Game 1
Saints 45, Lions 27
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -Drew Brees looked even better than last year, which was bad news for a Detroit Lions team trying to win for the first time since 2007.
Brees tied a Saints record with six touchdown passes and threw for 358 yards in a victory that extended the Detroit Lions’ regular-season losing streak to 18.
Two of Brees’ touchdown passes went to Jeremy Shockey, who hadn’t scored since being traded from the New York Giants to New Orleans last season.
Brees connected with Marques Colston for 9 yards, Robert Meachem for 39, Shockey for 1 and 15, Devery Henderson for 58 and Heath Evans for 13.
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Saints 48, Eagles 22
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Drew Brees tossed three more touchdown passes, and the Saints rolled past an Eagles team missing Donovan McNabb because of a cracked rib.
ds for a TD by Darren Sharper in the final minute.
Brees, who had six TD passes last week, picked up where he left off, completing 25 of 34 passes for 311 yards and one interception.
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Game 3
Saints 27, Bills 7
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) – Will Smith had an interception and a sack to help New Orleans shut down Buffalo.
The Saints prevented the Bills from mustering any type of a threat through three quarters.
That’s when Pierre Thomas took over, sealing the win with two touchdown runs in the final 10 minutes. Thomas finished with 126 yards rushing, while scoring on 34- and 19-yard runs for a Saints offense had scored 45 points in each of its first two games.
The Bills offense sputtered, and Terrell Owens was held without a catch, to end a 185-game streak that had been second longest among active players.
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Game 4
Saints 24, Jets 10
NEW ORLEANS (AP) – Darren Sharper returned one of his two interceptions of rookie Mark Sanchez 99 yards for a score, Will Smith forced a fumble in the end zone to produce a second defensive touchdown, and New Orleans handed the New York Jets their first loss.
down until Pierre Thomas barreled in from a yard out with 6:07 left, but that was enough.
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Game 5
Saints 48, Giants 27
NEW ORLEANS (AP) – Drew Brees ended his two-game streak without a touchdown throw by completing 23 of 30 passes for 369 yards and four scores and New Orleans easily remained unbeaten, torching the New York Giants’ league-leading defense.
The Giants (5-1) came into the game giving up averages of 210.6 yards and 14.2 points. The Saints (5-0) had 34 points and 315 yards by halftime, as Brees threw three TD passes to reach 100 since the Saints signed him as a free agent in 2006.
Eli Manning was 14 of 31 for 178 yards. He lost his cool at least once, yelling at Ahmad Bradshaw and slapping his shoulder pad after the running back’s lapse in protection precipitated a rushed throw that Jabari Greer intercepted early in the third quarter, stalling a promising drive.
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Game 6
Saints 46, Dolphins 34
MIAMI (AP) – The unbeaten Saints overcame an early 21-point deficit, mounting touchdown drives of 82, 79 and 60 yards on successive possessions in the second half to overtake the Dolphins.
NFL passing leader Drew Brees had his worst day of the season, with three interceptions and five sacks. But he scored twice, the second time on a 2-yard keeper with 8:35 left to give the Saints their first lead.
return sealed the win for the Saints (6-0), off to their best start since 1991. The league’s highest-scoring team topped 40 points for the fourth time.
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Game 7
Saints 35, Falcons 27
NEW ORLEANS (AP) – New Orleans overcame four turnovers for a second straight week to stay perfect with a 35-27 victory over Atlanta, matching the best start in franchise history.
Brees, responsible for two turnovers, passed for 308 yards and two scores. Pierre Thomas, who fumbled, also scored two touchdowns. Jabari Greer, who got burned for a deep touchdown, also returned an interception for a 48-yard score, helping the Saints improve to 7-0.
Only the 1991 Saints began a season with as many wins.
Greer’s touchdown was the Saints’ fifth score on an interception this season, tying a single-season franchise mark set in 1998. Tracy Porter also had an interception on the Saints 1-yard line on a pass tipped by Jonathan Vilma in the fourth quarter, preserving a 28-24 lead after Thomas’ fumble had given Atlanta the ball on the Saints 35.
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Game 8
Saints 30, Panthers 20
NEW ORLEANS (AP) – The Saints moved to 8-0 for the first time in club history when Drew Brees overcame two early turnovers to pass for 330 yards and a touchdown.
