Falcons Beat Ravens; Saints Still Looking Up In NFC South
By Keith Null
Most of the Saints coaching staff and players were no doubt very interested in the outcome of the Falcons game against the Ravens last Thursday night, and while neither coach nor player would have ever admitted it everyone was hoping for a Ravens blowout.
The result however was not a Ravens blowout but a Falcons win, 26-21.
Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan made it look easy connecting on 32 of 50 passes for 350 yards and three touchdowns embarrassing the Ravens ninth ranked pass defense.
Ryan’s favorite target was, in usual fashion, receiver Roddy White who hauled in twelve passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns including the game winning touchdown grab in the waining moments of the fourth quarter.
White was not called for pass interference on the play whe he appeared to push off on Ravens defender
Josh Wilson, but there was no flag, and he cruised into the end zone with no one around.
That play of course proved to be too much for the Ravens to overcome.
The Falcons beat the Saints in week three after kicker Garrett Hartley missed a chip shot field goal and the no call against White gifts Atlanta yet another win.
New Orleans entered their bye-week on an impressive two game win streak beating the Steelers and Panthers, to get to 6-3 overall, which put them half a game back from Atlanta.
At a lucky 7-2 the Falcons have now increased their lead to one game over the defending Super Bowl champs and while they may be looking up at the a Falcons it’s the Saints that are continuing to look stronger and stronger week in and week out.
Everyone is now hailing the Falcons as the best team in the NFC after the Giants shocking loss to the Dallas Cowboys and anaysts seem to think they will secure home field advantage in the play-offs.
What about the Saints? What about Atlanta’s upcoming four NFC south games?
Needless to say there is still allot of season left for Atlanta and the Saints both, it hasn’t already been decided. The Saints are in charge of their own destiny and if they have any say in it aren’t going to let Atlanta run away with the division without a fight.
December 27th.
Mark it on your calendars as the Falcons will play host to the Saints in what is shaping up to the game that decides who the next NFC South champion will be.
Check out Keith Null’s weekly article about the Saints on NFL.com by clicking here.
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