Giants vs. Saints: Score and Twitter Reaction from 2015 Regular Season

In a game that featured 13 combined passing touchdowns and 101 total points, the New Orleans Saints won because a punter grabbed a facemask.

Saints kicker Kai Forbath drilled a 50-yard field goal as time expired, and the Saints escaped the Superdome with a 52-49 win over the New York Giants on Sunday.

After New Orleans forced the Giants to punt with 20 seconds remaining, New York punter Brad Wing booted the ball 46 yards to Marcus Murphy. As he crossed midfield, Murphy fumbled the ball, but Saints receiver Willie Snead recovered it. 

Wing was called for a 15-yard penalty for grabbing Murphy's facemask. Referees initially said there was no foul on the play but then called the penalty on Wing, per Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News:

Once that was settled, Forbath made the 50-yard kick from the right hash to give New Orleans its third straight win and one of the more improbable victories in the NFL this season.

Before that drama unfolded, Drew Brees and Eli Manning set an NFL record with 13 combined touchdown passes. The old record of 12 was set in 1969, per sportswriter Katie Smart. That contest also featured the Saints, who beat the St. Louis Cardinals 51-42 in St. Louis.

New Orleans was seemingly in control of this game after three quarters. Brees found tight end Ben Watson for a 20-yard touchdown and a 42-28 lead with 29 seconds to go in the third. But the Giants responded with two touchdown passes from Manning to Dwayne Harris to tie the game at with 9:30 remaining.

Two minutes later, with the Saints driving to retake the lead, Brees found Snead on an out route, but Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie knocked the ball loose. It landed in Trumaine McBride's hands, and he ran 63 yards untouched to give New York its first lead since the 9:39 mark of the first quarter.

Rodgers-Cromartie made a heads-up play to jar the ball loose, as ESPN.com's Mike Triplett noted:

It seemed inevitable that Brees would lead the Saints down the field for the tying score, and that's exactly what he did, engineering a 14-play, 80-yard drive that took 6:35 off the clock and ended with his seventh touchdown pass of the afternoon—a nine-yard strike to C.J. Spiller over the middle. With that toss, Brees tied the NFL record for most scoring passes in a game, per the Saints' official Twitter. Nick Foles was the last player to accomplish the feat, on Nov. 3, 2013.

Brees finished 40-of-50 for 511 yards and seven touchdowns with one interception. Manning was 30-of-41 for 350 yards and six touchdowns with zero interceptions.

The 101 points in this game is the second highest total in a game since the NFL/AFL merger, and is tied for third most in NFL/AFL history, per Evan Woodbury of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

The teams combined for 190 rushing yards, and the Giants' Odell Beckham Jr. hauled in eight passes for 130 yards and three touchdowns. It's the third time this year he eclipsed the century mark, and he's now up to seven touchdowns. ESPN.com's Dan Graziano commented on Beckham's play:

The Saints got a combined 17 catches for 261 yards and two touchdowns from Watson and receiver Marques Colston. Young speedster Brandin Cooks caught six passes for 88 yards and two touchdowns, and Snead made seven grabs for 76 yards and two scores.

Postgame Reaction

If you're a fan of defense, this game was not meant for you.

Giants head coach Tom Coughlin felt the same way, per Graziano:

While Coughlin has every right to be frustrated with his defense, and the same goes for Saints head coach Sean Payton, New York did not lie down despite being down 14 points in the fourth quarter. At the rate these two offenses were going, the thought of this game coming down to a final field goal was not even brought up.

Even after scoring 21 straight points and retaking the lead, Coughlin felt it was impossible that the Giants would end up losing, per Jordan Raanan of New Jersey Advanced Media:

It was a banner day for fantasy players, especially for the two quarterbacks. Brees and Manning were No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in fantasy points, per ESPN.com's fantasy scoring system. Brees had 46 points while Manning had 38. Coming in third was Beckham, who had 31 points after one of his best games this season.

But it wasn't all roses for fantasy players, most notably Fox College Football analyst Matt Leinart:

After accruing 75 receiving yards combined in his last three games, it was also a huge day for Colston. The reliable wide receiver tied a very prestigious Saints record, per Katherine Terrell of the New Orleans Times-Picayune:

Just when it seemed like the Saints were out of the playoff picture, they've reeled off three impressive wins in a row over the likes of the Atlanta Falcons, Indianapolis Colts and now the Giants. All three division leaders, all worthy opponents for a Saints team that struggled out of the gates after starting 1-3.

Brees looks to have regained his old form, and New Orleans is back in the playoff picture. 

As for the Giants, the struggles for each NFC East team continue. After getting a huge win over the Dallas Cowboys last week, New York missed a huge opportunity to distance itself in the struggling division. Now midway through the season, any win for any NFC East team is going to be crucial.

The Giants had a chance to shut the door. Now, it's wide open.