Atlanta Falcons: Does Brees have Saints poised to make a move?
FLOWERY BRANCH — The one constant for the New Orleans Saints through their “Bounty Gate” scandal has been the feisty leadership and fine play of quarterback Drew Brees.
The Saints lost their first four games of the season, but have won three of their past four and appear capable of climbing out of the third-place hole in the NFC South.
Brees and the Saints (3-5) would love nothing more than to knock off the undefeated Falcons (8-0) when the play at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
“We know what a challenge it will be,” Brees said. “It always is. These games are really close. It always comes down to a play here or there in the game and down to the wire in the fourth quarter. We know what to expect.”
This will be Brees’ first time facing the Falcons’ defense under the direction of Mike Nolan.
“He’s done a great job in conjunction with (coach) Mike Smith,” Brees said. “I think you see both of their styles in what they are doing. It’s a good blend of both.”
Nolan’s schemes and execution by the players has flustered some of the better quarterbacks in the league this season, including Denver’s Peyton Manning, San Diego’s Philip Rivers and Philadelphia’s Michael Vick.
Nolan is certain to have some tactical plans ready for Brees, a six-time Pro Bowler.
“Coach Nolan has always got something brewing,” safety William Moore said. “I’m sure he took a deep look at New Orleans a long time ago. We’ll have something special going on this week.”
Nolan considers Brees one of the better quarterbacks in red-zone performance.
“They’re No. 1 in the red zone, and I believe they were in the top 3, if not No. 1, when he was at San Diego,” Nolan said. “It says a lot about who’s pulling the trigger in how you good you are in the red zone.”
Nolan considers Brees to be in a class with Peyton Manning and New England’s Tom Brady.
“He makes everyone around him a better player, which is exactly what guys like Peyton and Tom do,” Nolan said. “They all make everyone around them very good. The stats all support everything he does. They’re No. 1 in a lot of things.”
Brees plans to be ready for Nolan’s attack.
“It’s obviously a good challenge for us even though it’s the same personnel, they are doing some new things that we have to be on top of,” Brees said. “We are studying away to make sure that we are prepared to play.”
The Saints lost their first four games, losing by eight to Washington (40-32), eight to Carolina (35-27) , three to Kansas City (27-24) and by one to Green Bay (28-27).
“We were just trying to find our identity a little bit,” Brees said. “Obviously, the slow start is not what we expected. It’s not what we had hoped for. … (We hoped that) we were going to kind of find ourselves and come together. I think we’ve done that here after over the last four weeks.”
With coach Sean Payton suspended, the Falcons haven’t noticed a major change in the Saints’ play-calling recently.
“Earlier in the year the play-calling may have been a little different,” said linebacker Mike Peterson, who’s set to make his second start for the injured Sean Weatherspoon. “That’s the aspect that Payton brought to that team, to be able to get in a good groove. I don’t think that the play-calling was the thing earlier, but they’ve got on track here lately.”
The Saints are trying to block out the scandal and the name of commissioner Roger Goodell.
“That’s a whole other story,” Brees said. “We’re focused on winning football games.”
Digging out of the slow start will be tough for Brees and the Saints.
“We have a little bit of a mountain to climb here,” Brees said. “We’re focused on the task at hand. We’re certainly not taking anything for granted. We put ourselves in this situation, but that’s OK because we can get ourselves out of it as long as we take that (one game at a time) approach.”
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76 comments Add your comment
to real
November 9th, 2012
12:03 am
Nobody as to get pumped up for dis game anit no love lost we cumin in dat dome and take tha top off of dat weak def I cant wait to beat dem down lets go
David Pierce
November 9th, 2012
1:15 am
Get ready Atlanta. Y’all are goin down come Sunday. Tha Who-dat nation lives on! GeauX $aint$!
atllaker1
November 9th, 2012
2:09 am
I only have one comment….9-0 WHO DAT!!!! the Falcons thats WHO DAT!!!!
