Ryan was 25-of-38 for 304 yards and two touchdowns and quickly led the Falcons (0-1) down the field on the potential game-winning drive in the fourth but couldn't punch it in. New Orleans' much-improved defense came up with a goal-line stand, stopping the Falcons twice from the 3 and preserving the win when rookie Kenny Vaccaro broke up Ryan's pass for Tony Gonzalez and Harper snagged it out of the air.

The Saints (1-0) rolled up 419 total yards in the return of head coach Sean Payton, who served a league-mandated suspension for the 2012 season for his role in New Orleans' Bountygate controversy.

Atlanta grabbed an early 10-0 lead on Ryan's 7-yard touchdown pass to Gonzalez and a 23-yard Matt Bryant field goal, but Brees threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Marques Colston between a pair of Garrett Hartley field goals as New Orleans stormed back for a 13-10 halftime lead.

Ryan and Brees traded touchdown passes in the third quarter, and the Saints had a chance to put it away earlier in the fourth quarter but had to settle for a 22-yard Hartley field goal - his third of the game- with 3:12 to play.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Brees has thrown two or more touchdown passes in four consecutive games and 13 of his last 15. … Falcons RB Steven Jackson rushed for 77 yards on 11 carries and had five catches for 45 yards, but dropped a pass over the middle on third-and-goal from the 3 on the final series. … Atlanta's Harry Douglas caught four passes for 93 yards.