Drew Brees. Reggie Bush. Marques Colston. Roman Harper. Jahri Evans.

The key players in Sunday's season-opening victory all have one thing in common: they are all young new Saints, hand-picked by new head coach Sean Payton. These young, promising stars have the Saints looking up after a hard-hitting victory over the Browns on Sunday, a game set up by a surprisingly adept Saints defense and spiked by the Saints' offense.

The team's entire modus operandi was changed on Sunday. A run stuffing front seven, playmaking linebackers and adventurous offensive playcalling are all unfamiliar concepts to Saints fans.

The Browns were held to 85 yards on the ground, more than half from their promising young quarterback Charlie Frye. Starter Reuben Droughns was held to 27 yards on 11 carries as the Browns, only three of which went for first downs. Frye had only 26 of his 132 passing yards in the first half.

A stifling Saints defense haunted the Browns' questionable offensive line, especially their new starting center Hank Fraley, who had been a Brown for 8 days before the game. Defensive tackle Brian Young collected three sacks and a fumble recovery, standing out among an opportunistic defense that surrendered two hard-fought touchdowns after shutting out the Browns in the first half.

The Saints picked off Frye in the second quarter then blew up a quarterback-runningback exchange in the backfield to force a drive-ending fumble with less than a minute left in the first half. The Saints held the Browns to 56 total net yards in the first half.

The Brown's opening drive of the game was disastrous for the home team. A wide-open touchdown bomb to Braylon Edwards was called back after left tackle Kevin Shaffer mugged Will Smith's pass rush. On the next play, Charles Grant stuffed Droughns for no gain, then the Saints collected two sacks on consecutive plays to force a 4th-and-29 punt. Bush fielded that punt and returned it 10 yards, his first touch as a Saint.

There was some of the same for the Saints, however. Four field goals, including three straight in their 9-0 halftime lead, reminded too much of punchless Saints teams in the past. So did six penalties, including a pair of presnap penalties in the first half, three flags on the secondary and a personal foul face mask on Terrance Melton.

The Saints did collect a touchdown in the third quarter when the Browns seemed to be coming to life. Brees capped an 11 play, 73-yard drive late in the third with a quick strike to seventh round pick Marques Colston, and the rookie did the rest. Knifing through a pair of defenders on his way to the goal, Colston's first touchdown as a Saint - Brees' first as well - put the Saints up 16-7.

Brees targeted the rookie from Hofstra almost as much as the rookie from USC. Colston was targeted eight times for four receptions and 49 yards, while runningback Reggie Bush caught eight of ten balls thrown his way for 58 yards, five of which were first down conversions. Bush put his yards receiving together with 61 on the ground and 22 more on three punt returns for 141 all-purpose yards in the game. Bush did show a maddening tendency to give up yards and bounce outside, which more often than not on returns or carries resulted in a loss of yards.

The Browns took their opening possession of the second half on a 10-play, 67 yard drive that took over five minutes off the clock. Fueled by three carries from the elusive Frye, the drive ended with TE Kellen Winslow Jr.'s first touchdown as a pro on an 18-yard reception where Winslow ran past Mark Simoneau on his way to the front corner of the end zone. To start the fourth quarter, the Browns would score again on a Frye-fueled drive. The 13 play, 74 yard drive took 5:40 to culminate in a one-yard scramble by Frye. Aided by a big 18-yard completion to Braylon Edwards, two nine yard completions to Winslow, the Browns ended up at the Saint 1 after a pass interference call on Roman Harper while defending Winslow in the end zone. On that fade route, Winslow nearly made a one-handed grab on his back, but the penalty allowed Frye to score on the next play.

The Saints responded with an efficient 5:38 minute drive that ended with Carney's fourth field goal. On that drive, McAllister blasted up the middle for 17 of his 90 rushing yards to the Jaguars 2. A sneak by Brees gained one yard, but then McAllister lost a yard off left tackle and Brees' quick slant to Colston was incomplete, setting up the field goal and the eventual 19-14 final score.

The Browns' next drive featured two more sacks, including a crucial third-and-eight sack by blitzing rookie Roman Harper who started at strong safety. The Saints were unable to gain a first down after McAllister was blasted by Andra Davis and company in the backfield on third and one, and punted the ball back to the Browns with 1:57 remaining in the game. But Frye was incomplete on three straight passes before his on-target fourth pass bounced off Edwards' hands and was intercepted by Josh Bullocks, sealing the win.

The Saints' totally-revamped linebacking corps started Scott Shanle, Mark Simoneau and Scott Fujita from weak to strong, and the three combined for 17 tackles. Fujita was in on six tackles, collected the team's first interception of the season and was credited with a quarterback hurry and a pass defense. Simoneau was credited with a pair of pass defenses. Young (3), Harper (1) and DE Will Smith (1) collected the team's five sacks on Charlie Frye, who led his team in rushing with 44 yards on six attempts. TE Kellen Winslow led the Browns with eight catches for 63 yards including a touchdown and a touchdown-providing draw of a pass interference call. RB Reuben Droughns had 166 yards against the Saints in 2004, but only 27 on Sunday.

The Saints' pair of promising young safeties each collected five solo tackles and a pair of critical late-game players: Harper's sack and Bullock's interception. Mike McKenzie also collected five solo tackles, but struggled at times against the Browns' stable of fleet receivers. He drew an illegal contact penalty late in the first half but delivered some good hits in the field and on run defense.

Brees completed passes to four Saints, but only two to veteran Joe Horn. Brees targeted Horn seven times, but Horn came up with two great catches on them, including a spectacular 20-yard catch that a falling Horn snatched behind him off the ground, cradling the ball off the ground as he spun it into his chest. Brees was picked off by the Browns safety Sean Jones in the first quarter when he stepped in front of a hot route to Devery Henderson, who unwisely waited at the first down marker for the ball. The Saints' only other turnover on the day was from McAllister, who fumbled the ball on the second series of the third quarter. The Saints defense followed the turnover up with a sack, a run stuff for a loss and a dropped ball by Dennis Northcutt to force one of Zastudil's six punts.

K John Carney was perfect on the day with four field goals (43, 25, 21, 20) and an extra point. He also kicked off six times. Rookie punter Steve Weatherford continued his excellence from the preseason into the regular season, punting three times for an average of 45 yards including a 49-yarder.

In all, five of Payton's draft picks saw action today and three started. Offensive rookies Reggie Bush and Marques Colston combined for over 60% of Brees' receiving yards. Harper made his contribution as a starter a strong safety, while fifth round pick DE Rob Ninkovich was after the quarterback when he was subbed in and was in on two special teams tackles. Offensive lineman Jahri Evans started at right guard while reserve right tackle Zach Strief didn't get into the game. A pair of draft day acquisitions DT Hollis Thomas and C Jeff Faine started and played well.

Injuries: RB Reggie Bush seemed to come up tenderly on his left knee. Both Saints fullbacks, Mike Karney and Keith Joseph, went down in the first half and the Saints made do with tight ends in the backfield and ace formations the rest of the game. Karney sat on the sideline with ice on his right calf while Joseph's right knee removed him from the game shortly thereafter.

Inactives: RB Aaron Stecker, S Bryan Scott, CB DeJuan Groce, WR Lance Moore, DE Michael Haynes, T Rob Petitti, DT Rodney Leisle, T Zach Strief.