Coming into this game, it looked like Drew Brees would be hindered by a plantar fascia injury. He certainly did not show it in the first half as the New Orleans Saints jumped out to a 24-0 lead in the first half of the game, as they held off the Jacksonville Jaguars, 38-27.
Brees threw for 412 yards and three touchdowns. His counterpart Blake Bortles also had a good day with 368 yards and four touchdowns, but two interceptions put the Jaguars in a hole they were unable to climb out of.
On the first drive of the game, Brees drove the Saints 80 yards in ten plays for a touchdown. Without Marques Colston, Brandon Coleman came in and filled the void. He caught the first completion of the game for 21 yards and finished with four catches for 45 yards. But it was Michael Hoomanawanui who finished off the Saints scoring drive with a 17-yard touchdown.
After forcing a punt, the Jaguars' special teams unit made a great play to down the ball on the Saints two yard line. But it didn't matter. The Saints got out to their 40 yard line before two holding calls on Hoomanawanui moved them back to a first and 30 from their own 20. After a four yard gain and an offsides penalty, it was second and 21 from their own 29 and Brees hit Brandin Cooks deep for a 71-yard touchdown to make it 14-0.
On the next drive, it looked like the Jaguars might get back into it with the ball on their own 41 yard line. But a pass intended for Allen Robinson was deflected backwards and ended up in the hands of defensive lineman Bobby Richardson, his first career interception. Five plays later, running back Tim Hightower turned it into a one-yard touchdown run to make it 21-0. Later, Bortles threw another interception to Delvin Breaux and the Saints were able to get a field goal to make it 24-0.
With just 3:56 left in the half, the Jaguars needed a spark of some kind. On the first play, running back Jonas Gray ran for 23 yards up to the 43. From there they moved the ball down the field and capped off am eight play, 80 yard drive with a two-yard touchdown pass to Marquise Lee. The two-point conversion attempt failed and it was 24-6 at half.
On the first drive of the second half, the Jaguars took the ball and went 80 yards in 11 plays to score, capped off by a six-yard touchdown pass from Bortles to Allen Hurns. Later in the game, Hurns would set a record for most yards in his first two seasons by an undrafted player. But the Jaguars were showing signs of life, now down just 24-13 and rolling. But the Saints were not fazed.
It took them just seven plays to answer, capped off by a 44-yard touchdown pass to Travaris Cadet. The former 49er and longtime Saint had just been picked up this week but made his presence felt in this one with three catches for 69 yards. It was now 31-13. But Jacksonville would come right back.
After a holding penalty negated a 25-yard run by Gray, Allen Robinson showed why he is the first alternate for the Pro Bowl as he got behind the Saints defense and took it to the house for a 90-yard touchdown pass, longest of his career. The Jaguars failed on another two-point attempt and it was now 31-19.
The Jaguars had been among the best run defenses in the league this season, but they had no answer for Hightower on this day. The former Cardinal and Redskin, who had been out of the NFL for three years before being picked up this year, ran for 122 yards on 27 carries with two scores on the day, finishing another long drive with a five-yard touchdown run.
With time winding down, the Jaguars blocked a field goal but had just 2:47 remaining. With 73 seconds left, the Jaguars found the endzone again as Bortles hit Hurns for another score. This time on the two-point conversion, Clay Harbor got in to make it a 38-27 ball game. The onside kick did not work and the Saints ran out the clock on an exciting victory.
The Saints held the ball for almost 38 minutes in this game, and gashed the Jacksonville defense for 537 total yards. It is the first time one team has had 500+ yards of offense against one opponent three times in a row since 1956. Once again, turnovers plagued the Jaguars and led to 10 points for the Saints. It's the same script for the Jaguars who get a lot of big plays for Bortles, but the defense gives up a bunch of yards through the air and a couple silly mistakes doom them in the end. But it was a courageous performance for Brees who excelled despite his injury.
Neither of these teams had any playoff hopes coming into this game. The Jaguars will finish their season in Houston next week while the Saints go to Atlanta in what could be the last game for Sean Payton.