By Mike Patton, Yahoo! Contributor Network. November 14, 2011

The New Orleans Saints grabbed a firm hold on first place in the NFC South by beating the Atlanta Falcons 26-23 on the road on Sunday, November 13. The Saints' defense gave up several big plays, but stepped up when it mattered most, stopping the Falcons on 4th-and-1 in overtime to set up the game-winning field goal.

Questionable coaching decisions

While the Saints (7-3) were happy to have injured head coach Sean Payton back on the sideline for the first time in weeks, the Falcons (5-4) played a little too aggressively at times. Falcons head coach Mike Smith seemed intimidated by the idea of the Saints' high-powered offense in spite of the fact that his defense played well for most of the game.

As a result, Smith first attempted an onside kick with four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. The kick rolled straight to sure-handed wide receiver Lance Moore and also failed to advance the necessary ten yards. While the Saints failed to put points on the board after this play, it did force the Falcons to need a very long drive at the end of regulation to tie the game.

The move that is being questioned by everyone today, however, is Smith's decision to run the fourth down play in overtime instead of punting and playing for field position. When Atlanta failed to execute, New Orleans found itself in field goal position and ran only a few more plays before kicker John Kasay won the game with a 26-yard field goal.

I can see no scenario where Falcons fans are happy about this decision. This is not even a case of second-guessing. The Falcons had everything to lose and very little to gain by converting a fourth down on their own 29-yard line. If successful, they still would have needed to drive a considerable length to reach field goal range. Upon failing, though, they essentially handed the game over. As a Saints fan, it seems like my team won the coaching matchup once again.

Time for rest

The Saints improved to 9-2 against the Falcons under Payton and have now reached their bye week with a lead in the NFC South. With two more wins than the Falcons, the Saints will return to play with at least a one-game lead in the division. Unfortunately, the schedule stays tough, as the Saints will face the New York Giants (6-3) and the Detroit Lions (6-3) at home before heading to Nashville to take on the Tennessee Titans (5-4). I'm looking forward to seeing a healthy Saints team make another run toward the postseason.