![]() ![]() That’s just as much about the opponents as it is about the Saints’ defense, which predictably went to pieces against a very good Rams team, allowing over 450 yards and 30 points. They’ve won three of their past four games chiefly by limiting the damage on defense, with a combined 25 points allowed to the Panthers, Buccaneers, and Giants. ![]() The Saints, for their part, will hope to snuff out any remaining life in Atlanta’s offense. It’s just that we’ve learned by now not to expect that team to show up when we really want them to. That simple recipe powered an impressive win over the Colts just a couple of weeks ago, and is exactly the formula that can win them this game. In that one, the Falcons mostly smothered the Saints’ rushing attack (including notorious pest Taysom Hill), limited their own mistakes and capitalized on New Orleans’, and ran the ball very effectively. The version from last time would be helpful. It feels within reach, but it’s entirely dependent on which version of these Falcons show up. The last time New Orleans lost both games against Atlanta in a single season, it was 2017 and we were quasi-enjoying a winning year we didn’t realize would be our last for a long time. The Falcons can’t redeem a lost season entirely, playoffs or no, but going 2-0 against the Saints would be a consolation prize of sorts. We care about which of these teams beats the hell out of the other one, as is just. What to know about Sunday’s gameĪ Buccaneers win will remove any playoff intrigue from this matchup, but our two fanbases don’t really care about the postseason. May 2024 finally be the year that they sink into the muck and disappear from relevance for a while, even if I doubt we’ll be so lucky. They’re still the most low-down, loathsome assemblage of football players, coaches, and personnel the modern world has ever known, and they still have one of the worst cap pictures and roster situations in football. How the Saints have changed since the last matchup They match up fairly well against New Orleans, as we saw last time out, but that’s only true if we get the good version of this football team. They have an anemic, inconsistent passing attack, a ground game that has regressed since last year but remains at least solid, and a defense capable of shutdown play against lesser teams but prone to bad stretches. ![]() Fortunately for the Falcons, they do not run the ball all that effectively and do not boast an effective run defense. They also largely limit their turnovers while forcing plenty and playing a relatively stingy brand of defense, and that has fueled the limited success the team has enjoyed this year. That will make a 2-0 record against them in 2023 much funnier, if the Falcons can pull that off.Īn inconsistent passing attack for New Orleans has still mostly been their best facet on offense, and they’re leaps and bounds better than the Falcons in that regard. New Orleans is simply a better football team than Atlanta, even if it’s not by leaps and bounds. ![]()
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