Sean Payton is back, but the Saints problems aren’t gone.
Their back-from-exile head coach rolled the dice, running Mark Ingram on a fourth-and-inches only to be denied by the Falcons.
This game figured to be a shootout, but only the Falcons are holding up their end of the deal so far, with tight end Tony Gonzalez opening the season with a touchdown, and following the fourth-down stop with a field goal for a 10-0 lead in the first quarter.
The Saints are also losing guys on defense, which they can ill afford, as defensive tackle Broderick Bunkley hobbled off the field with a leg injury and hasn’t returned.