- Final0ATL
NO16
4516
45 - Final1HOU
IND16
1916
19 - Final2DEN
BUF14
4014
40 - Final3ARI
CIN16
2316
23 - Final4JAC
TEN17
2317
23 - Final OTOT5OAK
KC16
1316
13 - Final6MIA
NE24
2724
27 - Final7NYG
NYJ29
1429
14 - Final8STL
PIT0
270
27 - Final9MIN
WSH33
2633
26 - Final10TB
CAR16
4816
48 - Final11CLE
BAL14
2014
20 - Final12SD
DET10
3810
38 - Final13PHI
DAL20
720
7 - Final14SF
SEA19
1719
17 - Final15CHI
GB21
3521
35
Final
Coverage: ESPN
8:30 PM ET, December 26, 2011
Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA
Top Performers
Passing: M. Ryan (ATL) - 373 YDS, 1 TD
Rushing: D. Sproles (NO) - 5 CAR, 67 YDS
Receiving: J. Jones (ATL) - 8 REC, 128 YDS, 1 TD
The New Orleans Saints have already secured a spot in the playoffs, but they still have plenty to play for in the final two weeks of the regular season.
The Atlanta Falcons still have a chance to overtake the Saints for the NFC South crown but no longer have to worry about their place in the postseason.
Needing a win to clinch their second division title in three years, the Saints look to continue their recent success against the Falcons on Monday night at the Superdome.
Riding a season-high six-game winning streak, New Orleans (11-3) is postseason-bound for a third consecutive year. Hoping to earn a first-round bye, the Saints can wrap up the South title with a third straight win over second-place Atlanta (9-5).
"The sky's the limit and that's where we're trying to get to," New Orleans safety Roman Harper said. "Our goal is nothing less than a victory in the Super Bowl, and right now we just trying to stay focused and take it one step at a time."
The Falcons, meanwhile, clinched at least a wild-card spot thanks to Chicago's loss to Green Bay on Sunday night. If they win their final two games while New Orleans drops two straight, they would claim a second consecutive South title by virtue of a better division record.
Atlanta concludes the regular season at home versus Tampa Bay while New Orleans hosts Carolina.
"We control what we can control," Falcons coach Mike Smith said. "It's obvious our guys are familiar with the scenarios we are in. I know our guys are aware of it. We're not going to change our preparation, how we prepare. We try to be as steady as we can and just continue to move forward like we have all season."
Though the Falcons have had more than enough time to prepare for their division rival since posting a 41-14 home win over Jacksonville on Dec. 15, they face a huge challenge against the NFC's hottest team.
The Saints, who totaled 573 yards in a 42-20 road rout of Minnesota last Sunday, have scored at least 31 points in three of their last four games. They have not allowed more than 24 points during the six-game winning streak that has followed a 31-21 defeat at St. Louis on Oct. 30.
"We're peaking at the right time," linebacker Jonathan Vilma said. "I'm talking about jelling as far as a team -- offense, defense, special teams."
Drew Brees went 32 of 40 for 412 yards and matched a season high with five touchdowns against the lowly Vikings. With an NFL-leading 4,780 passing yards, Brees is 305 shy of breaking Dan Marino's single-season NFL record (5,084) set in 1984.
"I'm as comfortable now in this offense as I've ever been," Brees said. "I'm aware that we're close. I just know if we keep doing what we're doing all of that stuff will take care of itself."
Brees improved to 9-3 against the Falcons after throwing for 322 yards and two touchdowns in a 26-23 overtime win at Atlanta on Nov. 13.
New Orleans has won two straight and nine of 11 against Atlanta, but needed overtime to win their first 2011 meeting and lost 27-24 at home to the Falcons in 2010. Each of the last four games between the teams has been decided by three points -- three of them won by the Saints.
"We're going to play a very good opponent and someone we're very familiar with in a game that obviously has a lot riding on it," New Orleans coach Sean Payton said. "We look forward to that challenge and we'll go from there."
Atlanta had little trouble taking care of the Jaguars, one week after rallying from a 16-point second-half deficit to win 31-23 at Carolina. In a span from the start of the third quarter at Carolina to the 2:12 mark of the third versus Jacksonville, the Falcons scored 65 unanswered points -- though it did come against a pair of teams with a combined 9-19 record.
