FALCONS - SAINTS PREVIEW

Just as Thursday’s Week 13 matchup between the New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta Falcons could hold major playoff implications in the NFL, it could extinguish the Saints faint playoff hopes.  The 5-6 Saints are coming off a demoralizing loss against the 49ers in Week 12, and the Falcons just keep rolling along, beating the Buccaneers by a single point to make their record 10-1. Both offenses are nothing short of explosive, so there are plenty of fantasy names out there for this one.

Let’s take a look at the major players and what we should be expecting.

 Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints: Brees’ 267-yard, three-touchdown effort in Week 12 against San Francisco was pretty good. Realistically, however, his two pick-sixes likely cost the Saints the game. Still, Brees owners have to be happy with his season thus far, and he may post another solid week against Atlanta. The last time he faced the Falcons, Brees posted 298 yards and a trio of touchdowns.


Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta Falcons: Ryan couldn’t have done much worse in Week 12 than he did in Week 11 when he was picked off five times and failed to record a TD pass, yet the Falcons still won. In the Buccaneers game, Ryan was nearly flawless. His 353 yards made up for it, however, and he should finish with good numbers when the Saints come to town. In the last game, Ryan threw for 411 yards and three scores, yet the team's inability to score in a 1st and Goal situation late in the game left them with the loss.

Darren Sproles, RB, New Orleans Saints: Sproles finally got back out on the field during Week 12, making his return after sitting out three weeks with a broken hand. His final numbers weren’t spectacular, however (especially by Sproles’ lofty standards). He finished with 65 receiving yards and nothing on the ground. That being said, we expect him to see more work against the Falcons, now that his hand has proven that it can survive the rigors of the NFL once again.

Michael Turner, RB, Atlanta Falcons: Turner didn’t have the best of weeks against the Buccaneers. He finished with 13 carries for just 17 yards, but he did score. With the emergence of fellow RB Jaquizz Rodgers, Turner’s value has taken a hit. Our take is that Rodgers will continue to see his playing time increase particularly given the dynamic spark that he brings to the Offense.

Marques Colston, WR, New Orleans Saints: After notching his third TD in the last four weeks, Colston has become a very reliable fantasy player. Along with the score, he tallied four catches for 36 yards against the 49ers and looks like he’ll be a major contributor on offense from here on out. One noteworthy tidbit, however: Colston left the Week 12 game briefly after taking a hard hit during the third quarter. The Saints will no doubt put him through the usual round of concussion tests this week, but he appears to be fine.

Look for a Bountiful Performance

Julio Jones, WR, Atlanta Falcons: Jones and fellow Atlanta WR Roddy White have been trading big games seemingly every other week. The Tampa Bay game was Jones’ turn, as he tallied a career-high 147 yards and a TD.  Interestingly, however, his 80 yard TD strike was the first time Jones has scored in the last four weeks. We’ll have to watch him this week to make sure his ailing ankle isn’t giving him any more trouble, but by all indications, Jones should be golden on Thursday.

Intangible - Dome Field Advantage:  Expect the Georgia Dome to be rocking on Thursday night football.  Just two days before the SEC Championship in the same building, this crowd could will be rowdy and have the Birds pumped up following their recent nail biting loss to the Division Rival Saints.

Intangible II - REVENGE:  Not only will the Falcons be looking to make up for their close loss two weeks ago, but there is also a little unfinished business regarding the Saints using the Georgia Dome as their own personal photo shoot.  Think the Falcons might remember this?

PREDICTION:  FALCONS 31 SAINTS 23