Saints (9-2) at Falcons (3-8)
Falcons schedule
L .... atMinnesota .... 28-12 W .... Philadelphia .... 24-20 L ... at Indianapolis ... 27-24 L ...... Tennessee ...... 24-10 L ...... at Houston ...... 53-32 L ....... at Arizona ....... 34-33 L ....... L.A. Rams ....... 37-10 L .......... Seattle .......... 27-20 BYE
W ... at New Orleans ... 26-9 W ....... at Carolina ....... 29-3 L24 ...TampaBay ...35-22 Nov. 28 New Orleans 8:20 Dec. 8 ........ Carolina ........ 1 Dec. 15 . at San Fran. . 4:25 Dec. 22 .... Jacksonville .... 1 Dec. 29 . at Tampa Bay .. 1
Thursday, 8:20 p.m. ET, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta TV: NBC
Danny Sheridan’s line: Saints by 6 ⁄2
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Saints’ keys to victory: The Saints need to convert on third downs if they want to avoid being upset by the Falcons again. They made good on only 3 of 12 third downs as the Falcons’ dominated them 26-9 in Week 10. By controlling the clock, the Saints can keep QB Matt Ryan and the Falcons’ offense off the field. Atlanta has not been able to overcome early deficits this season, so a quick start could be huge. The Saints have their sights set on the No. 1 seed in the NFC and can’t afford a letdown the week before their showdown with the San Francisco 49ers.
Falcons’ keys to victory: Atlanta’s defensive line must get after Drew Brees the way it did in Week 10, when the Falcons sacked him six times. Offensively, the Falcons should use the short passing game to compensate for their lack of a rushing attack. They also must give QB Matt Ryan time to throw; he has been sacked 15 times in the last four games, including six last week by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Matchup to watch: Saints CB Marshon Lattimore vs. Falcons WR Julio Jones. It’s always a scrappy battle when these two face off. Julio Jones is a tough matchup for anyone, but Lattimore always seems up to the challenge. In 16 career games against the Saints, Jones has averaged 9.1 receptions and 92.6 yards.
Who wins? The Falcons are better than their record would indicate, but the Saints are a better football team. Expect New Orleans to squeeze out a close win at the finish and make amends for the loss three weeks earlier.
Saints, 20-17