Atlanta Falcons bold predictions for the Week 13 matchup with the rival Saints.
In what has been an up-and-down 2020 NFL season already for the Atlanta Falcons, the Falcons are hoping to continue to ride a bright stretch of the year going into the final handful of regular-season contests.
After starting the year off 0-5 overall, Atlanta has since won four of its last six games and will aim to continue that streak of winning when it battles an NFC South opponent for the second time in three weeks.
The Falcons remain at home when they welcome in the New Orleans Saints to Atlanta on Sunday afternoon on FOX. The two teams last played in Week 11 in New Orleans, with the Saints coming away with a 24-9 victory in the first contest.
Atlanta comes into Sunday’s Week 13 matchup having taken down the Las Vegas Raiders a week ago behind a dominant 43-6 blowout victory in Atlanta. In that contest, the Falcons jumped out in front early and didn’t look back.
Atlanta opened up the game against Las Vegas by holding a 16-3 advantage in the first half. The Falcons, who improved to 4-7 with the win, went on to outscore the Raiders 27-3 the rest of the way to pull out the 37-point victory.
On the other side of the field in Week 13, Atlanta will take on a New Orleans squad that enters the game with an overall record of 9-2 to sit atop the NFC South division.
The Saints recently blew out the Denver Broncos 31-3 in Week 12 on the road in Denver, extending their winning streak to nine in a row with five regular-season games remaining. In that latest win, New Orleans out-scored Denver 17-0 in the opening half, while riding a 14-3 advantage in the second half to cruise to victory.
Before the Falcons and Saints battle it out for the second and final time of the 2020 season, let’s take a look at three bold predictions that will occur in the divisional showdown.
3. Saints defense holds Falcons in check once again
The first thing that will take place in the second and final matchup between Atlanta and New Orleans during the 2020 regular season will be that the Saints defense will once again be able to hold the Falcons offense in check in Week 13.
Atlanta once again contains one of the top offensive units in the NFL this year, led by quarterback Matt Ryan and the passing attack. Most recently in the Week 12 blowout victory, the Falcons exploded for a season-most 43 points against the Raiders en route to a 37-point win at home.
Coming into Week 13, Atlanta is averaging 26.8 points per contest, which ranks 11th in the NFL. The Falcons also hold the 12th ranked offense in the league, with the passing attack ranking sixth and the run game ranking 24th.
Unfortunately for Atlanta, it has struggled against New Orleans when it comes to scoring the ball, with the Falcons recording just nine points against the Saints in the Week 11 loss in New Orleans. Atlanta finished that game with just nine points on a total of 248 yards on the offensive side of the ball.
The Saints come into Week 13 having the top-ranked defense in the NFL, giving up an average of 20.5 points to opposing offenses to this point in the year, which ranks fourth-best in the league.
In the second and final game between the two division opponents on Sunday afternoon in Atlanta, the Falcons offense will once again struggle against a top-notch Saints defense that has had Atlanta’s number so far this season.