New Orleans 45 Detroit 28
NEW ORLEANS — Drew Brees and the Saints keep pouring on the points, rolling up the wins and rewriting the record books, too.
Brees led an unstoppable offence by throwing for 466 yards and three touchdowns, and New Orleans poured it on in the second half for a 45-28 NFC wild-card victory over the Detroit Lions on Saturday night.
New Orleans broke the post-season mark for total yards with 626, beating the record set 49 years ago.
Brees hit on 33-of-43 passes while throwing for the most yards in a regulation playoff game. He highlighted his night with three completions of at least 40 yards.
As usual, the quarterback had plenty of help from an offence that set an NFL record for yards from scrimmage this season (7,474). The Saints (14-3) will travel to San Francisco (13-3) for next Saturday’s second-round game.
Matthew Stafford threw for 380 yards and three TDs for the Lions (10-7), who simply could not keep pace in their first playoff appearance since 1999. They have lost seven straight post-season games.
All-Pro receiver Calvin Johnson had 12 receptions for 211 yards and two touchdowns in his playoff debut for Detroit, but that was not nearly enough as the Saints’ defence responded in the fourth quarter with two interceptions by Jabari Greer.
The teams combined for 1,083 yards, tying an NFL playoff record set by Buffalo and Miami on Dec. 30, 1995.
Pierre Thomas rushed for 66 yards and one touchdown, while Sproles added 51 yards, two scores and several other clutch plays.
Marques Colston overcame an early fumble with seven catches for 120 yards, including a 40-yarder to set up Jimmy Graham’s short TD grab.
Robert Meachem had four catches for 111 yards, including a 56-yard score. Devery Henderson added a 41-yard touchdown reception.
New Orleans showed guts and got a little good fortune on a decisive 14-play, 80-yard scoring drive in the fourth quarter. The Saints ran Sproles around left end on fourth-and-two at the Lions 40 and gained three yards. Soon after, Brees’ pass as he was clobbered by Nick Fairley went right through the hands of defensive back Aaron Berry.
Berry would regret that drop two plays later as Sproles bolted 17 yards to make it 31-21.
Stafford tried to get some of that back quickly, throwing deep for Titus Young, but Greer ran under it and picked it off. Four plays later, Brees spotted Meachem behind blown coverage for his long score to make it 38-21.
The Lions became only the second visiting team all year to lead at halftime in the Superdome, where the Saints were unbeaten during the regular season. New Orleans has won nine in a row overall.
However, the Saints opened the second half by driving 78 yards to take their first lead on Brees’ 31-yard pass to Henderson. New Orleans then widened its lead to 24-14 with a 92-yard drive that included what may have been a favourable spot on Colston’s third-down grab at the Saints 18. Later, Brees converted a risky dive over the pile on fourth-and-one at the New Orleans 38 to sustain the drive before finding Colston for a 40-yard gain to the Detroit three. Brees hit Graham for a score on the next play.
The Lions fought back with a quick 80-yard scoring drive highlighted by Stafford’s 42-yard completion to Johnson at the Saints two, setting up Stafford’s dive for the pylon on a bootleg that made it 24-21 late in the third quarter.