New Orleans Saints at Oakland Raiders - Sunday, August 28, 2011
Saints Postgame Notes
*The Saints are now 2-1 in the preseason. They will fly back to New Orleans after spending the past week in California. On Thursday, they will host the Tennessee Titans for the preseason finale in the Louisiana Superdome. Kickoff is 7 p.m.
*New Orleans rolled up 514 yards of total offense, including 388 through the air. The Saints also successfully converted 9-of-15 (60%) of their third down conversions.
*No stranger to Oakland from his days as the quarterback of the San Diego Chargers, QB Drew Brees enjoyed a productive evening, as he played his team's first three series' for the third consecutive week, leading them to scores on each drive. Brees completed 15-of-23 passes for 189 yards.
*QB Chase Daniel entered the game late in the second quarter for the Saints. He finished 9 of 18 for 191 yards with a three-yard touchdown pass to TE Tory Humphrey and a 38-yard scoring throw to WR Adrian Arrington.
*New Orleans' running backs group enjoyed a productive evening. Pierre Thomas started and carried three times for nine yards, including a one-yard touchdown. Rookie RB Mark Ingram scored a touchdown for the third consecutive week on a one-yard run. He also had two receptions for 24 yards. Darren Sproles had three carries for 14 yards. In the second half, Joique Bell in his return following a knee injury that caused him to miss the second preseason contest, had six carries for 50 yards, and two receptions for 92 yards, including a screen pass from Daniel, where he broke several tackles in rambling down the sideline for a 60-yard gain, the longest play from scrimmage for the preseason by New Orleans. Bell also had a one-yard touchdown dive on the last play of the third quarter to extend New Orleans' lead to 32-20.
*10 different Saints players recorded receptions.
*The tight end position enjoyed a productive evening for the Saints. TE Jimmy Graham led the Saints in receiving with five receptions for 73 yards. Humphrey later had a third quarter three-yard touchdown reception.
*The Saints scored on their first three offensive drives of the contest. New Orleans took the ball first and went down the field on a 12-play, 80-yard scoring drive that ended with a one-yard touchdown run by Ingram. On the drive, QB Drew Brees completed seven-of-nine passes for 80 yards, including a 37-yard completion to WR Devery Henderson. The Saints then subsequently scored on their second drive with Brees engineering an 11-yard, 80-play drive that included pass plays of 23- and 24-yards to Graham and WR Robert Meachem, ending with a one-yard scoring dive by RB Pierre Thomas. On their third drive, which occurred in the second quarter, the Saints extended their lead to 17-7 on a 13-play, 63-yard drive. Brees and Graham connected on a pair of 19-yard pass plays on the drive, one on a third-and-nine situation and Ingram also converted first downs on third-and-one and second-and-one situations. K Garrett Hartley kicked a 33-yard field goal.
*In the first half, the New Orleans defense kept Oakland out of the red zone on three-of-four drives. On Oakland's final drive of the half, S Jonathon Amaya, making his first start as a Saint, picked off a pass thrown to the end zone by Raiders QB Jason Campbell on a play where the pass was also deflected by S Malcolm Jenkins.
*CB Jabari Greer led the New Orleans defense with five tackles.
*DE Junior Galette recovered a fumbled snap in the fourth quarter that gave the New Orleans offense possession at the Oakland 38-yard line, which helped set up the 38-yard scoring pass play from Daniel to Arrington.
