SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Delvin Breaux and Sheldon Rankins didn’t immediately start dominating in their returns to the New Orleans Saints’ lineup on Sunday.
But like the rest of the defense, they said they felt better as the game went along – and they said they felt great after the Saints’ 41-23 win over the San Francisco 49ers.
“I feel like I’m back,” said Breaux, the Saints’ No. 1 cornerback, who had been sidelined since breaking his fibula in Week 1. “It was just more of a mental thing, getting back out there, planting on the leg, covering receivers. I felt like I got better as the downs went on and I was getting more comfortable.”
Breaux played 43 defensive snaps out of a possible 60 (72 percent), finishing with two tackles. He also played four special teams snaps.
Breaux was spotted wearing a wrap around his lower left leg on the sideline at one point, but he said those brief rest periods were by design to limit his snap count. He said he had not setbacks or issues with the leg.
When asked how good it felt to be back, Breaux gave an enthusiastic, “Man, what?!”
“My mindset was like, just being back out here, just being on the plane, I was like, ‘Man, I’m glad to be back here, just to be around my teammates,’” Breaux said. “Especially to come away with a W on the first game back. Man, it’s awesome. I love it.”
Rankins played 38 defensive snaps, most of them in nickel packages, in his NFL debut. He, too, was coming back from a broken fibula suffered during training camp.
The 6-foot-2. 305-pounder was credited with one solo tackle and one quarterback hit.
“Physically I feel fine. My leg is holding up. I’m just trying to shake the rust off,” Rankins said. “Not taking real live reps for so long, have to catch up to the speed, catch up to the physicality. But I felt by the second half I was well oiled up, and I felt like I was doing pretty good out there.
“Just getting back out there and playing a real football game that actually meant something was fun. It was fun to be back out there with my teammates, competing. I’m glad we came out of there with a win.”
The Saints (4-4) have a tough stretch coming up, with a home game against the Denver Broncos on Sunday and a quick road trip to face the Carolina Panthers the following Thursday night. But getting Breaux and Rankins back closer to full speed in the coming weeks should make New Orleans a much more formidable team -- perhaps even a legitimate playoff contender.