2009 Schedule Preview: Week 8 and 14 vs. Atlanta Falcons

We don’t man-crush on DTF, but it’s obvious he does on Ryan. I just can’t wait for Ryan to play some real teams this year — forex the AFC East instead of the HS teams of the AFC West. If he’s actually right, Ryan will kick some butt. I don’t think he will.

Dave, I assume that’s your prediction, noit his. And, I think you presented another great contribution there. But…..
I have to add this…….
The Falcons have a good team, but 1) not better than ours (on either side of the ball) 2) no one will look past them this year 3) they will be scouted much more thoroughly because much more film on Ryan and Turner and time to evgeluate 4) – so by week 8 they will be way more beat up then week 8 last year 5) Did Pittsburgh last year or New England 2007, Giants 2007, Eagles last year talk about splitting?? Do you think Dallas is talking about splitting with Washington? Give credit where credit is due …Atlanta has a decent team. But don’t talk about losing to them, don’t talk about losing to anyone this year. We know we probably will lose some this year, but let’s not predict it. We are capable of beating ANYBODY, bar none, on any given Sunday and Atlanta is not at the top of the NFL list.
PS They lost a lot if important talent this year

figure out how to hold Turner to around 100 yards, I think these games will be ours. I seriously doubt Ryan will be able to keep his offense in the game if his running backs only perform well, not spectacularly.

You can add Harry Douglas to the Falcons list of ‘key loses’ He’s out for the season w/ a bad knee injury. And with White not showing up to camp, chemestry might not be there for the recieving corp. I agree splitting the series is the likely outcome, but we’ve a better cahnce to sweep them than they do to us.

60% split
30% we sweep
10% they sweep

Let’s talk about why we can win first. 1) #1 offense in the league w/ Reggie taking stuff up the middle well against our D in training camp and PT showing he was a better RB than he gets credit for last year. 2) White is the only capable WR and Gonzalez is a TE so he won’t be a passing option all the time. He does have to block sometime. 3) our D didn’t have a RB w/ 100+yards untill LT in london, which was week 10(i think) and that includes AP. 4) Sorta goes with #2. We have Porter or Greer covering White with the safety keeping an eye on him too probably. Plus, we can play Jenkins on Gonzalez, which is better than a LB covering him. 5) Our defenses have been improved as far as players but we got a new DC and i haven’t heard anything about the Falcons changing theirs. I’ll stop there.
Why we can lose: 1) GW isn’t who we thought he was. 2) Payton goes crazy w/ trick plays.
So, I will say the odds are:
55% we sweep
25% we split
20% they sweep
i’m a little biased but i try to be realistic :D although i have chosen us to win every game so far in these.

is legitimately frightening. The Gonzalez trade was probably the best move of any team in the offseason, taking a good offense to terrifying heights. The addition of Gonzalez will allow White to run deeper routes, shedding the chains-moving role that he’s traditionally occupied. Jenkins isn’t exactly terrifying, but is a legitimate third option for Ryan. In toto, the Gonzalez trade means that Ryan will helm an offense far more potent than the average power-run team. Normally an offense of that nature relies extremely heavily on the play-action to threaten deep downfield, legitimated by its run game (see Aikman-era Cowboys, Delhomme-era Panthers). Gonzalez adds a dimension to the passing game that is really, if Ryan can run it correctly, indefensible—the personnel (and reps) a team requires to defend against Roddy White, Tony Gonzalez, and Jerious Norwood are not the same personnel that can defend against Michael Turner.

Speaking of Turner, he’s an obvious candidate to fulfill the curse of 370, and is rendered even more likely to go down with injury due to the drastic increase in workload for him—376 carries from a previous high of 80. Norwood, of course, should be a no-brainer as a change-of-pace runner and a receiving threat. He still has yet to eclipse over 9 offensive touches a game for his career, however, and by this point there has to be some question of either fragility or a problem grasping the offense. I’m a staunch advocate of the “replaceable running back” theory, and a thoroughly unimpressive runner like Turner would, in theory, not be a huge loss to a very complete offense. However, even if the passing game continues to open up, it will nevertheless require someone to hold down a workload like last year, and if Turner isn’t available, the dirty birds are SOL.

And the defense? Couldn’t be less afraid. There is approximately one competent pass defender on that squad, even worse than last year now that they’re bereft of Domonique Foxworth, who regularly hounded the Saints. They’ll need John Abraham to generate insane pressure to function as a pass D, and asking a rusher on the wrong side of thirty to replicate or better his best season ever is a bit much. Peria Jerry will have to produce immediately as a pass rusher, and, as he’ll be 25 as a starting rookie, physically he’s already at full maturity. If Jerry doesn’t plow through the doughy interior of NFC South o-lines immediately, go into full panic attack mode, Falcons fans. The run D should be good, but that shouldn’t worry you too much as a Saints fan—any run D looks good against our feeble zone blocks.

I say we sweep them—their biggest weakness (pass D) will be matched up against our greatest strength. I’m confident in Vilma’s ability to limit the damage Gonzalez can do to us, and I think our LBs on the whole can deal with Turner and Norwood. If Gregggg doubles White and Vilma holds it down against Gonzalez, we should stay above water. It sounds simplistic, but the idea isn’t to shut their offense down, it’s just to not let it catch up with ours. We probably aren’t holding them below three touchdowns each game, but they also probably aren’t holding us below four.

very similar teams. Both have potent offenses and questionable defenses. I’m just glad our defense gets 7 games to get their sh!t together before we have to defend that saints offense!! I think these two games will be some of the most exciting games of the season for both teams and I beleive that these games will be SHOOTOUTS!! I think we will split the series with each team winning at home and losing on the road, with the scores something like 38-35, and 44-41. These two teams always play each other tough and that trend will continue this season as well. Look for both teams to be competing for the NFC south division title, probably just between these two teams, I don’t think Carolina will be in the hunt after about week 9, and TB will be out after week 1!!! lol
Good luck to you saints fans and your team, I hope you guys have a good season, just not as good as ours!!
Atl – 10-6
NO – 9-7
Car.- 7-9
TB – 5-11

 I think whichever team wins the division, the other team will still get into the playoffs as a wildcard, so in short, both the saints and falcons will make the playoffs this season.

25% – sweep by either team
75% – split the two games

GO FALCONS!!!!
 L-DAWG