New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons, 8:30, ESPN: Previews and live coverage right here of the closest thing we’ve had to an NFC South championship game in quite a while. It should be a monster game, with the Falcons needing a win to lock up home field, the Saints needing a win to clinch a playoff spot, and both fanbases hating each other’s team.
Hands-down the football game of the week, this game is evidence the NFL did a smart thing by taking a page from college football and basketball and packing the backend of the schedule with lots of division games. Falcons-Saints is always big, around our respective necks of the wood, but this time it’s a national story.
The Falcons don’t need a win to eventually get home field advantage, as a win the following week over the Carolina Panthers would keep the Birds home beyond the holidays. It would be nice to not need a win over Carolina, to sweep the Saints, and to let Michael Turner and a few others get two weeks of rest before playoff games begin.
Join The Falcoholic and Canal Street Chronicles for more on this game.