Saints get 2 scores off Sanchez turnovers to hand Ryan's Jets first loss
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| Team Stat Comparison |
| |  |  |
| 1st Downs | 14 | 18 |
Passing 1st downs | 6 | 8 |
Rushing 1st downs | 6 | 9 |
1st downs from Penalties | 2 | 1 |
3rd down efficiency | 3-12 | 4-13 |
4th down efficiency | 1-1 | 0-2 |
| Total Plays | 58 | 64 |
| Total Yards | 244 | 343 |
| Passing | 112 | 190 |
Comp-Att | 14-27 | 20-32 |
Yards per pass | 4.1 | 5.9 |
| Rushing | 132 | 153 |
Rushing Attempts | 27 | 32 |
Yards per rush | 4.9 | 4.8 |
| Red Zone (Made-Att) | 1-2 | 1-4 |
| Penalties | 3-21 | 7-70 |
| Turnovers | 4 | 1 |
Fumbles lost | 1 | 1 |
Interceptions thrown | 3 | 0 |
| Defensive / Special Teams TDs | 0 | 2 |
| Possession | 27:21 | 32:39 |
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| NY Jets Passing | | | C/ATT | YDS | TD | INT | | Sanchez | 14/27 | 138 | 0 | 3 |
| | New Orleans Passing | | | C/ATT | YDS | TD | INT | | Brees | 20/32 | 190 | 0 | 0 |
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| | New Orleans Rushing | | | CAR | YDS | TD | LG | | Thomas | 19 | 86 | 1 | 18 | | Bush | 6 | 37 | 0 | 12 |
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| Scoring Summary |
| FIRST QUARTER | NYJ | NOR |
 | FG | 08:06 | John Carney 34 Yd | 0 | 3 |
| SECOND QUARTER | NYJ | NOR |
 | TD | 14:45 | Darren Sharper 99 Yd Interception Return (John Carney Kick) | 0 | 10 |
 | TD | 09:00 | Remi Ayodele Recovered Fumble In End Zone (John Carney Kick) | 0 | 17 |
 | FG | 01:48 | Jay Feely 38 Yd | 3 | 17 |
| THIRD QUARTER | NYJ | NOR |
 | TD | 07:48 | Thomas Jones 15 Yd Run (Jay Feely Kick) | 10 | 17 |
| FOURTH QUARTER | NYJ | NOR |
 | TD | 06:07 | Pierre Thomas 1 Yd Run (John Carney Kick) | 10 | 24 |
| Photo Wire |
 | NEW ORLEANS - OCTOBER 04: Quarterback Drew Brees #9 of the New Orleans Saints warms up during pregame wearing... (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) |
Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS -- A new start with the New Orleans Saints has put "the shake" back in 33-year-old Darren Sharper.
Saints Stop Sanchez
The Saints can pass with Drew Brees, but they can also stop the pass, especially in the second half. New Orleans limited Jets rookie Mark Sanchez in the second half to just 5-of-13 passing with two interceptions.
Saints pass defense by half
|
1st half |
2nd half |
| Comp pct |
59.5 |
48.7 |
| TD |
2 |
1 |
| Int |
2 |
8 |
| Pass rtg |
74.4 |
32.5 |
-- ESPN Stats and Information
The NFL's active leader in career interceptions added two more against rookie
Mark Sanchez, returning one a club-record 99 yards for a touchdown to help the unbeaten Saints hand the
New York Jets their first loss of the season, 24-10 on Sunday.
Sharper's trademark shoulder-shaking celebrations are becoming a symbol of a defense that can now take credit for leading New Orleans to victory after taking the blame for the Saints' failure to make the playoffs the past two seasons.
The 12-year veteran's five interceptions -- two of which he has returned for scores -- have helped the Saints start 4-0 for the first time since 1993.
"Sharp's been a great addition," Saints quarterback
Drew Brees said. "You look at his productivity here over the first four games ... that's pretty impressive."
Fast Facts
• The Saints' 4-0 start is their first since 1993, when they won their first five games before going 3-8 the rest of the way.
