This one New Orleans needed.

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Reggie Bush stiff arms an Oakland Raider.

The Saints defense hounded Oakland’s offense and New Orleans’ offense controlled the clock, leading the home team to a 34-3 win in front of 70,000-plus at the Superdome.

It came six short days after New Orleans couldn’t hold off Minnesota in a nationally-televised Monday night game, one that could have set the Saints up nicely heading into the final few weeks of October and an extended road trip.

“I thought we played like the team that had the by, not them,” New Orleans head coach Sean Payton said. “I thought we looked like the team that was healthy, not them. In both cases, I was proud of the energy and effort we had coming off the short week.

“I thought we deserved to win.”

New Orleans got back to .500, improving to 3-3 and 2-1 on this three-game home stand.

The win came in the final home contest before the Saints begin a month-long absence from the city, playing three road games as well as a “home” game in London, England.

On Sunday, the Saints’ defense was holding Oakland to 236 total yards and only 12 first downs. Oakland finished with only 85 yards rushing. This came a week after shutting down one of the league’s best running backs.

“We’ve taken a great deal of pride in wanting to stop the run and wanting to be a good defense,” Saints middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma said.

Meanwhile, Drew Brees calmly guided New Orleans’ offense up and down the field, chewing up nearly 13 minutes more of the game clock than Oakland.

He finished the game 26-of-30 for 320 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. His 144.4 quarterback rating was less 15 points below perfection – 158.3.

Deuce McAllister helped burn the block, rushing 13 times for 65 yards, and Reggie Bush added 27 yards and a touchdown rushing as well as 40 yards and a score receiving.

“We came here to win a football game,” Oakland head coach Tom Cable said. “I thought that we didn’t do the things it takes to win.”

Oakland took a 3-0 lead on its first possession when former LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell led the Raiders to the Saints’ 6 before New Orleans’ defense held up. Sebastian Janikowski converted a 24-yard field goal for the point.

It would be all Oakland got all day thanks to a stingy New Orleans defense and an opportunistic offense – the Saints scored 34 unanswered points, hitting on seven straight possessions.

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Mike Karney barrels forward for yardage in a big, 34-3 Oct. 12 win over the Raiders.

New Orleans could have tied with a Taylor Mehlhaff 31-yard field goal, but the rookie kicker missed his first regular season attempt.

After the defense held on the next possession, New Orleans’ offense got rolling, eating nearly 11 minutes off the clock and driving 86 yards in 18 plays. Reggie Bush capped of the series with a 3-yard touchdown run, giving New Orleans a 7-3 lead with 3:45 to go in the opening half.

Mehlhaff finally got on the board, giving New Orleans a 10-3 lead a short time later with a 44-yard field goal that was sandwiched between Janikowski misses, one from 57 yards, the other from 59.

On the Saints’ opening drive of the second half, Brees found Aaron Stecker open on a screen pass and the running back darted in for an 8-yard touchdown.

Jason David, perhaps atoning for early season mishaps, intercepted Russell on the ensuing Raiders’ possession, returning it 18 yards to the Oakland 17. Two plays later, Bush turned a short pass from Brees into a 15-yard touchdown and a 24-3 lead.

“Jason David’s interception that set up a touchdown a few plays later put us up all of a sudden three scores,” Payton said. “That’s a significant play in the game.”

Mehlhaff added a 33-yard field goal early in the fourth for a 27-3 lead and Brees hit tight end Mark Campbell for a 2-yard touchdown the scoring.

Russell finished the game 13-of-35 for 159 yards and an interception in his first game at the Superdome since leading LSU to a Sugar Bowl win over Notre Dame in 2006.

“To limit them the way we did, that’s encouraging,” Saints linebacker Scott Fujita said. “This is the kind of momentum we need at this point in the season."
And that’s how New Orleans went from a losing a tough Monday night contest to getting a victory on Sunday.

“We were a little salty,” Brees said. “We wanted to get back on the field and get a win and feel good about ourselves again."