Placed Steve Korte, center; James Campen, guard-center; Gene Atkins, defensive back, and Herbert Harris, wide receiver, on injured reserve.

Then what looked like a telling pass interference call on New Orleans' Gene Atkins in the end zone was wiped out because San Francisco's Steve Wallace was called for holding.

Gene Atkins cheated a little bit back toward Duper while also being responsible for the short flat.

Gene Atkins got Steve Beuerlein early in the second quarter, knocking the quarterback out of the game with a sore knee.

After Mike Lansford cut the Saints' lead to 7-3 with a 36-yard field goal, Gene Atkins returned the kickoff 50 yards to set up the drive to Heyward's score.

Against the Jets, two starting defensive backs - Gene Atkins, the free safety, and Troy Vincent, the left cornerback - are probably out, and a backup, Frankie Smith, also is injured.

In the second quarter, New Orleans stayed on the ground, eating up 47 yards and 6 minutes 48 seconds after Gene Atkins returned a punt 50 yards to start the series.

Gene Atkins recovered the ball on the 12-yard line, and a personal foul on the play moved the ball to the 6.

Gene Atkins, the safety who assaulted a reporter in the locker room during training camp, threatened to walk out on the team if his friend and fellow safety, Michael Stewart, got benched.

The fourth-year pro Chris Green is set to start at free safety instead of Gene Atkins, who has a right hamstring strain.