Reflections on Saints Packers Game

Hmm. Some good, some bad on Thursday. Some great O, some poor D. What else is new?

I was heartened by the running game. I thought all 3 backs made important contributions.

was back to his 2009 standard after last years ankle problems. He looked sharp and full of running. I always feel so much better if he's getting a lot of the ball. Mr reliable.

also did a good job with some inside running. Whilst he was denied near the goalline he didn't really stand a chance. Payton should have gone with him again on 4th.

But the break out performance was obviously by

What an addition to the team. Reggie who? North to South running when taking a hand off, unbelievable break away speed on his returns and a go to receiver in clutch situations. Love him. What a player!

Real bad news that we've lost

for at least 4 weeks with a broken collarbone. He is key to our O. With

also struggling with a groin injury (something that only rest heals and something that's liable to recur if he's rushed back) we're going to be short for the Bears game.

That leaves us with Mr 'I can only catch 2 in 3 thrown my way'

and

Not something that leaves me full of confidence.

I'll follow up on my in depth analysis of the D later as its almost college football time and I need to find my wallet.

First Impressions on Mark Ingram

Exciting initial report on Mark Ingrams first practises alternating with Pierre. That sucker punch could be great. Throw in Sproles and Ivory and you've just got versitility in every way.



Still a shame to hear Lynell Hamilton has been cut. He was really unlucky to lose his shot last year with the ACL. A real team player and someone coach Payton loved.

Let's hope he gets picked up and given the shot he deserves. Should he not then I'm sure we'll sign him up come mid season.

Randall Gay placement on IR shows Saints heart

Boy was it good to watch last Sundays performance. It was great to see the offense finally clicking into gear and getting the ball moving effectively.

Drew Brees was able to hit balls acurately down the sidelines for deep gains and control the field with short to middle distance passing.

The D played great again and boy is Sedrick Ellis blossoming into a top DT.

Two major points of praise

But beyond that I have two major points of praise to hand out.

The first is pretty obvious. It goes to Chris Ivory for a truly outstanding break out performance. It was fantastic to see the guy hitting holes at such speed and giving the Saints a compelling run attack on the day.

Yes the holes were ridiculously huge, which is all credit to the O line, but still his explosive speed made the most of it and he also showed great ability at shaking tackles. It's been a long time since we saw a Saints back make that kind of impact.

I'm looking forward to seeing more from the young back in weeks to come. It's going to make for a compelling back field once Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush are back.

Randall Gay placed on IR

Now onto the second point. I applaud the Saints organization for the way they have handled Randall Gay.

In past years teams would have thrown him back into the lions den and hoped for the best. Now the league is getting rightfully cautious about these dangerous injuries and teams more compassionate about player safety.

A softie softie I am not

No I don't want to see the end of hard tackling and yes I accept and love the fact football is a physical game. The sudden rule change and fines introduced this week for dangerous tackles are stupid in my eyes.

Players will injure themselves trying to get out of a tackle and, as Malcolm Jankins said, if an O player suddenly ducks his head before contact there's not much the D player can do but continue with their momentum. As such head shots are likely to continue unintentionally. Afterall you can't uncoach the way a player has been taught to tackle since age 6.

But, all that said, I do applaud the Saints for being so cautious with Gay. He had a bad head injury last year and it's only right they look out for his overall welfare.

As a hard working team player he deserves that protection. He will have a life after the game and concussions are a serious serious business.

Players can be their own worst enemy

A competitive player can be his own worst enemy trying to be put back in the game. This decision takes that out of his and the coaches hands.

I hope other teams respect their players to this extent. It's that kind of loyalty which bonds a team and is sometimes missing from pro sports where money and winning get in the way of the being in human being.

I applaud you team HQ. A great decision and one that shows the roster that the front office have their backs.

Garrett Hartley not to blame

It appears some people I know have very short memories. Yes Garrett Hartley missed a field goal in over time but why were we even in that position in the first place?

Could it be that we couldn't run the ball yet again?
Could it be that we couldn't stop ANY third downs?
Could it be that we couldn't stop the run AGAIN?

There are all sorts of reasons why we lost. Chief amongst them is that we faced a real up and coming Falcons team led by a quality QB. Matt Ryan was poised and accurate throughout. Obviously it didn't help that on every 3rd down conversion it appeared that no one wanted to be anywhere near Tony Gonzalez and there's a story in itself.

You'd think that having all feasted off the NFL films eulogy to the Saints Super Bowl victory that someone on the D staff would have noted Coach Paytons' imploring rants of his D not to let their best player, Dallas Clark, win the game single handedly.

Well that's exactly what the Saints were facing against the Falcons and yet nobody seemed capable of getting close to the guy. Yes he's a future Hall of Famer but come on. Just cover him once and that's one possession handed back to Bree's.

Now let's also not forget the Falcons running game that once again showed the fact we cannot stop the run. It's an old story but one that we just don't seem capable of sorting.

All that said, and that looks like a rant against the Saints but... I also thought we played some good football!

The fact is we played tough throughout and almost pulled out a win against the odds. I like the way we are hanging in there throughout and showing spirit.

The Falcons never once looked to be running away with it (well apart from on the ground but we'll come back to that). Neither team could get absolute momentum and as such it was a real gritty old fashioned football match. And I for loved it for that. Hard hard football play.

The Saints clearly need to sort some issues out this week.

1. Find a way to open running holes for the backs. For the best O line in football you'd expect some holes could be opened but so far this season it's been pretty sparse.

2. Stop the run. Anyway any how. Just stop it. Shut it down in the middle.

3. Stop 3rd down conversions. Pressure would be good and coverage of the oppositions best receiver would help.

4. Don't get down on Garrett Hartley. Yes he shanked his kick but he converted one in normal time, took us to the Super Bowl, is young and looks mentally strong. Give him the benefit of the doubt and show him some support. If the first 3 issues were resolved we wouldn't even be mentioning his name.

5. Find some backup for the running backs. Pierre Thomas has too much of a load to carry. Chris Ivory is inexperienced and should not have been in on 4th down when he fumbled.

6. Make Devery Henderson do a thousand push ups anytime he drops the ball in practise (hell it worked for Wesley Snipes in the film Major League).

And finally.


7. Keep the faith. After all the years of dissappointment some parts of the Who Dat nation are showing clear signs of having it too good for too long. Remember the lean years and realise it ain't all bad.

Yes we've got to fix the above things but the team know that. We lost a tight game against a good good team so keep the faith. Drew Brees and co. will be working over time this week to sort things out so keep cheering, keep that dome noise up and believe in Coach Payton for there is no one, NO ONE, I would rather have calling the plays.

In Sean we trust.

Saints win the hard way in San Fran

Man I hate the 49ers. Always have always will... It's just been a while so I forgot how much!

It was like watching those old games off youth when the Saints would be in the game and then cool hand Joe would march his team down the field and snatch a win.

Well luckily for the Saints we now have a great team who stick together in tough road conditions whilst the 49ers find new ways to implode. I for one love that fact and want to take my hat off to the 49ers center for that opening snap that cost them the game.

Mike Singletary demon eyes

I sure am glad I was not in the 49er locker room after the game as some of their players literally handed the Saints keys to stay in the game at times.

What was it, 3 turnovers when they'd marched to the Saints red zone? Jeez, that is the kind of thing to make the iron man go purple with rage.

Now onto the Saints

I feared it at seasons start and now I'm worried even more. Loosing Mike Bell is going to hurt this team.

