The New Orleans Saints defeated the Los Angeles Rams at home in the Mercedes Superdome this week for a final score of 49-21. Both teams headed into Sunday’s game with a 4-6 record, but it was the Saints who left with a much-needed win. The win keeps them in the playoff hunt in a tight NFC South divisional race.
New Orleans Saints Week 12 Takeaways
Drew Brees Might Just be Superhuman
Drew Brees surpassed the 455 career touchdown mark this week. He played his 60th home game with a touchdown pass and currently boasts an unfathomable 71% completion rate. He has 218 touchdown passes in the Superdome which is the most that any NFL quarterback has in one stadium. He is the most efficient quarterback in the red zone this season with a QB rating of 117.8 while inside his opponent’s 20 yards. He is nearly perfect in fourth down conversions this season, and leads the NFL in third down conversion success at 82 per cent. His performance in Week 12 provided us with one more reason why Drew Brees is one of the best. Against a sixth-ranked Rams defense, Brees passed for 310 yards and four touchdowns leading his team to score 49 points. The Saints racked up seven touchdowns and were 100 percent in the red zone.
Sean Payton’s Play-calling did not Disappoint
Sometimes it feels like we don’t get to see much of the head coach who called an onside kick to start the second half of the 2009 Super Bowl game when the Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts. He was most certainly at the game in Week 12, complete with aggressive and creative play calls that we have not seen for a long time.
We caught a glimpse of this early on in the game. The Saints were down 14-7 in the second quarter when a lost fumble led to a Rams score shortly thereafter. After being stuffed on third and one, Sean Payton decided to go for it on fourth down. Running back Mark Ingram was able to score a touchdown on the conversion. This was followed by a Saints takeaway and a subsequent fourth down situation. Payton again decided to go with his ‘best’ players and went for it again, allowing Brees to dive over the linemen for a second back-to-back touchdown. While the play-calling was aggressive, the Saints are good on fourth down. They are currently eight for nine this year.
In the fourth quarter, Payton orchestrated a trick play. Wide receiver Willie Snead completed a touchdown pass to running back Tim Hightower. Snead was on his way off the field with just over ten minutes left on the play clock when he was waved back on the field by Payton. Drew Brees threw a lateral pass to Snead who then threw a 50-yard pass to Hightower for the touchdown.
The Saints offense scored seven touchdowns this week for a season high in points. Brandon Coleman, Mark Ingram for two, Drew Brees, Michael Thomas for two, and Tim Hightower were all among the end zone scoring recipients this week. The Saints offense racked up 555 offensive yards in Week 12 after the resurfacing of a vintage Sean Payton. Let’s hope we see more of the head coach we grew to love.
The Saints Defense Did Their Job, but Could Have Played Better
While the Saints defense came out with a couple of big plays, they were outshone by the offense this week. Defensively, the Saints were not faced with a huge challenge this week against a team that has struggled to score all year. The game started off a little shaky, with the Saints allowing the Rams to put seven points on the board within the first three minutes of their opening drive. But Paul Kruger’s second quarter fumble recovery after a big play made by Sheldon Rankins and Cameron Jordan, and Kenny Vaccaro’s interception in the second half were big factors in putting up points. Both plays eventually resulted in touchdown scores after the ball was returned to Drew Brees. However, the Saints defense allowed 21 points by a team that has been unable to put up more than ten points over their last four games. The Rams scored only ten points against the Miami Dolphins, nine against the New York Jets, ten against the Carolina Panthers and again only ten versus the New York Giants.
Conclusion
While the Saints were playing a 4-6 Rams team and were seven point favorites at home, this week’s accomplishments are huge. They stopped a defense ranked sixth in the NFL against the pass and came out with an epic win, complete with creative play-calls by a classic Payton. New Orleans proved why they are one of the league’s best offenses. Their performance in Week 12 was worthy of a playoff appearance, but the race for the NFC South remains tight. The Atlanta Falcons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers both won this week, leaving New Orleans sitting in third place. The Saints still play the Bucs twice this season, and will play Atlanta in Week 17, affording them a chance to get ahead. If the Saints play like this every week, they will be on the right track to win their division. That said, New Orleans has their work cut out for them to make the postseason.
