Game notes: New Orleans Saints vs. Washington Redskins

With the win, New Orleans improves their record to 4-1 and extends their winning streak to 4 games

Oct 09, 2018 at 01:27 AM

New Orleans Saints

New Orleans Saints vs Washington Redskins - Monday, Oct. 8, 2018 - Mercedes-Benz Superdome - Saints Postgame Notes

With the win, New Orleans improves their record to 4-1 and extends their winning streak to 4 games. It is the eighth four-game winning streak since Sean Payton was hired as head coach in 2006. The Saints remain a half-game ahead of the 3-1 Carolina Panthers in first place in the NFC South. Following a Week Six bye, the Saints return to action on Sunday, October 21 when they face the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium with a scheduled 3:05 p.m. CT kickoff.
Offensively New Orleans ran up 447 total net yards, while surrendering only 283 total net yards defensively. The Saints have scored at least 31 points in three consecutive weeks for the first time since the last three games of 2016. The defense surrendered under 20 points for the second consecutive week and for the third time in four weeks.
New Orleans surrendered only 39 rushing yards on 18 attempts, giving up only 2.2 yards per carry.
QB Drew Brees played in his 195th career game as a Saint, tied for second in franchise history with LB Rickey Jackson and finished the game with 363 yards, becoming the NFL's all-time leading passer with 72,103 yards. He surpassed former Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning and moved into first all-time with his 62-yard touchdown pass to WR Tre'Quan Smith in the second quarter. Brees started the game a perfect 8 of 8 passing and finished the contest 26-of-29 for 363 yards, three touchdowns and a 153.2 passer rating. Brees finished the game with a career-high 89.7 completion percentage. It was the highest completion percentage ever on Monday Night Football, surpassing Oakland QB Rich Gannon's 89.5 completion percentage on November 11, 2002. It was the ninth-best completion percentage all-time (minimum 20 attempts) in a regular season contest.
Brees has not thrown an interception in a career-high six consecutive regular season contests dating back to the 2017 finale and has not been picked off in 232 consecutive pass attempts.
The Saints' win improves their all-time record against Washington to 10-17 and gives them back-to-back wins over Washington for the first time since back-to-back victories in 2002-03. Tonight's win also improves New Orleans' home record against Washington to 5-9.
Tonight's win improves the Saints home record to 2-1, giving New Orleans a winning mark both at home and on the road (2-0) this season.
Tonight's win broke a three-game skid for the Saints on Monday Night Football and improves the franchise's record on Mondays to 19-22 overall, 13-7 since 2006.
The 24-point differential is the Saints largest point-differential of 2018 and most lopsided win since defeating Buffalo 47-10 on November 12, 2017.
The Saints scored 43 points and have now scored 180 points in their first five games. The only other time New Orleans has scored that many points in the first five games of a season was 2009, when they scored 192.
With the win, Sean Payton now has a winning record against Washington Head Coach Jay Gruden, the 41st head coach he has a winning record against.
Smith scored his first career touchdown on the 62-yard pass from Brees and finished the game with 3 receptions for 111 yards and 2 scores, all career-highs.
In his first game this season, RB Mark Ingram finished with 16 rushes for 53 yards and two touchdowns. His two scores move him into a tie with Joe Horn for fifth most touchdowns in Saints history with 50.
LB Demario Davis recorded his 700th career tackle with his third quarter tackle of Washington RB Chris Thompson. He finished the game with six tackles.
QB Taysom Hill rushed 5 times for 23 yards and scored his first career touchdown on a 1-yard run in the third quarter.
In his 117th consecutive game played, DE Cameron Jordan finished with one sack and has now taken down 27 different quarterbacks in his career after dropping Washington signal-caller Alex Smith.
DE Sheldon Rankins recorded his second sack of the season with his first quarter sack of Smith on third down. Rankins finished with two tackles.
TE Josh Hill scored his first touchdown of the season and finished with two receptions for 24 yards and one touchdown.
WR Cameron Meredith finished with five receptions for 71 yards, both season-highs.
S Vonn Bell had a pass defense for the second week in a row and finished with a team-high eight tackles including one tackle for loss.
DB Justin Hardee recorded his first career interception and returned it 77 yards to the Washington four-yard line. The third quarter interception was New Orleans' second interception and fourth takeaway of the season.
DE Marcus Davenport recorded his second sack of the season and first career forced fumble on his strip-sack of Smith in the third quarter. The fumble was recovered by LB A.J. Klein and was New Orleans' fifth takeaway of the season.
New Orleans' defense recorded three sacks for the fourth consecutive week, increasing their total to 12 sacks in 2018.
K Wil Lutz made a 44-yard FG in the fourth quarter and has made at least one FG in each of his last 26 games.
P Thomas Morstead went the whole game without a punt for the first time since New Orleans beat the Bills 47-10 on November 12, 2017 at Buffalo.
New Orleans' 43 points tonight ties a season-high set at Atlanta on September 23 and it marks the third consecutive season that the Saints have scored at least 40 points twice in a season.