After Long Wait, Good Things Come to Visiting Saints

PHILADELPHIA - The New Orleans Saints joined the N.F.L. in 1967 and did not make the playoffs for 20 years. It took the Saints another 13 years to win a playoff game. And Saturday night, 46 seasons after their debut in the N.F.L., they finally won a road playoff game.

A 32-yard field goal by Shayne Graham as time expired in the game gave New Orleans a 26-24 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in an N.F.C. wild-card game at Lincoln Financial Field.

'I told the team to carry your own history,' Coach Sean Payton said of the Saints' winless record in road playoff games. 'It's a stereotype. It goes with a team that plays in a dome. I thought we traveled pretty well tonight.'

An uneven game that began sleepily suddenly turned electrifying and tense in a seesaw fourth quarter as Philadelphia quarterback Nick Foles and his counterpart Drew Brees dueled.

With the Saints leading by 23-17 midway through the quarter, Foles led the Eagles on a 77-yard drive. The key sequence ended with a pass-interference penalty on Saints cornerback Corey White that netted Philadelphia 40 yards and gave them a first down at the New Orleans 3. Two plays later, Foles threw to Zach Ertz for the go-ahead touchdown and a 24-23 Eagles lead with less than five minutes to play.

But the Saints' Darren Sproles returned the ensuing kickoff 39 yards and there was a 15-yard penalty for a horse-collar tackle tacked onto the end of the return. Two plays later, the Saints had advanced to the Eagles' 35.

The Saints methodically worked the football closer to the end zone, trying to use up as much clock as possible. With three seconds left, the Saints took their final time out, setting up the winning kick, Graham's fourth field goal of the game.

With the final score of the game, the teams had combined for 16 points in the fourth quarter and 37 in the second half.

New Orleans will travel to Seattle next weekend to play the Seahawks, the top-seeded team in the N.F.C.

Trailing by 7-6 at the start of the second half, the Saints seemed intent on establishing the run game. It was a successful strategy as running back Mark Ingram gained 24 yards on three carries. The drive culminated with a 24-yard touchdown pass from Brees to Lance Moore. It was a typically intricate Saints play. With multiple receivers working the sidelines, Brees waited in the pocket as Moore, releasing late and working underneath, sprung free in the middle of the field.

Once Moore caught the pass, he was able to easily weave his way into the end zone because most of the Philadelphia defenders were in coverage on the edges of the field.

The touchdown gave the Saints a 13-7 lead.

After an ineffective Eagles drive, Brees was at it again, converting on a third-and-12 with a 14-yard completion to Kenny Stills. He then threw to tight end Benjamin Watson for 27 yards, which advanced the Saints deep into Eagles' territory. The drive ended with a 4-yard touchdown run by Ingram and a 20-7 New Orleans lead with 3:54 left in the third.

The Eagles decided that they could run the football, too, and behind LeSean McCoy mounted a touchdown drive. McCoy cut the New Orleans lead to 20-14 on a 1-yard plunge. What's more, the Saints lost cornerback Keenan Lewis on the drive, when he sustained a head injury on a tackle. His absence unleashed the Eagles' talented wide receiver DeSean Jackson, who caught two passes from Foles.

Jackson also had a 29-yard punt return that set up a 31-yard field goal by Alex Henery that cut the Saints' lead to 20-17 early in the fourth. But Brees managed to rally the Saints, connecting with wide receiver Robert Meacham for 40 yards. That reception led to a 35-yard field goal by Graham and a 23-17 New Orleans lead.

'We felt pretty good when it was only 7-6 at the half, considering everything that had gone wrong for us,' Payton said.

Though much was made of the Saints having to play in the winter elements of the Northeastern corridor as opposed to the domed stadium in New Orleans where they were undefeated this season, the game was played in relatively benign conditions. The game time temperature was 25 degrees with only a 5-mile-per-hour wind.

So bad weather was not an excuse for the sloppy play by both teams early. The Saints' opening drive of the game was disrupted by a false start on fourth down.

Philadelphia's first few drives were no better.

New Orleans had another promising drive that reached Philadelphia territory late in the first quarter, but Brees overthrew Stills down the right sideline and was intercepted by Bradley Fletcher.

The turnover sparked the Eagles' offense, which moved 58 yards on 10 plays until it had a first down at the New Orleans 15. Foles was getting plenty of time in the pocket, allowing him to wait for plays to develop. But on first down at the 15, a short throwback pass to Brent Celek lost 8 yards. Then Foles was sacked, and the Eagles did not recover. Henery then missed a 48-yard field-goal attempt to keep the game scoreless.

Brees completed three passes to move the Saints to the Eagles' 20. Facing another fourth down, the Saints were once again whistled for a false start. They settled for a 36-yard field goal by Graham to take a 3-0 lead.

The Eagles' offense was still struggling - until they were again jump-started by a Brees turnover. An interception by linebacker DeMeco Ryans gave Philadelphia the ball at the New Orleans 44. Foles found Riley Cooper for a 22-yard reception. Another Foles completion and two runs by McCoy put the Eagles at the Saints' 10.

On second down, Foles waited in the pocket for nearly six seconds, until finding Cooper in the back left of the end zone for a 7-3 Philadelphia lead with 1:48 to play in the first half.

New Orleans rebounded, however, with Brees leading the Saints 47 yards, and Graham booting a 46-yard field goal on the final play before intermission.