Sports - Columnists - Al Jones

Sunday, Nov. 08, 2009

Finding a way to win one more time

There’s little question New Orleans is the cream of the crop in the NFC.

But what the Saints did early in the game Sunday against Carolina left some TV viewers wondering if that was true.

Basically, the Saints gave the Panthers seven points early and fell behind 14-0 after DeAngelo Williams scored on a pair of runs.

At that point in the game, New Orleans had taken the Panthers best blow. But they never went down.

Instead of rolling over, the Saints kept the ship on course in the midst of adversity and outscored the Panthers 30 to 6 down the stretch for the 30-20 win.

“The more you win games like this, the more confidence you gain,’’ Saints quarterback Drew Brees said. “You feel like you’re going to come back and you’re going to do it.’’

The Saints did just that with a second half that featured several big plays, including a 63-yard pass from Drew Brees to Devery Henderson. That set up a 10-yard scoring run by Pierrre Thomas to cut the Panthers lead to 17-13.

But the momentum changer belonged to the defense late in the third quarter.

After Carolina drove from its 21, the Panthers rested on the Saints 1 and had a first-and-goal. They looked primed to regain command.

On first down, Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme was thrown for a loss at the 7 by Will Smith.

Carolina would then misfire on the next two plays before settling for a 25-yard field goal by John Kasey that give the Panthers a 20-13 lead instead of a possible 24-13 advantage.

Suddenly, the Who Dat’s were alive throughout the Dome.

With the newfound life, Brees and the offense wasted little time in tying the game as the dagger began to be plunged into the Panthers.

In a span of 3:27, the Saints overcame a first-and-20 to tie the game when Brees found Robert Meachem on a 54-yard touchdown pass.

Finally, after two lost turnovers, New Orleans was in control and the Panthers were victim No. 8.

With the ball sitting on its 2-yard line, New Orleans fully inserted the dagger and the Panthers had no answer after driving 76 yards for a 40-yard field goal by John Karney with 4:36 left.

With a new look of confidence, New Orleans had its first lead at 23-20.

Granted, it was only three points, but it was a punch in the gut.

A punch that Carolina never overcame.

The defense, one that was on its heels for much of the first half, put the game away with its seventh score of the season, a 1-yard fumble recovery by Anthony Hargrove with two minutes left.

So what does this all mean?

Great teams finds a way to win when the chips are down.