Let’s take a look at the NFC South as the Falcons get ready for just their second division game of the year.
At first glance, the division-leading Saints have a relatively easy schedule the rest of the way. New Orleans has a home game next week against the Panthers, followed by road games at currently winless St. Louis and Tampa Bay. In a remarkable lucky stroke of scheduling, the Saints return home to take on the New England Patriots (on Monday Night Football) and have the Cowboys in New Orleans in Week 15 (on NFL Network).
I hate to be the messenger of bad news but, excluding the Falcons, just two teams in the Saints final 10 games currently have winning records.
But this is the NFL.
We’ve seen teams with improbable starts (looking at you 0-6 Tennessee Titans).
We’ve seen teams with low expectations succeed (how’s it going 6-0 Denver Broncos)?
We’ve seen reigning division champs look as if they’re falling apart (good morning, Carolina).
The Panthers won the NFC South last season with a 12-4 record (may take more wins than that this season), powered mostly by success at home and one key road win. You likely remember Carolina winning at New Orleans in Week 17 to become the only division team to win a road game inside the division. The Panthers finished 4-2 in the South, the Saints 2-4 and Tampa and Atlanta won three at home and three on the road (3-3).
Parity like that still exists. It doesn’t disappear because the Saints get off to a 6-0 start or the Bucs fall out of the gate.
The logic applies to any game played against the Panthers (2-4, third place in the division) or the Buccaneers (0-7). Let’s also assume the odds of a team getting better as the season progresses are still high and that the NFC South schedule is back loaded.
The Falcons have played just one division game, as have the Bucs. The Panthers have played just two in the first six games. The Saints? Monday night is the first NFC South game on their schedule.
There are some stories to be added to these rivalries.
And never forget… Plenty of football to play.
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45 Comments
i think we need to throw everything we got at the saints activate troy bergeron, at wide receiver just to free somone up like roddy white or Tony Gonzalez to get open down field lets not let coach smith down this week after our poor display of a game against the cowboys what do yinz think??.
I AGREE WITH YOU JOHNNY D. LETS GIVE THEM EVERYTHING WE GOT THIS MONDAY COMING UP. LETS THROW OFF THE DEFENSE. MIX IT UP A LITTLE. WE WILL BE ALRIGHT. LETS GO DIRTY BIRDS GIVE THE SAINTS THERE FIRST LOSS.
@johnny D.
Troy Bergeron is not the solution, and neither is “throwing off the defense”. Our problems begin and end on both lines. If we can’t run and pass block our offense goes nowhere consistently. If we can’t rush the passer, our corners and nickel back are extremely vulnerable. Dallas double and triple teamed John Abraham all game, no one else stepped up. I haven’t seen a betting line yet, but I’m sure we’re big underdogs, at least 9 points. Here is my recommendation, take the Saints giving the points…….we are overmatched, especially in the Superdome. Unless both lines play like the did versus Chicago it is going to over by the first half.
Can anyone tell me where John Abraham has been this year? I guess after a great season last year they are triple teaming him this year. And a the other side of the line hardly ever gets to the QB. Seems at this point so far Beirman is outplaying Jamaal Anderson. Now there is a first round pic that needs to step it up!!! Oh yeah… and I’m a big fran of Brent Grimes because he has really come from nowhere, but can someone teach him how to tackle opposing recievers in the open field?
@Dave
yeah i agree about the lines but come ON!! we aint that bad Give us a chance man ya know. all i was saying about bergeron was they have 3 big WR’s and we have 2 not including Tony which they have in Shockey but all i was saying is give him a shot ya never know hw could be that unheard of Gem. that we need in bergeron ya know?? im just sayig.
DaveO i mean the friggin dolphins almost beat em’ but they couldn’t finish the job we shut the Wildcat Down and the saits struggled with the WC i think we should try and hit em’ with the Wild Bird. lol
now i am a Falcons fan and i think if they want to win it they have to score on every drive they get because look at what happened to Miami they had the lead and lost it cause they couldnt sustain drives and thats what ATL needs to do sustain drives and score points
All I freakin care….is for falcons to get back to the running game..pounding foes play after play on their powerful run! That’s the falcons identity & ONLY then we will get positive results going forward.
Whether win or lose in upcoming game….they are still making it to the playoffs.
Cheers!!
The only way we will see results is if we put pressure on Brees and get there a few times. We also have to get our running game and special teams going again as well. Jamal Anderson is a bust and was a waste of a 1st round pick. Dallas had the entire secondary on their heels last game. Our secondary is not playing sound football. We’re missing open field tackles and getting gashed with runs after the catch. We need to play great defense for 60 mins, score early and often and also keep our foot on the gas pedal too. NO PLAYS OFF FOR ANYBODY!!!!
If the Falcons couldn’t beat the cowboys, what do they (the Falcons) think they can beat the Saints? When the Falcons were in the drive’s seat like the saints, they wanted to shine. Now it’s the New Orleans Saints time to shine ok? Geaux Saints!
