NEW ORLEANS - Grady Jarrett and an unusually menacing Atlanta Falcons defensive front repeatedly pulled Drew Brees to the Superdome turf Sunday afternoon and proved New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton right.
The records really didn't matter in this matchup of NFC South Division rivals, just as Payton had insisted days earlier.
Sacking Brees six times and holding New Orleans without a touchdown, the Falcons ended their six-game slide with a 26-9 victory that ended the Saints' winning streak at six games.
"It felt really good and encouraging and motivating," said Jarrett, who led his team with 2.5 sacks. "It was like you want to get more and more, you know? So we've got to build off of this performance, definitely."
It was a stunning improvement for a defense that came in with an NFL-worst seven sacks. It happened against an offensive line that had allowed just 12 sacks through the Saints' first eight games.
"We didn't play well enough to win today, really, against anybody," Payton said.
Matt Ryan, returning from an ankle injury that sidelined him in the game before the Falcons' open date last week, was 20-of-35 passing for 182 yards and two touchdowns.
"Winning is always a good tonic, regardless of how the season is going," Ryan said. "Obviously, our backs are against a wall with where we put ourselves at this point in the season. I'm proud of the way that we've taken that first step."
Ryan's first touchdown went for 8 yards to tight end Austin Hooper in the second quarter, and his second was to running back Brian Hill in the fourth to put the Falcons (2-7) in front 20-9.
That was more than enough with their defense frustrating first-place New Orleans (7-2) throughout.
"For them to hold a really good New Orleans offense to just three field goals is impressive," Ryan said. "A good team effort across the board and certainly one we needed."
AP photo by Rusty Costanz / Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan throws during the second half of Sunday's game at New Orleans.Vic Beasley Jr. had 1.5 sacks, while fellow end Adrian Clayborn and linebacker De'Vondre Campbell each added one for the Falcons.
The Saints had not been held without a touchdown at home with Brees running the offense since the record-setting QB joined them in 2006. But it was the second time this season the Saints had not found the end zone at home, with the first a 12-10 victory over the Dallas Cowboys with backup Teddy Bridgewater filling in as Brees recovered from surgery to repair a torn thumb ligament.
"They played better than us," Payton said. "This league is too good week to week (to) go in and not be focused and ready."
Said offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk: "This isn't a team we overlooked. It's a divisional game, and they have a lot of talent."
Atlanta's defensive dominance came in the first game since coach Dan Quinn reassigned assistant coach Raheem Morris from receivers to the secondary. Quinn was struck by how good the coverage was, giving pass rushers more time to get to Brees.
"For the guys to work in concert together - communication, technique - I thought that was a real big piece and one of the topics we were going into the game wanting to measure," he said.
Julio Jones caught three passes for 79 yards - including a 54-yarder to set up a field goal - for Atlanta, which possessed the ball nearly 34 minutes and rolled up 317 yards. The Falcons were the first New Orleans opponent to gain more than 257 yards since the Seattle Seahawks in Week 3.
Brees was 32-of-45 for 287 yards and the Saints finished with 310 total yards, well below their average of 375.3 coming in, and it happened despite New Orleans getting running back Alvin Kamara and tight end Jared Cook back from injuries. Other than receiver Michael Thomas, who caught 13 passes for 152 yards, few Saints offensive regulars approached their usual production.
Campbell's sack of Brees came on third-and-goal during a promising opening drive for the Saints.
"I pride myself on getting the ball out," Brees said. "It was a lack of execution kind of all the way around, so that pretty much summed up the game right there."
The Saints also committed 12 penalties for 90 yards. Half of those infractions produced first downs for the Falcons, and four extended drives on third or fourth down.
With 9:01 left, J.T. Gray, who had blocked a punt against Chicago Bears in Week 7, committed a 15-yard penalty for roughing the kicker while trying to block another punt. That led to Younghoe Koo's 48-yard field goal, which widened Atlanta's lead to 23-9.
"A talented offense like that is going to make you pay for it," New Orleans defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins said. "It was only a matter of time before they were able to capitalize on those mistakes."