Saints Top Falcons in Thursday Night NFC Action
Brees and the Saints will face the Seahawks on a week from Monday with the top spot at stake.
The New Orleans Saints went on the road and beat the Atlanta Falcons in a key NFC game to stat off Week 12. The Falcons were poised to put the Saints 17-13 lead to one point with just over 2:00 to go when the Saints Sean Payton made a great call by calling for a timeout just before the Falcons Matt Bryant split the uprights from 52 yards out. What made it such a great call is that the field goal did not count and Bryant had to try it again. He missed wide left on the second attempt and that air went out of the Falcons.
Had the timeout not been called, the Falcons would have had all three timeouts and the two minute warning still to try to get a three and out and get the ball back. Had they succeeded they would have needed only a field goal to win. But the Saints took over near midfield and ran the clock down to :05 until the falcons got the ball back. That last second timeout has been known to backfire on teams before. A few seasons ago, the Miami Dolphins tried that strategy but the New York Jets kicker missed the field goal to win the game. But given the second chance, it was good and Miami lost the game.
This situation was a bit different though for Payton. Had this gone the other way, the Saints would still have a one point lead and would have gotten the ball back with a chance to run out the clock. But had Atlanta gotten the ball back and kicked another field goal, it would have been interesting to see if he would have done it again. As it turned out, he came off looking like a genius.
This now sets up a huge game next week between the Saints and the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night. The winner of that game will be in the top spot in the NFC playoff race. It will be especially big for the Saints because they will be playing the second place team in the NFC South the following week in the Carolina Panthers. These next two weeks could determine whether the Saints will be playing playoff games indoors at the Superdome or outdoors in a place like Seattle or Charlotte. Both the Saints and Seahawks are really tough to beat at home.
Despite only 17 points, Drew Brees threw two touchdown passes in the Saints win on Thursday. However, they scored only three points in the second half. This was enough though as the defense held Matt Ryan and the Falcons scoreless in the second half. The Falcons fell to 2-9 in this disaster of a season following a near trip to the Super Bowl last year. Nothing has gone right for them this season as was evident tonight when Bryant’s 52 yarder down the middle was waved off and then the second kick was barely wide left. We wonder if Anthony Gonzalez wishes he’s stayed retired after last season after the way this one has gone.
