New Orleans Saints @ Atlanta Falcons: Game Preview

by Dave Cariello on Dec 9, 2009 6:00 AM CST

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (12-0) AT ATLANTA FALCONS (6-6)

SERIES

	SAINTS	FALCONS
SERIES LEADER		44-36
STREAKS	6 of past 7
COACHES VS. OPP.	Payton: 6-1	Smith: 1-2
LAST WEEK	W 33-30 (OT) at Redskins	L 34-7 vs. Eagles
LAST GAME	11/2/09: Falcons 27 at Saints 35. New Orleans QB Drew Brees throws for 308 yards & 2 TDs as Saints tie best start in franchise history at 7-0.
LAST GAME AT SITE	11/9/08: Falcons 34, Saints 20. Atlanta rookie QB Matt Ryan throws for 248 yards & 2 TDs, including 67-yarder to RB Jerious Norwood, as Falcons improve to 4-0 at home.
BROADCAST	FOX (1:00 PM ET): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver (Field reporter). SIRIUS: 126 (NO), 153 (Atl.). XM: 103 (NO).

STATS

PASSING	Brees: 271-392-3,536 (1C)-29 (1L)-10-111.3 (1L)	Ryan: 206-347-2,291-16-12-80.0 OR Redman: 46-85-478-3-2-72.6
RUSHING	P. Thomas: 122-666-5.5-5	Turner: 177-864-4.9-10 (3L)
RECEIVING	Colston: 50-854-17.1-8	Gonzalez (TE): 69-738-10.7-5
OFFENSE	429.0 (1L)	335.8
TAKE/GIVE	+15 (2L)	-1
DEFENSE	343.9	374.4
SACKS	Smith: 10 (2C)	Babineaux, Biermann: 5
INTs	Sharper: 8 (T1L)	DeCoud, Grimes: 2
PUNTING	Morstead (R): 42.9	Koenen: 43.2
KICKING	Carney: 89 (50/52 PAT; 13/17 FG)	Bryant: 1 (1/1 PAT; 0/0 FG)

NOTES

SAINTS: Are 12-0 for 1st time in team history. Clinched NFC South last week...QB DREW BREES has won 6 of 7 starts vs. Atl. since joining NO in 2006. In past 4 vs. division, Brees has 106.8 rating. Since 2008, Brees has started 16 games indoors & has won 13. In those 16, he has passed for 5,217 yards (326.1 per game), 44 TDs, 13 INTs & 113.9 rating...RB-PR REGGIE BUSH aims for 4th in row vs. Atl. with TD (2 rec., 1 rush). RB PIERRE THOMAS aims for 3rd in row vs. Atl. with rush & rec. TD. Has 4 TDs (2 rush, 2 rec.) in past 2 meetings & 193 rush yards (96.5 per game)...WR MARQUES COLSTON has 10 rec. TDs in past 9 Dec. games. WR ROBERT MEACHEM aims for 6th in row with TD. Had 8 catches for 142 yards & TD last week. Also had 44-yard FR-TD...DE WILL SMITH has 7.5 sacks in past 6. S DARREN SHARPER has 57 INTs, 1,309 INT return yards & 9 INT-TDs since 2000, most in NFL...

FALCONS: QB MATT RYAN is 12-1 (.923) at home. In only meeting at home vs. NO, Ryan had 134 rating. QB CHRIS REDMAN threw for 298 yards in only start vs. NO...RB MICHAEL TURNER aims for 4th in row vs. NO with rush TD. Has 27 rush TDs since joining Atl. in 2008, most in NFL. Has 360 rush yards (180 per game) in past 2 Dec. games with 20+ att. RB JERIOUS NORWOOD had 67-yard TD catch in last home game vs. NO...WR RODDY WHITE has TD in 4 of past 5 vs. NO. Aims for 3rd in row vs. NO with 100+ yards. TE TONY GONZALEZ has 25 catches in past 3. WR MICHAEL JENKINS aims for 6th in row vs. NO with 4+ catches & 65+ yards...S THOMAS DE COUD had sack with FF & DE KROY BIERMANN had FR-TD in last meeting. DE JOHN ABRAHAM had career-high 4 sacks vs. NO (11/4/01 with NYJ). DT JONATHAN BABINEAUX has 4.5 sacks in past 6 games. CB CHEVIS JACKSON had 95-yard INT-TD in last home meeting.

