Sports

Saints road to Super Bowl XLIV

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The New Orleans Saints started off their road to Super Bowl XLIV with a bang against the abysmal Detroit Lions. The Saints won 45-27, led by six Drew Brees touchdown passes, two to tight end Jeremy Shockey.

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Week 2 was no different for the Saints' high-octane offense. The Saints defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 48-22 as Brees threw for three more scores.

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The Saints continued to roll as they took on the Buffalo Bills in Week 3. This time it was the defense that stole the show as they sacked Trent Edwards four times and picked him off once, holding the Bills to seven points.

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Darren Sharper, who seemingly always finds the end zone after intercepting quarterbacks, added Jets rookie QB Mark Sanchez to his list of victims. Sharper picked off two Sanchez passes and returned one 99 yards for a touchdown in the Saints' 24-10 win.

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The New Orleans offense was too much for the then top-ranked Giants defense. The 5-0 Giants were absolutely torched by Drew Brees and the Saints, 48-27.

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Miami led for most of the game against the 5-0 Saints, and took a 10-point lead into the final quarter. However the Saints would not be denied as four fourth-quarter scores helped the high-flying Saints defeat the Dolphins 44-34.

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Pierre Thomas stole the show on "Monday Night Football" when the Saints took on NFC West rival Atlanta. Thomas combined for 100 yards and two touchdowns in the 35-27 win.

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Drew Brees led the Saints against the Carolina Panthers in Week 9. The Saints survived a second straight division game by defeating the Panthers 30-20.

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Reggie Bush finally started to show why the Saints drafted him second overall in 2006. Bush became the focal point of the Saints offense in Week 10 against the Rams, scoring twice in the 28-23 victory.

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Drew Brees celebrates after throwing a fourth-quarter touchdown to David Thomas as the Saints continued their pursuit of perfection. The touchdown, Brees' third on the day, came in a 38-7 win against Tampa Bay and the Saints improved to 10-0.

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One of the most vocal leaders in the NFL, Drew Brees looked to fire up his team for their matchup against dangerous New England. Brees' went on to light up the Patriots with five touchdown passes in a convincing 38-17 win.

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Highlighted by a freak play to end the second quarter, the Saints dodged another bullet by defeating the Redskins 33-30. Saints wide receiver Robert Meachem stripped Kareem Moore after he intercepted Drew Brees. Meachem then picked up the fumble and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown.

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The Saints continued to win by the skin of their teeth as a late Garrett Hartley field goal and a questionable call by Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith led to a 26-23 win.

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Just as the Saints had their eyes set on a perfect season they would suffer their first loss at the hands of the red-hot Dallas Cowboys in Week 15. Despite making a comeback effort in the fourth quarter, the Saints were unable to overcome a 21-point deficit and lost 24-17.

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The Saints suffered their second loss of the season at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. New Orleans took a 17-0 lead but failed to score in the final 36 minutes as the Buccaneers won on a Connor Barth field goal in overtime.

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In the final game of the season, the Saints decided to rest quarterback Drew Brees in favor of Mark Brunell. The result was a 23-10 loss against the Carolina Panthers. After starting the season 13-0, the Saints found themselves heading into the playoffs on a three-game losing streak.

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Reggie Bush and the rest of the Saints offense showed that the bye week certainly paid off in the Divisional Round against the Arizona Cardinals. Bush scored twice as the Cardinals defense put on a terrible display in the 45-14 win.

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Thanks to six Minnesota turnovers, including a Brett Favre interception late in the fourth quarter, the Saints were able to advance to the Super Bowl for the first time in their history. Garrett Hartley again proved to be the hero when he kicked the game-winning field goal in overtime. It was on to Miami and the Indianapolis Colts from there.