(My Sportsbook) - It's no secret that one of the best ways to hold your opponent out of the end zone is to keep its offense on the sidelines. Case in point came during the third quarter of the Atlanta Falcons' 28-20 victory over the Carolina Panthers this past Sunday.

Atlanta came out of the break up 21-13 and began the third quarter with a 13- play drive that went 70 yards and ate up nearly seven minutes of clock time. Though the march ended with a Michael Turner fumble, the Panthers' ensuing drive lasted just eight plays and also ended with a fumble.

The Falcons next drive then used up all 4:15 of the remaining time in the frame before Atlanta found the end zone just over 2 1/2 minutes in the final quarter.

In all, Atlanta held the ball for 11 minutes and nine seconds in the third quarter while converting two third downs and a pair of 4th-and-1 situations.

"We controlled the ball great during the third quarter," said quarterback Matt Ryan, who threw for 220 yards with three touchdowns in the win. "I'm not sure what the time of possession was, but we did a great job mixing up the running game with the passing game. That's what we like to do. We have a great offensive line and good physical players up front. We want to ride them."

In the process, the Falcons moved to 2-0 for the first time since 2006 and for the seventh time overall in franchise history. They share the NFC South lead with the New Orleans Saints, who are also 2-0.

For the second straight week, the Falcons defense also caused turnovers that led to points. Linebacker Mike Peterson had a hand in two turnovers in Week 1 that led to 10 points, and he was able to recover a blocked punt by cornerback Brian Williams in the first quarter that set up an Atlanta field goal, a sequence that Falcons head coach Mike Smith described as "a big-time play."

Peterson also forced Carolina's aforementioned third-quarter fumble that led to a touchdown.

The Falcons next hit the road for the first time this season, as they play at New England on Sunday. They will be aiming for their first 3-0 start since 2004, which was also the last time they won the NFC South.

Atlanta will have to make the trip without 2009 first-round pick Peria Jerry after the defensive tackle suffered a season-ending knee injury in the fourth quarter of Sunday's win. He was placed on injured reserve Monday.

SAINTS: CAN ANYONE SLOW THEM DOWN?

This isn't news, but Drew Brees is pretty good.

But while Brees has been making all the headlines for the New Orleans Saints, throwing nine touchdown passes over the season's first two weeks, what is really carrying the team is its ability to balance things on offense.

Brees' six scoring passes and 358 passing yards stood out in the Saints' Week 1 victory over Detroit, but don't forget that Mike Bell rushed for a career- high 143 yards as well. Bell and Reggie Bush then added another 119 yards and two scores on the ground in Sunday's 48-22 triumph over the Philadelphia Eagles.

New Orleans has run for 290 yards and two touchdowns in its first two games. It totaled 403 yards and five touchdowns on the ground through its first five games of 2008.

"In both games, we've been able to have some balance running the ball and throwing the football," said Saints head coach Sean Payton on Monday. "I think we're doing a good job of handling some different looks defensively in regards to protections. Drew has been pretty sharp when you look at his decision- making."

Ah yes, don't forget about Brees, who has thrown for 669 yards in his first two games. Brees, who is now tied with former St. Louis Cardinal Charley Johnson (1965) for the most touchdown passes through the season's first two weeks, has totaled 14,579 yards in his first 50 games with the Saints, an NFL record for a player with a new team over that span.

"Drew Brees is a very smart quarterback and they have a good system and he gets the ball out quickly," Eagles safety Quintin Mikell said of the Saints on Sunday. "When you have a quarterback who's just getting the ball out, it's tough to get a whole lot of pressure."

What also makes the Saints dangerous is their ability to score so quickly. They totaled two touchdowns within the first four minutes of the third quarter to turn a four-point lead into a 31-13 advantage. That came after New Orleans needed just two plays and 37 seconds to move 54 yards and score a late second- quarter touchdown.

The Saints could be without two weapons this Sunday in Buffalo, as wide receiver Lance Moore suffered a hamstring injury versus the Eagles and Bell left with a sprained MCL. Though Payton said on Monday the news on both injuries was good, he won't know their status for sure until Wednesday.

