Atlanta ? Michael Vick and the Atlanta Falcons served notice that they are still dangerous – and not yet out of the playoff race.

Vick ran for two touchdowns and passed for one score before a late hit knocked him out of the game with bruised ribs, and the Falcons beat the New Orleans Saints, 36-17.

If they could play all their games on Monday night, the Falcons might be a lock for more than just a postseason berth: Atlanta is 3-0 in the prime time slot this season.

Vick improved to 5-0 in his starts against the Saints (3-10), who have lost eight of their last nine games. Vick had scoring runs of 2 and 17 yards, and he threw a 54-yard touchdown pass to rookie Roddy White on a flea-flicker play.

But in the fourth quarter, Vick was slow to get up after taking a late hit from linebacker Ronald McKinnon, who drew a penalty on the play. Vick stayed in for two more plays before calling a timeout with 9:21 left to play and slowly walking off the field.

Vick was walking on his own power as he was escorted to the locker room.

There was no immediate update on the severity of the injury.

“Mike doesn’t miss games. He’ll do whatever it takes to get ready to go,” coach Jim Mora said.

Before facing the Saints, the Falcons (8-5) lost three of four games to fall behind the top six teams in the NFC. The Falcons would lose NFC tiebreakers with two other 8-5 teams, Dallas and Minnesota.

Atlanta running back T.J. Duckett (45) fights for yardage against New Orleans. The Falcons won, 36-17, Monday in Atlanta.

With games left against Chicago, Tampa Bay and Carolina, the Falcons still face a tough climb to make the playoffs, but they regained momentum against the Saints.

Vick was 12-of-23 for 231 yards with a touchdown and an interception and rushed for 38 yards in his fourth career game with two rushing scores. Alge Crumpler caught three passes for 94 yards.

New Orleans’ Aaron Brooks passed for 219 yards and a touchdown and Antowain Smith rushed for 60 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries.

Falcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall, who seems to thrive in Monday night games, provided the first big play of the game when he stripped the ball from receiver Joe Horn following a third-down catch for first-down yardage in the first quarter.

Hall pulled the ball loose before Horn hit the ground and returned the recovery 20 yards to the Saints 12, setting up a one-yard touchdown run by T.J. Duckett.

Hall had interceptions in each of Atlanta’s first two Monday night games this season. He had another apparent interception return for a touchdown late in the first half wiped out by a roughing-the-passer penalty against linebacker Demorrio Williams.

With Atlanta leading 7-3 following John Carney’s 47-yard field goal, the Saints evened the turnover count at 1 when Will Smith deflected Vick’s pass and Jason Craft returned the interception 19 yards to the six. On first down, Smith bulled through the line for a touchdown and a 10-7 Saints lead.

Vick gave the lead back to Atlanta with his two-yard dive for the pylon, capping a drive that included a 36-yard pass to Brian Finneran.

On third-and-goal from the two, Vick scrambled to his left and appeared to be pushed out of bounds near the one. The officials spotted the ball at the one, but Mora called for the review.

“Because Mike Vick told me to,” Mora said. “He said ‘Challenge it, we’ll win it.’ You listen to what No. 7 says.”

The officials ruled the run was a touchdown after replays showed Vick kept his leg in bounds as he flew over the pylon with the ball in his hands.

Vick went to the air – with a little trickery from Mora’s playbook – for the Falcons’ next touchdown. Late in the second quarter, Vick lined up as a wideout as Warrick Dunn took the snap and then pitched the ball to the quarterback. Vick, under pressure from defensive end Tony Bryant, waited for White to get open and then heaved the ball downfield.

Vick took a big hit from Bryant, but White caught the ball between defensive backs Dwight Smith and Josh Bullocks and then outran Fakhir Brown to the end zone for the 54-yard touchdown reception.

The Falcons’ 21-10 lead lasted barely a minute as the Saints answered with a nine-play, 90-yard touchdown drive capped by Brooks’ nine-yard pass to Az-Zahir Hakim.