OAKLAND, Calif. — There’s nothing like a trip to Oakland to get Drew Brees ready for the regular season.
Brees threw for 189 yards and led New Orleans to scores on all three drives he played in the Saints’ 40-20 victory over the Raiders on Sunday night.
Brees completed 15-of-23 passes and looked almost as sharp as he did in his last trip to Oakland when he led three touchdown drives in his only series of a 45-7 victory two years ago in the third exhibition game. The Saints used that regular-season dress rehearsal to go on and win their first 13 games and win the first Super Bowl title in franchise history.
Oakland quarterback Jason Campbell completed 12-of-17 passes for 150 yards and a touchdown, capping his first drive with a 35-yard scoring strike to Derek Hagan, who caught six passes for 121 yards.
Foster hurts hamstring
HOUSTON — Texans coach Gary Kubiak is optimistic Arian Foster will be ready for the regular-season opener after the star running back re-aggravated a hamstring injury in Saturday’s preseason game in San Francisco.
Foster, the NFL’s leading rusher in 2010, left the field in the first quarter of Houston’s 30-7 victory, favoring the left hamstring that he strained early in training camp.
Foster sat out Houston’s preseason opener, then rushed five times for 47 yards and two touchdowns in the Texans’ 27-14 win over New Orleans on Aug. 20.
“Looks like we’re dealing with the same thing we were dealing with at the start of camp,” Kubiak said. “Hopefully, we can get him back on the rehab train and get him ready for opening day.”
Bears’ Clark says he’s OK
CHICAGO — Bears backup tight end Desmond Clark indicated the knee injury he suffered in Saturday’s preseason game against Tennessee wasn’t as bad as it appeared to be, posting on Twitter that he’s confident he will return soon.
Clark left the field on a cart in the fourth quarter after taking a brutal hit from Titans safety Anthony Smith.
There was no update from the Bears on Clark or running back Marion Barber, who left with a calf injury.
The Associated Press
