After a bad loss in Dallas, the Falcons travel to New Orleans to battle their NFC South higher-ups, who happen to be playing Super Bowl-caliber football. Can Atlanta spoil Reggie Bush’s 16-0 prediction in week 8 under the Monday Night lights in the Superdome?
Falcons on Offense
Golden boy Matt Ryan seemed to be picking up where he left off as a rookie until he hit an obstacle in the form of the Cowboys last week. Prior to the Falcons’ visit to Cowboy Stadium, Ryan had steered his team to 4 impressive wins by spreading the ball and playing smart football. Last week, the Cowboys picked Ryan off twice, forced 2 fumbles, and sacked him 4 times. This week, he’ll have to deal with the pressures of facing an amped-up Saints D in a chaotic Monday Night setting in the Superdome. The Saints will try to shut down Michael Turner early and force Ryan to pass, which will be tough given how good the Saints are at blitzing and getting to the QB. When facing pressure, Ryan should look for his new buddy Tony Gonzalez, whose 6-5 245-pound frame can be scary in the open field. As Atlanta’s leading receiver, Roddy White has been successful getting open and should be available for the occasional long ball. The Falcons’ offensive success lies heavily on the O-line to pick up pass-rushers and buy Ryan time in a hostile environment. Then there’s the added challenge of playing a defense that leads the league in interceptions (13); young Ryan could very well be the victim of yet another Darren Sharper takeaway.
Saints on Offense
The Saints did not play a complete football game last week by any means, but they dominated the 2nd half. Brees and co. anchored a 21-point comeback and posted 36 points in the 2nd half. And granted, Brees did not have a great passing day (22-58 with 3 interceptions), but he rushed for 2 touchdowns and found a way to win. New Orleans’ #1 offense will be a handful for a shaky Falcon defense. After the Saints practically slept through the first half of last week’s game, Coach Sean Payton will be out for blood early with his aggressive play calling. Aside from an arsenal that features Marques Colston and Jeremy Shockey in the passing attack, and Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush in the ground game, New Orleans’ offense runs on Brees and his linemen. Indeed, teams have had little success pressuring Brees, which is partly because of his quick release and partly because of his O-line’s dominance. Don’t expect the Falcons to be any different; Brees should have his way feeding top dogs Colston and Shockey, among others. New Orleans’ 3-headed monster backfield will have their presence felt, lead by Pierre Thomas, Mike Bell, and Mr. Everything himself- Reggie Bush.
Despite facing harsh conditions, the Falcons will go toe to toe with the league’s best and put up some points. But New Orleans’ offense will overwhelm Atlanta with its countless number of weapons and the Saints will carry out Bush’s prediction at least this week.
By Asaf Winer
Prediction
New Orleans 40
Atlanta 27
