After a second quarter that saw a brief moment of hope replaced by a disastrous interception returned 96 yards for a touchdown, the St. Louis Rams trail the New Orleans Saints 21-6 at halftime. Drew Brees leads the way—he’s 19-for-27 with two touchdowns and 143 passing yards at the half. Rams quarterback Sam Bradford is 7-for-13 with 91 yards and an interception.
The Saints got off to a quick start, spending most of the first quarter with the ball thanks to a smotheringly competent offense and an early Steven Jackson fumble. Brees connected to Marques Colston twice for touchdowns; the Saints’ rushing game, confused recently by the return of Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush, continued to be dominated by Chris Ivory, who ran the ball seven times for 47 yards, all in the first quarter. Bush had four rushes for 29 yards, while Thomas had three carries for six yards and three receptions for 20 more.
The Rams’ offense has been strangled by the two turnovers, but Steven Jackson looked good in the early going, running the ball eight times for 61 yards and picking up three receptions for 41. Brandon Gibson is the other primary offensive target, with one reception for 23 yards and an end-around for 13.