Former Atlanta QB, current NFL on CBS broadcaster Matt Ryan and Voice of the Falcons Wes Durham join John DeShazier and Erin Summers to discuss the rivalry matchup between the Saints and Falcons.
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Welcome in to the New Orleans Saints podcast hosted by Aaron Summers and John deaser you’ll hear from players coaches broadcasters and writers who cover the team on a daily basis the New Orleans Saints podcast starts right now here’s your hosts Aaron Summers and John deaser welcome into the New Orleans
Saints par podcast Amir in summers huge game this weekend Saints Falcons in the super doome week 18 it all comes down to this whoever wins with a Tampa Bay loss to Carolina will take the NFC South title Saints definitely want to make sure they’re the one that ends up on top
Because not only is the division still at play the Saints also have a shot at a wild card those games being played in the later block during the afternoon so got to see what happens with the Saints Falcons game first and of course the Tampa Bay Carolina game with the stakes
The Rivalry who better to bring in to preview this game then former Falcons quarterback current CVS NFL broadcaster Matt Ryan and voice of the Falcons West Durham both joined John de shaser and myself to share their perspective of the Rivalry and what they think the game
Will come down to let’s kick it off with Matt Ryan Matt thank you so much for joining us on the New Orleans Saints podcast it’s different having you on this side of things with so many years playing for the Falcons now you’re you’re watching the Rivalry from a
Different perspective how has that been yeah it’s it’s uh it’s strange so it’s the second game that I’ll have called for the Saints and the first time I was down here was early November uh against Chicago and we came in to do the meetings with the players and watch
Practice and one of the equipment guys showed me that uh they had kept my jersey on a tackling Dum dummy that they take out to charity events and stuff like that that kids get to tackle and and beat up and the Jersey was well worn
So uh it was kind of funny but it’s amazing right you you your whole career you play in this rivalry and uh then you come to the facilties first time I had ever been to the practice facility and I felt like a little bit you know Behind
Enemy Lines but the people are great you know and you get to kind of Meet the people in the building and spend time with them and couldn’t be nicer and uh um it’s a cool it’s a unique rivalry in the NFL like going and doing this as a
Commentator this year you see kind of different organizations and different rivalries and things like that uh and it’s really I mean it’s as good as there is uh in our league and uh it was fun to be a part of it as a player for a long
Time you know great sport about the whole thing as a matter of fact because Matt Ryan the quarterback former quarterback took a picture with Matt Ryan the Pelicans basketball player and Matt Ryan the Pelicans U media relations director uh so but what has it been like to transition from one to the other
Because you know at a certain point I would imagine as a player you start kind of ramping up emotionally for the game during the week and now you don’t necessarily have to do that and yet you kind of do because you’ve got the game to call on Sundays yeah it’s it’s the
Buildups kind of similar right you do all of this work during the week and then the ball kicks off you know 12:00 central time and you have no idea what’s going to happen for three hours and I always like that part of a of it as a player right
You didn’t know which situations were going to come up you didn’t know what you needed to be prepared for but you had to do all these different things so that when it did come up you were ready and it and it’s similar you know calling games in that you don’t know which
Players are going to have big games you don’t know the story lines that are are going to come up you don’t know the situations in a game that are going to come up but you have to you know you kind of have to be ready to to improvise
And I thought the same was you know true as a player you prepare all week and then you let it go and you just you go play or you go call it and uh that part of it has been fun it’s different though like I don’t get nervous you know
Sitting up in the booth right like I’m not out there I’m not getting hit you know like I could just be wrong about what I said and it’s not great but it’s not the end of the world you know it’s a little different when when when you’re
Out on the field and uh you know there there’s all that action going on you know you participated in so many of these what’s unique that you found about this rivalry because you know we’ve heard you know collegial uh we’ve heard you know basically two two teams and and
Cities that I guess to be nice don’t like each other but what have you found to be unique about this rivalry it I mean the passion the passion from the fan bases right is is what you feel I always felt it as a player right and you come in and
