All time leader in passing yards? Check. Mr. 500? You’ll have to wait a couple weeks to see Drew Brees join that very exclusive club.
The New Orleans Saints (4-1) were firing on all cylinders, especially on offense, racking up over 400 yards of total offense on the way to a 43-16 win over the Washington Redskins (2-2).
After forcing a three-and-out, the Saints marched down the field and got down to the Washington one-yard line with a 28-yard screen pass to Mark Ingram. Two plays later, he finished the job with a two-yard jog into the endzone to make it 6-0 after Will Lutz missed the extra point.
The Redskins looked poised to take the lead on the next drive after Marshon Lattimore and AJ Klein went down with injury, but Sheldon Rankins was able to take down Alex Smith and force them to kick a 37-yarder from former Saint Dustin Hopkins.
The Saints offense was the beneficiary of some drive-extending penalties on Washington and that led to Brees connecting with Josh Hill in the endzone to make it a ten-point ballgame. Washington’s offense was stymied yet again on the next drive midway through the second quarter and had to settle for a 53-yarder from Hopkins.
The Saints responded with another efficient drive for the Saints, highlighted by a 46-yard pass from Drew Brees to Cam Meredith to get them to the Washington eight-yard line. Three plays later, Ingram got his second rushing touchdown of the evening from one-yard out to make it 20-6.
After forcing a three-and-out, Drew Brees electrified the Mercedes-Benz Superdome with a dart to Tre’Quan Smith for 62 yards and the score to make it 26-6. With that touchdown pass, Brees solidified himself as the all-time leader in passing yards.
The Saints looked to slam the door shut headed into halftime with another touchdown drive, but Cam Meredith coughed up the football which was recovered by Pernell McPhee which they took to the Saints 16-yard line. Three plays later, Smith took it himself to make 26-13 headed into halftime.
Brees was able to find Smith once again on a deep pass to start the second half with a 35-yard touchdown pass to make it 33-13. The Redskins offense started to march down the field, but Justin Hardee picked off Smith and took it down to the Washington four-yard line and that resulted in Taysom Hill scoring from one-yard out on the direct snap.
Lutz put the final nail in the coffin in the fourth quarter when he booted a 44-yard field goal.
The Saints will have the week off before traveling up to Baltimore to take on the Ravens with kickoff scheduled for 3:05 pm.
-Clint Domingue
