DREW BREES, Saints quarterback A 149.2 rating on 412 yards and five TD passes. And don't forget a TD-saving tackle after a bad snap.
JERMON BUSHROD, Saints left tackle
Bushrod limited NFL sack leader Jared Allen to no sacks and only one quarterback hurry.
ROMAN HARPER, Saints safety
The Pro Bowl player had a sack and a quarterback hurry on blitzes, and led the swarming defense in tackles.
PLAY OF THE GAME
When: Third quarter, 10:18 remaining.
Score: Saints led 28-13
Situation: New Orleans had third-and-4 from the Vikings' 47.
The play: In a sequence typical of his day of success, Saints QB Drew Brees stepped up to avoid the rush of Vikings DE Jared Allen and found WR Lance Moore cutting across the middle against the Vikings secondary. Moore caught it at the 31 and was untouched heading into the end zone.
The result: The Metrodome got empty in a hurry.
Toby Gerhart scored both Vikings touchdowns Sunday on short passes from Christian Ponder. Gerhart became the eighth Vikings running back with two receiving touchdowns in the same game. Chuck Foreman did it three times, and Rickey Young, Bill Brown and Tommy Mason each did it twice.
Harvin had four touches for 7 yards. Edge: Williams
HEADLINES ON THE CUTTING ROOM FLOOR Other headlines we may (or may not) have considered:
Leave Brees in! We want the records to fall!
That No. 1 overall pick is definitely in sight, boys
Hold it, the Packers lost? To the Chiefs? Really??
Sominex called. They want their sleep formula back
It’s too soon to tell how much the immigration crackdown is to blame.