The NFC South will have to crown her division leader The New Orleans Saints as the representative of the NFC South and the entire NFC!
Saints to represent the NFC!
The Falcons have to watch out when the Saints showed 5 defensive linemen on the line and brought 7. During the Miami Dolphins game which help the Saints in their comeback – they did this throughout the 3 – 4th quarter.
Miami tried to adjust with having 6 on the line and a running back in for a block and running a slant play. Drew Brees also went to Jeremy Shockey and Marcus Colston alot and when the passing succeeding he went to the running game. What the Falcons need to do to beat the Saints is rotate the defense – sometimes showing 6-8 linemen in the box and either rushing 3 or have 3 fall back in zone. Also – the safety and corners need to be discipline and play their assignments and not be fooled when Drew Brees tries to look off the safety and corners. We dont need the Wildcat to beat the Saints(which Miami runs into the ground in every game).
Hi freddie, I agree with you. You are a true Falcon fan who know football. The Falcons can’t beat the New Orleans Saints. I’m a rams fan. Thank you for telling the truth.@freddie falcon
Tell me if the Falcons didn’t see the need to make the adjustments for the cowboys,why do it for the Saints?
Hey J.Mike, will you tell these poor Falcons fans that it’s over for the falcons?
@freddie falcon
freddie freddie you sound like reggie bush, saying the saints are gonna go undefeated. which is a load of Shit lol yjeywill come back to earth real soon. starting with Monday Night. Go FALCONS!!!!!!!!
@freddie falcon
freddie freddie you sound like reggie bush, saying the saints are gonna go undefeated. which is a load of Shit lol yjey will come back to earth real soon. starting with Monday Night. Go FALCONS!!!!!!!!
The Falcons will make the adjustment and beat the Saints and as for what happened in Dallas was a good learning experience mainly because Dallas needed the win more than we did and we are still winning team! After the Saints our schedule gets a little easier just like the Saints or do you think they cants beat those notorious Buccaneers.
Falcon fans, Over the years I have secertly enjoyed the “bitter rivalary”
between yall and us Saints fans. I anguished over three “big ben” wins
for years. Well now we both have good teams to pull for, complete on both sides of the ball. I would suggest you rest your best players this Monday, because theres no way Atlanta wins in the Superdome on monday night. Saints 51 Atlanta 21
well i just received my black throwback roddy white replica jersey today….. GO FALCONS!!!!!!
@Kirk
are you for you cent % positive? just pause & really think about it…..where falcons history with ya’ll & current unit comes from.
Do you really believe falcons will actually allow you to score 50+ points…..I DONT EFFIN THINK SO!!
We come in as underdogs.. w/o any fear…we have NOTHING to prove……win or lose we still will make it to the playoffs.
I firmly believe Saints are under tremendous pressure to maintain that same glistening drives …..unfortunately, falcons come to town to spoil the party!!
I can’t believe ther is so much negativity. We will win!!!
This will be a good game between two good teams. I am a falcons fan here in New Mexico. One of the rare ones. If we played like we did in San Fran we can totally beat the Saints. We gotta want it though. And I love how some falcons fans are ready to jump ship when we lose. Guys we are still technically rebuilding. So lets take the lumps now and get them out of the way now before we get to the top!
Go Falcons!!!
YEA!!! HALF OF THESE GUYS AREN’T TRUE FALCONS FANS!! SO IF YOU HAVE NOTHIN GOOD TO SAY, SAY IT ON YOUR TEAMS PAGE!!! OUR FALCONS ARE ONLY STRUGGLING BECAUSE OF THESE BIG {KNEE} INJURIES IT SEEMS WE KEEP GETTING 1ST HARRY 2ND PERRIA 3RD WILLIAMS…AND OUR OTHER DRAFT PIC tHA sAFTey wUTEVA hIs Name Is Lol…. MAN I’M GETTIN TIRED OF EVERYONE GETTIN HURT!! BUT I STILL BELIEVE OUR OFFENSE WILL GET IT CLICKING SOON AND CARRY OUR DEFENSE!!! AN FOR THA RECORD A DEFENSE THATS NOT THAT BAD JUS GOT GASHED bECAUSE THEY KEPT GETTING SENT ON THA FIELD AFTER 3 AN OUTS AND MOMENTUMS A KILLER!!!!!
i just watched the replay of dallas. why did u not let matt go for it on 4th an 2 escpecially when he is the one sayin he wants to go for it and mike smith said no. u do not take the the fire out of your 1 star player. thats why drew brees is winning cause when he wants to go for it he does. do not hold matt ryan back mike smith. u will notwin thatway an will ruin a perfectly good player. u gott to let him learn on his own when u gota player with his kind of talent
GIVE IT UP ATLANTA. SAINTS WIN!!!!!!!!
