Hey, beer man

Saints' Lewis is a breath of fresh air who delivers

Some players enter the NFL these days with entourages and agents. They have six-figure endorsement deals and business managers before they pick up a ball, and shoe contracts before they lace up a cleat.

We hear about them, read about them and see them so much before their college careers are even done that it seems like we know them before we really do. No offense to the Michael Vicks and David Carrs of the world, but a little over-exposure goes a long way.

That's why when we stumble upon the story of a Michael Lewis, it feels like a breath of fresh air.

The Saints' 30-year-old return specialist and onetime beer delivery truck driver had a nice career Sunday against Washington. The man they call the "Pocket Rocket" returned a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown, took a punt back 83 yards for another score, and also had two receptions for 70 yards. He almost single-handedly accounted for 16 Saints points, which happened to be New Orleans' margin of victory in the 43-27 game.

The touchdowns were the first two of Lewis's two-year NFL career, and made him just the seventh player in league history -- and the first since 1977 -- to return both a kickoff and a punt for a touchdown in the same game. Lewis' 286 total return yards (he had 356 all-purpose yards) was the fifth-best total in NFL history, and he became the first Saint to ever return two kicks for scores in a game. His 15.9-yard punt return average leads all return men with at least five attempts.

Not bad for a 5-foot-8, 165-pound New Orleans native who never played college football, and made his name with the New Jersey Red Dogs of the Arena League, and the Louisiana Bayou Beast of the Indoor Professional Football League.

"Every week I've been just one play away from returning one all the way back," said Lewis, who spent last year, his rookie season, bouncing between the Saints active roster and practice squad. "Today it just all came together."

Lewis' profile was so low that even after Sunday's game, the locker room quote sheets handed out in Washington's press box identified him as "Marvin" Lewis, who happens to be the Redskins defensive coordinator. Rest assured, Washington's coaching staff knows who the other M. Lewis is now.

"We were stoked after the first [touchdown]," Michael Lewis said. "So on the next one, I told everybody to get a guy and square up and I'd make the moves to get open."

Beer truck, huh? The way I see it, Michael Lewis should never have to buy -- or deliver -- another drink in New Orleans. Now about that "This Bud's for You" commercial ...."

Ready to take his ball and go home

My favorite moment Sunday was the shot of Saints reserve cornerback Michael Hawthorne, after he collected the first interception of his three-year career at Washington. Hawthorne suffered a sprained left knee on the third-quarter play, and was down on the field for some time.

But the whole time, even after he was helped to his feet and helped off the field by the team's trainers, Hawthorne refused to let go of the ball, keeping it tightly tucked in his right arm. The interception help set up the Saints' game-clinching touchdown.

Tice finally has one to celebrate

For the first time in his brief head coaching career, Monday wasn't the mourning after for Mike Tice. His Vikings finally got off the schneid Sunday, rallying to defeat visiting Detroit 31-24.

Hey, Mike, how'd that ceremonial first Gatorade bath feel?

"Cold and sticky, like I always dreamed it would be," Tice said Monday morning. "I'm just happy for the guys. I knew we were going to have to work hard, based on how new I am and all the new faces we have. I knew it was going to take some time. But I just didn't think it would take five games."

Minnesota entered the game 0-4, and Tice was 0-5 as a head coach, dating to last year's regular-season finale, when he took over for Dennis Green. In another ceremonial touch, Tice received a game ball from his embattled players.

"Yeah, Matt Birk and some guys gave it to me," Tice said. "That was nice. That was special. I'm happy. My guys, they deserved to win. And I enjoyed the hell out of it, too. I went home and had some coaches over. We had some pizza in celebration.

"This league, anything can happen every week. Just look at St. Louis beating Oakland. That teaches you to be ready for anything."

