The final score of the New Orleans Saints (3-2) 52-38 victory over the Detroit Lions (3-3) doesn’t nearly tell you how great the defense was for New Orleans on Sunday afternoon.
The Saints were able to get at quarterback Matthew Stafford with incredible ease right from the Lions opening drive when Kenny Vaccaro recovered a fumble in the endzone to take an early 7-0 lead. Detroit did respond though with a big 45-yard TD pass to Golden Tate to tie it up.
The Saints responded with an offensive display highlighted by a 50-yard run from Mark Ingram and capped off by a 20-yard touchdown pass to Ted Ginn Jr. After a Wil Lutz field goal late in the first, the Saints made it 24-7 early in the second quarter with a one-yard jaunt into the endzone by Ingram.
Ingram wound up finding paydirt at the end of the first half with a short two-yard run into the endzone to make it 31-10 as both teams headed into the locker room.
The Saints continued to dominate in the third quarter with a short touchdown pass to Hoomanawanui, which was followed up by a pick-six from rookie Marshon Lattimore to make it 45-10. However, the Lions began to mount a comeback with 21 unanswered points highlighted by a 74-yard punt return for a touchdown from Jamal Agnew. The Lions got within one score after A’Shawn Robinson intercepted a pass from Drew Brees and walked into the endzone with 6:41 left in the fourth quarter.
However, the Saints were saved by a muffed punt from Agnew followed up by an interception in the endzone from Cam Jordan to put the ballgame on ice.
The Saints will return to action next Sunday when they travel to Lambeau to take on the Aaron Rodgers-less Green Bay Packers (4-2) with kickoff set for 12 pm.
-Clint Domingue