I agree with Luis… we are off to a great start in rebuilding this team! While the Dallas game was not a bright point in our season so far, I believe the boys can learn from it and adjust for this game with the Saints. Matt Ryan is the real deal, and we are building a core around him that is going to be very successful for many years to come!
Go Falcons!
@blackonthebayou who the F#c^ are you??
on Monday the Falcons are gonna pull a “Katrina” on the saints 
(not a falcons fan) obviously lol Go to the Saints site and post your S#it then lol
@Dwade
Brent Grimes is the worst corner in sports. He sucks. I cringe every time i see him on the field.
Hello Falcons fans. Next home game coming up the Falcons will play the Washington Redskins. I ask all of you not to harrass the Redskins fan, it’s all right to give them the thumbs down and a few boos, but don’t cross the line, Georgia is better than that. I went to the Cowboys game (alone) this past Sunday and everthing was just fine until half time, and that’s when it turned sour fast. To make a long story short, I shove one guy into a cocktail table because he tried to tare apart my banner and nearly got into 2 other fights, but they were too scared to take it outside, I guess the cowards are big in Texas also. Please behave yourselves Falcons fans, don’t send them back thinking of us the way I think of Dallas. And if you see this garbage going on, don’t stand there laughing and giggling let the moron know he’s embarrassing us. You don’t have to get into a fight with him, but voice your displeasure, say something like, “Hey buddy, you’re making a jerk out of yourself and embarrassing the rest of us”. Put him on the spot, there’s nothing worse than having your own peers coming down against you, and if he will not stop, call security. You might be right by thinking if the situation was reversed they would do it to us, but that doesn’t justify it, people should not be treated that way. And yes, that includes Saints fans. Thank-you Georgia, I know you will do the right thing. Don (by the grace of God, I was born in Georgia)
@Robert
Grimes is easily are best corner, you rarely see him get beat like Houston and hes still very young and unexperiece
Why are we playing the saints at the superdome? Didnt we have a better reccord than did the saints last season?
We are a young team on the rise. There are going to be some bumps and bruises along the way. I’m happy Tony Gonzalez is here to provide some leadership for the youthful players. He’s here for 2 more years. So we gotta be patient. I want that back to back winning seasons as much as the next fan. Look on the brightside Bill. Win and we get them back here in our dome!
yeah i see the saints coming back to earth real soon and losing a couple of games seeing that Reggie Bush, had to open his BIG mouth and predict an undefeated season , after only 7 weeks. starting with Monday night……… GO FALCONS!!!!
Saints devoured a lion..shot down an eagle..tamed a buffalo..landed a jet..killed a giant..caught a dolphin..and this Monday we gonna fry a falcon…GEAUX SAINTS!!!
Saints devoured a lion..shot down an eagle..tamed a buffalo..landed a jet..killed a giant..caught a dolphin..and this Monday we gonna fry a falcon…GEAUX SAINTS!!!
@traci a hey GIT outta here you go post on the sainsts site. GO FALCONS!!!!!!!!!
this is like only the second time this season the falcons have not had to face a 3-4 defence. So this should be a plus for michael turner. 3-4 are hard to run against. Also I expect more of Chris Owens or Tye Hill. Has to be a make or game for the rest of the CB’s. Mularkey better be prepared for a wild one. Prediction Falcons 35 to Sanits 34 in OT.
Sorry meant maybe OT not 35-34 in OT mathmatically impossible. In a rush
they really need to put tye hill in we may not know what he can do but its gotta be better then brent grimes he’s doing turibal
First Of All this still is only the 2nd season of a still young young Atlanta Falcons Team. There still is a lot of work 2 do but all u fans that bash our defense and bash micheal turner dont look at the obvious picture a lot of the time did u all see the schedule we played last year ?
Like 6 of like our first 8 teams had horrible horrible records and defensive records… damn of course the team rushing title shows for it last year. Have u bothered to check our schedule this year and for seconds this isn’t the first time they have seen micheal turner. Also after picking up Gonzalez, our team has changed and so has our defense so there is a lot of work and it won’t be exactly like last year. Sorry to disappoint u guys but that is the way it is.
@johnny D.
……. WHO EVER IT IS BETTER STOP!!!!!
i didn’t post this . somone must be using my name
falcons are garbage. GO SAINTS
Are Saints fans so desperate for attention that they have to steal other people’s post?! I am a true Falcons Fan dating back to the days of Steve Bartkowski and Jeff Van Note. Stop stealing my post and other people’s post because your scared! Only cowards do something like this!!! Kick some major Saints ASS Falcons!!!
Why do the falcons not run the screen pass more?I also like bergeron,but fail to belife he or booker make up for the loss of harry d.The loss of jerry hurt the defensive line a great deal,but I do like anderson inside and think as the season goes by he will get very good at his new position.What i am unhappy about is the offense when is the talent thay have going to show(other than vs. S.F.) Probowl rb,te,wr and rookie offensve player of the year? P.S. I look forward to any coments either for or againts my comments