The Atlanta Falcons aim to set the record straight against the New Orleans Saints on Monday night at the Superdome in New Orleans.
After losing both games to New Orleans last season, Atlanta will be hoping to return to winning ways against their bitter rivals in a game with plenty of history behind it.
Injury Report
Atlanta Falcons: Dan Quinn's men head into New Orleans fresh off a big win against the Oakland Raiders in Week 2. Julio Jones starred in the win in Oakland but did not finish the game, limping off with a calf injury. Jones was limited in practice on Friday but told media he expects to play on Monday night.
Rookie LB DeVondre Campbell will miss out on his second straight game through an ankle injury while Paul Worrilow is also out, recovering from groin surgery. First round pick Keanu Neal was a full participant in practice on Friday and is expected to feature in his first official game after missing the first two weeks due to knee surgery.
Brooks Reed is expected to return to action after missing last week, while Mohamed Sanu and Grady Jarrett should be ready to go.
New Orleans Saints: The Saints have been bitten by the injury bug this season and things still look dark heading into their Week 3 matchup against Atlanta. Still searching for their first win of the season, the city of New Orleans would love if it came against a rival.
Delvin Breaux, the team's best corner, is out with a broken fibula and could be a huge miss as the Saints try to cover Julio Jones. Drew Brees' safety blanket on the offensive line, Terron Armstead, has also been ruled out with a knee injury.
With the Saints missing two indispensable players, they'll need everyone else at 100% but defensive end Cameron Jordan and wide receiver Willie Snead were limited in practice and are questionable. Linebacker Dannell Ellerbe is also questionable with a quadricep injury.
Ten Years On...
The Saints and Falcons have plenty of history between them and that history will be added to on Monday night due to the anniversary of the Superdome reopening.
On September 25th, 2006, the Saints reopened their stadium after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and hosted the Atlanta Falcons. Steve Gleason's blocked punt on the fourth play of the game led to the Saints first touchdown of the night and catapulted the city into celebration. New Orleans went on to win 23-3 on that Monday night and ten years later, the two meet again at the Superdome, once again on a Monday.
The Saints beat Atlanta both times last season but the Falcons lead the all-time series 48-45.
Matt Ryan currently leads the NFL in average QB rating, 121.4, and yards per game, 365.
What to Watch For
Drew Brees - Falcons Defense: Brees is 15-5 with the Saints, against Atlanta, and has thrown for 6,421 yards in those 20 meetings. Accompanying the yardage, Brees has 38 touchdowns and 22 interceptions, meaning he enjoys playing against the division rivals. Brees continues to drag New Orleans through games and could do the same thing on Monday night in what could be a shootout.
Julio Jones - Saints Secondary: Jones has proven time and time again that he can dominate any corner that opposes him. New Orleans are without star corner Delvin Breaux on Monday night and will be scrambling to find a plan to cover Julio Jones. With 172 yards and two TDs through two weeks, Jones might be in for a big night unless the Saints can figure out a way to stop him.
Falcons Pass Rush - Saints Offensive Line: A bad pass rush against a bad offensive line is bound to give us some entertainment and with New Orleans missing their most important pass protector, the Falcons may just be able to put pressure on Drew Brees.