Knight Is the Saints’ Safety Net

In the first half, Aaron Brooks looked hesitant. Ricky Williams was nearly invisible.

It didn’t matter as long as safety Sammy Knight kept getting the ball back for the New Orleans Saints.

Knight matched a franchise record with three interceptions, two of which led to 10 points, jump-starting the Saints to a 24-6 season-opening victory over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.

“That was huge,” said Williams, who scored a touchdown and rushed for 87 of his 93 yards in the second half. “Games like that, when the offense struggles, the only thing that kept us in was our defense.”

Thanks to Knight, the Saints overcame a 6-0 first-half deficit by scoring 17 points in the first 12 minutes of the third quarter.

Brooks bounced back from an abysmal first-half performance, completing 18 of 29 attempts and three touchdowns as the Saints won a season opener for only the 10th time in 35 years.

Buffalo quarterback Rob Johnson finished 16 of 27 for 160 yards and threw three interceptions for the first time in his career. Johnson also failed to capitalize on two trips inside the Saint 15-yard line, settling instead for rookie Jake Arians’ two field goals.