Atlanta Falcons set to host New Orleans Saints – NFL Week 13 Preview
Atlanta Falcons are going to host their National Football Conference (NFC) South rivals New Orleans Saints in Week 13 game on Thursday, November 29, 2012, at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA.
Falcons, who are leading NFC South by winning 10 games, lost their first and only game of this season in Week 10 against Saints.
Saints quarterback Drew Brees scored three touchdowns and completed 21 of 32 passes for 298 yards. Brees has performed well throughout the season.
Saints have won five and lost six games and they stand at 3rd position in the division. They have still a few games left for proving themselves a better team.
Brees said:
"The margin for error is very slight right now. We've kind of used up our nine lives. So we've got to really bear down here and just understand what's at stake every time we step on the field."
Saints’ three-game winning streak was broken by San Francisco 49ers in Week 12 game. 49ers defeated them by 31-21.
Brees was sacked five times during the game. He completed 26 of 41 passes for 267 yards, scored three touchdowns and two interceptions. His quarterback rating was 33, which is his third lowest in the season.
His lowest quarterback rating was 24.2 in Week 12 game against Denver Broncos.
Saints defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is hopeful that team will improve performance by learning from their last defeat.
He said:
"We need to carry that into Atlanta because this is another good offense that we're facing and we don't have a lot of time to prepare."
On the other hand, Falcons won their last game against Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. It was a close game, Buccaneers lost by 23-24.
Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan completed 26 of 32 passes for 353 yards with one touchdown and an interception. His completion percentage was 81.3, his highest in this season.
He has performed well throughout the season. His quarterback rating is 75.4.
Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez was happy because what he said in the beginning of the season has come true.
He said:
"Ten and 1 is great, but I'll tell you what I've said since the beginning of the season: We're just jockeying for position. We just want to put ourselves in the best position, playing the best football."
Saints have to win a few more games for reaching playoffs, especially the one against their rivals Buccaneers which is scheduled in Week 15. Buccaneers are ranked 2nd in the division at 6-5.
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