NEW ORLEANS—Every time Drew Brees and the Saints’ potent offense stumbles, New Orleans’ resurgent defense is right there to pick up the slack. The Saints intercepted three Matt Ryan passes, with Jabari Greer returning one 48 yards for the club’s sixth defensive touchdown this season, and New Orleans stayed perfect with a 35-27 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night.

NEW ORLEANS—The Saints have tied their best start to a season. Drew Brees had 308 yards passing, Pierre Thomas scored two touchdowns and Jabari Greer returned an interception for a score to help the Saints improve to 7-0 with a 35-27 victory over the Atlanta Falcons last night. Only the 1991 Saints began a season with as many wins.

HOUSTON - Steve Slaton scored two touchdowns and Houston built a big lead before holding on for a 24-21 win over San Francisco yesterday. Former University of Virginia standout Matt Schaub’s 42-yard touchdown pass to Owen Daniels made it 21-0 in the second quarter, and the Texans took that lead into halftime. Schaub was 20 of 30 for 264 yards and two touchdowns. He leads the NFL in passing yards (2,074) and TDs (16).

Surely there’s no way the Philadelphia Eagles will lose to one of the NFL’s most dysfunctional franchises, even if the game is on the road. Oh, wait. They just did that. A week after laying a 13-9 egg against the Oakland Raiders, the Eagles (3-2) have another potential letdown game against the Washington Redskins (2-4). The Monday nighter has prime-time slaughter written all over it, with the Redskins coming off a distraction-filled week following the front office’s decision to strip coach Jim Zorn of the play-calling.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The Arizona Cardinals are heading to another desert of sorts this weekend - the one 5 miles west of New York City. If anything has been a wasteland for the Cardinals since their move from St. Louis to Phoenix in 1988, it’s been Giants Stadium. The Cardinals have played in the 33-year-old structure that serves as home to the Giants and Jets 17 times since the move and won twice - both against the Giants. The last win came in 1999.

MIAMI—This would be a good time for the Miami Dolphins to unveil the defensive equivalent of the wildcat, whatever that might be. Nothing tried so far has slowed the New Orleans Saints. The Dolphins face the NFL’s highest-scoring team tomorrow and could use a wildcat-style surprise. “Put 11 linebackers in the game,“ Miami linebacker Channing Crowder suggested. “Blitz Crowder every play.“

PITTSBURGH—Steelers safety Troy Polamalu returned to practice after sitting out two days to rest his still-healing left knee. Polamalu practiced yesterday with the Steelers’ starters and is planning to play tomorrow against the unbeaten Minnesota Vikings. He did not practice Wednesday or Thursday. The five-time Pro Bowl safety tore the medial collateral ligament in his left knee Sept. 10 against Tennessee. He returned Sunday to make an interception against Cleveland.

OAKLAND, Calif. - Louis Murphy sprinted upfield and laid out a defender with a punishing block. Not satisfied, he caught up to the play again and delivered a second block that allowed Zach Miller to cruise into the end zone on an 86-yard catch-and-run. For an offense criticized for lacking big plays, intensity and leadership, a rookie receiver gave the Oakland Raiders all three in one play that answered the skeptics.

The NFL has fined Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis for a helmet-to-helmet hit delivered to Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco.

INDIANAPOLIS - Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri will be out four to eight weeks after having arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, and the team waived starting defensive tackle Ed Johnson yesterday to make room for a new kicker. Indianapolis signed veteran Matt Stover to replace the reliable Vinatieri, who had a piece of cartilage removed during the surgery.

NEW YORK—The Rev. Al Sharpton wants the National Football League to block conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh from bidding on the St. Louis Rams. Sharpton sent a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell today. He said Limbaugh has been divisive and “anti-NFL” in some of his comments. Limbaugh did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

CHARLOTTE So it’s true that no good deed goes unpunished. Byron Westbrook, who spent two seasons on the Washington Redskins practice squad and worked so hard to make the 53-man roster this season, was just doing his job, trying to protect punt returner Antwaan Randle El. And then Westbrook’s world, as well as that of the Redskins, turned upside down. Or right side up. Or every which way but loose. This much is certain: it was not sunny-side up.

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Jake Delhomme got up, his shoulder pads sticking out and his chin strap bunched around his mouth. He pumped both fists and yelled, letting out a month of frustration. His eighth interception of the season earlier in the day? Forgotten. Carolina’s winless start was over, too. Delhomme’s bold bootleg run for a first down on third-and-8 and an earlier disputed call helped the Panthers rally past the Redskins 20-17 yesterday, a day of vindication for Delhomme and more trouble for embattled Washington coach Jim Zorn.

BRONCOS 20, PATRIOTS 17, OT DENVER—On a day that was all about Broncos history, this might ring a bell: A 98-yard, fourth-quarter drive to save the game and get a city thinking Super Bowl. Kyle Orton moved Denver from its 2 to the end zone to tie it yesterday, then Matt Prater kicked a 41-yard field goal in overtime for a 20-17 victory over New England that made rookie Broncos coach Josh McDaniels a winner over his old boss, Bill Belichick.

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Jake Delhomme got up, his shoulder pads sticking out and his chin strap bunched around his mouth. He pumped both fists and yelled, letting out a month of frustration. His eighth interception of the season earlier in the day? Forgotten. Carolina’s winless start was over, too. Delhomme’s bold bootleg run for a first down on third-and-8 and an earlier disputed call helped the Panthers rally past the Redskins 20-17 yesterday, a day of vindication for Delhomme and more trouble for embattled Washington coach Jim Zorn.