NEW ORLEANS (Interstat) — The New Orleans Saints, sparked by a dynamic defensive performance and a handful of explosive plays, overcame an early deficit to defeat the New York Giants 26-14 in a National Football League game Sunday at Caesars Superdome.

A crowd of 70,008 watched as the Saints evened their record at 1-4, matching the Giants, who also moved to 1-4 with the loss.

The Giants seized control early, capitalizing on their opening drive with a methodical march down the field. Quarterback Jaxson Dart, a native of Kaysville, Utah, capped the 10-play, 65-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Theo Johnson. The score gave New York a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

New Orleans responded with a drive of its own, but the Giants’ defense stiffened inside the 10-yard line, forcing the Saints to settle for a 28-yard Blake Grupe field goal.

New York’s offense continued to click in the second quarter. Dart engineered another scoring drive, finding Johnson again, this time on a 15-yard strike over the middle. The touchdown extended the Giants’ lead to 14-3.

The momentum shifted dramatically late in the second quarter. After forcing a Giants punt, Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler, from Phoenix, Arizona, connected with receiver Rashid Shaheed on a deep crossing route. Shaheed broke a tackle and outran the secondary for an 87-yard touchdown, electrifying the home crowd and cutting the deficit to 14-13.

The Saints’ defense then set up the go-ahead score just before halftime. After a stalled Giants possession, New Orleans got the ball back with just over two minutes remaining. Rattler efficiently moved the offense into field goal range, and Grupe nailed a 29-yard kick as time expired to send the Saints into the locker room with a 16-14 lead.

The second half was dominated by the New Orleans defense. The unit harassed Dart throughout, with cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry of Birmingham, Alabama, delivering a pivotal performance. McKinstry intercepted two of Dart’s passes in the fourth quarter, effectively snuffing out any chance of a Giants comeback.

Our defense played outstanding, especially in the second half, said Saints coach Dennis Allen. They created turnovers and gave our offense opportunities.

The Saints extended their lead in the third quarter with another Grupe field goal, this one from 28 yards, making it 19-14. They put the game out of reach early in the fourth quarter when Rattler capped a 75-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown plunge, pushing the score to its final margin of 26-14.

Rattler finished an efficient 20 of 30 for 225 yards and one touchdown through the air, adding 21 yards on six carries and the crucial rushing score. Shaheed was his primary deep threat, hauling in four receptions for 114 yards and the long touchdown.

For the Giants, Dart completed 26 of 40 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns, but his three interceptions proved costly. He also led the team in rushing with 55 yards on seven carries. Rookie running back Cam Skattebo from Rio Linda, California, added 59 yards on 15 carries and caught six passes for 45 yards.

Defensively, the Saints were led by linebacker Pete Werner of Indianapolis, who recorded 11 tackles, and linebacker Demario Davis of Brandon, Mississippi, who had 10. For the Giants, linebacker Bobby Okereke of Santa Ana, California, had a game-high 10 tackles.

The Saints will host the New England Patriots next Sunday, while the Giants have a short week, preparing to host the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday afternoon.