Saints, Falcons both win to keep NFC South title hopes alive
Remember when the Saints were a popular Super Bowl pick? That seems like a lifetime ago. But on Sunday the Saints, who had previously dropped three in a row in the Superdome, went on the road to Heinz Field and defeated the Steelers, 35-32, thanks to five touchdown passes by the recently criticized Drew Brees.
With Jimmy Graham being a non-factor, Brees made use of Kenny Stills, Ben Watson and Nick Toon, while leaning on Mark Ingram, who mustered his fourth 100-yard rushing performance of the year. Not surprisingly, the Saints are 3-1 when Ingram reaches the century mark.
With the win, New Orleans keeps pace with the Falcons, who moved to 5-7 after handing Arizona a second straight loss. The Falcons raced out to a 20-10 halftime lead thanks largely to Julio Jones dominating his matchup with Patrick Peterson. Jones hauled in 10 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown in the 29-18 win.
Both Atlanta and New Orleans sit at 5-7 atop the NFC South standings. These two teams meet again in Week 16, and it’s looking more and more likely a division crown may be at stake in that contest.
