St. Louis Rams vs. New Orleans Saints ● Sunday, December 12, 2010
Saints Postgame Notes
- The Saints reached the 10-win mark for the second straight year. The last time New Orleans had back-to-back seasons of double-digit wins was in 1991-92.
- The Saints have scored 30 or more points in five consecutive games for the second time in franchise history. The only other instance was from Oct. 6-Nov. 10, 2002, when New Orleans topped the 30-point mark against Pittsburgh (32), Washington (43), San Francisco (35), Atlanta (35) and Carolina (34).
- The Saints drove 72 yards in 13 plays for their opening touchdown on the game's first possession. It is the eighth time in 13 games the Saints have scored on their first drive (six TD, two FG). Sunday's opening scoring drive took 6:35, the longest of the eight opening-possession scoring drives in 2010.
- Going back to the start of the 2009 season, the Saints have scored on their first offensive possession 18 times (13 TD, five FG) in 32 games (including playoffs).
- FS Malcolm Jenkins entered the game with one career interception, but had a pair of INTs on Sunday. He returned his first one 96 yards for a touchdown in the final minute of the first half.
- Jenkins' 96-yard return was the fourth-longest in Saints history. Three of the top four INT returns have occurred in the last two seasons. The longest returns in franchise history:
- 99 (TD), Darren Sharper, vs. N.Y. Jets, 10/4/09
T2. 97 (TD), Tommy Myers, vs. Minnesota, 9/3/78
T2. 97 (TD) Darren Sharper, at Philadelphia, 9/20/09
- 96 (TD), Malcolm Jenkins, vs. St. Louis, 12/12/10
- Jenkins also intercepted a fourth-quarter pass and returned it nine yards. His 105 interception return yards are the second-most in team history, behind only Tommy Myers' 151 (on three picks) against Minnesota on Sept. 3, 1978.
- QB Drew Brees completed 25 of 40 passes for 221 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.
- Brees has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 24 consecutive regular season games, dating back to Week 4 of last season.
- WR Marques Colston caught five passes for 46 yards and two touchdowns. Colston, who also had two touchdown receptions in the Saints' last home game Nov. 21 against Seattle, has caught five TD passes in his last four games.
- With his two first-quarter scores, Colston raised his career total to 40, becoming the fifth player in franchise history with 40 or more TDs. Deuce McAllister (55), Dalton Hilliard (53), Joe Horn (50) and Eric Martin (48) are the others.
- In his first game since Sept. 26, RB Pierre Thomas had 12 carries for 39 yards and four receptions for 29 yards.
- S Roman Harper forced his team-leading fifth fumble of the season in the first quarter. Harper is tied for fourth in the NFL in forced fumbles. He has 11 forced fumbles in his five-year NFL career.
- Harper added a third-quarter sack, his second in the last two games and third of the season.
- One week after converting a season-low one of eight attempts on third down, the Saints converted on their first seven third down tries Sunday and finished the day at 11-of-16. The New Orleans defense held St. Louis to 1-of-11 on third downs.
- Thanks to its two long touchdown drives to open the game, the Saints kept the football for 13:01 in the first quarter.
