subject: New Orleans Saints Tickets - Saints Shake Up Nfc South [print this page] Last season, many in the league had high hopes for the New Orleans Saints. By the end of the season, though, they finished at the bottom of the NFC South with an 8-8 record. The 2009 Saints, in contrast, seem to be living up to the heavy expectations put on them, displayed by their 35-27 victory over division rival the Atlanta Falcons during Week Eight. The victory places them as one of only two teams still undefeated at this point, with the Indianapolis Colts also having a 7-0 record.
The Saints have also built a reputation this season as come-from-behind specialists, and they defended that reputation against the Falcons. They came from behind not once but twice during the game. The Falcons scored first in the game on a 13-yard run by Michael Turner, putting the Saints behind 7-0. Later in the first quarter, Saints running back Pierre Thomas tied the score with a 22-yard run. Before the end of the first quarter, however, the Falcons took the lead once again when defensive tackle Kroy Biermann returned a fumble for a touchdown.
The second quarter reminded fans and analysts alike why the Saints are considered one of the elite teams, as they scored 21 unanswered points. Quarterback Drew Brees threw his first touchdown of the game to start out the scoring frenzy with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Marques Colston. That was followed by a one-yard touchdown run by Reggie Bush. New Orleans added a defensive touchdown of their own to end the half when Jabari Greer ran back an interception 48 yards, giving the Saints a 28-14 lead.
The game wasn't over quite yet, however, as the Falcons rallied in the second half. They had the lone score of the third quarter when quarterback Matt Ryan connected with Roddy White on a 68-yard touchdown pass, closing the gap to 28-21. The Falcons drew even closer at the beginning of the fourth quarter with a Jason Elam field goal. The Saints gave themselves a little breathing room when Brees connected with Pierre Thomas for a touchdown.
The final minute of the game turned into a nail-biter for both sides as Elam had a second field goal to bring the Falcons within eight. With 28 seconds left, the Falcons attempted an onside kick and recovered. It looked as if they might score as Ryan went deep, but New Orleans safety Darren Sharper effectively ended the drive with a clutch interception.
Drew Brees may get a lot of the credit for the Saints' success, but a big factor this year has been how well the team does when Brees doesn't come through. Their depth makes it likely that the Saints will continue to shine in the second half of the season, as well. The Saints have some exciting games coming up in December, like their division game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Dec. 27 and their game against another NFC contender, the Dallas Cowboys, on Dec. 19. Fans can be there to catch the action by getting New Orleans Saints tickets.
