Saints waste Brees’ big day

• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Sep 22, 2008 - UPDATED: 6:45 a.m.

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DENVER — In five previous games against the Denver Broncos, all when he was with the San Diego Chargers, Drew Brees never had a lot of success in Invesco Field at Mile High.

You can make it six now, although it certainly wasn’t Brees’ fault in the New Orleans Saints’ 34-32 setback on Sunday.

Brees rallied his team back from a 21-3 second-quarter deficit, completing a club-record 39 passes in 48 attempts and finishing with 421 passing yards. His passing total was the fourth-highest in club history on a list where he already occupies the two top spots.

But the Saints ran out of gas in the closing minutes because they couldn’t pick up a first down running the ball and couldn’t make a 43-yard field goal that would have given them a 35-34 lead with less than two minutes left.

“It’s tough, it’s really tough,” Brees said. “I have played here six times and I’ve never won here. That stinks. I’ve had some close games here, it always seems like. But for one reason or another, something happens and we don’t get the win.”

n They gave up a touchdown when Reggie Bush fumbled on a running play in the second quarter, with linebacker Nate Webster’s recovery and nifty 34-yard return giving the Broncos a 21-3 advantage.

n Then, the Saints failed to score after getting a second-and-goal at the Broncos’ 1 in the closing seconds of the first half when a touchdown would have tied the game at 24 going to the break.

n Finally, they failed to get the first down that could have led to a much-closer field-goal attempt for Martin Gramatica after the two-minute warning.

As a result, the Saints wasted the 14th 300-yard passing game of Brees’ 35-game career with the Saints. Even though he led his offense to 502 total yards, New Orleans didn’t come away with the win.

Brees said he felt good about the Saints’ chances when they got the ball back with 5:33 to play after a turnover by the Broncos.

After opening the drive with an incomplete pass, Brees connected on three straight passes to give his team a first down at the Broncos’ 33. Bush picked up 9 yards on two runs, but Pierre Thomas was dropped for a 1-yard loss on third down before Gramatica misfired.