Falcons handed first loss
Saints shine again in prime time at Superdome
Proud veterans Drew Brees and Ben Watson summoned their best performances of the season and restored a bit of swagger to the recently reeling Saints.
Brees passed for 312 yards, Watson racked up a career-high 127 yards receiving to go with a fourthdown touchdown catch, and New Orleans handed the Atlanta Falcons their first loss of the season with a 31-21 win on Thursday night.
“Obviously, Ben Watson had a huge night,” Brees said. “Either his number was called or he was just getting open. He was getting some opportunities and, man, he made the most of it.”
Desperate for a victory, the Saints (2-4) enjoyed big plays in all phases, a common occurrence when New Orleans hosts night games. Including the playoffs, the Saints now have won 19 of 21 games in the Superdome in prime time.
Michael Mauti, who grew up near New Orleans after his father, Rich, played for the Saints, blocked a punt and recovered it for a touchdown, delighting the Superdome crowd with a play reminiscent of Steve Gleason’s famous block against Atlanta in 2006.
Gleason, now paralyzed by ALS, was at the game, watching from his motorized wheelchair.
“The cool thing was that Steve was here to see that,” Brees said. “It brought back some good memories. Obviously we got to add to that tonight as well.”
Mark Ingram ran for two short touchdowns, and New Orleans’ defense recovered three fumbles — two inside its own 20.
Devonta Freeman rushed for 100 yards, including a 25-yard TD, for Atlanta (5-1). Matt Ryan passed for 295 yards and two TDs.
Officials disciplined: In a ra readmission of discipline for game officials, the NFL has suspended a side judge and moved a back judge off a prime-time game.
The NFL suspended side judge Rob Vernatchi for one game for not managing the clock properly in the fourth quarter of Pittsburgh’s game at San Diego on Monday night. After a kickoff that was not returned, 18 seconds ran off the clock. The side judge is in charge of monitoring the game clock, which is kept on the stadium scoreboard.
Vernatchi “will not officiate in Week 6 as a result of the failure to notice that the game clock was incorrectly started,” league spokesman Michael Signora said.
The NFL also has reassigned Greg Wilson, the back judge who missed an end-zone penalty in the final moments of Detroit’s loss at Seattle the previ- ous Monday night. A person with knowledge of the move told The Associated Press that Wilson has been moved off Sunday night’s Patriots-Colts game and will work Dolphins-Titans instead.
Seahawks: Seattle suspended Derrick Coleman after police arrested him in a hit-and-run investigation, but his lawyer insisted that if the fullback left the scene at all it was only because he was dazed. Coleman was booked into King County Jail in Seattle early Thursday and denied bail until his first court appearance, which was expected Friday afternoon. Bellevue officers said they arrested him because he left the scene of the twocar accident Wednesday evening.
Rams: St. Louis guard Rodger Saffold will require season- ending surgery for a right shoulder injury.
Giants: Shutdown cornerback Prince Amukamara willmiss two to four weeks with a partially torn pectoral muscle. He leads the teamwith seven passes defended.