Atlanta (3-7) at New Orleans (2-8)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EST, Fox.
Against the spread: Falcons 4-5-1; Saints 3-7.
Series record: Tied 56-56.
Last meeting: Saints beat Falcons 20-17 on Nov. 10, 2022, at New Orleans.
Last week: Falcons lost to Panthers 30-27; Saints had bye, beat Panthers 17-7 on Nov. 9.
Falcons offense: overall (16), rush (13), pass (18), scoring (27)
Falcons defense: overall (16), rush (28), pass (6), scoring (19)
Saints offense: overall (26), rush (28), pass (20), scoring (30t)
Saints defense: overall (10t), rush (21), pass (9), scoring (21t)
Turnover differential: Falcons plus-4; Saints minus-3.
WR Darnell Mooney has only 16 catches for 224 yards and no touchdowns this season after suffering a collarbone injury on the first day of training camp. With top WR Drake London (knee) out, Mooney could play a bigger role. Mooney had 64 catches for 992 yards and five touchdowns last season, with most of the production coming with Kirk Cousins at quarterback.
Fourth-year receiver Chris Olave, a 2022 first-round draft choice, could wind up having the best season of his career. He currently leads the club with 60 catches for 664 yards and four TDs, including a 62-yard TD in New Orleans' Week 10 victory at Carolina.
Falcons running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier, who've combined for 1,063 yards and 11 TDs this season, against a Saints defensive front that has been inconsistent against the run but has held three of its past five opponents to 88 or fewer yards on the ground.
Falcons: Cornerback was a weak spot for Atlanta in last week's loss to Carolina but Mike Hughes (neck) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice while Dee Alford (concussion) was limited. Top wide receiver Drake London will be held out with a knee injury. Among others held out Wednesday with guard Chris Lindstrom (foot), safety Xavier Watts (illness), defensive lineman Zach Harrison (knee) and linebacker Josh Woods (hamstring).
Saints: Right tackle Taliese Fuaga is working through an ankle injury that kept him out of practice earlier this week. Running back Alvin Kamara was limited by ankle soreness. Otherwise, the Saints appeared relatively healthy as they returned from their bye week.
The Saints have a 56-55 edge in their 111 regular-season matchups, which have included eight overtime games. ... The Saints have won five of the past seven meetings, with the Falcons' two victories in that span both coming in Atlanta. ... Both franchises were part of the old NFC West from 1970 to 2001, and remained divisional foes in the current NFC South since then. ... The Falcons played their first NFL game in 1966 and the Saints in 1967. The only year since the Saints' founding in which these teams have not met was 1968. They played once in 1967 and 1969, and have met twice per season since 1970, with the lone exception of the strike-shortened 1987 season, when they played once. They also have met once in the playoffs in 1991 — a game won by Atlanta.
Atlanta and New Orleans play twice in the final seven games. The Saints visit Atlanta to close the regular season. ... The Falcons rank 13th in rushing yards and 16th in total yards but their average of 19.5 points ranks only 27th. ... The Falcons have reached 30 points in only one game, a 34-27 win over Washington on Sept. 28. ... Despite Atlanta's five-game losing streak, the Falcons' improved pass rush has been consistent. The Falcons have 17 sacks the past three games. Their 33 sacks for the season already are more than their 2024 total, when they ranked 31st with 31. ... The Falcons' 33 sacks are their second most through 10 games, trailing only their 1997 total of 36 in their first 10 games. Only Denver, which leads the league with 49 sacks, has more than Atlanta. ... Jalon Walker leads NFL rookies with four sacks. James Pearce Jr. has 2 1/2. Both were first-round draft picks. ... Walker and Pearce are the league's only players to have both a strip-sack and a fumble recovery this season. Each recovered the fumble following the other's strip-sack. ... RB Bijan Robinson needs 111 scrimmage yards to become the first Atlanta player to top 1,400 combined rushing and receiving yards through 11 games. He ranks third in the league with 1,289. ... Rookie QB Tyler Shough, selected 40th overall in the second round of last spring's draft, is scheduled to make his third career start and first at home in the Superdome. Shough completed 19 of 27 passes (70.4%) for 283 yards and two TDs with a 128.9 rating in his second career start in Week 10, evening his record as a starter at 1-1. ... RB Alvin Kamara had 115 scrimmage yards (83 rushing, 32 receiving) in Week 10. Has 7,239 yards rushing and 4,944 yards receiving, and can become the fifth player with 5,000 yards in each category. ... Kamara has 934 yards rushing and 1,468 scrimmage yards vs. Atlanta. ... Olave had five catches for 104 yards and a TD in Week 10. He has eclipsed the 50-yard mark receiving in nine games this season. ... TE Juwan Johnson had four catches for 92 yards and a TD in Week 10, giving him a TD catch in two straight games. ... LB Demario Davis had a team-high seven tackles and a pass defensed last week. Davis ranks third in the NFL in tackles with 1,468 since being drafted in 2012. ... LB Pete Werner had six tackles, including a tackle for loss, and his second fumble recovery of the season last week. ... DE Cameron Jordan got his 125th career sack last week, second most since entering the NFL in 2011. ... DT Nathan Shepherd had a sack and blocked field goal in Week 10. ... CB Alontae Taylor had six tackles, including a tackle for loss, as well as a pass defensed and his first interception of the season in Week 10.
With the Atlanta defense likely focused on containing Olave, Johnson, who has played his best football in recent weeks, could emerge as a key safety valve for Shough, giving the tight end a solid chance at scoring for a third straight game and fourth time this season.
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