Saints Throw Up the X in 51-14 Rout of the Bengals

The Saints’ offensive domination was on full display today in their 8th consecutive win. Life’s Good!

Winners of seven games in a row, the New Orleans Saints (8-1) were looking to increase their lead in the NFC South to a full two games over the Carolina Panthers (6-3) when they visited the Cincinnati Bengals (5-4) in an NFC vs. AFC showdown at Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Here is how the game unfolded:

1st HALF

The Bengals won the toss and deferred to the second half. The Saints, as has been their habit this season, went on a lengthy drive 15 plays drive covering 75 yards to score a touchdown on a Drew Brees pass to Michael Thomas. New Orleans would lead 7-0, with just over 6 minutes left in the first quarter.

The Bengals wouldn’t blink, and orchestrate their own 75-yard touchdown drive, capped by a pass from Andy Dalton to John Ross, tying the game at seven.

On their ensuing possession, the Saints once again would go 75 yards, capping their drive with a screen pass from Drew Brees to Mark Ingram for a 28-yard touchdown, giving New Orleans the lead back at 14-7. On that touchdown pass, Drew Brees tied Brett Favre for second all-time on the NFL touchdown pass leaderboard.

On Cincinnati’s next drive, the Saints’ defense would bow its neck and force the Bengals to punt for the first time in the game.

On their next drive, the Saints, pinned at their 10-yard line, get into Bengals territory easily, on runs by Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram. Once again displaying uncanny efficiency, the Saints march down the field 90 yards for a touchdown, this time a rush by Alvin Kamara, to take a 21-7 lead with just over five minutes left in the first half.

On the next possession, the Saints would hold the Bengals to a three-and-out for the first time in the game, then take over with great field position at their own 40-yard line. New Orleans would then proceed to drive down the field once again for his second rushing touchdown of the game, giving the Saints a 28-7 lead.

The next possession would be incredible, as the Bengals would drive into Saints territory, but a deep pass by Andy Dalton would be picked off by Marcus Williams, who rather than settling, returned the interception for 78 yards to the Bengals’ 17-yard line. On the very next play, Brees would find Michael Thomas for a touchdown with only two seconds remaining on the clock. The Saints would go into the locker room with a 35-7. After the first half, Drew Brees was now alone in second place on the NFL’s all-time touchdown pass leaderboard, just behind Peyton Manning.

*

2nd HALF

Cincinnati started the half with the ball, having deferred the toss to the second half, but the Saints’ defense would pick up right where they left off at the first half, holding the Bengals to a three-and-out, in a drive that saw Cam Jordan get his first sack of the game.

The Saints’ offense would once again look near-unstoppable, driving down the field but yet settling for a 29-yard field goal by kicker Wil Lutz, extending the lead to 38-7.

On the Bengals’ next possession, the Saints would bend, but a sack of Andy Dalton by linebacker Alex Anzalone on 3rd and 4 in Saints territory and a subsequent incomplete pass would give the Saints the ball back with good field position.

New Orleans would do it on the ground this time, on a drive sparked by a Mark Ingram 33 yards run into Bengals territory. The Saints would cap the drive with a touchdown on 4th and goal from Cincy’s one-yard line, and Drew Brees’ patented “Fleur-de-leap” for a touchdown, giving the Saints a near-insurmountable 45-7 lead.

The next possession for Cincinnati wouldn’t go any better than the previous one, with Sheldon Rankins sacking Andy Dalton on second down, and forcing the Bengals to punt after an incomplete pass on third and 17.

Trying to run out the clock, the Saints would now almost exclusively run the ball, bringing in backup tailback Dwayne Washington to spell Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara. New Orleans would drive into Bengals territory and settle for another field goal, this time a 42-yarder by the very efficient Wil Lutz. Note that to this point of the game, the Saints still hadn’t punted. In fact, Thomas Morstead came into the game with 19 punts, the fewest in the NFL this season. The Saints’ lead was now 48-7.

With the Bengals trying to save face, Andy Dalton would be picked off for the second time of the game, on a pass tipped by backup cornerback Chris Banjo and intercepted by Eli Apple, his first interception as a Saint. Apple returns the pick to the Bengals’ 28-yard line, and Teddy Bridgewater, entering the game for Drew Brees would lead a short drive ending with a Wil Lutz’s 421-yard field goal, extending the Saints’ lead to 51-7.

On the next drive, in what had become a glorified preseason quarter with a lot of backups in the game, the Bengals would go 75 yards, punctuating their drive with a Jeff Driskel run into the end zone for a touchdown.