Immediately you know they can’t stand the Falcons right and and it’s the same feeling you know when they would come to Atlanta like there was a lot of people that just can’t stand the Saints and so it feels it feels more cagy you know than than other rivalries that you know
In the NFC South like if I’m being honest we didn’t really have a rivalry with the Bucks of the Panthers right like it was you played them and you know they were in division but it wasn’t it totally didn’t feel the same so it feels Cy because I think both cities are so
Passionate um you know I always thought it was crazy like during my career fantasy football kind of explod it and so it probably was like my third or fourth year I can’t remember what year it was but we were in New Orleans we won and I remember leaving and it was
Different cuz somebody was yelling at me they were like ah you know getting on me or whatever but thank you for like the 34 fantasy points and I was like it was H it was a strange uhal I remember going to the bus specifically and hearing it
And being like man I did not expect that being down here what has the feedback been like from Saints fans now that you’re in the booth I mean I haven’t heard much uh you know only doing the one game uh so you know I don’t know
Hopefully it’s okay I feel like I’m Fair yeah and and to me you know that’s that’s what you come into it uh and you try and be fair about what you think you’re seeing and uh what you think they should be doing or shouldn’t be doing
Those kind of things but I have so much like to me you know you throw the Rivalry out when when you’re doing this job because I have so much respect for the players and coaches and all that they put into it right and and I know you know regardless of what building
You’re in I know how invested players are how invested coaches are how much time they put into it how difficult it is to go out there and perform I try and never you know lose sight of that calling a game it’s it’s really you know I try and think from the players
Perspective this is what you’re seeing right now or this is what you’re thinking right now or this is what you’re going through emotionally right now I try and tap into that it’s funny cuz I went to UNCC and then I started covering the ACC so I I developed a
Respect for Duke after hating them and people like my friends and stuff were like how could you ever like Duke how could you ever say anything nice about them I know it was crazy for me so I came back I came back from doing the
Game here and I think I was playing golf or something during the week uh which is different right like as a player you never played golf during during uh you know the fall but I was playing golf uh back in Atlanta where I still live and
Um and they were like dude what was it like d did you like hate them down there or what were the people in the building I was like to be honest with you they were really nice like I I enjoyed everybody that I spent time with you
Know like they couldn’t have been nicer it it was it was really cool so uh I’m with you on that like it’s a weird thing when you kind of go you know you go behind the scenes a little bit and you see the day-to-day in a different
Building and you’re like oh man I actually I really like what they’re doing you know as a quarterback who’s a guy who’s going to the Hall of Fame played a lot of great football and Saints fans he is going to the hall of fame um but is it difficult to critique
Quarterback play because you said you know obviously you want to be fair but this is a hot take business yeah yeah I mean listen I’m probably a bit of a quarterback apologist if I’m critiquing my you know first year of doing this I just you know
To be hon it’s it’s hard right it’s hard to go out there and perform at that position and you’re dependent on so many different things whether it’s coaching whether it’s offensive line whether it’s receivers you know running back whatever I mean there’s just a lot of moving Parts uh and the reason you’re
Successful like the a the age-old adage that quarterbacks get too much blame and too much credit and it’s true both ends of it are true um you know but I try and view it from my perspective of how I would critique myself you know if I’m
Out there would I say you know that’s a throw you got to make if if I feel like I look at it and I’m like Matt that was a throw you would have to make make and and you missed that’s what you have to
Say and and you have to go with it but I also try and shine a light on you know what guys are looking at and how difficult it is sometimes to see things and you know of course this is coming open you know down the field but let’s
Take a look at what the pocket looked like and he had to move to his left it’s hard to move to your left and throw back outside to your right like there’s just a lot of different things that that go on when you’re playing and I try and uh
You know sh shed a light on that when I can um you know but more often than not I’ll have the quarterbacks back and as well you should um did you know this was a business you wanted to enter no you know like I say it all the time I I I
Really only wanted to do one thing growing up and I was lucky to be able to do that for 15 years right and so the job or or the career or the profession that that I always wanted to do I was able to do and the problem with playing
