Saints ground Eagles
CB Lattimore gets two interceptions, foils comeback
NEW ORLEANS — When the Saints found their rhythm, they marched a step closer to the Super Bowl.
New Orleans got two touchdowns from Drew Brees and two interceptions from Marshon Lattimore in a 20-14 win Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles, good for a trip to the NFC title game.
Brees took the Saints on scoring drives of 92, 79 and 67 yards after digging a 14-0 hole. Lattimore clinched it when Nick Foles’ pass deflected off Alshon Jeffery with about two minutes left.
“We were real calm and poised and we knew we were going to get things done,” Brees said.
New Orleans (14-3) will host the NFC title game next week against the Los Angeles Rams (13-4), which lost there in November.
Wil Lutz added two field goals for the Saints, who last got this far in 2009, when they won the Super Bowl.
The Eagles (10-8), meanwhile, will not repeat as champions. No team has since the 2004 Patriots.
Philadelphia scored on its first two drives as New Orleans could do no right to start.
“Listen, they got off to a fast start, they’re a great team,” Brees said. “Nick Foles has done a phenomenal job for them.”
After the first, it was all New Orleans, but the Eagles kept it close. When Lutz missed a 52-yard field goal with 2:58 left, they were only a touchdown back.
Foles, hero of last year’s Super Bowl, got in position for another miracle, but Jeffery couldn’t handle a pass and it was all over.
“That’s a great championship team,” Saints coach Sean Payton said. “We remained confident.”
Brees had touchdown passes to rookie Keith Kirkwood and All-Pro Michael Thomas, who had 12 receptions for a franchise playoffrecord 171 yards.
Thomas’ 2-yard score capped an 18-play, 92-yard drive in which the Saints covered more than 100 yards because of penalties. It lasted almost 12 minutes.
“What you saw from him today is what I see every day in practice,” Brees said of Thomas. “He’s a big-time player who wants to be the guy to make plays.”
Philadelphia had the ball for more than nine minutes in the first quarter, after which the Eagles had the ball about 13 minutes and never scored.
New Orleans, which beat Philadelphia by 41 in November, gambled and lost on its first play. Brees was short on a deep pass to Ted Ginn Jr. and it was picked off by Cre’Von LeBlanc, one of several Eagles backups in the secondary due to injury.
“I just think we had to find our rhythm,” Brees said. “I tried to take a shot on the first play. Unfortunately, that didn’t work.”
After the first, though, a lot worked for New Orleans.
But the visitors were in control until Lattimore picked off a deep pass to Zach Ertz. The Saints marched 79 yards to a touchdown, faking a punt at their 30 and going for it on fourth-and-goal from the 2-yard line. With Brees finding the range and his receivers finding room to roam, New Orleans crept to 14-10 at half before taking the lead.