Jared Cook's 38-yard touchdown catch is the Saints play of the day

The New Orleans Saints kick off their 2025 season against the Arizona Cardinals in 38 days in the Caesars Superdome. As the countdown to kickoff continues, we take a look back at Drew Brees' 38-yard connection to Jared Cook for a touchdown.

Brees didn't need much time, but the protection on the play was phenomenal. He quickly found Cook across the middle of the field, and floated the pass over Fred Warner's head. Cook took a hit at the legs from the defensive back. That did nothing, and the tight end dashed to the end zone from there.

Cook's touchdown grab came on the first possession of the game, and set the tone for a matchup between two NFC heavyweights. The scoring started with Cook, but it certainly didn't stop.

Jared Cook kicks off a shootout between Drew Brees and... Jimmy Garoppolo

This is the second time the countdown to Saints kickoff feature Brees in a shootout against an unsuspecting quarterback. The first time Brees had to outscore Eli Manning. This time it was Jimmy G.

Unlike the duel between the Saints and Giants, New Orleans' battle with the 49ers had high stakes. The Saints and 49ers were battling for the top spot in the NFC. At the time, they were the only two-loss teams in the conference and shared the title of best record in the league with the Baltimore Ravens.

Also unlike the Saints' shootout with the Giants, the Saints walked away from this game with a loss. This game started with a touchdown to Cooks, and the offense scored on their final possession as well. Unfortunately, they failed to convert the two point attempt. That was the difference in the game.

The most memorable moment of the contest was George Kittle carrying Saints defenders on the final drive. That play plus the facemask call put the 49ers in field goal range. San Francisco kicked a field goal to win the game as time expired.

The stakes weren't just temporary. By losing that game, the Saints lost the number one seed. The season ended in a three-way tie in the NFC. The Saints fell to third because they lost one more NFC game than the others. Had the Saints won this shootout, there wouldn't have been a tie to even decipher.