Saints Report # 4 - October 4, 2015

Suddenly, Drew Brees.

With the Saints in danger of a premature burial of their season, Drew Brees led the Saints on two picture perfect drives at game’s end to dispose of the visiting Dallas Cowboys 26 – 20 in overtime.  His 80 yard touchdown pass to CJ Spiller was the game winner just 15 second into overtime.  His previous drive ended in a doinked field goal attempt by new kicker Zach Hocker that would have won the game with 15 seconds in regulation.  No matter.  It didn’t phase Brees and the Saints, whom I guess have seen it all.

It was the fastest overtime victory in a regular season NFL game, and it moved the Saints to 1-3.  

The game winner was Brees’ 400^th Touchdown Pass, making him one of only 5 quarterbacks to achieve that number.  With a sore arm, a porous line and little running game support, Brees threw for 359 yards and, particularly as the game wore on, he put a scapel to the Cowboy’s defense.  It was a gutty performance, and it enhanced the BP era’s stellar record in nationally televised night games.

Now a word about the negatives.  The kicker.  I knew we had kicking problems the first time we lined up for an extra point.  Rather than kicking the ball from the middle, down the middle, our kicker wants to try the new longer extra point from the hashmark.  Who would do that?  So, with the game winner to hit from the 30, from the same hashmark – doink off an upright.   This week will be spent with Payton looking at kickers.

So, as for the rest of the team, don’t look now, but the defense is coming along.  Injured players like Jairus Byrd, Keenan Lewis, and Dannell Ellerbe have returned.  Rookies Hau’oli Kikaha, Stephone Anthony, Bobby Richardson, Tyeler Davison, Damian Swann, and Delvin Breaux all are contributing and look like solid NFL players.  Against an admittedly beat up Cowboy offense, the defense held its own and for the first time put a little pressure on the opposing Quarterback.  Don’t get overly excited – the reality is that if Tony Romo had been on the field, the outcome would have been different.  But, it’s a victory, and the Saints will take it. 

As for the growing pains, they’ll take them too.  As any Cowboy fan will tell you, it's a war of attrition in the NFL, and the Saints look healthier for the next quarter of the season.