NEW ORLEANS — Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints picked up a much needed victory.
For Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles, more misery.
Brees threw two touchdown passes, extending his NFL record streak to 51 games, and Patrick Robinson returned an interception 99 yards for a score to lead the Saints to a 28-13 victory over the reeling Eagles on Monday night.
New Orleans (3-5), which bounced back from a 34-14 loss at Denver, also got a 22-yard touchdown run from Chris Ivory.
The Eagles (3-5) lost their fourth consecutive, which is sure to keep the heat on Vick and embattled Coach Andy Reid. Vick threw a 77-yard touchdown pass to DeSean Jackson in the third quarter, but that was about the only highlight for the visiting team which saw Vick sacked seven times.
Not that the Eagles didn’t have their chances. They had first-and-goal four times and managed only two field goals by Alex Henery. In fact, they were outscored in those situations, with Robinson going the other way for a touchdown just when it looked like Philadelphia was on the verge of scoring.
Philadelphia also squandered a chance to get back in the game with a trick play on a kickoff return. Riley Cooper laid flat in the end zone, unseen by the Saints, then popped up to take a cross-field lateral from Brandon Boykin.
Cooper streaked down the sideline for an apparent touchdown. Only one problem - Boykin’s lateral was actually a forward pass by about a yard, ruining the play with a penalty. Cooper stood with his hands on his hips, in disbelief, as the officials brought it back.
Philadelphia finished with 447 yards - the eighth consecutive team to put up more than 400 yards on the Saints. That was already the longest streak of 400-yard games given up by a defense since at least 1950, and maybe in the history of the NFL, putting New Orleans on pace to shatter the record for most yards allowed in a season.
But New Orleans came through where it mattered most, giving up a season low in points. Their previous best was a 31-24 victory over San Diego.
Philadelphia’s last gasp was a fourth-down pass that Vick threw away in the back of the end zone with seven seconds left.
Brees kept his record touchdown streak going, hooking up with Marques Colston on a 1-yard scoring pass and Jimmy Graham from 6 yards out.
The Saints quarterback finished 21 of 27 for 239 yards, a big improvement on his 22-of-42 showing against the Broncos. Brees also got plenty of help from the running game, which came into the league ranked last in the league.
Ivory, Pierre Thomas and Mark Ingram rushed for a combined 136 yards, each breaking off gains of 10-plus yards. Ivory, the Saints’ leading rusher two years ago but playing for the first time this year, provided a much-needed boost to the backfield.
Meanwhile, the Saints defense kept the heat on Vick, and the brutal beating made it tough for him to establish any rhythm. Vick finished 22 of 41 for 272 yards.
MONDAY’S GAME New Orleans 28, Philadelphia 13
THURSDAY’S GAME All times Central Indianapolis at Jacksonville, 7:20 p.m.
SUNDAY’S GAME Atlanta at New Orleans, noon Detroit at Minnesota, noon Denver at Carolina, noon San Diego at Tampa Bay, noon Tennessee at Miami, noon Buffalo at New England, noon Oakland at Baltimore, noon NY Giants at Cincinnati, noon NY Jets at Seattle, 3:05 p.m.
St. Louis at San Francisco, 3:25 p.m.
Dallas at Philadelphia, 3:25 p.m.
Houston at Chicago, 7:20 p.m.
OPEN Arizona, Cleveland, Green Bay, Washington MONDAY, NOV. 12 Kansas City at Pittsburgh, 7:30 p.m.
Sports, Pages 20 on 11/06/2012