Saints hope to inflict a little more hurt on injury-riddled Falcons
I may come to regret these words, but the New Orleans Saints appear to be catching the vulnerable Atlanta Falcons at a good time, even if Sunday’s game between these old southern rivals takes place inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The Falcons opened as 3 1/2-point favorites and now are settled in at 3, no surprise since these games historically come down to the final seconds and that 1/2 point looms large when determining winners and losers in sports wagering.
On the field, the Falcons (1-1) enter Sunday’s early showdown less than full strength. As many as four key starters are temporarily sidelined or lost for the season due to injuries incurred during their first two games —RB Devonta Freeman, SS Keanu Neal, MLB Deion Jones, LG Andy Levitre.
And perennial Pro Bowl receiver Julio Jones is dealing with a bum calf, which could be advantageous for Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore, who likely will draw single coverage against JJ. Defensive end Takk McKinley (groin) also is hobbled.
That said, the Falcons are still viable on offense with quarterback Matt Ryan, backup RB Tevin Coleman, rookie WR Calvin Ridley, WR Mohamed Sanu and TE Austin Hooper, though they still remain an enigma inside the red zone.
In a season-opening 18-12 loss at Philadelphia, the Falcons were a paltry 1 of 5 inside the Eagles 20. In last Sunday’s 31-24 home win against Carolina, the Falcons were 4 of 4 with Ryan accounting for all four TDs, including two with his feet.
Does one game mean they have solved their red-zone problems under second-year OC Steve Sarkisian? Not in my opinion, but Sarkisian may be more inclined to think outside the box and not rely soley on throwing jumpball passes to Jones in a back corner.
The clear edge comes when the Saints have the ball.
Quarterback Drew Brees’ stats through two games are off the charts: 81.3 completion percentage, five passing TDs, zero INTs, 123.3 passer rating. Now, he was stymied through three quarters against Cleveland last week but he helped produce 18 points in the fourth quarter when it counted most in a 21-18 win.
Check out these numbers: Wide receiver Michael Thomas leads the NFL with 28 catches (most through the first two games in NFL history) in 30 targets and three touchdowns and running back Alvin Kamara has 15 catches in 18 targets for 165 yards and one TD.
In other words, Falcons defensive backs and linebackers are going to have their hands full unless they can get a disruptive pass rush against Brees led by hybrid LB Vic Beasley.
And I wouldn’t bet on that.
I see Brees & Company putting up a minimum of four TDs against a weakened Falcons defense.
In other words, take the Saints and the points to win the game out right.
But you didn’t hear it from me.
Brian Allee-Walsh, a longtime Saints reporter based in New Orleans, can be reached at sports@sunherald.com.
This story was originally published September 21, 2018 at 1:49 PM.