The Saints beat the Philadelphia Eagles 28-13 at the Superdome, showing flashes of their old brilliance.
“Bend but don’t break,” could have been the mantra for the historically bad New Orleans Saints defense during a game that featured some defensive miscues and a few spectacular plays by the Eagles’ skill position players — most notably a 77-yard bomb from Michael Vick to DeSean Jackson in the third quarter.
And, although the Eagles amassed 447 yards of total offense, the Saints tightened up when it mattered most and held on to win their eighth consecutive Monday Night Football game.
Nearly every time the Eagles drove into the red zone, the Saints’ porous defense stepped up and made a play.
In five red zone trips, the Eagles failed to score a touchdown, and in four of those trips, Philadelphia had first-and-goal to go.
The play of the game came in the first quarter, when Patrick Robinson stepped in front of a Michael Vick pass near the goal line and raced 98 yards to return the interception for a touchdown.
Cam Jordan and Will Smith led the charge against the outmatched Eagles offensive line, combining for five of the Saints’ seven sacks on the night.
Drew Brees completed 21 of his 27 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns in his 51st consecutive game with a touchdown pass.
“It's anybody's league,” Brees remarked after the game. "The book on the 2012 Saints has yet to be written.”