2001 Week 1 · Sun, Sep 9, 2001 · Ralph Wilson Stadium

New Orleans SaintsWinner

Buffalo Bills

NO -1.5 ✓U 37.5 ✓Saints closed -1.5 and covered, winning by 18.

New Orleans Saints 24–6 — never really in doubt late.

Pre-2018 game — box score & context only; play-by-play visuals start in 2018

Who moved the needle

Top performers

Passing · NO

Aaron BrooksQB

18/29, 209 yds, 3 TD, 0 INT

7.8 expected points added

Passing · BUF

Rob JohnsonQB

16/27, 160 yds, 0 TD, 3 INT

-16.2 expected points added

Rushing · NO

Ricky WilliamsRB

18 att, 93 yds, 0 TD

-2.5 expected points added on the ground

Rushing · BUF

Travis HenryRB

22 att, 58 yds, 0 TD

-5.5 expected points added on the ground

Receiving · NO

Albert ConnellWR

3/4 for 89 yds, 1 TD

14% of team targets · 5.2 expected points added

Receiving · NO

Joe HornWR

6/10 for 45 yds, 0 TD

34% of team targets · -0.4 expected points added

Full stat lines

Box score

New Orleans Saints

Passing

Player	C/Att	Yds	TD	INT	Sacked	EPA
Aaron Brooks	18/29	209	3	0	2	7.8
Joe Horn	0/1	0	0	0	0	-0.5

Rushing

Player	Att	Yds	Avg	EPA
Ricky Williams	18	93	5.2	-2.5
Aaron Brooks	5	10	2.0	-2.1
Terrelle Smith	2	4	2.0	-0.2
Deuce McAllister	1	2	2.0	-0.1

Receiving

Player	Rec	Tgt	Yds	TD	Tgt share	EPA
Albert Connell	3	4	89	1	14%	5.2
Joe Horn	6	10	45	0	34%	-0.4
Ricky Williams	1	2	19	1	7%	3.7
Robert Wilson	2	2	15	0	7%	2.2
Cameron Cleeland	2	3	14	1	10%	2.2
Willie Jackson	2	6	12	0	21%	-2.1
Terrelle Smith	1	1	10	0	3%	0.8
Dave Stachelski	1	1	5	0	3%	0.2

Defense (top contributors)

Player	Solo	Ast	Sacks	INT	PD
Keith Mitchell	6	1	0.0	0	0
Joe Johnson	5	2	3.0	0	0
Jay Bellamy	3	3	0.0	0	0
Fred Thomas	5	0	0.0	0	1
Sedrick Hodge	4	1	0.0	0	0
Michael Hawthorne	3	1	0.0	0	0
Charlie Clemons	4	0	1.0	0	1
Chris Oldham	1	2	0.0	0	0
Norman Hand	1	2	0.0	0	0
Sammy Knight	2	1	0.0	3	3

Buffalo Bills

Passing

Player	C/Att	Yds	TD	INT	Sacked	EPA
Rob Johnson	16/27	160	0	3	5	-16.2
Brian Moorman	0/1	0	0	0	0	-0.7

Rushing

Player	Att	Yds	Avg	EPA
Travis Henry	22	58	2.6	-5.5
Peerless Price	1	31	31.0	1.8
Rob Johnson	3	23	7.7	-1.1
Larry Centers	1	11	11.0	1.1
Sammy Morris	1	2	2.0	-0.2

Receiving

Player	Rec	Tgt	Yds	Tgt share	EPA
Larry Centers	4	4	37	14%	2.5
Jeremy McDaniel	4	5	36	18%	0.2
Eric Moulds	1	4	34	14%	-3.6
Peerless Price	1	2	32	7%	1.8
Jay Riemersma	2	6	16	21%	-8.2
Travis Henry	1	2	4	7%	-1.4
Sammy Morris	3	4	1	14%	-1.1
Lance Brown	0	1	0	4%	-0.7

Defense (top contributors)

Player	Solo	Ast	Sacks	PD
Antoine Winfield	5	1	0.0	2
Pat Williams	2	2	0.0	0
Kenyatta Wright	2	2	0.0	0
Keith Newman	2	1	0.0	0
Lance Brown	2	1	0.0	0
Phil Hansen	1	2	0.5	0
Jay Foreman	1	2	0.0	0
Raion Hill	1	2	0.0	0
Ken Irvin	3	0	0.0	1
Shawn Price	1	1	0.0	0

Closing number vs result

Betting context

Closing spread: NO -1.5
Closing total: 37.5
NO moneyline: —
BUF moneyline: —

Saints closed -1.5 and covered, winning by 18.

Total closed 37.5; the game landed 30 — under by 7.5.

Conditions and crew

Game environment

Venue: Ralph Wilson Stadium
Roof / surface: outdoors · astroturf
Kickoff weather: 87°F, wind 10 mph
Referee: Larry Mallam
Rest: NO 7 days · BUF 7 days
Coaches: Jim Haslett vs Gregg Williams