NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Drew Brees made Atlanta pay for losing track of his inexperienced receivers, and New Orleans’ defense halted several promising Falcons drives with forced fumbles they could not afford.

Tommylee Lewis and Austin Carr each caught his second career touchdown pass, rookie tight end Dan Arnold and rookie receiver Keith Kirkwood each grabbed their first, and the Saints won their 10th straight game with a 31-17 victory Thursday night that eliminated Atlanta from contention in the NFC South.

All four players entered the NFL as undrafted free agents within the past three years.

“I love that stat,” Brees said. “That’s one of my favorite ones.”

They also had combined for zero touchdowns this season before Carr caught the first of his career last Sunday.

“It says a lot about taking advantage of the opportunity,” Brees said. “It’s fun to watch them grow and gain confidence. We’re building chemistry, which typically takes time, right? But they’ve been thrust into this role.”

Meanwhile, the Falcons (4-7) lost three fumbles inside the Saints 20 — tough for any team to overcome against streaking New Orleans (10-1) this season.