QB Drew Brees

Brees, Saints Smother Panthers
Backups finish game after 21-point third quarter buries Carolina

posted November 25, 2007 - print me!
neworleansprofootball.com
by neworleanssaints.com

The New Orleans Saints snapped a two-game losing streak and jumped right back into the fray in the NFC South with an impressive all around effort, and handed the Carolina Panthers their fifth straight loss with a 31-6 win.

The Saints’ defense surrendered only 195 yards of offense and stopped the Panthers on all but three of their third downs (3-of-12).

“I thought that we played one of our better games of the season in all phases,” said Head Coach Sean Payton. “I thought we had a really good week of practice and it translated to the field today. This (Carolina) is a team that we have struggled against and it feels good to get this win.”

The Saints scored 21 unanswered points in the second half and widened what was a four-point halftime lead (10-6) to a 31-6 lead by the time the third stanza ended. Drew Brees threw three short scores and scored on an eight yard TD run to stake the Saints to a commanding lead. The 21 third quarter points tied the Saints’ season high for most points scored in a quarter (done two other times), and the Saints’ defense forced a season-high four turnovers.

The Saints’ biggest play of the day, though, may very well have occurred on the first play of the second quarter with the Panthers leading 3-0. Carolina had the ball at the NO 33 and went for it on fourth down when they tried to send bulldozer FB Brad Hoover through the line of scrimmage. But Saints’ S Roman Harper darted through the stacked up line of scrimmage and dropped Hoover for no gain.

“That was a key play,” said Harper. “The defensive line stacked them up and I was able to get through and tackle Hoover. He’s a big dude and that play seemed to get everything going in the right direction for us."

The Saints then promptly marched down the field in 13 plays, covering 67 yards, and took at lead for good midway through the second quarter. The two teams traded second quarter field goals and the Saints took a 10-6 lead into the locker room.

But the second half, especially the third quarter, was all Black-and-Gold. The Saints racked up 173 yards of offense while limiting the Panthers to only 13 yards on offense and put the game away before the quarter was even over.

Brees was efficient all day, completing 24 of 36 passes for 260 yards and three touchdowns to only one interception, while getting help from the Saints’ rushing attack, which churned out 104 yards against the formidable Carolina rush defense. Saints RB Aaron Stecker paced the way with 43 yards on 13 carries, while all three Saints RB received a relatively equal workload.

Lance Moore, Billy Miller and Marques Colston all scored on touchdown receptions and Drew Brees ran for another, and Olindo Mare converted a 46-yard field goal and four extra points to account for the Saints’ points, while Carolina settled for two John Kasay field goals.

First Half

*Carolina had taken a 3-0 lead earlier on a 45-yard field goal by John Kasay, with the driving Panthers 53 yards in 5 plays, with 41 of the yards being accumulated on a pass interference penalty on the Saints. The Saints didn’t allow the Panthers to drive any further than the Saints’ 27 yard-line, but nevertheless the Panthers turned the field position into points.

*CB Mike McKenzie knocked down two David Carr passes during the Panthers’ first offensive series, with both of the passes intended for star wide-out Steve Smith. The Saints didn’t fair much better, picking up nine yards on their first three plays and punted the ball away to the Panthers, who began their second set downs at their own 37.

*The Saints again forced the Panthers to a three-and-out on their second possession, as a Scott Fujita blitz forced Carr’s pass to sail out of bounds, dragging Smith with it, although the Panthers challenged the ruling on and the field. After a video review, the Panthers punted and the Saints began their second series at their own 19. The Saints picked up nine yards on three plays, and again were forced to punt.

*The Saints again forced the Panthers to go three-and-out, as McKenzie picked up his third pass defensed of the game and DT Antwan Lake picked up his first sack of the season when he blasted around the corner on a stunt with DE Charles Grant and dropped Carr for a nine-yard sack on a third-and-long. The Saints then began with their most favorable starting field position of the game with the ball at their own 41.

*Brees then connected with WR Terrance Copper for a 12-yard completion, the Saints’ first down of the game, but the Saints couldn’t manager to drive any further that the Panthers’ 42 yard-line and again were forced to punt, and Steve Weatherford’s offering bounced into the end zone after landing at the one-yard line.

*The Saints then started at their own 28 and drive near midfield, but Brees was intercepted by DE Julius Peppers at the Saints’ 42. The Panthers picked up nine yards on three plays and went for it on fourth down, but the Saints stacked up FB Brad Hoover for no gain and the Saints took over at their own 33, and then drove the length of the field in 13 plays for the Saints’ initial scoring drive of the game.

