Latest news with #SaintsPlayoftheDay
USA Today
14 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Garrett Hartley's iconic 40-yard FG is the Saints Play of the Day
'I don't want you thinking about anything but hitting that fleur-de-[expletive]-lis' We're down to 40 days until the New Orleans Saints kick off their 2025 regular season, and Garrett Hartley's 40-yard field goal against the Minnesota Vikings is our Saints Play of the Day. Now, a 40-yard field goal in itself isn't too exciting. But this kick in particular had the highest stakes of any play in team history. Hartley sent the Saints to Super Bowl XLIV by nailing his field goal in overtime of the NFC championship game. He followed Sean Payton's advice to aim for the team's black and gold fleur-de-lis waving on a banner between the uprights. It was one of the hardest-fought games in recent memory. The score was tied up four times and the Saints defensed hammered the Vikings offense, taking advantage of two Brett Favre interceptions and a three lost fumbles from Adrian Peterson, Percy Harvin, and Bernard Berrian. Minnesota's ball security proved to be their downfall when Favre threw his second interception in the final seconds of regulation; Tracy Porter picked it off, setting the stage for his iconic pick-six off of Peyton Manning in the Super Bowl. As for Hartley? His season to this point was wild. He'd been suspended for the first four games and was inactive during the next seven contests before getting called in to replace John Carney. He went 9-of-11 on field goals and 10-of-11 on extra points in the team's last five regular season games, but he kicked things into gear in the playoffs. Hartley was perfect on each of his field goals (including three of them in the Super Bowl from distances of 46, 44, and 47 yards) and all 12 of his extra point tries. It's not enough to say the Saints wouldn't have won Super Bowl XLIV without him. Without Hartley, they wouldn't have even gotten there.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Drew Brees' 41-yard TD pass against his former team is the Saints Play of the Day
The Chargers dropped eight defenders into coverage, but sending all eleven wouldn't have been enough Just 41 days stand between us and the New Orleans Saints' season opener, so we're highlighting one of the most exciting games in recent memory for the Saints Play of the Day. Our pick is this 41-yard touchdown pass from Drew Brees in his high-profile duel with Los Angeles Chargers superstar Justin Herbert. You can see it for yourself right here. After being sacked by Joey Bosa on first down, Brees bounced back and threw a dart to tight end Jared Cook, who caught the pass with three Chargers trailing him around the L.A. 8-yard line. The Chargers rushed three with eight defenders dropping into coverage, but it wasn't enough. Cook torched rookie linebacker Kenneth Murray and free safety Nasir Adderley was too slow to cover up the mistake. Cook punctuated his run to the end zone with a leap over the goal line, and Wil Lutz kicked the equalizing extra point. It was a hard-fought battle. Herbert rallied with a 64-yard touchdown pass to Mike Williams down the sideline. Brees led an eight-play, 73-yard scoring drive to run out the clock, capped by a 9-yard Taysom Hill touchdown run. Chargers kicker Michael Badgley boomed a 50-yard field goal that would've won the day off the upright, and the game went to overtime. Brees led another drive into Los Angeles territory to set up Lutz for a field goal, and he nailed it (from 36 yards). The Chargers asked Herbert to save the day but it wasn't meant to be. Three of his last four passes fell incomplete, and the game ended with a turnover on downs after Marshon Lattimore made a heady tackle to stop Williams short of the first down marker.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
The 'River City Relay' is the Saints Play of the Day
John Carney's lowest moment in the NFL wasn't the end of his story We're on Day 42 in our countdown to the New Orleans Saints' season opener, which means we had to make a difficult choice for the Saints Play of the Day. 42 yards is how far the first throw traveled in the infamous "River City Relay," getting the desperate New Orleans offense out of their own territory and putting the Jacksonville Jaguars defense on its heels as time ran out in Week 16. You can watch it for yourself right here. But it wasn't the only pass completed that afternoon. After Aaron Brooks went deep to Donte Stallworth, the wide receiver lateraled to his teammate Michael Lewis, who picked up 7 yards; by that time, running back Deuce McAllister had worked his way downfield to take the pitch. McAllister gained another 5 yards and found Jerome Pathon wide open with a clean path to the end zone. Pathon ran the last 21 yards