Saints Beat Up Eagles 28-13

The New Orleans Saints improved to 3-5 at the midway point of the season, defeating the Philadelphia Eagles 28-13. A big reason for their success? A run game. The Saints found one Monday night. Another reason? A pass rush. The Saints sacked Michael Vick a whopping 7 times.

Chris Ivory (pictured left) saw his first action of the regular season. On his second touch, he rushed for a 22 yard score. Ivory led New Orleans in rushing with 48 yards on 10 carries. Mark Ingram looked strong as well, carrying the rock 7 times for 44 yards. Pierre Thomas ran for 44 yards on only 6 carries. As a team, the Saints finished with 140 yards on the ground on 25 carries.

Drew Brees was sharp, as usual. He sliced the Eagles defense for 239 yards and two touchdowns, completing 21 of his 27 pass attempts. Jimmy Graham was his favorite target Monday night, catching 8 balls for 72 yards and a score.

Defensively, it was New Orleans' best performance of the season. After being historically bad through 7 games, the Saints D set the tone early by scoring on defense. Philadelphia was deep in Saints territory when Vick was picked off by cornerback Patrick Robinson who returned it 99 yards for a touchdown.

The Eagles offensive line has struggled mightily this year, and Monday night was no exception. The Saints defense sacked Philly 7 times, pressuring Vick all night. Cameron Jordan tallied 3 sacks, Will Smith 2, and Martez Wilson and Broderick Bunkley each had 1.

The Saints will try to bottle the momentum of their win over the Eagles and unleash it once more on Sunday when the hated rival Atlanta Falcons (8-0) visit the Superdome. Kickoff is set for 12:00.