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As we come out of halftime, the New Orleans Saints are holding the edge in a shootout with the Atlanta Falcons, leading 21-17 with the chance to add to that lead with the opening drive of the second half.
It looked bleak early, with Drew Brees throwing an interception on the Sants' first play from scrimmage, and then falling down a 10-0 hole, before the defense tightened up a bit and the offense woke up. Since the interception, Brees has settled into a good rhythm, going 12 of 18 for 152 yards and 2 TDs.
Jimmy Graham has both the TD catches (along with a DROP - guh), and TUSK!!!!! blasted a sweet 56-yard TD run that showcased a little bit of everything we like about him: speed, elusiveness, and bruiser-ness.
Review the stats below, then jump right into the second half discussion!
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Team Stats
| ATL | NO | ||
| First Downs | 12 | 14 | |
| Total Yards | 206 | 268 | |
| Passing Yards | 180 | 152 | |
| Rushing Yards | 26 | 116 | |
| Penalties (Yds) | 3(30) | 2(20) | |
| Turnovers | 0 | 1 | |
| Punts (AVG) | 2(46) | 1(46) | |
| Time of Pos. | 17:39 | 12:21 |
Top Performers
| NEW ORLEANS SAINTS | ||||
| Passing | CP/AT | YDS | TD | INT |
| D. Brees | 12/18 | 152 | 2 | 1 |
| Rushing | CAR | YDS | TD | LG |
| M. Ingram | 7 | 40 | 0 | 8 |
| P. Thomas | 3 | 9 | 0 | 4 |
| Receiving | REC | YDS | TD | LG |
| M. Colston | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| J. Graham | 5 | 89 | 2 | 29T |
| L. Moore | 4 | 40 | 0 | 19 |
| ATLANTA FALCONS | ||||
| Passing | CP/AT | YDS | TD | INT |
| M. Ryan | 16/20 | 183 | 2 | 0 |
| Rushing | CAR | YDS | TD | LG |
| M. Turner | 10 | 15 | 0 | 9 |
| J. Rodgers | 2 | 11 | 0 | 8 |
| Receiving | REC | YDS | TD | LG |
| R. White | 5 | 100 | 0 | 49 |
| T. Gonzalez | 5 | 56 | 1 | 19 |
| M. Johnson | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1T |
Falcons vs Saints coverage