New Orleans Saints enter Monday night focused on securing first win of season
The buildup in the week leading to Monday night's game between the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons has surrounded the 10-year anniversary of the re-opening of the Superdome in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
The pregame atmosphere in the stadium when the two teams take the field should prove electric. And emotions will likely run high for fans who witnessed Steve Gleason's iconic blocked punt propel the Saints to a 23-3 victory over the Falcons on Sept. 25, 2006.
Today's Saints acknowledge the memorable events of a decade ago that brought New Orleans together, but the team also knows there is another matter that commands immediate attention.
"Our focus ? and I said this to Atlanta media ? is really on getting a win against a good division opponent," coach Sean Payton said Saturday. "These games over the years have been close, hard-fought games."
Payton, who was on the sidelines as the Saints' first-year head coach in 2006, appreciates the significance of the anniversary and didn't downplay its meaning in team history.
But the Saints are 0-2 entering Week 3 and a loss to the Falcons would have the team two games out of the division lead.
"The tenth anniversary is a time point, but this is still a division game and it's an important game for us," Payton said. "It's important for us to get our first win. That's really the truth. I think that just being mentally and physically ready to play (is key)."
Offensive lineman Tim Lelito, who was 17 in 2006, took the same stance as his head coach.
"We're trying to win games every single week, so we practiced the same way for Oakland and for the Falcons," Lelito said. "There are rivalries ? inter-conference rivalries ? so there's a little bit more. Since I've been here, I think we've only lost once. We definitely shouldn't lose this game; that's the mentality we have going into this."
That would actually be two losses since Lelito arrived in 2013. The Falcons swept the annual series in 2014, but consider the message received.
The table is arguably set for the Saints to notch a first win of the season when considering Payton's success over the division rivals.
Since Payton arrived in New Orleans as the head coach, he has gone an impressive 14-4 against the Falcons. The Saints also boast an 8-2 record at home over the Falcons since 2006.
Still, Lelito understands what Monday night will mean to the thousands of fans expected to fill the stadium to commemorate Gleason's blocked punt and the events of a decade ago.
Saints LB Craig Robertson vs. Falcons TEs
Obviously, Robertson won't be the only player responsible for defending Atlanta's talented group of tight ends, but the Saints would be wise to try to use him to create a favorable matchup with his coverage skills.
Through two games, tight end Jacob Tamme leads the Falcons with 11 catches and is second with 126 receiving yards. The 31-year-old isn't the only threat at the position, though, as Atlanta also features Austin Hooper, a third-round pick this year from Stanford.
In the Falcons' win over the Oakland Raiders last week, Hooper had three catches for 84 yards, so, clearly, Atlanta will try to utilize them. And whether it's Robertson, Stephone Anthony or a safety, the Saints have to try to limit the tight ends.
Saints DTs vs. Falcons interior OL
With Tyeler Davison (shoulder/foot) questionable Monday, the Saints could be without one of their starting defensive tackles. Fortunately, John Jenkins has been solid through two games, so there might not be much of a fall off if Davison can't play the nose spot.
Still, this will be the Saints' first game against a new-look Falcons offensive line that features veteran center Alex Mack, the longtime starting center for the Cleveland Browns. Jenkins, Nick Fairley, David Onyemata and anyone else who plays inside will have to try to push Mack and guards Andy Levitre and Chris Chester as much as possible.
Running backs Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman can create explosive plays for the Falcons, so the Saints have to close all the gaps quickly to prevent Atlanta from having a successful rushing attack.
Saints RBs vs. Falcons LBs
The Saints haven't had much success running the ball this year, but after having just 13 rushing attempts in Week 2, they're definitely going to try to find some balance.
Fortunately for the Saints, Falcons starting Will linebacker De'Vondre Campbell (ankle) is out, and one of their top backups, Paul Worrilow (groin) won't play either. Atlanta still has some speed in the linebacker corps with Deion Jones and Vic Beasley, but the Saints should feel good about their matchup if Mark Ingram and the other backs can reach the second level.
Plus, the Falcons were tied for 25th in rushing defense after two weeks, so if there's ever a time for the Saints to prove they can run successfully, it should be this week.
