NEW YORK — The Atlanta Falcons' unbeaten run was ended by the New Orleans Saints Sunday with a 31-27 loss at the Superdome, while defending Super Bowl champions the New York Giants suffered a shock 31-13 loss at the Cincinnati Bengals. The Buffalo Bills came close to producing another upset against New England but quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick threw a late interception as the Patriots hung on for a 37-31 win. There was a rarity in San Francisco where the 49ers and Rams tied 24-24 after overtime - the first tie in almost four years. Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan passed for three touchdowns and 411 yards but ended on the losing team for the first time this season as the Saints (4-5) showed they may still have a slight sniff at a place in the playoffs. Tight end Jimmy Graham had a stellar day for New Orleans with two touchdowns and 146 yards on seven receptions while quarterback Drew Brees threw for three touchdowns and 298 yards. The Falcons were foiled at the end by two strong stands from the oft-criticized Saints' defense with the game saved by brilliant defensive work from cornerback Jabari Greer. Atlanta had fourth and goal from the Saints' two-yard line with 1:46 on the clock when Ryan passed the ball toward receiver Roddy White in the middle of the end zone but Greer threw himself at the ball and batted it away. The New York Giants (6-4) suffered their second successive loss, and their defeat to the unheralded Bengals, who had lost their last four games, will cause much more concern than last week's defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton had four touchdowns passes for the first time in his NFL career, starting off with a 56-yard connection to the impressive A.J. Green and ending with a 10-yard pass to Mohamed Sanu. The Giants risked going without a touchdown until Andre Brown scored from two yards in the fourth quarter. Stevan Ridley put up 98 rushing yards for the Patriots with Tom Brady throwing for 237 yards and two touchdowns but their defense was exposed by Bills running back Fred Jackson who had two touchdowns and 80 rushing yards. The Baltimore Ravens move to 7-2 after crushing the Oakland Raiders 55-20 with Joe Flacco throwing for three touchdowns and 341 yards. Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos also enjoyed a relatively comfortable win with a 36-14 victory at the Carolina Panthers. The Minnesota Vikings' (6-4) impressive season continued with Adrian Peterson rushing for 171 yards in a 34-24 win over the Detroit Lions. Peterson set up the victory with a 61-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys went on to a 38-23 win and in an unusual fourth quarter they scored touchdowns on a punt return, interception return and fumble recovery. The Seattle Seahawks move to 6-4 after a comfortable 28-7 win over the fading New York Jets who fall to 3-6. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers enjoyed a third successive win with a 34-24 victory over the San Diego Chargers. Leonard Johnson returned an interception 83 yards in the fourth quarter for the decisive score. The Tennessee Titans beat the Miami Dolphins 37-3. — Reuters