John
November 9th, 2012
2:12 am
@to real-Are you a two year old? That horrible thing you shat onto the screen just made everyone on AJC dumber!
STONOGUY
November 9th, 2012
2:50 am
WHO DAT?…. WE DAT!….. GO FALCONS!!!!!
Singletary
November 9th, 2012
4:11 am
Beat down sounds really good, Too Real. Let’s follow that gameplan.
SawThat1nce
November 9th, 2012
5:54 am
What part of the Taints defense does Brees play on?
SawThat1nce
November 9th, 2012
6:41 am
The Taints have won three of their last four because;……..
The NFL officials called a BS penalty against the Chargers with 3 minutes left in the 3rd qt., on a play in which Brees had just thrown a pick 6, that would have put the Tainsts down 31 to 14.
The lackidazeical play of the Buccaneers(on one play in particular), combined with a ‘Catch-22′ rule of the NFL at the end of the game, that nullified a Bucs TD, that would have sent the game into OT.
A Eagles OLine, that dear ole granny could have strolled through using her walker. The Eagles were inside the Taints 20 yd line five times and came away with only 6 points total.
It would take an NFL officials ‘miracle’, for the taints to make the playoffs.
But, after seeing what happen in 2009, anything can happen in the NFL, I suppose.
SawThat1nce
November 9th, 2012
6:49 am
DOL, MV of the Eagles has a really bad OLine, but even so, I don’t think that he qualifies as one of the “better QBs in the NFL.”
Even with that lousy OLine, one of the better QBs in the league, could have scored more points in that last game against the taints, probably, or maybe.
SawThat1nce
November 9th, 2012
6:53 am
DOL……How come you can write the QB of the EAGles name, and the name of the team from New Orleans, on your blog, and you will not allow the commenters on your blog to do so?
Esquire
November 9th, 2012
7:46 am
David Pierce
November 9th, 2012
1:15 am
Get ready Atlanta. Y’all are goin down come Sunday. Tha Who-dat nation lives on! GeauX $aint$!
*******************************************************
Go Bleaux Dis
Esquire
November 9th, 2012
7:49 am
SawThat1nce
November 9th, 2012
6:53 am
DOL……How come you can write the QB of the EAGles name, and the name of the team from New Orleans, on your blog, and you will not allow the commenters on your blog to do so?
***********************************************
Are you seriously asking that question?
Cause it’s his blog.
tardawg
November 9th, 2012
8:40 am
This is going to be tough, no Spoon.
Jimmy Crack
November 9th, 2012
9:08 am
BREAK HIS LEGS!!!
I mean…Go Falcons!
lowdownjj
November 9th, 2012
9:53 am
This is a Falcons blog. I get sick of the lonely trolls so I LOVE WHATCHA DOING D-LED! Probably gonna take 30 pts to win this game. But against that Aint’s D we outta get er done. Sure will miss seeing Spoon flying around the field but I want him healthy 1st and foremost. In Smitty and TD I trust. RISE UP!
4BsihTneeS
November 9th, 2012
9:56 am
The SAINT S are going to expose the fal can’ts for the average team they are.
G EAUX SAINT S !!!!
lowdownjj
November 9th, 2012
9:57 am
And am I the only one that can’t get that dang video to play??
SawThat1nce
November 9th, 2012
10:06 am
Esquire…….Duh, no dodo Sherlock.
I don’t recall asking your Taint’s azz, anything.
4BsihTneeS
November 9th, 2012
10:10 am
Come Sunday night, there’s a couple of things that are going to be true, that aren’t true now.
The first one is academic: The fal can’ts won’t be undefeated. That’s a given.
The second thing will be that there will be plenty of open seats available on that fal can’ts bandwagon in atlanta. Cause everybody will be getting off.
Esquire
November 9th, 2012
10:18 am
Atlanta Falcons: Does Brees have aints poised to make a move?
