by By Mike Triplett, Staff writer , Times-Picayune

Strief is no stranger in the role. The fourth-year pro has started three games at left tackle, one per season since 2006, and has appeared in at least nine games at left tackle, including last week at Buffalo after Bushrod went down.

It was a bit surprising when the Saints tabbed less-experienced Bushrod as the injury replacement for starter Jammal Brown during the preseason. But they decided the third-year pro had earned the opportunity after an impressive offseason.

Now the Saints will lean heavily on both big men after announcing Tuesday that Brown will be out for the entire season with a hip injury.

"We feel like both of those guys are guys that are certainly capable of starting and playing, and we're going to need both of those guys," said Coach Sean Payton, who declined to name a starter for Sunday's game. "Those guys have been here, and we've worked with them and developed them. And both of them have played now in important games."

Strief (6 feet 7, 320 pounds) said he understood when the team turned to Bushrod during the preseason. In practice, Bushrod (6-5, 315) had always lined up as the second-team left tackle, and Strief had lined up as the second-team right tackle.

In years past, the Saints moved Strief over when Brown was injured because he was more experienced and proven. But Bushrod had shown maturity, and the Saints felt the preseason was a perfect opportunity to groom him.

"It didn't surprise me because he's a good player, and he just hadn't gotten a shot yet," Strief said. "And it came at a good time for him to get a chance, and obviously he's played well. And I think it's extremely important for this offense to have just another guy that we can plug in. And that's what he became, and I was happy for him. And now it's my chance and my turn."

BROWN DISAPPOINTED: Brown, meanwhile, is clearly disappointed about the way things turned out with his hip injury.

"It's just a bad deal," he said, declining any further comment while popping into the Saints' locker room Wednesday.

He had surgeries to repair a sports hernia in August and the hip injury in September. The estimate from the Saints was that he would be back sometime around Week 7, but Payton said Wednesday that the projected timetable was "looking more like 12 weeks."

"That puts you right at that gray area where you begin to weigh the pros and cons of the time away and when he would be able to come back healthy," Payton said. "Ultimately, we made the decision yesterday that we felt like we had to put him on (injured reserve) to free up a roster spot."

OTHER INJURIES: Receiver Lance Moore returned to practice on a limited basis with his hamstring injury. He said if it were up to him, he'd play Sunday, but the team hasn't announced his status yet.

-- Tailback Pierre Thomas also practiced on a limited basis. He said he is nearly 100 percent recovered from a knee sprain, but he's still feeling aftereffects from the flu bug.

-- Cornerback Malcolm Jenkins missed practice with a left ankle injury he suffered at Buffalo. His status for Sunday's game is unclear.

-- Long snapper Jason Kyle did not practice because of right knee and right ankle injuries. Coach Sean Payton said linebacker Troy Evans and safety Chris Reis could fill in, but he is optimistic that Kyle will be able to play.

-- Defensive end Bobby McCray sat out Wednesday with a back injury, but he was able to play through the injury last week.

-- Tailback Mike Bell (knee), defensive tackle Kendrick Clancy (knee) and tight end Darnell Dinkins (foot) remained out.

MORE 'HOT SAUCE?' It doesn't sound like any bad blood remains between Saints tailback Reggie Bush and Jets linebacker Bart Scott.

When Scott was with the Ravens in 2006, he tackled Bush by the ankles, then flung his legs to the side, aggravating Bush's ankle injury and knocking him out of the game.

Afterward, Scott infamously suggested that he "put a little hot sauce" on Bush's ankle. But he insisted that he didn't intentionally try to injure Bush.

Bush, who was held to 21 total yards on five carries and four receptions in that game, said, "The guy could not make a play all day, and he gets one tackle on me and all of a sudden he's satisfied. His day is done. That doesn't bother me."

On Wednesday, though, Bush said he barely remembered Scott's comments, and said his ankle was already injured before that play.

"That was a few years ago, this is a totally different year, and obviously we don't live in the past," Bush said.

Scott, meanwhile, had more fun Wednesday during his conference call with the New Orleans media. Asked if he was bringing some hot sauce for Bush, he said, "I gave him some a couple years ago. Do we need more hot sauce?"

Scott, one of the league's most colorful characters, got a lot of mileage from the comment in 2006. He had a radio segment named "Hot Sauce" and tinkered with a signature hot sauce product. But he insisted it was all in good fun.

"I had a good run with the hot sauce," Scott said. "It turned into something that it really wasn't meant to be, as far as like, 'Oh, did I try and hurt him?' I was just trying to give you guys a little juice, and y'all ran with it."

FANS ASKED TO COME EARLY: The Saints are encouraging fans to arrive at the Superdome on Sunday earlier than usual because of increased security measures being implemented at stadiums leaguewide. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.

ROSTER MOVE: The Saints added offensive tackle Renardo Foster to their practice squad. The third-year pro appeared in seven games with the Atlanta Falcons in 2007, starting two, after being undrafted out of Louisville. But he suffered a knee injury that landed him on injured reserve for the remainder of the season and all of 2008.

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Mike Triplett can be reached at mtriplett@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3405.

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