Saints Crush the Cardinals 31-9 in Drew Brees’ Return

After going five games without their injured All-World quarterback, the New Orleans Saints (7-1) welcomed back Drew Brees as they were facing the Arizona Cardinals (3-4-1) in the eighth regular season game of the season. The Saints were looking to improve to 7-1 on the season, and 6-0 in their last six games.

IN THE FIRST HALF, the Saints started with the ball, the Cardinals having deferred their coin toss win to the second half. Drew Brees would engineer a first possession that stalled at Arizona’s 29-yard line and would be capped by a 47-yard field goal miss by Wil Lutz. His third miss in the last two games. On the drive, Brees completed six of seven passes for 45 yards, showing very little rust, if any.

Taking over at their 37-yard line, the Cardinals would get into the Saints’ red zone in a blink thanks to a flea-flicker-like trick-play. The Saints’ defense would stiffen from there and limit the Cardinals to a field goal and a 3-0 lead.

On their second possession of the game, the Saints would drive all the way down to the Cards’ 7-yard line, but a Drew Brees’ incompletion in the end zone would lead to a 27-yard Wil Lutz field goal to tie the game a three.

After a three-and-out by Arizona, New Orleans would go 71 yards, on a drive that was marked by big catches from Michael Thomas and big runs by LAtavius Murray. Murray would cap the drive with a touchdown, his fourth rushing score of the year to give the Saints a 10-3 lead.

Rookie Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray would finally get his offense going on the ensuing Arizona possession, driving to the Saints’ 13-yard line. The Saints’ defense would once again limit the Cards to a field goal, the Saints led 10-6 to that point.

After an exchange of punts by both teams, the Saints would drive all the way down to the Cardinals 20-yard line and on 3rd-and-6, Brees would find tight end Dan Arnold for a touchdown that was unfortunately nullified by a holding penalty on left tackle Terron Armstead. The Saints end the half leading 10-6 in what could’ve been a much better half for the team, with a missed field goal and a missed scoring opportunity to end the half.

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IN THE SECOND HALF, the Cardinals would start with possession and promptly be forced to punt after gaining on first down. The Saints would once again drive the ball down the field but Drew Brees would throw an interception to Patrick Peterson on a head-scratching deep throw to Zach Line, continuing a strange afternoon in which New Orleans could seemingly move the ball at will, but not be able to finish.

On the ensuing Arizona drive, after failing on 3rd-and-one from their own 30-yard line, Cardinals’ head coach Kliff Kingsbury elected to go for it on 4th-and-one at his own 30. The Saints’ defense, true to form, would stuff the run, giving its offense the ball in plus-territory. Brees would engineer a quick 30-yard drive capped by a touchdown pass to Latavius Murray, definitely one of the stars of this game this afternoon. The Saints led 17-6 with 5:25 left in the third quarter.

The Cardinals would take the ball on their ensuing possession and drive to the Saints’ 33-yard line, and settle once again for a field goal, trimming the Saints’ lead to 17-9. Undeterred, New Orleans would drive 75 yards for a touchdown, a Drew Brees’ pass to Swiss Army Knife Taysom Hill to extend the Saints’ lead to 15 points, at 24-9.

After an exchange of punts by both team, the Cardinals would drive to the Saints’ 27-yard line, but on 4th-and-2, Kyler Murray’s pass to Larry Fitzgerald would fall incomplete, with the Saints taking over on downs.

On their ensuing drive, the Saints would need only three plays to find the end zone, as Latavius Murray would run for 28 yards, Brees would find Taysom Hill for 29 yards and then Michael Thomas for a nine-yard touchdown to give the Saints a 31-9 lead.

On Arizona’s next drive, Brett Hundley would take over at quarterback for the Cardinals, who seemed to wave the white flag for the game. Arizona would go three-and-out yet again.

For the Saints, Teddy Bridgewater would take over at quarterback, to the vociferous sound of “Teddy! Teddy! Teddy!” from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Dwayne Washington would rush into the red zone, and New Orleans would take a knee to end the game and win its sixth game in a row, this one by a 31-9 score.

The Saints are now 7-1 on the season, have won six in a row and can go in their bye week with an incredibly successful first half of the 2019 NFL season.

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Here is how the game unfolded drive-by-drive

FIRST HALF

First Quarter

• Cardinals win the toss and defer to the second half. Saints take over at their 25-yard line after the touchback. Saints gain a first down on their first dirve on a pass from Brees to, who else? Michael Thomas. Brees finds Austin Carr for a second first down on the drive, into Cardinals territory. Saints stall around the Cardinals’ 29-yard line. Wil Lutz misses a 47-yard field goal wide left.
• Cardinals take over at their own 37-yard line and immediately start with a trick-play flea-flicker to get into the Saints’ red zone in a blink. Cardinals stall at the Saints’ 13-yard line and Zane Gonzalez makes a 31-yard field goal to open the scoring.
• NO: 0 - ARI: 3
• Saints take over at their 25-yard line following a touchback. Brees uses Latavius Murray both in the running and the passing game to get into Cardinals territory. Brees finds Taysom Hill for a pass deep into Cards territory. Murray runs hard into the Cards red zone. Saints are in the red zone as the quarter ends, a quarter that took just a little over 30 minutes.

