Robert Meachem's 55-yard catch against the Cowboys is the Saints Play of the Day

There are 55 days to go until the New Orleans Saints kick off their 2024 regular season, and today’s Saints Play of the Day countdown is a blast from the past. We’re taking it back to 2010’s Thanksgiving Day game against the Dallas Cowboys to highlight Robert Meachem’s 55-yard reception.

Now, Meachem didn’t score on this play, but it was about as impactful as it possibly could be while coming up short of that. The Saints were trailing 27-23 and facing 3rd-and-10 from their own 33-yard line, with just 2:25 left in regulation. The Cowboys were surging, having won each of their last two games after firing head coach Wade Phillips in favor of Jason Garrett. The Saints were defending Super Bowl champions facing an upset on a national stage.

And then Drew Brees found Meachem in single coverage sprinting down the sideline, having gotten a step on Cowboys Pro Bowl cornerback Terence Newman. He pump-faked once, then stepped up in the pocket to deliver a dart where only Meachem could get it. The receiver caught the pass in stride and flipped the field, with Newman finally bringing him down at the Dallas 12-yard line. Both sides took a breather at the two-minute warning, and then Lance Moore caught a touchdown pass from Brees to take the lead, going up 30-27 after Garrett Hartley’s extra point try sailed through the uprights.

Talk about drama. The Cowboys offense never got past the New Orleans 41-yard line after that, and a long-shot field goal attempt from 59 yards was no good. The Saints returned home with a hard-fought victory on their hands, and with new memories won for their fans.