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| Dave Martin / Associated Press |
| Saints quarterback Drew Brees threw three interceptions while under pressure by a swarming Falcons defense. |
ATLANTA -- The image is inescapable. In the first major event in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina hit the city in 2006, the Saints blocked a punt at the outset of the game to spark a rout against the favored Atlanta Falcons and star quarterback Michael Vick. It was spine-tingling magic by the projected NFC doormat against the divisional favorite that helped propel the Saints to the NFC Championship Game.
Since then, the Saints have tried to recapture that spirit, with this season's stacked roster and stat-churning quarterback, Drew Brees, supposedly giving New Orleans its best shot to get back to the postseason.
Yet it's the Falcons who seem to have stepped into the role, generating similar magic to a ravaged franchise and highlighting the point with long-sought payback for that 23-3 thrashing they took in the Superdome two years ago. Projected to finish last in the division and be one of the worst teams in the NFL, the Falcons took apart the Saints on Sunday to improve to 6-3 and further their legitimacy as a playoff-caliber team.
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| NFC South in previous five seasons | ||||||
| Year | Winner | Record | Year before | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Carolina | 11-5 | 7-9 (last) | |||
| 2004 | Atlanta | 11-5 | 5-11 (last) | |||
| 2005 | Tampa Bay | 11-5 | 5-11 (last) | |||
| 2006 | New Orleans | 10-6 | 3-13 (last) | |||
| 2007 | Tampa Bay | 9-7 | 4-12 (last) | |||
"We had to get a division win," Falcons safety Lawyer Milloy said. "We want to be the ones with our hands up when the smoke clears. There were a lot of people doubting us at the beginning of the season and I think we are showing what we can do."
The Falcons' 34-20 victory -- their fourth in five games -- kept them unbeaten at home (4-0). It also marked the team's first NFC South win this season and its first in nearly a full calendar year. That the Saints had beaten Atlanta four straight times, with the sea-changing 2006 victory in the Superdome being the starting point, made the win even more meaningful.
This particular victory might even have generated that needed push for a breakthrough season like New Orleans had two years ago.
Until now, Atlanta's rise from the ash heap of 2007 could directly be tied to the surprise success of rookie quarterback Matt Ryan. He delivered again against the Saints, completing 16 of 23 passes for 248 yards and two touchdowns, with a passer rating of 134.0. Yet, it was the defense that was responsible for this victory and the defense that has evolved to the point where Ryan doesn't have to be relied upon as the beacon.
Coming off a shutout of Oakland, the Falcons held the explosive Saints without a first-half touchdown for the first time all season and denied it a second TD until a Hail Mary pass as time expired. Safety Erik Coleman, one of four new defensive starters, opened the game with an interception of Brees, and cornerback Chris Houston picked Brees off in the end zone late in the game. Rookie nickel back Chevis Jackson returned an interception 95 yards for a touchdown with 1:17 remaining to give the Falcons an insurmountable 21-point lead.
"It was a big tempo-changer for us," Coleman said of his game-opening interception. "We stole the possession on the first play of the game."
Rookie middle linebacker Curtis Lofton, one of a slew of acquisitions that is making first-time general manager Thomas Dimitroff look like the Executive of the Year, said Coleman's pick proved that destiny could be within reach.
"That was the first time all season the defense opened the game on the field," said Lofton, who had six tackles. "When that happened, we took it upon ourselves to be the difference."
Some players said the defensive performance against the pass-oriented Saints team was the perfect set-up for Atlanta's next opponent, Denver, another pass-happy team yet to establish its footing. The Broncos will be the second of three straight teams (Carolina is the last) to have to play the Falcons in the Georgia Dome, where thousands of empty seats remain unoccupied despite repeated claims of sellouts. Converts, it seems, are still hard to come by.
While words like destiny, playoffs and hope are being mentioned in the Falcons' locker room, the Saints could be in trouble. The preseason favorite to win the division has been sidetracked by injuries and a bye week after defeating San Diego in London did little to correct their inconsistent ways against Atlanta.
The Saints' improving run defense held Michael Turner to 96 tough yards, but their secondary was easy pickings. Compounding things, starting left cornerback Mike McKenzie fractured his right knee cap, likely ending his season.
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Offensively, wide receiver Marques Colston (thumb) appeared back to form, catching seven passes for 140 yards, but he was kept out of the end zone. Tight end Jeremy Shockey (hernia) also used the down week to get better, but he managed just two catches for 16 yards and he got into a heated discussion with Brees on the sideline during the game.
Shockey, who suffered an ankle injury in the fourth quarter, denied it was a shouting match. "The more time Drew and I spend with each other the better it is going to get," he said.
The juxtaposition of how and where these teams stand is evident: New Orleans is searching while the Falcons have found themselves.
There is still time for the clock to strike midnight on the Falcons' season and for the Saints to get it together; running back Reggie Bush (knee) could be back for New Orleans next week. Division-leading Carolina (7-2) and/or Tampa Bay (6-3) could end up trumping both teams when it comes to postseason play.
Even if the Falcons don't make the playoffs, they might have already done enough to satisfy those who said they wouldn't come close to winning a half dozen games.
The bar inside the locker room has been raised.
While some players and coaches celebrated as they walked off the field, the tone was different inside the locker room. Of all things, there were some bitter feelings about allowing the final touchdown as time expired.
The lack of attention to detail that has gotten the Falcons to this point had lapsed and bad habits -- no matter what time they surface -- are not to be tolerated. Not by these reborn Falcons.
"That hurt," Coleman said. "We want to end everything we do on a positive note and do a good job finishing. We didn't do that. That is something we've got to work on."
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