Falcons Saints rivalry renewed with a playoff berth still possible for either team

The Atlanta Falcons (7-9) are set to face the New Orleans Saints (8-8) on Sunday at 1 p.m. EST on CBS, with the Saints being favored by a three-point margin based on current betting lines. The Falcons have gone 5-11 against the spread while the Saints have a record of 6-9-1. History shows a close contest between the two, with the Falcons leading the series 55-54. Their last match was in Atlanta on November 26, 2023, which the Falcons won 24-15.

In terms of offense, the Falcons rank 18th overall with a notable strength in rushing (8th) and weaknesses 22nd in passing and 26th in scoring. The Falcons defense, however, is 11th overall with 19th in rush, 8th in pass and ranked 9th in scoring. On the other hand, the Saints fare slightly worse in offense at 20th overall, but have a strong rushing game (2nd), are 28th in passing and 21st in scoring. The Saints defense is 12th overall, but they lead in rushing, at 25th in passing and 21st in scoring. The turnover differential shows the Falcons at a minus 9 while Saints at a plus 8.

Looking at key players, Falcons' QB Taylor Heinicke's potential limitations due to his left ankle injury could boost the importance of their running game, with rookie Bijan Robinson making an impact. Saints' TE Juwan Johnson is a player to watch after setting career highs in catches and receiving yards last week.

One key match will be Atlanta’s running game, with an average of 130 yards per game, against the Saints' defense. The Falcons previously rushed for 228 yards against the Saints, which had twice allowed over 200 yards rushing and more than 130 yards six times this season, though recent performance shows improvement.

As for injuries, Falcons' QB Taylor Heinicke and LT Jake Matthews, LB Arnold Ebiketie, and LB Lorenzo Carter practiced despite injuries. For the Saints, RB Alvin Kamara and Johnson faced practice reductions while defensive tackle Khalen Saunders was in NFL's concussion protocol. WR Chris Olave and defensive end Payton Turner were limited, with Turner potentially being activated off injured reserve.

The Falcons and Saints have an evenly contested history – the Falcons ended a three-match losing streak in their last game and also lead the series. Either team could take the NFC South with a victory, and a Tampa Bay loss.

There’s potential for Drake London to become the first Atlanta player to record 70 catches and 700 receiving yards in each of his first two seasons. For the Saints, quarterback Derek Carr completed 75% of his passes last week and has over 3,600 yards passing this season, with two TD passes in each of his last four games.

If successful, the Falcons and Saints could make it to the playoffs for the first time since 2017 and reach the wild card position respectively. Fantasy players might want to consider investing in Robinson, who scored two touchdowns in the previous meeting between the two teams.