The team received an exemption from the league office for Sunday's game with Atlanta, allowing them to keep the two players they signed last week -- defensive ends Rob Ninkovich and Tearrius George -- on the active roster although they weren't eligible to play.

However, since Ninkovich and George were signed off practice squads of other teams, they have to remain on the active roster for three games.

To get back to the 53-man limit, the Saints put kick returner Courtney Roby on injured reserve and waived cornerback David Pittman.

PLAYER
--KR Courtney Roby, who injured his right ankle in the third quarter of Sunday's game with the Atlanta Falcons, was placed on injured reserve Monday.

--LT Jammal Brown, who left Sunday's game for a few plays after hurting his left ankle, did not practice Tuesday, and his availability for Thursday night's game at Chicago was unknown.

--LT Zack Strief, a third-year pro, would likely start against the Bears if LT Jammal Brown is unable to play because of his ankle injury.

--RDE Will Smith was excused from practice Tuesday to be with his wife, who is preparing to deliver a baby.

--LCB Randall Gay, who suffered a concussion on Sunday, practiced fully Tuesday and should be good to go for Thursday's game.

--SS Roman Harper has a shoulder problem, but he was able to participate fully in Tuesday's practice.

GAME PLAN: The Saints found their running game in last week's win over the Falcons, but the question is: Can they do it against the Bears' sixth-ranked run defense? Maybe not, but the Bears rank 28th against the pass, so if the Saints can muster anything early in the running game, it could open up the passing lanes for Drew Brees and his long list of pass-catching weapons.

MATCHUPS TO WATCH: Saints QB Drew Brees vs. Bears secondary. Brees enjoyed a nice day against the Falcons last week as the combination of a running game and play-action passing game kept Atlanta's defensive line from touching him. That will be harder to accomplish against the Bears, but the Saints will likely explore that early.

Saints RT Jon Stinchcomb vs. Bears LDE Adewale Ogunleye. Stinchcomb is a solid player and is a valuable part of the puzzle in keeping Brees clean, but he sometimes has trouble with speed pass rushers. Ogunleye is tied for the team lead with five sacks, so getting some help for Stinchcomb in certain situations will be a must for the Saints.

Saints MLB Jonathan Vilma vs. Bears RB Matt Forte. Vilma has been the Saints' best defender this year and is the team's version of Brian Urlacher. Vilma has a team-leading 122 total tackles, and he's going to be busy on Thursday night if the Bears use the power running of Forte to establish a presence early in the game.

INJURY IMPACT: RB Pierre Thomas, who was the Saints' top kick returner last season and earlier this year before taking on a greater role in the offense, will return kickoffs against the Chicago Bears with Courtney Roby on injured reserve with an ankle injury.

LT Zack Strief will start Thursday night if Jammal Brown can't play because of a left ankle injury.