The Saints did well when Drew Brees was out of the lineup last season and they are off to a good start this season as well.
Taysom Hill ran for two touchdowns and their defense overwhelmed the Falcons in the second half of a 24-9 home win for the Saints. The victory gives them an 8-2 record with a trip to Denver on tap for Week 12.
Hill’s touchdowns both came in the second half and the New Orleans offense looked a lot sharper over the final 30 minutes of the game. Hill ran for 45 yards and completed 9-of-10 passes he threw after the break. That will likely be enough to keep him in the starting lineup for Denver and the run could go on for a while with Drew Brees on injured reserve for at least the next two weeks.
Michael Thomas helped Hill’s cause with nine catches for 104 yards and the Saints hit a couple of deep shots to Emmanuel Sanders, although one of them was called back because of a holding penalty. Alvin Kamara had one of his quieter days with 13 carries for 45 yards, but did add a touchdown to the ledger.
The second half success on offense was mirrored on the other side of the ball. The Falcons managed just 35 yards of offense before the final minute of play and Matt Ryan was sacked four times before throwing an interception to cornerback Janoris Jenkins in the fourth quarter. Cam Jordan had three of the sacks while David Onyeamata and Trey Hendrickson each notched two on a big day for the New Orleans defense.
Atlanta will return to action against the Raiders next weekend, but the loss drops them to 3-7 and makes hopes of a late run into the playoffs awfully slim.