It was only fitting that the three players who scored for the New Orleans Saints in the team's first overseas game took foreign routes to the NFL.
Running backs Rueben Mayes and Gill Fenerty scored touchdowns and Morten Andersen added a field goal as the Saints defeated the Los Angeles Raiders 17-10 in Sunday's exhibition contest.Mayes is a native of Canada. Fenerty was seeing his first NFL action after a year in Italy and three in the Canadian Football League. Andersen is a Dane who as a child dreamed of playing soccer in Wembley Stadium.
The Saints stymied the Raider passing game with three interceptions, including one by free safety Gene Atkins in the final five minutes as Los Angeles tried to rally.
The Raiders, whose only scoring in the first half was a 31-yard Jeff Jaeger field goal on the final play before halftime, had closed to within 17-10 in the final quarter when Elvis Patterson smothered a punt and fell on it in the end zone for a touchdown.
Patterson's score was one of the few moments of joy for Raiders fans in the crowd of 63,000, which saved its biggest ovations for the teams' cheerleaders.
The Raiders dominated play in the opening quarter as both starting quarterbacks struggled. Los Angeles starter Jay Schroeder was to complete only seven of 18 passes in the game.
New Orleans' John Fourcade also got off to a poor start but led the Saints on a 16-play, 83-yard drive in the second quarter that ended with a 3-yard sweep by Mayes for a touchdown.
Vince Evans took over at quarterback for the Raiders in the second half and quickly moved the team into scoring position, but was intercepted by cornerback Kim Phillips in the end zone.
The Saints struck back, with substitute Dave Wilson passing to Brett Perriman for 27 and 54 yards on consecutive plays and Fenerty finishing off the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run.
Fenerty, 26, was making his first NFL appearance. After graduating from Holy Cross, he played a year in Bolzano, Italy, and spent three seasons with the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL.
"This is the final step, the top of the mountain, the NFL," he said. "I want to see if I can play with the big boys."
Fenerty finished with 17 yards on eight carries and one reception for eight yards, and said it was a good learning experience after his years in other leagues.
"In the NFL, things happen a lot faster. Guys are a lot quicker," he said. "That's probably the biggest adjustment I've had to make."
Wilson, who completed six of his first seven passes, led the Saints on another quick drive after Fenerty's touchdown and Andersen kicked a 27-yard field goal late in the third quarter to make it 17-3.
Wilson, a nine-year veteran, did not play at all last season as the team's third-string quarterback. With 1989 starter Bobby Hebert holding out and vowing to never play again for the Saints, Wilson is fighting Fourcade for the starting job.
"It felt good to go out and be productive," Wilson said. "It's good being in game situations."