CANTON, Ohio -- Drew Brees didn't need much time to finish off a good weekend for the New Orleans Saints.
Brees smoothly led a touchdown drive on his only series Sunday night, and the Saints beat the Arizona Cardinals 17-10 in the Hall of Fame game, officiated by a crew with college experience.
The game was canceled last year for the first time in 45 years, a casualty of the NFL's lockout of players. Labor issues also came into play in Sunday night's game - the seven officials were replacements.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Chicago sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
The referee announced the result of the coin flip incorrectly - Craig Ochoa said the Saints won the toss and deferred, then caught his mistake and said the Cardinals had won the toss. There were some other communication problems as well on the first-time crew.
The win completed a good visit for the Saints (No. 9 in the AP Pro32), who needed a few smiles after their rough offseason.
Suspended coach Sean Payton got the league's permission to attend a dinner for former Saints tackle Willie Roaf and the other five Hall of Fame inductees on Friday night. Payton isn't allowed to have any contact with the team this season as punishment for the team's bounty program.
Players got to tour the hall and sat in the back three rows of the stadium for Roaf's induction on Saturday, wearing black t-shirts with his No. 77. It was a proud moment for a franchise that's been overshadowed by the bounty scandal all offseason.
News
Brees was sharp on the opening 10-play drive, completing 4 of 5 passes for 41 yards with one off-target throw. Brees skipped offseason workouts and minicamp because he was unhappy getting the team's franchise tag. He later agreed to a five-year, 100 million deal.
The Cardinals (No. 23) are using the preseason to pick a quarterback, with Kevin Kolb and John Skelton competing for the starting job. Kolb got to start the game but had a tough time, throwing an interception on his first pass and leaving after bruising his ribs on the third series.
"You never want to have an injury in the preseason, especially an early game like this, having to play that fifth preseason game," said Skelton, who was 4 of 6 passes for 32 yards. "But he will be OK."
The Cardinals finished 8-8 last season, Kolb's first in Arizona. He started nine games and threw for nine touchdowns with eight interceptions while learning a new offense on the fly because of the lockout. Skelton filled in when Kolb was hurt and went 5-2 as a starter.
After the opening series for each team, the backups got into the game and things got ragged.
Copyright2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.