The diminuitive runner would have pounded out some hard yards in that second half to take the pressure off Pierre Thomas and give the 49ers more to think about. Instead it was left primarily to Pierre to fight for some small incremental yardage.

Clearly coach Payton didn't want to throw DeShawn Wynn into such a tough situation but the guy is going to have to get his game face on now with the loss of Reggie Bush.

Reggie Bush injured again

It pains me to see Reggie down and injured yet again especially after the week he had. The guy had his first healthy off season in a long while and looked sharp but once again lady luck has spoiled his season, a fact that could impact the Saints big time.

Without Bush we loose a lot of disguises that keep opponents on edge. It's going to result in a lot more blitz packages coming at Brees.

Drew Brees hurried too many times

Which brings me onto another concern. Brees was hurried far more times than was comfortable.

He is the undisputed leader of the team and to see him being put to the ground and under pressure so much was a concern. You could see it through the loss of his rythmn at times. Let's just hope that was a one off as our O line is made of better stuff.

The Positives

All that said there was a lot to take from the game. The team stuck together in true champion spirit coming into a hostile Monday night environment.

I thought the D played pretty well in large patches and did a great job at once again going after the ball. Vilma and Harper were once again excellent as was the entire secondary. I'd like to see more pressure from the line but they were facing a pretty good front five so let's wait and see how that front bears out in coming games.

Finally it was great to see the play of our special teams once again and especially the clutch kicks of Garrett Hartley. The young kicker held his nerve in tough circumstances to seal a Saints win and put paid to last weeks misses the only way a quality kicker can.

Great also to see some tighter defensive coverage on the return teams and a true all round effort from Courtney Roby. Oh and I best not forget Morstead as his booming kicks sure do go a long way to helping the D at times.

So in summary

A tough road win, hard fought against good opponents. The team has time now to reflect on where we were missing some connections ahead of the Falcons game. That sure is going to be a tough one but so long as our collective spirit holds true then we have a great shot.

In the meantime best wishes to Reggie. Fingers crossed for positive news in the coming days.

Chris Ivory 76 yard TD reception

Wow!  Well if ever I was needing reassurance that the Saints were going to fill the 3rd spot in the backfield with a decent runner here was the evidence courtesy of Chris Ivory and his 76 yard TD reception.

He has a decent first half and seemed to be cementing his place in the team and then came this excellent touchdown.  The guy showed great hustle, power and decent speed on what was an innocuous reception in the flat when he got the ball.  What he then did with it helps go to show that potentially we have a more than decent back to fill the void left by my old favorite Mike Bell.

Chris Ivory Highlights TD Vs San Diego Chargers

So long as we can keep Pierre Thomas healthy I will remain confident our ground game will remain the perfect counter balance to our strong arm passing attack.

Drew Brees back with a bang

It was also great to see Drew Brees commanding the troops with some real game time once again.  There are not enough superlatives to say about the guy so I won't bother.  What I will say is I love to see the guy continue to work so hard on his game despite what he has achieved.

To see him beat himself up about a missed read or a slightly miss thrown ball is to see a QB who continues to strive for perfection which must be damn inspiring for the entire team.

Soon we'll get to see it all proper come seasons kick off.  I for one cannot wait!

Saints running game concerns

Hi All,

I've been away working for a long time but with football season fast approaching I thought it time I checked in and add my two cents to the latest Saints debates.  And the issue most concerning me (football wise) at this time is the Saints running game.

The loss of Mike Bell was distressing for me.  I thought Bell was the perfect balance in the Saints backfield last year and an unsung hero.

His short yardage running kept the Saints ticking over time and again and his combative style was an excellent compliment to the greater finesse of Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas.  Add to that the fact the little guy was pretty hard for linebackers to find when he drove behind his lead blockers and his ability to lower his head and gate crash the party and you had one fine addition to the Saints roster.

So it was with some sadness that we had to let him go this past off season.  I was concerned that Lynell Hamilton would struggle to fill the role quite so adequately but in coach Payton and Mickey Loomis I figured we had two of the most astute heads in the business so was obviously going to give them the benefit of the doubt and then some.

But now we've lost Hamilton for the season with a torn ACL (get well fella) I'm concerned we could be lightweight in this department this season.

Running game key

The running game was a key reason behind last seasons success. The productive trio kept defenses on their toes and unable to key solely on Brees and the passing game. As a result we had probably the most balanced offense in Saints history and one of the finest in the League for some years.

With some doubt now hanging over that third RB spot we now have a clear weakness.

Yes I know Pierre Thomas will deliver great yards and Reggie will break some big ones but Reggie is not an every down back and PT can only do so much on his own.

Trust in Payton

That said we must always trust in coach Payton to deliver because he is an offensive genius so if any team stands a chance of unearthing a diamond from the rough it's gotta be the Saints. So as ever it is in Sean we trust. I just pray he can make something out of Chris Ivory, Ladell Betts and PJ Hill because one of them is going to need to make a name for himself this season.

Drew Brees Super Bowl MVP

The Saints Super Bowl Sunday win is a night that will live long in the hearts of all the Who Dat Nation.  After decades of hurt and after the trauma of Katrina the city of New Orleans came together last night to rejoice in the brilliance that was our Saints team and boy did we deserve it!

Bourbon Street Super Bowl Party

After some early nerves and missed opportunities the team came together with renewed vigor to get the job done in the second half.  Sean Payton made one of the gutsiest calls of all time with the kick off and from then on we had the wind in our sails.

If ever there was a game changing moment you can attribute to a coach this was it.  It seemed to give the whole team belief and they played the second half in the fashion we've become accustomed to - high intensity and an unstoppable will to win.

Drew Brees Super Bowl MVP - The Saints legend was sheer class once he'd got his nerves under control.  He found his rhythm early in the 2nd Quarter and never looked back.  His 32 completions from 39 attempts equalled the Super Bowl completion record set by Tom Brady.  But it was his ice cool leadership, play calling and execution that really told the story of the Saints Super Bowl win and ensured the great man left the big game rightly hailed as the games MVP.  Finally he has the recognition he so deserves for all his tireless work and dedication to the Saints cause.

Drew Brees Super Bowl MVP Interview

On the other side of the ball Jonathan Vilma continued to do what he has done all year by directing the Saints D around the field in answer to Peyton Mannings audibles.  His reading of Manning on a 3rd and 11 with 11 on the clock in the 4th Quarter was another game changer.

Manning audibled and Vilma reacted directing the secondary to drop back before himself making a play on the ball to break up the eventual pass near the end zone.  With the score set at Saints 16 Colts 17 this was a moment of genuine brilliance by the Saints D Captain and one that ended up being decisive.

Talking of decisive moments how about Tracy Porter getting the read on Peyton Manning and taking it to the house?  I don't think I have ever been as excited in my life as I was in those few seconds of brilliance by the young Saints CB.  What a play and what a way to kill off the biggest game in Saints history.

All the team are Super Saints

Praise goes to every Saints player and coach on the field as they all did a great job but there are a couple of under appreciated people I want to pay tribute to.

First up Lance Moore.  The Saints WR has spent the majority of the year on the sidelines with his troublesome ankle injury so it was great to see him make such an important grab on the 2 point conversion.

Lance Moore 2 Point Conversion

Next up Roman Harper who was all over the field making important tackles throughout the game and underlining what a vital player he is.  Yes he got burned by Garcon for the go ahead touchdown but he continued to play his game and helped contain the many threats the Colts receiving corps posed.

