We are finally here: the New Orleans Saints will play for the last time this season, and it will be against their most heated rival. The Saints enter this match against the Atlanta Falcons with momentum, but they will also face numerous obstacles.
Saints vs. Falcons: A High-Stakes Matchup Between Two Non-Playoff Teams
After their win against the Tennessee Titans last week, the Saints are on a four-game win streak, and their momentum coming into Week 18 is palpable. QB Tyler Shough is looking like a potential Offensive Rookie of the Year, HC Kellen Moore has improved every week, and the defense is outplaying their expectations. New Orleans is doing well to end the season, but this game is not going to be easy.
The Atlanta Falcons have their own momentum to be proud of as they enter this NFC South matchup. They are on a three-game win streak and just beat a potential Super Bowl favorite in the Los Angeles Rams. Their defense also looks extremely dangerous, and RB Bijan Robinson is having an excellent year. In PFSN’s RB Impact Metric, Robinson is fourth in rush yards (1445) and second in receiving yards (810) among all RBs.
New Orleans’ run defense has been a weakness all season, and when these two teams faced off in November, Robinson looked like a big-play waiting to happen on every play. This is going to be a significant matchup to watch.
Because the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won Saturday against the Carolina Panthers, the Saints need to win to keep the Buccaneers out of the playoffs. In the Saints’ case, this result also made third place the highest New Orleans can rise in the NFC South.
I mentioned it earlier, but with Shough’s ROTY case in mind, another good performance, this time against the 17th-best defense according to PFSN’s Defensive Impact Metric, could be the final statement needed to convince voters.
Final Prediction
For the millionth time this season, the Saints need to overcome way too much to get a victory, but this team is highly resilient. The partnership of Moore and Shough is leading this team to victories, and there is no way I am choosing the other team to win this game.
Final score: Saints win 35-32
