<span>
            <span style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline;">Detroit Lions vs. New Orleans Saints Postgame Notes</span>

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• Saints QB Drew Brees completed 26 of 34 passes for 358 yards with a career-high and Saints record-tying six touchdown passes and one interception. His passer rating was  137.0 .
• The Saints' record for TD passes had stood alone for nearly 40 years. Billy Kilmer threw six touchdown passes in a 51-42 victory at St. Louis on 11/2/69.
• Brees' previous career high was five TD passes, on Dec. 10, 2006 at Dallas, and Oct. 31, 2004 (with San Diego) vs. Oakland.
• Brees' six-TD pass game was one shy of the NFL record and the first six-TD pass game since Brett Favre for the New York Jets against Arizona on 9/28/08.
• Brees' yardage total is the most ever by a Saints QB on Kickoff Weekend. He threw for 343 yards in last year's opening victory over Tampa Bay.
• Brees had his eighth career game, and his second in a row (going back to last year's season finale), with at least four touchdown passes. It's the second time in Brees' career he has had back-to-back games of 4 TD passes.
• Five of Brees' 4 TD games have come in a Saints uniform; he is the only quarterback in Saints history to pass for four or more TDs in a game more than once.
• RB Mike Bell had his first 100-yard rushing game in a Saints uniform with a career-high 143 yards on 28 carries. Bell became the sixth Saints running back to rush for 100 yards on Kickoff Weekend, and the first since Deuce McAllister in 2002 at Tampa Bay.
• Bell's 100-yard effort was the second of his career. As a rookie in Denver, he rushed for 136 yards on 15 carries vs. Indianapolis 10/29/06.
• WR Marques Colston's first-quarter touchdown reception was the 25th of his career, moving into a tie for fifth in club history with WR Quinn Early.
• WR Devery Henderson had 103 yards on five receptions for his sixth career 100-yard game, which ranks seventh all-time among Saints receivers. It's the 11th time in franchise history (and the fifth this decade) a Saint has had 100 yards receiving on Kickoff Weekend.
• TE Jeremy Shockey tied his career high with two touchdown receptions. Shockey, who did not have a TD catch in 2008, had his second career two-TD game; the other was for the Giants against Atlanta 10/15/06.
• The Saints finished with 515 yards total offense (157 rush, 358 pass), its first 500-yard game since 12/21/08 at Detroit. Last year against the Lions, the Saints gained 532 yards (181 rush, 351 pass).
• S Darren Sharper, who leads all active NFL players in interceptions, began the day in a tie for 18th place on the NFL's career interception list. He had two INTs to increase his career total to 56, moving Sharper up to a tie for 15th place with Lem Barney and Pat Fischer. He tied and then passed New Orleans native and former Cardinals and Rams DB Aeneas Williams, who had 55 career picks.
• Sharper had just one interception all of last season with Minnesota. His career high for interceptions in a game is three, with Minnesota against the New York Giants 11/13/05.
• The Saints have started 1-0 in back-to-back seasons for the fourth time in franchise history (others: 1998-99, 2001-02, 2005-06).
• The win gives the Saints a 10-9-1 edge in the all-time series with the Lions. The Saints also lead all-time series against the Kansas City Chiefs (5-4) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (20-14).
• The 45 points scored by the Saints is the most ever on Kickoff Weekend. The previous high of 34 was in 1979, in a 40-34 overtime loss to Atlanta. The Saints have also scored 33 points twice in opening games.

Saints With 100 Yards Rushing on Kickoff Weekend

206* (24 att.), George Rogers vs. St. Louis, 9/4/83 (W)

161 (22 att.), Chuck Muncie vs. Atlanta, 9/2/79 (L/OT)

147 (24 att.), Rueben Mayes vs. Cleveland, 9/13/87 (W)

143 (28 att.), Mike Bell vs. Detroit, 9/13/09 (W)

109 (31 att.), Deuce McAllister at Tampa Bay, 9/8/02 (W/OT)

102 (20 att.), George Rogers vs. Atlanta, 9/2/84 (L)

*franchise record for rushing yards in a game

Saints With 300 Yards Passing on Kickoff Weekend

358, Drew Brees vs. Detroit, 9/13/09 (26 of 34) (W)

343, Drew Brees vs. Tampa Bay, 9/7/08 (23 of 32) (W)

326, Jim Everett vs. Kansas City, 9/4/94 (26 of 37) (L)

314, Archie Manning vs. San Francisco, 9/7/80 (25 of 40) (L)

Saints With 100 Yards Receiving on Kickoff Weekend

205* (6 rec.), Wes Chandler vs. Atlanta, 9/2/79 (L/OT)

117 (8 rec.), Wes Chandler at Atlanta, 9/6/81 (L)

112 (8 rec.), Reggie Bush (RB) vs. Tampa Bay, 9/7/08 (W)

111 (7 rec.), Eric Martin vs. Houston, 9/5/93

110 (6 rec.), Joe Horn vs. Seattle, 9/12/04

108 (8 rec.), Joe Horn at Tampa Bay, 9/8/02 (W/OT)

103 (5 rec.), Devery Henderson vs. Detroit, 9/13/09 (W)

103 (6 rec.), Larry Hardy vs. San Francisco, 9/7/80 (L)

103 (6 rec.), Lindsay Scott vs. St. Louis, 9/12/82 (L)

101 (8 rec.), Quinn Early vs. Kansas City, 9/4/94 (L)

101 (8 rec.), Donte' Stallworth at Seattle, 9/7/03 (L)

*franchise record for receiving yards in a game