FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Falcons and Saints will meet for the 110th time on Sunday, the latest game in a rivalry that first began in 1967. At the time the football team from Atlanta first played the football team from New Orleans, a typical fall evening might involve seeing "Bonnie and Clyde" in theaters before firing up "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" on the vinyl player back home.
All of that to say, this rivalry has been happening for a long time. And it's been competitive every step of the way. Few matchups exemplify throw the records out better than this one. Need convincing? The Saints lead the series by the smallest of margins, owning a 55-54 record against the Falcons.
Atlanta can pull even on Sunday, though, and — more importantly — get an early lead in the division. With that on the line, the Falcons are sure to be laser-focused on their opponents all week long, which gives our editorial team the perfect chance to share the Saints player who has their undivided attention.
McELHANEY: OK, I am bending the rules a little bit. Instead of choosing one Saints player, I am picking an entire position group, because you can't talk about the Saints early-season success without talking about the offensive line.
The Saints offense has been rolling in 2024. OK. Maybe not in their most recent loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, but two out of three ain't bad. And the Saints offense has played more good quarters than they have bad, putting up 44 points in two of their first three games of the season. That offensive performance begins and ends with the offensive line.
In the pass game, quarterback Derek Carr has had ample time to connect with his receivers. In the first two games of the season, Carr threw for 200 or more yards in both Saints' victories while tossing five touchdowns and only one interception. His pockets have been kept pretty clean, too, over the course of three games as he's only being sacked three times, once per game. According to TruMedia, the Saints' quarterback sack rate is just 4.4%, which is No. 6 in the league. However, the Saints are No. 7 in blitzes faced per dropback, so they are holding up very well under pressure.
In the run game, well, running back Alvin Kamara has been a nuisance. As I know Amna will point out in her section, Kamara's start to the season has been a good one. He is top-5 in the league in total rushing yards and yards per game average. Kamara will be the first to say the push the offensive line is giving him up front and the lanes they are able to create are keys to his early success running the football.
However, another reason my eyes are on this group is because they will be missing a key cog in the wheel. It was reported that Pro Bowl center Erik McCoy will undergo a surgery to his groin that will keep him off the field for six to eight weeks. As NOLA.com columnist Rod Walker noted this week, losing McCoy — "who was the glue that held the Saints offensive line together" — is a major blow. How much does his vacancy change the Saints plan of attack up front, if it does so at all?
McFADDEN: The Saints have the ability to be multifaceted on offense in a way many teams would kill to be, but Rashid Shaheed is the home-run threat of the bunch.
A lot has been working for New Orleans' offense so far in 2024, and Shaheed is perhaps the most dangerous component. Heck, he might be one of the biggest x-factors in the league.
Shaheed has just seven catches this season, but he's gained 169 yards for an insane 24.1 average. He has scored touchdowns of 59 and 70 yards, and those two catches tie him for the league lead in receptions of 50-plus yards.
Fortunately, the Falcons have to look no further than Shaheed's last game to get an idea of how to keep him contained. Shaheed's five targets were second-most on the team, but he couldn't haul any in and finished with zero catches. Still, he and Derek Carr nearly connected on a couple of touchdowns, so it's clear there is a connection there.
Atlanta did a good job containing Kansas City speedster Xavier Worthy by providing some safety bracket help and generally taking away the downfield looks. I'd expect a similar plan against Shaheed.
WAACK: Cornerback Tyrann Mathieu.
A lot of the excitement surrounding the Saints right now is due to their offense, which is second in points scored and tied for ninth in yards accumulated. Quarterback Derek Carr seems to have found his footing in New Orleans after a rocky first season.
Mathieu, though, has already caused three turnovers this season. He forced and recovered a fumble in the Saints' Week 1 win over the Carolina Panthers, had an interception in the Week 2 win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2 and made another pick in the Week 3 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3. He's the only player in the NFL right now who has an interception, forced fumble and fumble recovery on his 2024 resume.
His stat line gets better, or worse at least for the Falcons, too. Mathieu's turnover streak actually dates back to the 2023 season, when he intercepted former Falcons quarterback Logan Woodside in the Saints' Week 18 win. So, that's four games in a row with a takeaway. According to columnist Rod Walker from The Times-Picayune in New Orleans, that's the first time in Matheiu's career he has done so.
The Honey Badger is eating, and that's not good for the Falcons, who have four offensive turnovers through three games. Quarterback Kirk Cousins has thrown three interceptions — two in Atlanta's Week 1 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and a third in the Week 3 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, which came off a tipped pass. Center Drew Dalman lost a fumbled snap against the Steelers.
As this Falcons offense continues to establish its identity, Mathieu could be a problem in Week 4.
Also, an honorable mention goes to another Saints cornerback in Alontae Taylor, who has a team-high 3.5 sacks. Another possible problem, considering the Falcons are down one starting offensive lineman with center Drew Dalman going on injured reserve Tuesday. Cousins has only been sacked five times, which ties the Falcons for eighth.
SUBHAN: Every time the Saints' offense takes the field, a lot of eyes will be on Alvin Kamara, especially mine. Through three games in the 2024 season, Kamara looks like the player who made five Pro Bowls.
Kamara made the Pro Bowl every season from his rookie year in 2017 to 2021. He's had productive seasons in the last two seasons, but this year appears to be a level above that.
The running back already has five touchdowns heading into Week 4, which is just one shy of his total from last season. That marker is tied for the league lead so far in 2024. He's also fourth in total rushing yards and yards per game while on track to surpass his total receiving yards of the last three seasons.
The Falcons had some success containing the league's leading rusher Saquon Barkley in Week 2 facing the Philadelphia Eagles. Barkley had the lowest output of the early season with 95 rushing yards and no touchdowns — he's had a pair in his other two outings — against the Falcons defensive front. Overall, the Falcons are No. 27 in rushing yards allowed per game so far, but they are No. 9 in rushing yards allowed per play.
Once again, the Falcons will face one of the best running backs in the NFL. Taking Kamara out of the equation should be key for Atlanta in this big divisional matchup.
