In a game filled with silver linings, the New Orleans Saints blocked a potential tying field goal with seconds left on the clock to head home from New York with a 14-11 win over the Giants.
Second-year defensive lineman Bryan Bresee leaped over the line and managed to get a hand on the Graham Gano kick to give the Giants (2-11) their eighth straight loss. The game-saving play gave the Saints (5-8) their third win in four weeks since firing head coach Dennis Allen.
Here’s a quick recap of Sunday’s game.
Scoring summary
While there was not much action on the scoreboard to cover, New Orleans struck first with an eight-yard touchdown run by Kendre Miller toward the end of the opening quarter of play. New York closed the gap with a Gano 43-yard field goal to open the second quarter, with the halftime score being 7-3.
Saints quarterback Derek Carr, who later went down with an injury, connected with tight end Juwan Johnson from 11 yards out in the third quarter to extend the team’s lead to 14-3. With the game clock ticking, Giants running back Tyrone Tracy, Jr. dove into the end zone to make the score 14-10 late in the fourth quarter. A successful two-point conversion made it 14-11.
New York got the ball back with 1:21 left to play and drove down to the Saints’ 12-yard line. After two failed shots into the end zone, the Giants settled for what would have been a game-tying field goal. And that’s when the play of the game, made by Bresee, happened.
BRESEE MY GOODNESS pic.twitter.com/GG8Qc5C59E
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) December 8, 2024
What the coach said
New Orleans interim head coach Darren Rizzi, who grew up in New Jersey roughly 15 minutes from MetLife Stadium, was pleased with the perseverance his group showed on Sunday. The former special teams coach noted that it wasn’t a pretty win; nonetheless, it still lands in the same column as the team’s other four victories this season.
“Sometimes, you don’t get to pick the formula you need to win. Phenomenal job by Bryan (Bresee). Our defense controlled most of the game until the last few series,” Rizzi said. “We have to get some things cleaned up. It’s ironic that we won on a special teams play as we had one of our worst performances of the year on special teams. That’s why we practice with a purpose because we are still in it.”
Based on the numbers, Rizzi is right – the Saints do still have a chance to win the NFC South. In what’s so far proven to be the weakest division in the NFL this season, New Orleans only trails Atlanta (6-7) by one game and Tampa Bay (7-6) by two games.
Numbers never lie
The New Orleans offense was not working on all cylinders on Sunday, totaling just 292 yards. However, the defense had a solid outing by holding New York to 325 yards and forcing Drew Lock to throw an interception.
Topping the box score was Ugo Amadi and Demario Davis with eight tackles apiece. Khalen Saunders and Bresee each picked up a sack while Davis had the one pick out of the linebacker spot.
On offense, Carr was 20 of 31 passing for 219 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Alvin Kamar led the team in rushing (44 yards) while Marquez Valdes-Scantling led the team in receiving (51 yards).
Some of the Saints’ offensive woes were attributed by Rizzi to the loss of utility player Taysom Hill, who went down last week against the Los Angeles Rams with a season-ending knee injury. Prior, Hill had rushed for 278 yards and six touchdowns and caught 23 passes for 187 yards.
“[Hill] fills so many roles,” Rizzi said. “So, there’s going to be a lot of different guys that are going to have to be part of the solution.”
Next up
The New Orleans Saints will be back at home on Sunday, Dec. 15 when they take on the Washington Commanders (8-5). Kickoff from Caesars Superdome is set for noon CT on FOX.