GAME THREAD: GAME THREAD: NFL: NEW ORLEANS (5-7) at ATLANTA (3-9)

NFL: NEW ORLEANS (5-7) at ATLANTA (3-9)

<h3>Saints look to rebound from crushing loss</h3>



<div class="pre">New Orleans (5-7) at Atlanta (3-9) Monday 8:30 pm EST</div>

ATLANTA (Ticker) -- A gamble proved costly to the New OrleansSaints, leaving them little margin for error the rest of theseason.


Looking to stay in the postseason race, the Saints visit thelowly Atlanta Falcons on Monday night.


New Orleans is looking to rebound from a devastating 27-23 lossto the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last weekend that dropped them onegame back of three other teams for the final wild card slot inthe NFC.


On the verge of pulling within a game of the Bucs in the NFCSouth, a mind-bending coaching decision by the Saints' SeanPayton with less than four minutes to play backfired big time.

Holding a three-point lead and the ball near midfield, Paytoncalled for a halfback pitch on an end-around. The pitch byReggie Bush went awry, Tampa Bay recovered and went on to scorethe go-ahead touchdown with 14 seconds to play that dropped NewOrleans three games back in the division.


"That was a disappointing loss and probably the worst job I havedone as a head coach since I've been here," Payton said."Obviously I regret the play call that resulted in a fumble andcost us the game. It starts with me."


New Orleans likely will need to win out to have a shot at aplayoff berth, but they have a favorable schedule in the finalfour games, starting with the lowly Falcons.


The Saints swept Atlanta last season but had to rally in thefourth quarter, securing a 22-16 victory on Bush's 4-yardscoring reception with five minutes to play.


Bush, who has been bothered by a shin injury, has yet to rushfor 100 yards this season. He managed 64 on 13 carries lastweek after combining to gain just 83 yards in his previous threegames.


The Falcons fell behind by 21 points in last week's 28-16 lossto the St. Louis Rams.


Chris Redman replaced an erratic Joey Harrington and threw apair of fourth-quarter TD passes before he was intercepted toend the comeback.


Playing for just the second time this season, Redman finished16-of-24 for 172 yards - his highest single-game total sinceOctober 6, 2002.


"It feels good to be able to get back out there," he said. "Ithas been a long time since I was in the game atmosphere. I hadto get some of the rust off, I guess. Unfortunately, we came upa bit short today."


Redman could start Sunday as the Falcons look to snap athree-game losing streak, but coach Bobby Petrino said he wantedto talk to his players first.

 

NFL: NEW ORLEANS at ATLANTA

<div class="pre">NFL
NEW ORLEANS 0
ATLANTA 0 14:55 LEFT, 1ST QTR

ATL BALL ON ATL 20 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: NEW ORLEANS at ATLANTA

<div class="pre">NFL
NEW ORLEANS 0
ATLANTA 0 12:09 LEFT, 1ST QTR

NOR BALL ON NOR 9 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: NEW ORLEANS at ATLANTA

<div class="pre">NFL
NEW ORLEANS 0
ATLANTA 0 9:54 LEFT, 1ST QTR

ATL BALL ON NOR 33 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: NEW ORLEANS at ATLANTA

<div class="pre">NFL
NEW ORLEANS 0
ATLANTA 0 9:03 LEFT, 1ST QTR

NOR BALL ON NOR 11 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: NEW ORLEANS at ATLANTA

<div class="pre">NFL
NEW ORLEANS 0
ATLANTA 0 7:44 LEFT, 1ST QTR

ATL BALL ON ATL 42 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: NEW ORLEANS at ATLANTA

<div class="pre">NFL
NEW ORLEANS 0
ATLANTA 0 6:14 LEFT, 1ST QTR

NOR BALL ON NOR 1 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: NEW ORLEANS at ATLANTA

<div class="pre">NFL TD NOR
DAVID PATTEN 25 YD PASS FROM DREW BREES
(OLINDO MARE KICK)

NEW ORLEANS 7
ATLANTA 0 3:18 LEFT, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NFL: NEW ORLEANS at ATLANTA

<div class="pre">NFL
NEW ORLEANS 7
ATLANTA 0 3:18 LEFT, 1ST QTR

ATL BALL ON ATL 20 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: NEW ORLEANS at ATLANTA

<div class="pre">NFL TD ATL
RODDY WHITE 33 YD PASS FROM CHRIS REDMAN
(MORTEN ANDERSEN KICK)

NEW ORLEANS 7
ATLANTA 7 1:22 LEFT, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NFL: NEW ORLEANS at ATLANTA

