Saints vs. Falcons Pregame Report - Week 1

A look at how to watch and follow all the Saints action for their season opener on the road against the Falcons.

Author:
John Hendrix
Publish date:
Sep 11, 2022 7:55 AM EDT

In this story:

We're finally here, folks. Early kickoffs on Sunday give us nine games of NFL action. The Saints are in Atlanta to take on the Falcons inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Everyone hopefully understands the rivalry aspect of these two NFC South teams, as neither team likes each other, and that goes back a ways and has a ton of stuff in their series history. That's a good story for another day, however. Here's all the information you need to know going into Week 1.

All-Time Series: The Falcons lead the all-time regular season series 53-52, and also have one postseason win over the Saints from 1991. New Orleans has won four out of the past five.

Where to Watch: FOX (12:00 p.m. CT), Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma, Shannon Spake (field reporter)

Where to Stream: FuboTV (Start Your Free Trial Here), Saints App, FOX Sports Go

Where to Listen: WWL Radio locally (105.3FM) with Mike Hoss, Deuce McAllister, and Steve Geller (sideline reporter); SIRIUS: 106 (NO), 113 (ATL) | XM: 384 (NO), 225 (ATL)

Referee: Alex Kemp

Current Lines: Saints -5.5 (O/U at 45)

Jersey Combo: White Jerseys, White Pants

Last 5 Matchups

1/9/22 - Saints 30, Falcons 20
11/7/21 - Falcons 27, Saints 25
12/6/20 - Saints 21, Falcons 16
11/22/20 - Saints 24, Falcons 9
11/28/19 - Saints 26, Falcons 18

Broadcast Map (via 506sports): The projected broadcast is in green, with most of the viewing area getting the 49ers at Bears.

Saints-Falcons projected in Green
506sports.com

Saints Storylines

MICHAEL THOMAS: He made the trip and was limited at practice all week with a hamstring injury, but he's going to play. After seeing him in person all week, he looks good and determined. This will be a huge milestone for Thomas, and expect him to get some targets and touches in this one as he looks to put together a strong campaign.

TYRANN MATHIEU: He also made the trip and looks to play in this game after popping up on the injury report on Friday due to illness. The Saints defense is only missing Paulson Adebo, who was ruled out due to an ankle injury. Mathieu's impact should be felt immediately, and the product on the field will be fun to watch.

DENNIS ALLEN AT THE HELM: It's not his first game as a head coach, but certainly he takes center stage for this new era of Saints football. Not knowing what to expect is actually pretty exciting when you think about it. Allen is surrounded by a strong group of coaches who will make his job a lot easier. The team will certainly be battle-tested, but the optimism is there.

JAMEIS WINSTON: Did you know that this is the first time Jameis Winston plays against the Falcons since 2019? Obviously, he was hurt last year, and the previous seasons in 2020 and 2021 did not see him play. He's 4-5 against them in his career, with his last win coming in Week 11 of the 2019 season. How the Saints finish this year is going to depend heavily on No. 2, and he looks ready to deliver.