Quarterback is there’s a shelf life on it right you can’t do it forever uh and so you know my time in Atlanta was so good but my time in Indie was it was a rough it was a rough patch and and so I think you know finishing up that year
And I have young kids and kind of not wanting to move them around the country we’ve we’ve got like a really good setup to me it was like okay you know at some point you got to make decisions that aren’t about yourself and and so for me
It was that was a big part of the decisionmaking and then and then it was a a nudge from my wife too of like listen you’re 38 you know there there’s a lot of life to to live and you’re not going to be sitting around the house all
Day and so you got to find something to do and um I I I kind of explored different opportunities in the broadcast spectrum and was lucky enough to to get this job offer from CBS and I I’ve been surprised at how much I’ve enjoyed doing it you know I feel like I’ve gotten
Better and our crew has gotten better as the year has gone on um you know but I love I love that I get to watch film I love that I break down defenses I love that I’m watching offenses and why they’re working like I love that part of
It the nerdy stuff you know of playing is is the stuff that I really enjoyed and you know I still get to do that uh I don’t think it’ll ever replace playing the and the feeling that you have when you’re playing but um at the same time
You know life moves on and you got to keep going and you don’t get hit and correct unless I’m in this place and Cam Jordan lays me out before the game so so we’ve talked about I guess everything except this game I guess yeah which has
Some Stakes to it you know maybe minimal for both teams but some Stakes either team both teams need to win uh what are what are you seeing from both teams as they come into this game well honestly I I feel like it’s two teams kind of heading in different directions you you
Look at you know the Saints coming in and it’s been choppy throughout the year but they’ve probably played their best football at least offensively you know this last four weeks and they’re three and one and then Atlanta comes in kind of from the other perspective they’ve had the rotating door at the quarterback
Position most of the year uh and and I feel like for them it’s it’s been a little more choppy right they have you know kind of this stretch where they have a good win versus the Colts and then come back and and you know go to
Chicago and it was snowing and all that stuff but certainly didn’t play their best football and so I feel like you’ve got teams that are kind of you know in the same position but have gotten there and arrive at this game in different ways and so uh I think the place is
Going to be rocking though I mean you guys know it there’s all kinds of crazy things that can happen in this league so a loss for the bucks to Carolina that could easily happen two losses in the 425 games for the Saints and the wild card picture all of that stuff could
Happen and so uh as a player you know you work all year to hopefully you know have your own path uh to the playoffs but some sometimes you don’t get it but you just want an opportunity and for both of these teams they have that I
Expect it to be physical I expect it to you know be fun to watch and and uh we’ll see how it shakes out you I got to shut up after this one but I got to say this my brother-in-law who’s in Georgia all my family’s in Georgia making as a
Matter of fact so when I tell my brother-in-law I I sat down for an interview with Matty Ice he’s gonna go crazy he’s gonna go crazy where did that nickname come from because it’s one of the best nicknames ever yeah it’s it was a good nickname um it started when I was
In high school and um I was you know for whatever reason young I played football basketball and baseball and I guess was decent but I played you know like my freshman in sophomore year and so these guys were like oh this young kid must have like ice in his veins or whatever
And there’s a beer called Matty Ice of course and it it it just worked right so they called me Matty all of that stuff and then it just turned into Matty Ice and then I got to college and nobody you know nobody called me and I had one of
My high school buddies come up to visit like at the end of my freshman year he came up for the weekend or something and all he called me was like Iceman and so all of my college roommates were then like dude what is this why you know like
It’s pretty cool or whatever one guy said it in the media in Boston and you know 20 plus years later people are are still with it it is I mean if you’re going to get stuck with nicknames there are a lot worse that you a whole lot
Worse than but uh it’s it’s a pretty good one I feel like that could have been an endorsement opportunity like nil was the thing crushing it at Boston College you know beer money talk about getting free yeah free beer money it would have been it would have been so
Just give me the beer would have been okay I don’t know if you want Natty Ice I don’t know it’s funny we were in uh we were in Cincinnati calling a game this year and we went out to dinner on a Friday night and the people at this
