As promised, here are the final defensive and special teams statistics for the 2008 season. As you would expect, these aren't as impressive as their offensive counterparts.

Rushing Defense

Passing Defense

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Make the jump for all of your post-game quotes and links. There's a lot there for you this morning. On another note, there will be an open game thread tonight for the MNF matchup between the Bucs and the Panthers. I figured a lot of us would be watching this one since its critical to the Saints future. Grab a cold one and be here tonight at kickoff for all of your in-game chatter! Also, props to MtnExile for always keeping our "Who Dat Say" graphic current and fresh. 

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Quarterback A+

I would have given Drew an A+++++ but that would have been plain ridiculous. Best quarterback in the league and quite possibly the MVP for the first half of the season. Praising Drew comes so easy and is becoming quite redundant so consider this matter closed.

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Quarterback A+

Do I really even have to discuss this. Drew is incapable of getting a grade below a B. Today, I had to give him an A+ because I don't know how he could possibly have performed any better. 86.7% completion percentage!? That's not human. Lance Moore dropped one so really he it ought to be higher. To be fair to everyone else though, Drew's performance was a team effort on the part of not only Brees but the receivers and the offensive line. Just amazing.

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Opening Statement:

"Much of what we talked about last night applies in this game. I thought defensively we played with great energy and with great effort. I thought we did a great job. There were a couple of plays in there, but overall I was real encouraged with our fits, our effort and how we tackled. It was probably one of our best games to date, if not our best game to date, defensively. On the other hand, the disappointing thing was the turnovers and the penalties, which I alluded to a little bit yesterday. They ended up hurting us in this game. We had opportunities to go ahead. We had opportunities a number of different times. Those cost you positions, and in a game where you're really looking at anything from 10-to-14 possessions, those are drive-killers and they were for us last night. It was a tough loss. We have to move forward and get ready to play Oakland on a short week. Most of our day will be spent in preparation for Oakland. We'll move the schedule back for our players tomorrow where they'll be coming in at one o'clock and meeting as team and we'll get right into the Oakland gameplan so tomorrow's schedule will be a little bit altered. That one o'clock meeting will be much like an eight o'clock meeting on a normal Wednesday."

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Below are the transcripts from post game interviews conducted with the team. These were taken from the New Orleans Saints official website.

Sean Payton

Opening Statement…

"A couple of notes just with the injuries, we lost two players during the game. They should be alright but we will see where they are on Wednesday, David Patton started early on the in the nickel and went out with a groin (injury) and Chris Reis left the game with a hamstring injury. I was pleased with our effort today. I thought we played inspired despite some of the setbacks we have had injury-wise and with the suspension of Jammal Brown. I thought our guys played hard on both sides of the ball, particularly I thought we rushed the passer well, I thought we had good balance offensively, I thought the quarterback played well and we did a great job blocking up front. It was great to see Deuce (McAllister) back in there. He did a nice job for his first game with the most amount of work. I was pleased with the effort. We were battling early in the first quarter and got things going a little bit in the second quarter. That is a better 49ers team than we played in the last two years, much better, and I think our players understood that, but it was a good win for us at home. We have a little bit of a longer work week this week with a Monday night game. Any Questions?"

Q: What made you feel like this was the game to set Deuce McAllister loose?

A: The thing we tried to do before the opening game was sit Deuce (McAllister) and Mike (McKenzie) down and tell them that is was going to be a process. We have to bring you along and it just takes time. You just have to be smart. I said this last week, our plan was going to be a lot more through the air. We just felt by the nature of the game that this week we had a chance to run the ball more. We saw a lot of nickel defense and we felt like we could take advantage of that so we kind of mixed up our personnel and it worked out pretty well. We made some good plays. The one thing I have been happy about is we have been able to get the ball down the field in all of our games."

Q: Can you talk about the job the young receivers did, particularly Robert Meachem and Lance Moore?

