JACKSON – The monthlong Mississippi adventure for the New Orleans Saints is over, but players said the positive experience in Jackson will be repeated next year.

The Saints wrapped up their 2006 training camp Friday at Millsaps College. On Saturday night, they lost 27-14 to the Indianapolis Colts in the team’s third preseason game at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium.

&#8220Players generally don’t like training camp and this was a tough one,” said Saints guard Jon Stinchcomb. &#8220It was definitely hot here, but I think it did us a lot of good to being away.”

Linebacker Scott Shanle, who was traded to the Saints by the Dallas Cowboys on Tuesday, had a unique perspective on the Mississippi heat.

&#8220Oh my, it liked to have killed me, and I’ve only been here a week,” Shanle said. &#8220The Cowboys training camp was in Oxnard, California and it was 75 degrees with no humidity.”

The Saints coaching staff wanted a quick evaluation of their new linebacker so they thrust him into the starting lineup against the Colts.

&#8220I guess they wanted to see what I was made of and then to go up against a tremendous offense like the Colts have, it was tough. I kind of wilted there, late. But this team has talent. We just have to be able to get off the field after third downs,” Shanle said.

The Saints’ first-round draft pick and the undeniable face of the future in running back Reggie Bush said the Millsaps camp accomplished the team’s goal.

&#8220It helped us to bond as a team,” Bush said. &#8220The heat was a challenge, but it’s also been good for us. We can now look forward to the regular season.”

Saints owner Tom Benson announced last week that the team’s experience in Jackson was positive, and the Saints will be back next summer.

&#8220Jackson was very supportive of us and having a full house for this game was definitely nice,” Stinchcomb added.

Starting Saints running back Deuce McAllister, who has several business ventures in Jackson, including a car dealership, was also elated with the crowd support.

&#8220The people here have been great and Millsaps College was great, too. I think with the crowd that was here tonight, we are the team for the Gulf South region,” McAllister said.

McAllister did his part on the field, showing no ill effects from a knee injury that cost him most of the 2005 season. McAllister had two of his best runs of the pre-season, ripping off a 20-yard run and then followed it up with a 15-yard touchdown run. The third-quarter score pulled the Saints to within 17-7.

&#8220The knee is going to be fine. I was glad to do something for the fans of this state,” McAllister said. He finished with 62 yards rushing for the game.

Quarterback Drew Brees, the Saints’ top free agent acquistion, had two interceptions that stopped two promising second quarter drives that had reached inside the Colts’ 25-yard line.

&#8220We can’t turn it over like I did today,” said Brees who played three quarters and was 19 of 29 for 189 yards. &#8220But we also saw what it’s going to take. We showed we can move the ball. We just need to do better in certain situations and it starts with me becoming more patient.”

Walker makes first catch since tearing up his knee.

DENVER – The time away from football actually went by fast for Javon Walker.

Taking a year off from all the hits rejuvenated the Denver Broncos wide receiver, even if he had to endure rehabbing a torn ligament in his right knee.

Still, the former Jones County Community College standout was eager to make that initial reception for Denver. So eager, in fact, that he got a little excited when it finally happened.

When Walker hauled in a 16-yard catch during the Broncos’ 17-14 win over Houston on Sunday, he sat on the turf for a moment – to make sure his knee felt all right – and then bounded up, spun the ball and flashed a giant smile.

&#8220I was just letting everyone know I was out there,” Walker said.

Walker was hard to miss. He had three catches for 41 yards, all on tough grabs over the middle.

Cowboys fine T.O. $9,500.

for absences, tardiness.

IRVING, Texas – Terrell Owens has finally pushed the Dallas Cowboys too far, drawing a $9,500 fine for missing a team meeting and a rehabilitation session and being late to an offensive meeting, The Dallas Morning News reported.

&#8220That’s our club business. That’s going to be accounted for,” team owner Jerry Jones told the newspaper.

The incidents occurred Friday, the team’s final day preparing for a preseason game against San Francisco.

The Cowboys beat the 49ers 17-7, making them 3-0 this preseason without Owens playing any of the games because of a hamstring injury that’s also kept him out of 19 of 31 practices since the start of training camp.