PANTHERS: NOW ON THE PATH LESS TRAVELED

After a 12-win season in 2008 that led to a NFC South title, expectations are high for the Carolina Panthers. It's safe to say, then, that their 2009 blueprint didn't include an 0-2 start.

Yet that is where Carolina finds itself after Sunday's 28-20 setback to the Atlanta Falcons. The Panthers hadn't opened a season with two consecutive losses since 2006, when the club went 8-8.

"It's not something you want but that's what we are," said quarterback Jake Delhomme said of Carolina being 0-2. "We can't do anything about that but go back and work and see what we can do. It's still a long season and certainly we will get questions about the 0-2 start, but that is what it is."

The Panthers do have some reason to be hopeful. After they managed just 169 yards of offense in their 28-point loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1, Carolina totaled 440 versus Atlanta, including 144 yards on the ground.

Delhomme himself made strides towards recovering from his five-turnover performance against the Eagles, throwing for 308 yards on 25-of-41 passing with a touchdown. He also turned the ball over just once by way of an interception, but it did come with under three minutes to go in the fourth quarter and Carolina down by eight.

"It couldn't get any worse than last week," said Carolina's quarterback. "I had a strong idea that we would play better offensively than last week, but it wasn't enough."

The Panthers now trail the Falcons and New Orleans Saints, as both of those rivals have won their first two games of the season, in the division standings. Carolina does get an extra day of rest this week, as it will play in Dallas this Monday night.

Carolina's defensive line took yet another hit in Sunday's loss, as Fox said on Monday that Louis Leonard suffered a fractured ankle. It is yet unknown if he will go on injured reserve.

Leonard, acquired in a trade with Cleveland prior to the season, was needed for depth thanks to Maake Kemoeatu going on IR because of a ruptured Achilles' tendon before the season. His injury leaves Carolina with just two healthy defensive tackles, Ra'Shon Harris and Damione Lewis. Nick Hayden is also on the roster, but missed Sunday's game due to a toe injury.

BUCCANEERS: MACABRE CLOUD SURRONDS DEFENSE

At this point, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers might have to do some investigating to see if their defense is allergic to the playing field. After all, the players don't stay out there very long and when they do return to the sidelines, they are out of breath and looking rather ragged.

Two games into the 2009 season and the Buccaneers have allowed 900 yards of offense, the second-worst total in the league and ahead of only Houston's 911. It's no secret as to what is going wrong, either; big plays, missed tackles and injured players.

One week after allowing 462 yards and several long touchdowns to Dallas, the Bucs were tagged for another 438 yards by the Buffalo Bills on the way to a 33-20 setback. Buffalo notched two touchdowns on 32 and 43-yard pass plays, while running back Fred Jackson shredded through Tampa defenders for 188 total yards on his own.

"Missed tackles are the frustration issue more than just getting beat physically," first-year head coach Raheem Morris said on Monday after leading Tampa Bay to its first 0-2 start since 2006. "A missed tackle is a technique, it is a one-two, it's a will. It's the stuff that has nothing to do with talent,"

"It is all the hustle, the hit, the cap-offs. You have to have all that stuff and have to get a lot of stuff going. [Sunday] we had a bunch of missed tackles."

Tampa Bay's defensive effort has also hindered the offense. While the Buccaneers want to be a run-oriented club, falling behind 17-0 in the first quarter takes that element out of the game real quick. Quarterback Byron Leftwich was forced the throw the ball 50 times on Sunday, while the Bucs ran the ball just 19 times.

"To only have 19 rushes is not our winning formula," said Morris. "There's no secret behind that. We forced ourselves into a situation where we had to [throw the ball]."

To make matters worse, the Buccaneers left their first-ever regular-season game in Buffalo banged up in the secondary. Already without safety Tanard Jackson due to a four-game suspension, Tampa Bay lost replacement Jermaine Phillips to a broken left thumb, while corner Elbert Mack sustained a shoulder injury.

Wide receiver Antonio Bryant also missed Sunday's game due to a knee injury. Morris said on Monday that Bryant is day-to-day.