A: The both made plays. Robert (Meachem) made some big plays for us down the field and Lance (Moore) has been playing well really this whole training camp and this whole season, he came up big today, especially on some third down plays. That is how it is, when you are not 100 percent healthy someone else very talented is in the game and obviously the quarterback has confidence in these players just as we as coaches do. We just have to battle through this injury thing and it just something mentally we cannot allow to be a factor in how we play. The key is working through the week in practice and making sure we are doing the right things from a rotation standpoint, but I was pleased with how we handled that. With all the guys that didn’t practice this week, and we had a lot, I have never been a part of a week in preparation where so many guys missed practice, and I thought we handled it pretty well today."

Q: Can you talk about the secondary play and if it led to good pressure on the QB?

A: I thought we did some good things, especially some of the man coverages you saw. We caused some turnovers. I thought we played the ball pretty well. I thought we hit the quarterback, which was good. I think when they became a little bit one dimensional, which was really late in the third quarter, fourth quarter that we were able to benefit from that. I thought defensively we played well against a good team on offense and certainly a good running back. We talked about it a lot to our team this week that these guys had a lot more confidence on offense and I think it is a really good football team we played today so that was encouraging. I thought the back end played well, I thought they played physical and it was a good effort.

Q: With Deuce McAllister’s increased touches, how does it change the look of the offense?

A: You’re just trying to spread some of these touches around without being too fancy. Those were some tough yards he was getting for us so he did a good job. It goes back to just trying to take advantage of the players you think can move the football. Instead of play action passes and running the play action down there at fourth-and-one, those are the little things that benefits your play action passing game, benefits your running game and benefits you first down numbers. Right now with the way our quarterback is playing, it becomes a lot easier to be a play caller. His decision making, his accuracy and what he is doing with his offense is obviously pleasing and its really something else. We are going to continue to be aggressive and keep mixing the personnel up and trying out the best plan each week to move the ball and score points. That is what we are trying to do."

Q: Can you talk about the importance of taking advantage of the home field?

A: Once we got into the situation with a little bit of a lead then the crowd noise becomes more a factor. I credit San Francisco, they came out with a good first drive and moved it into field goal range and cam out with the points. We struggled a little bit early but then I thought we settled down and made some plays and that was encouraging, in the second quarter especially so it was good. I thought the fans were outstanding, it was loud and it makes it hard to operate offensively. The next home game is a Monday night game and particularly the night games have been even louder so we look forward to that. They (the fans) did a lot of big things for us and it is good."

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS PLAYERS

#98 DE Sedrick Ellis

On getting defensive credit

"You pride yourselves in winning games in this league. We pride ourselves on winning games and making sacks and getting tackles. Saying that you are close doesn’t cut it. I think it makes a lot of people feel better that we got pressure on the quarterback. I think the defensive line has a lot of potential. We are continuoing to get a lot better the more that we gel."

On getting pressure on J.T. O’Sullivan

"We honestly kept doing the same things we have been working on. We really didn’t change anything. We just all had more intensity today. We refused to be denied. Charles Grant had a great game today. Some of the older guys have been leading the way for us."

#22 CB Tracy Porter

On how the defensive pressure helped the secondary

"The defensive pressure was great. It made the quarterback make quick decisions which resulted in our favor. It starts with the front line. They can really make it easy for us."

On his interception

"We were playing a three deep coverage. The guy thought he had a wide open inside. I read it and stayed on his hip. I read the quarterback. I saw that he was looking at him the whole time and at the last second I under cut it and made a play."

#43 S Kevin Kaesviharn

On his interception

"Their tight ends like to run the seam routs. I favored that side the whole way. They ended up running a wrap play where they run a guy short and run a guy just behind him. They want to see if you are going to jump the short route or jump the deep route. They are going to try to take the one that you don’t jump. I was able to sit between both of them and I made a play when (O’Sullivan) through the ball."

#91 DE Will Smith

On his forced fumble

"We knew he was a scrambler and he wasn’t holding on to the ball. Coach Ogeron emphasized all week to keep staying after him and finishing our rushes. I think finishing was the word of the week. We hadn’t finished the two weeks prior. I saw an opportunity with him running with the ball. I just went after him and knocked it out."