Finally a shout out to Pierre Thomas and Marques Colston.  Both produced the goods when called upon and helped the Saints juggernaut offense start to move with conviction.  Colston for one could have lost confidence following an early dropped pass but he put it behind him to lead the Saints in receiving with 7 grabs for 83 yards.

Oops I almost overlooked new Saints legend himself Garrett Hartley who nailed all 3 of his field goals, the shortest being from 44 yards, to keep the Saints in contention.  Without his cool temperament the game could easily have gotten away from us in those early exchanges.

Finally

All in all it was the best night of my life and I still cannot believe we are Super Bowl Champions.  It just feels so alien.  But if ever there was a city and a people that deserved it then the people of New Orleans and all the Who Dat Nation would be first in the queue.  Who Dat, Who Dat, Who Dat say dey gonna dem Saints?!! 

What a Bittersweet Week

You wait 32 years for this moment to come along and you go and suffer another major problem with your back and can't walk again.  Well that's my story anyway.  

I loved Sunday night in so many ways and no bitching pain in my back was going to stop that (well except when I jumped up in the air when Vilma picked Favre and remembered my back was part broken and ended up collapsed on the floor).  The game was total tension throughout and I'm just glad I dosed myself up with painkillers as I was half floating all the way through.  Not sure I could have taken it without. 

I would like to thank the following people in order for making Sunday night the best night ever:

Brett Favre
Adrian Peterson
Brad Childress

No seriously our boys were fantastic and they all deserve all the plaudits for a great team effort.  The D were absolutely brilliant with Sharper, Vilma, Fujita, Harper, Hargrove... the list goes on.  The O stuttered but did enough to get it done against a great D with Pierre Thomas making his moves at all the right times.

I'm just so happy for the whole city and region to see our boys in the Super Bowl.  It's going to be a hell of a great time.  In the meantime I'm off to see the surgeon tomorrow to find out what's gone wrong with the old back and am back stuck in bed again.  At least it affords me the company of mates who keep coming round with beers to take my mind off things (or to talk continuously whilst I'm trying to type this - cheers D.May).  And we've all got the great promise of a Super Bowl in under two weeks.  As ever in life you take the rough with the smooth and nothing could be better to keep you focused than a Saints Super Bowl!! 

Big love fellow Who Dats!

Saints Injury Report for Cardinals Game

Here's the latest Saints injury news for the Cardinals game.  It's great to see the overall numbers reduced so clearly the time off has helped with general team conditioning.  Let's hope it makes all the difference come Saturday.

Here's the complete Saints Cardinals injury news:

Rodney Leisle  Saints DT: Knee  injury, game status probable. He did not participate in practice this week.

Bobby McCray Saints DE: Back injury, game status probable. Full participation in practice

Pierre Thomas Saints RB: Ribs injury, game status probable. Full participation in practice

Malcolm Jenkins Saints CB: Hamstring injury, game status probable. Limited participation in practice this week.

Lance Moore Saints WR: Hamstring injury, game status probable. Limited participation in practice this week.

Tampa Bay Bucs Vs Saints 2nd Quarter

You join us in the 2n Quarter with the Saints leading the Bucs by 14 to 0. The Bucs are driving and into Saints territory at the 44.


1st down Bucs
Freeman to someone or other and that goes incomeplete. 2nd and 10.
Derrick Ward over left tackle and goes 16 yards untouched to the 27.

1st down Bucs
False start pen moves that back 5. 1st and 15.
Freeman under pressure throws it away and another penalty marker is out... and it goes against Tampa Bay. 1st and 20. I like this.
Ward takes it a couple up the middle until Sedrick Ellis eats him for breakfast. 2nd and 17.
Freeman under pressure from Charles Grant who strips the ball and Freeman falls on it. That's Grants 5th and a half sack of the season. Great hustle by the big vet. 3rd and 20.
Freeman has to take another timeout as the noise built and he wasn't able to get the play off.
Freeman drops back and is instantly under pressure with Anthony Hargrove bringing the Buc QB down.
The Bucs will punt.

1st down Saints at their own 7.
Brees on a slant to Devery Henderson who a) doesn't drop it and b) picks up a nice few yards to bring up 2nd and 4.
Brees to Colston on the other sideline out near the 20 to move the chains.

1st down Saints
Mike Bell up the middle tries to pop it outside and is dropped for a loss. 2nd and 12.
Reggie Bush with the hand off weaves nicely through a couple of holes for a good 13 yard pick up.

1st down Saints
Kill kill kill by Brees opens the play and then connects with drop-a-lot Henderson who pulls it in for a gain of 9. 2nd and 1.
Pierre Thomas hits the hole hard and pumps those legs to carry people for 22 yards. Unbelievable run and then 15 yards are tacked on for a facemask during the tackle. This is so more like it. Dream football.

1st down Saints at the Bucs 19.
Brees throws incomplete. 2nd and 10.
Pierre Thomas takes the hand off and picks up a neat 5. 3rd and 5.
Brees to Marques Colston who is stopped at the 10, just shy of the marker. 4th and 1.
Garrett Hartley will try from the 28 for a field goal and... converts.

Bucs 0 Saints 17

1st down Bucs at their 22
Inside run for 5. 2nd and 5.
Freeman pass to Bryant picks up about 7 for a 1st.

1st down Bucs
False start by number 65 tacks on 5. 1st and 15.
Freeman to Graham over the middle for 12 before Jonathan Casillas wraps him up. 2nd and 3.
Derrick Ward runs into the whole Saints line for no gain. 3rd and 3.
Freeman to Winslow in good coverage picks up 12.

1st down Bucs at the Saints 48.
Derrick Ward up the middle for 2, Roman Harper with his first ever tackle (I'm being sarcastic but you know what I mean). 2nd and 8.
Freeman under pressure tries to throw another pick but somehow escapes it. 3rd and 8.
Freeman under big pressure escapes but is tracked down by the lone wolfman Will Smith for the sack. That is great aggression by Gregg Williams. 4th down and the Bucs punt to the end zone.

1st down Saints at their 20 with just over 2 minutes to go in the half.
Brees to Devery Henderson but it goes incomplete. 2nd and 10.
Brees looks deep for Henderson but he's well covered and not near enough to the ball. 3rd and 10 as the 2 minute warning comes up.
Drew Brees connects with Robert Meachem on the right sideline and he's just shy of the 1st. 4th and inches so the Saints will punt.

1st down Bucs at their 32.
Freeman to Williams for 5. 2nd and 5. Freeman was under pressure again there.
Freeman to Williams again picks up 6.

1st down Bucs at the 44.
Freeman to Winslow on the sidelines for 11 more and gets out of bounds.

1st down Bucs at the Saints 44.
Freeman to Michael Clayton over the middle for 11.

1st down Bucs at the 34.
Freeman to Bryant for another 10 pick up.

1st down Bucs at the 24 with 18 on the clock.
Freeman shoots for the end zone but good coverage by Mike McKenzie ensures nothing comes of it. 2nd and 10.
Freeman to Williams who takes it to the 15.
So the Bucs will attempt a 34 yard field goal and... It's good.

So the 1st half ends with the Saints leading the Bucs 17 to 3.

Tampa Bay Bucs Vs Saints 1st Quarter

Welcome to a Christmas flavored Super Dome where the visiting Bucs are looking to record an upset against a recently wounded and vunerable New Orleans Saints.  I'll give you two reasons why that's not going to happen.  Firstly the saints are out for revenge after last weeks perfect season ending loss to the Cowboys and secondly because it's the only thing I asked Santa for this year.  Convincing proof if ever it was needed.

