Falcons sneak out a home win over New Orleans

The first place New Orleans Saints were looking to keep their one game lead in the NFC South as they traveled to Atlanta to take on the Falcons on Thursday night. The Falcons are two games back of the Saints and a game back of the last wild card spot in the NFC. Who would come out on top in this big game matchup on Thursday night football? Let's get into it! The Saints would start with the ball and on second and 3, Drew Brees would go to Alvin Kamara for a 23 yard gain. They faced a third and 2 and Brees would find Michael Thomas for eight yards. On the next play, Brees would find Hill for 12 to the Falcons 12 yard line. The Saints would settle for a 34 yard field goal by Wil Lutz for an early 3-0 New Orleans lead. On a second and 2, the pass would fall incomplete but a defensive holding penalty by the Saints would give the Falcons a first down. The Falcons would face a third and 6 and Matt Ryan would find Julio Jones for 38 yards to the Saints 15 yard line. The Falcons would settle for a 28 yard field goal by Matt Bryant to tie the game at 3. On the next Saints next possession on second and 5, Brees would find Thomas for six yards then Brees went to Coleman for 23 yards. The Saints unfortunately would not be able to move the chains and would be forced to punt. The Falcons would go three and out on their next drive. The Saints would face a third and 6 as we hit the end of the first quarter. On the third and 6, Brees would find Thomas for 22 but that would be all they would get as they would punt once again. First play of the Falcons possession, Ryan would find Mohammed Sanu for 21 yards. After a false start on the Falcons, Ryan would find Julio Jones for 21. They would face a third and 11 and the pass would go incomplete but holding on the Saints would give the Falcons a first down. They would face a third and 1 and Devonta Freeman would go for two yards for the first down. On a third and 8, Ryan would find Hooper for 12 yards. Ryan would find Toilolo for seven to the Saints one yard line. On third and goal, Freeman would go in from one yard out to make it 10-3 Falcons. The Saints would score on their next drive from five plays and ended with Brees would find Lewis for a 26 yard touchdown to tie the game at 10. The Falcons looked like they would get a score before halftime but Ryan's pass would be picked off by Marcus Lattimore and the Saints would go for a field goal and it was made but an illegal formation penalty would end the quarter with the game tied at 10. The Falcons would start with the ball in the second half and on the first play, Ryan would be picked off by Banjo and the Saints would capitalize four plays later with Brees going to Thomas for a one yard score for a 17-10 lead. The Falcons were driving down the field and faced a third and 6 at the Saints nine yard line and the pass would be intercepted by Marcus Williams. The Saints wouldn't be able to capitalize as they would punt. The Falcons would get a first down early in their drive but couldn't get another and would have to punt. The Saints would go three and out and then the Falcons would go 11 plays and result in Ryan going to Sanu for an eight yard score to tie the game at 17. The Saints would end up punting the ball away and the Falcons would take over at their own 28. Ryan would go to Sanu for 22 yards to midfield. They faced a third and 7 and Ryan would find Jones for 14 to the Saints 33 yard line. The Falcons would have to settle for a 52 yard field goal by Matt Bryant to give the Falcons a 20-17 lead. First play of the Saints drive, Brees would go to Thomas for 35 yards to their own 45 yard line. Brees would go to Mark Ingram for 12 to the Falcons 33 yard line. The Saints would face a fourth and 1 and Brees would sneak it for two yards. Brees would go to Ted Ginn for 11 to the Falcons 11 yard line. On a second and 11, Brees' pass would be intercepted in the end zone by Jones and the Falcons would have to try and run out the clock and the Saints bench was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct and the game went to the Falcons as they knocked off the Saints.