#26 RB Deuce McAllister

On his performance

"The most important thing for us was to get a win. We had a sour taste in our mouths the last to weeks with games we thought we should have won. That’s water under the bridge for us. We wanted to get a win. I can’t say it was a must win, but it was a game that we definitely needed. I just tried to come out and contribute and make plays when I had an opportunity."

On his touchdown

"It was pretty exciting to get in the end zone after not playing for a year. I had to let Patrick Willis know that I still had it and that I could go over the top. It felt good just to be able to get in the end zone."

This weeks grades are pretty optimistic after a pretty impressive all around performance from the entire team. 

Quarterback A

Nothing unexpected here. Drew is the rock of this team. He is quietly putting together an MVP caliber season. He looked a bit off at the very beginning and threw an interception but the rest of the game more than made up for it and earning him this grade. He makes it look so easy. 

Wide Receiver  A

One hand washes the other. If Drew has a good game it would be pretty unlikely that the receivers didn't put up big numbers too. This should be an A+ really because they got all of this done with Colston or Shockey. These guys made some amazing catches yesterday. Deep passing plays to Moore, Meachem and Henderson were all crushing for the Niners defense. They made San Francisco's secondary look like the Saints' of old. 

Running Back B

This wasn't a dominating performance but it was statement game for sure. The numbers may not show it but the running game was important in this game. Having a threat on the ground opened up the passing game for Brees and company. The Siants were also successful converting those all important short yardage plays. Reggie Bush was pretty much a no show but the Niners were focusing and game planning for him all week. 

Offensive Line B

Drew never hit the ground once. Deuce seemed to have bigger holes than usual to run through but his running ability may help too. Carl Nicks did a good job filling in. Still not dominant on the line enough for an A.

Defensive Line A

A great performance by the line. This was exactly what we know these guys are capable of and it's great to see if finally be executed. Charles Grant was just a monster. Sedrick Ellis continues to look like a great draft decision. Kendrick Clancy is getting in the mix as well. Bobby McCray was the only slight disappointment yesterday. 

Linebackers B

Vilma got back to form this week tying for a team high 7 tackles this game. Shanle and Vilma had less productive afternoons. Overall, a pretty quiet game from this unit. 

Secondary A

Talk about a noticeable upgrade. This unit has gone from losing games for us to winning them. Two interceptions in the end zone. No huge plays. Even Jason David looked solid. The cornerbacks and safeties both played well together. We can't ask for much more than this after last season. 

Agree? Disagree? What grades would you give?

This was a fun one to be in attendance for. The Saints played a full game on both sides of the ball and put together a convincing win. I think this could be a turnaround game for this team this season.

We are gonna get into the game much more, but I wanted to get these up for you first. Below are my notes and initial reactions from the game.

