FALCONS 34, SAINTS 20: FALCONS RECAP

RECAP

A quick look at the Falcons’ 34-20 win over New Orleans on Sunday at the Georgia Dome that pushed Atlanta to 6-3.

HERO

Matt Ryan. The Falcons quarterback was excellent —- again. He finished 16-for-23-for 248 yards and two touchdowns. Not huge numbers. The proof that this rookie is for real is in the details. Just watch him throw the out pattern, which he killed the Saints with. Time after time it was right on the money. Throw that pattern like that and it can’t be defended.

GOAT

Drew Brees. The Saints quarterback, the NFL’s top quarterback in passing yardage, was intercepted three times. It started on the first play of the game when his deep pass was picked off by Eric Coleman. The last two were costly. Chris Houston intercepted Brees in the end zone with less than four minutes to play and the Saints still alive. Chevis Jackson sealed the game with a 95-yard interception return for a touchdown with 1:17 left.

KEY PLAY

The first play of the game. The Saints were determined to throw against the Falcons secondary. Drew Brees threw into double coverage on a long pass intended for Devery Henderson. Eric Coleman intercepted the pass and returned it 32 yards. The tone was set.

KEY CALL

The Saints failed on fourth-and-4 from the Falcons’ 28-yard line with just over a minute in the first half. Trailing 17-6 and driving, the Saints elected to go for it rather than have Garrett Hartley attempt a 45-yard field goal. Drew Brees threw incomplete to Lance Moore.

KEY STAT

The Falcons bent but did not break. The Saints rolled up 521 yards of total offense but managed only 20 points, the last seven coming with no time left.

KEY HIT

Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jackson stepped into a hole and absolutely flattened Saints running back Pierre Thomas for no gain on a second-quarter play.

THREE THINGS WE LEARNED

1. The Falcons are for real. They have six wins, and do any of the non-division games left scare you? Denver and St. Louis here. San Diego and Minnesota on the road.

2. Just think what the Falcons might look like next season after GM Thomas Dimitroff has an offseason and another draft to work on the defense.

3. The bathrooms in the Georgia Dome must be huge. For a sellout, with the rival Saints in town and the Falcons about to go to 6-3, there sure were a lot of empty seats Sunday.