Falcons vs. Saints: 3 things you need to know
The Atlanta Falcons will make the trip out to the Superdome in Louisiana to take on the New Orleans Saints on Sunday afternoon in the final meeting between the NFC South rivals this season.
Here are the three things you need to know:
Jimmy Graham will be the X-factor
In his career, the Saints' tight end has fared quite well against the Falcons.
Since the start of the 2011 season, Jimmy Graham has brought in 39 balls for 556 yards and six touchdowns in seven games against the Falcons. Multiply that by a full 16-game season and you get 89-1,271-14.
Since he joined the team in 2010, the Saints are 6-0 against the Falcons when Graham catches a touchdown, and 0-3 when he doesn't.
The tight end's been off his game of late, though. Over the last three weeks, the two-time Pro Bowler was limited to eight catches for 112 yards and zero touchdowns. He's dealing with a variety of injuries - most notably an early-season shoulder injury that continues to limit him.
Julio Jones will be a game-time call
A hip injury sidelined the Falcons' top wideout in last weekend's 27-20 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The last time we saw Julio Jones, he was continuing what's been a terrific season for him by shredding the Green Bay Packers' secondary for 259 yards and a score on Monday Night Football.
The trio of Roddy White, Harry Douglas and Devin Hester filled in admirably a week ago, with each posting impressive stat lines, but the unit lacks explosiveness when Jones watches from the sidelines.
The Saints rank 26th in the league against the pass.
The Saints' home field advantage hasn't been much of an advantage
The Saints went 21-3 at home in a three-season stretch under Sean Payton, including perfect 8-0 home marks in 2011 and 2013. They had won 19 consecutive games with Payton on the sideline this season, beginning the year with a 3-0 record at home and an 0-4 mark on the road.
Since then, New Orleans has flipped the script, going 0-4 at home and 3-0 on the road. They lost those four home games by an average of 14.5 points.
Now, leading the NFC South by the slimmest of margins, New Orleans can eliminate Atlanta from playoff contention with a win. Since bringing in Drew Brees in 2006, the Saints have won seven of eight meetings with the Falcons at the Superdome.