Saints Winning Streak Up to Eight After Thrilling 34-31 Win vs. Redskins

Coming off an impressive 47-10 road-win over the Buffalo Bills, the New Orleans Saints were looking to make it eight wins in a row against the Washington Redskins on Sunday afternoon in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

In the first half, the Saints defense didn’t pick up where it left off in Buffalo, with bad tackles, wide open receivers and next to no pressure on Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins. That bad play led to Washington scoring 17 points, aided in part by the absence for most of the half of sensational rookie cornerback Marshon Lattimore after and ankle injury. On the other side of the ball, Drew Brees and the Saints offense managed only 13 points, with missed opportunities like Brees throwing an interception on the Saints first possession, and the offensive line being challenged by a game Redskins D-line. All things considered, the first half ended positively, with the Saints stealing three points after the Redskins basically stopped themselves with a false start penalty as they were about to attempt a 51-yard field goal. Washington ended up punting, giving the ball the Brees who marched the Saints down the field for a 29-yard field goal by Wil Lutz. Halftime score: Saints 13 - Redskins 17

In the third quarter, the Saints offense failed to score a single point, while the defense gave up a back-breaking touchdown on a zero-blitz that Kirk Cousins beat with a touchdown pass to former Tulane Green Wave wide receiver Ryan Grant. The Saints entered the fourth quarter trailing 24-13 and looking like a shell of the team that rolled all over Buffalo a week earlier. The Redskins would tack on another touchdown and would lead 31-16 after the Saints had made a field goal. Not about to give up, Brees marched the Saints right down the field for a touchdown to tight end Josh Hill and narrow the Redskins’ lead to eight points at 31-23. After another defensive stop, the Saints once again marched down the field for a touchdown pass and a two-point conversion, both to Alvin Kamara to tie the game at 31.

The game would go into overtime after the Redskins failed to score on their final possession of regulation and the defense would finally step up, with Cam Jordan getting his first sack of the game and forcing the Redskins to punt. The Saints wouldn’t waste any time and Wil Lutz sealed the win with a 28-yard field goal.

New Orleans is now 8-2, has an eight-game winning streak and is looking more and more like a team of destiny. Next, the Los Angeles Rams in LA next Sunday. Who Dat gone stop dem Saints?

Here is a quarter by quarter recap of the game:

1st HALF

1st Quarter

• Redskins win the toss and defer
• Saints face a 3rd and 16 and Brees throws a pick to D.J. Swearinger
• Redskins take over at the Saints 48-yard line
• Redskins get into the red zone, but stall on 3rd and 7
• Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore hurt his ankle on the play
• Nick Rose makes a 38-yard field goal
• NO: 0 - WAS: 3
• Saints start from their 18-yard line
• Brees finds Willie Snead on 3rd and 9 to get into Redskins territory
• Saints stall on 3rd and 14 near the Redskins 34-yard line
• Wil Lutz makes a 52-yard field goal
• NO: 3 - WAS: 3
• Redskins take over at their 25-yard line
• Washington gets into the Saints red zone on a 30-yard run by Samaje Perine
• On 3rd and 6, Kirk Cousins finds Chris Thompson for a touchdown
• NO: 3 - WAS: 10
• Saints start at their 20-yard line
• Saints get a first down on a roughing the passer penalty on Preston Smith
• Brees finds Ted Ginn Jr. for a 23-yard pass into Redskins territory
• Mark Ingram rushes into the end zone for a touchdown
• NO: 10 - WAS: 10
• This game has all the makings of a shootout!!!
• Josh Doctson hauls in a 32-yard pass and gets into Saints territory as the quarter ends

2nd Quarter

• Redskins go for it on 4th and 6 at the Saints 39-yard line
• Vernon Davis hauls in a 25-yard pass on 4th and 6
• Samaje Perine rushes into the end zone for a one-yard touchdown
• NO: 10 - WAS: 17
• Saints haven’t been able to stop the Redskins at all to this point
• Saints start from their 18-yard line
• Saints get to midfield but stall on 3rd and 5
• Thomas Morstead punts and pins the Redskins inside their 10-yard line
• That was the first punt of the game!!!
• Redskins get out of the shadow of their end zone
• A roughing the passer penalty further helps the Redskins near their 40-yard line
• Redskins get into Saints territory again
• Penalties killing the Saints defense in the first half
• On 3rd and 7 from the Saints 33-yard line, Redskins stall
• After a false start penalty, Redskins punt, resulting in a touchback
• Saints take over at their 20-yard line
• On 3rd and 8, Brees finds Ted Ginn Jr. into Redskins territory
• Saints get into the red zone but stall as time expires
• Wil Lutz makes a 29-yard field goal
• NO: 13 - WAS: 17

2nd HALF

3rd Quarter

• Redskins start with the ball at their 25-yard line after a touchback
• On 3rd and 17, the Redskins stall and have to punt
• On that first defensive possession, Lattimore re-injured his ankle. Out for the game
• Saints start at their 22-yard line
• On 4th and 1 near midfield, Brees sneaks in for a yard and converts
• Saints try to go for it again on 4th and 4 from the Redskins 38 but get a delay of game
• Morstead punts and pins the Redskins at their 6-yard line
• Redskins stall on 3rd and 4, have to punt
• Redskins go for a fake and get a first down
• Redskins get into Saints territory as Kirk Cousins is playing a whale of a game
• Saints blitz, Redskins beat the blitz Cousins finds Ryan Grant for a touchdown
• NO: 13 - WAS: 24
• Saints trail by 11 as the quarter ends

4th Quarter

• Brees gets sacked on the first play of the fourth quarter
• On 3rd and 22, Saints fall three yards short and punt
• Another Redskins score here might seal this one
• Redskins take over at their 15-yard line
• Redskins stall on 3rd and 9 and punt
• Tommylee Lewis returns the punt 27 yards into Redskins territory
• Alvin Kamara takes a handoff for a 24-yard run
• Saints stall on 3rd and 7 and kick a 42-yard field goal
• NO: 16 - WAS: 24
• Redskins take over at their 25-yard line
• Cousins finds Vernon Davis for a big play down the sideline into Saints territory
• Vernon Davis is still a Saints killer
• Kirk Cousins finds Jeremy Sprinkle for an easy touchdown
• NO: 16 - WAS: 31
• Saints take the ball and move into Redskins territory
• Saints get into the red zone
• Brees finds tight end Josh Hill for a touchdown, his first of the season
• NO: 23 - WAS: 31
• Redskins go three-and-out, with Manti Te’o providing a huge stop on 3rd and 1
• Saints march down the field in a hurry and get into the red zone
• Brees finds Alvin Kamara for a touchdown
• Saints tie the game with an Alvin Kamara run into the end zone!!!
• NO: 31 - WAS: 31
• Saints kickoff with 1:05 left in the game
• Redskins take over from their 25-yard line
• Redskins get into Saints territory in a blink
• Vonn Bell sacks Kirk Cousins, Cousins fumbles
• Redskins recover the fumble but game clock expires with the game tied at 31
• Free Football!!!

Overtime

• Redskins win the toss and receive the ball
• Cam Jordan sacks Kirk Cousins on 2nd and 10
• Redskins stall on 3rd and 20 and have to punt
• Tommylee Lewis takes the ball to the Saints 39-yard line
• Mark Ingram runs to the Redskins 40-yard line
• Ingram gets to the 10-yard line
• Sean Payton doesn’t take a chance, decides to kick the field goal
• Wil Lutz makes a 28-yard field goal!!!
• Saints Win!!! Saints Win!!!
• Final Score: NO: 34 - WAS: 31