*The Saints’ defense then forced the Panthers into an interception, as on a third-and-18, Carr was intercepted by Josh Bullocks at the Panthers’ 49. It marked Bullocks’ second interception of the season, which ties his career high (2006).

*The Saints came out running on their next possession, as Pierre Thomas picked up four yards, then Stecker picked up 9 and a first down and Bush then darted for three. The Saints were unable to pick up a first down and Mare hammered a 46-yard field goal that gave the Saints a 10-3 lead.

*Carolina then began a late first half drive at their own 34 and used short passes to their wide receivers to pick up yardage and drive into Saints’ territory. The Panthers appeared to pick up a significant number of yards (24) on a completion down the seam to WR Drew Carter. But a timely Bullocks hit appeared to jar the ball loose as he went down, and one official ruled the pass incomplete while another overturned the call and said it was a completion. Because the play was inside of two minutes, the officials reviewed the play and it was determined that play was indeed a completion.

*Carr then scrambled for three yards to the Saints’ 5 yard-line with :54 left in the half. The Panthers were then found guilty of an illegal procedure call that set them back 5 yards and then Jason Craft tackled Smith for a two-yard loss after a completion and Lake then batted down a Carr third down pass before Kasay booted a 29-yard field goal that closed the Saints’ lead to 10-6 with :25 left. It capped a 55-yard drive in 11 plays and covered 2:37.

*Despite not having any timeouts left, the Saints were able to get one more crack at picking up extra points. With Brees giving Mare a chance to convert a 57-yard field goal with :02 left, but the choppy field conditions resulted in a low line drive that fell short of the goal posts and the first half ended with the Saints leading 10-6.

Second Half

*The Saints accepted the opening kickoff of the second half and began at their own 27 yard line. Brees converted an early third down when he leapt and connected with Billy Miller for a six yard gain and the Saints were off and running. Three plays later, Brees spotted confusion in the Panthers’ secondary and hooked up with Devery Henderson for a 33-yard gain. The QB then hit Eric Johnson, his ninth different receiver of the game, for a 19-yard gain down to the Panthers’ 4. Two plays later, Brees connected on a one-yard TD pass to TE Billy Miler and following the extra point, the Saints led 17-6.

*The Panthers then drove near midfield, in large part thanks to a 22-yard end around by Steve Smith, but on a third-and-one near midfield, the Saints’ defense trapped RB DeShaun Foster for a 12-yard loss and forced him to cough the ball up and the loose ball bounded backwards for -14 more yards and the Panthers punted and the Saints started at their own 42.

*On a first down, Brees dropped back and hooked up with Colston for a 45-yard gain, taking the ball down to the Panthers’ 13. The Saints then were penalized five yards for delay of game after a first down incompletion. Brees then found Moore for 10 yards and then dropped back on a third down and scrambled into the end zone for his first rushing TD as a Saint and his first since December 2005. Brees’ touchdown gave the Saints a 24-6 lead following Mare’s extra point.

*On the Panthers’ next possession, Foster was hauled down by Roman Harper and fumbled the ball, which was recovered by Will Smith at the Panthers’ 43. After a first down run by Stecker, Brees and Colston connected for 11 yards and a first down to the Carolina 34. Two plays and following an incompletion, Carolina CB Ken Lucas spiked an incompletion and was flagged for a delay of game infraction, which made the Saints’ third down throw from Brees to Moore easier. Brees continued to spread the ball around and connected on short completions to Colston and Miller before connecting with Colston for a four-yard scoring strike that put the Saints ahead 31-6 with :47 left in the third quarter.

*CB Jason Craft recorded his second interception of the season when he picked off Carr at the Saints’ 20 with 14:13 left in the game. Thomas then received his most extensive playing time of the regular season, facing a defense that knew the Saints were going to try to run significant time off of the clock. But the Saints succeeded in knocking almost 4 minutes off the clock.

*Carolina then inserted rookie Matt Moore at quarterback and he drew one of the loudest cheers of the game when he converted a third down pass on his first series. Roman Harper, though, dashed Moore’s debut when he picked the rookie off near midfield after McKenzie deflected a pass in the fourth quarter.

Notes: The Panthers won the opening coin toss and elected to receive … DT Antwan Lake recorded his first sack in nearly a year when he sacked Carr for a nine-yard loss in the first quarter … Reggie Bush converted a 3rd-and-12 in the first quarter when he caught a quick pass in the flat and picked up key block from David Patten en route to a 15-yard gain.

*The last time the Saints didn’t allow a touchdown was on September 25, 2006 against Atlanta (23-3 Saints win).

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