First Look: Saints at Falcons

The Saints return from their bye week tasked with a major divisional showdown in Atlanta against the well-rested Falcons.

The Saints (5-5) went back to work on Monday to officially wrap up their bye week. Ahead them lies a 'Choose Your Adventure' story for the rest of the season. They're faced with an extremely important NFC South showdown with the Falcons (4-6) in Atlanta in Week 12. A win will go a long way, but a loss will only magnify things.

New Orleans players and coaches were able to get away from it all in their time off. Many of them traveled back home and did absolutely nothing. The vibe in the locker room truly felt like a reset, so we'll see if it worked or not on Sunday. Here's some of the main storylines we're paying close attention to this week.

Chris Olave Has Tremendous Opportunity In Front Of Him

Saints Storylines to Follow In Week 12

Nov 12, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) is carted off the field against the Minnesota Vikings in the third quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

DEREK CARR AND THE CONCUSSION PROTOCOL

Signs are pointing in the right direction for Derek Carr to clear the protocol and be ready for the game against the Falcons, but we'll see how that unfolds with the injury reports. Carr took a vicious hit against the Vikings in Week 10 and also suffered a right shoulder injury to go along with the concussion. Should Carr be unable to go, Jameis Winston is more than ready and capable to start against Atlanta.

THE MICHAEL THOMAS/MARSHON LATTIMORE ABSENCE PLANS

Not having Michael Thomas is going to sting in a lot of ways for the Saints offense, and they're going to have to get some of their young players to step up and get others going to do their part in helping the team get in sync with each other. Juwan Johnson and Taysom Hill were some of those players we previously highlighted. Expect heavier doses of Chris Olave, while rookie A.T. Perry and Rashid Shaheed see their stock rising.

When asked on Monday about who might get the start at corner in place of Marshon Lattimore, Dennis Allen jokingly responded that the team will have someone at that spot, not tipping his hand. We'd expect Isaac Yiadom to get the start there, who filled in admirably against the Packers in Week 3 after getting the start in place of Paulson Adebo. He also saw extensive time against the Bucs the following week. Alontae Taylor could also move outside, but the exact plan will come together this week.

WHAT DID THE SAINTS LEARN OVER THE BYE?

Dennis Allen said the team identified several line items the Saints have to check off to be able to position themselves in the right place at the end of it all. The simplistic answer is to consistent, complementary football down the stretch, which would involve the offense playing like they have over the past five games and the defense playing at the level they did in the first five games. New Orleans is in the driver's seat here for the rest of the season, as they have the favorable schedule and control of the division right now.

Everyone wants to know if the team actually did learn from shortfalls during the first ten weeks and puts a better product on the field each week going forward. That's honestly all that matters. You can split hairs and identify the areas that have to be better, but that almost seems like the obvious this far into the year. The bottom line is win and things around you will get better.

SAINTS DEFENSE VS. FALCONS RUSHING ATTACK

Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier are going to be heavily featured with Desmond Ridder at the helm, and the Saints are extremely familiar on what Allgeier can do to them. In Week 15 of last season, the then rookie torched the Saints with 139 yards and a score on the ground with just 17 carries (8.18 yards/carry). Ridder had 6 carries for 38 yards in that loss, and we all know quarterbacks love to take off on the ground against the New Orleans defense and have had success doing it. The plan here will be something to keep a close watch on.

FAMILIAR FACES, DIFFERENT PLACES

Atlanta has plenty of ties with New Orleans when it comes to players and personnel. Most know about Terry Fontenot (GM) and Ryan Nielsen (Defensive Coordinator) being with the Falcons, and then there's the players like Kaden Elliss and David Onyemata who signed there in free agency. The ties don't stop, as former players Kentavius Street, Storm Norton, and Albert Huggins are all on Arthur Smith's squad. It's all the makings for a fun story or two.