NFL Recap (Atlanta-New Orleans)
Posted: Sun December 13, 1998 at 6:43 p.m. EST
ATLANTA 27, NEW ORLEANS 17
NEW ORLEANS (Ticker) -- Chris Chandler threw a pair
of long touchdown passes to Terance Mathis as the Atlanta Falcons moved
closer to the NFC West Division title with their seventh straight win,
27-17 over the floundering New Orleans Saints.
The Falcons (12-2) tied the 1980 franchise record for wins and need a
loss by San Francisco against Detroit on Monday night to clinch the
division title. Atlanta's seven-game winning streak is its longest since a
nine-game run by the 1980 squad, which finished 12-4 and won the
franchise's last NFC West crown.
"We worked very hard to be where we are," said Atlanta coach Dan
Reeves. "I'm extremely proud of my football team. You've got to be lucky
and have players that are really paying the price and we are. It seems like
the harder you play, the luckier you get."
In its most important game in years, New Orleans (6-8) managed no
offensive touchdowns as quarterback Kerry Collins was benched.
The Saints slipped one game behind Tampa Bay and Arizona for the last NFC
wild card spot.
The Saints were coming off a rousing 22-3 victory over NFC East leader
Dallas but lost for the eighth time in 11 games after opening the season
with three victories. They have lost eight straight to the Falcons.
"They were better," New Orleans coach Mike Ditka said. "Our guys
tried, but they were just better. My guys played hard and I didn't see
anybody quitting out there. But they're a better team than us right now.
I guess that's the only way I can put it."
After Bob
Christian's one-yard touchdown run opened the scoring for the Falcons,
Ray Buchanan
intercepted Collins at the Atlanta 35, setting up Chandler's 62-yard
scoring strike to Mathis to give Atlanta a 14-0 lead with 6:25 left in the
first quarter. Buchanan leads the NFC with seven interceptions.
With the Falcons holding a slim three-point lead in the fourth
quarter, Chandler found Mathis again, this time on a 63-yard catch-and-run
to cap the scoring with 6:50 to go.
"We've been very fortunate this year," said Reeves. "We've come up
with some big plays at key times, nothing bigger than the pass to Mathis.
Terance was going through the seam and they were playing a zone and he
jumped it outside and Chris read it and made a perfect throw to Terance and
he did the rest by getting in the end zone."
Mathis established a club record with 228 receiving yards on six
catches, surpassing the previous mark of 193 set by Andre Rison on September
4th, 1994 against Detroit. Chandler completed 19-of-28 passes for 345
yards with two interceptions.
Atlanta's Jamal
Anderson rushed for 148 yards on 27 carries, giving him his 10th
100-yard effort of the season, breaking the previous club mark of nine
established by Gerald Riggs in 1984.
"Ten games now that he's rushed for over 100 yards," Reeves said. "He
had 140 yards rushing, which is a tremendous job when you're on the road
against a football team that held the Cowboys to eight yards (rushing).
That's a heck of an accomplishment."
Both of New Orleans' touchdowns came on defense. Rookie Fred Weary's 63-yard
interception return with 1:25 remaining in the first half pulled the Saints
within 14-7 and linebacker Mark Fields' 36-yard
fumble return just under five minutes into the second half cut the deficit
to 17-14.
Collins was 6-of-14 for 87 yards with three interceptions and a lost
fumble before being yanked early in the third quarter for Billy Joe Tolliver, who was
12-of-23 for 82 yards. New Orleans averaged a pitiful 4.57 yards per pass
attempt.
"To turn the ball over four times in the first half is really
disappointing," said Collins. "If you want to look at things (that went
wrong) today, you can start looking right here."
The Saints' ground game also was stifled as rookie Wilmont Perry was held to
just 14 yards on five carries. The Falcons' defense has allowed just one
100-yard rusher in its last 22 games.
The Falcons lead the all-time series, 36-24.
Atlanta outgained New Orleans, 504-216, including a 182-52 edge on the
ground. The Falcons held the ball for over 35 minutes, improving on their
league-leading 33 1/2-minute average.
"We get paid to play defense," said Weary. "Regardless of how long
we're on the field we just have to try to get the opposing offense off the
field."
Chandler hit Mathis on a 31-yard pass to the New Orleans 1 to set up
Christian's TD plunge with 6:57 left in the first quarter.
Just 25 seconds later, Chandler capitalized on Collins' first
interception, hitting Mathis in stride at midfield. Mathis shook off a pair
of tacklers and outraced the secondary into the end zone to extend the lead
to 14-0.
After Weary's return cut the deficit in half, Chandler drove the
Falcons 44 yards on nine plays before Morten Andersen kicked a
49-yard field goal with three seconds left to make the score 17-7 at the
half.
New Orleans linebacker Kevin Mitchell stripped
Chandler and Fields picked up the loose ball and dashed in for a score to
pull the Saints within three with 10:12 remaining in the third quarter.
But the Falcons drove 79 yards on 10 plays to set up Anderson's
33-yard boot 30 seconds into the fourth quarter to stretch the lead to
20-14.
Tolliver completed a 17-yard pass to Sean Dawkins and took off
on a 13-yard run on the ensuing drive before Doug Brien converted from
36 yards to close the gap to three with 8:34 left.
Four plays later, Chandler and Mathis connected again, sealing the
victory.
© 1998 Sportsticker Enterprises, LP
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