CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Six days after their emotional return to New Orleans, the Saints were due for a letdown.

They still gave Carolina all it could handle — until Steve Smith got loose late.

Jake Delhomme threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Drew Carter midway through the fourth quarter to put the Panthers (2-2) ahead to stay as Carolina handed New Orleans its first loss of the season yesterday, 21-18.

Playing on the road after beating Atlanta at the refurbished Superdome, the Saints (3-1) took their first lead early in the fourth quarter.

"We didn't come in here thinking there was going to be a letdown," cornerback Fred Thomas said. "We came in here emotional and played."

But Thomas had trouble containing Smith.

The All-Pro caught three passes for 35 yards on a 91-yard drive. Then, with the Saints focusing on Smith and Keyshawn Johnson, Delhomme lobbed a 4-yard pass to a wide open Carter to put Carolina ahead 14-10 with 7:15 left.

"Most definitely he wasn't 100 percent," Thomas said of Smith, who missed the first two games with a strained hamstring. "The guy is a competitor. He gets respect from around the league. He gets much respect from me."

DeShaun Foster's 43-yard touchdown run on third down with 1:45 left made it 21-10, with Johnson, brought in to give Smith help this season, throwing a big block.

"Key made a good block to the side, and then it was off to the races," said Foster, who had 105 yards on 16 carries. "He was like a safety out there."

The Saints, trying to go 4-0 for the first time since 1993, made it interesting on rookie Marques Colston's 86-yard catch-and-run touchdown with 1:15 left. Drew Brees then connected with Joe Horn on the 2-point conversion to make it 21-18.

But Carolina's Nick Goings recovered the onside kick to end it.

FALCONS 32, CARDINALS 10

ATLANTA — Michael Vick and his offense are having trouble scoring touchdowns when they get close to the end zone. The way the defense is playing, it doesn't really matter. DeAngelo Hall returned an interception 36 yards for a touchdown, Jerious Norwood broke off a 78-yard scoring run and 46-year-old Morten Andersen kicked five field goals in Atlanta's victory. The Falcons (3-1) head into their bye week having allowed only one touchdown on defense this season. The Cardinals (1-3) lost their third in a row.

RAMS 41, LIONS 34

ST. LOUIS — Maybe the Rams merely needed their old ringmaster back in the building to resemble "The Greatest Show on Turf." In a shootout befitting Mike Martz's return to St. Louis (he's the Lions offensive coordinator), Isaac Bruce caught a 5-yard touchdown pass with 1:56 to play for the Rams. Trailing 34-33 with 4:42 to play, the Rams (3-1) got the ball and marched 56 yards in seven plays, scoring when Marc Bulger threw to Bruce, who caught his first TD pass of the season. Bulger and Bruce then connected on a 2-point conversion. Bulger was 26 of 42 for 328 yards and three touchdowns. The Lions are 0-4.