Elam's long, long record of success

With apologies to Mike Vanderjagt, if the game's on the line, there's nobody I'd want lining up for the make-or-break field goal than Broncos kicker Jason Elam. Sure, Denver lost Sunday night when Dolphins kicker Olindo Mare nailed a 53-yarder with 6 seconds remaining. But Elam's clutch 55-yarder with 45 seconds remaining -- his fifth field goal of the game -- was just as remarkable.

Elam's long-distance connection was the 25th field goal of his career between 50-59 yards. He's 25 of 39 from that range, an astounding 64.1 percent. And that doesn't even include his NFL-record-tying 63-yard field goal against Jacksonville in 1998. The kick also was his fourth career field goal of 55 yards or more. Earlier Sunday, Elam hit a 52-yarder, giving him two 50-plus-yard field goals in the same game for the first time.

And lest you think he's a one-trick pony, the 10th-year Bronco on Sunday extended his streak of successful field-goal attempts of 42 yards or less to 26. The loss to Miami was Elam's third five-field goal game, but his first 5-for-5 effort.

Mare was making up for past mistakes

Miami's Mare missed only two field all last season, going 19-for-21. He's already doubled that total, failing four times in the Dolphins' first six games. But his 53-yard game-winner against the Broncos will cure a lot of ills.

"To be honest, I didn't even see the end of it," Mare said. "I was too busy running around like a maniac. ... We were kicking some in pre-game, I think at about 61 yards. Coach [Dave] Wannstedt told me, 'We might need that to win the game.'"

Tulane didn't earn Ramsey any favors from the Saints

Was that any way for a team from New Orleans to treat Patrick Ramsey, a former star quarterback at Tulane? The Saints sacked Ramsey seven times, picked him off four times and could have had a couple more interceptions.

New Orleans is now 1-1 against rookie quarterbacks, having lost to Detroit's Joey Harrington in Week 4. The Saints don't face Houston and David Carr, so they can't complete the trifecta against 2002's first-round quarterbacks.

"I tried to tell [Redskins head coach] Steve [Spurrier] to get [Ramsey] out of there," said Saints defensive end Darren Howard, who had a career-best three sacks Sunday, his first three of the season. "I told [Ramsey] that he should have took the redshirt year."

Going with experience seems to be paying off

Excluding Dom Capers, who was expected to struggle with the expansion Texans, the three new head coaches who were "retread" hires -- Marty Schottenheimer, Tony Dungy and Jon Gruden -- are a combined 14-3 and have their teams in no worse than a first-place tie.

As for the league's four first-time head coaches -- Bill Callahan, John Fox, Spurrier and Tice -- only Callahan's Raiders have a winning record. Combined the four newcomers are 10-11, with two last-place teams, one third-place team and one in second.

The moral? Whether it's a head coach or stereo equipment, you're better off buying a name brand.

Flowers keeps telling it like it is

Love that Lee Flowers. The Pittsburgh strong safety is the Cal Ripken of trash-talking: Consistent, dependable and always there when you need him. He's the working man of smack. After the Steelers 34-7 dismantling of the hapless Bengals, Flowers had this to say of Cincinnati quarterback Jon Kitna, who threw three interceptions, two to Flowers:

"They did us a favor out there, let's face it. Not bad-mouthing Kitna, [of course he was] but I thought he made some bad throws [Sunday]. It wasn't like we had to make great breaks on the ball."

Even after slow start, Deuce remains on the loose

You probably didn't even notice it, what with all the wild doings in the Saints win at Washington. But in the first quarter Sunday, New Orleans running back Deuce McAllister had just 10 yards on 12 carries. But from then on, he totaled 111 yards on 17 attempts, including a long gain of 46 yards. New Orleans is 4-0 when McAllister rushes for 100 yards or more, matching Miami's record when Ricky Williams hits triple digits.

McAllister has an NFC-high 582 yards through six games, a pace that would give him 1,552 yards at season's end. Williams is third in the AFC with 614 yards, a pace that would produce 1,637 yards this season.

Quick snaps ...