Saints can't hold on

• By SHELDON MICKLES
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Sep 15, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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LANDOVER, Md. — At first glance, it would be easy to blame the New Orleans Saints’ loss to the Washington Redskins on Sunday on a defense that gave up two fourth-quarter touchdowns just 2 1/2 minutes apart.

OK, maybe the defense was on the field when a 24-15 third-quarter lead melted away in the sweltering heat and humidity of FedEx Field. But you can’t pin the blame for a 29-24 setback all on that side of the ball.

Saints coach Sean Payton wouldn’t. Neither would quarterback Drew Brees after the offense suffered through a rare off day against a Redskins defense that was bludgeoned by the New York Giants in their opener last week.

The Saints committed three turnovers, including one on their final possession with 2:59 to play in the game, and failed to convert twice on third down after Reggie Bush extended a two-point lead to nine on a 55-yard punt return with two seconds left in the third quarter.
At that point, the Saints (1-1) appeared to be in control. They led 10-9 at halftime and started the second half with an 11-play, 80-yard drive that ended with Brees’ 19-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Robert Meachem. It was the first catch of Meachem’s NFL career.
Brees said he sensed the Saints were ready to take control after Bush’s punt return.

“That gave us the lead at 24-15, and it wasn’t even the fourth quarter yet,” he said. “I felt we were just going to explode in the second half, coming right out of the gate and scoring a touchdown.

“We were moving the ball down the field and then we get a punt return. At this point, we’re feeling pretty good and feel like we’ve got more left in us.”

But Bush’s punt return wound up being the Saints’ last hurrah. Their injury-riddled defense, which was playing without three starters and had only 20 players available, helped by making one stop.

But then, the offense, which made just two first downs in the final quarter, failed to convert twice and gave the ball back to the Redskins (1-1).

On third-and-5, they failed to get a pass to David Patten. Then, after the Redskins drove 82 yards to an 8-yard scoring run by Clinton Portis with 5:59 left, came the two plays that doomed the Saints.

Running back Pierre Thomas got nothing on third-and-1 and the Saints had to punt the ball away. On the first play, quarterback Jason Campbell stepped up in the pocket and heaved a 67-yard scoring pass to Santana Moss after he got behind rookie cornerback Tracy Porter.

Campbell, who struggled in the first half when Shaun Suisham had to kick field goals of 22, 36 and 35 yards, was 24-of-36 for 321 yards in leading his team to 455 total yards. Moss had seven catches for 164 yards, while Portis, who had a 9-yard TD run in the third quarter, carried 21 times for 96 yards.

On the game-winning pass to Moss, Campbell was forced to pull the ball down and step up under a heavy rush by defensive tackle Kendrick Clancy.

“It was zone coverage and there was zone pressure,” Payton said. “Campbell was able to climb up the pocket and extend the play a little longer than we wanted. Santana got behind Porter and it wound up being a big play.”