While the Saints’ defense did not intercept a pass for the first time all season, the unit forced three turnovers on fumbles. The last produced New Orleans’ seventh defensive touchdown of the season on Anthony Hargrove’s strip, recovery and 1-yard return late in the fourth quarter.
DeAngelo Williams rushed for 149 yards and two TDs, and Carolina gained 182 on the ground. However, it was Williams’ fumble at his 1 with just more than 2 minutes left that led to New Orleans’ clinching TD.
It was the first time Carolina lost in Louisiana since 2001 and quarterback Jake Delhomme’s first loss in the Louisiana Superdome. The Panthers blew a 17-3 lead.
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Game 9
Saints 28, Rams 23
ST. LOUIS (AP) – Reggie Bush helped the unbeaten Saints overcome another bundle of mistakes and get off to the best start in team history.
Bush scored twice for the first time in more than a year and Drew Brees compensated for two interceptions with two touchdown passes in a 28-23 victory over the St. Louis Rams on Sunday.
Courtney Roby opened the second half with a 97-yard kickoff return and Robert Meachem’s 27-yard grab early in the fourth quarter gave New Orleans (9-0) just enough breathing room to tie the franchise record with nine straight wins.
Marc Bulger’s 19-yard pass to Donnie Avery shaved the deficit to five with 2:44 to go and the Rams (1-8) made it to the New Orleans 32 before Bulger threw incomplete into the end zone on the final play.
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Game 10
Saints 38, Buccaneers 7
AP) – Drew Brees threw for three touchdowns and the Saints shrugged off a slow start defensively to remain unbeaten.
Robert Meacham caught touchdown passes of 4 and 6 yards in the first half. Third-string running back Mike Bell scored on runs of 3 and 1 yards in the second half, when New Orleans gained 147 of its 183 yards rushing. The Saints (10-0) have their first 10-game winning streak in franchise history.
A spate of turnovers made the Saints seem more vulnerable over the past month, but Brees didn’t throw an interception for the first time in five games. The Saints also didn’t allow a sack for the first time since Oct. 18 against the Giants.
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Game 11
Saints 38, Patriots 17
NEW ORLEANS (AP) – With one pinpoint throw after another, Drew Brees put New Orleans’ pursuit of perfection into overdrive and left Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in the dust.
Brees threw for a season-high 371 yards and five touchdowns, carving up coach Bill Belichick’s defense like few quarterbacks ever.
By harassing Brady all game and routing one of the NFL’s top powers, the Saints joined the Indianapolis Colts at 11-0 – the first time two NFL teams have opened with that many consecutive wins in the same season.
quarterback kept New Orleans on pace to narrowly eclipse New England’s single-season scoring record of 589 points set in 2007.
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Game 12
Saints 33, Reskins 30, OT
LANDOVER, Md. (AP) – The New Orleans Saints are still perfect.
Garrett Hartley kicked an 18-yard field goal 6:29 into overtime, and the Saints improved to 12-0.
The Saints clinched the NFC South with a far-from-perfect win that shows just how charmed their season is becoming. They trailed by seven points late in regulation when Washington’s Shaun Suisham was wide right with a gimmie 23-yarder that would have sealed the victory for Washington (3-9).
Instead, Drew Brees led an 80-yard drive with no timeouts, taking just 33 seconds to tie the game. He hit a wide-open Robert Meachem over the middle for a 53-yard touchdown with 1:19 to play.
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Game 13
Saints 26, Falcons 23
ATLANTA (AP) – Drew Brees was 31 for 40 and threw for 296 yards and three touchdowns, Jonathan Vilma came up with two huge defensive plays, and New Orleans remained perfect with another tight win.
drive.
New Orleans set a franchise record for wins in a season, clinched a first-round bye in the NFC playoffs.
Brees threw a pair of touchdown passes to Reggie Bush and another to Marques Colston.
The Falcons played without two of its biggest stars, quarterback Matt Ryan and running back Michael Turner, both out for the second week in a row.
New Orleans joined Indianapolis as one of seven NFL teams to reach 13-0.
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Game 14
Cowboys 24, Saints 17
NEW ORLEANS (AP) – Drew Brees and the Saints’ march toward an unbeaten season fell short in a loss to the Cowboys.
