Saints Are Now a Study in Success

Billy Joe Hobert must have taken a closer look at the New Orleans Saint playbook at halftime.

Hobert, who completed only two of nine passes for nine yards in the first half, connected on 12 of 15 for 243 yards and three touchdowns in the second as the Saints scored 24 unanswered points for a 27-10 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

“We came in at halftime and decided to throw it down the field and see what happened,” Hobert said. “It was a matter of getting one good drive going, just to get started.”

Hobert, a third-round pick by the Raiders in 1993, was picked up by the Saints after he was cut by Buffalo in October. He threw two interceptions on his first three passes for the Bills in a game against New England, then admitted afterward that he hadn’t studied the playbook.

He became the Saint starter--the fourth at quarterback this season--a week after he arrived in New Orleans.

“As a quarterback I’m probably a little unorthodox,” Hobert said. “I like it when guys get mad and frustrated. I think you can play better that way.”

The Saints (6-9), after gaining only 78 yards in the first half, scored their first touchdown with 4:43 left in the third quarter on a pass from Hobert to Randal Hill.

New Orleans, ranked last in the NFL in total offense and passing going into the game, was 0 for 7 on third downs until Hill’s touchdown catch tied the score, 10-10.

New Orleans took the lead at 13-10 in the fourth quarter on Doug Brien’s 33-yard field goal, and Hobert had touchdown passes to Eric Guliford and John Farquhar in the final four minutes.

Arizona (3-12) had taken a 7-0 lead in the first quarter as quarterback Jake Plummer scored his first NFL touchdown on a 10-yard scramble, but barely threatened after that.