70,003 boisterous fans, the playmaking New Orleans Saints and the spirit of a city defeated the Atlanta Falcons 23-3 on Monday night for a national television audience, dominating a division rival for the Saints' first Monday night win since 1992.

A jubilant atmosphere that rivaled any of the six Super Bowls the city had seen started off the biggest Monday Night Football game ever.

A blocked punt by Steve Gleason and the touchdown recovery by Curtis DeLoatch started off the league-rattling rout of the Falcons, who had steamrolled the Panthers and Buccaneers in the previous two weeks. DeLoatch dunked the ball over the goal post, and the team swarmed perennial special teams playmaker Steve Gleason.

SLB Scott Fujita continued to enjoy his role as one of the primary playmakers on the team. On the third play of the game, Fujita ran down Michael Vick and punched the ball free. The ball rolled out of bounds, but it was the beginning of a night that saw Fujita in on a team-leading eight tackles. Second year free safety Josh Bullocks not only collected seven tackles and a pass defense, but he blocked a 25-yard field goal that former Saint great Morten Andersen attempted late in the second half. Bullocks and fellow safety Roman Harper enforced the Saints' will in the secondary. Together with cornerbacks Mike McKenzie and Fred Thomas, they harassed Alge Crumpler, Michael Jenkins and Ashley Lelie and limited Michael Vick to twelve completions, only five in the first half.

Vick finished with 137 yards passing and 57 rushing for 194 total yards, although 75 of them came in his final three possessions. In his first career loss to the Saints, Vick was pressured almost constantly - often by the Saints' basic four man rush. The Saints collected five sacks and nine hurries on the elusive Vick, whose receivers regularly dropped his passes thrown under duress.

DT Brian Young collected another sack, his fourth of the season, three quarterback hurries and five tackles as the Saints executed their contain defensive schemes to perfection. Vick was never alone in the pocket, finding himself there with two or three Saint defenders taking away every possible vector to open ground. Only once did Vick gash the Saints, when he escaped for a 30-yard gain with 8:40 left in the game, a run that accounted for more than half his rushing total.

RB Deuce McAllister powered the Saints' running game, collecting 81 yards on 19 carries and four passes for 13 yards, while his speedy young counterpart Reggie Bush added 53 on the ground and 19 passing. Bush's lowest all-purpose output of the season came on the fresh new artificial grass of the Superdome, which seemed to have an effect on his agility. Early in the game, Bush took himself out of the game, gingerly testing a sore joint but returning to play most of the game.

WR Joe Horn had three catches for 47 yards - each for a first down - including an incredible catch when Horn leapt towards the newly-installed exhaust fans to make the grab, only to catch a helmet in the tail and land squarely on his back. Writing in pain, Horn shook off the hit, collected his wind and returned to the game shortly thereafter. The Saints' unquestioned spirit, team captain and one of the greatest Saint characters of all time, Horn led the team out on the field.

WR Devery Henderson had two grabs for 15 yards but made his impact when he took a double end-around gadget play in for an 11-yard touchdown in the first quarter to send the Falcons reeling. On the play, Henderson picked up a critical block from runningback Deuce McAllister and another from quarterback Drew Brees, who took the feet away from a Falcons defender to allow Henderson to find the front corner of the end zone. Rookie WR Marques Colston continued to be Brees' go-to guy, hauling in a game-high seven catches for 97 yards, including a 29-yard catch and rumble to open the second half.

Brees, steady, consistent and smart, delivered the ball around the field with the authority and decisiveness that he has made a habit of as a Saint. Brees burned two timeouts early in the third quarter - including one on the second play of the second half - something that will certainly be corrected. His passes were catchable and for the most part on target, although a beautiful pump and go to Horn was high and Horn paid the price for bringing it down. Brees finished a stellar 20/28 for 191 yards and took but one sack as the Saint offensive line won almost every battle.

Coach John "Bono" Bonamego deserves a lot of credit for finding weaknesses that led to a blocked punt and a blocked field goal, a pair of plays that presented a 10-point swing and two critical first half swings of momentum.

Fife Back: Before the game, the Saints waived FB Vonta Leach and promoted QB Jason Fife from the practice squad. Fife served as the Saints' third quarterback during the game.

Inactives for the Saints: QB Jason Fife, LB Alfred Fincher, CB DeJuan Groce, WR Jamal Jones, FB Corey McIntyre, OT Rob Petitti, OL Zach Strief