Asking the current Golden Age Atlanta Falcons to reach back through franchise history for inspiration is a little bit like searching the sole cookie in a jar of pit vipers. But as the narrative of tonight's Saints / Falcons clash is focused almost solely on Drew Brees' "history," here's a little history lesson of Atlanta's own (AND athletic gear from the 1970s, which is always a bonus):
Lowest points allowed in NFL history is neat and all, but we've dug up this small bit of sunshine from the franchise' dark era to implore the 2011 Falcons to GET AT BREES LIKE GRITS WOULD (wait, that didn't work). The All-Pro quarterback was virtually untouched, throwing for 322 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.
"Nine in the box" might sound like a death wish against arguably the league's most accurate passer, but Atlanta should know this team well enough to establish an agressive blitz scheme that doesn't mortgage pass coverage. Falcons fans have been quick to compare this team's offensive awakening from a yearlong malaise to last year's Packers, but Green Bay benefitted from sudden dominance on both sides of the ball. Tonight's game couldn't give this defense a better opportunity for a statement.