Falcons face Saints, look to secure home field in playoffs
NEW ORLEANS (7-8) at ATLANTA (10-5)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, Fox
OPENING LINE - Falcons by 6 1/2
RECORD VS. SPREAD - New Orleans 10-5; Atlanta 10-5
SERIES RECORD - Falcons lead 50-45
LAST MEETING - Falcons beat Saints 45-32, Sept. 26
LAST WEEK - Saints beat Buccaneers 31-24; Falcons beat Panthers 33-16
AP PRO32 RANKING - Saints No. 19, Falcons No. 5
SAINTS OFFENSE - OVERALL (1), RUSH (18), PASS (1)
SAINTS DEFENSE - OVERALL (25), RUSH (12), PASS (30)
FALCONS OFFENSE - OVERALL (2), RUSH (7), PASS (3)
FALCONS DEFENSE - OVERALL (28), RUSH (14), PASS (32)
STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES - Falcons lead NFL in scoring and are second in total yards. Saints lead NFL in yards and rank second in scoring. ... Saints RB Mark Ingram (940) and Falcons RB Devonta Freeman (983) can reach 1,000 yards rushing. .. New Orleans QB Drew Brees leads NFL with 4,858 yards passing and is second with 35 TDs. ... Ingram has six TDs in last four games against Atlanta. ... WR Michael Thomas leads NFL rookies with 82 catches, 981 yards receiving. His eight TD catches are tied for lead among rookies. ... LB Craig Robertson has first career season with at least 100 tackles (107). ... Falcons can clinch first-round bye and No. 2 seed in NFC playoffs with win. ... QB Matt Ryan is only 6-10 against Saints. Ryan's first QB to throw TD passes to 13 receivers in season. ... Ryan has NFL-record 54 consecutive games with at least 200 yards passing, including 26 straight at home. ... Falcons have NFL-best 66 pass plays of at least 20 yards. ... LB/DE Vic Beasley's 14 + sacks lead league. Beasley also leads NFL with six forced fumbles. Fantasy Tip: Ryan, Freeman and WR Julio Jones should be safe plays with first-round bye at stake for Falcons.
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