There are 24 days to go until the New Orleans Saints kick off their 2024 regular season, and we’re turning the clock back to Jan. 2014 for today’s highlight. Lance Moore’s 24-yard touchdown catch against the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2013 Wild Card Round is the Saints Play of the Day.
Moore helped knock out the Eagles and win the Saints’ first road playoff game with this score, which you can watch here. This victory dispelled a couple of narratives that had dogged the Saints for years. They were characterized as a team that couldn’t win away from the Superdome, or even outdoors, especially in poor weather.
So imagine their doubters’ surprise when the Saints took the field on a cold, windy night in Philadelphia and left with a win. Drew Brees rolled out and away from the Eagles pass rush to find Moore in the middle of the field, lobbing a quick pass to one of his favorite receivers. Moore cut upfield and fought his way through an Eagles defender to crash into the end zone, extending the Saints’ lead to 13-7.
They weren’t out of the woods yet. The Eagles passing attack woke up when star cornerback Keenan Lewis was pulled from the game with an injury, and a late Zach Ertz touchdown pass from Nick Foles gave Philly a 24-23 lead in the final five minutes. But the Saints didn’t let Foles touch the football again. Helped by a good return from Darren Sproles and a horse collar tackle against the Eagles, Brees set up shop near midfield at the opposing 48-yard line. Khiry Robinson helped move the ball further into Eagles territory and Brees converted a pair of first downs in short-yardage situations, forcing Philly to burn their last timeouts. Shayne Graham kicked a 32-yard field goal as time expired and the Saints advanced to the next round, having made a new chapter in team history.
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