The New Orleans Saints are in complete freefall after an impressive 2-0 start to the season. The team lit up the scoreboard and had many pundits believing it was now a three-team race in the NFC South. How much can change in so little time as the Saints have reached a new low point after dropping their 7th straight loss of the season losing to what who is believed to be the worst team in the league.
Losing to Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers was perhaps a wake-up call for New Orleans it is finally time to blow it all up. With that said, the Falcons cannot afford to fall into the trap they did against the Seahawks feeling too comfortable.
No matter how terrible New Orleans or Atlanta might be the rivalry will always demand a tight contest
The Falcons are going to get the Saints' very best shot based not only on the hate these two teams have for each other but also the pure desperation from the Saints. Sitting at 2-7 on the year it is already time for the Saints to begin to think about the offseason. Barring a historic turnaround there is no saving this season or playing their way back into any relevance.
Even if there was this delusion going into this past Sunday's game a loss to the Carolina Panthers brought them back down to earth. Still, Atlanta and New Orleans are always going to give each other their best shots and this game cannot be taken for granted as Atlanta attempts to keep division perfection.
It is worth noting in the last matchup between the two teams it took a special teams score, a defensive touchdown, and a career-long kick from Younghoe Koo to beat the Saints. No matter how terrible this team might be they will never make it easy for Atlanta and the Falcons must keep this in mind.
Not falling into the trap they did ahead of the Seattle game and expect New Orleans simply to roll over based on how their season is going. The Saints roster is crowded with aging veterans who play with pride and want nothing more than to get even with Atlanta for starting this spiral.
This game should be Atlanta's to win, something that New Orleans is well aware of and will allow them to play without expectations as they attempt to stop their freefall.