12:03 pm | November 11, 2018 | Go to Source | Author:
CINCINNATI — Bold prediction: The New Orleans Saints will keep their spot as the No. 1 team in ESPN’s NFL Power Rankings this week.
The Saints (8-1) scored on each of their first nine possessions Sunday in a 51-14 rout of the Cincinnati Bengals. The only thing that stopped them was the clock. Backup QB Teddy Bridgewater started taking a knee after the two-minute warning.
Apparently the Saints offense was just getting warmed up during the first half of the 2018 season.
They have now leapfrogged the Chiefs as the top-scoring team in the NFL this season (36.7 points per game) and have now scored a total of 96 points over the past two weeks. Also, the Saints have won eight straight games as they head toward a showdown with the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in New Orleans next week.
The Saints took it up a few notches on Sunday, though. They scored touchdowns on each their first five possessions to take a 35-7 lead at halftime before they finally settled for a field goal to open the second half.
The funny thing is that Saints coach Sean Payton was concerned about his team getting off to a slow start since this was their first 1 p.m. ET kickoff since Week 3.
Drew Brees was 18 of 20 passing for 214 yards and three touchdowns in the first half — including two to receiver Michael Thomas. Mark Ingram had 99 yards of scrimmage and a touchdown. And Alvin Kamara had 79 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. All in the first half.
The 35 points was the most the Saints have scored in the first half of a road game since 2003, according to ESPN Stats & Information. But it was the second straight game where they reached 35 before halftime. (They did the same in last week’s 45-35 home win against the Los Angeles Rams.)
The Saints are getting used to hot starts. They have now scored a touchdown on their opening possession in six of nine games this season.
Brees reached 21 TD passes on the season in the first half — and 509 for his career, moving him ahead of Brett Favre for second place on the NFL’s all-time list (Peyton Manning is first at 539).
Kamara now has 14 total touchdowns on the season and nine multi-TD games in his two-year career. Only Todd Gurley has more since the start of the 2017 season.
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