The insanely fun site, WhatIfSports, has released their predictions for the NFL's Week 3 slate of games. Included in the mix is, of course, the game of the week, Atlanta at New Orleans. Before we get to the expected outcome, let's review how their crystal ball works.
Every week WhatIfSports.com simulates thousands of NFL games. This week the New Orleans Saints win 75.9% of the time by an average score of 28.2-18.1. The stats in the box score below represent the average outcomes of those simulations.
The Result:
The Falcons won the simulation just under a fourth of the time. Despite my Falcons' bias, that seems about right. Like Jason Kirk before me, I have my fair share of vehement hate towards the fleur-de-lis but they are the Super Bowl champions. Playing at home. And undefeated. No computer simulation would pick the Falcons facing those odds.
We'll continue to track the predictions - computer and human - for this game as the week progresses. Will anyone in the national media be brave enough to pick the Falcons?