Great Video on this story see link below.

By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com

ATLANTA — Among the several inspirational bands that New Orleans free safety Darren Sharper wears prominently on his right wrist is a thin, black band of elastic that reads simply: “Finish strong!”

It is a motto the Saints have preached since the end of the 2008 season, a campaign in which New Orleans often wilted in the fourth quarter and lost five games by three points or fewer. It is a motto the 2009 Saints take seriously, one that has served them well in this undefeated season (13-0), and a credo that was hardly ignored in Sunday’s 26-23 victory over the surprisingly scrappy Atlanta Falcons.

“We take pride in the [motto],” Sharper said after a fourth quarter in which the Saints had an interception and then a stop on a fourth-and-2 play with 1:12 remaining. “We live it.”

The victory secured a first-round playoff bye for the Saints and moved them one game closer to clinching home-field advantage throughout the postseason. Atlanta, which played without quarterback Matt Ryan and tailback Michael Turner for a second straight week, has lost four of five, and at 6-7 is teetering on the brink of playoff elimination.

Read more of the more story here.

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