Mickles: McKenzie, McAllister needed now to help Saints?

• By SHELDON MICKLES
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Sep 19, 2008 - Page: 1C - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton took all the proper steps to protect running back Deuce McAllister and cornerback Mike McKenzie throughout the spring and summer as they returned from serious knee injuries.

Even through the preseason schedule and first two weeks of the regular season, Payton resisted the urge to throw both of them out there — wisely choosing to bring them along slowly to reduce the risk of being re-injured.

But with the Saints needing help at both positions, considering they’re averaging just 78.0 rushing yards per game and rank 28th in allowing 256.0 passing yards a game, Payton may just decide it’s time to take the wraps off for Sunday’s key game against the Denver Broncos.

OK, it may be a tad early to call the third game of a 16-game schedule a key game, but the Saints, after a satisfying 24-20 season-opening win over the Tampa Bay Bucs, are wobbling.

It’s mainly because of injuries. The Saints were without four starters on defense and two elite players on offense in last week’s loss.

So with wide receiver Marques Colston likely out another month with a torn ligament in his left thumb and strongside linebacker Scott Fujita, one of their best defenders, perhaps missing a second straight game, the Saints could get some energy from the return of McAllister and McKenzie.

Payton knows what McAllister, who has a club-record 5,688 rushing yards and 49 career touchdowns, means to his offense and said Monday he expects McAllister to return “sooner rather than later.”

That could mean an increased workload for McAllister as the weeks go by. Whether he gets more of a chance against the Broncos remains to be seen, and likely won’t be known until after 3:05 p.m. Sunday.

But there’s no doubt Deuce is ready to turn it loose — soon.

Make that more than ready, which is exactly how he’s felt the last two weeks after getting considerable playing time in the final two preseason games.

“Whenever you put on that uniform and go through that (pregame) routine, you want to get in there,” he said Wednesday. “Whether you’re 100 percent or 60 or 70 percent, you want to get in. It’s going to happen, it’s just a matter of when.”

As much as McAllister means to the offense, McKenzie means that much to the defense as their best cover corner. He’s a little bit different in that he has surgery on a torn right ACL in late December, but says he’s ready.

If the release of veteran Jason Craft on Tuesday is any indication, especially with Aaron Glenn and Randall Gay likely questionable for Sunday with injuries, McKenzie could be full-go this week.