Pro Sports
Email
Print
Brees, Saints hold on to beat Panthers
AP Photo
Jake Delhomme is tackled by Roman Harper.
ADVERTISEMENT
Published: November 9, 2009
NEW ORLEANS - Drew Brees and the Saints' prolific offense never had to play from behind in their first five games.
New Orleans moved to 8-0 yesterday when Brees overcame two early turnovers to pass for 330 yards and a touchdown in a 30-20 victory over the Carolina Panthers.
Starting with a favorable schedule during the next two weeks. The Saints play at St. Louis and Tampa Bay, who are a combined 2-14 this season, meaning New Orleans has a realistic chance to be 10-0 when New England -- the only team to finish a regular season 16-0 -- comes to the Louisiana Superdome the Monday night after Thanksgiving.
Before this season, the only 7-0 team New Orleans ever had was in 1991, a defense-first squad coached by Jim Mora.
The defense on the 2009 Saints gives up its share of yards, but has continued to make big plays at the right time.
While the Saints did not intercept a pass for the first time all season, their defense forced three turnovers on fumbles. The last produced New Orleans' seventh defensive touchdown of the season on Anthony Hargrove's strip, recovery and 1-yard return late in the fourth quarter.
Hargrove might have been down before advancing the ball, but the play started before the two-minute warning and Carolina had no timeouts, preventing a challenge.
DeAngelo Williams rushed for 149 yards and two touchdowns, and Carolina gained 182 yards on the ground. But it was Williams' fumble at his 1 that led to the clinching touchdown.
It was Carolina's (3-5) first lost in Louisiana since 2001 and quarterback Jake Delhomme's first loss in the Louisiana Superdome. The Panthers blew a 17-3 lead as the Saints improved to 5-0 at home this season.
"I'm encouraged with the fact that we've been able to win a few of these games and we haven't played our best football," Coach Sean Payton of the Saints said. "I don't know we're paying a lot of attention to where this (record) at the halfway point compares to past teams. There hadn't been a real rich history here in regards to successful football."
The Saints have never been to a Super Bowl and have only been to the playoffs six times. The way they're closing out games now, there's no telling how far they could go. New Orleans is outscoring opponents 91-18 in the fourth quarter.
"The more that you win games like this, the more confidence that you gain, the more that you feel like no matter what situation that you're in, you're going to be able to win the game," Brees said.
After failing to score a touchdown in the first half for the first time all season, the Saints needed four plays to produce Pierre Thomas' 10-yard touchdown run to cut Carolina's lead to 17-13 to open the third quarter. Devery Henderson's 63-yard gain on a short slant highlighted the drive.
Carolina responded with a 19-play drive but had to settle for John Kasay's 25-yard field goal. Delhomme's third-down pass bounced off Williams' shoulder pads at the goal line.
"It was very disappointing. We came very close to getting the touchdown with that pass to DeAngelo," Delhomme said. "That would have been huge, making it 24-13."
Instead, New Orleans tied it at 20 on Robert Meachem's leaping catch for a 54-yard score.
On their next possession, the Saints started at their 2 and drove 76 yards in 13 plays to go ahead 23-20 on John Carney's 40-yard field goal with 4:36 left.
Will Smith, who had two sacks, stripped Delhomme on fourth down, and Hargrove recovered to end Carolina's next series.
Carolina 14 3 3 0 -- 20
New Orleans 0 6 14 10 -- 30
First Quarter
Car--D.Williams 66 run (Kasay kick), 14:00.
Car--D.Williams 7 run (Kasay kick), 6:53.
Second Quarter
NO--FG Carney 23, 13:41.
Car--FG Kasay 32, 5:30.
NO--FG Carney 25, :04.
Third Quarter
NO--P.Thomas 10 run (Carney kick), 13:14.
Car--FG Kasay 25, 3:27.
NO--Meachem 54 pass from Brees (Carney kick), :00.
Fourth Quarter
NO--FG Carney 40, 4:36.
NO--Hargrove 1 fumble return (Carney kick), 2:00.
A--70,011.
TEAM STATISTICS
Car NO
First downs 21 18
Total Net Yards 371 414
Rushes-yards 39-182 23-84
Passing 189 330
Punt Returns 0-0 1-4
Kickoff Returns 5-97 3-65
Interceptions Ret. 1-41 0-0
Comp-Att-Int 17-30-0 24-35-1
Sacked-Yards Lost 2-12 1-0
Fumbles-Lost 5-3 2-1
Penalties-Yards 6-37 7-55
Time of Possession 32:26 27:34
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING--Carolina, D.Williams 21-149, Stewart 13-24, Sutton 3-15, Delhomme 2-(minus 6). New Orleans, P.Thomas 13-50, Bell 5-17, Bush 2-16, Brees 2-4, Henderson 1-(minus 3).
PASSING--Carolina, Delhomme 17-30-0-201. New Orleans, Brees 24-35-1-330.
RECEIVING--Carolina, Smith 4-64, Jarrett 4-30, Barnidge 3-46, D.Williams 2-12, K.Moore 1-22, Stewart 1-14, Sutton 1-11, Goodson 1-2. New Orleans, Bush 7-37, Meachem 5-98, P.Thomas 5-31, Henderson 3-93, Shockey 3-26, Colston 1-45.
Email
Print
