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If the NFL has one certainty, it is this: teams that have dream, breakthrough seasons are blessed by the injury gods, managing to get through the schedule with almost every key player healthy.

Yet, an unwanted street free agent the Saints picked up only because of multiple injuries made the two most important plays as 11-0 New Orleans clobbered New England 38-17 last night in the Superdome. Mike McKenzie, whom the Saints released in March, returned last week when cornerbacks Jabari Greer (groin pull), Tracy Porter (MCL sprain), Leigh Torrence (on the injured reserve list with a shoulder stinger) and Randall Gay (hamstring) all were out or limited.

Their pain was McKenzie’s gain. Being nearly bereft of healthy cornerbacks while facing 2007 NFL MVP and two-time Super Bowl MVP quarterback Tom Brady turned out to be no problem.
With New England leading 7-3 and buoyed by a 41-yard punt return to the New Orleans 41, McKenzie intercepted a Brady pass. The Saints promptly drove 59 yards for the go-ahead touchdown and never trailed again.

With New England behind 31-17 and facing a fourth-and-4 at the New Orleans 10, McKenzie anticipated a sideline pass to Randy Moss and sprinted forward to deflect it. The Patriots never threatened again.

McKenzie was not perfect. His lame tackle attempt on wide receiver Sam Aiken allowed New England to convert a third down a few plays earlier, but he played far better than anyone could have imagined.

No one in the NFL wanted McKenzie, 33, whose career appeared to be over after he suffered a broken kneecap last Nov. 9 against the Atlanta Falcons. No one wanted cornerback Chris McAlister, either. McAlister, cut by the Baltimore Ravens in February and coming off knee surgery last November, went unclaimed until the Saints brought him in for a workout two weeks ago.

McAlister also played meaningful downs last night.

The Saints trashed the Patriots with everyone else’s garbage.

The Patriots did not want backup tight end Dave Thomas, so they traded him to the Saints for a seventh-round draft pick at the end of the preseason. New Orleans needed a backup tight end after Billy Miller (45 catches in 2008) tore his ACL in the final exhibition game.

Thomas caught a 25-yard pass just before the 2-minute warning in the first half, setting up Robert Meachem’s 38-yard scoring grab on the next play as the Saints went ahead 24-10. After catching 21 passes in three seasons with the Patriots, Thomas has 17 this year, including 10 in the last three games.

No one drafted Pierre Thomas after he started for three years at Illinois, so the Saints signed him as a free agent in 2007. Thomas was typically productive against New England, rushing 11 times for 64 yards and catching three passes. On New Orleans’ go-ahead drive, he ran 26 yards on one play, then scored on an 18-yard reception, avoiding a tackle, straddling the sideline and diving across the goal line with his back to the end zone.

His average per carry (5.8) was higher than his average coming in (5.6), and that total already was the second best among the NFL’s top 35 rushers.

The Saints are a dominant 11-0 despite their injuries. They have scored 38 points in back-to-back weeks without running back Reggie Bush, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2006 draft.

Lance Moore, their leading receiver in 2008, has missed four consecutive games with a sprained ankle.

Starting defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis returned against New England after missing four games in a row with a bum knee. Starting linebacker Scott Fujita missed three. Starting free safety Darren Sharper missed one.

Quarterback Drew Brees had his first perfect game last night according to the NFL efficiency rating system, but he’s hardly the only reason the Saints have sailed past franchise marks and are threatening NFL records.

Saints trash Patriots with everyone else's garbage

RockyMountainSaint

Q. You are the man.
Sifting through the garbage of national pundits to give us
BLACK AND GOLD!

Thank You Sir

homerj07

Its like finding the few treasures among all the junk at a flea market!!

SaintPauly

I would hardly refer to any of these guys as "garbage". Wish he would have picked a better word. Not a word I like to use when referring to anyone I actually like. Good article though.

guerrysmith

These guys aren't garbage. They are very good players.

But no one wanted them right before the Saints got them, with the exception of Dave Thomas, whom the Patriots clearly didn't think much of if they traded him for a seventh-round pick. Thus, the play on words in my headline with trash and garbage.

I understand your point, though, and thanks for the compliment.

Memnoch_TP

Yeah, too true on that. PT23 wasn't garbage, all the personnel men who passed on him are though.

neugey

Brees, Vilma, Shock, Greer, Fujita, Sharper, Bell, Thomas, Evans, Goodwin, Brunell ... yep we are like the used furniture store from hell!

QBREES9

No Thank You.