Hebert’s Memory Is Right On : Former USFL Star Returns to Detroit and Wins With Saints

Bobby Hebert felt right at home in the Silverdome again, and his new friends also looked comfortable.

Hebert, who played here when he led the Michigan Panthers to the inaugural United States Football League championship in 1983, returned as a National Football League quarterback for the New Orleans Saints Sunday and showed he hasn’t lost his touch.

Hebert completed 23 of 32 passes for 282 yards and a touchdown and the New Orleans defense, led by Rickey Jackson’s 4 sacks, shut down Detroit in the second half as the Saints beat the Lions, 22-14.

“I have some great memories of Michigan,” Hebert said. “I had some great moments with the Panthers. This is a great feeling, especially since we came away with a win. I would have been bummed out if we lost.

“No matter where you play, you want to win. But this is special because I have a lot of good memories from here.”

The Saints’ defense held Detroit to 272 yards, only 40 on the ground, and the 5 sacks totaled 42 yards in losses.

A misfire on a fake punt set up the go-ahead touchdown for the Saints. On fourth and 18 from the Detroit 12-yard line, Lion punter Jim Arnold appeared to have receiver Carl Painter in the open, but Painter didn’t turn around in time and the pass fell incomplete.

Two plays later, Dalton Hilliard ran around left end for a 4-yard touchdown that put the Saints ahead, 19-14, with 50 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

“As it turned out, we had a rookie in there who didn’t know the call,” Arnold said. “But I’m not pointing any fingers. I take full responsibility for the call. If the pass had been completed, we would have been heroes. If I had it to do over, I’d kick the ball.”

New Orleans Coach Jim Mora said the play clearly was the turning point in the game.

“That was a shocker, obviously,” he said. “We did not expect it, but we stopped it and took advantage of it. This week, we worked on a fake punt in practice, too.”

The Lions (1-2) took a 14-7 halftime lead on a pair of touchdown passes from Chuck Long to Carl Bland, but the Saints (2-1) took control in the second half.

Long completed 20 of 33 for 274 yards, with 2 interceptions. Bland had 6 catches for 96 yards.