Crowd was part of Saints' arsenal

By Lee Feinswog

For the AJC

NEW ORLEANS – The Falcons did everything they could to quiet one of the loudest Saints crowds in the 34-year history of the Louisiana Superdome.

They elected to receive after winning the opening coin toss, the best way to keep the ball from the Saints’ high-powered offense. It paid off in the form of a long drive and 7-0 lead.

And they simply shocked and shushed the 70,088 on hand in a big way when they took a 14-7 lead, their last, on defensive end Kroy Biermann’s fumble recovery and 10-yard touchdown run.

But it didn’t last long as the Saints (7-0) responded in a big way, stunning the Falcons (4-3) in a pivotal 23-second stretch just before halftime and then holding on for a 35-27 victory and an almost insurmountable three-game lead in the NFC South.

A Monday night game is a happening under any occasion, but here it was a showcase for the unbeaten Saints, whose fans started tailgating en masse early in a city that considers partying a rite of passage. At kickoff, the Superdome was filled to the brim with black-and-gold-clad fans who hope this is finally the year the Saints will make their first Super Bowl appearance.

What did quiet the frenzied crowd – albeit slightly – was a seven-play, 77-yard drive by the Falcons that in essence was started and finished by Michael Turner. Turner got things going with a 22-yard burst on second-and-7 that put the Falcons on their 48; he punctuated it with a 13-yard TD run around the right side with 11:03 left in the first quarter. It marked the sixth consecutive game in which he’s scored.

But the quiet didn’t last long. The Saints answered with a drive of their own as Pierre Thomas danced through the Falcons to also score on a 22-yarder, capping a 10-play, 80-yard possession that left it 7-7 with 5:35 left in the first quarter.

However, the next time New Orleans had the ball, the silence was eerie. On first and 5 from the Saints' 14, Drew Brees was crushed by safety Thomas DeCoud, who blasted the Saints quarterback. The ensuing fumble was recovered by Biermann, who went 10 yards untouched into the endzone with 2:14 left in the first quarter.

It didn’t take the Saints long to tie it.

It got really loud when Jason Elam’s 34-yard field-goal try hit the left upright. Things got quiet again when Falcons cornerback Brent Grimes made a spectacular leap in front of Devery Henderson to intercept Brees on the Atlanta 18.

But the Falcons didn’t take advantage and the game quickly turned.

The worst-case scenario came true for the Falcons as the Saints went into halftime up 28-14 when Matt Ryan’s pass intended for Roddy White was intercepted by a charging Jabari Greer. Greer sprinted 48 yards for a touchdown, which might have produced the loudest roar of the first half and a feeling that the game was all but over.

Not that the Falcons were out of it. As the Saints offense sputtered, Ryan found Roddy White deep and the resulting 68-yard touchdown left the Falcons down 28-21 just 2:35 into the second half.

Then the Falcons pulled to 28-24 on a 25-yard field goal with 11:33 left by Elam. Suddenly that feeling that the game was over was gone.

It got worse for the Saints before it suddenly got better. On second and 9 from the New Orleans 10, Ryan fired to Tony Gonzalez, but the pass was intercepted by Tracy Porter and the Falcons’ last chance was snuffed.