FLOWERY BRANCH – Not that they meant to, but the NFL schedule-makers did the Falcons a big favor.
The team plays its biggest game of the season at the Saints on Monday night after 11 days off.
“It almost came at a perfect time,” linebacker Mike Peterson said of the respite. “There are a lot of teams out there that wish they could get a break like that. Anytime you get a little rest when it's late in the season is a big plus.”
The break gives the Falcons several advantages going into the critical matchup. They will have rest (both physical and mental), extra time to game-plan against their rival and the chance to spend the holidays at home.
The Falcons played twice in a five-day span last week, beating the Panthers and Jaguars. Following the 41-14 drubbing of the Jaguars last Thursday came a four-day break. Players returned Tuesday for a light workout and took another day off Wednesday before preparation for the Saints begins in earnest Thursday.
“It’s almost like an extra bye week,” safety Thomas DeCoud said. “We get some time to unplug again, get away from the game a little bit for a handful of days. It pays dividends. Our bodies are not used to being off a couple days and it kicks into recuperation mode.”
Any extra time off extra can only help, players said. Offensive tackle Tyson Clabo cautioned that a nagging injury that’s been bothering a player for 10 weeks isn’t going to completely heal in a few days off.
Now in Week 16, the Falcons may be as healthy as they have all season. Defensive backs Brent Grimes and Kelvin Hayden are expected to return from injuries sustained against the Saints. Defensive end John Abraham, coming off a 3 1/2-sack performance, said he is finally over a groin injury. The only major injury this season has been the loss of fullback Ovie Mughelli to a torn knee ligament.
“We’ve been very fortunate in terms of injuries, not only this season but last year as well,” coach Mike Smith said. “I think that has a lot to do with the way that our guys train with our athletic performance and our training staff. I think that they have a very good understanding of the rest-to-work ratio and we try to make sure our goal is to be as healthy as we can be at the end of the season.”
Over the second half of the season, the Falcons typically give established veterans Monday off from practice, most notably Abraham, center Todd McClure and tight end Tony Gonzalez.
McClure said the extra time to game-plan is the biggest advantage for the Falcons. The Saints have won four of the past five games. The past three games have all been decided by three points, two in overtime. Coaches and players often say a final outcome is determined by four or five plays over the course of a game.
“When we come in [to begin a week of practice] there is a lot of game-planning and learning the [opposing] defense and what they do,” McClure said. “I think there is more of a mental part of this game than people see. During the week we spend more time in the meeting rooms than we do out of the field.”
Adding to the magnitude of the game are the playoff implications. The Falcons (9-5) can still catch the Saints (11-3) for the NFC South title and have two remaining games to clinch a playoff berth.
All but two of this week’s NFL games will be played on Saturday (Christmas Eve). The Packers and Bears play Sunday night. The Falcons will be able to spend most of Christmas Day at home before flying to New Orleans late in the day.
The coaching staff distributed the entire season’s schedule before the year, Smith said. One benefit was to let players know early what to expect over the holidays.
“The rest was definitely appreciated and I think it will show up [on Monday],” McClure said.
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