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Comments

A slugfest

I have the feeling this will be our toughest game of the year. I know Atlanta is hurting…however:

1. They hate us.

2. They’re defending their house.

3. They’re fighting for their playoff lives.

4. They’d love to be the ones to wreck our undefeated record.

5. They’re coming off an embarrassing loss, and want to redeem their image. What better way than knocking off the Saints?

Against all that motivation, the Saints have…what? Going undefeated? A victory here won’t assure that…there would still be three more games to go. Even I am starting to feel exhausted by the strain.

Besides which, the defense is playing poorly. If Greer comes back, maybe that will change…but with Dunbar gone and Fujita out, it will be our linebacking corps rather than our secondary that poses problems. And Atlanta is a running team.

Like I said: a slugfest. I care less about winning than I do about coming out of this healthy.

Super Bowl 44: "If you play in this league and it's not your goal, there's something wrong with you." -- Marques Colston

by MtnExile on Dec 9, 2009 7:21 AM CST reply actions

"They’re coming off an embarrassing loss"

And the Saints are coming off an embarassing performance. I sure the team wants to erase the Skins game from everyone’s memory be blowing out the Falcons. I’m thinking it’s going to happen. A ton of pride is riding on it.

Fat, dumb, and happy. Hell, two out of three ain't bad!

I Want To Die In My Sleep Like My Grandpa – Not Screaming and Yelling Like His Passengers

by Just 'Nother Day on Dec 9, 2009 8:10 AM CST up reply actions

Saints are trying to get to 13 wins - more than any other team in our history maybe that'll goose 'em to block on short yardage and tackle better

"In the end, the bread was in the pudding." -- Bobby McCray

Shop as usual, and avoid panic buying.

by HansDat on Dec 9, 2009 9:33 PM CST up reply actions

Matt Ryan

Mort said on Mike and Mike this morning that Ryan is going to try to play this week.

Ahh crap…Aikman is doing this? Great, I get to listen to his Saint-hating for 3 hours.

"Drew Breeeeeeeees!" "Oh, yeah."

by Malsby on Dec 9, 2009 7:34 AM CST reply actions

Actually, a damaged Matt Ryan might be no better than a healthy Chris Redman. Remember the day Eli Manning had against us with a damaged foot? (And yes, I think that had a lot to do with it, no matter what he says.)

Super Bowl 44: "If you play in this league and it's not your goal, there's something wrong with you." -- Marques Colston

by MtnExile on Dec 9, 2009 8:29 AM CST up reply actions

The one thing that stands out

We have to put up with 3 hours of that blow hard Troy Aikmen and his lackey Joe Buck
I’m glad we play the Cowgirls on the NFL network

by mississippisaintsfan on Dec 9, 2009 7:52 AM CST reply actions

Rivalry Game----RAZOOOOOO!!!!!!

Saints & Falcons always play each other tuff, been that way for over 40 yrs. Lot of heartaches playing these woo-woo birds over the years, Billy “White Shoes” and the Hell Mary’s come to mind every time I think of a Falcon/Saints game. Hope it isnt as close as the last one, I was getting nervous on MNF. Having flashbacks of the ugly losses we have suffered thru the years at the wings of the beaking Falcons.

Geaux Saints Geaux
RAZOOOOOO their a$$!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by Big Bru on Dec 9, 2009 9:17 AM CST reply actions

This is interesting...

Apparently the Falcons fans started cheering for the Eagles while down 34-0. At least the paper bags had some dignity…. lol

http://www.thefalcoholic.com/2009/12/7/1189277/admonitions-from-section-326

Ubi maior minor cessat

by bondcrash on Dec 9, 2009 10:02 AM CST reply actions

I dunno why they love Vick so much...

One playoff win out of 2 appearances in his 6 years, Avg QB rating of 70, screwed the team by fighting dogs. Funny how they improved at the position and overall when Vick was incarcerated and Matt Ryan came in last year. Injuries have killed them this year but they are still 6-6. Even Chris Chandler was a better QB than Vick statistically plus they went to a SB one year. What a pathetic fanbase…

by howarjo1943 on Dec 9, 2009 10:50 AM CST up reply actions