Falcons’ Johnson Gets Big Kick Out of Beating Saints in Overtime, 23-20

Norm Johnson ended a long weekend for the division leaders, kicking a 50-yard field goal with 1:57 remaining in overtime Sunday night as the Atlanta Falcons beat the New Orleans Saints, 23-20.

New Orleans’ loss made the NFL’s division leaders 0-6 for the weekend. Buffalo, Houston, Denver, Washington and Chicago all lost earlier in the day.

The Falcons (7-5) prevented the Saints (9-3) from winning their first ever NFC West title.

A Saint victory would have tied the mark San Francisco set last year for the quickest clinching by an NFC West championship since the NFL went to a 16-game schedule in 1978.

Michael Haynes caught an 80-yard scoring pass from Chris Miller in the third quarter, then caught an 18-yard pass to tie the score, 20-20, with 1:53 left in regulation.

The Saints had led 20-10 with 12:43 to go in regulation.

In overtime, with the Falcons backed up at their own two-yard line, Haynes caught a 57-yard pass over Vince Buck to put the ball at the Saints’ 41. Three plays netted eight yards, and Johnson kicked the game winner.

Johnson kicked field goals from 25 yards in the second quarter to open the scoring and from 27 yards to close the gap to 20-13.

Miller completed 15 of 31 passes for 260 yards and two touchdowns. He had two passes intercepted.

Morten Andersen tried a 55-yard field goal with 6:58 left in overtime, but it was well short.

Haynes’ tying touchdown came after Rick Bryan hit Fred McAfee and knocked the ball loose, and Tory Epps recovered at the Saints’ 15. Mike Rozier lost three yards on a run, and Miller found Haynes in the right corner of the end zone one play later.

Haynes caught six passes for 187 yards, his third game over 100 yards in the past five weeks.

Saint scores came on two Andersen field goals from 39 and 31 yards, a two-yard run by Gill Fenerty and a one-yard run by McAfee.

McAfee gained 138 yards in 28 carries, only the second time this season that a Saint running back gained over 100 yards.

Fenerty gained 106 yards against Minnesota in the fourth week of the season.

Steve Walsh completed 15 of 34 passes for 194 yards for the Saints. Floyd Turner caught five passes for 115 yards.

The overtime game was just the second ever for Atlanta.

The Falcons first overtime game ended in a 10-10 tie against San Francisco in 1986.

Rozier gained 63 yards in 20 carries as the Saints held Falcon running backs under the 100-yard mark for the sixth consecutive time.