Bush's rookie season had both ups and downs, although as the season wore on he became more productive and integral to the Saints' surprising success. In the first game of Bush's NFL career, he amassed 141 total yards against the Cleveland Browns. He carried the ball fewer times than his counterpart Deuce McAllister, putting off any speculation that he would immediately supplant McAllister as the starter in New Orleans. The Saints won the game by a score of 19–14. In his team's Week 9 contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Bush finished the game with minus-5 yards on eleven carries despite the Saints' 31–14 victory. This effort lowered his league-worst rushing average among running backs to only 2.55 yards per carry. However, he finished the midway point of the season with 46 receptions, the most by any running back in the league.