Post by ocelot on Sept 26, 2006 8:41:34 GMT -5
Triumphant Return for Saints
The New Orleans Saints made winning look easy as they celebrated a triumphant return to the Big Easy on Monday.
Curtis Deloatch recovered a blocked punt for a touchdown only 90 seconds into the contest as the hometown Saints defeated the Atlanta Falcons 23-3 in the first NFL game played in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina.
"We gave the game ball to the city of New Orleans," Saints rookie head coach Sean Payton said. "The fans were magnificent and were a big part of this win."
A sellout crowd of 70,003 showed up at the newly renovated Louisiana Superdome, which had been all but destroyed by the storm on Aug. 29, 2005.
"This night belongs to the city, it belongs to the state of Louisiana, to everyone in the Gulf South," Payton said. "There is a lot of work to be done still.
"But this night belongs to the people of New Orleans. They deserve something."
Payton not only became the first head coach in franchise history to begin his career with three straight wins, but his Saints provided a welcome source of recreational diversion to the region.
"I couldn't be more happy for this team, our ownership and this town," he said. "I said when I took this job, 'If we can just win a few more games and brighten people's days, they'll go to work tomorrow — if they do go to work tomorrow — with a little bit of a swagger.' I think that's important."
The Saints doubled up the Falcons 26-13 in the last regular-season game played at the Superdome on Dec. 24, 2004.
They also hosted the Baltimore Ravens in a pre-season contest on Aug. 26, 2005, two days before New Orleans was forced to evacuate in anticipation of the storm.
The Superdome served as a makeshift shelter for roughly 30,000 residents during Hurricane Katrina, which claimed 1,600 lives and flooded 80 per cent of the city.
The stadium itself sustained widespread damage during the storm and subsequent flooding, but has since undergone $185 million US in renovations, even though many of the surrounding buildings remain shuttered.
The renovations were hastily approved, in part, out of a growing concern that the Saints might relocate to Los Angeles or San Antonio.
"As hard as it is to lose this game tonight, I'd be lying if I didn't say there was a little, little, little, little piece of me that didn't just appreciate what this game meant to this city," said Falcons head coach Jim Mora, who skippered the Saints from 1986 to 1996.
Saints quarterback Drew Brees completed 20-of-28 pass attempts for 191 yards, including 97 to wide receiver Marques Colston.
"From the moment I signed with the Saints, I was looking forward to this," said Brees, who joined the Saints on March 14.
"It was a great night. It's something we'll never forget."
Running back Deuce McAllister rushed 19 times for 81 yards, while Bush gained 53 yards on 13 carries.
Falcons pivot Michael Vick finished 12-of-31 for 137 yards and scrambled six times for a team-high 57 rushing yards.
"The crowd was behind them 100 per cent," he said. "I've never in my life heard a crowd roar so loud."
Warrick Dunn, who led the NFL with 266 rushing yards, was limited to 44 yards on 13 carries by the spirited Saints.
"Unfortunately, we made it way too easy for the Saints," Mora said. "They played extremely well, we did not play very well."
Quick start for Saints
Four plays after the opening kickoff, Michael Koenen of the Falcons had a punt blocked by Steve Gleason and the ball bounced to Deloatch, who fell on it in the end zone for the first touchdown allowed by Atlanta this season.
"That set the tone," Brees said. "That's when we all knew this was our day, our night."
After Morten Andersen kicked a 26-yard field goal, Devery Henderson scored an 11-yard touchdown on a crafty double-reverse as the Saints (3-0) surged ahead 14-3 with 4:05 left in the first quarter.
John Carney upped it to 20-3 on second-quarter field goals of 37 and 51 yards, then completed the scoring with a 20-yard chip shot at 7:14 of the third.
"They were fired up, both the Saints and their fans," Vick said.
Prior to kickoff, rock bands Goo Goo Dolls, Green Day and U2 performed and the coin toss was overseen by former U.S. president George H.W. Bush.
Three popular New Orleans artists — Kermit Ruffians, Irma Thomas and Allen Toussaint — sang the national anthem and inspired the fans even more.
"If we had lost, the fans still would have been partying, they still would have been happy, because the organization is still in New Orleans," Saints wide receiver Joe Horn said. "But we wanted to put the icing on the cake."
