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Saints Come Up Big In Victory over Giants
by Doug Miller, NewOrleansSaints.com
Sunday, October 18, 2009 - 3:15 PM
New Orleans – In “The Battle of Unbeatens” at the Louisiana Superdome, the New Orleans Saints (5-0) emphatically etched their most impressive victory of the season, handing the previously undefeated New York Giants (5-1) a 48-27 defeat in front of 70,011 spectators.
“This is a big win,” said Saints Head Coach Sean Payton after the game. “We did a great job in protection against a significant pass rush. There were a lot of big individual performances today, but this really was a team win against a very good Giants team.”
The Saints took the opening kickoff and methodically marched down field, capped off by a two-yard dive over the line of scrimmage by RB Mike Bell and never looked back racking up nearly 500 yards of total offense against the number one ranked defense in the NFL. Saints QB Drew Brees completed 23-of-30 passes for 369 yards and four touchdowns, WR Marques Colston caught eight passes for 166 yards and a score, TE Jeremy Shockey added four receptions for 37 yards and a score, and the Saints’ defense forced two turnovers to the Saints’ 0 in their Black-and-Gold’s resounding win. The Saints’ offensive line kept Brees sack free on the afternoon against the swarming Giants’ defense, as well.
“We were definitely rolling today and able to go out and execute and do the things we wanted to do,” said Colston. “It was a complete team win, the defense did their jobs and the crowd was amped up and made it a real home field advantage for us. A good win.”
“It was a testament to the preparation we put in during the week leading up to the game,” said Brees. “The focus from the entire team was outstanding, the game plans the coaches put together were obviously terrific and the team was pumped up to play a game like this, a measuring stick type of game.”
The Saints’ defense stymied the Giants’ power running to only 84 yards, and held New Orleans native Eli Manning to 178 yards on 14-of-31 passing for a 61 passer rating in the Giants’ first loss of the season. “Our defense was great,” Brees said. “They were flying around all day. There is a lot of pride out there on our team and it was evident today. And, it was a great job by our crowd, they made it really tough on the Giants today. My hat’s off to our fans.”
The Saints opened the scoring with a powerful opening drive that saw the team mix and match the team’s powerful running game with pin-point short passing and clutch receptions by various Saints. The opening drive, which consisted of 15 plays, covered 70 yards and ate 7:41 in time of possession off of the clock. The biggest play of the drive, besides RB Mike Bell’s diving two-yard touchdown on fourth and inches from the two, was an 18-yard completion from Brees to WR Lance Moore, who made a juggling 18-yard reception despite double-team coverage on a third and eight. The 15-play scoring drive represented the most plays in a Saints scoring drive this season.
The Saints held the Giants at bay on the visiting team’s first possession, in large part due to a exception individual effort on a third down by CB Jabari Greer, who made a diving pass breakup on an Eli Manning deep pass attempt to a streaking WR Domenik Hixon. The Giants were forced to punt and Jeff Feagles’ punt bounced into the end zone after Reggie Bush sold the perception that he was going to field the punt kept the ensuing defenders from downing the ball deep in Saints territory.
Brees came out firing on the Saints’ second possession, completing the first four plays to four different receivers (Moore, Shockey, Colston and Henderson), which took the ball from the Saints’ 20 to the Giants 29. On a first and ten from the 29, Brees unleashed a rocket down the seam that Colston caught in tight double coverage for the score despite taking a big hit from LB Antonio Pierce. Colston landed on Pierce and bounced over him and into the end zone. The Giants challenged whether Colston was indeed into the end zone and after the official review by Referee Ed Hochuli. The ruling was that Colston’s elbow hit the ground at the one and the Saints had the ball at the one, and Brees lobbed a pass into the corner of the end zone, where TE Jeremy Shockey made a reaching reception for the touchdown. After Carney’s extra point the Saints lead 14-0 with 2:11 left in the first quarter.
 Hixon returned the ensuing kickoff 65 yards to midfield and the Giants received a big run from RB Brandon Jacobs for 14 yards on second down to the Saints’ 36. The Saints’ pass defense buckled and the Giants sent on K Lawrence Tynes to attempt a 49-yard field goal with :08 left in the first quarter from the Saints’ 36, which he converted to give the Giants their first points of the afternoon, 14-3.
