The Superdome should be electric on Sunday as the NFC South’s most heated rivalry starts anew in 2010. The Saints are coming off of a short week of practice following their 25-22 win in San Francisco on Monday night. The Atlanta Falcons demolished the Arizona Cardinals 41-7 last Sunday.
For the Falcons, I don’t think you can say they’ve been let down by their defense so far. Even in their Week 1 loss in Pittsburgh, they only gave up 15 points. But truth be told, the Steelers and Cardinals aren’t exactly lighting it up offensively so far this year. Pittsburgh has no quarterback, and Arizona certainly isn’t better off with Derek Anderson at the helm.
How concerned should the Saints be about facing this improved Falcons defense? Well, they’ve already played two of the toughest units in the league (Minnesota and San Francisco). They certainly weren’t explosive in those games, but they found a way to get the job done when it counted. The biggest story for the Saints offense so far this year has been that they haven’t turned the ball over.
My gut tells me that if that trend continues, they will score more points against Atlanta than they have so far this season.
It will be interesting to see how Saints coach Sean Payton adjusts for the absence of Reggie Bush, who is out with a broken leg. I would think that Pierre Thomas would see at least a few more touches as a result. As long as the Saints find some run/pass balance, Drew Brees is going to have a chance to make some plays down the field.
The Falcons’ biggest threat of course comes in the form of their offense. Quarterback Matt Ryan has had a solid start and can get the ball down field to big time target Roddy White (20 catches, 1 TD). Amazingly, White has a 14 catch lead over Atlanta’s second leading receiver, reserve running back Jason Snelling.
The running game, however, is what makes this offense work. But top backs Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood both left the Arizona game with injuries. Turner should be on the field against the Saints with a less-than-perfect groin, but Norwood will not. He’s out for the year with a torn ACL. That’s a big loss for this team, as Norwood’s big-play ability really does compliment Turner’s ability to gain the tough yards.
But Snelling is no slouch himself. He gained 129 yards against the Cardinals while filling in for Turner and Norwood. The Saints will have to do a better job at stopping the run than they have so far this season.
Keys to the Game:
1. Double Roddy – Roddy White is one of those players who just seems to kill the Saints (and a lot of other teams). He’s by far Matt Ryan’s favorite target. The Saints will have to find a way to limit his success.
2. Don’t Forget Gonzalez – Tony Gonzalez may only have 4 catches this year, but his resume speaks for itself. Don’t be surprised to see the Falcons try to get him more involved this week.
3. Kewl Brees – Drew has been ultra-efficient so far this year. But he’s due to break out and have a huge game. If the Saints can give him some time to throw, watch out.
4. Stop Turner – Michael Turner’s not 100% going into this game. The Atlanta offense revolves around his running abilities. The Saints’ front seven will have their work cut out for them. But if they limit Turner early, they could force the Falcons to become a one-dimensional attack.
5. Wideout Wakeup – Isn’t it about time a Saints wide receiver had a big game? They haven’t seen a lot of action so far and, like Brees, are due for a breakout game.
Prediction: Saints 31 – Falcons 27
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