NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Ricky Williams gets his first shot at the 1,600-yard, 12-touchdown season he needs to kick in the big incentives in his contract when the Saints take on the Carolina Panthers.

	Despite the ankle injury he sustained in preseason, Ricky Williams will start Sunday.

The Heisman Trophy winner, who cost New Orleans eight draft picks, goes into Sunday's season opener with just nine preseason carries under his belt and a load of expectations on his shoulders.

"There's no question everybody is expecting a lot from him," coach Mike Ditka said. "I'm expecting a lot of him. His teammates are expecting a lot of him. The fans are expecting a lot of him. He's expecting a lot of himself.

"I don't think anyone is going to be disappointed."

But Williams isn't the only newcomer stirring interest in the game.

Panthers coach George Seifert was lured away from retirement by a $12 million contract after Carolina fell to an 11-22 mark since advancing to the NFC Championship Game in 1997.

Seifert calls it his last great adventure. If he can erase memories of last year's 4-12 finish, it will certainly be that.

Unlike Williams, Seifert is no rookie in the league. He brings the best winning percentage in NFL coaching history to his new job. With the San Francisco 49ers, he won three of ever four games and two Super Bowls.

	INJURY REPORT
	Panthers: DOUBTFUL: RB Chris Hetherington (shoulder). PROBABLE: RB Anthony Johnson (toe); S Rod Mullen (neck); TE Wesley Walls (knee). Saints: OUT: TE Cam Cleeland (Achilles). DOUBTFUL: CB Earl Little (concussion). QUESTIONABLE: C Tom Ackerman (ankle); S Je'Rod Cherry (ankle); DE Jared Tomich (calf). PROBABLE: QB Billy Joe Hobert (ribs).

"Professionally, I grew up there," Siefert said. "I was part of the development of that system, so it's what I have a sense and a feel for. There are some adjustments I have to make here."

Seifert made some personnel changes. Carolina has 17 new players, but the only two new faces likely to make immediate impacts as starters are tackles Chris Terry, a second-round draft pick, and Clarence Jones, an unrestricted free agent from New Orleans.

"It's a good group," Seifert said. "Obviously, year in and year out in San Francisco, there's no question I was spoiled, and I had one of the more talented teams in all of football. But at the same time, you still coach, put guys together and go out and do battle. So I'm not caught up in that part of it.

"What can I say, 'Oh, my God'? They're the players we have, and they're good guys, and they work hard. Let's go play."

The real thing Seifert brings is the ability to get the most out of the players, according to Ditka. Preparing for Carolina with a new coach only required looking at Seifert's history, Ditka said.

"He's been very successful doing what he's done," Ditka said. "He kept the same defensive coordinator (John Marshall) San Francisco had last year, same one he had when he was coaching out there, and offensively, it's really a combination of Green Bay and San Francisco. You prepare by not only looking at what they did in preseason, but looking at things San Francisco did the last couple of years."

The Saints finished 6-10 the last two years under Ditka. He's been talking about a fast start after predicting a march to the playoffs, if not the Super Bowl, when he drafted Williams.

Ditka and Williams might take comfort knowing they face the defense that finished dead last in the NFL in 1998. Carolina, which switched to a 4-3 alignment this year, gave up 4.6 yards per rushing attempt in the preseason.

Williams returned to practice Wednesday for the first time since Aug. 12. Despite the layoff and injury, Ditka is counting on the former Texas back to live up to his college billing, but admits he'd feel better if Williams had a little more preseason work.

"That's a concern about losing the football, that's all," Ditka said. "The only way you can get ready for football is to play football, so you got to be a little battle-tested. Right now, he's not really battle-tested. That's a drawback and one of the problems we have."

CAROLINA Season schedule and results

NEW ORLEANS Season schedule and results

September 12 @New Orleans 1:00pm ET September 19 Jacksonville 1:00pm ET September 26 Cincinnati 1:00pm ET October 3 @Washington 4:05pm ET October 17 @San Francisco 4:15pm ET October 24 Detroit 1:00pm ET October 31 @Atlanta 1:00pm ET November 7 Philadelphia 1:00pm ET November 14 @St. Louis 1:00pm ET November 21 @Cleveland 1:00pm ET November 28 Atlanta 8:20pm ET December 5 St. Louis 1:00pm ET December 12 @Green Bay 1:00pm ET December 18 San Francisco 4:15pm ET December 26 @Pittsburgh 1:00pm ET January 2 New Orleans 1:00pm ET

September 12 Carolina 1:00pm ET September 19 @San Francisco 4:05pm ET October 3 @Chicago 1:00pm ET October 10 Atlanta 1:00pm ET October 17 Tennessee 1:00pm ET October 24 @NY Giants 1:00pm ET October 31 Cleveland 1:00pm ET November 7 Tampa Bay 4:05pm ET November 14 San Francisco 1:00pm ET November 21 @Jacksonville 8:20pm ET November 28 @St. Louis 1:00pm ET December 5 @Atlanta 1:00pm ET December 12 St. Louis 1:00pm ET December 19 @Baltimore 1:00pm ET December 24 Dallas 3:05pm ET January 2 @Carolina 1:00pm ET

Records source: STATS, Inc.

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