The buildup in the week leading to Monday night's game between the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons has surrounded the 10-year anniversary of the re-opening of the Superdome in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
The pregame atmosphere in the stadium when the two teams take the field should prove electric. And emotions will likely run high for fans who witnessed Steve Gleason's iconic blocked punt propel the Saints to a 23-3 victory over the Falcons on Sept. 25, 2006.
Today's Saints acknowledge the memorable events of a decade ago that brought New Orleans together, but the team also knows there is another matter that commands immediate attention.
"Our focus ? and I said this to Atlanta media ? is really on getting a win against a good division opponent," coach Sean Payton said Saturday. "These games over the years have been close, hard-fought games."
Payton, who was on the sidelines as the Saints' first-year head coach in 2006, appreciates the significance of the anniversary and didn't downplay its meaning in team history.
But the Saints are 0-2 entering Week 3 and a loss to the Falcons would have the team two games out of the division lead.
"The tenth anniversary is a time point, but this is still a division game and it's an important game for us," Payton said. "It's important for us to get our first win. That's really the truth. I think that just being mentally and physically ready to play (is key)."
Offensive lineman Tim Lelito, who was 17 in 2006, took the same stance as his head coach.
"We're trying to win games every single week, so we practiced the same way for Oakland and for the Falcons," Lelito said. "There are rivalries ? inter-conference rivalries ? so there's a little bit more. Since I've been here, I think we've only lost once. We definitely shouldn't lose this game; that's the mentality we have going into this."
That would actually be two losses since Lelito arrived in 2013. The Falcons swept the annual series in 2014, but consider the message received.
The table is arguably set for the Saints to notch a first win of the season when considering Payton's success over the division rivals.
Since Payton arrived in New Orleans as the head coach, he has gone an impressive 14-4 against the Falcons. The Saints also boast an 8-2 record at home over the Falcons since 2006.
Still, Lelito understands what Monday night will mean to the thousands of fans expected to fill the stadium to commemorate Gleason's blocked punt and the events of a decade ago.
Saints LB Craig Robertson vs. Falcons TEs
Obviously, Robertson won't be the only player responsible for defending Atlanta's talented group of tight ends, but the Saints would be wise to try to use him to create a favorable matchup with his coverage skills.
Through two games, tight end Jacob Tamme leads the Falcons with 11 catches and is second with 126 receiving yards. The 31-year-old isn't the only threat at the position, though, as Atlanta also features Austin Hooper, a third-round pick this year from Stanford.
In the Falcons' win over the Oakland Raiders last week, Hooper had three catches for 84 yards, so, clearly, Atlanta will try to utilize them. And whether it's Robertson, Stephone Anthony or a safety, the Saints have to try to limit the tight ends.
Saints DTs vs. Falcons interior OL
With Tyeler Davison (shoulder/foot) questionable Monday, the Saints could be without one of their starting defensive tackles. Fortunately, John Jenkins has been solid through two games, so there might not be much of a fall off if Davison can't play the nose spot.
Still, this will be the Saints' first game against a new-look Falcons offensive line that features veteran center Alex Mack, the longtime starting center for the Cleveland Browns. Jenkins, Nick Fairley, David Onyemata and anyone else who plays inside will have to try to push Mack and guards Andy Levitre and Chris Chester as much as possible.
Running backs Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman can create explosive plays for the Falcons, so the Saints have to close all the gaps quickly to prevent Atlanta from having a successful rushing attack.
Saints RBs vs. Falcons LBs
The Saints haven't had much success running the ball this year, but after having just 13 rushing attempts in Week 2, they're definitely going to try to find some balance.
Fortunately for the Saints, Falcons starting Will linebacker De'Vondre Campbell (ankle) is out, and one of their top backups, Paul Worrilow (groin) won't play either. Atlanta still has some speed in the linebacker corps with Deion Jones and Vic Beasley, but the Saints should feel good about their matchup if Mark Ingram and the other backs can reach the second level.
Plus, the Falcons were tied for 25th in rushing defense after two weeks, so if there's ever a time for the Saints to prove they can run successfully, it should be this week.
