We have made it to 42 days remaining until the New Orleans Saints Week 1 kickoff against the Carolina Panthers, making this 42-yard reception by Brandon Coleman our Saints Play of the Day. In this battle between Drew Brees versus Tom Brady, we got to witness some impressive games from both Michael Thomas and Brandon Coleman.
Despite ending with an eventual 36-20 loss for the Saints, this play led a field goal drive that brought the Saints within touching distance at 20-13. The drive had all but stalled out at 3rd and 9 on the New Orleans 40-yard line, but Brandon Coleman (thanks to a Sean Payton play design) got absolutely wide open due to three routes crossing over each other, sparking defensive confusion. Coleman ran along the sideline and shed a low tackle before being pushed out of bounds at the New England 18-yard line.
This play was the most prominent of the day for Coleman, but he also had a 5-yard touchdown catch earlier in the game. He ended the day with 4 receptions for 82 yards (20.5 yards per catch) and a touchdown. The Saints figured some things out in this loss to the Patriots, though, and they won their next eight games with Coleman making a lot of plays as their primary blocking wideout. It was ultimately a career day for Coleman, as he would end up retiring in 2019 after suffering a career-ending neck injury.