The New Orleans Saints made winning look easy as they celebrated a triumphant return to the Big Easy on Monday.
Curtis Deloatch recovered a blocked punt for a touchdown only 90 seconds into the contest as the hometown Saints defeated the Atlanta Falcons 23-3 in the first NFL game played in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina.
"We gave the game ball to the city of New Orleans," Saints rookie head coach Sean Payton said. "The fans were magnificent and were a big part of this win."
A sellout crowd of 70,003 showed up at the newly renovated Louisiana Superdome, which had been all but destroyed by the storm on Aug. 29, 2005.
"This night belongs to the city, it belongs to the state of Louisiana, to everyone in the Gulf South," Payton said. "There is a lot of work to be done still.
"But this night belongs to the people of New Orleans. They deserve something."
Payton not only became the first head coach in franchise history to begin his career with three straight wins, but his Saints provided a welcome source of recreational diversion to the region.
"I couldn't be more happy for this team, our ownership and this town," he said. "I said when I took this job, 'If we can just win a few more games and brighten people's days, they'll go to work tomorrow — if they do go to work tomorrow — with a little bit of a swagger.' I think that's important."
The Saints doubled up the Falcons 26-13 in the last regular-season game played at the Superdome on Dec. 24, 2004.
They also hosted the Baltimore Ravens in a pre-season contest on Aug. 26, 2005, two days before New Orleans was forced to evacuate in anticipation of the storm.
The Superdome served as a makeshift shelter for roughly 30,000 residents during Hurricane Katrina, which claimed 1,600 lives and flooded 80 per cent of the city.
The stadium itself sustained widespread damage during the storm and subsequent flooding, but has since undergone $185 million US in renovations, even though many of the surrounding buildings remain shuttered.
The renovations were hastily approved, in part, out of a growing concern that the Saints might relocate to Los Angeles or San Antonio.
"As hard as it is to lose this game tonight, I'd be lying if I didn't say there was a little, little, little, little piece of me that didn't just appreciate what this game meant to this city," said Falcons head coach Jim Mora, who skippered the Saints from 1986 to 1996.
Saints quarterback Drew Brees completed 20-of-28 pass attempts for 191 yards, including 97 to wide receiver Marques Colston.
"From the moment I signed with the Saints, I was looking forward to this," said Brees, who joined the Saints on March 14.
"It was a great night. It's something we'll never forget."
Running back Deuce McAllister rushed 19 times for 81 yards, while Bush gained 53 yards on 13 carries.
Falcons pivot Michael Vick finished 12-of-31 for 137 yards and scrambled six times for a team-high 57 rushing yards.
"The crowd was behind them 100 per cent," he said. "I've never in my life heard a crowd roar so loud."
Warrick Dunn, who led the NFL with 266 rushing yards, was limited to 44 yards on 13 carries by the spirited Saints.
"Unfortunately, we made it way too easy for the Saints," Mora said. "They played extremely well, we did not play very well."
Quick start for Saints
Four plays after the opening kickoff, Michael Koenen of the Falcons had a punt blocked by Steve Gleason and the ball bounced to Deloatch, who fell on it in the end zone for the first touchdown allowed by Atlanta this season.
"That set the tone," Brees said. "That's when we all knew this was our day, our night."
After Morten Andersen kicked a 26-yard field goal, Devery Henderson scored an 11-yard touchdown on a crafty double-reverse as the Saints (3-0) surged ahead 14-3 with 4:05 left in the first quarter.
John Carney upped it to 20-3 on second-quarter field goals of 37 and 51 yards, then completed the scoring with a 20-yard chip shot at 7:14 of the third.
"They were fired up, both the Saints and their fans," Vick said.
Prior to kickoff, rock bands Goo Goo Dolls, Green Day and U2 performed and the coin toss was overseen by former U.S. president George H.W. Bush.
Three popular New Orleans artists — Kermit Ruffians, Irma Thomas and Allen Toussaint — sang the national anthem and inspired the fans even more.
"If we had lost, the fans still would have been partying, they still would have been happy, because the organization is still in New Orleans," Saints wide receiver Joe Horn said. "But we wanted to put the icing on the cake."