SAINTS HOLD OFF FALCONS COMEBACK TO MOVE TO 7-0

It was far from a flawless performance by the New Orleans Saints, but in the end they held off a late game rally by the Atlanta Falcons for a 35-27 victory on Monday Night Football.  The win kept the Saints’ undefeated season alive despite four turnovers for the second straight week.  The Falcons had their share of miscues as well, with quarterback Matt Ryan throwing three interceptions.  New Orleans improved to 7-0 with the victory while Atlanta slumped to 4-3.

The game was an emotional rollercoaster for NFL football betting enthusiasts, who saw both teams in a position to get the pointspread cover late.  Ultimately, Atlanta kicked a field goal in the final minute for the final 8 point margin of victory, and to cash tickets on the Falcons as +11 road underdogs.  The Falcons improved to 5-2 against the NFL pointspread while the Saints failed to cover for the first time this season to drop their ATS record to 6-1.  The 62 total points scored went OVER the posted total of 56.  The Falcons have gone OVER in four of their seven games while the Saints have gone OVER in five of seven.

After the contest, Saints’ coach Sean Payton was less concerned about the mistakes than the fighting spirit of his players:

"We did a lot of things well and yet we did a lot of things that made it close at the end. I'm excited to win though. I'm excited to win this game and get to 7-0. It was an important game against a division team and I'm proud of our players. They fought."

New Orleans’ quarterback Drew Brees threw for 308 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.  He wasn’t particularly happy with his team’s play despite the victory:

"I don't think we played that great today. I think our best is yet to come."

In the Falcons’ locker room, coach Mike Smith was downplaying the significance of the loss:

"We're going to be judged on 16 games. Not one game and not three games.  It's a disappointing loss but it's a long season. There's a lot that can between now and Week 17. We've just got to take care of our business.”

The Falcons will host the Washington Redskins on Sunday, and with the awful form of their opponent they’ve got a good chance to cure a number of ails.  Atlanta is a -10 favorite in that game with the total set at 41.  They’ll then play two games on the road, heading to Charlotte, NC the following Sunday to face the Carolina Panthers and traveling to New York on November 22 to take on the Giants.  New Orleans will host the erratic Carolina Panthers this Sunday, with the Saints a -14 point home favorite and the total set at 52.  They’ll then enjoy two road games against struggling teams, playing at St. Louis the following week and at Tampa Bay on November 22.