The New Orleans Saints had to hang on throughout a fourth quarter that got way too close for comfort on Sunday.
But in the end, they became the first NFL team to clinch a playoff spot.
The Saints (10-2) held on for a 21-16 victory at Atlanta — their ninth consecutive win. And they officially earned their way into the postseason because of the Chicago Bears‘ late collapse against the Detroit Lions.
The Saints need one more win or one more loss by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5) to clinch the NFC South title, since they swept the season series.
Sunday also marked the third straight win for quarterback Taysom Hill as Drew Brees‘ injury replacement. And for a while, it was looking like his best performance yet until he lost a fumble early in the fourth quarter while trying to avoid a sack at the Falcons’ 14-yard line with New Orleans leading 21-9.
Hill finished 27 of 37 passing for 232 yards, including the first two touchdown passes of his career, to receiver Tre’Quan Smith and tight end Jared Cook. He also ran the ball 14 times for 83 yards — including a 43-yard scramble in the first half. At one point, he completed 10 straight third-down pass attempts, including his TD to Cook.
In the end, though, the Saints needed their defense to end Atlanta’s rally with a red zone stand late in the fourth quarter and a batted-down Hail Mary attempt as time expired. The key play came when Saints linebacker Demario Davis stuffed running back Todd Gurley for a 7-yard loss on third-and-2 from New Orleans’ 13-yard line with 1:42 remaining.
Saints coach Sean Payton said the key to the game was the Saints forcing Atlanta to settle for field goals throughout the first half.
Before they allowed Atlanta to score a touchdown in the fourth quarter Sunday, the Saints had gone 14 consecutive quarters without allowing a TD. According to ESPN Stats & Information, that was the longest streak in the NFL since the 2018-19 New England Patriots.