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New Orleans — First, a spot of perspective. The Falcons are 8-1 and positioned to win their division. Just because they lost an excruciating game to the hated Saints doesn’t override all the good work that came before. That said …

The good work that came before didn’t include much in the way of short-yardage excellence. And when a team that couldn’t convert on fourth-and-1 on three infamous occasions last season loses its first game of another year due to the same failures, a flag gets hoisted. No, not a white one of surrender, but surely a bright red banner of warning.

“I don’t know what situation you’d rather be in,” said Michael Turner, the feature back who managed 15 yards on 13 rushes Sunday. “You’ve got one yard for the lead.”

“You’ve got to punch the ball in,” said Jacquizz Rodgers, the change-of-pace back whose 18-yard burst had pulled the Falcons within sight of that final yard.

“Of course you (think you’re going to get that yard),” said Harry Douglas, the receiver who barely missed scoring the go-ahead touchdown on a slant on first-and-goal from the 10. “That has to be your approach.”

That the Falcons’ first play from the 1 was a Matt Ryan pass for Tony Gonzalez tells us they weren’t convinced they could push the Saints backward even three feet. (Malcolm Jenkins knocked the ball down in the end zone.) That the third-and-goal call was a handoff to Turner that became yet another damp squib — of his 13 carries, seven either gained nothing or lost yardage — drove home the point:

An 8-0 NFL team could not line up and gain a precious yard against the league’s worst rushing defense.

Read more: The unbeaten Falcons fall in a distressingly familiar way | Mark Bradley

mapcow

sure sucks to be Falcon fan today.... OMG the 3&5 saints actually beat them...... and to add insult to injury.....defense won it.

Halo

15 yards on 13 carries. WOW.

saintfan

Atlanta be suckin'.

QBREES9

Saints had balance Ingram, Ivory, Thomas, and Brees

OldMaid

I get they are 8 and now have 1 lost.
They are SET to be divison winners BUT the season is over .
Saints, not totally at their best, managed due to some skills, luck, clock time, some momentum, fate, Superdome noise , whatever defeated the Atlanta Birdies and other teams which have to face Atlanta are looking at Altanta in a whole new light as in, DO-ABLE!!!!
It will be interesting to see if, how the Saints breaking Atlanta's streak will be AF first lost with many more to come.
Football is you-never-know until the clock says 4th qrtr. 0:00.

Marlboro Man

An 8-0 NFL team could not line up and gain a precious yard against the league’s worst rushing defense. That's what I like to see from a Failcon sports reporter.
Later, Turner said that they needed to fix the run game, "that's what championship teams do." Ummmm, Turner, you're not a championship team so how would you know?

SloMotion

Excellent point!, .

D_it_up

I heard the '72 Dolphins are going to send out a case of champagne for this defeat, except it isn't going to the Saints. It will be going to the Falcons because the Dolphins knew they were going to screw it up eventually.

skymike

My word, it was GREAAAAAAAAAAT to be in the Dome yesterday!