NFL 2015 Week 6 Thursday Game Preview: Falcons at Saints

Week 6 of the 2015 NFL season will start with an NFC South division clash between the undefeated Atlanta Falcons (5-0) and the struggling New Orleans Saints (1-4) at the Superdome in New Orleans.

But don't let their current records fool you, as 10 of the previous 13 matchups between the Falcons and Saints have been decided by one score.

Atlanta improved to 5-0 with a 25-19 overtime win against Washington last week.

“Being 5-0 is just a real clear demonstration of how hard the guys all want to play for one another,” said Falcons head coach Dan Quinn. “We try to stay in the present moment as often as we can so we’ll get right back to work. I think it shows a lot of the character and the toughness of the men in the room. We feel like we’ve got a long way to go in terms of how good we’ll get. It’s still early and we recognize that.”

The Falcons, who trailed in the fourth quarter against the Redskins, became the first team in NFL history to start 5-0 with four of those wins coming when trailing at some point in the fourth quarter.

“I thought this was a really clear demonstration of our determination, grit, and mindset to finish,” said Quinn. “All around there were plays offensively, defensively and on special teams that we made. There is a lot to take and learn from and we can continue to get better.”

Atlanta running back Devonta Freeman had another great game, rushing for 153 yards and a touchdown in his third career start. Freeman, who previously rushed for six touchdowns in his first two career starts, is the first player in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) to rush for at least seven touchdowns in his first three starts to begin a career.

Entering Week 6, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan looks to continue his success on Thursdays. Ryan has a 4-1 career record as a starter on Thursdays. Ryan has 10 touchdown passes on Thursdays, tied with Aaron Rodgers for the most in the NFC since 2010.

“We’ll be on top of our game plan heading into Thursday night,” said Ryan about facing the Saints.

New Orleans, meanwhile, enters Week 6 following a 39-17 loss at Philadelphia.

“We need to keep fighting and stay within ourselves,” said speedy New Orleans wide receiver Brandin Cooks, who had five receptions for 107 yards and a touchdown against Philadelphia. “We need to get back to work tomorrow. It is a short turnaround but we all have to go through it. We need to go home, fix the mistakes and get a win on Thursday against Atlanta.”

The Saints enter Week 6 having won six of their past 10 games against the Falcons. New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees has been banged up this season, but during his tenure with the Saints, he has won seven of his nine starts at home against Atlanta.

Since joining New Orleans in 2006, Brees has led the Saints to a 25-11 (.694) record in regular season primetime games (any game that starts 7:00 PM or later on the East Coast), the third-best record of any team during that span. With a win on Thursday night, New Orleans can tie the New England Patriots (26) for the second-most wins in primetime since 2006.

Brees has 87 touchdown passes during primetime games, trailing only Peyton Manning (106) for the most during that span. His 11,090 passing yards are also the fourth-most on primetime since 2006.

He better bring his "A" game because the Falcons' defenders are primed and ready.

"The game is not over until it’s over,” said Atlanta cornerback Robert Alford, who returned an interception 59 yards for the game-winning touchdown in the team’s overtime victory over Washington. “This team that we have and the coaches that we have, we are always going to grind until the end.”

INJURY REPORT – FALCONS AT SAINTS

ATLANTA FALCONS 

OUT
LB Justin Durant (elbow), C Mike Person (ankle)

PROBABLE
RB Devonta Freeman (toe), WR Leonard Hankerson (ribs), WR Julio Jones (toe, hamstring)

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

OUT
G Tim Lelito (shoulder), P Thomas Morstead (right quadricep), CB Damian Swann (concussion)

DOUBTFUL
T Terron Armstead (knee), WR Marques Colston (shoulder)

QUESTIONABLE
DE Bobby Richardson (hip)

PROBABLE
S Jairus Byrd (knee), G Jahri Evans (knee), DT John Jenkins (elbow), CB Keenan Lewis (hip)


By Staff of TheDailySportsHerald.com and news services