Saints vs. Falcons: Pregame Report

The Saints look to clinch a playoff berth this Sunday, but they have to take care of the Falcons first before worrying about the other scenario.

John Hendrix | Dec 6, 2020

The Saints (9-2) look to stay on top of the rest of the NFC, but will need to knock off the Falcons (4-7) for the second time in three weeks. It's a divisional clash that's as good as it gets, with a noon kickoff looming. Here's all the information on how to keep up with, get informed, and watch Week 13's game.

Where to Watch: FOX - Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma, and Shannon Spake (field reporter)

Broadcast Map: Courtesy of 506sports.com, Falcons-Saints in Green

Where to Stream: FOX Sports Go, NFL Mobile, Hulu + Live TV, fuboTV, Sling TV, YouTube TV

Where to Listen: WWL Radio locally (105.3FM) with Zach Strief, Deuce McAllister, and Steve Geller (sideline reporter); SIRIUS: 121 (NO), 83 (ATL) | XM: 384 (NO), 225 (ATL)

Jersey Combo: White jerseys, Black pants

Referee: Adrian Hill

Current Lines: Over/Under (45.5), Saints -3

Last 5 Matchups

11/22/20 - Saints 24, Falcons 9
11/28/19 - Saints 26, Falcons 18
11/10/19 - Falcons 26, Saints 9
11/22/18 - Saints 31, Falcons 17
9/23/18 - Saints 43, Falcons 37 (OT)

All-Time Series: Falcons lead 53-50, which includes a postseason win from 1991. New Orleans has won five out of the last six.

These two teams just saw each other two weeks ago, with New Orleans turning to Taysom Hill over Jameis Winston as they started life without Drew Brees. The two teams traded field goals to start the first quarter, as Atlanta was moving the ball better to start things. They got up to a 9-3 lead with less than five minutes to go in the half, and Hill would help pilot a two-minute drill to add a touchdown run by Alvin Kamara before halftime to take a 10-9 lead, and the Saints would never look back.

The Saints offense looked much better in the second half, while the defense put the clamps on Matt Ryan and company. Dennis Allen's unit sacked Matt Ryan eight times on the day, which included three from Cam Jordan. Hill would add touchdown drives in the third and fourth quarter, as New Orleans would win 24-9 and improve to 4-0 in the NFC South and 8-2 on the year.

Things to watch: Taysom Hill looks to replicate success against the Falcons like he did in his first start, as the Saints look to go 8-0 without Drew Brees and 3-0 under Hill. New Orleans could also sweep Atlanta today and keep a tight grip on their top spot in the NFC playoff race. Look for the Saints to attack with their ground-and-pound dose of Alvin Kamara and Latavius Murray, while leaning on playmakers like Michael Thomas to help move the sticks.

The team will be without Janoris Jenkins (knee) and Terron Armstead (COVID-19), as well as some other players who were previously ruled out of action and placed on injured reserve. As always, how Ryan attacks the Saints defense will be something to watch, as he should have an emphasis on getting the ball out faster.

Catch up on some of our Saints-Falcons coverage from the week...

Published Dec 6, 2020

JOHN HENDRIX

I officially started covering the New Orleans Saints & other NFL topics in 2011. My work has been featured on various outlets over the years. I worked closely with Skyhorse Publishing in Fall 2018 to update the book, Tales From the New Orleans Saints Sidelines, which filled in all Saints material from the 2013-2017 seasons. Prior to joining Saints News Network, I served as the Managing Editor of SB Nation's Canal Street Chronicles for 3.5 years, and before that with FanSided's Who Dat Dish as the Managing Editor for several years. I have also had experiences of being a freelance Saints reporter for The Sun Herald in Biloxi, MS and a contributing writer for WDSU, a local NBC TV station in New Orleans. I have appeared on a vast amount of TV and Radio shows, both nationally and locally. For tips, comments, or suggestions, please contact me at johnhendrix@saintsnews.net