NFL | Saints beat Falcons to improve to 7-0

The Saints have matched their best start to an NFL season. Drew Brees had 308 yards passing, Pierre Thomas scored two touchdowns and Jabari...

By The Associated Press

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BILL FEIG / AP

New Orleans receiver Marques Colston (12) catches a touchdown pass in front of Atlanta cornerback Tye Hill on Monday in New Orleans.

NEW ORLEANS — The Saints have matched their best start to an NFL season.

Drew Brees had 308 yards passing, Pierre Thomas scored two touchdowns and Jabari Greer returned an interception for a score to help New Orleans improve to 7-0 with a 35-27 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night.

Only the 1991 Saints began a season with as many victories.

Greer's touchdown was the Saints' fifth score on an interception this season, tying a season franchise mark set in 1998.

Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan was intercepted three times, the third consecutive game he has been intercepted at least twice.

Still, the Falcons (4-3) stayed in it until the end, getting a 40-yard field goal from Jason Elam with 28 seconds left and recovering an onside kick. Ryan had time for a desperation heave in the final seconds, and Darren Sharper turned it into his seventh pick of the season.

Sharper's interception was the Saints' 16th this season, surpassing New Orleans' total of 15 from last season.

"We did a lot of things well and yet we did a lot of things that made it close at the end," Saints coach Sean Payton said. "I'm excited to win, though. I'm excited to win this game and get to 7-0. It was an important game against a division team and I'm proud of our players."

Brees hit Marques Colston for an 18-yard score.

Thomas scored on a 22-yard run in the first quarter and a 1-yard catch out of the backfield with 3:03 to go.

That TD made it 35-24 and ignited the Superdome into chants of "Who dat say they gonna beat them Saints?"

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