KANSAS CITY CHIEFS VS. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2012 ● MERCEDES-BENZ SUPERDOME
SAINTS POSTGAME NOTES
*The Saints are now 9-12 in regular-season overtime games. Sunday marked the first game the Saints have played under the NFL's modified overtime rules.
*Before today, the Saints' last overtime loss was, coincidentally, a 27-24 loss in Week 3. That came in the 2010 season against the Atlanta Falcons.
*QB Drew Breescompleted 20 of 36 passes for 240 yards, three touchdowns, one interception and a passer rating of 92.4.
*Brees' first-quarter, nine-yard touchdown pass to WR Lance Moore extended his streak of consecutive games with a touchdown pass to 46, second-longest in NFL history. Johnny Unitasholds the NFL record of 47 consecutive games with a scoring throw. Brees will have the opportunity to tie the record next Sunday at the Green Bay Packers
*Brees ended the day with 3,688 career completions, moving past Fran Tarkentonto eighth place all-time in NFL record books.
*While Brees extended his NFL-record streak of games with 20 or more completions to 39, his league-record streak of nine consecutive games with 300 or more yards passing was snapped.
*TE Jimmy Graham caught four passes for 16 yards and a one-yard touchdown in the third quarter. It is Graham's sixth consecutive regular season game with a touchdown catch, dating back to the 2011 season, putting him alone in first place in the team record books. He broke a tie with Marques Colston, Moore and Robert Meachem, who each had TD catches in five straight games.
Among tight ends, Graham is also tied with Rob Gronkowski (2011) and Tony Gonzalez* **(2008-09) for the second-most consecutive games with a receiving touchdown in NFL history. Only Antonio Gates, who had nine straight games with a TD catch between 2009 and 2010, has a longer streak.
*Additionally, Graham tied the team record for consecutive games with a touchdown, joining RB Pierre Thomas(2008) and RB Dalton Hilliard, who did it twice (1988-89 and 1992). His streak of six consecutive games with a touchdown also ties Buffalo's C.J. Spiller, who also scored today, for the longest active streak in the NFL.
*RB Darren Sproles' 47-yard run on the opening possession was his first carry of the season and the longest rush of his career. Sproles' previous long came while a member of the San Diego Chargers – 37 yards in 2008 against the Denver Broncos. Sproles led the Saints in rushing with seven carries for 62 yards.
*Moore had four catches for a team-leading 70 yards. His first-quarter touchdown was the 33rd of his career, to move into a tie with FB Tony Galbreath(1976-80) and RB Reggie Bush(2006-10) for seventh in franchise history.
*K Garrett Hartleywas one-for-two on field goals. Before missing a second quarter 38-yard field goal attempt, Hartley had booted 13 consecutive field goals dating back to the 2010 season, the second-longest streak of his career. Hartley's longest streak was 16 straight field goals in 2008-09, an NFL record for consecutive field goals to start a career.
*P Thomas Morsteadpunted six times for a 55.8-yard average. Morstead's second quarter 70-yard punt was a career-long, topping his previous career best of 65, set just a week ago at Carolina.
*The Saints forced a season-high three turnovers, including takeaways on consecutive offensive snaps in the second and third quarter. CB Jabari Greer's third-quarter 28-yard interception return was the Saints' first interception of the season.
*DE Junior Galette tied a career-high with two sacks, both of which occurred on the final drive of the first half. Galette's second takedown forced Chiefs QB Matt Casselto fumble, which was recovered by DE Cameron Jordan.
*LB Jonathan Casillashad a fumble recovery for the second consecutive week, when in the third quarter, it was ruled following a New Orleans challenge, that he had picked up a reception fumbled by Kansas City WR Dexter McCluster at the New Orleans 19-yard line.
*DE Will Smithrecorded his first sack of the 2012 season in a key third down situation in the third quarter that forced Kansas City to kick a 40-yard field goal. Smith now has 62.5 career sacks in nine NFL seasons.
*LB Curtis Lofton led the Saints with 13 tackles (nine solo).
