Saints marching on after improbable rally
Drew Brees isn't sure about voodoo.
Destiny and karma? His long NFL career has made him subscribe to both concepts, and the New Orleans Saints' wild undefeated season has only made him more of a believer.
Especially after their improbable 33-30 overtime win Sunday over a Washington Redskins team as snakebit as the Saints are charmed.
New Orleans trailed by 10 in the fourth quarter and played more than four quarters without holding a lead — until Garrett Hartley kicked an 18-yard field goal 6:29 into the extra period for the victory.
Brees led a no-timeout, 80-yard drive in just 33 seconds to tie the game late in regulation. The Saints are now 12-0, with the NFC South title in hand.
How to explain a badly shanked punt that turns into a 29-yard gain? An interception by Brees that somehow becomes a touchdown for teammate Robert Meachem?
"Crazy plays," linebacker Jonathan Vilma said. "When you're hot, you're hot. And sometimes it's better to be lucky than good."
New Orleans also showed it can brave the cold, winning a sub-40 degree game for the first time since 1995. Well, maybe. The defense, led by former Redskins defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, offered minimal resistance, allowing Washington to pile up 455 yards and score 30 points for the first time in Jim Zorn's 28 games as coach.
"I don't think the best team won today," Redskins center Casey Rabach said. "We had some bad breaks, some bizarre things happened."
Colts 27, Titans 17At Indianapolis, the Colts tied the NFL record for longest winning streak, beating Tennessee for its 21st consecutive regular-season victory.The only other team to win that many in a row: New England from 2006-08. The Colts (12-0) can break the record next week at home against Denver.
Cardinals 30, Vikings 17At Glendale, Ariz., Kurt Warner, back after missing a game with a concussion, threw for 285 yards and three touchdowns and the Arizona Cardinals' defense stifled Brett Favre and Minnesota.
Dolphins 22, Patriots 21At Miami, when Tom Brady missed repeated chances to put the game away in the fourth quarter, Chad Henne and the Miami Dolphins took advantage.Henne threw for a career-high 335 yards and directed a 51-yard drive for the winning field goal with 1:02 left, and Miami rallied past New England.
Eagles 34, Falcons 7Making quite a return to the Georgia Dome, Michael Vick accounted for a pair of touchdowns — one running, the other passing — and basked in the cheers of his former home.Giants 31, Cowboys 24At East Rutherford, N.J., Brandon Jacobs had the Giants' longest play of the season for just a few minutes, then Domenik Hixon topped it, lifting New York past Dallas.Jacobs covered 74 yards after taking a short pass from Eli Manning, his touchdown putting the Giants ahead 21-17 in the third quarter. Not to be outdone, Hixon went 79 yards with a punt return for a 31-17 lead in the final period.Chargers 30, Browns 23At Cleveland, LaDainian Tomlinson scored his 150th career TD and passed Hall of Famer Jim Brown for eighth place on the career rushing list and San Diego won its seventh straight and 15th in a row in December.Bengals 23, Lions 13At Cincinnati, running back Cedric Benson returned from a two-game layoff because of an injured hip and tied the team record with his fifth 100-yard game of the season, setting up Cincinnati's victory over Detroit that had even greater significance for the franchise.Jaguars 23, Texans 18At Jacksonville, Fla., David Garrard threw two touchdown passes, Josh Scobee kicked three field goals and Jacksonville stayed in the AFC wild-card hunt.Panthers 16, Buccaneers 6At Charlotte, N.C., Jonathan Stewart rushed for 120 yards and the game's only touchdown, and the Panthers intercepted rookie Josh Freeman five times — three times near the goal line.Bears 17, Rams 9At Chicago, Jay Cutler fizzled after a strong start, throwing for 143 yards and a touchdown without an interception.Broncos 44, Chiefs 13At Kansas City, Mo., Kyle Orton threw two touchdown passes and Denver used a punishing running game to manhandle Kansas City.Seahawks 20, 49ers 17At Seattle, Olindo Mare kicked a 30-yard field goal as time expired to send Seattle over San Francisco, which wasted many opportunities.
