Atlanta Falcons must stop Brandin Cooks, Mark Ingram to beat Saints

Dec 21, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) prepares to throw the ball against the Atlanta Falcons during the second half at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

The Atanta Falcons travel to the Superdome to face the division rival New Orleans Saints on Thursday night. The Saints are nowhere near the powerhouse they were when they won the Super Bowl in 2009 and so far boast a poor 1-4 record.

Things have most definitely changed in New Orleans with the departure of key players like Pierre Thomas, Curtis Lofton, Kenny Stills and Jimmy Graham. Drew Brees for the first time has a lack of real weapons and the defense is currently ranked last in the NFL.

However, any fan knows division games can prove to be a tough task even when a team is playing miserably elsewhere. In fact, eight of the last 11 games between Atlanta and New Orleans were decided by a touchdown or less, regardless of the teams record against the rest of the league.

With the Falcons looking to match their 2014 win total and extend their undefeated record to 6-0, becoming the first team in 2015 to reach six wins, they must stop these three players.

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