Getty ImagesThe Atlanta Falcons intercepted quarterback Drew Brees five times on Thursday night as the Falcons improved to a league-leading 11-1 with a 23-13 win over Saints.
Atlanta’s defense helped snap Brees’ streak of 54 consecutive games with a touchdown pass. It was the first five interception game of Brees’ career and his first game without a touchdown pass since Oct. 4, 2009 against the New York Jets.
The loss drops the Saints to 5-7 and puts their chances of rallying to a Wild Card berth in serious peril.
The Falcons jumped on top quickly as they relied on the running game to take the early lead. The Falcons went 80 yards on six plays for the opening score as quarterback Matt Ryan threw just one pass on the opening series. Michael Turner scored on a 3-yard touchdown run to give Atlanta the early 7-0 lead.
Matt Ryan then connected with tight end Tony Gonzalez for a 17-yard touchdown early in the second quarter to extend the lead to 14-0. A 45-yard field goal from Matt Bryant gave the Falcons a 17-0 lead before the Saints finally got on the board late in the first half.
Mark Ingram scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with three minutes to play in the first half to cap an 11-play, 80-yard drive to get New Orleans on the board. The Saints had a chance for more points before the half but badly botched their handling of the game clock and ended the half without getting any points.
Brees’ touchdown streak would have continued if not for a costly gaff by receiver Lance Moore in the third quarter. With the Saints trailing 17-7, Moore dropped a Brees pass in the end zone that hit him directly in the hands. The drop lead to the Saints having to settle for a 21-yard Garrett Hartley field goal. A 52-yard field goal from Hartley on the next Saints drive pulled New Orleans within 17-13 late in the third quarter.
Another Bryant field goal, this one a 29-yard try, gave the Falcons a seven-point lead early in the fourth quarter.
The Saints looked to be putting together a promising drive after a 25-yard completion to tight end Jimmy Graham moved the Saints into Falcon territory. After a quick screen to Darren Sproles netted nine yards, the New Orleans drive stalled. William Moore stopped Pierre Thomas for a 4-yard loss on 2nd and 1 and John Abraham came up with a sack of Brees to push the Saints out of field goal range.
Ryan led the Falcons into Saints territory and Bryant connected on a 55-yard field goal to take a 23-13 lead. Ryan completed 18 of 33 passes for 165 yards and a touchdown.
Rafael Bush stripped the ball from Turner’s hands on the next drive to give the Saints another opportunity to close the gap and for Brees to extend his streak.
But Brees was intercepted for a second time by Moore to seal the end of the streak and the win for the Falcons. Brees completed 28 of 50 passes for 341 yards and the five interceptions.
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At least that stupid, phony streak is over. Maybe now an outdoor QB who doesn’t throw 50 times/game will break it and it’ll mean something again.
I’m eggstatic.
Eggcited over this win.
Falcons defense played eggceptionally well.
Sorry.. dont mean to egg Aints fans on.
The biggest egg thrown was Brees’ TD column.
the only difference between Brees’ 5 INT gam,e and Ryan’s? Falcons won, Saints lost.
Goodnight New Orleans. See you next year.
inb4 Falcons cant win in the playoffs…
This year is the Eggception.
The Aints deserve to have their bus egged on the way to the airport.
Who Dat!!
Egg-cellent victory.
You guys can’t play football in the NFC South. I want Falcon and 49er fans to know they are the easiest #1/2 seeds I’ve seen in quite a few years. Better hope you don’t run into RGIII and the Redskins come playoff time because we would run right over both. That is all.
Was it Coughlin that said “3 things can happen tomyouwhenyou pass the ball, and 2 of them are bad”?
This may have been Drews worst game as a professional. Poor clock management,five picks all on him. Even the greats have bad games sometimes…
Cold Brees
As a Panthers fan I’m disappointed the Saints lost. I wanted to get New Orleans best shot, and a chance to spoil their last hopes of a playoff birth the last game of the season.
Congrats to falcons, they finally beat the saints and ended their season…good luck to the falcons for rest of year.
This game was all about Defense for both teams. One hell of a game.
Who dat going to go home all sad!
WE DAT, DAT WHO!!!
Saints need Payton back bad. They beat the falcons up and down the field tonight and lose by two scores. Sloppy does not do what the saints just did any justice.
Wow. Who would have thought that the most enjoyable moment for the Saints during their visit to Atlanta was when their bus got pelted with eggs?
Drew Brees demands and explanation on why he now leads the NFL in interceptions.
Touchdown streak OVER, playoff hopes OVER, Saints season OVER – compliments of the ATLANTA FALCONS…enjoy your eggs!
* 6 times
Who dat think dey gonna get to the playoffs?
MERRY X-MAS ‘NO’ ‘AINTS’!