Fact is Brees has been there only constant all year. Look at their offensive stats:
PTS 27.2 (8th) YDS 386.4 (5th) PASS YDS 305.4 (2nd) RUSH YDS 81.0 (29th)
It is difficult to measure the fact that Caints got 141 yards rushing against Philadelphia who up to then had been ranked 14th against the rush when we played them, now 16th. Our defense is ranked 25th against the Rush. If we can get some turnovers this will be a cakewalk. If we don’t look for that league ranking 5th in defensive points to move up from the present 17.9. Koetter needs to put the pedal down and play our offense wide open. Get Turner in a groove quickly and light up that play action.
Caints have given the ball up 11 times and taken it away 11 times. 0 differential.
Falcons have a +10 ratio.
Brees has 8 interceptions and a 95.8 QB rating. He’s been sacked 15 times this year. 24 times all of last season. I want to see Bierman in Brees face.
So far this year the Caints have lost the Time of Possession battle: 26:50 to Avg Opponents 34:14. Keep Brees off the field!!
In the Denver vs Caints game Denver rushed for 226 yards, Vilma had 3 tackles, Lofton 7 tackles, and 16 down field.
Does Brees have aints poised to make a move? If Falcons come out of Louisiana with their 1st loss look for the Caints to finish 3-4 losing to SF, Giants, Bucs, and Falcons in Atlanta.
If the Falcons want this one it’s theirs, if not next week vs a rested Arizona team is going to be a struggle as well.
Esquire
November 9th, 2012
10:23 am
SawThat1nce
November 9th, 2012
10:06 am
Esquire…….Duh, no dodo Sherlock.
I don’t recall asking your Taint’s azz, anything.
*******************************************
Lol…………..don’t get your panties all wadded up. Go Birds!!
aint hater
November 9th, 2012
10:29 am
4BsihTneeS….one loss isn’t going to stop the bandwagon (even though that’s not going to happen) and we would still be 4 games up on the sorry aints….
Jimmyraybillybob
November 9th, 2012
10:30 am
Let’s see…. through 8 games one of the worst defenses in the HISTORY of the NFL. Who dat gonna be 3-6 and outside looking in this year? Dem Aints!
4BsihTneeS
November 9th, 2012
10:42 am
@aint hater: But your loss on Sunday will confirm (bolded, italicized and underscored), what all the football world knows: your team is a fraud, and you’ll be one and done in the playoffs, again.
Hick
November 9th, 2012
10:47 am
Bolded ??? Did the LA school system teach you this word……yep, you’re an aint’s fan alright
Esquire
November 9th, 2012
10:49 am
@Peeshwanksrus
November 9th, 2012
10:10 am
The fal can’ts won’t be undefeated. That’s a given..
********************************
Given: defined, presented as a gift ……………..and little girl, that just ain’t gonna happen.
WE ARE THE MIGHTY MIGHTY FALCONS!!
Whadda Ya Know?
November 9th, 2012
11:11 am
As Brees goes, so does the Aints. Take him out of the equation and what do they have? Exactly…NOTHING. No secondary and with Brees on the run the entire game we will take this in the NO toilet bowl.
Dirtybird of Prey
November 9th, 2012
11:12 am
Who dat? Juuuliooooooooooo datz’ who……go Dirtybirdz, rise up cuz we 2 legit 2 quit.
Whadda Ya Know?
November 9th, 2012
11:16 am
4BsihTneeS how does that garbage you’re spewing tastes? Because that’s all it is…GARBAGE. We’ll make sure we help keep your team in the bowel of that $hit can you call a city. Who Dat? Falcons Dat…that’s who.
Whadda Ya Know?
November 9th, 2012
11:19 am
4BsihTneeS talk about frauds? We all see the frauds you all are without daddy Payton. You mean to tell me NONE of those so-called coaches are able to win without Payton calling the shots? Tell us how you’ll feel when Payton jumps ship to the Cowboys. LMAO!!! Back to the paper bags buddy.
