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Credit - Rusty Costanza - AP

By Brett Martel | The Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS — Matt Ryan passed for two touchdowns and the Atlanta Falcons ended their six-game slide with a 26-9 victory over the Saints on Sunday that stopped New Orleans' six-game winning streak.

Atlanta's defense stunningly dominated New Orleans' normally stout offensive line. Coming in with an NFL low seven sacks all season, the Falcons sacked Drew Brees six times, with Grady Jarrett, Vic Beasley Jr., Adrian Clayborn and De'Vondre Campbell all getting involved. Jarrett finished with a team-high 2 ½ sacks.

It was the second time this season the Saints were held without a touchdown at home, but the first time with Brees under center. New Orleans also failed to score a TD in a 12-10 victory over Dallas in Week 4 with Teddy Bridgewater filling in at quarterback. ...

Full Story - Missourian.com/ AP

NewOrleansSaints.com

(On the protection)
“I haven't seen the film, my eyes were down in the field, but listen, they’re a good pass rush team. They’ve got a lot of guys and they rotate them. I think they got after us at times, but listen, that's the great equalizer in any game is the pass rush. If you have enough time, guys are eventually going to get open down the field. That's always the game within the game on both sides of the ball. Their offensive front against our defensive front and vice versa. Listen, this will always be a game about execution. Sometimes the difference between continuing a drive, getting a third down conversion or making that big play is just inches or it's fractions of a second. As I look to today, obviously nine points is not what we aspire to score, especially at home. But man, there's just so many little things, so many plays here and there on every drive where it's just a split second here, just an extra foot here, whatever it is, just better execution all the way around that I think would have resulted in a better result. You continue to drive, you get a little momentum, you have a tempo, and then all of a sudden now you're in scoring position.”

(On if the team lacked energy)
“We definitely didn't execute as well as we normally do or expect to do. I don't think that had to do with anything. If we come off a week where it was flat all week in practice and it just carried over to the game, that's one thing, but no we're obviously rested coming off the bye. ...

NewOrleansSaints.com

(opening statement)
“Real quickly, obviously it was a disappointing finish for us. First thing I would say, give Atlanta credit. They beat us well in all three areas. They played better than us. Pick a situation and there’s a good chance they won that situation. Third down, they were better both sides of the ball. Penalties they were better. Collectively we’ve got to do a better job and that starts with me. It’s kind of one of those, it’s not a lesson, but this league is too good week-to-week where you can go in and not be focused and ready. This has always been a game played with emotion and I thought they outplayed us. They outplayed us, they outcoached us, and they deserve to win.”

(on Atlanta’s ability to run the ball today)
“I think that had something to do with it, but I think the third down stats were (important). I think they had five first downs by penalty and those were good calls. The drives for them extended and the drives for us didn’t. I thought they were going to be patient and mix it up. They were more effective running the ball than teams we’ve seen to date for quite a while. So again, I’m sure when we look at the tape tomorrow with our players there’s going to be a lot of things we’re going to clean up.”

Full Story - NewOrleansSaints.com

Credit - Butch Dill - AP

By Jeremy Bergman | Around The NFL Writer

There was no more surprising result in the NFL this week than the one-win Atlanta Falcons marching into New Orleans and taking out the one-loss Saints in the Superdome.

A Super Bowl participant just three years ago, Atlanta has since fallen on hard times, shuffling around the coaching staff in recent days -- a move akin to rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic -- in an effort to save Dan Quinn's hide. At 1-7, the Falcons' season appeared lost, while in New Orleans, the 7-1 Saints, with Drew Brees and Alvin Kamara back in the saddle, appeared rejuvenated.

And yet, when the field-turf equivalent of dust settled inside the Superdome on Sunday afternoon, Atlanta was victorious -- and in a landslide. The Falcons crushed the Saints, 26-9, becoming the first team to hold New Orleans under 10 points in its building during the Drew Brees era. ...

Full Story - NFL.com