Once the Drew Brees chant is done with and the Saints players are suitably inspired it's down to the field for what could well be a mauling.  Here's hoping.

The Saints kick it off and after a decent return the Bucs will start out at their own 34.

1st down Bucs.
Cadillac Williams inside for 4 against the Saints 22nd ranked Defence (jeez).  2nd and 6.
Williams up the middle picks up 5 before the big man Sedrick Ellis makes the stop.  3rd and 1.
The crowd in the Dome make such a noise that the Bucs are forced to take a timeout.  Well done Who Dat Nation.
Toss to Cadillac Williams out left and he easily picks up the 1st.

1st down Bucs at the 48.
Freeman passes to Bryant on the sidelines and moves the chains again.

1st down Bucs at the Saints 42.
Williams runs right and straight into a Will Smith shaped mountain.  No gain.  2nd and 10.
Freeman to Bryant but he drops it.  3rd and 10, the Dome is loud!
Freeman completes to Winslow who is stopped just shy of the marker by Jonathan Vilma.  It's not going to count as there's a flag against Bucs forces them to replay 3rd down.  3rd and 15.
Freeman pressured out the pocket and it's almost picked by Darren 'I've already got 8 for the season' Sharper.  4th and 15.
Bucs punt it away and Reggie Bush returns it for about 10.

1st down Saints at their 25.
End around to Robert Meachem who picks up 7.  2nd and 3.
Pierre Thomas takes the hand off inside and weaves his way for 5.

1st down Saints.
Brees to Marques Colston on a slant then spins to the sidelines to pick up the 1st and pass the 1,000 yard mark for the season.

1st down Saints.
Mike Bell now on a hand off and gains 8 on a good hole.  2nd and 2.
Mike Bell again and he spinds his way out of a tackle on his way to the 1st.

1st down Saints at the Bucs 39.
Brees over the middle to Bush who puts the after burners on to get to the edge for another 1st.

1st down Saints at the 23.
Brees to Bush on the sidelines who avoids the tackle after a gain of 1 and then picks up 5 more.  2nd and 4.
Pierre Thomas takes the hand off and barrels his way inside the 10.

1st down and goal Saints at 8.
Pierre Thomas takes the hand off finds the hole between Bushrod and Evans and... Walks it in for a TOUCHDOWN!!  That is more like it.  That is the start we have been missing for some 5 weeks now, namely an opening drive touchdown.  Great work.  That was all about getting back to business, 9 plays, 75 yards and no 3rd downs.

Bucs 0 Saints 7


1st down Bucs at their own 25.

Freeman to Graham who runs straight into Roman Harper and Scott Fujita and bounces out of the tackles for a couple more.

1st down Bucs
Williams up the middle for 5.  2nd and 5.
Williams again out wide and finds a big hole before he's dragged down by Sedrick Ellis.

1st down Bucs.
Freeman drops back and... hits Darren Sharper who returns it to the 48.  With that pick Sharper moves into 6th place in the all time NFL interceptions list.  In the process he also sets a new NFL record for return yards in a single season with 700 and something.. Sorry didn't pick up the number.

1st down Saints
Thomas up the middle picks up 6.  2nd and 4.
Mike Bell over left tackle for 3 more.  3rd and 1.
Lynell Hamilton with the call he just manages to pick up the 1st.

1st down Saints.
Brees out wide to Saints legend David Thomas for a gain of 2.  2nd and 8.
Play action to Kyle Eckel who makes a great burst and dive on the edge for a 1st.

1st down at the Bucs 30.
Drew Brees drops back and looks deep and unloads to... Robert Meachem for a TOUCHDOWN!!  Wide open and executed perfectly.  This is more like it.  Big early lead, making plays on both sides of the ball... I wish we could play the Bucs every game! 

Bucs 0 Saints 14

1st down Bucs at their 22.
A Buc (probably Williams) runs for 3.  2nd and 7.
Derrick Ward puts his head down and runs into Scott Fujita for a gain of 1.  3rd and 4.
Freeman completes to number 85 Maurice Stovall who breaks a Mike McKenzie attempted tackle and spins it down to midfield to end the 1st Quarter.

Saints Vs Falcons 4th Quarter

Welcome to the 4th Quarter with the Saints leading 23 to 16 but with the big birds driving in Saints territory.

Must Stop The Falcons Comeback!

3rd and 1 Falcons.  Big play coming up.
Hand off to Snelling who breaks the line easily and picks up 4.

1st down Falcons at the Saints 22.
Toos to Norwood who picks up 1 before Charles Grant eats him up.  2nd and 9.  We need to hold this as the Vikings are going to beat the Bengals as off now.
Redman to Gonzalez who breaks a tackle and takes it to the 4.  Great tackle by Will Smith.

1st and goal Falcons.
Snelling powers his way up the middle for a touchdown.  Bounced off attempted tackles and makes this tight all over again.

Saints 23 Falcons 23

1st down Saints at their 17 as Courtney Roby was stuffed on the return.
Brees rolls right and hits Devery Henderson... who drops it.  That’s 2 on the day for DH.  2nd and 10.
Brees to an open Marques Colston over the middle and he runs a few to pick up the 1st.

1st and 10 at the Saints 29.
Hand off to Pierre Thomas who goes wide left and picks up a nice 9.  2nd and 1.
Pierre Thomas again who does a mini leap to pick up 5.

1st down Saints.
Brees under pressure dumps it off to David Thomas who picks up 4.  2nd and 6.
Brees to Colston who's forward progress picks up the 1st before he ends up a few yards back.

1st down Saints at the Falcons 47.
Reggie Bush takes it for a quick 2.  2nd and 8.
Brees to Devery Henderson who actually catches the ball, spins and picks up the 1st.  Ah I'm being harsh on DH there.  He's a great guy.

1st down Saints.
Pierre Thomas on a catch picks up 1.  We see Lance Moore on the sidelines suited up which is great to see.  Come back soon buddy.  2nd and 9.
Reggie Bush up the middle for 5 before he's nailed.  3rd and 4.
Brees throws into a crowd of Falcons but completes to Reggie Bush for a 1st.  Perfect throw.

1st down Saints at the Falcons 22.  6.20 on the clock.
Pierre Thomas takes it up the middle for 2.  2nd and 8.
Penalty flags come out on the next play... Which way is this going?  Both against Atlanta.  We take the pass interference one.

1st down Saints at the Falcons 10, 5.35 on the clock.
Brees in trouble has to throw it away.  2nd and 10.  Flag is out.  Intentional grounding.  Bullshit.  2nd and goal at the 20.
Brees incomplete to Meachem.  3rd and goal.  Huge play coming up.
Brees to Thomas in the flat who goes nowhere.  Balls.
In comes Garrett Hartley and this is going to be a pressure 38 yard kick...  And he makes it!!  Wow I had no confidence in him making that so well done.

Saints 26 Falcons 23

1st down Falcons at the 37 after Weems pulls out a big return.  Did we not need that.
Weems takes a reverse and looses a beautiful 12.  Great tackle Randall Gay.  2nd and 22.
Redman drops back and... Throws straight to Jonathan Vilma!!  The Saints interception leaves us in great field possession.

1st down Saints at the Falcons 32.
Pierre Thomas takes it up the middle for 5.  2nd and 5.
Brees one step drop unloads to Devery Henderson who spins to pick up the 1st.

