NFL: Saints defense comes up big in 27-7 win over Bills

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Despite all the attention on Drew Brees and his prolific start, turns out the Saints defense is pretty effective, too.

Will Smith had an interception and a sack to help New Orleans shut down the Buffalo Bills for a 27-7 win Sunday.

The Saints prevented the Bills from mustering any type of a threat through three quarters.

That's when Pierre Thomas took over, sealing the win with two touchdown runs in the final 10 minutes. Thomas finished with 126 yards rushing, while scoring on 34- and 19-yard runs for a Saints offense that had scored 45 points in each of its first two games.

The Bills offense sputtered, and Terrell Owens was held without a catch, to end a 185-game streak that had been second longest among active players.

Owens nearly ended the streak with 3:10 remaining, but officials ruled he didn't stay inbounds while making a catch at the right sideline. He also looked distracted in the first half, failing to make a play on a deep pass up the right sideline despite being open.

It was indicative of an offensive performance that failed to generate any type of threat. Trent Edwards finished 20 of 35 for 156 yards and failed to produce a first down on his final five possessions as the Bills dropped to 1-2 on the season.

Buffalo's lone score came on a trick play off a fake field goal early in the second quarter to tie the game at 7. Punter Brian Moorman took the snap and rolled to his left, where he hit a wide-open defensive end Ryan Denney for a 25-yard touchdown.

It was Moorman's second career TD, after he hit Denney for a 19-yarder in the Bills opener against Seattle last year.

Brees had a streak of his own come to an end, but it didn't prevent the Saints from getting off to a 3-0 start for only the sixth time in franchise history. He finished 16 of 29 for 172 yards, ending an NFL-leading 22-game streak with 200 yards or more passing. Brees also failed to throw a touchdown for the first time in 12 games.

Brees needed two touchdown passes to hit 11, which would have been the most by an NFL player in the first three games of the season.

Lynell Hamilton opened the scoring with a 1-yard plunge on the Saints' opening drive.