"That's what we need," said quarterback Matt Ryan, who has thrown seven touchdowns without an interception over the last two weeks. "That's the kind of football we need to play moving forward, and I think it's good that we're doing it at this time."
Roddy White caught 10 passes for 135 yards and two TDs against the Jaguars. It was the third time in five games he recorded at least 120 receiving yards. White, who has five touchdowns in those five contests, has averaged 112.8 yards and scored three times during his last four games against the Saints.
Teammate Michael Turner has rushed for 265 yards and two TDs on 50 carries in his last two games at the Superdome.
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1. The Falcons need to try some no-huddle and screen plays: When the Falcons use the no-huddle, QB Matt Ryan is very effective, and it really changes the tempo of this offense. He really gets into a nice groove; he is good at calling plays; and his receivers can use a lot of motion to confuse the Saints' defense before the snap. New Orleans will probably need to blitz a lot and play sub packages, but the no-huddle will not allow the Saints to substitute enough to match up with Atlanta's passing game. The Falcons also like to spread things out in the no-huddle and then run Michael Turner. Atlanta doesn't use the screen pass very often, but it could be pretty effective versus the Saints' aggressive pressure schemes, and backup RB Jacquizz Rodgers has a good skill set for the screen.
Recent Blog Posts
Matchup
ATL | NO | |
|---|---|---|
| W-L | 9-6 | 12-3 |
| Avg Points | 23.8 | 33.5 |
| Avg Points Allowed | 21.7 | 21.5 |
| Home Record | 5-2 | 7-0 |
| Road Record | 4-4 | 5-3 |
| Division Record | 2-3 | 4-1 |
| Conference Record | 6-5 | 8-3 |
| Complete Standings | ||
Passing Leaders
Rushing Leaders
| Atlanta | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M. Turner | 222 | 800 | 3.6 | 10 | |
| J. Rodgers | 94 | 362 | 3.9 | 1 | |
| New Orleans | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | |
| M. Ingram | 156 | 602 | 3.9 | 5 | |
| P. Thomas | 105 | 473 | 4.5 | 1 | |
Receiving Leaders
| Atlanta | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R. White | 92 | 1351 | 14.7 | 7 | |
| J. Jones | 79 | 1198 | 15.2 | 10 | |
| New Orleans | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | |
| M. Colston | 83 | 1154 | 13.9 | 10 | |
| L. Moore | 65 | 1041 | 16.0 | 6 | |
Team Averages & NFL Ranks
| TEAM OFFENSE | TEAM | PER GAME AVERAGE |
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | ATL | |
| NO | ||
| Yards Passing | ATL | |
| NO | ||
| Yards Rushing | ATL | |
| NO | ||
| TEAM DEFENSE | TEAM | PER GAME AVERAGE |
| Yards Allowed | ATL | |
| NO | ||
| Pass Yds Allowed | ATL | |
| NO | ||
| Rush Yds Allowed | ATL | |
| NO |
Head to Head Matchups (Since 2001)
| New Orleans leads 14-8 | |
|---|---|
| Nov 13, 2011 | ATL 23, NO 26 |
| Dec 27, 2010 | ATL 14, NO 17 |
| Sep 26, 2010 | ATL 27, @NO 24 |
| Dec 13, 2009 | ATL 23, NO 26 |
| Nov 2, 2009 | ATL 27, @NO 35 |
| Dec 7, 2008 | ATL 25, @NO 29 |
| Nov 9, 2008 | ATL 34, NO 20 |
| Dec 10, 2007 | ATL 14, NO 34 |
| Oct 21, 2007 | ATL 16, @NO 22 |
| Nov 26, 2006 | ATL 13, NO 31 |
| Sep 25, 2006 | ATL 3, @NO 23 |
| Dec 12, 2005 | ATL 36, NO 17 |
| Oct 16, 2005 | ATL 34, @NO 31 |
| Dec 26, 2004 | ATL 13, @NO 26 |
| Nov 28, 2004 | ATL 24, NO 21 |
| Nov 16, 2003 | ATL 20, @NO 23 |
| Oct 19, 2003 | ATL 17, NO 45 |
| Nov 17, 2002 | ATL 24, NO 17 |
| Oct 27, 2002 | ATL 37, @NO 35 |
| Dec 9, 2001 | ATL 10, NO 28 |
| Oct 21, 2001 | ATL 20, @NO 13 |