Second Quarter

• Saints stall at the Cardinals’ 7-yard line and Wil lutz makes a 27-yard field goal.
• NO: 3 - ARI: 3
• Cards take over at their 25-yard line and go three-and-out and punt.
• Deonte Harris fair-catches the punt at the Saints’ 29-yard line. In one play, Brees finds Michael Thomas for 28 yards into Cards territory. Brees finds Thomas again for 16 yards. Latavius Murray runs into the Cardinals’ red zone. Murray runs into the end zone for a touchdown.
• NO: 10 - ARI: 3
• Cardinals return a short kickoff to their 36-yard line and get into Saints’ territory on the arm of Kyler Murray. Cards get into the Saints’ red zone but stall at the Saints’ 13-yard line. Zane Gonzalez makes a 31-yard field goal.
• NO: 10 - ARI: 6
• Saints take over at their 25-yard line and drive to their own 46-yard line but stall and punt
• Cards fair-catch at their 21-yard line but go three-and-out, as the Saints’ defense continues its awesome ways. Cards are set to punt at the two-minute warning.
• Deonte Harris returns the punt to the Saints’ 20-yard line. Brees finds Dan Arnold for 19 yards to start the drive. Saints get into Cardinals’ territory on a pass from Brees to Ted Ginn Jr. Saints drive into the red zone and Brees throws a touchdown to Dan Arnold that is wiped out by a holding penalty on Terron Armstead. The half expires with no other score and the Saints leading 10-6.

SECOND HALF

Third Quarter

• Cards take over at their 25-yard line after the kickoff touchback. An intentional grounding penalty on Kyler Murray sets the Cards back and Arizona eventually stalls and is forced to punt.
• Saints take over at their 17-yard line and methodically move the ball. Brees finds fullback Zach Line to get the Saints into Cards territory. On the very next play, Brees is picked off by cornerback Patrick Peterson on a fairly terrible throw towards Zach Line.
• Cardinals take over at their 21-yard line. On the first play of the drive, Cameron Jordan sacks Kyler Murray, the first sack of the day for the Saints, and Jordan’s 8th of the season. Cardinals fail on third down and go for it on fourth down from their own 30-yard line and the Saints’ defense stuffs the run.
• Saints take over at the Cards 30-yard line. Brees finds Deonte Harris into the Cards red zone. Brees finds Latavius Murray for a 15-yard touchdown
• NO: 17 - ARI: 6
• Cards take over at their own 25-yard line and Kyler Murray accomplishes several Houdini acts to get Arizona into Saints territory. Cardinals eventually stall at the Saints 33-yard line and Zane Gonzalez makes a 50-yard field goal.
• NO: 17 - ARI: 9
• Saints take over at their own 25-yard line after the touchback. Brees finds Ted Ginn Jr. for a long pass just into Cards territory. as the quarter ends.

Fourth Quarter

• Brees finds Josh Hill for a huge 29-yard pass into the Cards red zone. Drew Brees finds Taysom Hill for a touchdown.
• NO: 24 - ARI: 9
• Cards take over at their 25-yard line and go three-and-out again
• Harris fair-catches the ball at the Saints’ 29-yard line. Saints go three-and-out and have to punt
• Cardinals have the ball at their 21-yard line and Kyler Murray passes his team into Saints territory. On a reverse play, Christian Kirk takes the ball inside New Orleans’ 40-yard line. On 4th-and-2 from the Saints’ 27-yard line, the Cards go for it. and Kyler Murray’s pass to Larry Fitzgerald goes incomplete. Saints take over on downs.
• Starting at their 27-yard line, Latavius Murray runs into Cards territory for 28 yards, then Brees finds Taysom Hill for 36 yards into Arizona’s red zone. Brees then finds Michael Thomas for a 9-yard touchdown.
• NO: 31 - ARI: 9
• Cards take over at their 25-yard line, with Brett Hundley at quarterback instead of Kyler Murray, as the Cards seem to wave the white flag on this one.
• Saints take over at midfield after a short return by Deonte Harris, as Teddy Bridgewater takes over at quarterback. On the second play of the drive, Dwayne Washington runs for 40 yards down to the Cards’ 16-yard line as the two-minute warning hits. Saints eventually and in classy fashion take a knee and win the game 31-9.
• SAINTS WIN! SAINTS WIN!