Saints have a surprising star

Marques Colston wasn’t drafted with the fanfare of Reggie Bush -- heck, Colston almost wasn’t drafted.

Colston, however, is the rookie who’s having the biggest impact on the team’s 6-2 start.

A seventh-round draft pick in April, taken 250 spots after Bush, Colston had 11 catches for 123 yards and a touchdown Sunday, helping the Saints to a 31-14 victory over Tampa Bay.

His 700 yards receiving and seven touchdowns for the season are among the league leaders in both categories and he had his third 100-yard game Sunday, a major reason the Saints are off to their best start since 2002.

That’s not bad for a guy who was drafted ahead of only three players.

Bush, the No. 2 pick in the draft, has rushed for 207 yards in 81 carries and has 46 catches for 312 yards, and his only touchdown has come on a punt return.

Colston, however, said he doesn’t want to get caught up in rookie vs. rookie comparisons.

“The most important thing is we’re 6-2. That’s No. 1 in my mind,” Colston said. “Personal accolades, they can only take you so far.”

Colston was named NFL rookie of the month for October, when he had 18 receptions for 373 yards and four touchdowns.

Teammates said Colston is super, even if he isn’t a star.

“He works hard and he is very humble,” receiver Devery Henderson said. “And when the games come, he just makes plays. That’s all you can ask from him. He has a bright future if he keeps it up and keeps up his work ethic.”

Sincere form of flattery

Steven Jackson did his best Marshall Faulk impersonation Sunday, which only makes sense since Faulk is the guy Jackson replaced.

Jackson, a third-year player from Oregon State, had a career-high 13 receptions for 133 yards in a 31-17 loss to the Chiefs, marking the first 100-yard receiving game by a Rams running back since Faulk had 128 on Dec. 2, 2002.

Jackson, who also carried 19 times for 86 yards and a touchdown, was Faulk’s backup before earning the starting job last season.

Faulk, one of only three players in NFL history with 9,000 yards rushing and 5,000 yards receiving, is sitting out this season after knee surgery.

“With Mr. Faulk proving that in his new generation you have to be an all-around back, I do put a lot of pressure on myself,” Jackson said. “I want to be among the top running backs. I do work on my all-around game and hopefully it shows up on Sunday.”

Early arrivals

Two college students were arrested early Sunday after police said they tried to break into Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field, hours before the Steelers game against the Broncos.

Carnegie Mellon University students Paul Sudeep, 21, and Anand Durvasula, 20, were caught by surveillance cameras attempting to climb a fence around the stadium at about 2 a.m., Police Chief Nate Harper said. The men told police they had tickets to Sunday’s game and “decided to check things out so they knew where to go,” Harper said.

Officers found a video camera and tripod in the sport utility vehicle they were driving. Harper said they were planning to shoot a music video.

“We don’t know exactly what their intentions were,” Harper said.

Durvasula was charged with trespassing and Sudeep was charged with conspiracy.

Sleeping on the job

Terrell Owens said this week that he falls asleep during team meetings.

Sunday, he pretended to sleep in the end zone -- using the football as a pillow -- after scoring a touchdown against the Redskins.

Later, with Dallas holding a 19-12 lead, Owens fell asleep at the wheel, so to speak, when he dropped a long pass that seemed certain to give Dallas a two-touchdown lead.

The Redskins won, 22-19.

“I owe this one to the team,” Owens said. “I let the team down. Honestly, I think it was a lack of concentration.”

Maybe he needs more sleep.

Streaks picked off

Carson Palmer and Brett Favre each had passes intercepted, ending two of the three longest streaks of passes without an interception.

Palmer’s NFL-best streak ended at 154 attempts when his first pass Sunday was intercepted by Samari Rolle of Baltimore. Favre extended his streak to 111 passes before London Fletcher-Baker of Buffalo intercepted Favre’s fifth pass Sunday.

David Garrard of Jacksonville took over the top spot when he extended his streak to 172.

Injury report

The Giants and Bears could be without their defensive leaders when the teams meet in their NFC showdown next Sunday night.

Defensive end Michael Strahan sprained his right foot against Houston while Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher also injured a foot against Miami. Strahan was wearing a boot on his foot and walking with a limp after the game. X-rays were negative.

Urlacher hurt his foot when he landed awkwardly in a pileup late in Chicago’s loss. Coach Lovie Smith said the team would evaluate it today.

In other injury news, Buffalo running back Willis McGahee was carted to the locker room after hurting his ribs against Green Bay. McGahee had X-rays taken during the game, but the Bills didn’t have an updated status on him afterward.... Atlanta safety Kevin Mathis was held overnight at a hospital for observation after injuring his neck against Detroit. It was announced during the game that Mathis had feeling and movement in all of his extremities.... Chicago wide receiver Bernard Berrian injured his ribs on the Bears’ first possession and didn’t return.... Kansas City All-Pro guard Brian Waters injured his right knee and was carted off the field in the first quarter at St. Louis.... Tennessee offensive tackle Daniel Loper was hospitalized with a lacerated spleen after being injured at Jacksonville.... Receivers Joe Horn of the Saints, Santana Moss of the Redskins and Plaxico Burress of the Giants and running back Tatum Bell of the Broncos were all inactive for their games Sunday. Horn has a groin injury, Moss has a hamstring injury, Burress was having back spasms and Bell has two sprained toes.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Three of a kind

On Sunday, New York Giants running back Tiki Barber became the third player to have more than 9,000 yards rushing and 5,000 yards receiving in a career. Only Marshall Faulk did it in fewer games:

*--* Player Rush yds. Rec. yds. Games Marshall Faulk 12,279 6,875 119 Tiki Barber 9,617 5,000 146 Marcus Allen 12,243 5,411 187

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