Monday 5 October 2015 09:17, UK
Drew Brees hit CJ Spiller with a short pass that the running back turned into an 80-yard touchdown on the second play of overtime to help the New Orleans Saints to a 26-20 win over the Dallas Cowboys.
Brees, who missed the Saints' previous game with a shoulder injury, completed 33 of 41 throws for 359 yards and two TDs to take his career tally to 400 and help his team to their first win of the season.
Spiller rushed over to Brees after the decisive score to hand him the ball.
"I told him, 'Brother, you deserve it,'" Spiller said. "He's probably the best team-mate I've ever played with - just his preparation. He deserves it."
Saints coach Sean Payton attributed the winning play to Brees' arm and craftiness. After running back Khiry Robinson dropped a first-down pass on the Saints' 20-yard line, Brees noticed that the Cowboys' defence was slow to line up on second down.
"I believe they struggled getting aligned, and Drew was smart enough to snap the ball," Payton said. "It was a vertical route, a play we had run earlier. The tackle CJ broke on the safety was huge. A great play."
Brees admitted: "They were late getting lined up, and I felt like if we caught them in man and they had some confusion, we could have a big play. I tried to keep the safety in the middle of the field. If CJ gets behind somebody, nobody's catching him."
The game went to OT when Zack Hocker missed a 30-yard field-goal attempt in the final seconds to break the 20-20 tie.
"Before I went out, I guess I was aware of [reaching 400], and I made that part of my thought process," added Brees. "Right when the play call came in for CJ, I said, 'This is it. This is going the distance.'"
Cowboys quarterback Brandon Weeden (16-for-26, 246 yards, one TD, no interceptions) led Dallas to the tying touchdown late in the fourth quarter, guiding the team 91 yards on eight plays.
The victory snapped the Saints' six-game home losing streak and extended Weeden's streak of consecutive losing starts to 10.
