Prior to the game, Qwest Field was deafening, the Seahawks were pumped, an upset didn’t seem out of reach. Then Seattle kicker Olindo Mare booted the opening kickoff out of bounds giving the Saints the ball in excellent field position at the 40-yard line. Yep, that’s the type of play a 7-9 playoff team makes.
Eight plays and 52 yards later, the Saints took the lead on a 26-yard field goal by Garrett Hartley. Drew Brees was 4-for-6 for 49 yards and found Marques Colston for a 30-yard catch-and-run that saw him break several Seahawk tackles.
Reggie Bush carried only once for three yards and did drop a pass inside the five-yard line that helped the Seahawks hold New Orleans to only a field goal. It’s clear early on that the Saints don’t have any interest in establishing the running game and know that if they put the ball in Brees’ hands, they’ll be in good shape.