Restaurant couldn’t have been nicer we kind of had our whole crew there and we’re finishing up and they’re like we just have one last thing for you and they brought out like this Seafood Tower dish with like like it had to have been like a dozen Natty IES on on ice and
Like we sat down we had a couple it’s the first time I had had Natty Ice in probably like 20 years and I guess this isn’t a good endorsement but they weren’t great when you broke in colle you mentioned both of these teams coming in a different directions the Saints
Offensively have been improving what have you liked about quarterback Derek Carr and the chemistry he seems like he’s developing with some of our offensive weapons yeah I think you know it takes time and people want you know it’s hard when you come from a different
Place and and you come in you want it to be firing on all cylinders right away and it’s difficult to do that you know right from the start I think you throw on top of that he was banged up most of the year right and kind of dealing with
Injuries and I think being healthy or as healthy as he’s probably been all year uh helps I think you know and and we just talked to Da about this like I think the past protection has gotten better they’ve been better up front uh which you know which helps right and
Then time on task with with different guys um you look at jwan and and like where he’s starting to develop the last three or four weeks he’s been really productive I don’t think it’s any surprise Derrick’s been at his best because you start getting production from that tight end position group and
Uh what he can do and um you know I just think the Comfort level the health the better protection all of those things leads to you know better quarterback play and listen I know from from the outside perspective like the fan base here it’s been hit and miss right like
There’s there’s been some criticism but uh there’s certainly uh reason for optimism with the way the last four weeks have shaken out we talked to play byplay voice westerham earlier today and he said he thought this was going to come down to turnovers and then having to establish
The Run game for the Falcon what a hot take from right like this is the best so awesome well listen he’s not wrong right like the reason everybody says it all the time turnovers the turnover margin it’s it’s the number one factor uh in terms of wins and losses what determines
Wins and losses uh I think you know if you look at what Derek Carr has done in the last four games taking care of the football I think it’s 10 touchdowns and two picks in the last four zero fumbles fumbles were the issue early in the season right like turning the football
Over not protecting it in the pocket those kind of things he’s cleaned that up he’s been better you look at the other side you look at the Falcons and and what they’ve done at the quarterback position turnovers last week whether it’s hinek or Desmond Ritter both those guys have have kind of
Turned the football over I do think the turnover battle is is number one he’s not wrong about rushing right stopping the run it’s been an issue for the Saints All Year Atlanta does it did it really well in the first matchup 200 plus yards whatever it’s been um you
Know and it’s been an area that they struggle uh but to me I think these matchups always come down particularly when you have you know a lot on the line it comes down to where’s the advantage at the quarterback position right and and the continuity says and and the
Track record says I feel like the Saints have the advantage in in that department who who’s who’s the best Saint you’ve played against you played against I mean it’s hard not to say drew like so if we take Drew Brees out out of the conversation I didn’t I was on I never
On the field against you um you know I I never was out there at the same time on the defensive side of the ball um I mean it’d be hard to say any other anyone other than cam uh in terms of the production that he had against us so
I’ll throw those two guys out right like let me throw out Drew let me throw out the obious and cam um I go back to early on you know Jonathan Vilma wow he was they were good right and he was phys physical and they had those guys in the
Back end uh you know like we we had some really tough games like physical games when they made their run in 09 I think it was 09 yeah yeah that was Jabari and so you talk about Roman Harper in the backend physical player coming down um
You know uh Will Smith I mean just I mean Rip but he was he was a problem for me early in my career right he was before before cam arrived and and was a problem for us in Atlanta so I mean there’s so many uh good players that
That we went went against uh for such a long time but it’s it’s hard to pick you know kind of one of them yeah B Beth Falcon teammate I get you know man another impossible question Julio is Julio has got to be I mean how I was so
Lucky uh Julio an incredible teammate uh probably I I say this all the time probably impacted my career more significantly than any other player that that I played with just his level of production I played with him for 10 10 you know I think it was 10 or 11 years I
