In an earsplitting return to their rebuilt stadium, the New Orleans Saints gave the "Big Easy" something to cheer about -- an undefeated NFL team that made it look easy with a 23-3 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Monday.
This couldn't have been scripted any better for a team that spent all of last season on the road because of damage to the Superdome which took US$185 million to fix. And it couldn't have come at a better time for a city that is still struggling to overcome the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.
After a Super Bowl-like pregame show that included a performance by supergroups U2 and Green Day and a coin toss by former president George Bush, the Saints wasted no time turning their welcome-home party into Mardi Gras: The Falcons' first drive stalled and special teams demon Steve Gleason sliced through the middle of the Atlanta line to smother Michael Koenen's punt.
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The ball skidded across the goal line, where Curtis Deloatch fell on it for a touchdown -- the first given up by the Falcons this season -- just one-and-half minutes in.
The Saints (3-0) poured it on against the Falcons (2-1), who fell behind 14-3 in the first quarter and never recovered. Devery Henderson scored New Orleans' second touchdown on an 11-yard double-reverse, taking a handoff from Reggie Bush and cutting inside the pylon with help from a gutsy block by quarterback Drew Brees.
John Carney kicked two field goals in the second period, including a 51-yarder that cleared the crossbar as time ran out. The Saints trotted to the locker room with a 20-3 lead and a rousing ovation ringing in their ears from the crowd of 70,003.
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Any hopes of an Atlanta comeback were snuffed out on the first possession of the second half. New Orleans took the kickoff and drove 73 yards in 12 plays, burning more than seven-and-a-half minutes off the clock before settling for Carney's third field goal from 20 yards.
Deuce McAllister ran 19 times for 81 yards for the Saints. Brees was 20-of-28 passing for 191 yards. His favorite receiver was Marques Colston, who grabbed seven passes for 97 yards.
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