Saints fans are still waiting for his first end zone dance.
But he won’t dance. Don’t
ask him.
Marques Colston caught 2 touchdown passes from Drew Brees in
the Saints surprising 24-17 victory in Tampa.
It brought to 71 the number of times they have combined for a
touchdown. That puts them 5th all-time.
Drew Brees threw his 421st career touchdown pass,
as he moved into 4th place on the all time list, with only Tom
Brady, Peyton Manning, and Brett Favre ahead of him. It’s impressive company and the headlines
will say that Brees led the Saints to a workmanlike win. Another story will be on Tim Hightower who came
out of retirement this year and looked better than a lot of higher priced
running backs the Saints have on their roster, and there’s no reason to beat
that horse any deader than it already is.
The defense played easily their best game of the year by
rendering Jameis Winston ineffective and holding Brandon Browner to only one
penalty, although Kyle Wilson tried to step into the penalty role with three.
But, my focus is on the Quiet Storm.
Colston came out of Hofstra and the Saints saw something they
liked and picked him in the 7th round of the 2006 draft. His chemistry was immediate with Brees and
for 10 years they’ve been the Saints most reliable combo.
No one could have forseen what Colston would mean to the
team and its fans.
He is now the Saints all-time leader in touchdowns,
receiving yards, and receptions.
He’s in the twilight of his career now, as he approaches the
10,000 yard mark. This year there have
been more drops than usual, but as the season progressed it seems that he has
taken a few sips from the fountain of youth.
Brees is looking for him in the clutch again, and he has responded with
several critical catches, just as he did on a 3rd and 11
Sunday. He famously sleeps in a
hyperbolic chamber to take care of this body, and Sean Payton gives him a day
off now and then from practice to heal.
Colston has made his living roaming the middle of the field,
taking shots and fighting for yardage after a catch in heavy traffic. A drop now and then is understandable. Name another receiver like him who has lasted
this long while jumping up exposed to catch a ball in the seam.
Here are the quarterback/receiver combinations just ahead:
Peyton Manning to Marvin Harrison 112
Steve Young to Jerry Rice 85
Dan Marino to Mark Clayton 79
Phillip Rivers to Antonio Gates 73
There you have something to root for in a lost season. Sure, the Saints could win out and finish 8 –
8, and technically they haven’t been eliminated. I’ll be rooting for The Quiet Storm to finish
strong and maybe squeeze one more year out of his aching body.
There’s an old saying that I really like. It is “when you get in the end zone act like
you’ve been there before.” That’s been a
habit of Colston’s since day one.
Unselfish. Unrecognized, unflappable, underappreciated. He has done everything you could ask a
receiver to do.
Except dance.
He's been in the end zone before, and he'll be there again, giving the Saints a touch of class on and off the field. #12 - the Saints all-time leading receiver.
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