Leading 51-14, the Saints would simply run the ball to drain the clock, with Dwayne Washington getting all the reps and leading the Saints into Bengals’ territory.

Eventually, the Saints would take a knee, closing the deal with a 51-14 rout of Cincy on the road.

Saints win their 8th game in a row, improving to 8-1 as they keep the Who Dat Train rolling.

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

*

Here is a quarter by quarter timeline of the game:

1st Quarter

• Bengals win the toss and defer to the second half
• Saints take over at their 25-yard line
• Saints get into Bengals territory and into the red zone
• Drew Brees finds Michael Thomas for a touchdown
• NO: 7 - CIN: 0
• Bengals take over at their 25-yard line
• Bengals get into Saints’ territory in three plays
• Bengals get into the red zone
• Andy Dalton finds John Ross for a touchdown
• NO: 7 - CIN: 7
• Saints take over at their 25-yard line
• Brees finds Mark Ingram for a 27-yard pass into Bengals territory
• Saints are driving as the quarter ends

2nd Quarter

• Drew Brees finds Mark Ingram for a 28-yard touchdown
• NO: 14 - CIN: 7
• Bengals return the kickoff to their 35-yard line
• On one play to Joe Mixon, Bengals get into Saints territory
• Bengals stall and punt, pinning the Saints deep
• Saints take over at their 10-yard line
• Saints get into Bengals territory on a good run by Mark Ingram
• Saints get into the red zone
• Alvin Kamara rushes into the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown
• NO: 21 - CIN: 7
• Bengals take over at their 25-yard line
• Saints sack Andy Dalton on 3rd and 6, Cincinnati goes 3-and-out
• Saints take over at their 40-yard line
• Sanits get into Bengals territory on a one yard run by Zach Line
• Saints are driving as the two-minute warning hits
• Saints get into the red zone
• Alvin Kamara rushes into the end zone for a touchdown
• NO: 28 - CIN: 7
• Bengals return the kickoff to their 20-yard line
• Bengals drive on the Saints’ side of the field
• Marcus Williams intercepts Andy Dalton and returns it to Cincy’s 17-yard line
• Brees finds Michael Thomas for a touchdown with two seconds left on the clock
• NO: 35 - CIN: 7

3rd Quarter

• Bengals start with the ball at their 27-yard line
• Saints hold the Bengals to a three-and-out and force Cincy to punt
• Saints take over at their 30-yard line
• Brees finds Keith Kirkwood for a 42-yard pass play deep into Bengals territory
• Saints stall on 3rd and 1 inside the red zone
• Wil Lutz converts a 29-yard field goal
• NO: 38 - CIN: 7
• Bengals take over at their 24-yard line
• Cincinnati gets into Saints territory in two plays
• Alex Anzalone sacks Andy Dalton on 3rd and 4
• On 4th and 13, Dalton’s pass towards John Ross falls incomplete
• Saints take over at their own 38-yard line
• Mark Ingram runs for 33 yards into Bengals’ territory
• Saints get into the red zone on running plays
• On 4th and goal, Drew Brees dives into the end zone for a touchdown
• NO: 45 - CIN: 7
• Bengals take over at their 25-yard line, but go three-and-out
• Saints take over at their own 40-yard line after the punt
• Running the ball, the Saints drive into Bengals territory as the quarter ends

4th Quarter

• Saints run the ball into Bengals’ territory
• Dwayne Washington enters the game at running back
• Saints stall at the Bengals’ 20-yard line
• Wil Lutz makes a 42-yard field goal
• NO: 48 - CIN: 7
• Bengals take over at their 25-yard line after a touchback
• Cincinnati drives into Saints territory
• Eli Apple picks Dalton off on a pass tipped by Chris Banjo
• Apple returns the pick to the Bengals’ 28-yard line
• Teddy Bridgewater enters the game for Drew Brees
• Saints stall running the ball and Wil Lutz makes a 41-yard field goal
• NO: 51 - CIN: 7
• Bengals take over at their 25-yard line
• Jeff Driskel is now at quarterback for Cincy
• Driskel rushes into the end zone for a touchdown
• NO: 51 - CIN: 14
• Saints take over at their 25-yard line
• Dwayne Washington gets into Bengals territory on a 20-yard run
• Saints have the ball in Bengals territory at the two-minute warning
• Saints kneel down, and down the Bengals 51-14 on the road
• Saints Win! Saints Win!
• NO: 51 - CIN: 14

from Canal Street Chronicles - All Posts https://ift.tt/2RUakcr