Kevin Stefanski Details Falcons Preparation for Saints

The Atlanta Falcons have extra time to prepare for Monday night's matchup with the New Orleans Saints, but Kevin Stefanski knows the additional days can be both an advantage and a challenge.

With Atlanta moving from a short week into a longer week, the Falcons have more time to study a familiar NFC South opponent. Stefanski said Thursday essentially served as the team's version of Wednesday, with the coaching staff beginning its detailed preparation for New Orleans.

“It’s first and second down, where we even get to know our opponent and really study our opponents,” Stefanski said.

The familiarity between division opponents can help, but Stefanski stressed that Atlanta cannot simply assume the Saints will look the same as they have in previous meetings.

“There’s a lot of similarities from previous seasons, and you can look at scheme and players from previous seasons, but you also have to expect the unexpected in all these games,” Stefanski said.

Preparing for the Saints' Defense

The Saints' defensive versatility will be a major part of Atlanta's offensive preparation.

According to Next Gen Stats, New Orleans has blitzed on 30.8 percent of opposing dropbacks this season, below the NFL average of 32.3 percent. When the Saints do blitz, they have generated a 41.7 percent pressure rate, compared with 33.3 percent when sending four or fewer pass rushers.

That creates an interesting matchup against an Atlanta offensive line that has allowed pressure on only 25.6 percent of dropbacks, the second-lowest rate in the NFL. Against the blitz, the Falcons' pressure rate allowed drops to 21.2 percent, the lowest mark in the league.

Atlanta has also been getting the ball out quickly against pressure. Falcons quarterbacks have thrown passes in under 2.5 seconds on 58.6 percent of attempts against the blitz, the fourth-highest rate in the NFL, while averaging 2.44 seconds to throw.

Michael Penix Jr. was particularly efficient with his decision-making in his season debut against Green Bay. He faced a blitz on 10 of 25 dropbacks and was pressured just once, while averaging 2.09 seconds to throw. Six of his 10 attempts against the blitz came in under 2.5 seconds.

Stefanski said the Falcons' approach to the Saints' defense will ultimately depend on what New Orleans presents.

“Coach Staley does an outstanding job with his defense and has always done that,” Stefanski said. “He’s done a great job of limiting explosives.”

Stefanski also pointed to the number of different looks the Saints present.

“They can play any coverage. They can get into one high, they can get into two high. They can pressure you from all areas,” Stefanski said.

That means Atlanta will have to be prepared for New Orleans to change its approach from play to play rather than simply preparing for one defensive structure.

Saints Offense Creates Its Own Challenge

The preparation isn't limited to what the Falcons will see defensively. Stefanski also discussed the challenge of preparing his defense for a Saints offense that can operate at different tempos and attack in different ways.

“I think they do a great job on their offensive attack and just the different ways they, in tempo, at a tempo, huddle, you know, there’s so many things that they do in their offense,” Stefanski said.

For Atlanta's defense, the emphasis will be on communication.

“The challenge with defending this attack is having all 11 guys on the same page,” Stefanski said.

The Saints are averaging 382.7 yards per game offensively, including 281.3 passing yards per game, making communication particularly important for an Atlanta defense preparing for Monday night's matchup.

Don't Overcomplicate the Game Plan

Despite having additional preparation time, Stefanski doesn't want the Falcons to mistake more time for an opportunity to overload the game plan.

“You really do have to guard against doing too much as a coach,” Stefanski said.

The goal is to use the extra time to help build on your strengths.

“You have to really make sure that you’re focused on things that your players can execute,” Stefanski said.

That philosophy applies to both sides of the ball. Atlanta has more time to study the Saints' pressure packages, coverage variations, and offensive tendencies. Stefanski wants that preparation distilled into a plan for Monday night.

For the Falcons, the extended week provides an opportunity to dive deeper into a familiar divisional opponent. The challenge now is turning that preparation into clear, disciplined execution when the teams meet Monday night.

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