts,” he said.

“It comes down to what happens on Sunday. It’s going to be a long season if we don’t get some of these things corrected.”

If it happens in Kansas City, it’ll be that much better.