Saints Postgame Notes
*Sunday's win was the 50th regular season victory for Saints coach Sean Payton. He joins Jim Mora as the only coaches in franchise history to reach the 50-win mark.
*QB Drew Brees won his 50th regular season game as well in a Saints uniform, which makes him the winningest starting quarterback in team history. Brees was tied with Bobby Hebert at 49 wins.
*Sunday's crowd of 73,019 is the largest ever to see a Saints regular season game in the Superdome. The Dome's capacity was increased by approximately 3,000 this offseason with the re-configuring of the Plaza level. The last home crowd this large was in the Saints' final season in old Tulane Stadium, when 74,289 watched the Saints play Miami on Nov. 10, 1974.
*The Saints set a franchise record by winning their fourth consecutive home opener (2008 vs. Tampa Bay, 2009 vs. Detroit, 2010 vs. Minnesota). The Saints won three consecutive home openers from 2001-03 and 1991-93. The Saints improved to 5-1 in home openers under Payton.
*This marked the third consecutive season the Saints played its home opener against an opponent from the NFC North.
*The Saints have scored 30 or more points in each of their first two games this season. It's the third time in franchise history New Orleans has opened with back-to-back games of 30 or more, joining the 1993 and 2009 teams.
*Brees, who was 26 of 37 for 270 yards and three touchdowns, finished with a passer rating was 118.1 – the 37th time in his six seasons as a Saint he has had a passer rating of 100 or more. The Saints are 30-7 in those games.
*Brees' three touchdown passes increased his career total to 241, passing fellow Purdue alumnus Len Dawson for 17th place all-time on the NFL list.
*Brees has thrown a touchdown pass in 29 consecutive games, the fourth-longest streak in NFL history. He broke a tie with Dave Krieg for fourth.
*WR Devery Henderson has started 2011 with back-to-back 100-yard games, his first such back-to-back performances since 2006. Henderson finished with three receptions for 103 yards and a TD. It was his ninth career 100-yard game, tied for fifth-most in Saints history with Wes Chandler and Donte' Stallworth.
*The last Saint to have consecutive 100-yard receiving games was Marques Colston, who achieved the feat last season against Seattle and Dallas.
*Henderson's performance moved him into sixth place on the club's all-time list with 3,761 receiving yards, passing Quinn Early.
*Henderson caught a 79-yard touchdown pass from Brees in the second quarter, the Saints' longest play from scrimmage since an 80-yard pass from Brees to Lance Moore last Sept. 26 vs. Atlanta.
*Henderson now has a TD reception of 75 yards or longer in three of the last four seasons. He caught a career-long 84-yard TD pass in 2008 vs. Tampa Bay and a 75-yard TD pass in 2009 vs. New England.
*Henderson's touchdown catch was the 19th receiving TD of his career, moving him past teammate Robert Meachem into sole possession of 10th place in franchise history – temporarily. Meachem caught a third-quarter TD from Brees for his 19th career TD reception.
*K John Kasay kicked three field goals, giving him 438 for his career and moving him past Jason Elam for sixth place in NFL history.
*Kasay's 53-yard field goal in the second quarter was the 41st field goal of 50 or more yards in his career, breaking a tie with former Saint Morten Andersen for second place all-time in NFL history. Jason Hanson (45 entering today) holds the NFL record for most field goals of 50 or more yards.
*Kasay has made at least one 50-yard field goal in 18 of his 20 NFL seasons.
*The Saints defense had six sacks against the Bears, their most in a game since 2008. S Roman Harper and DE Junior Galette led the way with 2.0 sacks apiece.
*Harper's sacks came on consecutive plays in the fourth quarter. Harper has 12.0 sacks since 2006, passing Arizona's Adrian Wilson for most among safeties in the NFL.
*Galette, who did not have a sack in his rookie season in 2010, has 2.5 sacks in the first two games, tied with Harper for the team lead.
*LB Jonathan Casillas had a sack for the second consecutive week.
*DT Aubrayo Franklin played in his 100th career game – 36 with Baltimore, 62 with San Francisco and two with the Saints.
