2nd photo gallery from the New Orleans Saints preseason game against the New Orleans Saints at Indianapolis Colts on Saturday, August 23, 2014. Photos by Michael C. Hebert (New Orleans Saints photos)
The New Orleans Saints will look to build off of the momentum of Thursday night's 31-21 win over the Atlanta Falcons when they make their first-ever regular season visit to Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday, October 25 to face the Indianapolis Colts at 12:00 pm CT. New Orleans (2-4) will look to improve to 3-4 and continue to jump back into the NFC South race with two home games following the Colts contest.
The Saints and the Colts have met 11 times in the regular season with New Orleans holding a 6-5 edge. The clubs also faced off in Super Bowl XLIV, where New Orleans took a 31-17 win on February 7, 2010. The Saints have won two of their three regular season trips to Indianapolis.
The Saints offense has steadily improved as the season has progressed. New Orleans currently ranks third in the NFC and seventh in the NFL with 387.0 yards per game. In the month of October, QB Drew Brees has completed 89-of-123 passes for 1,006 yards with five touchdowns, one interception and a 106.6 passer rating. Over this period, he ranks first in the NFL in completion percentage, second in completions, third in passing yardage and fourth in passer rating.
The signal-caller put on an exhibition in efficiency against Atlanta in the prime time contest, completing 30-of39 passes (76.9%) for 312 yards, one touchdown pass to TE Benjamin Watson and a 108.1 passer rating, while directing New Orleans to play turnover-free football.
Watson enjoyed one of the most productive games of his 12-year career, and his most prolific as a Saint, when he finished with 10 receptions for 127 yards (12.7 avg.) with one touchdown. He tied a career-high for catches and set a new career-best for receiving yardage.
Contributions were also crucial on both defense and on special teams in the victory. New Orleans recovered three fumbles in the contest, while pressure from the front seven resulted in a season-high five sacks, three from DE Cameron Jordan in the fourth quarter to tie a career-high, including a strip sack that he recovered with 17 seconds remaining in the contest.
Third-year LB Michael Mauti, who was picked up off of waivers from Minnesota at the end of the preseason provided one of the evening's most memorable moments. Near the end of the first quarter, he blocked a punt and returned it four yards for a touchdown, New Orleans' first blocked punt since 2012.
