The Atlanta Falcons started the season 8-0. The New Orleans Saints started the season 0-4. None of that matters when the Saints play the Falcons. Since Hurricane Katrina, the Saints are 11-2 against the Falcons including a 31-27 win on Sunday.
The Falcons came out of the gates on fire and looked like they might run away from the Saints. The Falcons scored 10 points in the first 5 minutes of the game. From that point, the Saints went on a 28-7 run to secure an 11 point lead heading into the fourth quarter.
In the fourth quarter, the Falcons scored on a Matt Ryan touchdown pass to Tony Gonzalez and a short Matt Bryant field goal to cut the Saints lead to 1. After holding the Saints to a field goal, the Falcons drove the ball to the Saints 1 yards line. Looking for a go-ahead touchdown, Ryan and the Falcons were turned away by the Saints defense. The Falcons got the ball one last time and were again stopped on downs.
The game featured a battle between two of the best tight ends on the Planet. Tony Gonzalez had 11 catches for 122 yards and two touchdowns for the Falcons.Gonzalez also scored his 100th touchdown of his career. Not to be outdone, Jimmy Graham had 7 catches for 146 yards and a touchdown for the Saints.
A few other notes:
- Matt Ryan passed for a career high 411 yards
- Marques Colston’s third quarter touchdown put him in a tie with Deuce McAllister for most touchdowns in Saints history
- Drew Brees extended his streak of consecutive games with a touchdown pass t0 52
Next week, the Saints (4-5) will travel to Oakland to play the Raiders, and the Falcons (8-1) are home to face the Cardinals.