D man
November 9th, 2012
11:20 am
Enter your comments hereTest
Esquire
November 9th, 2012
11:30 am
bolded
The word you’ve entered isn’t in the dictionary. Click on a spelling suggestion below or try again using the search bar above.
(There were no spelling suggestions)
TheAintsDefenseSuk
November 9th, 2012
11:32 am
4BsihTneeS
November 9th, 2012
10:10 am
Come Sunday night, there’s a couple of things that are going to be true, that aren’t true now.
The first one is academic: The fal can’ts won’t be undefeated. That’s a given.
The second thing will be that there will be plenty of open seats available on that fal can’ts bandwagon in atlanta. Cause everybody will be getting off.
____________________________
Dude….you were on N OLA. com just a few days ago writing to the rest of aints fans telling them that the aints has no chance of catching Atlanta. You also wrote that the aints should just tank the season so the can get the #1 daft pick. You flip flop more than a fish that is about to be fried.
WE DAT!!! G EAUX FALCONS!!!
TheAintsDefenseSuk
November 9th, 2012
11:36 am
@4BsihTneeS—–When you aints lose, are you going to go into hiding again?…….
1stn10
November 9th, 2012
12:21 pm
I think the REAL question is can the aints contain our offence. How can Brees overcome long sustained drives? If that happens and the aints try to score quickly to keep up their defense will tire very quickly. Can’t wait til Sunday, gonna be fun.
1stn10
November 9th, 2012
12:25 pm
If anyone actually believes the worst defense in the league, and in history as some say, is gonne “expose” the Falcons are stupid and have no clue what reality is and need to just shut up and move on.
warfalcon
November 9th, 2012
12:35 pm
Do any of the Falcon fans visit the aints bolg? Do they have one?
ONE GAME AT A TIME,NO DOUBT,LETS GO FALCONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ueeediot
November 9th, 2012
1:05 pm
The second thing will be that there will be plenty of open seats available on that fal can’ts bandwagon in atlanta. Cause everybody will be getting off.
************************************************************************
Oh No, its the dreaded 8-1 curse of the league. Oh My goodness. We should be so worried that we wont even make the playoffs now?
That last sentence reminded me to ask you to tell your mom I said Hi!
falconfanriseup
November 9th, 2012
1:18 pm
The Aint’s are going to get the business come Sunday. I smell a beat down Aint’s RISE UP!!!!!! 35Falcons-Aint’s 13
mark
November 9th, 2012
1:24 pm
Going to be a great game, Falcons need to be focused on offense. This is a game Matt needs to step up and show he is making the progress to the status of a Breese or Manning. I think the defense will be better than in the past at slowing Breese down even without Spoon. Although I would love to have Spoon on Graham.
Falcon Flyer
November 9th, 2012
1:31 pm
WHO DAT’S ARE THE WHO DON’T'S.
9-0 Falcons
November 9th, 2012
1:38 pm
After, the Atlanta Falcon’s, take care of those, NASTY AINT’S. Hope, Falcon’s players. STOMP ALL OVER THE AINT’S Midfield emblem. PAY BACK, IS IS BITCH.
Roger
November 9th, 2012
2:05 pm
I see a very close game with turnovers deciding the outcome.
If Matty has protection and protects the ball, Falcons win…But NOLA, as we know has plenty of weapons…I say ATL by a touchdown 35-28
Roger
November 9th, 2012
2:08 pm
wonder what became of realitycheck and this prediction:
realitycheck
July 13th, 2012
6:49 pm
Ryan is two years away from being someone’s backup. Being clumsy and slow footed are a couple of the main reasons why Ryan will never be elite, and it’s certainly possible he has already hit his ceiling. The same kool aid that was being passed around on these blogs last year is again being served and again I will let some dreamer or homer drink my glass just as they did last season!
4BsihTneeS
November 9th, 2012
2:12 pm
@TheAintsDefenseSuk: Are you slow-witted? I didn’t say that the Saint s would catch your team.
I usually just read but...
