Sixteen Players to Watch: Falcons vs. Saints
The Falcons return to the Dome to face the NFC South division rival Saints in Week 12 for Thursday Night Football. Here is a look at players to watch for from both teams.
RB Antone Smith rushed twice for 88 yards and a touchdown against a very strong run defense in the Bucs. Will Smith continue to help an ailing Falcons run game?
CB Corey White will be starting in place of the injured Jabari Greer. This will be White's first start of the season, but he started four last year.
CB Desmond Trufant has started every game this season at right cornerback. He had 6 tackles and 2 pass breakups against the Saints.
DE Akiem Hicks sacked QB Colin Kaepernick in their Week 11 matchup. Can the Falcons offensive line prevent Hicks from reaching QB Matt Ryan?
WR Harry Douglas had six catches for 134-yards and a touchdown last week. How many times do you think Douglas will find the end zone on Thursday night?
DE Cameron Jordan has been a very effective pass rusher for the Saints this season. Will the Falcons be able to contain him?
DE Osi Umenyiora notched his third multi-sack game of the season vs. Tampa Bay. How many times will Osi get to Saints QB Drew Brees?
OLB Junior Galette sacked QB Colin Kaepernick and has been wreacking havoc with the rest of the Saints defense.
LB Paul Worrilow has been the driving force of the Falcons defense this season. Worrilow has registered 38 tackles over the past two games.
In Week 1, QB Drew Brees completed 26 of 35 passes for 357 yards and two scores. Can the Falcons defense force enough pressure on Brees so that his mistakes are plentiful?
When the Falcons played the Saints in Week 1, LB Sean Weatherspoon was effective during the fourth-quarter, as he forced a field goal after his tackle for a loss in the red zone.
RB Pierre Thomas was the lead rusher for the Saints in Week 11 with 11 carries for 49 yards. Will the Falcons be effective at stopping the run?
RB Steven Jackson rushed 11 times for 41 yards in last week's game. How many yards can Jackson pick up against the Saints?
When the Falcons and Saints met in Week 1, the Falcons held TE Jimmy Graham to 45 yards on four catches with one touchdown. What can the Falcons defense do to shut down a now healthy Graham?
TE Tony Gonzalez is fighting through a toe injury that he suffered during Week 11. Gonzalez has missed just two games in his 17-year career. If he is able to play, how effective will he be?
WR Marques Colston has been pretty solid for the Saints the past two weeks. Which Falcons corner do you think should cover Colston?
