The Atlanta Falcons are officially back on the right side of the win column after a rough start, recording their first victory of the season on Thursday against the Green Bay Packers, 35-14.
Now, they’ll look to keep things moving in a positive direction with another primetime road matchup, this time against the division rival New Orleans Saints. As the Falcons continue to find their identity under head coach Kevin Stefanski, here are three things to keep an eye on.
1. Can Michael Penix Jr. Maintain The Continuity The Falcons Need At QB?
Michael Penix Jr.’s return at quarterback was a breath of fresh air for Falcons fans, but how long will it last? Atlanta got a taste of especially bad play at signal-caller in the unexpected battle for QB1 after Penix and Tagovailoa were sidelined with injuries ahead of the season, which left the team to scramble and turn to Cooper Rush and Jack Strand, who both fell far short of the bar.
Penix has given reason for optimism after finishing his first performance of the season 18-of-25 for 256 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. But it’s important for Falcons fans not to get a sense of amnesia of what Penix has shown in the past, which is flashes of potential and short streaks of strong performance that are coupled with an even stronger problematic injury history and consistency issues that have seen him benched.
Penix maintaining continuity is crucial, and he’s got a chance to do that on Monday night.
2. Can The Falcons Make The Saints One-Dimensional, And Run With It?
The Saints will likely have to lean fully into the passing game, given their weakness in the run game, against a Falcons defense that has been stout against the run this season. In fact, the team has the NFL’s No. 1 rushing defense, allowing an average of just 47.7 rushing yards per game.
On the other side, the Falcons also have one of the NFL’s best running backs in Bijan Robinson. The Texas product currently ranks No. 2 in rushing yards per game (116.3), totaling 349 rushing yards and three total touchdowns, including one receiving score, on 66 carries.
If the Falcons feed Robinson all night and the Saints defense can’t adjust, things could get out of hand for New Orleans quickly, or the game could turn into a shootout between New Orleans’ strength through the air and Atlanta’s potential on the ground.
The Saints currently have the third-ranked passing offense, averaging 281.3 passing yards per game.
3. Will The Saints Defense Prove Better Than It Has Looked Against Atlanta?
The Saints aren’t the most impressive defensive unit in the league, allowing an average of 340.3 yards per game (20th in the NFL), but one thing to consider when looking at the numbers is that the team has opened the season by facing some of the NFL’s best scoring offenses. Specifically, the Saints have faced the No. 3, No. 4, and No. 7 scoring offenses in the NFL so far.
We’ll see if that changes at all against the Falcons, who average 17 points per game (28th in the NFL), on Monday evening. Of course, this number is skewed by subpar quarterback play in the first two weeks of the season and a breakout performance from Penix that followed.
Kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m. in Caesars Superdome.
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