Nothing seemed to go right for the Saints against the Ravens in the Superdome on Sunday.

It started when the Saints recovered a Jamal Lewis fumble on the Ravens' first drive, then fumbled it right back two plays later.

It continued when the Ravens moved down the field for two early touchdowns, aided by numerous Saints penalties, and then returned an interception for a quick touchdown on a deflected pass for Aaron Stecker in the flat.

The Saints bit back with a strike down the seam to WR Joe Horn for a second quarter touchdown, but the Ravens responded with one of their own late in the half. Down 28-7 in at the half, the Saints wouldn't get much closer.

And to add to the home team's misery, RB Reggie Bush left the field in pain with a left ankle sprain in the fourth quarter, midway through a drive that ended on downs at the Raven 6. In the end, the Saints were on the wrong end of a thorough beating, falling 35-14 to the Ravens. Both teams are now 5-2 and remain at the top of their divisions.

It's strangely familiar to Saints fans, but not for this new Saints team and coaching staff.

The game started when DT Hollis Thomas recovered a fumble on the second play of the game when Will Smith blocked TE Daniel Wilcox back into RB Jamal Lewis. Thomas would seemingly recover another fumble later in the half, but the league's mystifying tuck rule changed a Charles Grant sack and force into an incomplete pass.

But two plays later, Reggie Bush would have trouble holding on to a pitch with a free blitzing defender in his face deep in the backfield. A personal foul on Will Smith and a defensive contact penalty on Mike McKenzie extended the Ravens' next drive, which was capped on McNair's five yard scramble up the middle in a spread formation.

The Saints' next possession looked promising, sparked by the first catch of Marques Colston's huge day that went for 53 yards over the top. But after advancing to the Raven 8, the Saints collected two five yard penalties without running a snap, one for illegal huddle and another for a false start, before Reggie Bush's halfback pass went over Colston's head in the end zone and was intercepted.

Brees' 383 yards, second most in Saints history, fed Joe Horn and Marques Colston's big days. Each had over 100 yards, with the veteran collecting 126 and a second quarter touchdown and Colston gathering 163 and two fourth quarter touchdowns on six always difficult catches.

The Ravens turned Bush's interception, part of a miserable day for the rookie that featured only 21 yards of total offense, into another touchdown when McNair hit big receiver Clarence Moore for a quick score, again out of the spread formation.

The teams exchanged punts before Brees' first interception, which deflected off of Aaron Stecker's hands in the right flat and was plucked out of the air by rookie defensive back Ronnie Prude, who played his college ball an hour up I-10 at LSU. Prude's score but the Ravens up 21-0 and the Saints fans in total shock.

The Saints' response was aided by the healthy return of KR Michael Lewis, who playing in his first game in over 13 months after returning from a serious knee injury, took the second quarter kickoff return almost back to midfield. Brees hit Colston twice then Horn once on the quick drive that put the Saints within 21-7, but Steve McNair used the remaining four minutes and change in the first half to engineer a 10 play, 71 yard drive that ended with a throw to Todd Heap that epitomized the day.

McNair zipped it to his tight end in the back of the end zone. The ball somehow evaded the outstretched arms of Jason Craft, then slipped above Scott Fujita who apparently misjudged the elevation with a shortarmed attempt at the interception. If either Saint misdirected it, Heap was still able to make a calm adjustment to catch the ball behind him with ten second left in the half.

Down 28-7, the Saints returned to the field but many of the fans didn't. The Saints collected two more penalties before running a second half snap, one on the kickoff on WR Terrance Copper and a then false start on Colston. The Saints punted, then forced the Ravens to punt. Prude made his second big play of the day, downing the ball inside the Saint 1 yard line. On the next play, another withering Ravens blitz forced Brees' pass in Horn's direction to float to the left, where it was intercepted and returned for a score by Dawan Landry.

The Saints' next drive, down 35-7, saw the Saints challenge the red zone again. Brees found Horn wide open at the Baltimore 22, despite a defensive pass interference call that was declined, but later on third down, the referees ruled and upheld a pass to Joe Horn incomplete, even when both Horn's feet appeared to be down when he caught the ball. The Saints converted the fourth down and two when Aaron Stecker ran the option keeper, but a holding penalty on Jeff Faine denied that and set up an incomplete pass to Colston on the long fourth down attempt.

The Ravens, at this point running the ball with Jamal Lewis exclusively, punted and Drew Brees, exclusively passing the ball, found Marques Colton deep down the left side. The rookie out ran the Ravens defense to the end zone for his first of two impressive but meaningless touchdowns in the fourth quarter.

The Saints contained a Ravens offense that was satisfied in the fourth quarter, but the Ravens defense was still out for blood. Hard hitting and blitzing throughout the game, the Ravens collected another interception, some hard hits, a twisted ankle on Bush, and a roughing the passer penalty on Brees, who still played coolly and confidently throughout. Colston collected his second touchdown when Brees found him down the middle in the end zone, and the rookie from Hofstra made the diving catch after sealing off the Raven behind him with his 6'5 frame and outrunning the defender in front of him.

The Saints went for two and Brees found newly-signed TE Billy Miller in the front corner of the end zone for the conversion and the final points of the game.

Brees finished 24/45 for 383 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions. That's the second most prolific passing yardage total in the franchise's history, behind only Aaron Brooks' 441 yards in 2000. Brees was sacked twice. Reggie Bush finished with 11 on the ground and 5 on four receptions. He and Deuce McAllister combined for only 10 rushes for 26 yards as the Saints abandoned the running game. Brees accounted for seven of the team's 35 yards on a single scramble.

The Saints and Ravens are now both 5-2 and ahead of their divisions, although the Saints are now tied with the Falcons. It was the Saints' first home loss of the season in four games.

On defense, SS Omar Stoutmire lead the team with 10 tackles. DT Hollis Thomas played outstanding, collecting five tackles, a fumble recovery, a sack and a hurry.

Notes: Horn's second quarter touchdown moved him ahead of Eric Martin for the franchise career touchdown receiving record... Bush's ankle sprain will require tests this week to determine its severity, but late word says that Bush could play in Tampa Bay. Xrays after the game were negative... Lewis didn't have a catch but had six kickoff returns and two punt returns. He extends his team record for most punts returned, and is now 17 away from Tyrone Hughes' team record for kickoffs returned. He remains 592 yards away from the career record for kickoff return yardage, and extended his team record for punt return yardage, which he has owned since the 2004 season.