NEW ORLEANS — Forget Reggie Bush’s blazing speed and flashy moves. Hisunderrated power and grit turned a day of frustration into one of celebrationfor the New Orleans Saints.

His feet churning and body squirming as three Atlanta tacklers met him onthe 2-yard line, Bush spun free and dived across the goal line on a crucialthird-and-goal screen pass. His touchdown lifted New Orleans to a 22-16 victoryover the Falcons on Sunday.

Bush threw the ball into the second deck of the Louisiana Superdome afterthe score. While fans chanted his name in celebration, Bush took a handoff on a2-point conversion, raced to the sideline and dived for the pylon to put theSaints (2-4) up by six points with 5:04 remaining.

When the Falcons’ next drive stalled, they punted with under 2 minutes to goand all of their timeouts left. Guess who clinched it with a first-down run twoplays later?

Bush’s 7-yard gain on second-and-6 allowed New Orleans to run out the clock.

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OAKLAND, Calif. — Priest Holmes completed his improbable comeback Sunday,returning to the Kansas City Chiefs’ lineup nearly two years after a seriousneck injury threatened the three-time Pro Bowl running back’s career.

Holmes, once a dynamic runner who became the franchise’s career leader inyards rushing and touchdowns, was added to the Chiefs’ roster and activated forthe first time since Oct. 30, 2005, for their road game against the rivalOakland Raiders.

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HOUSTON — The Tennessee Titans needed every one of Rob Bironas’ NFL-recordeight field goals to hold off the Houston Texans on Sunday.

Bironas kicked a 29-yard field goal, his eighth of the game, with 2 secondsleft to lead the Titans to a 38-36 win.

The kick foiled a spirited comeback attempt by the Texans who scored 29points in the fourth quarter, capped by a 53-yard touchdown pass from SageRosenfels to Andre’ Davis to take a 36-35 lead with 1:06 to play.

The Titans faced a third-and-10 at their own 37 when Kerry Collins foundRoydell Williams on a 46-yard pass that set up the winning kick.

NEW ORLEANS — Byron Leftwich, making his first start for the AtlantaFalcons since joining the club a month ago, went down with an injured rightankle on his first series of the third quarter Sunday against the New OrleansSaints on Sunday.

He gingerly walked off the field with help from trainers as Joey Harrington,who lost his starting job to Leftwich this past week, came into the game.

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LANDOVER, Md. — Kurt Warner started at quarterback Sunday for the ArizonaCardinals against the Washington Redskins, one week after tearing a ligament inhis non-throwing elbow.

Warner took the field with a black, bulky brace on his left elbow, theresult of several attempts during the week to find an apparatus that would causethe least amount of discomfort.

Warner was hurt in last week’s loss to Carolina and was replaced by TimRattay, who had been signed just a few days earlier. This week, the Cardinalswere preparing a simplified game plan for Rattay and another new signing, TimHasselbeck, in case Warner couldn’t play.

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MINNEAPOLIS — Max McGee, the former Green Bay receiver who scored the firsttouchdown in Super Bowl history in an unexpected starring role, died Saturdayafter falling from the roof of his Deephaven home, police confirmed. He was 75.

Police were called to McGee’s suburban home around 5:20 p.m., Sgt. ChrisWhiteside said. Efforts to resuscitate McGee were unsuccessful.

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ATLANTA — Alge Crumpler’s chronically sore knee could sideline thefour-time Pro Bowl tight end for the Atlanta Falcons’ game at New Orleans onSunday.

Crumpler, the Falcons’ leading receiver the last three years, has played in40 straight games, including 39 starts, despite having arthroscopic surgery onhis left knee the last two offseasons. He was held out of practice this week.

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PHILADELPHIA — Eagles starting right tackle Jon Runyan sat out practiceFriday after bruising his tailbone in a training room fall, but believes he willmake his 184th consecutive start Sunday against Chicago.

Runyan, who was moving gingerly in the locker room Friday, said he slippedwhile getting into a tub following Thursday’s practice and landed on the tub’sedge.

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LAS VEGAS — A strip club manager paralyzed in a triple shooting issuing the National Football League, the Tennessee Titans and suspended footballplayer Adam “Pacman” Jones, claiming they’re responsible for his injuries.

Tommy Urbanski seeks unspecified damages in the civil lawsuit, which hislawyer, Matthew Dushoff, said would be filed Friday in Clark County DistrictCourt. It also names the owners of Harlem Knights, a Houston strip club thatrented the Minxx Gentleman’s Club in Las Vegas in February for a party theweekend of the NBA All-Star game.

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CINCINNATI — Carson Palmer is sorry.

Sorry that he blew up at receiver Chad Johnson for running the wrong route.Sorry that he’s lost his cool during the Cincinnati Bengals’ awful start. Sorrythat his easygoing temperament has failed him on the field.

Not that anyone blames him.

The Pro Bowl MVP has vented his anger in the last two games, something quiteout of character for the laid-back quarterback from California. A 1-4 start willdo that.

“I think everybody’s a little bit on edge around here,” Palmer said. “Wehave boards in the offensive and defensive rooms, and every time you look up atthem and see our production and our record there, you’re just naturally on edgebecause you have such high expectations.

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