<div class="pre">NFL
NEW ORLEANS 7
ATLANTA 7 1:22 LEFT, 1ST QTR

NOR BALL ON NOR 20 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: NEW ORLEANS at ATLANTA

<div class="pre">NFL END, 1ST QTR 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
NEW ORLEANS 7 7
ATLANTA 7 7 END, 1ST QTR

SCORING SUMMARY

1ST QUARTER: NOR - TD, DAVID PATTEN 25 YD PASS FROM DREW
BREES (OLINDO MARE KICK), 11:42.
Drive: 6 plays, 99 yards in 2:26.
Key plays: Brees 12-yard pass to
Colston to New Orleans 13; Bress
pass to Patton NEW ORLEANS 7-0
ATL - TD, RODDY WHITE 33 YD PASS FROM CHRIS
REDMAN (MORTEN ANDERSEN KICK),
13:38. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards in
1:36. Key plays: Redman 41-yard
pass to Robinson on 3rd-and-6 to
New Orleans 35. NEW ORLEANS 7-7</div>

 

NFL: NEW ORLEANS at ATLANTA

<div class="pre">NFL NEW ORLEANS 7
ATLANTA 7 14:55 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NFL: NEW ORLEANS at ATLANTA

<div class="pre">NFL FG NOR
OLINDO MARE 23 YD

NEW ORLEANS 10
ATLANTA 7 10:41 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NFL: NEW ORLEANS at ATLANTA

<div class="pre">NFL
NEW ORLEANS 10
ATLANTA 7 10:36 LEFT, 2ND QTR

ATL BALL ON ATL 16 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: NEW ORLEANS at ATLANTA

<div class="pre">NFL
NEW ORLEANS 10
ATLANTA 7 7:28 LEFT, 2ND QTR

NOR BALL ON NOR 6 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: NEW ORLEANS at ATLANTA

<div class="pre">NFL TWO MINUTE WARNING, 1ST HALF

NEW ORLEANS 10
ATLANTA 7

NOR BALL ON ATL 35 YD LINE
2ND AND 6</div>

 

NFL: NEW ORLEANS at ATLANTA

<div class="pre">NFL TD NOR
MARQUES COLSTON 15 YD PASS FROM DREW BREES
(OLINDO MARE KICK)

NEW ORLEANS 17
ATLANTA 7 1:06 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NFL: NEW ORLEANS at ATLANTA

<div class="pre">NFL
NEW ORLEANS 17
ATLANTA 7 0:58 LEFT, 2ND QTR

ATL BALL ON ATL 22 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: NEW ORLEANS at ATLANTA

<div class="pre">NFL HALFTIME 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
NEW ORLEANS 7 10 17
ATLANTA 7 0 7 HALFTIME

SCORING SUMMARY

1ST QUARTER: NOR - TD, DAVID PATTEN 25 YD PASS FROM DREW
BREES (OLINDO MARE KICK), 11:42.
Drive: 6 plays, 99 yards in 2:26.
Key plays: Brees 12-yard pass to
Colston to New Orleans 13; Bress
21-yard pass to Patten on 3rd-and-5
to New Orleans 39; Brees 36-yard
pass to Miller to Atlanta 25. NEW
ORLEANS 7-0
ATL - TD, RODDY WHITE 33 YD PASS FROM CHRIS
REDMAN (MORTEN ANDERSEN KICK),
13:38. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards in
1:36. Key plays: Redman 41-yard
pass to Robinson on 3rd-and-6 to
New Orleans 35. NEW ORLEANS 7-7
2ND QUARTER: NOR - FG, OLINDO MARE 23 YD, 4:19. Drive: 14
plays, 75 yards in 5:41. Key plays:
Brees 25-yard pass to Colston on
3rd-and-6 to New Orleans 49; Brees
20-yard pass to Patten to Atlanta
31; Brees 7-yard pass to Patten on
3rd-and-3 to Atlanta 17; Stecker
3-yard run on 3rd-and-1 to Atlanta
5. NEW ORLEANS 10-7
NOR - TD, MARQUES COLSTON 15 YD PASS FROM
DREW BREES (OLINDO MARE KICK),
13:54. Drive: 13 plays, 94 yards in
6:22. Key plays: Stecker 6-yard run
on 3rd-and-4 to New Orleans 18;
Brees 7-yard pass to Moore on
3rd-and-2 to New Orleans 33; Brees
13-yard pass to Johnson to Atlanta
39; Brees 17-yard pass to Patten on
3rd-and-3 to Atlanta 15. NEW
ORLEANS 17-7</div>