1st down Saints at the 19.
Pierre Thomas takes the ball up the middle for 4.  He moved the pile nicely there.  2nd and 6.  2.23 on the clock.
Brees under pressure flips it forward to Thomas who can't pull it in.  3rd and 6.  2.18 on the clock.  This is a huge play.
Brees goes down the middle for David Thomas but it falls incomplete.  Damn.  Please God don't let the Hartley extra point miss come back to end the perfect season.
Hartley comes in for the field goal and it's a fake... Brunell goes to Dinkins but it goes incomplete.  Fuck me what was that about?  Kick the 3!

1st down Falcons at their own 15.
Redman to Snelling who is wide open and picks up a whole giant load.  That brings up the 2 minute warning and pains me unbelievably.

1st down Falcons at their 33.
Redman to Booker for 9.  2nd and 1.
Redman floats it to Roddy White but it goes incomplete.  3rd and 1.
Snelling bounces through missed tackles and picks up 3.

1st down Falcons.  1.32 on the clock.
Redman to Gonzalez incomplete.  2nd and 10.
Redman to Roddy White and... It’s incomplete.  Thank the heavens as that would have been a big gain.  3rd and 10.
Redman to Gonzalez completes but he's tackled short of the marker by Scott Shanle.  4th and 2.  Come on Dddddddd!!
Redman to Snelling but he is knocked back by Vilma from converting.  He made the grab but he was tackled a yard short.  Jonathan Vilma you are a legend!!

1st down Saints.
Brees takes a knee and the clock ticks down as the Saints win a close one to go 13 and 0!!  Wow.  A franchise record of wins in one season and starts.  That was tighter than I hoped but we came out with the win and that's what's important.  Some of the same old D problems were there but again we make big plays when needed to just about see things out.  Now beer beckons.


Saints 26 Falcons 23

Saints Vs Falcons 3rd Quarter

Welcome to the 2nd half of this division battle with the Saints leading the sucky McSucksucks 16 to 9.

The Saints start with the ball at their own 20.
Pierre Thomas takes a hand off and picks up a nice opening 4. 2nd and 6.
Brees completes his 20th pass off the day to Marques Colston for 5 (that's from 22 attempts btw... how do you like that for accuracy?). 3rd and 1.
Hand off to Reggie Bush who looks like he is going to be stopped but breaks out and takes it all the way down the sidelines to the Saints 48. Nice play by Mr Kardashian.

1st down Saints.
Hamilton takes the ball and stuffs up a neat 9 yards. 2nd and 1.
Hamilton does a nice impression of Battering Ram Bell and picks up 2.

1st down Saints.
Hamilton picks up a yard right to the Falcons 39. 2nd and 9.
Reggie Bush up the middle picks up 8 and takes a hard hit. 3rd and inches.
Hamilton goes wide and picks up a nice 5 yards but there's a flag on the field... and guess who it's against? I'll just say holding so you know it's now 3rd and 11.
The Falcons bring everyone so Brees throws down the sidelines to Robert Meachem and... it's picked... But a lovely little yellow flag flutters to the ground and the word is 'Pass interference'. Mike Smith throws a hissy fit which makes me laugh.

1st and 10 Saints at the Falcons 12.
Brees to Henderson in the end zone and Devery drops it after a heavy hit. 2nd and 10.
Reggie Bush takes the carry and fumbles but he recovers... luckily for him if he wants more game time today. 3rd and 19.
Brees on a screen to Reggie Bush and... TOUCHDOWN!! So Sean Payton gives Reggie a chance to work off his misdemeanour and Bush duly obliges by taking it to the house.

Saints 23 Falcons 9

1st down Falcons at their 20.
Norwood carries the ball for 5. 2nd and 5.
Redman to Tony Gonzalez at the marker and completes.

1st down Falcons.
Redman completes to Jenkins at the Saints 45. The Saints brought pressure but not enough.

1st down Falcons.
Norwood goes right and then cuts back across the whole team and picks up a big big gain... and then a lovely yellow flag comes out to give Mr Smith a red angry complexion. 1st and 20.
Redman to Gonzalez who is wrapped up by Scott Shanley after a gain of 5. 2nd and 15.
Redman drops back and finds Jenkins up the middle... for a touchdown. Randall Gay came on a blitz again and got no where. 50 yard touchdown catch and run.

Saints 23 Falcons 16

1st down Saints at the 20.
Brees to Saints legend David Thomas on the sidelines for 5. 2nd and 5.
Brees to Robert Meachem over the middle for 10.

1st down Saints.
Reggie Bush on a hand off looks like he is going to loose some yards then throws a Reggie move and slips the noose for 7 top yards. Great move by the Bushster. 2nd and 3.
Pierre Thomas up the middle for 2. 3rd and 1.
Brees has an hour in the pocket but can't find anyone open so he throws only his 4th incompletion all day and the Saints will have to punt.
In comes a confused looking Thomas Morstead who wonders what he's meant to do here as he never has to punt.

1st down Falcons at their 20.
Norwood takes a toss to pick up 5. 2nd and 5.
Play action Redman to Roddy White who picks up 14. So the 2nd stringer continues to hurt us and make this increasingly uncomfortable.

1st down Falcons.
Norwood inside before Sedrick Ellis sits on him. 2nd and 5.
Redman shuffle pass to Snelling goes incomplete. Vilma hit Snelling as the ball got there. Nice work captain. 3rd and 5.
Redman threads a needle under pressure and completes down the sidelines to the Saints 36. Good coverage by Randall Gay but that was a great pass.

1st down Falcons.
Snelling takes a toss and runs into Jonathan Vilma. 2nd and 9.
Redman to Booked for 8 to end the 3rd Quarter.

Saints Vs Falcons 2nd Quarter

Welcome the 2nd Quarter of the Saints Falcons game with the Falcons leading by 3.  The Saints have the ball at their own 21.

2nd and 10 Saints
False start against Jermon Bushrod.  2nd and 15.
Brees steps up to avoid the rush and hits Shockey for a few.  3rd and 8.  Oh dear Stinchcomb is on the rug not looking likely to get up.  Not another injury!!
Brees has lots of time and finds Jeremy Shockey down at the 41.  Nice conversion.

1st down Saints.
Pierre Thomas tries to turn the corner but only gets a yard after good run pursuit.  Penalty against Jeremy Shockey for a hold will bring this back.  1st and 20.
Brees to Pierre Thomas out the backfield and number 23 picks his way to the 37.  2nd and 14.
Brees again to Pierre Thomas who breaks a tackle and picks up 9.  3rd and 4.
Brees down the middle to Robert Meachem for 43 yards.  Beautiful throw and catch.

1st down Saints at the Falcons 11.
Pierre Thomas turns the corner and picks up 2.  2nd and 8.
Brees to Reggie Bush on the screen picks up 3.  Flag on the play... and it's not a penalty, the ref just wanted to get on TV.  3rd and 5.
Brees has all kinds of time and looks right to Reggie Bush and... TOUCHDOWN!!  Bush makes it look easy.

Saints 10 Falcons 6

1st down Falcons at the 20.
Snelling takes the hand off and battles his way for 6.  Who is this fucking guy?  Where did he come from?  2nd and 4.
Snelling spins and breaks tackles for a gain of 5 and a first down.  Can any old mo fo run on us or what?

1st down Falcons.
Chris Redman stands in the pocket for about 5 minutes and unloads deep to Michael Jenkins who is wide open at the Saints 20 and... He lets it go through his finger tips.  I owe Jenkins a paper bag full of money.  2nd and 10.
Norwood up the middle for 2.  3rd and 8.
The Saints pass rush no one but still Redman throws it to the water boy on the sidelines so the Falcons will punt... And Reggie Bush turns the corner and takes it 24 yards to the Saints 34.

