We’ve reached Day 53 in our countdown to the New Orleans Saints‘ season opener, so we’re spinning the calendar back to 2015 for our Saints Play of the Day. This 53-yard touchdown pass from Drew Brees to Marques Colston made a big difference in a barnburner win over the New York Giants. You can watch it for yourself right here.
This had to be one of the easier connections Brees and Colston made in their many years together. Colston worked his way through the Giants secondary and Brees found him wide open in New York territory; Colston snatched the pass from eye level and outran three different Giants defenders on his way to the end zone. No. 12 was known for making tough catches and taking big hits, but on this play he was untouched.
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And the Saints needed the score. It was the third of seven touchdown passes Brees would throw in a game his defense nearly lost, with the final tally ending at 52-49. Eli Manning played a great game for New York (completing 30 of 41 passes for 350 yards and six touchdowns) but the real story was the New Orleans defense. They just couldn’t stop the Giants’ pick plays or take the ball away, and they were penalized eight times. Odell Beckham Jr. scored on them three times.
Brees threw for 505 yards and seven touchdowns but still only won by three points. The Saints were outscored 81-42 in their next two games which led to Sean Payton firing defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. Giving Dennis Allen the headset didn’t lead to immediate results, but it proved to be the right move in the long run. Eventually this team evolved into a squad that didn’t need Brees to do everything for them.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Marques Colston’s 53-yard TD catch is the Saints Play of the Day