In the Falcons’ 20-17 win over the Saints on Dec. 7, the defense might have played its best game of the season.
The Falcons held the high-flying Saints to season lows in total yards (306), points (17) and rushing yards (50). The rematch with the league’s No. 1 offense is 1 p.m. Sunday at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
If the Falcons win, they clinch a playoff berth and have a chance to play for the NFC South title the following week.
The Saints lead the league in total offense at 401.5 yards per game. The Falcons’ defense gives up 323.6 yards per game, which ranks ninth in the league.
The Falcons’ offense helped out by dominating the time of possession – 34:41 to 25:19 – in the last meeting.
“We know that we have to tackle well against those guys,” Falcons defensive coordinator Marquand Manuel said. “Out in the open field you still have to be good. (Running back Alvin) Kamara is back and (we) understand that they like to get the ball in his hands in different positions. Again, it goes back to being able to tackle in the open field.”
Manuel noted that the Saints run a variety of screen plays and that they average 10 screen passes a game. In the last meeting, the Saints ran seven screen passes.
“We have to stop their screen game,” Manuel said. “They do it out of multiple personnel groupings. Every personnel grouping that we have on the field we have to be ready to play out in the open field and at the tempo that they go at.”