Courtney Roby returned the ensuing kickoff 28 yards, but was dragged down with a horse-collar which added 15-yards to the Saints’ starting position at the Saints’ 43. Thomas ripped through the middle for a gain of eight yards on first down, then picked up two more on second down for the first down to the Giants’ 47. Brees then dropped back and fired a laser into the diving arms of a diving Shockey for a gain of 11 yards and another first down. Brees then dropped back and found WR Robert Meachem behind a cornerback and in-between a safety for a 36-yard touchdown pass. The Saints’ John Carney’s extra point was blocked by DT Fred Robbins, thus the Saints’ lead was 20-3 with 12:40 left in the second quarter.
New York started art their own 27 and seemed to abandon hopes of establishing their powerful running game as Manning went to the air, first for a 12-yard gain to WR Mario Manningham. On the set of three downs Manning then hit Hixon on third-and-long for a 10-yard gain and a first down to the Giants’ 49. RB Ahmad Bradshaw found a crease and picked up 13 yards to the Saints’ 38. On the next first down Bradshaw tried the middle for another gain, this time for four yards. Darren Sharper had a 70-yard interception returned for a touchdown wiped out after LB Jonathan Vilma was tabbed for a personal foul illegal contact penalty for his hit on Manning. The Giants were awarded the first down to the Saints’ 19 and then they ran it on consecutive plays for nine yards. On a third-and-one from the 13, Bradshaw burst off the right side for a touchdown run that pulled the Giants to within 10 points, 20-10 with 7:41 remaining in the second quarter.
The Saints, leading 20-10, started at their own 39 after another Giants personal foul call on special teams. A nine-yard run by Reggie Bush began the drive, which picked up momentum on third-and-one when he ripped through the middle for a five-yard gain. On the next play Brees tried to connect with Colston deep down the sideline but CB Corey Webster interfered with Colston and the Saints were awarded the 35-yard penalty. Three plays later Brees found Moore wide open over the middle of the field for a 12-yard touchdown reception that gave the Saints a 27-10 lead after Carney’s extra point. It was Brees’ 100th touchdown pass as a Saint and his third of the afternoon.
New York once again received a big kickoff return from Hixon, this time starting at Saints’ 37 and it took but four plays for Manningham for a 15-yard touchdown that pulled the Giants to within ten once again, 27-17, with 3:19 left in the second quarter.
The Saints set up show at their own 30 and after a short gain by Bush, Brees found Colston down the numbers for a gain of 40 yards to the Giants’ 28. Colston then came back and made a sensational grab over the middle of the field for an additional 20-yard gain. The reception was Colston’s fourth of the game, and he reached the 100-yard mark for the first time this season (plus a 35-yard interference call that he drew).
The clock wound down to the two-minute warning with the ball on the eight and Thomas picked up a five-yard gain on first down. Meachem took an end around for a gain of two, narrowly missing out on the goal line while absorbing a helmet-jarring hit from DE Justin Tuck at the pylon. Bell attempted to leap over the line and into the end zone but was halted by DT Barry Cofield. On fourth down Thomas appeared to break the plane of the goal-line but was stopped by LB Antonio Pierce and Osi Umenyiora. The Saints’ bench protested vehemently but after the automatic video review, the Giants took possession at their Saints’ 16 after the personal foul infraction.
Manning hit Manningham for a gain of 18 yards on first down. On second down a blitzing Roman Harper blindsided Manning for a sack and stripped him of the ball, which an alert Scott Shanle picked up at the Giants’ 18 and returned to the Giants 7 yard-line before being caught from behind by TE Kevin Boss with :18 left. On the play, Shanle was down on the ground when the ball popped loose and rolled into the end zone.
The officials needed to review the play and ultimately determined the ruling on the field was correct. Brees’s first down pass from the seven was batted down by Tuck. On second down Bush took an inside handoff and weaved his way into the end zone for a seven-yard score that doubled up the Saints’ lead to 34-17 with :09 left in the half.
The Saints out-gained the Giants 315 yards to 141 in the first half, with Brees completing 17-of-20 passes for 247 yards and three touchdowns through the air.
The Giants accepted the kickoff to begin the second half of play and tried two consecutive runs by Brandon Jacobs that the Saints snuffed out. A third down pass attempt was overthrown and the Giants were flagged for an offensive pass interference penalty that the Saints declined. Feagles, attempting to punt away from Bush, hit a low line drive that pinned Bush along the sideline at the Saints’ 26.
