Saints stay perfect as Redskins lose late

• Article
• Comments ()
• Click-2-Listen

By Ryan O'Halloran

Another week, another fourth quarter failure for the Washington Redskins.

Leading the New Orleans Saints by seven points with 1:52 remaining, Redskins kicker Shaun Suisham missed a 23-yard field goal, allowing the Saints to score again and force overtime.

Mike Sellers' fumble on the third play of overtime set up the Saints' winning score — a Garrett Hartley 18-yard field goal 6:29 into the extra period — for a 33-30 win at a stunned FedEx Field.

The Saints (12-0) remained undefeated and the Redskins dropped to 3-9.

The winning score was set up by Sellers' fumble at the Saints' 37, which was originally ruled as down by contact. A booth review reversed the call.

Photo Gallery

Saints inch out Redskins

The Redskins allowed an 80-yard, game-tying touchdown drive, fumbled on their lone possession of overtime and fell to the undefeated Saints 33-30.

Jason Campbell was 30-of-42 for 367 yards and a career-tying three touchdowns. Drew Brees threw for 419 yards.

The Redskins were in position to seal the win but Suisham's field goal sailed wide right.

With no timeouts, the Saints took over at their own 20. Five plays later, it was 30-all when Brees threw 53 yards to Robert Meachem down the middle of the field.

The Redskins had 1:13 and two timeouts to try and win it in regulation but Jonathan Vilma intercepted Campbell with 28 seconds left.

Hartley's 58-yard field goal as time expired was short.

The Redskins broke a 17-all halftime tie with Suisham's 28-yard field goal to cap a drive highlighted by Campbell's 29-yard pass to Devin Thomas.

The lead extended to 10 points when the Redskins stuffed New Orleans on fourth down from the Washington 43 and the offense cashed in with quick four-play drive — Campbell to Thomas for 40 yards set up the duo's 13-yard touchdown connection.

The Saints answered with Hartley's 27-yard field goal but the Redskins reached the elusive 30-point plateau on Suisham's 21-yard field goal.

On the ensuing drive, New Orleans scored but it was just a field goal (another 27-yarder by Hartley) and it took the Saints nearly seven minutes to drive down the field. On third-and-9 from the 10, Brees' pass into the end zone was broken up by Byron Westbrook.

The Redskins scored on their first two possessions to take an early 10-0 lead. Fred Davis 8-yard touchdown capped a 9-play, 94-yard drive that was aided by 47 yards in penalties. After a second Saints punt, the Redskins drove to the Saints' 13 before two incompletions sent out Suisham for a 32-yard field goal.

The Saints got on the board with a 34-yard Hartley field goal that capped a 12-play, 50-yard drive that stalled at the Redskins 16. Following a Redskins three-and-out, the big-play Saints struck for the first time when LaRon Landry bit on a Brees play-action fake, leaving Marques Colston open for a 40-yard touchdown.

The Redskins answered with a crisp 9-play, 78-yard drive that featured no rushes. Campbell went 7-of-9 on the march, including a 5-yard touchdown to Thomas.

But wackiness summed up the final two minutes of the first half.

New Orleans opted to punt with 1:43 remaining and Thomas Morstead's kick was so poor, it hit Redskins blocker Kevin Barnes on the back. The Saints recovered at the Redskins 41.

Three plays later, on a third-and-26 from the Redskins 44, Brees was pressured and his pass into traffic was intercepted by Redskins safety Kareem Moore. On the return, Moore was stripped by Meachem, who ran 44 yards for the touchdown.