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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) -- Even when they play badly, good teams can
find a way to win. The New Orleans Saints are showing signs that
they are finally a good team.
|  | | Andrew Glover hoisted Lamont Hall after Hall scored a first-quarter touchdown in the Saints' victory. |
The Arizona Cardinals, fired up under new interim coach Dave
McGinnis, dominated the Saints statistically Sunday, but turned the
ball over four times in the second half as New Orleans won its
fourth in a row, 21-10.
"We got outplayed in all aspects of football. We're lucky to
come away with a win," New Orleans coach Jim Haslett said, "but
we'll take them any way we can get them."
For years, the Saints have been one of the NFL's perennial
losers, a team that would find defeat even when it played well.
"Now the tables have turned," quarterback Jeff Blake said.
"It feels good to be on this side."
The Cardinals (2-6) had 24 first downs and 394 total yards
against a New Orleans defense that ranked first in the NFL.
"It makes me sick," McGinnis said. "The turnovers killed us.
The turnovers murdered that football team and they didn't deserve
to be murdered."
Jake Plummer completed 26 of 47 passes for 289 yards and a
touchdown for Arizona, but was intercepted twice and fumbled the
ball away once in the second-half collapse. They are the types of
mistakes that have haunted Plummer throughout his NFL career.
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TOM DONAHOE'S BREAKDOWN |
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New Orleans didn't have a great day statistically on either side of the
ball, but the Saints have become a football team that finds a way to win
even when they're not on top of their game.
The Saints won their fourth in a row to go a surprising two games over .500.
Turnovers hurt the Cardinals in the second half. Quarterback Jake Plummer had a good day
statistically, but threw two interceptions and lost a fumble. One of the
interceptions was returned for a touchdown.
Ricky Williams' string of
100-yard rushing games ended at five. He was held to 54 yards by a fired-up
Cardinals' defense, although he did catch nine passes for 92 yards.
Arizona was impressive in the first half, playing with enthusiasm
defensively, but couldn't hold the lead.
The Cardinals had 24 first downs and 394 yards against a Saints' defense
that was ranked first in the NFL. But the second-half turnovers were just
too much for the Cardinals to overcome.
Tom Donahoe, ESPN.com's NFL analyst, was formerly the Steelers' director
of football operations.
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"I need to start playing like everyone's expecting me to,"
Plummer said. "That may sound like I'm putting a lot of pressure
on myself, but that's just got to happen. Today, you take away a
couple of throws, I did play well. But two throws will kill you."
Keith Mitchell returned one of the interceptions 40 yards for a
touchdown that put New Orleans (5-3) up 14-10 with 5:07 left in the
third quarter. Mitchell snagged the hard-thrown pass across in the
Arizona backfield, juggled it as he ran downfield, then gained
control and ran untouched to the end zone.
"It was crucial. We needed that one," Mitchell said. "It was
a big boost for our team. As you can see, we went straight up from
there."
Early in the fourth quarter, Mac Cody fumbled a Saints punt, and
Fred McAfee recovered for New Orleans (5-3) at the Arizona 17.
Blake threw a 16-yard screen pass to Ricky Williams, then Williams
bulled in for the score.
Arizona drove deep into New Orleans territory late in the game,
but Cary Blanchard's 30-yard field goal try bounced off the left
upright. He had a 42-yarder bounce off the same upright in the
first quarter.
Williams' string of 100-yard rushing games ended at five when he
was held to 54 yards in 21 carries by Arizona, which ranked 30th in
rushing defense. But Williams caught a career-best nine passes for
92 yards.
McGinnis, promoted from defensive coordinator after Vince Tobin
was fired on Monday, vowed to have his team play with passion, and
Arizona (2-6) played some of its best football of the season in
building a 10-7 halftime lead.
He said his team moved the ball on offense, and controlled
Williams -- all while playing with a newfound desire.
"We did what we said we were going to do, but we turned the
ball over," McGinnis said. "We turned the ball over, we missed
two field goals and we lose the game."
The Cardinals offense ended a string of 24 consecutive games
without a first-quarter touchdown when Plummer threw 3 yards to
tight end Terry Hardy with 12 seconds left in the quarter to tie
the game at 7. It was the first NFL touchdown for Hardy, who caught
a career-best seven passes for 45 yards. He had just nine catches
entering the game.
The Cardinals' last offensive first-quarter touchdown came in
their playoff victory at Dallas in the 1998 season. They were so
eager to end the drought that they went with no huddle to get the
play off.
"I wanted to score the touchdown," McGinnis said. "I was
tired of hearing about it."
Plummer had the best statistical first half of his career,
completing 13 of 21 passes for 172 yards and a touchdown without an
interception.
In one of its longest drives of the season, Arizona used up 7:21
to go 77 yards in 13 plays to set up Blanchard's 34-yard field goal
that put the Cardinals ahead 10-7 with 5:23 left in the half.
The Saints had a chance to tie it, but Doug Brien's 45-yard
field goal try was far off the mark late in the second period.
After Blanchard's failed 42-yarder on Arizona's first
possession, New Orleans went 68 yards in 12 plays, with Blake
throwing a 1-yard touchdown pass to Lamont Hall to put the Saints
ahead 7-0.
Game notes
Plummer completed passes to 10 receivers. ... New Orleans
wide receiver Keith Poole, playing in the stadium where he was a
college star, was taken from the field in a cart with a sprained
neck in the fourth quarter. ... The announced crowd of 35,286 was
Arizona's smallest of the season. ... Williams' longest run was 11
yards. ... Going into the game, Blanchard had made 11 of 12
field-goal tries and was 9-for-9 inside 50 yards.
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ALSO SEE
NFL Scoreboard
New Orleans Clubhouse
Arizona Clubhouse
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