The Giants’ Fred Robbins jumped offsides on first down before Brees could even get the snap off and the ball was moved five yards in the Giants’ direction. Brees then attempted to find Henderson down the sideline but S C.C. Brown batted the ball out of bounds. Thomas picked up three yards up the middle on a run but a third down pass attempt for Moore pulled the receiver out of bounds. Morstead boomed a 58-yard punt that was field by Hixon and returned to the Giants 35 for a 27-yard return.
The Giants elected to try to move the ball with a short passing game after the loss of RT Kareem McKenzie due to a groin injury. Manning attempted a five step drop and RB Ahmad Bradshaw couldn’t handle Roman Harper on the blitz, and Harper caused Manning to throw a wobbly pass down the sideline that was intercepted by CB Jabari Greer, who made his first interception as a member of the Saints. He became the sixth different player to record an interception thus far this season, and the Saints took over possession at their own 29.
Thomas was stuffed on first down, then Brees found Colston for a gain of nine yards and Bush slammed over the right side of the line for a gain of two yards and a first down. On the next play Brees found a wide-open Colston for a gain of 26 yards to the Giants 34. A first down incompletion was followed up by a hard earned pickup of three yards by Bell to the Giants 31. On third-and-seven from the Giants’ 31 Brees’ hard-count pulled his own man, TE David Thomas, offsides and the Saints were docked five yards back to the 36. Brees found Colston who made a sensational grab, but was flagged for an illegal touching call after he stepped out of bounds before making the grab. On third-and-17, Brees calmly dropped back and drilled a pass over the middle for a gain of 22-yards to the NY 19. Thomas then hammered an inside run for seven yards to the 12. On second down Brees dropped back and put a defender in a bad spot by sending Bush across his face and caused him to pause while Colston slid in behind him and into the end zone for a wide open score, making the score 41-17 in the Saints’ favor.
The Saints’ defense pitched a three-and-out in front of a crowd that was on their feet and in a fevered pitch in their support of the Saints’ effort.
Mike Bell started the drive from Saints’ 32 with a six-yard run, then Brees found Colston over the middle for a gain of 19 yards and a first down. Bush was then halted in the backfield for a loss of five yards to the Saints’ 48. Brees and Henderson couldn’t connect on a streak pattern down the middle on a second down play-action pass and Bush picked up a yard on a third-and-long on the last play of the third quarter.
The Giants took over at their own 20 with 14:52 left in the game and trailing 41-17. Manning’s first pass was promptly deflected by DT Anthony Hargrove and fell incomplete and pressure on Manning on second down forced an incompletion with Greer in tight coverage. Manning did connect with rookie WR Hakeem Nicks for a big play for 58 yards on a third-and-long, which took the ball to the Saints’ 22. The Saints’ defense, though, stiffened and allowed only two yards to the 20 and the Giants were faced with a fourth-and-eight but Manning was forced to call timeout with 13:18 left in the game when the crowd’s noise apparently wouldn’t allow him to call an audible. Following the timeout Manning hung in the pocket despite heavy pressure and found Hixon for a gain of 10 yards and the first down. The Saints again stifled the Giants on downs one through three and forced a fourth-and-goal. Manning scrambled and weaved around and found an open receiver in the backfield but the Giants were flagged for a holding call on C Shaun O’Hara and called on Tynes to cut into the lead, which he did, with a 38-yard field goal.
The Saints started at their 20, leading 41-20, and Thomas picked up three yards behind left tackle, then came right back and managed 25 yards on second down. Bell slammed behind the right side of the line for a gain of three yards then six yards more on second down, on third down Brees’s hard count caused the Giants to jump offsides and the Saints were awarded the first down. Bell picked up three yards on a first down carry, and then was stopped for no gain on second down. The Saints let the clock run down and called a time out with 7:20 left in the game with the ball resting on the Giants’ 35. Brees coolly dropped back and found Meachem down the sideline for a gain of 34 yards to the Giants’ two. The Giants challenged whether or not Meachem indeed caught the pass, as Meachem lost control of the ball as he was falling out of bounds. The officials ruled the call on the field stood, and on the next play, FB Heath Evans bulled his way into the end zone for a two-yard touchdown score to put the Saints ahead 48-20.
Brees was pulled midway through the fourth quarter after completing 23-of-30 passes for 369 yards and four touchdowns for a passer rating of 156.8.
The Giants added a late touchdown on a 37-yard touchdown pass from back-up David Carr to Nicks that made the score 48-27. The Saints recovered the Giants’ onsides kickoff attempt at the Giants’ 46.
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