• Before the game they played a video with Saints mascots Sir Saint and Gumbo working out to the song "Gonna Fly Now" the theme to Rocky. The crowd was then introduced to the new and improved, completely ripped, physically fit, steroid using Gumbo carrying a barbell.
• Jon Secada sang the National Anthem. And by sang I mean butchered. He added his own little riffs and even went falsetto at the very end. I will give him credit though because he really got into it, bending at the waist and pointing all around. It was a good laugh. He should stick to the script though. I hate when people use our country's anthem like its an American Idol tryout.
• It was supposed to be rally towel day but I don't think they did a very good job of handing them out. I didn't have one and I didn't see too many people with them.
• They actually played football while we were there too.
• You know we gotta start this off with Deuce. Payton kept his word and gave him a fair share of carries. It was awesome. On his first run a huge pile of 49er defenders formed on and around him like a rugby scrum in an effort to try and take him down. The next thing you saw was the entire pile move forward as Deuce kept churning, taking about ten guys with him. The crowd went nuts and it was a statement first run. The rest of the day Deuce continued to pick up nice chunks of yardage as the crowd chanted "Deeeeeeeeuce!" throught the entire afternoon. The fans demanded he get the ball for his touchdown on the goal line series.
• Was that blood on Deuce's jersey?
• Brees looked a little off at the start but then turned back to the player he really is: the best quarterback in the NFL. Period.
• Moore, Meachem and Henderson all had great games thanks in large part to my previous point. Brees makes amazingly perfect throws and these guys all come up with equally impressive catches. Lance continues to have hands of glue, though he lost his shoe on his touchdown, and Meachem is going the way of Colston (plain scary!).  That catch on the fleaflicker was just amazing. When the ball was in the air I kept thinking to myself there is no way. Couldn't believe it when he came down with it. I just can't say enough good things about Moore. I think FrenchFreak summed it up pretty well..."Reliability is spelled L-A-N-C-E."
• You know its a good day when Devery isn't dropping a deep ball! Just think how dangerous this unit will be when Colston and Shockey return.
• The defense as a whole looked great. They didn't give up a touchdown until late in the game. Getting key turnovers like two interceptions in the end zone is so unfamiliar and unexpected but so game changing and fun to watch.  
• Talk about bringing some pressure. This was a sack-fest. Charles Grant had a great day with two sacks. After his second sake he did a funny little shimmy. Sedrick Ellis got one. Clancy too. Will Smith forced a fumble that Vilma recovered.
• The safeties really stepped it up today. Obviously Kaesviharn had his interception. The last time he did that in the Superdome he was doing it for the Bengals. He also laid some guy out coming across the middle just after the receiver missed the catch. Roman Harper almost had his own interception but it went off his hands. How often do we ever talk about our safeties like this? Never. This is refreshing.
• Tracy Porter and Mike McKenzie got the start. That is my ideal combo. Jason David came in for nickel packages. They all looked good. Porter had a great interception. It's hit or miss with him. He makes huge plays but also gives up a couple of big ones also.
• Usama Young looked like he had a really good game. He made some great tackles on special teams and even got involved in the secondary. I liked what I saw from him today.
• The tackling in general looked much better. Glad to see we have gotten that problem cleaned up.
• Not much to get excited about from Reggie.
• Did Weatherford kick one of the kickoffs?
• It's fun to watch the special teams guys dance to hip-hop on the 15 yard line while waiting to kick it off. Jason David has some moves.
• I guess with Deuce back now we will be seeing less of Pierre. I'm okay with that if Deuce continues to run the ball like he did today.
• My mother has been in town so I took her to this game, her first. In 2006 I brought my father to the Niners game when Reggie ran for three touchdowns. My parents seem to be good luck.
• Whats the deal with the Cort Comfort Zone? For those of you who don't know, Cort is a company who sponsors games and chooses a couple of fans to sit in nice couches that they have set up, but it seems they are set up in the back of the section, under the overhang and out of eyesight of the game. Why would anyone want to sit there?
• There was a Niners fan with his wife sitting in front of me. He got a little ribbing but he said everyone was very nice and treated him well.
• The Tenet Choices old person of the week was some 95 year old woman who looked like she was 65. She was doing chin ups. Very impressed.

Here are some pictures for you guys.

 
My transportation for the day.

Walking up to the Dome.

The giant turkey legs I told you about last time.

Lance Moore being introduced.

Jon Secada.

Urlacher? Really?

Halftime festivities.

Willie Roaf driving around the field at the half.

The coolest pencil ever!

New jacked up Gumbo.

The Niners about to get a first down late in the game.

Here is the roll call for the open game thread. Thanks to everyone for participating.

The game winner. (Gerald Hebert)

This is where it all falls apart. Let's see what happens. 

Saints Defense First Drive (3plays, 6 yards, 1:32, Punt)

The defense actually looks solid still on this first drive. A run stop for a loss of two, an overthrown ball (Porter was right there) and forcing Campbell to go to his fourth option on third down and the Saints make the Skins go three and out. Redskins fans are booing now in anticipation of a loss. Things are still looking good for the Saints. 

Saints Offense First Drive (6 plays, 23 yards, 2:54, Punt)

After getting a first down off a Brees scramble, Drew then takes a shot deep on first down looking for Devery Henderson assuredly intending to put the game away. Had the pass been complete, the entire outcome of the game would probably have been different. Back to the play and I hate to say it but it appears that the ball is underthrown and Henderson has to slow down to make a play. Drew is human. If the pass was thrown perfectly, Henderson probably would have dropped it anyway. Regardless, the poorly placed pass allows LaRon Landry to get his hand in and make a great play on the ball. 