to score a touchdown, stunning everyone in the stadium and watching from home. Of course we know what happened next. John Carney trotted out to kick what should've been the tying extra point to send the game to overtime. But he shanked it, Jacksonville won the day, and New Orleans left with an embarrassing loss. That wasn't the end of anyone's story. Carney spent the three years with the Saints and even appeared in eight games with the Jaguars later in his career, only to return to New Orleans in time for their Super Bowl run in 2009. He did a solid job filling in for Garrett Hartley early that season, until the young pro got back on the field in December, at which point he stuck around as a "kicking consultant." At the time, Carney was just the sixth player in NFL history to appear in 300 regular season games. He made a lot of great memories with New Orleans, even if this afternoon in Jacksonville wasn't one of them.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Darren Sproles' statement-making punt return TD is the Saints Play of Day 43
We are now only 43 days away from the New Orleans Saints' season opener in Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals, which makes Darren Sproles' (who wore No. 43, of course) punt return touchdown our Saints Play of the Day. Despite happening in a loss, this was a phenomenal showing for Sproles, who had 7 receptions for 75 yards, 2 kick returns for 76 yards, and 2 punt returns for 92 yards with the touchdown in his Saints debut. This Week 1 matchup was a battle of the offenses, as the score ended up being 42-34 in this shootout between Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers. At the time of the play the Saints were down 21-10, with 8:55 left in the half. The punt ended up traveling 52 yards, down to the New Orleans 28-yard line, where Sproles received it and took off to blow by every Green Bay Packers defender on his way to the end zone. A 72-yard punt return touchdown in his Saints debut was certainly one way to endear himself to fans. Despite this game ending with a loss, the Saints had a chance because of this play before halftime by Sproles, and he was able to show off his prowess in returning both punts and kicks for New Orleans over the course of the next three years. While this was his only return touchdown for the Saints, he did have 70 kick returns for 1,827 yards, and a long return of 92 yards during those three seasons. He was a special player and big plays like this have done a lot to maintain a strong reputation among Saints fans ever since.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Robert Meachem's game-changing fumble recovery is the Saints Play of the Day
.@drewbrees throws.@R_Meachem17 was nowhere near that simple… (Dec. 6, 2009) How's this for a throwback? With just 44 days left until the start of the New Orleans Saints' 2025 season, we're highlighting Robert Meachem's 44-yard touchdown as the Saints Play of the Day. But it's a little more complicated than Drew Brees throwing the football and Meachem carrying it into the end zone. You really need to see it for yourself, but here's how the official NFL gamebook summarized the play: (Shotgun) pass short middle intended for INTERCEPTED by at WAS 30. to WAS 44 for 44 yards ( FUMBLES ( RECOVERED by at WAS 44. for 44 yards, TOUCHDOWN. The Replay Assistant challenged the incomplete pass ruling, and the play was Upheld. That's right -- Meachem made up for his quarterback's mistake, and then some. Falling back under pressure while facing 3rd-and-26 in the final minute before halftime, trailing 17-10, Brees forced the ball to his tight end Jeremy Shockey to try and make a play. He took the snap out of shotgun at the Washington 48-yard line and backpedaled with multiple defenders in his face, ultimately throwing from New Orleans' 41 while being shoved to the ground. Several defenders crashed down on Shockey and safety Kareem Moore took the ball away. Then Meachem stepped in. Moore got to his feet and tried to work his way through traffic up to midfield, but Meachem stopped him, stripped the ball away, and sprinted down the sideline for what was arguably the play of the year. Meachem came through again in the second half, catching a 54-yard touchdown pass from Brees that forced the game to overtime. A Garrett Hartley field goal in extra minutes put them ahead 33-30. The Saints returned to New Orleans with a tough win, having improved to 12-0, and they went on to win it all in Super Bowl XLIV. You have to wonder how things may have gone differently if Meachem hadn't made such a heady play. What if the Saints had lost in Washington and ceded homefield advantage throughout the playoffs to the Minnesota Vikings instead? Thankfully, we're not in that timeline, so we don't have to do more than wonder about it.
