Saints finally found themselves

By Chris Cluff  |   Monday, October 15, 2007  |  Comments( 0 )

New Orleans Saints
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After four weeks of futility, the New Orleans Saints finally found their offense -- and their way to the win column.

They were able to do it because they made a few changes in personnel and personality.

Against the Seattle Seahawks, Lance Moore started at receiver for Devery Henderson, who led the NFL with seven dropped passes entering the game. David Patten got a lot more looks and turned them into a team-leading eight catches for 113 yards. And Aaron Stecker was used a bit more to take the pressure off Reggie Bush.

Bush responded with his best game of the season, running hard and elusively. And the offensive line finally played like it did last season, keeping the Seahawks away from quarterback Drew Brees so he could find his receivers.

The Saints started fast, putting together long drives in the first half to build on a 7-0 lead that had been supplied by the special teams. Brees and Bush led them 86, 66 and 80 yards to give the Saints a 28-10 lead at halftime.

"Hey, that's us," Brees told reporters. "You know -- rhythm, tempo, converting on third downs."

Brees completed a season-high 69.4 percent of his passes and tripled his season touchdown output with two TD passes. And after racking up nine interceptions in the first four games, he had none Sunday.

Bush was likewise successful, running for 97 yards on 19 carries and catching six passes for 44 yards. Most of that came on those three first-half scoring drives.

"Today our offensive line did a terrific job," he told reporters. "The holes, they were huge. They did a great job, and a lot the credit really goes to them.

"I thought that gave our receivers a chance. It opened up the path for them and for Drew, and that's really what it is all about. We have to get our running game going. We have to force the linebackers and the secondary to respect the run, and then hit it over the top with the pass."

Coach Sean Payton surely will keep Patten, Moore (three catches, 35 yards, 7-yard run for TD) and Stecker (eight carries, 17 yards) involved, and if the Saints can sustain their new/old personality as a rhythm/tempo offense, they will find a few more wins.
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About Chris Cluff

Chris Cluff spent 10 years as an editor and sportswriter for The Seattle Times. He was a key figure in the newspaper's coverage of the Seahawks, particularly during their Super Bowl run in 2005. He also has written two books on the Seahawks: "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Heart-Pounding, ...
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