November 9th, 2012
2:37 pm
TAINT’s
taint complete losers
taint winners
They’re just taints
Living in that inbetween spot where all taint is found. NO soon to change their name to TAINTVILLE
TheAintsDefenseSuk
November 9th, 2012
2:49 pm
@4BsihTneeS—-slow down, take your time, and re-read the post…..LOL….dummy!!!
DirtyBirdinCali
November 9th, 2012
2:51 pm
http://m.espn.go.com/nfl/story?storyId=8606928
Who cares about Drew Brees, Matt Ryan is better!
DirtyBirdinCali
November 9th, 2012
2:53 pm
New screen name …. NewOrleans C’Aints
Falcon's Train
November 9th, 2012
2:55 pm
Were going to blow the lid off that SuperDump…see you on Bourbon.
TheAintsDefenseSuk
November 9th, 2012
3:08 pm
DirtyBirdinCali
November 9th, 2012
2:53 pm
New screen name …. NewOrleans C’Aints
______________
I like it!!!
Michael M.
November 9th, 2012
3:18 pm
Anybody think a 3-5 team has a good shot at beating an 8- 0 team is definately off their rockers ! ………………………………………………………………………………….
Answer This
November 9th, 2012
3:29 pm
@4BsihTneeS
One loss and then we stink? So what does that make that pile of dog$hit you call the Aints?
Answer This
November 9th, 2012
3:30 pm
I cant even believe you showing your face around here Seen……that crappy name spelled backwards, you should be so ashamed!
LOL at the Aints
November 9th, 2012
3:33 pm
Enter your comments here
mark
November 9th, 2012
3:45 pm
falcons 35 swamp trashers 21
Eric C.
November 9th, 2012
3:48 pm
DOL, i don’t know how many clean comments I’ve sent that got lost in the filter…what gives?
Eric C.
November 9th, 2012
3:49 pm
But meanwhile, cleverly diguised cuss words roll right through
GO Falcons..!!!
November 9th, 2012
4:06 pm
The Falcons are going to take a great Big $HIT on the ‘FEMA – Bounty Dome’.
Smitty…run up the score on these cheatin clowns the way Breezey did to the falcons last year.
LOL at the Aints
November 9th, 2012
4:22 pm
You cant say $aints on here but you can say Aints LOL
Lee
November 9th, 2012
5:08 pm
and how much $$$$$$$$ did it cost the Aints to win those 3 games?? lol funny how people are worshiping this team who apparently had to pay its defensive players to try to hurt quarterbacks to get them off the field to win. now that they got caught doing that and have to rely on their actual talent, we see they one of the worst defense’s in the history of football. yet, the media , ect are still worshiping these scumbags!!! And then they say say Falcons, who are unbeaten, haven’t beaten anybody!! funny when the AINTS beat Cowboys and Eagles- those two teams seems to all of a sudden be amazing team that couldn’t stand up to the “wrath” of the morons in the super dome!! well after Sunday, when the FALCONS beat those same moronic AINTS-us FALCONS fans will go on to say that we haven’t beat anyone yet!! right ?????? because the AINTS are not anyone!! so shut up and get ready to get ready to get beat!! there is not enough $$$$$$$$ to get you out of the @SS kicking your about to get!!! and media just think of the the kicking the morons are getting is for you too!! right Falcons fans???
aint hater
November 9th, 2012
5:52 pm
Sorry @4BsihTneeS… I had to go back to work. i know you Aints lovers aren’t use to that. Go FALCONS 9-0 Baby..
SawThat1nce
November 9th, 2012
5:57 pm
Eric C. ……….Apparently the name of the team from new orleans, and the name of the QB of the Eagles, are cuss words to D Orlando Ledbetter, when commenters try to use them on his blog.
SawThat1nce
November 9th, 2012
6:00 pm
The outcome of this game will probably depend on how many calls and noncalls, that the NFL zebras make in favor of the taints, as usual.
