Falcons Soar By Saints
No matter how bad things get for the Atlanta Falcons, they can always pick on the New Orleans Saints.
Chris Chandler threw for two touchdowns and ran for another as the Falcons snapped a three-game losing streak by routing the even-more-hapless Saints 35-12 Sunday.
"When you're in the position we're in, any win is a good win," Falcons coach Dan Reeves said.
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"We're having a rough season," Chandler said. "I don't care if it's our 100th straight win (over the Saints), that's not going to make it better."
The Falcons, averaging just 14.1 points per game, posted their highest point total of the season, while New Orleans extended the NFL's longest active road losing streak to 12 games.
Already playing without running back Ricky Williams, who was sidelined by a toe injury, the Saints lost quarterback Billy Joe Hobert on their third possession with bruised ribs.
Backup quarterback Danny Wuerffel didn't fare much better than his alma mater, Florida, which was routed by Alabama on the same field the previous night.
Wuerffel was the victim on five of Atlanta's seven sacks and was picked off twice by Ray Buchanan, who returned the second interception 52 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter.
Buchanan, penalized nine times this season, jokingly presented the officials with a dozen roses before the game. Then, e came through with one of his best performances, also making six tackles and breaking up three passes.
"The way the officials have been treating me is not good," Buchanan said, grinning. "Whatever I did to them before, I'm sorry."
The Falcons reached the end zone on three straight possessions for a 21-6 halftime lead. Chandler threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Terance Mathis and a 48-yarder to Tim Dwight, sandwiched around a 1-yard scoring run by the quarterback.
Chandler was 15-of-25 for 233 yards, though his performance was marred by three interceptions.
Bob Christian scored on a 1-yard plunge in the third quarter before Buchanan stepped in front of a pass intended for Eddie Kennison at the New Orleans 48, streaking down the sideline for Atlanta's first defensive touchdown of the season.
New Orleans managed only two field goals by Doug Brien and a meaningless 29-yard touchdown run by Wuerffel in the fourth quarter.
"This is how our season has been going," Tyronne Drakeford said. "Sometimes the offense plays well and the defense doesn't. Then the defense plays well and the offense doesn't. We haven't been able to put anything together all year."
New Orleans' season, which began with coach Mike Ditka promising a trip to the Super Bowl, has fallen apart in three straight losses by a combined score of 119-47.
"I'd like to have better answers for you," a solemn Ditka told reporters. "Maybe we can't get it done with the people we have. I know they tried. I don't see anyone quitting."
That includes Ditka, who hinted at resigning after a loss in Atlanta two years ago. He plans to stick out this dismal season.
"Other people might have a problem with that," he said, "but I don't."
After Brien kicked a 24-yard field goal to give the Saints a short-lived 3-0 lead, the Falcons capitalized on a short punt by Tommy Barnhardt. Ken Oxendine had a 20-yard run and Chandler came through on third down at the 8.
Scrambling left, he threw back across his body to Mathis in the end zone, a split-second before Mark Fields slammed the quarterback into the turf.
On Atlanta's next possession, Chandler hooked up with A href="http://www.sportsline.com/u/football/nfl/players/1564.htm">Brian Kozlowski on a 26-yard pass, and a pass interference penalty on Tyronne Drakeford gave the Falcons first-and-goal at the 1. The slow-footed quarterback caught the Saints off guard with a bootleg to the right, reaching the end zone without being touched.
Chandler and Dwight hooked up on two long pass plays for the Falcons' third TD. Dwight caught a 32-yarder to the New Orleans 48 before Chandler fooled the Saints with play-action, finding a wide-open Dwight streaking down the middle of the field behind Drakeford.
Dwight apparently hurt a knee and hamstring during that sequence, forcing him to sit out the rest of the game.
Notes
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