SportsDirect Inc. staff
Dec 5, 2010
Drew Brees threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Marques Colston with 31 seconds left, lifting the New Orleans Saints to their fifth consecutive win, a 34-30 victory at Cincinnati on Sunday.
Trailing 30-27, the Saints lined up to go for it on fourth-and-2 from the 7, but before they had a chance to run a play, Brees drew the Bengals offside with a hard count to give New Orleans first-and-goal. He hit Colston one play later for the lead.
Brees passed for 313 yards on 24-of-29 passing with two touchdowns and an interception, and Chris Ivory rushed for 117 yards on 15 carries. Ivory scored on a 55-yard run in the second quarter and added a 1-yard touchdown run in the third.
Robert Meachem had three catches for 106 yards, including a 52-yard touchdown grab in the fourth quarter for New Orleans (9-3).
The Saints led 20-6 after Ivory's second touchdown capped an 11-play drive to open the third quarter, but the Bengals scored on four consecutive possessions to take a 30-27 lead on newly signed kicker Clint Stitser's 47-yard field goal with 4:25 left.
Cedric Benson was held to 49 yards on 19 carries, but he scored a pair of touchdowns, the second of which pulled the Bengals within 27-25 with 8:11 left, and Carson Palmer hit Jermaine Gresham on the ensuing two-point conversion to tie it.
The Bengals (2-10) have lost nine straight.