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By Michael Rushton, NFL Contributing Editor

(Sports Network) - Having had an extra few days to stew over their season- opening loss, the Washington Redskins officially debut first-year head coach Jim Zorn at FedEx Field this Sunday in their home opener against the New Orleans Saints.

Zorn's first regular-season game as Washington's head coach surely didn't go as planned last Thursday, when the Redskins fell to the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants, 16-7.

The club failed to mount much offense, especially in the first half, in losing their season opener for the second time in three years. Now the Redskins return home to FedEx Field, where they are 7-4 all-time in home openers, including wins in five of the past six seasons.

In order to defeat the high-flying Saints, though, Washington will need to post more than the 209 yards it did versus the Giants. The Redskins threw for a mere 17 net yards in the first half en route to falling behind 16-7, with neither club finding the scoreboard in the second half.

The Redskins should have tight end Chris Cooley for this weekend's contest despite a quadriceps injury that held him out of early-week practice. Cornerback Fred Smoot (hip) and defensive end Jason Taylor (knee) should also suit up versus the Saints.

Washington's struggling offense was a surprise to many and especially to Zorn, who played quarterback in the NFL from 1976-87 and was actually hired as Washington's offensive coordinator in late January before eventually succeeding Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs as head coach.

The Redskins defense struggled to contain New York's big-play wideout Plaxico Burress, but will face a New Orleans squad that will be minus Marques Colston. The standout wide receiver suffered a torn ligament in his left thumb early on in Sunday's season-opening 24-20 win over Tampa Bay.

Colston caught three passes for 26 yards in the victory, but will now miss at least the next month of action.

Even with a limited Colston, the Saints were able to win their first game of the season for the third time in four years. The club now aims for its second 2-0 start in the past three campaigns.

New Orleans' win came in dramatic fashion, as running back Reggie Bush put the Saints ahead for good with a highlight-reel 42-yard touchdown reception with just over 7 1/2 minutes left to play. Linebacker Scott Fujita later intercepted Tampa Bay quarterback Jeff Garcia at the Saints' 19-yard line with under a minute to go.

The Saints have won three of their last four road openers.

SERIES HISTORY

The Redskins hold a 14-7 edge in their all-time series with the Saints, including a 16-10 road win in the last meeting, in 2006. New Orleans won the previous two matchups, in 2003 and 2002, both at FedEx Field. Washington's most recent home win in the series occurred at R.F.K. Stadium in 1990.

Saints head coach Sean Payton is 0-1 against the Redskins, while Zorn will be meeting both Payton and the Saints for the first time as a head coach.

WHEN THE SAINTS HAVE THE BALL

There is no doubt that New Orleans will miss Colston, but the club did manage to gain 438 yards of offense last week. The Saints still field a host of weapons in quarterback Drew Brees, Bush and new tight end Jeremy Shockey. A former Giant, Shockey made six catches for 54 yards in his first game with the Saints. Meanwhile, Brees was 23-of-32 passing for 343 yards with three touchdowns and an interception versus the Buccaneers, and has thrown three or more touchdown passes in each of his last three road games. Bush compiled 163 yards of offense (51 rushing and 112 receiving) against Tampa Bay, while wideouts Devery Henderson and David Patten each hauled in lengthy touchdown passes from Brees. Henderson's score came in the form of a career-long 84-yard catch. With Colston out, 2007 first-round pick Robert Meachem could be active for this Sunday's test. Meachem did not play in any of the team's 16 games last year while battling a leg injury and was also inactive for the Week 1 victory. Running back Pierre Thomas had 10 rushes for 52 yards versus the Bucs, and both Deuce McAllister (knee) and Aaron Stecker (hamstring) were full participants in early-week practices, giving the Saints plenty of backfield options.

