Quick Kicks

Even Custer won a few

The Saints won on the road for the first time this season, ended a seven-game losing streak and gave interim coach Rick Venturi his second NFL victory. Venturi is now 3-47-1 as a head coach, including 1-31-1 at Northwestern from 1978-80, 1-10 at Indianapolis in 1991 and 1-6 this season after taking over from Jim Mora. Both of Venturi’s NFL victories have come at Giants Stadium. The Colts beat the Jets there in 1991.

With fans like these …

Many in the crowd of 52,530 at Giants Stadium cheered when struggling Giants quarterback Dave Brown was sacked and bruised his left shoulder just before halftime against New Orleans. Brown, who suffered a strain, did not return to the game.

Like father, only better

Not only has Keith Lyle made a little history with the St. Louis Rams, he’s topped his dad.

Lyle is the Rams’ first defensive back in 15 seasons to get 100 tackles in consecutive seasons. He’s also tied for the NFC lead with six interceptions.

Those are two things his father, Garry Lyle, never accomplished with the Chicago Bears from 1967-74.

It didn’t take long. Lyle, 24, is only in his third season and second as a starter. Last year, he had 101 tackles and three interceptions.

Lyle hasn’t missed a game in his career and is holding up despite weighing only 204 pounds. After getting 10 tackles Sunday against Atlanta to raise this year’s total to 104, he became the first Rams defensive back since Nolan Cromwell in 1980-81 with consecutive 100-tackle seasons.

Noteworthy

Quarterback Tony Banks fumbled four times, giving him 21. That broke the NFL record for most fumbles in a year (18), a mark shared by Dave Krieg of Seattle in 1989 and Warren Moon of Houston in 1990.

St. Louis’ Isaac Bruce set a record for most receptions in the first three years of a career. Bruce caught two passes to give him 216, breaking the mark of 215 set by Andre Rison from 1989-91.

Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre has thrown for 36 touchdowns this season, including six of 50-or-more yards, the second highest total in history behind the 12 of Houston’s George Blanda in 1961.

Read my lips

Jim Irsay says he will not have to sell the Indianapolis Colts or take on a partner in order to pay inheritance taxes when his father dies.

Colts owner Robert Irsay sustained a stroke more than a year ago and has been in and out of hospitals since then. He was released from the Indiana University Medical Center on Friday after being treated for a heart rhythm disorder.

His doctor said Irsay is has improved significantly over the past few weeks. Still, the younger Irsay, the team’s general manager, someday will have to deal with paying inheritance taxes.

“The one thing I’ll turn a cold shoulder to is having any partner,” Jim Irsay said. “We’re keeping 100 percent of the team that I’m passing on to my children.”

He has repeatedly denied rumors the team might be moved to a more lucrative market.

“No Colts person has ever hinted that we’re going to move,” Jim Irsay said. “Do we have a serious revenue problem? Yes. To talk about moving the club is jumping the gun tremendously.”

, DataTimes