ATLANTA -- The New Orleans Saints have won plenty of games with their dazzling offence. Tracy Mcgrady Magic Jersey . The defence is doing its part, too. Drew Brees threw a pair of touchdown passes in the first half and the guys on the other side made sure that was enough, sending the Saints to a 17-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night. "Were rolling and we cant stop," said Cameron Jordan, who led the way as New Orleans sacked Atlantas Matt Ryan five times. "Weve got to get better." Brees threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to Jimmy Graham and a 1-yarder to Benjamin Waton, giving the first-place Saints (9-2) a sweep of the season series with their NFC South rivals. Atlanta (2-9) dropped its fifth straight game, clinched its first losing season since 2007 and was officially eliminated from the division race with five weeks remaining. The Falcons had a chance to pull off the upset, driving to the Saints 29 with less than 3 minutes to go. But New Orleans turned up the pressure on Ryan, Atlanta missed a long field goal, and the Saints ran off all but the last 5 seconds. New Orleans also forced a crucial fumble early in the fourth quarter. Keyunta Dawson stripped the ball from Falcons rookie receiver Darius Johnson, and Corey White fell on it at the Saints 13. "We knew coming here was going to be a challenge," Saints coach Sean Payton said. "The two teams, the history, regardless of the record it has always been a close game, and tonight was no exception." The Georgia Dome rocked with chants of "Who Dat! Who Dat!" as the final seconds ticked off the clock, the Saints ensuring they will remain alone atop the NFC South and just one game behind Seattle for home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. New Orleans will face the Seahawks on Dec. 2 in what shapes up as one of the biggest games of the year. "The identity of the team is still developing," said Jordan, who was credited with 2 1/2 sacks. The Falcons had hoped to salvage a bit of pride in this lost season, driving from their own 9 -- actually, the 3 after Ryan was sacked -- to the Saints 29. But Ryan was sacked again by Jordan and hurried into a pair of incompletions. As the crowd groaned, the Falcons surprisingly sent on Matt Bryant to attempt a 52-yard field goal. He knocked one through, but the Saints called timeout just before the snap. His next try sailed wide of the left upright. Brees and the offence took it from there, assuring Atlanta had time for only one desperate play at the end. "We responded to momentum changes and some adversity in the football game," Falcons coach Mike Smith said. "But it was still not good enough. If you dont win, its not good enough." Brees was 23 of 33 for 278 yards. Ryan was 30 of 39 for 297 yards, but Atlantas offence produced only one touchdown -- the fourth time that has happened during its current skid. The Falcons, who had been outscored 135-61 over their previous four games, put together an impressive drive on their opening possession. Steven Jackson carried it five times for 24 yards, the last of them a dive into the end zone on third-and-goal at the Saints 1 to give Atlanta its first lead in nearly a month. The Falcons had gone nearly 15 quarters -- almost four full games -- since being up 3-0 over Arizona early in Week 8. The advantage didnt last long. Brees guided a 15-play, 78-yard drive in which the Saints converted five straight times on third down, including Watsons leaping catch in the back of the end zone. Bryant put the Falcons back ahead with the first of his two field goals, a 39-yarder early in the second quarter, but New Orleans grabbed the lead for good when Graham slipped behind the secondary and hauled in his long touchdown. He celebrated by dunking over the goalpost and hung on the crossbar for extra emphasis, and ended up bending the post. As the Saints lined up to attempt the extra point, the officials noticed the crooked uprights, leading to a brief delay as a worker came out with a ladder to straighten the bar. The Falcons got in position to recapture the lead, driving to the New Orleans 10. On third-and-goal, Ryan couldnt find an open receiver and took off running, briefly spotting a path to the end zone. But the Saints closed in quickly, prompting Ryan to slide down at the 6 rather than risk an injury. Some Atlanta fans booed as Matty Ice trotted off the field. Atlanta settled for another field goal from 24 yards and trailed 14-13 at the half. The Falcons got no closer. The only points of the second half came on Garrett Hartleys 41-yard field goal. NOTES: Graham had five receptions for 100 yards. ... Saints DE Akiem Hicks had 1 1/2 sacks. ... Falcons CB Desmond Trufant went out in the first half with a thigh injury, but returned to the game after halftime. ... Jackson had 63 yards on 16 carries for Atlanta. Ramon Sessions Wizards Jersey . Then the Pacers gave Oladipo and his Orlando teammates the cold shoulder. Paul Georges buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter spurred a 21-4 run, finally sending Indiana past the Magic 97-87 in a tougher-than-expected opening night matchup. DeMar DeRozan Team USA Jersey . -- Gus Malzahn finally had his day in Fayetteville. http://www.basketballapparelshop.com/custom-shop/Custom-Shop-Washington-Wizards/ .S. Open champion Justin Rose birdied the first hole with a blind shot he hit to a foot of the pin, and he stayed in front Tuesday until he completed a 4-under 67 for a two-shot lead over Jason Dufner in PGA Grand Slam of Golf.TSN drops the flag on the biggest, richest, and most prestigious race in NASCAR with exclusive live coverage of the 56th running of the DAYTONA 500 on Sunday, Feb. 23 at 12 noon ET. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rookie and pole sitter Austin Dillon is behind the wheel of the #3 car. This race marks the famed cars emotional return to Daytona International Speedway for the first time since Dale Earnhardts tragic final-lap crash at the 2001 Daytona 500. Dillon, the grandson of long-time #3 car owner Richard Childress, leads a star-studded field at "The Great American Race" that includes last years pole winner Danica Patrick, three-time DAYTONA 500 champ Jeff Gordon, and six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson. Austin will lead the front row alongside Martin Truex Jr., who qualified second. The remaining positions on the starting grid will be determined by the NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES: BUDWEISER DUEL airing tomorrow (Thursday, Feb. 20) at 7 p.m. ET on TSN2. Racing fans can turn to SPORTSCENTRE to stay up to date on all the news, highlights, and post-race reaction. Fans can also visit TSSN Digital platforms for all the latest breaking news, stats, and highlights from the DAYTONA 500. Michael Jordan Team USA Jersey. Live radio coverage of the DAYTONA 500 is available on Sunday, Feb. 23 at 1 p.m. ET on TEAM 1410 in Vancouver, TSN Radio 1050 in Toronto, and TSN Radio 1200 in Ottawa. Broadcast NASCAR Hall of Famer and three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Darrell Waltrip, joins host Mike Joy and analyst Larry McReynolds at the Daytona International Speedway for coverage of the DAYTONA 500. Emmy-award winner Chris Myers returns to the booth alongside two-time Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip, while former championship-winning crew chief and veteran analyst Jeff Hammond covers the action from track level with fellow pit reporters Steve Byrnes, Matt Yocum, and Krista Voda. This years broadcast coverage of the DAYTONA 500 will use nearly 60 cameras, including two "super slow motion" cameras, an infrared camera, a pair of "X-MOs" – ultra-slow-motion Phantom camera systems – and the FOX Super Zoom 4K camera, as well as more than 150 microphones placed around the track. 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