NFL Preview – Atlanta Falcons (4-2) at New Orleans Saints (6-0)
By Tony Moss, Sports Network
On Monday night at the Louisiana Superdome, the visiting Atlanta Falcons will be trying to stop the freight train that is the New Orleans Saints. Should they fail in that quest, Matt Ryan and company might have to watch as the Saints steamroll their way to an NFC South title.
The Saints, who will on Monday be looking for their first 7-0 start since 1991, would own a three-game lead over the Falcons with a victory, including a head-to-head win over Atlanta, their closest division competitor. And given the way New Orleans has played thus far, it would be hard to imagine Sean Payton’s club relinquishing that type of lead.
New Orleans entered Week 8 leading the NFL with a whopping 39.7 points per game, nearly 10 points more than the next-highest-scoring team in the league. The Saints’ attack is also the NFL pace-setter in total offense (427.3 yards per game), touchdowns (31), and is tied for the league lead in rushing touchdowns (12).
The Saints’ 46-34 win over the Dolphins last Sunday marked the fourth time in their six games this season that New Orleans had scored more than 40 points, though it was an underrated defense that contributed two of the most important touchdowns to their final total.
Drew Brees and the Saint look to remain undefeated and distance themselves some more from the Atlanta Falcons
The effort was a microcosm of the work the Saints’ playmaking defense has done during a 2009 season in which New Orleans is tied for the NFL lead in takeaways (18), interceptions (13), and is allowing opponents to complete a league-low 52.4 percent of their passes.
The Falcons don’t enter Monday night’s game from the same position of strength, though a win against the formidable Saints could certainly enhance their status.
Atlanta is one week removed from a disappointing 37-21 loss at Dallas, a game that saw the Falcons have trouble containing Tony Romo and the Cowboys passing attack.
Romo completed 21-of-29 passes for 311 yards and three touchdowns in the win, with two of those going to emerging Cowboys wideout Miles Austin.
Ryan and the Falcons attack were not able to match Dallas score-for-score, as three turnovers by the sophomore quarterback (two INT, one fumble) hampered Atlanta’s efforts. Ryan, who had been sacked just twice during the team’s 4-1 start, was dropped four times by the Cowboys.
SERIES HISTORY
Atlanta leads the all-time regular season series with New Orleans, 44-35, including a conventional home-and-home split last season. The Falcons were 34-20 winners when the teams met at the Georgia Dome in Week 10, and dropped a 29-25 decision to the Saints in the Superdome during Week 14. New Orleans has won five of the last six in the series, including home-and-home sweeps of their NFC South rival in both 2006 and 2007. The Falcons are 0-3 in series road games since beating New Orleans in San Antonio in 2005, and are 0-5 in New Orleans since last winning there in 2002.
In addition to the regular season series, the teams have faced off once in the postseason, with Atlanta winning a 27-20 road affair in a 1991 NFC First-Round Playoff.
Payton is 5-1 against the Falcons as a head coach, while Atlanta’s Mike Smith is 1-1 against both Payton and the Saints as a head man.
OVERALL ANALYSIS
There should be little doubt that this is one the Falcons have had circled on their calendar for weeks. New Orleans has received a great deal of publicity for its red-hot start, while Atlanta – the preseason pick by many to win the NFC South – has seemingly been a forgotten team. A win by the Falcons would keep their own fate within the division in their own hands, and Atlanta is certainly talented enough to give the Saints some problems. That said, no team has kept the Saints offense in check for four quarters, and the Falcons don’t look like a candidate to be the first. Atlanta was very vulnerable in pass defense in their losses to the Patriots and Cowboys, and that’s not a good sign against the clinically-accurate Brees. The Falcons will play hard and hang around until the fourth quarter, but they’ll give up one too many big plays to win the game.
Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Saints 27, Falcons 20
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