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The New Orleans Saints face their great rival, the Atlanta Falcons, in a highly anticipated Thanksgiving match. Here is a preview of the game.
FOUR DOWNS
Same song: Do not expect this to look like the first meeting between these two teams (a 43-37 victory for the Saints in overtime at the end of September in Atlanta). New Orleans has improved its defense. There should not be so many coverage problems that led Atlanta to run freely on the pitch all night.
Continue to protect: The Saints did not have a lot of problems last week. Jermon Bushrod was replaced instead of Terron Armstead by the left. Assuming he has to play again this week, the Saints should continue to face a front that is not as accomplished as Philadelphia.
Stop the duo: Atlanta is going to need a better plan. Michael Thomas dominated the Falcons in the first meeting, scoring 10 passes for 129 yards. But it was not fair to him. Alvin Kamara also captured 15 passes for 124. The Falcons can not let this happen again.
Poor rest: The Falcons complained to the league last year after New Orleans made jokes about them on the video board, and Atlanta did not announce that Drew Brees would break the record for the league. Completion earlier this year. Let's see the fireworks.
FILM STUDY
Once the defense installed, the interest of the Saints to attack the receivers of the Falcons
Sean Payton had the opportunity to try his luck Thursday at football.
The Saints always seem to be on the wrong side either playing on the road or playing a game late before Thursday's game. Play at 3:25 pm Last week's match against Atlanta is not that bad, but it's still not perfect.
"It does not bother us," said Payton.
The situation could be much worse. Thursdays games are simply a fact of life now, and this set of circumstances is better than playing a late game and then having to go on the road elsewhere. Having Atlanta as an opponent helps too. There are not a lot of secrets between these teams.
Weird things can happen in these games, but as long as everyone stays up and avoids injury, the Saints should be in a good position to beat a minor opponent in a match where the big stratagems have to take the backseat.
The good thing for the saints is that they have settled their high school since the first meeting. Ken Crawley struggled in this game and P.J. Williams had some ups and downs after being injured by Patrick Robinson.
Eli Apple has since replaced Crawley as a starter and plays well, and Williams, though likely to drop the game, has been a defense asset in recent weeks. He will have to prove it again against a team that took advantage of him during the first meeting.
It will be interesting to see how New Orleans approaches the receivers of Atlanta. The defense began with Marshon Lattimore on Julio Jones at the first meeting, but dropped the plan while other corners struggled to keep up with Calvin Ridley.
If Lattimore teamed with Jones, it could give him his biggest test since his return to the track and his stopping capabilities last year. But the plan might well boil down to what it's most comfortable to run a short week.
WHO ON THE EDGE?
When the saints pass
Advantage: Saints
The Saints should have an advantage against the Falcons for a short week.
When the saints are running
Advantage: Saints
The running of New Orleans is in full swing at the right time.
When hawks are running
Advantage: Saints
The Saints continue to perform well against the race this season. Maybe it's time to believe.
When hawks pass
Advantage: Falcons
This should be a close fight. The Falcons are a great test for the growing Saints.
Special teams
Advantage: Saints
Do not see Thomas Morstead is the best of the special teams.
NUMBER TO KNOW
374: Passages authorized by the saints during the first meeting.
256: Average passes allowed by the Saints in games since.
19: Sacks by Atlanta, which ranks 28th
9: Bags authorized by New Orleans, which occupies first place
PREDICTIONS OF EXPERTS
Nick Underhill
Saints 33, Hawks 17
It's not the same Saints team that faced the Falcons in a tight game earlier this season. The defense has matured considerably and has improved considerably since this match and should be in a better position to slow down a good attack in Atlanta than it was at the time.
Rod Walker
Saints 38, Falcons 21
Nothing suggests that the saints will not continue to do what they have done in recent weeks. The defense now clicks and the offensive is on fire, so it will not be as close as the thriller of overtime in September.
Scott Rabalais
Saints 41, Falcons 20
These are the Falcons, so part of me expects them to wake up and realize that they are able to give their rival bitter. But as the saints play, it's hard to imagine that we are giving them a match right now. The short drive has no favor for Atlanta.
Nathan Brown
Saints 41, Falcons 20
The Falcons are the losers of the two games in a row over a short week. With the type of performance that the saints have offered in recent weeks, there is no reason to think that the momentum will stop now.
SAINTS MAILBAG
Q: Is the Saints offensive as dynamic this season if Taysom Hill was not there? – Mark George
A: It would not be as dynamic if he was not there.
Some of the pieces created by others were created because Hill was on the ground. But the problem with this package is that it only needs to be effective enough to justify its use. I think it goes well beyond this reference, but it has an impact on every game in every game.
How?
There is very little time during the week to prepare. The teams now have to spend some of it to prepare Hill and all the possibilities he offers. Every minute spent devoting a minute there is not devoted to the question of how to stop Drew Brees, Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara.
I know some people think it's cute, a word that popped up in my inbox and mentions whenever Hill makes a mistake, but it's more than that. What the saints do has a lot of merit, and I think that might actually be a trend that we see growing in more and more places.
I'm just not sure that the teams will be able to find someone as dynamic as Hill. Some of the things that the saints do could be the result of a guy who is 1 in 1.
Q: How did Eli Apple change the defense? Did he travel with his guy last week? – Dharma
A: I think Apple has changed the defense in that it is (usually) fundamentally healthy and the risk that it will make a mistake or commit a penalty is not as high as some of the other players in the game. 'secondary school.
The saints have been more like each other for two weeks in the way they approached their opponents. The blitz figures are up and the team is using more aggressive covers. That's the hallmark of Dennis Allen's defense, but they got a little lost as the team settled things.
It was good to see Marshon Lattimore being able to travel with Alshon Jeffrey and close it. Apple also made a little more match and moved into training while he was playing in front of Lattimore.
His presence was extremely valuable. However, it will be a more important test for secondary school. The Rams were more explosive, but that was before Apple knew about it. We will see if the group can resist the Falcons.
Q: Many people watch the Eagles game as if it were a break from the unnamed WR Michael Thomas, but the Eagles had an exhausted high school. Do you think that the production is the result of the emergence of the WR, a poor secondary or a bit of both? – Dylan Pellerin
A: I think it's a bit of both things and more.
I'm going to need to know a little more about Tre'Quan Smith before I get the hype. He obviously has talent and potential, but he is still a bit raw and fits into the system. But we have seen two of these games from him now, Washington being the other.
I like very much the positive side of Keith Kirkwood. He came out quickly and did some games. I think he would have liked to catch the pass he dropped in the second half last week, but he is doing very well. It will be interesting to see how it fits if the team brings back Tommylee Lewis and Ted Ginn.
But I also think that many of the opportunities were created by the way the Eagles defended. Will Smith open in the same way if equal attention is paid? We will find out. I think, however, that the team answered a big question. We wondered what would happen when a team would focus on removing Thomas. Now we know.
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