1st down Saints.
Drew Brees unloads to Marques Colston for 8.  2nd and 2.
Pierre Thomas runs into a wall and picks up half a yard.  3rd and 2.
End around to Robert Meachem who gets it out to the 46 for a Saints 1st.

1st down Saints.
Brees throws to Bush in the flat for a gain of 4.  2nd and 6.
Bees to Meachem in the flat who picks up 4.  A flag is out though for holding against Devery Henderson so this is coming back.  2nd and 17.
Brees is flushed out the pocket and he manages to unload to Shockey before anyone gets there.  3rd and 5.  Great move by Brees to beat the pressure.
Brees goes to Meachem but it falls incomplete as the Falcon mugged Meachem drawing a penalty. 

1st down Saints.
Brees rolls right and finds Devery Henderson at the Falcons 28.

1st down Saints.
Pierre Thomas over left tackle picks up a nice 6.  2nd and 4.
Brees one step drop throws to Meachem on the sidelines and moves the chains.

1st down Saints at the big birds 19 to bring up the 2 minute warning.
Brees to Pierre Thomas over the middle picks up 12.

1st and goal.
Pierre Thomas up the middle to the Falcons 3.  2nd and goal.
Brees play action and throws incomplete to Marques Colston.  3rd and goal.
Brees to Colston at the post and... TOUCHDOWN!!  He came underneath uncovered and takes an easy 6.
The extra point is missed by Hartley though!  Someone may not be with us in a couple of weeks.

Saints 16 Falcons 6

1st down Falcons at their 20.  Jeremy Shockey trots off the field to get a toe looked at apparently.  Hope that's not serious.
Redman for 27 yards to White but there's a flag out there.  But it's against Malcolm Jenkins so it's declined.

1st down Falcons at their 47, 43 ticks on the clock.
Redman to Gonzalez for 6.  2nd and 4.
Redman incomplete to Booker.  3rd and 4.
Redman to Jenkins on a slant for a 1st.  The Saints came with pressure and almost got Redman.

1st down Falcons at the Saints 37, 28 ticks left.
Redman to Booker for 6 and he gets out of bounds.  23 ticks, 2nd and 4.
Redman to Weems for 3.  Penalty on the play...  And it goes against Charles Grant for a personal foul.  Ouch.  Half the distance to the goal line and a lecture for Grant from Payton.

1st down at the Saints 15.
Randall Gay does a nice job of breaking up the pass.  2nd and 10.  15 secs left.
Redman to no name 86 for a few.  3rd and 4.  8 ticks.
Redman airs it out to the end zone and hits someone in the stands.
So the Falcons will settle for a 27 yard field goal attempt and... Make it.

Saints 16 Falcons 9 to end the 1st half.

Saints Vs Falcons 1st Quarter

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Saints Vs Redskins 4th Quarter

You join us here in the 4th Quarter with the Saints teetering close to their first loss of the season.  The Redskins are driving and have the ball at the Saints 12 along with a 7 point lead.  What happens in the next couple of plays could be decisive.

Saints Teetering on the Brink of Their First Loss

1st down Redskins.
Campbell to Mason for 6.  2nd and 4.
Mason up the middle and AGAIN is able to pick up yards after the first contact.  We're just not able to stop people at the point of contact today.  3rd and 1.
Mason sweeps to the left and Darren Sharper cuts him down in the back field.  Heck of a play by Sharper which saves a potential 4 points as the Redskins kick a field goal.

Saints 20 Redskins 30

1st down Saints at their own 21.
Brees to Robert Meachem for 9.  2nd and 1.  Great effort by Meachem to try for the 1st there.
Pierre Thomas carries to the right and just picks up the 1st.

1st down Saints.
Brees to Pierre Thomas on a screen and he manages to scramble for 10 more out to the 42.

1st down Saints
Brees short to Thomas.  2nd and 5.
Brees to Jeremy Shockey over the middle at the Redskins 40.

1st down Saints.
Brees to Devery Henderson who... drops it.  Oh man that was another 1st.  Totally in and out of his hands.  2nd and 10.
Mike Bell runs into a wall, tries to cut it back but there's nothing there.   It hasn't been all day and I don't think it ever will be.  3rd and 10.
Brees under a lot of pressure avoids the sack, steps up and unloads to Robert Meachem down the right sideline and completes for 28.

1st down Saints at the 11.
Mike Bell up the middle but yet again there is nothing there.  It's about time we give up on that.  We do not have the beating of this Redskins D line.  2nd and 11.
Brees to Pierre Thomas on another screen for 3.  He lost his footing just as he made the cut.  3rd and 8.
Brees to the end zone...  But it's battered away. 
So the Saints will have to settle for a 27 yard field goal.

Saints 23 Redskins 30

6.52 left on the clock and we're staring down the barrel.  Got to hope for a big play by the D.  Look for the Redskins to start pounding this out to Cartwright.

1st down Redskins at their 41.
Campbell rolls out and fires to Sellers to the Saints 42.

1st down Redskins
Cartwright up the middle, obviously breaks a couple of tackles on the way to 7.  2nd and 3.
Campbell to Kelly who, surprise, surprise, breaks a tackle when he's shy of the marker and then picks up a few more.

1st down Redskins at the Saints 29.  4.30 on the clock.
Campbell to Thomas who is taken down for a loss... but McCallister is called for a facemask on the tackle which sums up the Saints day.

McCallister Facemask

1st down Redskins at the Saints 16.
A Redskin back takes it a couple up the middle.  2nd and 8.
Ganther breaks through tackles AGAIIIIIINNNNNN and picks up 7.  3rd and 1. 
Ganther over left tackle and picks up the 1st.  I know the Saints D is banged up but I thought even second stringers practised tackling during the week don’t they?

1st and goal Redskins with 3 mins on the clock and ticking.
Cartwright adds a couple more on the run.  2nd and goal.
Cartwright is stopped for a loss of 1 but the clock continues to tick.  3rd and goal.
Cartwright again and picks up 0 to bring up 4th and goal as we hit the 2 minute warning.
So the Redskins will settle for a 23 yard field goal attempt and...  He MISSES!!!  I don't believe it.  Unbelievable.  We have a chance, a small chance but it's better than what we were facing a second ago.

1st down Saints at their own 20.
Brees to Pierre Thomas for 4.  2nd and 6.
Brees under pressure throws to Devery Henderson on the sidelines for a 1st at the 35.

1st down Saints.
Brees incomplete to Colston.  2nd and 10.
Brees to Robert Meachem on the sidelines at the Saints 47 and he gets out of bounds.

1st down Saints, 1.27 on the clock.
Drew Brees looks deep and unloads...  TOUCHDOWN!!!  ROBERT MEACHEM I LOVE YOU MAN!!  52 yard TD pass.  80 yards in a manner of seconds and we are tied with 1.19 left on the clock.

Saints 30 Redskins 30

Now it's all back on the D.  Hold in there guys.  My nerves, no doubt like every Saints fan, do not like this tension but at least we're back in it.

1st down Redskins at their own 25.
Screen pass to Cartwright for a pick up of 14.

1st down Redskins with 50 ticks left.
Campbell to Davis for 5 and the Redskins call a timeout.  Will Smith landed on Campbells ankle at the end of the play and Campbell is limping.  A penalty is called on the Redskins calling it back 10.
1st and 20 Redskins.
Campbell to someone for a gain but the Saints are called for a face mask so a 1st down for the Redskins.

