“We did a lot of things well and yet we did a lot of things that made it close at the end,” 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. They fought.”

Drew Brees had another big night, throwing for 308 yards and two scores. He quickly rallied the team after the Falcons quickly scored on a Michael Turner run to make it 7-0. Then after a big defensive touchdown the Saints again quickly scored, wiping out what was a Falcons lead.

Matt Ryan had a rather tough night against the Saints, throwing three picks, the third game in a row he has thrown at least two picks. “I’m not concerned at all,” coach Mike Smith said of his second-year quarterback. “We’re going to be judged on 16 games. Not one game and not three games.”

The Saints are 7-0, the last time they did that was the 1991 season. Atlanta’s second consecutive loss dropped the Falcons (4-3) three games behind the Saints in the NFC South. It marked the first time the Falcons had lost two straight under second-year coach Smith.

Jerious Norwood is one of the fastest running backs in the league, but he told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution he doesn’t expect to play Sunday against the Cowboys. That’s good news for the Cowboys as they look to keep a Falcons running game that has not been as productive this year slowed to a crawl.

The Falcons elected to let the NFL’s trading deadline past and added safety Jamaal Fudge to the roster Tuesday. Fudge takes the spot that was created by placing cornerback Brian Williams on injured reserve. Fudge played with the Falcons last season and was released when the team signed Williams on Sept. 6.

It looks more and more as if the Falcons will not have starting FB Ovie Mughelli for Sunday night’s home game against the Bears. Mughelli missed his second day of practice Thursday because of a left calf injury, and his return to practice Friday is questionable, Falcons coach Mike Smith said. Mughelli, the lead blocker for RB Michael Turner, sported a walking book in the locker room and walked with a significant limp.

I think for the Falcons to win they have to get Turner going, and Ryan has to stay upright and make sure he doesn’t make mistakes. This is going to be one tough test for the Falcons, and I think they come off the bye suffering a loss to take them to 2-2 as they get set for a Sunday nighter vs the Bears next week.

If the Falcons can run, they can win, but the Niners are playing at a high level, and will win here.

San Francisco 23 Atlanta 17

The Falcons defensive line took notice that three veterans were brought in for workouts on Tuesday. “If you want to be here, you’ve got to do the work to be here,” defensive tackle Trey Lewis said Wednesday before practice. “It’s a business and if you are not producing, they will try to bring someone else in and they will.” Over the last two games, the defensive line has not recorded a sack and has given up 5.1 yards per carry. Veteran defensive linemen Paul Spicer, Orpheus Roye and Antwan Lake, a former Falcon, worked out for the team. None were signed to contracts, according to Andrew Simms, Lake’s agent.

For the second straight season, DIRECTV is conducting the ULTIMATE DISPLACED FAN SEARCH. Last year’s winner, after all the dust settled, was Ron Lawrence, a passionate Dallas Cowboys fan from Chesapeake, Virginia, thanks in large part to his two-car garage, which he’d converted into a full-blown replica of the interior of Texas Stadium, complete with blue star-studded walls, field turf and a ring of honor. Lawrence earned a dream Super Bowl prize package including two Super Bowl tickets and an all-expense paid trip to Tampa, Fla. While there, Lawrence participated in a media tour at the Super Bowl media center side-by-side with his favorite Cowboy player Jason Witten, met Giants Quarterback and DIRECTV spokesman Eli Manning and played for Hall of Fame QB Warren Moon’s team in the nationally televised DIRECTV Celebrity Beach Bowl flag football game.

If you think you deserve to be crowned this year’s DIRECTV ULTIMATE DISPLACED FAN, visit www.theultimatedisplacedfan.com and submit written essays, videos and photos (any or all of these elements) that illustrate why you should earn the title and the Super Bowl week prize package. You can win the same once-in-a-lifetime Super Bowl week experience as Ron Lawrence did last year. In addition, four semi-finalists will receive one-year complimentary subscriptions to the DIRECTV® CHOICETM package, the NFL SUNDAY TICKET™ subscription for the 2010 season, as well as any required DIRECTV® receiving equipment.

Good Luck!