Think 10 years uh so you know the the time that I played with him I loved Rody white I mean Rody white was he wasn’t afraid of anybody uh he tell you he would let you know love that as a teammate right I was lucky enough to play with Tony
Gonzalez uh you know one of my all-time favorites but I’ll go kind of an off the radar guy who’s a Louisiana native in Todd McClure he was my Center yeah LSU guy he was my center for my first five years in Atlanta and Todd is one of my
All-time favorite human beings and and just you know one of the best teammates you could ever play with car said that centers are kind of cranky yeah they can be Todd was not Todd in all honesty I think back to like you know those early
Years in my career Todd was one of the GL BL guys in our locker room who kept it all together we had kind of some crazy offensive linemen and uh Harvey dah and Tyson claybo were two guys that were kind of like they they were off
Their rocker a little bit they would do some extracurricular they’d fight you after plays all those kind of things and and they were always kind of on the edge and Todd was the guy that that would bring it all back together or the guy that like Rody white you said he would
Like to talk he would get in he was a guy that could bring Rody back you know and uh he he was one of the glue guys and then play with another great Center and Alex Mack uh who was in Atlanta with us for for five years as well uh and he
He was probably a little more cranky than Todd he was you know probably more with d d said was more you know I guess it was more training camp related where those guys get you know cranky they’re wearing the game pants and yeah they don’t like wearing the snapping shorts
They want to come out you know when you get like the shells practice and they don’t have to wear the pants they’re all pissed off that they they have to come out in the snapping shorts and you’re like dude I’m not you know you’re sweating like crazy I don’t need regular
Jims like I need to get the you know Q Center exchange that makes a lot of sense we appreciate the time so much and just watch your back out there cam Jordan’s around well thank you appreciate it great conversation with Matt now for a deeper dive into the game
Itself here’s West Durham Wes thank you so much for joining us on the New Orleans Saints podcast it is a big game this weekend I mean I feel like it’s exactly like they plan it to have the Saints playing the Falcons still division hopes on the line for both
Teams what is the feeling around the Falcons heading into this game I think there’s probably very similar to New Orleans right I mean it feels like that a month ago everybody started kind of drawing the conclusion that hey what if it comes down to Atlanta having to beat
New Orleans you know in the Super Dome in the last game of the regular season to to get to the postseason and not only do both teams need to win the game Sunday in New Orleans but they’ve also got to have what you know I’m jokingly called The Miracle on Min Street this
Week which is the Carolina Panthers have to beat Tampa which you know to me seems a a lot steeper Hill to climb than the Saints in the Falcons game but but nonetheless I think both teams are probably pretty frustrated U with parts of their season they’re probably parts
Of their team they don’t really like and wish they had a chance to go back and Racket I think New Orleans and Atlanta feel a lot like that but at the same time the you know the series has tied what 54 wins a piece it’s the 109th
Meeting so you know in some ways it seems pretty prophetic that it’s got to come down to the winner of the game and and we’ll put the underline here having a chance to go to the playoffs is obviously if Carolina does pull off the win in Charlotte it’s been a battle
Between these teams every time that they meet earlier this year the Falcons getting that win Saints unable to get into the end zone but how have you seen the Falcons change since that week 12 game well it’s interesting because you see where New Orleans has has been able
To roll off some wins and Atlanta’s been able to win some games but the the head scratching losses are the ones that probably you know have put Atlanta in this position erand more than anything else I mean you know when you look at New Orleans who’s won three of their
Last four um you know they’re four and three at home but theyve won their last three or three of the last four there Atlanta split their last six and lost three of their last four and the three losses are Tampa when you had basically your offensive and defensive line
Inactive for injuries and otherwise um and then you lose in Charlotte and you lose in Chicago last week and the the interesting part for me is the loss in Chicago last week is a heads scratching loss in the light that you know you you can win that game and not only did you
Not win you didn’t play particularly well in any facet of it and so I think that now escalates the concern about where the team is on a whole not just this last game and so that that’s created the speculation piece behind that and I think that’s going to be I