Following that failed attempt Deuce gets the call for the second and final time of the game, making a nice run up the middle for 5 yards. 

LaRon Landry makes yet another important play breaking up a pass intended for David Patten and forcing the Saints to punt. Drew is visibly angry because he knows the pass was thrown a little behind Patten. 

Saints Defense Second Drive (8plays, 82 yards, 4:37, Touchdown)

The unit starts off strong with Will Smith getting his first sack of the season for a loss of 12 yards.

The Jason Campbell Passfest then begins. He completes five consecutive passes for a total of 82 yards. This is the moment of breakdown. The secondary becomes non-existent. If you look hard enough at Moss' 25 yard catch you can quickly see Josh Bullocks go flying across your screen from right to left, doing what I believe is his version of tackling. More like ankle biting. On the same play Usama Young does his best Josh Bullocks impression and totally whiffs on a tackle. A trained monkey would be an improvement. 

The Redskins decide to end Passfest and keep it on the ground in the red zone. Portis only needs two carries to gain 12 yards and get the touchdown. 

Saints are still in control. All they have to do is put together a decent drive and run out the clock, or at least a lot of it. 

Saints Offense Second Drive (3 plays, 9 yards, 2:21, Punt)

The Saints are quickly faced with third and one. They give it to Pierre Thomas on the right side to gain the single yard. He has absolutely no where to go and the Saints decided to punt away and let the defense win the game instead of go for it. Turns out to be a bad decision.

This third down play is crucial. If the Saints could have just gotten a first down they could have killed more time off the clock or at least forced Washington to burn some of their timeouts. The run blocking was just pathetic on this play and I don't think even having Deuce in to run would have helped. 

Saints Defense Third Drive (1 plays, 67 yards, 0:09, Touchdown)

We know what happens next. I don't even really want to get into this play as it is straight up pathetic. Santana Moss was way behind everyone on our defense. Up by two points late in the fourth quarter and our defense is not playing deep!? Josh Bullocks, like LaRon Landry on the Meachem touchdown, was standing in the middle of the field 30 yards away, not covering a damn soul and staring at the ball as it passed high above his head. Bullocks needs to be replaced! A beat up Tracy Porter had no chance one on one against Santana Moss. 

Saints Offense Third Drive (3 plays, 12 yards, 0:30, Interception)

No worries. The Saints are getting the ball back and all they need to do is put up another score. 

After Reggie Bush picks up the first down and runs out of bounds, Brees has a pass tipped at the line and Chris Horton strikes yet again intercepting the ball.

Saints Defense Fourth Drive (6 plays, 14 yards, 2:59, End of Game)

The Saints defense gives it one last effort and does a good job stopping Clinton Portis three times and holding the Redskins to fourth down. 

On 4th and 2 Washington decides to go for it rather then give the Saints one last chance. Fittingly its a quick slant to Santana Moss for the first down and the Skins take a knee the rest of the way. 

End of the Game: Redskins 29 - Saints 24

This quarter was just a complete shut down of both the offense and the defense. The offense gained a total of 44 yards for the entire quarter while the Redskins totaled 169 yards. If there are many more quarters like this one in the Saints near future, this year will be long and heartbreaking.

Cooley dragged half our team. (Reuters Pictures)

Saints Defense First Drive (4 plays, 8 yards, 2:07, Field Goal)

This might have been the best drive of the game for the Saints defense. They make two nice run stops and on the second down play, Tracy Porter makes a nice quick hit on Chris Cooley for a gain of only 6 yards. Campbell had all day to make the pass. The unit is able to get off the field quickly. 

Saints Offense First Drive (3 plays, 4 yards, 2:05, Punt)

This drive was just pure crap. Bush has no where to run. Stinchcomb gets beat and allows Jason Taylor to sack Brees. 

