(AP Photo/John Bazemore)

New Orleans Saints defensive back Mike McKenzie is carted off the field after he was injured in the third quarter of the Falcon's game.

METAIRIE, La. -- It seems like every time the Saints' beleaguered defense needs a break this season, they end up with another broken bone.

"I've never seen anything like this before," linebacker Scott Fujita, a seven-year veteran, said Wednesday. "The attrition has been crazy and some of the just freakish-type injuries."

New Orleans, which made improving its pass defense a priority this season, has lost both starting cornerbacks as well as one of its best pass rushers for the rest of the season in the past six weeks.

At 4-5, New Orleans needs a strong finish to have any hope of making the playoffs. A poorly performing, injury-plagued defense won't help.

The latest setback occurred during last Sunday's 34-20 loss in Atlanta, when cornerback Mike McKenzie, who fought his way back into the starting lineup after having reconstructive knee surgery at the end of the 2007 season, broke his knee cap while making a tackle.

McKenzie went on injured reserve this week, joining defensive end Charles Grant, who tore his triceps in Week 8, and rookie starting cornerback Tracy Porter, who broke his wrist in Week 5.

It could get even worse if starting defensive end Will Smith loses his appeal of a four-game suspension stemming from his use of a diet pill that caused him to test positive for a substance banned by the NFL.

Indeed, if the Saints wanted to make excuses, they'd have plenty of places to start, if only excuses helped.

"You can't use any of that as a crutch. Other guys have got to step up and that's the nature of this business," Fujita said. "No one in this league feels sorry for us. No one cares. No one wants to hear about our problems. It just comes down to us being a sub-.500 team and battling and trying to get over that mark and we've got to find a way to get that done."

When New Orleans plays at Kansas City (1-8) on Sunday, the Saints remaining regular cornerbacks will be veterans Randall Gay and Jason David, along with second-year pro Usama Young. The Saints also added two new cornerbacks this week, claiming Leigh Torrence off waivers on Monday after his release from Washington and signing free agent David Pittman on Wednesday. Pittman last played in the NFL for Baltimore in 2007.

The two new players had their first Saints practices on Wednesday, only days before they could be pressed into service in Kansas City.

In the NFL, the best secondaries often are the ones with continuity, allowing safeties and cornerbacks to develop communication and learn one another's tendencies as they make split-second decisions about covering the field.

The turnover in the Saints' defensive backfield hasn't helped on that front.

"We've had a few rough injuries in the back half and it's made it more difficult on us, but nobody's going to make an excuse," Saints safety Roman Harper said. "We've got to try learn quick and jell quick because the new guys ... might not know how I'm feeling and how I drive a certain route, and we need to pick up on this pretty fast."

The Saints' defense appeared to lack cohesion against the Falcons, who gained 361 total yards including a 67-yard touchdown by Jerious Norwood on a short pass. Rookie quarterback Matt Ryan was never sacked and completed 16-of-23 passing attempts.

Payton said Atlanta deserved some credit for being sharp on offense and balked at the idea that injuries were part of the problem.

"We haven't really talked much about injuries and that has just been the way we've approached it," Payton said. "We have to get back up off the mat and get ready to play another game."

Fujita was among the more critical and outspoken players in the Saints' locker room following the loss in Atlanta, saying he's tired of seeing the Saints work hard and look strong in practice, only to show up flat in games.

"You can intercept a ball a bunch of times in practice and break up every ball and make the big play and feel like you've made a sack 30 times in practice. That doesn't mean crap if you don't do it on Sunday," Fujita said.

"I just keep talking about Sundays, and guys have to start performing, coming in, making plays and it starts with myself and the rest of the group," he said. "If we want to try to make something of this season, it's got to start immediately because our room for error now is gone."

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)