1st and 10 Redskins.
Campbell drops back and... it's intercepted by Jonathan Vilma. 

1st down Saints with 28 seconds at their own 46.
Brees throws incomplete.  Flag comes out against Bushrod for holding.  1st and 20.
Brees throws incomplete to Meachem.  2nd and 20 with 18 ticks left.
Brees to Robert Meachem who gets out of bounds at the Redskins 48.  3rd and 5 with 12 seconds left.
Brees to Reggie Bush at the 40 for a 1st down with 7 seconds left.

1st down Saints.
Brees tries one more pass attempt which falls incomplete.
So in comes Garrett Hartley for a 58 yard field goal attempt and...  It falls short.  It was on target but didn't have the leg.  So we head to over time with the scores tied at 30 a piece and I need a new heart.

Saints Vs Redskins 3rd Quarter

Welcome to the 2nd half of this tight game between the Saints and Redskins.  The Redskins are getting to Drew Brees more than is healthy and the Saints secondary is being exposed by Jason 'I'm not very good' Campbell.  Fingers crossed for some much needed improvements in the 3rd. 

Saints 17 Redskins 17

1st down Redskins at their own 25.
Cartwright picks up 5 on a right sweep.  2nd and 5.
Campbell throws towards Kelly but it goes out of bounds.  Good coverage by McKenzie.  3rd and 5.
Campbell to Randle El for 12.  Campbell was under pressure and stepped up to avoid the rush.

The Mike McKenzie Jersey - Not As Tight As That Coverage

1st down Redskins at the 43.
Campbell down the left sidelines completes to Thomas over Malcolm Jenkins.  Great throw into tight coverage.

1st down Redskins at the Saints 28.
Campbell to Thomas who beats McKenzie with a step and picks up 6.  2nd and 4.
Cartwright runs through a BIG hole before Hargrove brings him down.

1st down at the Saints 16.
Campbell to Moss but he can't hold on.  2nd and 10.
Campbell under pressure gets it out to Cartwright in the flat and picks up 6.  3rd and 4.
Campbell pressured by Darren Sharper and unloads incomplete.  4th and 4.
So the Redskins have to settle for a field goal.

Saints 17 Redskins 20

Courtney Roby continues his excellent day with a big return out to the Saints 48.

1st down Saints.
Pierre Thomas up the middle for 2.  2nd and 8.
Mike Bell up the middle for a good 7 yards.  He hit that hole hard.  3rd and 1.
Mike Bell again and he bounces on a second effort close to the marker.  The chains will come into measure and...  The Saints are short by half a yard.  So it brings up 4th down and the Saints are going for it.
Mike Bell again but he's stopped well short.  That looked far too complicated for a short yardage pick up with Nicks pulling around right.

1st down Redskins at their own 44.
Campbell goes deep down the right sidelines to Thomas all the way to the Saints 16.  A 40 yard pass play.

1st down Redskins.
Cartwright carries for 3.  2nd and 7.
Campbell under pressure and...  It goes in and out of Malcolm Jenkins hands.  Oh man he had the whole field ahead.  He would have gone untouched for 6.  Good pressure by Will Smith.  3rd and 7.
Campbell to Thomas who breaks two tackles and tip toes down the sideline for a Touchdown.  Oh man that was poor.  It looks like Darren Sharper knocked Mike McKenzie over just as he was about to make the tackle.

Saints 17 Redskins 27

1st down Saints at their own 27.
Mike Bell cuts back and picks up 7 after the inside was closed off.  2nd and 3.
Drew Brees completes to Jeremy Shockey at the 46 for a pick of 12.

1st down Saints.
Brees to Shockey on a slant for 8 more.  2nd and 2.
Mike Bell out left and he's up ended spectacularly for no gain.  3rd and 2.
Brees play fakes and finds David Thomas all the way down at the 26.  Great pass in good coverage.

1st down Saints.
Brees drops back and finds Devery Henderson at the 12.  This is more like it.

1st down Saints.
Pierre Thomas up the middle for 3 good yards.  2nd and 7.
Brees to Colston in the end zone... but it's broken up.  3rd and 7.
Brees to Henderson on a screen but no gain.  4th and 7.
So Garrett Hartley comes in for a 27 yard field goal attempt and...  It's good.

Saints 20 Redskins 27

We need a good stand by the D now to pull this back level as the longer this goes on the more it feels this is not going to be our day.  The Redskins have an answer to most things we are doing today.

1st down Redskins at their own 35.
Cartwright carries for 5.  Again we has him closed for no gain and he was able to make a cut and pick up 5.  That epitomizes our day so far.  2nd and 5.
Campbell to Randle El for 5.

1st down Redskins.
Cartwright is stopped by Bobby McCray in the back field for a loss of 1.  Finally some penetration to stop the run.  2nd and 11.
Campbell to Randle El again but it goes incomplete.  3rd and 11.  Come on D, we need a stop here.  Big play coming up.
Campbell steps up and completes to Randle El all the way down to the 14 yard line.  He was wide open.  This is not good as we end the 3rd Quarter.

Saints Vs Redskins 2nd Quarter

We open the 2nd Quarter with the Redskins looking good here and leading the Saints 10 to 0.  It's Saints ball at the Redskins 40 yard line.

The Redskins Are This Much Better Right Now

3rd and 7.
Drew Brees drops back and finds Devery Henderson for a 1st.  Henderson was hit hard but hung on to the ball.  He's now getting some attention on the field.  Respect to Henderson there.

1st down Saints at the Redskins 29.
Brees goes downfield to a wide open Jeremy Shockey inside the Redskins 10 but he's called back for pass interference so it will come straight back.  1st and 20 at the 39.
Brees to Pierre Thomas on another screen to pick up 5.  2nd and 15.
Brees to Jeremy Shockey at the 19 to continue his streak of 107 straight games with a reception and more importantly picks up a 1st.  Well done big man.

1st down Saints.
Brees throws short to Robert Meachem for 3.  2nd and 7.
Brees throws but it's battered down by big ole Philip Daniels to bring up 3rd and 7.
Brees buys some time but comes under pressure again and throws incomplete.  So the Saints will have to settle for a Garrett Hartley 34 yard field goal.

Saints 3 Redskins 10

1st down Redskins at their own 23.
Ganther carries for a couple before a mass team tackle.  2nd and 7.
Ganther again gets the call and picks up 4.  3rd and 2.
Mason takes the ball and runs into a Saints wall led by Remi Ayodele.  Great front there by the Saints.
The Redskins punt to Reggie Bush who tries to make some moves and ends up loosing about 7 or so.

1st down Saints at their own 13.
Pierre Thomas hits the hole and makes his first positive run to pick up 5.  2nd and 5.
Mike Bell lowers his head and powers out to the 23 to bring up 3rd and 1.  Great to see a couple of positive runs after the negative running yards in the 1st Quarter.
Battering Ram Bell powers behind Carl Nicks to pick up 1 for the 1st.

1st down Saints at their 24.
Brees has another ball batted down.  2nd and 10.
Brees finds Devery Henderson on the left sideline who picks up the 1st.  Brees had to check down 3 receivers to find one open.  The Redskins are doing a good job on coverage today.

1st down Saints at their 39.
Brees goes deep to Henderson but its well covered and knocked down.  Just under thrown slightly.  2nd and 10.
Drew Brees steps up and completes to Robert Meachem at the 49 for another 1st.

1st down Saints.
Pierre Thomas carries over left tackle, makes a move and picks up a 1st.  Nice play Frenchy.

