Two NFC South Division rivals will share the primetime stage on Thanksgiving night as the New Orleans Saints (9-1) host the Atlanta Falcons (4-6).
The Saints are currently tied with the Los Angeles Rams for the best record in the NFC, but defeated the Rams, 45-35, three weeks ago. New Orleans is currently on a nine-game winning streak after losing its season opener to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 48-40.
Since then, the Saints have rolled with quarterback Drew Brees putting together an MVP-calliber season. Brees, who broke the NFL all-time passing yards record in October, leads all quarterbacks with a 126.9 passer rating, while also recording 2,964 yards, 25 touchdowns and one interception on 257 of 334 passing.
New Orleans extended its lead in the NFC South standings last week with a 48-7 rout of the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, which coincided with a 20-19 loss by the second-place Carolina Panthers.
The Falcons are in desperate need of a victory, having lost back-to-back games to the Cleveland Browns and Dallas Cowboys. However, Atlanta will be prepared to keep its slim playoff hopes alive against the rival Falcons.
"I think the opponent we're going against, the stage that it's on, makes it pretty easy to be able to turn around quickly and put this one behind us," quarterback Matt Ryan said.
Atlanta needs to win all six of its remaining games to have a change at making the playoffs this season. While the Green Bay Packers pulled off a similar feat two years ago -- reaching the NFC Championship Game and losing to the Falcons -- a 10-6 record won't guarantee a postseason berth, but it will be necessary.
"We've got to win," Matthews said. "We just have to prepare well this week. We aren't going to drink some magic potion and it's going to happen. We have to take what we do during the week and execute better during the game because we have a good game plan and have good things going at times. We just have to do it more consistently and finish more drives."
Here's the info you need to know for tonight's game.
Start time: 8:20 p.m. ET
TV channel: FOX and NFL Network
Live stream: fuboTV (free trial available)
Odds: Saints -13.0, 62.0 via Bovada
Prediction:
Saints 41, Atlanta 21
New Orleans is the most complete team in football right now and a totally different beast at home. Brees has been outstanding, especially considering how many people were ready to write him off as "over the hill." Alvin Kamara has been the best all-purpose back in football since his rookie debut and provides the perfect compliment to the veteran quarterback. Saints in a total blowout.
