Good, bad and ugly

The good: Saints cornerback Kevin Mathis made a game-turning play late in the second quarter against Minnesota after he was beaten on a long pass play by WR Cris Carter. Mathis not only caught Carter after a 52-yard gain, but he also knocked the ball out at the 3-yard line with the Saints leading 15-7. The ball was recovered in the end zone by the Saints' Sammy Knight for a touchback, and New Orleans went on to win, 28-15.

The bad: It was one thing for the Giants not to tell their players about the U.S. attacks on Afghanistan on Sunday. But they owed it to the fans at Giants Stadium to let them know, especially in light of Sept. 11.

The ugly: It looked like a game of giveaway when the Falcons (two) and Bears (one) threw interceptions on three consecutive plays near the end of the first half. At least Atlanta QB Chris Chandler had an excuse - he was playing with a concussion that no one knew about at the time. The Bears cashed in a field goal after the bizarre sequence in a 31-3 rout.