The Saints dropped to 6-9 with Sunday's loss. New Orleans will conclude the 2014 season next Sunday, December 28 on the road against Tampa Bay.
QB Drew Brees started his 200th career NFL game. He started and appeared in his 142nd game as a Saint, putting him in a tie for 13th place in games played in club record books with C Joel Hilgenberg.
Brees completed 30 of 47 passes for 313 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. It was the 80th time as a Saint uniform and 85th time overall that Brees has passed for 300 or more yards, second-most in NFL history.
Brees completed 30 or more passes for the 44th time in his career, extending his own NFL record.
The Saints scored a touchdown in their 144th consecutive regular-season game, the third-longest streak in NFL history. The Saints' streak began with the last game of the 2005 season. The Cleveland Browns (166, 1957-69) and San Diego Chargers (151, 2002-10) are the only teams with longer streaks.
TE Jimmy Graham 's fourth-quarter TD reception was the 51st of his career, moving him into sole possession of second place on the Saints' all-time list. It was also his 10th TD catch this season, making him the first Saint to have three seasons of double-digit touchdown receptions.
WR Marques Colston appeared in his 132nd career game today, moving into sole possession of 22nd place on the club's all-time games played list.
Colston caught six passes for 80 yards. He now has 664 career receptions, moving past Pro Football Hall of Famer Ozzie Newsome into the top 50 in NFL history for catches. Colston ranks 52nd in league history with 9,188 receiving yards, moving up three spots on Sunday.
RB Mark Ingram's 1-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage was his eighth rushing touchdown of the season, moving him into a tie for 10th on the Saints' single-season list.
T Zach Strief appeared in his 124th career contest, moving him into a tie for 25th on the club's all-time games played list with former WR and teammate Devery Henderson.
ILB Curtis Lofton played in his 111th consecutive game, tied for the longest streak by a linebacker for games played with Green Bay's Julius Peppers.
Lofton had five tackles on Sunday to increase his season total to 172, a career high.
Jalen Saunders' 99-yard return of the opening kickoff is tied for the fourth-longest in Saints history and is the longest non-touchdown return in team history. Before today, the longest return by a Saint that did not result in a touchdown was a 92-yard return by Darren Sproles on Dec. 26, 2011, also against the Falcons.
Saunders is the first NFL player to have a return of at least 99 yards and not score a touchdown since Minnesota's Percy Harvin had a 104-yard return on Nov. 27, 2011. Harvin's return also came against the Falcons.
The opening kickoff was also Saunders' first career kickoff return. The last player in the NFL to go 99 yards on his first career kickoff return was Tamarick Vanover of the Kansas City Chiefs, who had a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown on Sept. 3, 1995 against Seattle.
Later in the first quarter, Saunders had his first career reception, a 7-yard pass from Brees.
K Shayne Graham's two extra points upped his point total to 100. He reached the century mark for the seventh time in his 15-year NFL career.
P Thomas Morstead averaged 50.0 yards on four punts, the second time this year he has averaged at least 50 yards per punt. His other 50-yard average came at Atlanta in Week 1.