Tony Romo threw for 312 yards, including a 49-yard touchdown to Miles Austin, and DeMarcus Ware punctuated his comeback from a neck injury with a game-sealing strip of Brees.
Dallas dominated early and went up 24-3 on Marion Barber’s second short TD run of the game in the third quarter.
The high-powered Saints nearly pulled off what would have been the latest of several improbable comebacks.
Mike Bell’s 1-yard run made it 24-10 with 12:35 to go. Brees followed that by capping a seven-play, 70-yard drive with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Lance Moore with 8 minutes left, cutting New Orleans’ deficit to 24-17.
The Cowboys had a chance to take a 10-point lead, but Nick Folk’s surprising missed 24-yard field goal shortly before the 2-minute warning kept the Saints alive.
rched to midfield in the final minute, but the Cowboys held firm. Ware stripped Brees for the second time in the game and lineman Jay Ratliff recovered.
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Game 15
Buccaneers 20, Saints 17, OT
NEW ORLEANS (AP) – Carnell Williams had 129 yards rushing and Connor Barth kicked a 47-yard field goal in overtime, lifting the Buccaneers to a stunning victory.
New Orleans was heavily favored, but instead dropped a second straight game at home after opening the season 13-0.
Williams had a 23-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter and Micheal Spurlock’s 77-yard punt return tied it, completing a comeback from 17 points down in the first half.
The Saints had a chance to win in the final seconds of regulation, but Garrett Hartley missed a 37-yard field goal. Tampa Bay (3-12) then won the coin toss to open overtime and scored soon after.
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Game 16
Panthers 23, Saints 10
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) – Saints backups gave an ugly performance that sends the No. 1 seed in the NFC into the postseason on a three-game losing streak.
Jonathan Stewart rushed for 125 yards and a touchdown, and the Panthers (8-8) won their third straight. Stewart surpassed Pro Bowl pick DeAngelo Williams for the team rushing lead as they became the first teammates since the AFL-NFL merger to each rush for over 1,100 yards.
Williams (1,117 yards) sat out his second straight game because of a sprained ankle, while Stewart (1,133 yards) left in the third quarter after aggravating his chronic left Achilles’ tendon injury.
The Saints (13-3) rested many starters, including quarterback Drew Brees, who broke the NFL record for completion percentage in a season.
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Divisional Playoffs
Saints 45, Cardinals 14
NEW ORLEANS (AP) – Drew Brees and Reggie Bush shifted the Saints’ league-leading offense back into overdrive.
Brees threw three touchdown passes, Bush scored on an 83-yard punt return and a spectacular 46-yard run, and New Orleans overwhelmed the defending NFC champion Cardinals.
Jeremy Shockey caught a touchdown pass in his return from a three-game absence. Devery Henderson and Marques Colston also had touchdown catches, and Lynell Hamilton had a short touchdown run for the Saints.
Bush finished with 84 yards rushing, 24 yards receiving and 109 yards on three punt returns. Colston caught six passes for 83 yards.
Coming off its 51-45 overtime win over Green Bay in the wild-card round, Arizona wound up yielding 90 points in the postseason, the most ever allowed in consecutive playoff games in one season.
-sided by Bobby McCray’s block.
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NFC Championship
Saints 31, Vikings 28, OT
NEW ORLEANS (AP) – The Saints are heading to their first Super Bowl after battering Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings in overtime on unheralded Garrett Hartley’s 40-yard field goal.
The seesaw game saw All-Pro Adrian Peterson score three touchdowns for Minnesota and Saints running back Pierre Thomas get two. The Vikings handily won the possession and yardage battles – Peterson rushed for 122 yards and Minnesota gained 475 overall. But the Vikings were undone by five turnovers, including three fumbles.
The biggest mistake belonged to Minnesota quarterback Brett Favre. Flushed from the pocket in the final minute, he seemed to have room to run to set up a field goal. But hampered by a left leg injured in the third quarter, he threw cross-field and was intercepted by Tracy Porter at the 22.
New Orleans won the coin toss in overtime and Drew Brees guided the Saints to the Minnesota 22 and Hartley, suspended at the start of the season for using a banned stimulant, split the uprights 4:45 into OT.
The Saints (15-3) face the Indianapolis Colts, the first time the top seeds in each conference have made the Super Bowl since the 1993 season.
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