Saints go to 8-0 after beating Panthers

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NEW ORLEANS | This is uncharted territory for the New Orleans Saints.

Drew Brees and the Saints’ prolific offense never had to play from behind in their first five games.

Mastering the comeback in their last three has gotten New Orleans off to its best start in the franchise’s 43-year history.

New Orleans moved to 8-0 on Sunday when Brees overcame two early turnovers and passed for 330 yards and a touchdown in a 30-20 victory over the Carolina Panthers.

“That’s great. I mean, 1967 until now and we’re the only (Saints) team to have done that,” Brees said. “That’s really special. I feel like we’ve got a special group of guys, a special team, and certainly we’re not satisfied with just being 8-0. We have what it takes to just continue to win.”

Starting with a favorable schedule during the next two weeks. The Saints play at St. Louis and Tampa Bay, who are a combined 2-14 this season, meaning New Orleans has a realistic chance to be 10-0 when New England — the only team to finish a regular season 16-0 — comes to the Louisiana Superdome the Monday night after Thanksgiving.

Before this season, the only 7-0 team New Orleans ever had was in 1991.

While the Saints did not intercept a pass for the first time all season, their defense forced three turnovers on fumbles. The last produced New Orleans’ seventh defensive touchdown of the season on Anthony Hargrove’s strip, recovery and return in the fourth quarter.

Posted on Sun, Nov. 08, 2009 11:12 PM

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