• Darren Sharper had his 10th interception return for a TD; only Hall of Famer Rod Woodson has more with 12.
• Drew Brees last went consecutive weeks without a TD pass in Weeks 3 and 4 on the 2007 season.
• Mark Sanchez threw three interceptions after throwing just two over his first three starts.
• Rapid Reaction
-- ESPN Stats & Information
Brees added: "The defense played outstanding once again."
The victory ensured the Saints, who have a bye week coming up, would still be unbeaten when they host the
New York Giants on Oct. 18. The Giants (4-0) host struggling Oakland next weekend, giving them a good shot at remaining undefeated as well.
The Jets-Saints matchup drew a lot of attention not only because it was the weekend's only game between unbeaten teams, but also because it pitted a fearsome defense designed by Jets coach Rex Ryan against the Saints' league-leading offense, driven by Brees' prolific passing and the creative playcalling of coach Sean Payton.
New York (3-1) stopped the Saints twice on fourth-and-short and held Brees to 190 yards passing and no touchdowns. After averaging 40 points through their first three games, the Saints didn't score an offensive touchdown until
Pierre Thomas barreled in from a yard out with 6:07 left. Yet that was enough for two-touchdown win.
"It's not about one side of the ball versus the other," Payton said, seemingly annoyed by all the attention given to the matchup of his offense and Ryan's defense. "All three phases are needed to win football games and I thought we did that today."
One week after rushing for 126 yards and two scores in a victory at Buffalo, Thomas was the Saints' offensive leader again. He rushed for 86 yards and caught four short passes for 46 yards. The Saints rushed for 153 yards as a team.
"The Saints outplayed us today," Ryan said. "They forced a lot of turnovers and scored with them. You've got to give them a lot of credit. They ran the ball pretty effectively against us as well."
In his first loss as a pro, the Jets' Sanchez completed 14 of 27 passes for 138 yards and was sacked four times. That still might have been good enough if not for his four turnovers. Saints cornerback
Randall Gay also intercepted Sanchez inside the final two minutes, allowing New Orleans to run out the clock.
"My mistakes killed us. They absolutely killed us," Sanchez said. "The defense played well enough to win. That whole game is 10-10 without three interceptions and a fumble. You turn the ball over like that in this league, and you can't win."
While Brees and the Saints' league-leading offense were held to only three points through the first three quarters, the big plays by New Orleans' less-heralded defense gave the Saints an early lead.
Sanchez had driven the Jets impressively to the Saints' 15 early in the second quarter when Sharper anticipated an attempted touchdown pass, picking it off at the 1 and easily running it back for his second long touchdown return of the season to make it 10-0.
"When I caught it, I kind of stopped and just started running real slow because I wanted to see what was around me," Sharper said. "Then I said, 'Why don't I turn on the speed a little bit to show people I can still run.'"
Only two weeks earlier, Sharper had a 97-yard interception for a score at Philadelphia to tie the club record. Sharper now has 10 career TDs on interception returns, leaving him second all-time in that category, two behind retired former Pittsburgh star
Rod Woodson.
New Orleans' next big defensive play came from end
Will Smith only moments after the Jets celebrated a remarkable defensive stand of their own that stopped the Saints on four plays from within 2 yards of the goal line. Smith sacked Sanchez in the end zone, forcing a fumble that
Remi Ayodele recovered for a touchdown to make it 17-0.
Sanchez may have been to blame for his team's early deficit, but he returned to march New York 60 yards in 14 plays, setting up
Jay Feely's 38-yard field goal to make it 17-3.
New York pulled to 17-10 on
Thomas Jones' 15-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, capping a drive set up by
Reggie Bush's fumble on the Saints 34.
The Saints' defense held from there, however, allowing New Orleans to take control with an 11-play, 74-yard touchdown drive.
Game notes Sharper has 59 career interceptions, ninth most all-time. ... Although the Jets got pressure on Brees, they didn't sack him. ... Jets right tackle
Damien Woody left in the third quarter with what the team said was a right ankle injury.