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
damnit drew
What a game by the Falcons defense. The 3rd and 4th CBs, Mclain and Owens had big time games and the safeties were excellent in run support and pass defense. We also got just enough pressure on Brees, with Biermann especially having a great night. Total team effort from the defense, exactly what is preached by Nolan. Halleluja!
The Saints will now be egged for luck every time they come into the ATL.
Brees just went full Romo mode
The should of blown us out the water. They won’t win nothing in the playoffs, they have no heart. People used to egg and bomb busses in high school. Childish!!!!!
Good win by the Falcons.
I still don’t believe in them, but good win.
I think the Jets may have been the last one before Brady’s streak (16-9 game from Rex’s first year, I think), as well.
Brees was suffering from Romo-itis
God I hate Drew Brees.
Who dat
By far Bree’s worst game. Falcons played fast and physical. Secondary and linebackers were playing good tight coverage all night. Not much pressure on Bree’s like the niners had but they didn’t need any of that tonight. Saints lost this game before the game even started.
Let me be the first to apologize to NFL fans for those overrated Falcons winning yet another game……we know we still aren’t playing very well, and haven’t beaten a lot of good teams; but we show up where the schedule says to, and instead of taking the week off we find a way to get the W. Again, we’re sorry….we’ll try to lose a few going forward to make you all feel a little better……
looks like Breeze has EGG on his face. Could someone please give him an explanation.
Falcons will have a bye and they will need it cause they ain’t going to make it out of the first round.
AINTS Fans where ya At?!
Manning vs Brady ..some things never change
Brees just reminded us why he’s not in their league
Oops.
Brees and the offense lost this game. Actually it was a very solid game by the defense holding the Falcons to 23 points.
Crazy game made crazier by some bad officiating…
They’re better than the Replacements, but geez guys, if you’re going to take so much time to decide the call, at least get it right !
Drew Brees demands an explanation!!
Just left the game. Saints suck.
Can’t wait to hear saints fans try and blame this loss on roger goodell…
now only streak he has is the one in his shorts it looks like a judge lmao go back to loserania
Brees really laid an egg in this one.
Who dat?
The Birds broke his TD streak, made him throw a new career high in interceptions, and oh yeah . . . crushed their playoffs hope. Saints fans will say, “we still have a shot”. There is always 2014. Flyyy Dirty Birds Flyyy…
Could not have happened to a better team.
That idiotic TD pass streak is now over. If and when Brady breaks it, he won’t even give a crap.
Mike Nolan will be a HC for an NFL team next year. The guy knows how to call Defensive plays.
So was this the Super Bowl for y’all? Sure sounds like it. Beat the Saints 3 in the last 13 and you think you’re special? Now you can resume bombing in the playoffs as usual.
Let’s not kid oursleves as the Falcons have just squeaked by 50% of their games. Yes, they will make it to the playoffs and most likely get knocked out in the first round. Falcons need to play all four quarters as well…
I watched this really poor game and saw two teams that if they make the playoffs are one and done.
I can’t believe nobody said it: Drew Brees demands an eggsplanation!
Five interceptions? I demand an explanation Drew!
I’m a Packers fan who respects Drew Brees as much as any player in the NFL but that game immediately reminded of Brett Favre of the mid 2000s recklessly trying to force a victory.
The D gets 5 picks and the best they can score is 23 points? That sure doesn’t say a whole lot about the offense.
So they’re 11-1. So what? Get to the NFC championship game AT LEAST and then give me a call.
Mike Nolan couldn’t coach the Niners, he’s just a good coordinator
My fantasy team demands an explanation!
The Saints loss was just a sham. Everybody knows that.
Great game by the Falcons but their run defense leaves a little bit to be desired
First off I am from New Orleans and of course a fan of the Saints. This was not the same QB we’ve been seeing the last few years. I see it all of the time in the NFL, hold out for a bigger contract, and then performance level drops off, and Brees is no exception.
Now on another note, all of you idiots out there that like to put down our fans and city, you have about as much class as the dumb asses that throw eggs at buses, and if you’ve ever been to a game in the super dome, you might learn the right way to treat fans that are visiting your city…
tstreet says:Nov 30, 2012 3:38 AM
The Birds broke his TD streak, made him throw a new career high in interceptions, and oh yeah . . . crushed their playoffs hope. Saints fans will say, “we still have a shot”. There is always 2014. Flyyy Dirty Birds Flyyy…
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It was just so worth it that the Saints are the ones that stained the birds perfect season. No matter if they lost they still defeated you guys last game. So we won 1 – birds won 1 – big deal even even.
So every time they publish their record – just remember the WHO-Dats put that 1 in your loosers column.
short8900 says:Nov 30, 2012 6:51 AM
Mike Nolan will be a HC for an NFL team next year. The guy knows how to call Defensive plays.
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HA! Good luck to whomever wants to take Nolan as a HC.
The beginning of the end for Dree . Thank god.. I am sick of hearing about this guy.