New Orleans lets Deuce loose
SAINTS 31, 49ERS 17
Saints running back Deuce McAllister, playing on two reconstructed knees, runs for 73 yards and a touchdown in a victory over San Francisco. Drew Brees throws for 363 yards and three scores.
NEW ORLEANS -- Setting Deuce loose was more than a crowd-pleasing move by a coach feeling the heat from disgruntled fans.
San Francisco's shaky run defense had trouble stopping Deuce McAllister's power running and the New Orleans Saints stayed out of an early-season hole with a 31-17 victory.
The Saints' all-time rusher is now playing on two reconstructed knees. It hardly looked that way when he bowled over tacklers for first downs, moved the pile or dived over it for his first touchdown of the season in the fourth quarter.
He carried 20 times for 73 yards and had a 10-yard reception to convert a third down. He gave the Saints the credible power running threat they needed to open up deep throws for Drew Brees.
Brees was 23 of 35 for 363 yards and three scores, including touchdowns of 47 yards to Robert Meachem and 33 yards to Lance Moore. Brees also set up scores with a 52-yard pass to Meachem and an 81-yard connection with Devery Henderson.
The Saints (2-2) showed an inability to convert short-yardage runs and it cost them in close losses at Washington and Denver. Saints fans flooded call-in shows with complaints about coach Sean Payton's reluctance to play McAllister, who'd had only two carries -- but gained five yards on each -- during the opening three weeks.
J.T. O'Sullivan was 18 of 36 for 257 yards for San Francisco (2-2)..Quoteworthy: "I talked to my hero. He told me he was proud of me." -- Deuce McAllister, Saints running back, on former 49er Roger Craig, his boyhood idol
From the Associated Press
