_83 seconds into the game, the Saints called "Pistol" — the punt-block play. Gleason blocked the kick that Deloatch recovered for a touchdown and a 7-0 Saints lead. Ninkovich and Deloatch, who had reservations about a career in New Orleans, suddenly became a part of Saints lore._
**Ninkovich:** Gleason is on (my) left side and (the Saints) twisted. They did a twist. So, Steve (ends up) on the right side (of the twist), I'm the right side (of Gleason) on the tackle and the wing. He twists across and (the Falcons) screw up the count. I was on the right side just going straight and the guy kind of grabs me and as I'm pushing forward, I really just kind of see the ball taken off the foot and I react to it.
**Stoutmire:** I think one guy blocked me and he (Gleason) ended up coming free. He came free and he got through there.
**Deloatch:** I kind of hesitated – one, I didn't want to drop — and two, I didn't know what the hell I was out there doing. All I knew was just rush. I didn't block nobody, I didn't touch nobody, I just ran off the edge.
**Scott:** (The) gunner ran away from me because I couldn't open up (due to the hamstring injury), but Steve blocked it. I heard the crowd. The crowd went crazy. In my career, the loudest crowd noise I have ever heard.
**Melton:** I did my job. That was what I did. I helped open the gap; sometimes you've got to sacrifice for others to get the job done.
**Deloatch:** Once the ball was snapped, I just heard a loud thump and the ball was literally right there in my face, so the only thing I could think about was, 'Don't miss the ball.'
_The players that weren't at the line of scrimmage didn't need to see Gleason diving forward to block the punt to know something seismic had happened. The information superhighway in a New Orleans metro area that still was largely without power, in the Saints' first game in the Caesars Superdome following Hurricane Katrina, was the Superdome crowd._
**Moore**: I heard the thud first, then the crowd.
**Lawrie**: I was blocking my guy, I was probably about 10 yards downfield when I heard the stadium explode.
**Moore**: I was far enough away that I did not see the punt block – 45, 50 yards away from where the punter was at that time. But I remember hearing it. And then in my mind, I'm like, 'Well, let me just try to get down there as close as possible to see what's going on.'
_For the others, time slowed down as they saw opportunity flash before their eyes._
**Copper**: Once it got blocked, I see me and Curtis sprinting for the ball. I'm trying to outrun him to get to it, but he ended up getting to it before I did.
**Stoutmire**: I was trying to chase the ball for the touchdown. Once you heard the block, everybody was trying to get on it, trying to get that touchdown.
**Deloatch**: I wanted to scoop it but at the same time I said, 'Man, just fall on it.' And didn't even realize I fell into the end zone.