It's funny because whenever I re-watch some of Reggie's runs I find myself noticing this: When he attempts a run between the tackles, it often appears that he has opportunities to quickly bounce it outside and find a lot of open space but doesn't ever notice and runs right into the pile.  Similarly, the situations when he is contained and has nowhere to go are when he tries to dance and change direction. Reggie is an amazing athlete with the ability to do anything as a running back but it seems when his mind is made up that he is going to run between the tackles, he shuts down the creative aspect of his talent. Reggie needs to do a better job as a decision maker and should get a little more loose and improvisational with his inside runs. This offensive line is not going to do him any favors, so he is going to have to make something happen. A good running back would do that.

Saints Offense Second Drive (6 plays, 26 yards, 2:45, Touchdown)

After a fumble on the punt return by Randle El, the Saints take over on Washington's 27. 

Brees and Patten have a miscomunnication issue as the Saints try and go for the touchdown right off the bat. It looked like the same play they connected on for the touchdown last week. Brees does connect with Shockey over the middle for a first down.

On a 1st and 10 play the handoff is to Reggie for a run up the middle. Kedric Golston gets through the offensive line untouched and is standing there just waiting for Reggie to make his move. It's ridiculous. Poor Reggie. Pierre Thomas takes over from here and makes a nice catch and dive for a first down. Thomas later takes it into the endzone after two goal line attempts. 

Saints Defense Second Drive (8 plays, 33 yards, 3:17, Missed FG)

More of what we saw earlier from this defense. Bending and giving up some decent plays including a completion in quadruple (I am only slightly exaggerating) coverage to Santana Moss for 14 yards and a Clinton Portis run up the middle for 11 yards but then tightening up deep in their zone.

Sedrick Ellis takes a roughing the passer penalty for 10 yards. 

After fumbling the punt on the last possession and missing two field goals, the Redskins are just begging us to run away with this game. Of course we don't. It is this fact alone that makes me wary of future opponents. Good teams will not give you those opportunities.

Saints Offense Third Drive (3 plays, 8 yards, 1:59, Punt)

On first down Reggie runs between the tackles with Mike Karney in front of him. He strictly follows Karney which gets Bush into trouble as the hole closes up in front of him. Again, it looks like there is an opportunity for him to bounce it right and into space but he just plows forward. I wouldn't expect any average NFL back to see these opportunities and make those cuts and decisions but this is Reggie Bush we are talking about. It seems that if any player could do it, Reggie would be the man. This is the same player who, on the very next play, hurdles over Shawn Springs. Regardless, this offensive line could be creating much better opportunities for Bush to succeed. Additionally, I have to ask again why not run this play with Pierre?

This drive is just plain ugly. Saints punt.

Saints Defense Third Drive (8 plays, 50 yards, 2:14, Field Goal)

I'm gonna start this whole thing by admitting that I just don't get this defense. I don't. Someone please explain it to me. No comprende. They look awful the first five or six plays but finally get their act together to force yet another Redskins field goal attempt. I am laughing right now but it is that kind of laughing where you're actually angry and a little confused. So angry and a little confused that its actually funny and you just can't help but laugh at how angry and confused you are. You know what I am talking about? Allow me to explain why I am laughing like this.

After giving up a six yard run and two eight yard passes over the middle all in a row, Campbell completes a pass to Chris Cooley over the middle in between the coverage. It gets even better with, are you sitting down, four missed tackles! Including Vilma! Cooley gets an extra eight yards after the catch. This play makes me want to bang my head against a cement wall repeatedly. Then all of a sudden they tighten up. Dunbar makes a nice pass break up, they do a great job of containing Portis on an outside run and the secondary's coverage forces Campbell to throw one away. 

Saints Offense Fourth Drive (7 plays, 59 yards, 1:04, Field Goal)

This was a great drive that allowed the Saints to grab the lead before the half. 59 yards in a little over a minute is exactly what we should expect from this team's offense. 

Reggie had two nice runs up the middle, both for nine yards. Nice blocking created some holes. Amazing how that works. A 22 yard completion to trusty old David Patten and a short pass over the middle to Reggie who gets out of bounds puts Gramatica in position to make the field goal. Ummm...where was that all half?

End of the Half: Saints 10 - Redskins 9

It's amazing that the Saints are actually in the lead at this point in the game. The good news is that they haven't really played well and they are still winning the game. All they will need to do in the second half is play the better brand of football they know they can play and this game will be over.