Atlanta Falcons vs. New Orleans Saints ● Monday, November 02, 2009

* The Saints have matched the best start in its history are undefeated after seven games for the second time in the 43-year history of the franchise. The 1991 team also started 7-0. The Saints and the Indianapolis Colts are the only two undefeated teams remaining in the NFL in 2009.
* This marks the fourth seven-game win streak in club history. The club won seven straight from Sept. 11-October 23, 1988 and had nine game win streaks from November 1-December 27, 1987 and from December 23, 1990-October 20, 1991.
* Tonight was the 33rd all-time meeting between the teams in the Superdome. The Saints hold a 17-16 edge in those meetings.
* The Saints won their fourth straight home game over the Falcons, the first such streak in the series since 1974-77.
* The Saints are now 10-17 all-time on Monday night football. Under Payton they are 4-2 on Monday evenings with their second consecutive win.
* New Orleans’ 273 point total is the fourth-highest total in NFL history through a team’s first seven games.
* QB Drew Brees completed 25 of 33 passes for 308 yards with two touchdown passes and one interception for a 111.7 rating. Brees now has attempted 2,071 passes as a Saint, surpassing Bobby Hebert for third place on the club’s all-time list.
* Brees passed Pro Football Hall of Famer and Louisiana native Terry Bradshaw and Ron Jaworski, who served as color analyst for ESPN this evening, on the NFL’s career passing yards list into 42nd place all-time.
* Brees entered the game tied with teammate Mark Brunell for career touchdown passes with 182, 41st all-time in NFL record books. With two scoring throws, he now has 184 all-time and has moved into sole possession of 40th place.
* TE Jeremy Shockey caught a pass for the 102th consecutive game, the second-longest active streak among tight ends in the NFL behind Atlanta’s Tony Gonzalez (139). Shockey had five receptions for 72 yards. Shockey now has 5,087 career receiving yards. He surpassed Jimmie Giles to move into 25th place all-time among NFL tight ends.
* WR Marques Colston had a game-high six receptions for 85 yards with one touchdown. His second quarter touchdown reception was the 30th of his four-year career. He is now tied with RB Wayne Wilson for seventh place on the club’s all-time list for touchdowns. Colston now has 251 receptions in his career as he surpassed RB Dalton Hilliard for seventh place on the club’s all-time list. He’s tied for second in the NFL with six touchdown receptions on the season.
* DE Will Smith had four tackles and a career-high tying two sacks. With his quarterback takedowns, he now has 41 for his career and moved past Bruce Clark into 11th place on the club’s all-time list. It was the fifth time in his career that he had two sacks in a game to match his career-high.
* RB Pierre Thomas had 14 carries for 91 yards with one touchdown to lead the Saints in rushing. His 15-yard scamper for a score in the first quarter was his fourth of the season and he is tied with Reggie Bush for the team lead in rushing scores. Thomas also had two receptions for nine yards, including a fourth quarter one-yard touchdown reception. It was the sixth multiple touchdown game of Thomas’ three-year career.
* RB Reggie Bush’s second quarter one-yard touchdown rush was his fourth of the season, to tie him for the team lead with Thomas. The touchdown was the 28th of Bush’s career, putting him in a tie with Henry Childs for tenth on the club’s all-time list. It was the 16th rushing touchdown of his career, putting him in a tie for ninth on the club’s all-time list with Wilson and Ricky Williams.
* CB Jabari Greer’s second quarter 48-yard interception return for a touchdown was the club’s fifth return for a touchdown on the season, tying the club record set in 1998. Following CB Tracy Porter’s fourth quarter 18-yard interception return, the Saints now have set a club record with 489 interception return yards on 16 picks, surpassing the prior club mark of 482 set on 29 picks in 1991.
* S Darren Sharper had his seventh interception of the season to tie for the NFL lead. It is the 61st career interception for Sharper, who ranks ninth in NFL history and first among active players in picks.
* The Saints defense allowed Atlanta to successfully convert only 3-of-11 (27%) third down attempts. Opponents came into the game converting only 31% of third down attempts against the Saints’ defense.
* Conversely, the Saints offense converted 7 of 12 third downs, including all four attempts in the first half. The Saints entered the game converting 44% of third down attempts this season.

Atlanta opened the scoring on a 13-yard TD run by RB Michael Turner.

The Saints answered with a 22-yard TD run from Pierre Thomas to tie the score at 7-7.

The Falcons re-took the lead 14-7 on a 4-yard fumble return for a TD by DE Kroy Biermann.

Drew Brees threw an 18-yard TD pass to Marques Colston to even the game at 14-14.

Reggie Bush ran around the left end for a 1-yard TD and a 21-14 New Orleans lead.

Jabari Greer picked off a Matt Ryan pass and returned it 48 yards for a TD to make the score 28-14.

Ryan threw a 68-yard TD pass to Roddy White to cut the Saints' lead to 28-21.

Jason Elam kicked a 25-yard field goal to narrow the margin to 28-24.

Pierre Thomas took a swing pass from Brees and dove 1 yard into the end zone to make it 35-24.

Elam booted a 40-yard field goal to make the score 35-27.