Matt Ryan and Falcons Shock Saints

For anyone that missed it, Drew Brees was seen on the sidelines during the Saints' loss to the Falcons throwing helmets and giving an earful to tight end Jeremy Shockey. If you're wondering what caused the potential league MVP's blowup, it was the Atlanta defense, who pestered and disturbed Brees all day long.

Those that don't believe the Atlanta Falcons are a legitimate playoff contender should simply ask Brees. He'll set you as straight as the Falcons did on Sunday's 34-20 drubbing of the New Orleans Saints.

One of the league's most aggressive and prolific offenses was held at bay on Sunday, specifically holding Brees to seven yards a pass and three interceptions.

The Saints' stat sheet is packed (Brees with 422 yards and two touchdowns, Marques Colston with 140 yards receiving) but it's mostly empty stats, a lot of which came late in the game when the Saints were playing catch-up and simply trying to get back in the game. Each time the Saints threatened, the Falcons defense answered the call.

Coach Smith said of his defense, "We did a good job. We got a lot of pressure on the quarterback. Our guys had to play coverage for a long time in terms of Drew being able to improvise and extend plays, but they did a nice job. Most passes were contested. Our guys had a good understanding of how they were going to attack us."

Atlanta's defense set the tone early when safety Erik Coleman intercepted Brees' first pass of the game. The Falcons' cornerbacks played outstanding, balancing the defensive line's pass rush with good coverage of the Saints' dangerous receivers.

Dominique Foxworth, who has gotten more playing as of late with an injury to starter Brent Grimes, played a great game and may have earned himself a starting role. His tight coverage on Colston led to a pass breakup in the end zone in the first quarter to prevent a touchdown.

It was the same story all day from the cornerbacks. Each time the Saints threatened, a Falcons cornerback was there to make a play. Chris Houston intercepted a potential touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to end a drive and keep the Saints from closing the 27-13 gap.

Rookie Chevis Jackson ended the game, with less than two minutes remaining, when he intercepted his first career pass and returned it 95 yards for a touchdown.

"We’re real proud of the other cornerbacks," said Foxworth. "Chevis had a huge play. Chris had a huge play. Those are big plays that sometimes are real tough for young guys in pressure situations. More than anything I’m proud of those guys for stepping up.”

It was a good day for many of the Falcons' young guys as rookie quarterback Matt Ryan continued to show why he's the talk of the nation. The rookie outshone Brees, finishing the day 16/23 with 248 yards and two touchdowns, continuing his four-game home streak of no interceptions.

On one of the more impressive throws of the day, Ryan showed his pinpoint accuracy when he threaded a pass between two New Orleans defenders to receiver Roddy White in stride for a 16-yard touchdown.

In the third and fourth quarters, the Falcons continued the same conservative second-half play that they've shown in the last few wins, which is a slight concern. Atlanta turned to its running backs, pounding Michael Turner and allowing Jerious Norwood to change the pace. Norwood caught a swing pass in the fourth quarter and ran it 67 yards, high-stepping into the end zone.

New Orleans scored on a last-second deep pass to Lance Moore, but it was too little, way too late as the Falcons improved to 6-3. 

Ryan said it best at the conclusion of the game: "I think everybody is excited about the win. It is great to win against a team of that caliber, and not to mention, a divisional foe. More importantly, we were able to execute as a team throughout the game."

Excitement is a word used a lot lately in describing the situation that Atlanta has found itself in. Long gone are the disturbing memories of last season. The mood in the locker room was subdued, the Falcons players enjoying the win, but already focused on the next task at hand.

Safety Lawyer Milloy, in his post-game comments, spoke about defense winning championships. It's a football cliché, but one Milloy knows well, having been a part of a dominant Super Bowl-winning defense in New England.

One can't help but read between the lines with what Milloy said. It may still be too early to put Atlanta in that championship-caliber category, but with this impressive win over New Orleans, it's time to at least consider it.

However, it's clear this Falcons team already believes it—and now they're proving it.