NFL: Saints take out Falcons 31-27 | The Salt Lake Tribune

Falcons' first loss • Saints take out the last undefeated team left.

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New Orleans • The Atlanta Falcons can forget about perfection, thanks to their resurgent rivals from the City that Care Forgot.

Of all the teams to end Atlanta's unbeaten run, it had to be the New Orleans Saints. And it had to be a memorable, drama-filled game that left the Falcons frustrated by the 1 meager yard they could not get to take a lead inside the final 2 minutes of a 31-27 loss Sunday.

"It's very frustrating," said Falcons coach Mike Smith, who is 2-7 against the Saints and 49-15 against the rest of the NFL in his four-plus regular seasons as Atlanta coach. "We were close. ... This will be something we will learn from."

If the Falcons (8-1) want to beat the Saints (4-5) in their rematch in Atlanta on Nov. 29, it would help to learn how to stop dynamic young tight end Jimmy Graham, who caught seven passes for a career-best 146 yards and two touchdowns.

Still, Atlanta might have pulled it out, but Jabari Greer made a diving, touchdown-saving pass breakup on a late fourth-down pass intended for Roddy White.

"It's not like they came out here and won a game today," White said. "I think we kind of gave it to them. ... We play them in three weeks and we'll be ready."

Greer's play represented a measure of redemption for the veteran, who'd given up two long passes earlier in the game that led to Atlanta scores.

"I was kind of depressed before that play," Greer said. "I saw my name on the waiver wire. ... Being able to go out there and make a play for our team and be able to celebrate after everything that happened and just to win that way, it's a gift."

Matt Ryan was 34-for-52 for a career-best 411 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. The game was there for him to win when his 9-yard pass to Harry Douglas gave Atlanta a second-and-goal at the 1. But Ryan could not connect on a second-down pass for Gonzalez, the Saints stuffed Michael Turner for a 1-yard loss on third down, and then came Greer's play.

"I could put that ball in a better spot — a little higher and more in front of him to give him a chance to catch it," Ryan said. "We've always played them tough and haven't had the outcomes we wanted." Saints 31,Falcons 27

Atlanta 10 7 0 10 — 27

New Orleans 7 14 7 3 — 31

First Quarter

Atl • Johnson 1 pass from Ryan (Bryant kick), 11:38.

Atl • FG Bryant 37, 9:19.

NO • Ivory 56 run (Hartley kick), 6:49.

Second Quarter

NO • Graham 29 pass from Brees (Hartley kick), 13:33.

Atl • Gonzalez 2 pass from Ryan (Bryant kick), 6:27.

NO • Graham 14 pass from Brees (Hartley kick), :34.

Third Quarter

NO • Colston 7 pass from Brees (Hartley kick), 9:23.

Fourth Quarter

Atl • Gonzalez 6 pass from Ryan (Bryant kick), 13:27.

Atl • FG Bryant 20, 9:08.

NO • FG Hartley 31, 5:54.

Attendance • 73,126.

Atl NO

First downs 25 21

Total Net Yards 454 440

Rushes-yards 18-46 29-148

Passing 408 292

Punt Returns 3-9 1-2

Kickoff Returns 0-0 2-45

Interceptions Ret. 1-13 1-0

Comp-Att-Int 34-52-1 21-32-1

Sacked-Yards Lost 1-3 1-6

Punts 3-46.7 5-50.0

Fumbles-Lost 0-0 0-0

Penalties-yards 6-53 5-35

Time of Possession 32:35 27:25

Individual Statistics

Rushing • Atlanta, Rodgers 3-29, Turner 13-15, Ryan 2-2. New Orleans, Ivory 7-72, Ingram 16-67, P.Thomas 5-10, Brees 1-(minus 1).

Passing • Atlanta, Ryan 34-52-1-411. New Orleans, Brees 21-32-1-298.

Receiving • Atlanta, Gonzalez 11-122, White 7-114, Jones 4-75, Douglas 4-49, Rodgers 4-33, Snelling 2-12, Palmer 1-5, Johnson 1-1. New Orleans, Graham 7-146, Moore 7-91, Colston 3-26, Cadet 2-16, Ivory 1-13, P.Thomas 1-6.