New Orleans is 2-2 on the road this season and with 88 all-time head-to-head matchups with Atlanta, the Saints are the Falcons’ most familiar opponent and biggest rivals. Atlanta holds a 46-42 edge over the Saints in the series, but struggled against Drew Brees who owns a 12-4 record as a starting quarterback against Atlanta and averages two touchdown passes per meeting.
The 2013 season opened in New Orleans where the Falcons lost a 23-17 heartbreaker. Atlanta found success in the Super Dome and gained 367 yards of offense, but Brees and the Saints racked up 419 yards. Tight end Jimmy Graham is the Saints’ most dangerous weapon at 6-foot-7, 265-pounds and it took just nine games into the 2013 season for the four-year pro to reach double-digit touchdowns.
Thru this season’s first nine games, there were nine different receivers that found the endzone for New Orleans. Big plays and distributing the football are the driving force of the offense and nine receivers also recorded receptions of of 25 or more yards this season. Wideout Marques Colston and running back Darren Sproles out of the backfield are just a few of the offense’s many weapons that are headlined by Graham.
New Orleans’ 49-17 Week 10 victory over Dallas moved the Saints to the No. 2 passing attack in the NFL. In the blowout over Dallas, Brees completed 34-of-41 passes (82.9 percent) and threw for 392 yards and four touchdowns. The rushing game has averaged just south of 100 yards per game and running backs Pierre Thomas, Mark Ingram and Sproles provide a wide range of running styles out of the New Orleans backfield.
Defensively, the Saints have had an incredible turnaround since last season’s forgettable effort. Last year New Orleans allowed 292.6 passing yards per game in 2012 and thru Week 10 of this season, the Saints are boasting the No. 3 ranked passing defense in the League with a 199.9 yards per game average.
Former Falcons linebacker Curtis Lofton is the Saints’ leading tackler and posted 67 total tackles in the first half of this season. The defense puts heavy pressure on opposing quarterbacks and 12 different Saints players recorded at least 1.0 sacks in the first nine games this season.
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