New Orleans may use a bunch of those options, as the Redskins allowed the Giants to run for 154 yards in the opener. Factor in that the Washington defense has limited Brees to zero touchdown passes and four interceptions in two career meetings, and the Redskins may be in for a heavy dose of the ground game. Taylor had two tackles in his debut, while middle linebacker London Fletcher was all over the field with a game-high 17 tackles. Smoot made eight stops and also posted an interception before leaving in the third quarter with a hip injury. He should be okay for this test, as should corner Shawn Springs, who missed Week 1 because of a left calf ailment but has been a go in practice this week. Defensive end Andre Carter had a half-sack versus the Giants -- teaming with safety LaRon Landry on the stop -- and has at least one sack in each of his previous four games versus the Saints, having totaled five in that span. Landry ended with six tackles versus New York, while linebacker Rocky McIntosh added six.

WHEN THE REDSKINS HAVE THE BALL

Campbell rebounded to pass for 133 yards on 15-of-27 throwing versus the Giants, while completing a 12-yard scoring strike to wideout Santana Moss. Washington will need more out of Campbell this week, though. He is 1-0 as a starter versus the Saints, throwing for 204 yards with a scoring pass in that contest. Running back Clinton Portis rushed for 84 yards on 23 carries against the Giants and has 13 rushing touchdowns in his last 13 home games. He did all of the heavy lifting versus New York, as backup running back Ladell Betts had just one carry. Antwaan Randle El led Washington with seven catches for 73 yards last week, while Moss ended with five receptions totaling 37 yards and Cooley managed only one catch for seven yards. Cooley, who led the Redskins with 66 catches last year, had four receptions for 80 yards in his last meeting with the Saints.

The Saints were also tagged a bit on the ground last week, allowing Tampa Bay to rush for 146 yards. Buccaneers back Earnest Graham averaged 9.1 yards per carry in the game, while backup Warrick Dunn averaged 6.0. Middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma still made a team-high nine tackles in his Saints debut, while Fujita posted eight in addition to his interception. Fujita, though, didn't practice on Wednesday due to a knee ailment. The Saints officially lost defensive tackle Hollis Thomas for the season after he landed on injured reserve due to a torn triceps. Linebacker Mark Simoneau (back) and cornerback Mike McKenzie (knee), who both missed the Week 1 win, were each able to practice in full and should be available on Sunday. McKenzie is recovering from a torn right knee ligament suffered late last season. Defensive ends Charles Grant and Bobby McCray each had a sack versus Tampa Bay, while fellow end Will Smith made three tackles. Smith, who failed to get to the QB on Sunday, still has five sacks in his past nine games.

FANTASY FOCUS

Redskin owners up and down the board were likely very disappointed with last Thursday's performance by the offense. While Campbell is a backup fantasy quarterback at best, owners count on production from Portis, Moss and Cooley. Moss, did manage a TD versus the Giants, while Cooley's poor performance should be considered an anomaly. Big things could be coming out of Portis given the Saints' struggles versus Tampa Bay's running game, so put the back at the top of the list for potential Week 2 breakout stars.

Meanwhile, Brees owners shouldn't be too concerned with his history against the Redskins, though having no Colston will hurt. Speaking of the Saints wideouts, Colston owners were likely first in line to grab Henderson and even Patten off the waiver wire. Henderson should put up good numbers from here on out with Colston not in the lineup, while deep leagues should keep an eye on how Meachem fits into the scheme. Patten could also be a serviceable pickup, but he was very inconsistent last year. Bush is a must-start, while McAllister owners will get to see how New Orleans will use him this year. That will also mean fewer carries for Pierre Thomas.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

This game got a little closer when the Colston injury came to light. On one hand, the Saints are still loaded with options offensively, but the team struggled defensively against Tampa Bay. Washington, meanwhile, needs to make major strides with its offense while still trying to figure out how to stop Brees and Bush. Washington will get good production out of Portis and Betts, but the difference will be Brees outplaying Campbell for a narrow win.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Saints 28, Redskins 24