SawThat1nce
November 9th, 2012
6:02 pm
Although, the Falcons were able to overcome the calls and noncalls of the officials, that were in favor of the Eagles last week.
okeetee
November 9th, 2012
6:29 pm
If the Eagles got 450 yards offense on the ain’ts what do you think Matt Ryan is going to do to them? I can see Breez throwing a couple of touchdowns on our secondary…..but I see the final score at 35-30. Falcons, of course!
hiramsaint
November 9th, 2012
6:32 pm
well i know they made a movement on the failclown logo at the ga.tent so maybe so !
Mikey
November 9th, 2012
6:51 pm
Breeze is one of the best QBs in the NFL. They have one of the best running back committees in the NFL. They have a decent O-Line and a whole bunch of receivers that have sticky hands and lots of speed. Their defense has put up bad numbers so far but it is improving weekly. I am not counting on their weaknesses to deliver a win to our Falcons. I am counting on excellent coaching and excellent execution in all three phases of the game by our Falcons. Our Falcons have been consistently good and they have held up extremely well under pressure. They are learning and getting continuously better every week. This is their week to shine against an arch-rival in their own dome! I hope to see a tenacious defense, and above all a DOMINATING offense! GO FALCONS! YOU ARE RISING UP!
Mora less Petrino
November 10th, 2012
3:05 am
The only team that can beat the Falcons this Sunday is the Falcons. The team with the lily flower on their helmets has no way to stop the ATL offense. Look for the Birds to score 40 to 50+ points and have 600 to 700 yards of offense, plus return yards. This could be close the 62-7 Falcons blowout of NO in 1973.
dawg4life
November 10th, 2012
9:31 am
Mikey, Brees is statistically one of the best QB’s, but he is on the decline. Sproles is hurt, and the Taints have the worst def. in NFL history. So lets look at the head to head matchups:
QB- Adv Falcons (this year)
WR- Adv Falcons
TE- Adv Falcons
OL- Adv Falcons
RB- wash
DEF- not even close Adv Falcons
Head Coach- Don’t know if the Taints even have one… Adv Falcons
The only adv the Taints have is that it is in NO, the armpit of America…. Maybe the Falcons are distracted by the smell of human fesces coming from the streets, and inside the stadium. What a dump….
dawg4life
November 10th, 2012
9:43 am
4BsihTneeS- Sooooo, if the Falcons are a fraud, then how does it feel to be beat by the team that the Falcons smoked????? Face it man, NO stinks, they are crooked, the head coach will jump ship for Dallas, and you will continue to be what you really are, a perennial 6-10 team. So take your Hurricane Katrina transplant hind parts back to NO. You are raising Ga’s unemployment rate and, quite frankly, I am tired of my tax dollars going to pay for your Obama phone, health care, and food stamps. Maybe the Taints should have been paying to help to rebuild the cess pool that is NO, instead of paying to cheat…
blove
November 10th, 2012
10:14 am
U garbage @$$ ALT fans . Ur teams is what it is ! A bunch of frauds
City frauds whole dam state frauds !
Stepchild
November 10th, 2012
12:20 pm
Never will there be a more impactful statement game. This is an opportunity to take the torch and run with it. Let’s get it done.
Yorker
November 10th, 2012
12:45 pm
Falcons by 17 easy.
TONYT203
November 10th, 2012
11:20 pm
How is that Curtis Lofton signing, working out? Really helped that defense. He’s making a lot of tackles. Too bad they’re all downfield. Second coming of Keith Brookings.
Fraudbuster
November 11th, 2012
7:35 pm
lol! The score doesn’t even reflect the actual physical whoopin the birds took today. Beaten by a team with no coach, No defense.How could you dreamers even possibly be thinking playoffs. I’d love to know what your Defensive line is ranked….they looked like a bunch of little girls against Ivory, a running back that we wouldn’t even let see the ball through the first 7 games. All I have to say is SHHHHHHHH !!!! Expect to see the same from every team you play from here on out this season. You Have Been Outed!!!