Photo by Stephen Lew/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Thursday Night Football, Thanksgiving Day edition. Tonight the 3-8 Atlanta Falcons play host to the 9-2 New Orleans Saints.
On paper this game looks like a complete mismatch. The Falcons have had a disastrous season and are missing most of their best weapons on offense. Julio Jones is banged up and is a game time decision. Mohamed Sanu is gone to the New England Patriots via trade. Tevin Coleman is gone via free agency. Austin Hooper is out with an injury. Devonta Freeman is banged up and having a down year. Matt Ryan is turning the ball over too much. On paper this Falcons team is a mess.
Meanwhile, the New Orleans Saints are a juggernaut. They have a future Hall of Fame quarterback in Drew Brees, one of the best running backs in the NFL in Alvin Kamara, one of the best wide receivers in the NFL in Michael Thomas, and one of the better defenses in the NFL. This Saints team is so deep and well balanced that they barely missed Brees when he was out for several games with an injury. Winners of eight of their last nine games, the Saints are one of the favorites to hoist the Lombardi Trophy in February.
This looks like a complete mismatch, except ... these two teams met just 18 days ago, and the Falcons absolutely annihilated the Saints, in New Orleans, 26 - 9. It was one of the most stunning upsets of the season. And it illustrates the fact that in divisional rivalry games, anything can happen. The Falcons stink. The Saints are great. Yet the Falcons destroyed the Saints in the the Saints home building a few weeks ago. Maybe, just maybe, they can pull off an encore in the friendly confines of their home field.
It’s the Falcons and the Saints in an NFC South rivalry game on Thanksgiving night. Enjoy the game everybody.
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