1st down Saints.
Brees has hours of time looks deep and... TOUCHDOWN!!  Marques Colston found some space and was waiting for the ball in the end zone after a nice slant and go move.  That was a more positive drive, come on Saints.

Marques Colston Runs A Perfect Post Pattern

Saints 10 Redskins 10

1st down Redskins at their 21 with 5.28 left in the half.
Campbell to Mr 'impossible to bring down' David for 9.  2nd and 1.
Campbell to Santana Moss for 4 before he's wrapped up by Malcolm Jenkins.

1st down Redskins at the 36.
Campbell to Santana Moss again on the sidelines for 8.  2nd and 2.
Campbell is pressured by Scott Shanle and Troy Evans and throws incomplete.  3rd and 2.
Campbell goes deep to Santana Moss and completes all the way down to the 17.  He burnt Malcolm Jenkins on that 34 yard pickup.

1st down Redskins.
Campbell to someone for 6.  2nd and 4.
Campbell to Moss this time on the left side and picks up the 1st.

1st and goal at the Saints 5.
Campbell throws and it's batted down by Fresh Prince Will Smith.  2nd and goal.
Campbell to Devin Thomas who takes it at the 3, turns the corner and dives for a... Touchdown.
The secondary got picked apart their by Mr Average QB himself Jason Campbell.  He looked very comfortable and always seems to save his best for the Saints.

Saints 10 Redskins 17

1st down Saints at their own 21.
Brees to Reggie Bush on the left, cuts back and picks up 9 before running out of bounds to bring up the 2 minute warning.  2nd and 1.
Brees throws incomplete after loosing his footing.  3rd and 1.
Reggie Bush carries and dives but is stopped short.  4th and 1.
Thomas Morstead punts away and... it hits a Redskin down field and Usama Young recovers.

1st down Saints at the Redskins 41.
A Redskin jumps offside.  1st and 5.
Brees to Reggie Bush down to the 28.

1st down Saints.
Brees to Jeremy Shockey and can't hold on.  2nd and 10.
Brees has to throw it away under pressure.  3rd and 10.  The Saints are called for Jahri Evans being down field and so ineligible being a massive hulking lineman.  2nd and 15.
Brees drops back and is sacked big time by the Redskins safety.  He came late and unblocked.  3rd and 26.
Brees is under big pressure again manages to get away and throws deep... and it's picked by Moore who gets up and returns it... and is then mugged by Robert Meachem who returns it for a TOUCHDOWN!!  That was a huge play by Meachem.  But it's all going to be reviewed to ensure it was a pick and to check whether Moore was down by contact...  And the Refs decide...  The ruling on the field stands so it's a Saints TOUCHDOWN!!  Excellent.

So we can all pay homage to Robert Meachem for an incredible play there.  Officially a 44 yard fumble return by Robert Meachem, about the most unexpected thing you could have expected when Brees was picked.

Saints 17 Redskins 17

OK so we end the half with Brees being rushed far too much, the running game not firing all to well and the Saints secondary under attack.  Let's hope for some half time fixes as this is uncomfortable to say the least.

Saints Vs Redskins 1st Quarter

Well here we are people. It's week 13 and we enter the nation’s capital looking to extend our perfect record to 12 and 0. Let's hope we can jump out to an early lead to keep politician central quiet. I fancy a hog roast for dinner and would like one on the field of play please Mr Payton, Brees, Vilma and Co.

Lance Moore, Scott Fujita, Jabari Greer, Tracy Porter, Randall Gay, John Carney are all confirmed as out of today's game by the way.

And the Redskins kick off to pineapple hair who returns it out to the 33.  Nice return their by Courtney Roby.

Courtney Roby Return Ace

1st down Saints.
Screen to Pierre Thomas who takes it 12 yards down the left sideline before being tackled.

1st down Saints 47.
Toss to Pierre Thomas out left and he's tied up quickly for a loss of 3. That play never got going.
Brees pump fakes twice, rolls out the pocket under pressure and then almost gets picked. Damn that was close. Brees is lucky not to have been picked there. 3rd and 13.
Brees to Pierre Thomas again on a screen to the left and he picks up 7 but not enough for a 1st. So in comes Iron Leg himself Thomas Morstead who drops it inside the 5 to give the Saints D a nice field position to defend.

1st down Redskins.
Jason Campbell drops back and unloads to Davis who carries two Saint DB's (Jenkins and someone who I couldn't see) for a couple. 2nd and 1.
Draw play picks up the first. Facemask penalty on Will Smith adds 15 more.

1st down Redskins at the 34.
Campbell drops back and launches down the left which would have been caught except for Malcolm Jenkins blatantly mugging the Redskins receiver.

1st down Redsking at Saints 34.
Scott Shanle makes a great tackle on the ensuing run. 2nd and 9.
Another short run brings up a quick 3rd and 7.
Campbell to Thomas over the middle and he gets jacked up by Darren Sharper. What a hit.

1st down Redskins at the 21.
Cartwright cuts back and goes untouched to the 5 before Sharper brings him down.

1st down Redskins.
Redskins run again but Remi Ayodele raps the runner up for a loss of 2.
Campbell throws like the Campbell I was expecting and misses a wide open man. 3rd and goal.
Campbell to Fred Davis over the middle and... Touchdown. Hmm, not the greatest run of defensive plays I've seen by the Saints on that drive.

Saints 0 Redskins 7

Saints legend Jo-Lonn Dunbar is pictured being worked by the physio on the sidelines... Not a good omen given how banged up we are in that department.

1st down Saints at their own 30.
Drew Brees to David Thomas out left for a pick up of 6. 2nd and 4.
End around to Devery Henderson who tries to turn the corner and manages 3 before going out of bounds. 3rd and 1. Come on Saints.
Mike Bell is upended before he can go anywhere. Damn. Bam Bam Bell didn't even get a chance to get set there. Iron Leg is back in to punt away.

Battering Ram Bell Denied

1st down Redskins at the 30.
Campbell to Fred Davis to the 43.

1st down Redskins.
Ganther looks like he's about to be dropped for no gain and then breaks a Roman Harper tackle for 10.

1st down Redskins at the Saints 44.
Campbell under pressure from Troy Evans throws it incomplete deep. 2nd and 10.
Campbell under pressure again but unloads to a wide open 82 who takes it for 10.

1st down Redskins at the Saints 34.
Campbell to Fred Davis who breaks 2 tackles on the way to a pick up of 15. The Saints are not able to tackle today.

1st down Redskins at the 19.
Campbell to someone or other for 6. 2nd and 4.
Campbell throws it away after good Saints coverage for the first time today. 3rd and 4.
Campbell throws too high for Fred Davis this time after he was pressured. That was better. 4th and 4 so the Redskins kick a field goal to make this more uncomfortable than was wished for... It's still early though, keep the faith.

Saints 0 Redskins 10

Courtney Roby with his third good return of the year and takes it out to the Saints 34.

Brees to Robert Meachem on the left sideline and he breaks a tackle to pick up 11.

1st down Saints.
Draw play to Mike Bell who gets rapped up for a loss of 1. 2nd and 11.
Brees to Pierre Thomas on the screen and the Saints ace makes some cuts to pick up the 1st.

1st down Saints at the Redskins 42.
Pierre Thomas tries to break it outside as the inside holes were closed. Pick up of 1. 2nd and 9.
Brees to Reggie Bush in the flat and he picks up a couple before getting up ended which neatly ends a bum 1st Quarter for the Saints.