Think it’s going to be really an afterpiece of the ball game on Sunday and how Atlanta plays in that last game could dictate a lot of the things that you know obviously are catalog for the entire year where you mentioned the the parody I guess or the opportunity for
Either one of these teams to have a slim chance to get into the playoffs and I guess you know if you if you knew uh former which I’m sure you do former NFL commissioner Pete Rosell either above looking down or below looking up one of two smiling because this is exactly what
He wanted but but quarterback play seems to have been one of those things that’s been a thorn for the Falcons this entire season it’s come on lately for but how much has it hindered the the Falcons well JD it’s easy to say for 14 years we were all spoiled right I mean
New Orleans could make the same case with number nine right I mean absolutely Drew was slinging it and Matt Ryan was slinging it we were living in High Times and at some point you know those those careers were going to come to an end one
Way or the other and the way they came to an end was going to be how the secession worked in Atlanta it came you know as the second phase of Arthur Smith’s coaching career after year one and it’s been a bulky position to be honest with you the last two years and I
Think New Orleans could probably subscribe to some of that even with Derek Carr coming in this year and I think that the quarterback play is is kind of determined the success of the offense and you know to be honest with you Christmas Eve I thought Taylor Hani played really well Atlanta arguably
Played their best 60 Minutes of football and then last Sunday that didn’t happen and it didn’t happen in any of the three phases and so I think quarterback does stir the drink and in all honesty I think it stirs the drink you look at all the teams that are in contention here um
Who are we kidding right they’ve all got really decent above average Quarterback play some at a very high level and I think those are the teams that we probably like to you know Advance deep into the playoffs so I think the quarterback situation is a concern I
Think it’s been a concern all year I think there’s been some growth points for Desmond Ritter uh it’s been good to have Taylor hinei who is a you know backup in this league who has started a number of games but at the same time too there is no clear-cut plan after Sunday
If Atlanta does not make the playoffs as to what the Falcons will do either free agency wise draft wise to create any kind of stability in that position I that the answers to those questions will have to be fielded by Terry fontel and Arthur Smith and the people involved who
Who want to put that roster together but I think the jury’s going to be out personally on that position when we get to the off season now on the other hand the Falcons do have a great running back 228 yards think the first time so you
Know we expect to see a whole bunch of that this time around um how much has the increased usage I guess lately of Bon Robinson kind of played into that because I know first in the season he was being used sparingly and uh much criticism over that but it seems like
It’s come on a little bit lately especially since that Saints game well and it also feels like too that they had a plan from the start right you mentioned the usage rate early was slight kind of picked up mid year and then here it’s been pretty consistent
And thus he set a scrimmage yards record for rookie last week in Chicago and I think that’s a question you know Sunday is going to be a lot about bejan Robinson and Tyler Alger in the Run game counter to that though JD opponents have done a really good job taking that run
Game away because they know and and here’s the stat going in last Sunday where Atlanta was only averaging 134 yards passing in Road games going into last Sunday in Chicago and that number did get a lot better um and now you know they come to New Orleans knowing that
The Saints while you know 22nd in the league I guess against the Run New Orleans is more than capable of of ciling Robinson and aler and and making this a throw game and Atlanta you know number two is not back there anymore right so that part is has got a
Completely different variable but I I think it will be interesting to see how Atlanta goes about getting to the Run game Sunday in the Super Dome for sure what do you make of the Falcons defense because that was a unit that pretty much won that first game of Red Zone
Turnovers they end up you know with a interception return they you know forc a fumble at the at their own five I mean that unit pretty much won that first game yeah well and that speaks to you know and this is the part that’s probably a little difficult for you guys
Because Ryan neelson and Terry fno and all these you know Caden Ellis here all here’s all the New Orleans people that are a part of this now right and it’s been fun this week in Atlanta to talk to guys on radio about you know the the col
And Aon knows what I mean by this the Collegiate feel to this rivalry is terrific I love it I think that the games are great they’re always entertaining I mean I’m talking to you guys I’m flying to North Carolina but I might as well be on planes going to New
