Monday night rolled around and I was watching Game 5 of the World Series with the Monday Night Football on the PIP. I glanced down once and saw Pierre Thomas run 22 yards for a TD. I was happy and a bit optimistic, but very cautious to get myself excited. I glanced down again near the end of the first half and saw Jabari Greer returning an interception for a TD. My optimism was becoming less cautious.

At halftime I checked the boxscore and my remaining players had combined for 25 of the 39 points that I needed. Now I started to believe it could happen. The 3rd quarter did not help. Thomas added just a few yards as Mike Bell was carrying the ball most of the time, despite Thomas' 75 yards on 8 carries. At the end of the 3rd quarter, the defense had added a sack and Thomas had added about 10 yards, accounting for only 3 of the points I needed, now things were looking bad.

The World Series game ended and the Saints game got center screen and became the scene of the most exciting quarter of fantasy football I have ever witnessed.

The Saints got the ball after a Falcons field goal with 11:28 left in the game, and I was trailing by 11, not insurmountable by any means, but not what I was hoping for. Pierre Thomas got the ball on 3rd and 1 and fumbled it away. Now I'm down 13.

On the ensuing drive, Matt Ryan's pass was tipped by Jonathan Vilma and intercepted by Tracy Porter, but he wasn't able to take it to the house. I had 3 more points and was within 10. Mike Bell was getting most of the touches on the drive and I figured Thomas was being held out as punishment for his fumble. Thomas was back in though, and after gaining 5 yards on 2 carries, he was alone in the backfield on 3rd and goal from the 1. A swing pass to Thomas in the flat with the right tackle out front to block, a leap and head first landing in the end zone for Thomas had me back in business. I was now down 3 points with the TD and those 5 yards, but there were only 3 minutes to play and the Saints were up 11 points. If they got the ball back they'd surely take a knee and run out the clock.

The Falcons had the ball and on the first play threw down the field to Tony Gonzalez, but the ball was tipped right to Darren Sharper, but the ball got tipped away in the heat of the play. I'd had the tie, that would have been enough, but it didn't happen.

After the Falcons got a first down, Will Smith came around the left tackle and knocked the ball loose from Matt Ryan. A forced fumble and a sack, that's 4 points, I'd won. Only I hadn't. Ryan was throwing the ball, clearly, and when the Falcons challenged the play was overruled, incomplete pass, and I was trailing by 3 again. And now they were inside the 2 minute warning.

Three more incomplete passes and the Falcons had turned tohe ball over on downs to the Saints. I was still down 3, and there was no possibility for my team to score any more.

The Saints run Mike Bell on first down and the Falcons use their final timeout. Only there was an inury on the play. The center, Jonathan Goodwin, was injured on the play. This results in the Falcons being given their timeout back, and they can stop the clock again. On 2nd down, Bell gets the call again, again gains no yards, and the Falcons are able to use their timeout. The clock is stopped on 3rd down with just over 1:30 left in the game. On 3rd down, the Saints run Bell again, figuring to gain nothing but run a good chunk of time off the clock before the punt, but Bell fumbles. The Falcons recover, and the Saints' defense comes back on the field with 1:23 left in the game and a stream of passes to come.

The Falcons get a first down and spike the ball at the 39. Ryan then throws incomplete to Michael Jenkins, but the booth calls for a review and the call is reversed. 1st and 10 at the 23. DE Anthony Hargrove busts through and sacks Ryan, now I'm one point away. One more sack and I win. The Falcons spike the ball and grab 4 more yards on the next play. Being as they're down 11, they decided to take the field goal and try an onside kick. The field goal was good and I'm still down a point. If the Saints recover they'll surely take a knee and I lose, so now I'm rooting for the success of an onside kick.

Just as the Falcons are ready to kick, Sean Payton calls a timeout to see what they're trying. After the timeout and the change in strategy, the Falcons are ready to kick again. The kicker sends it short of 10 yards, but a Saints player touches the ball. It's bouncing around at the bottom of the pile, and the Falcon who caused the fumble that kept them in it this far, Coy Wire, has the ball. The Falcons recovered the kick and I'm still breathing.

The Falcons pick up 14 yards to get to mid field and spike the ball with 11 seconds left. On the next play, the Saints again fail to sack Ryan, and he gets his pass off, but it's a Hail Mary and it's too far for his WRs. Darren Sharper leaps into the air and comes down with the ball and there are 3 seconds left on the clock. I have taken the lead with 3 seconds left of football to play on the week.

The ups and downs that my team went through during that game were the most exciting I've witnessed. The seemingly insignifcant things that happened that enabled me to win are quite interesting. If Janathan Goodwin doesn't get hurt the Falcons can't call timeout after 2nd down, and there's another 45 seconds oof the clock and I lose. Instant replay both took away the win and returned it to me. Thomas had a TD, then a fumble, then another TD to get me in position to win. Sharper dropped an interception that would have tied the game for me and then had an interception that won the game for me.