The New Orleans Saints have won their last three games against the Atlanta Falcons. The Saints hope to extend that dominance in Week 9 when they square off with the Falcons at the Caesars Superdome. Can the Saints pull off another win without the injured Jameis Winston? Check our preview to see who has the edge in this Falcons vs Saints clash.
Atlanta Falcons installed as +5 underdogs
The Atlanta Falcons had their two-game winning streak snapped in Week 8 with a 19-13 loss to the Carolina Panthers. The Falcons had no answer for the Panthers' ground game, with Carolina racking up 203 yards rushing on Sunday.
It is back to the drawing board for the Falcons, who failed to take advantage of Tampa Bay's loss to New Orleans. For Atlanta to get its season back on track against New Orleans, it needs to get a quality performance from Matt Ryan.
He struggled mightily against the Panthers in Week 8, completing just 20 of 27 passes for 146 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Ryan, who was also sacked three times in this contest, did not get much help from his running backs as they recorded just 82 rushing yards on 20 carries against the Panthers.
The Falcons will head to New Orleans without one of their main wide receivers after Calvin Ridley decided to step away from football for the time being to focus on his mental health. He has 31 catches for 281 yards and two touchdowns for the Falcons this season.
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New Orleans Saints enter Week 9 as -5 favorites
New Orleans extended its winning streak to three games with a thrilling 36-27 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 8. P.J. Williams made the biggest play of the night, intercepting Tom Brady's pass and returning it 40 yards for a touchdown with 1:24 remaining to seal the win for the Saints.
It was a critical victory for the Saints, who moved to within a half-game of leaders Tampa Bay in the NFC South standings with their 5-2 record. The win came at a huge price for New Orleans as Jameis Winston tore the ACL in his left knee after a horse-collar tackle by Bucs linebacker Devin White during the second quarter.
Winston, who also sustained MCL damage on Sunday, will now miss the remainder of the season because of the injury. Trevor Siemian managed to keep the Saints afloat after Winston's departure as he went toe-to-toe with Brady in Sunday's shootout.
He completed 16 of 29 passes for 159 yards and a touchdown with no turnovers, leading New Orleans on five scoring drives that yielded two touchdowns and three field goals. Another option for head coach Sean Payton is quarterback Taysom Hill, who missed the game against the Bucs because of a concussion.
Writer's Prediction
Atlanta wins to end its three-game losing skid against New Orleans.
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