The Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS (12-6) at ATLANTA (4-12)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, Fox
OPENING LINE — Saints by 1 1/2
RECORD VS. SPREAD — Saints 9-7-2, Falcons 7-9-0
SERIES RECORD — Falcons lead 47-43
LAST MEETING — Saints beat Falcons 17-13, Nov. 21, 2013
AP PRO32 RANKING — Saints No. 5, Falcons No. 20
SAINTS OFFENSE — OVERALL (4), RUSH (25), PASS (2)
SAINTS DEFENSE — OVERALL (4), RUSH (19), PASS (2)
FALCONS OFFENSE — OVERALL (14), RUSH (32), PASS (7)
FALCONS DEFENSE — OVERALL (27), RUSH (31), PASS (21)
STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES — Saints have won 13 of past 16 meetings against Falcons. … Nine of past 12 games between teams have been decided by eight points or fewer. … Atlanta QB Matt Ryan was sacked career-high 44 times last season. … Falcons have two new starters on beleaguered offensive line: LT Jake Matthews, the No. 6 overall draft pick, and RG Jon Asamoah. … Saints DE Cam Jordan and OLB Junior Galette combined for 24½ sacks, while massive DT Akiem Hicks had 4½ sacks and 56 tackles while constantly being double-teamed. … Atlanta’s Roddy White had an NFC-leading 43 catches for 502 yards and two touchdowns in December after being hobbled by a sprained ankle much of the season. … Saints’ biggest move in free agency was signing Pro Bowl S Jairus Byrd, who had 22 interceptions and twice led AFC in that category during five seasons with Buffalo. … Falcons RB Steven Jackson had a career-low 543 yards rushing in 2013 after eight straight 1,000-yard seasons. He didn’t play at all in preseason while nursing a hamstring injury. … New Orleans TE Jimmy Graham has 270 receptions for 3,507 yards and 36 TDs over the past three seasons. … Atlanta’s replacement for retired TE Tony Gonzalez is second-year player Levine Toilolo, who had 11 catches for 55 yards and two TDs as a rookie.
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