Orleans as many Falcons fans are at this airport right now and it’s crazy um you know because Falcon fans love the game just like Saint fans do but the defense to answer your question JD has got a lot of Ryan neel’s toage and flavor to it
And it’s guys who have bought into his system and his style of play and I think that’s been the success this year the the remarkable turn of that defense is one that I think Atlanta fans see a lot of confidence in and they really like what Ryan neel’s done and I think that’s
A big part of what this team’s going to be like going forward to be honest you know we never saw it here but but has has Kaden Ellis yet had a bad day uh if he has it’s not been pronounced um you know he’s he’s had a year of 120 tackles
Um you know he’s double digit tackle for loss he’s had some sacks he’s you know forced turnovers he’s done all the things you want but he’s a big part of it I would say too that David animato in health he’s been terrific here um you know he’s almost 50 tackles four sacks
He’s been banged up but here’s the other thing about those two guys with the addition of Jesse bat JD and Aaron those guys are kind of like the Hallmarks and I would throw Kus Campbell in there too right Atlanta went and got intentional pieces to add to the defense because of
The young guys that I think they knew would be mentored by them right I can’t tell you the impact me it’s impossible to tell you how important Jesse Bates has been impacting this defense and especially the back end um I would say the same thing about Kate Ellis because
When Troy Anderson got hurt in Detroit there was there was a lot of speculation about what you know Atlanta would be at that linebacking spot and Nate lman has stepped in there and I think part and partial because of the leadership of K and then Campbell and Ana ma when Grady
Jarrett went down that was that was a huge concern that day in Nashville and I would say that Ana Ma and Kus Campbell are guys that have brought on younger players like a l London a Zack Harrison um you know e KD is a rushan who plays a
Linebacker technically but you know all those guys have benefited from the veteran presence and I think that’s kind of helped complete what this defensive renovation is going to be and you know you see on Sunday you’re going to start AJ Terrell who’s been to a pro bowl but
On the other side you’re going to start a rookie from Utah who was taken in the fourth round in Clark Phillips and I think that’s that kind of shows you how the maturation of this group has happened over the course of the Year defense has definitely come on for the
Falcons I think for the Saints the offense has come on as The Season’s gone they’ve been playing some of their best ball the past month what do you think this game is going to come down to on Sunday well first of all I think Atlanta has to win turnovers just like they did
In the first meeting um I don’t know if you got to have the 92 yard pick six Like Jesse Fates but I think you’re going to have to win the turnover game um the second thing is too Aaron you can’t and i’ I’ve said this a couple
Times during the course of a broadcast this fall I don’t think Atlanta can get into a game where they got to throw it a lot and throw it a lot you know everybody looks for a number and I can throw 25 or 30 attempts out there but
Atlanta’s got to be able to run the football and one way or the other Tyler Alger Bean Robinson has got a spearhead that I think that’s really important and you guys have seen the injury reports so Taylor hinek status and how that PX Desmond Ritter and you know Logan
Woodside hadn’t taken a snap this year so you know I’m not sure where that’s going to go but I think in the bigger picture um the way the way the game unfolds is going to be really dictated by how Atlanta has success against what I think will be a pretty geared up New
Orleans defense for sure M you’ve seen this matchup several times how is it being in the super doome as the opposing team and not even that like as the Falcons um I think the players Embrace this as different than a regular Sunday or Monday or I guess in some cases
Thursday in the NFL um I think the players really do embrace it I think they I think like I said earlier I think it takes them back to a rivalry that is very Collegiate in the way feels I mean it feels like a college rivalry game and the ones I’ve been fortunate to
Broadcast or the ones I was fortunate to attend early in my life as a fan that’s the way this game feels um you know I said it on radio in Atlanta earlier this week um you know Atlanta lost the game that night the Katrina game but that
Game is you know that’s one of the the greatest events I’ve ever broadcast and it was because of the motion the momentum and all the things that went into it and I think the the games that have been in Atlanta on like Monday night or Thursday night the games
That have been in New Orleans on Monday night I remember when um Shawn pyton was going for the record against Mike Smith that night that building was unbelievable same thing for Atlanta fans love the game and it it translates to the players I think it translates to the
Coaches and it translates to the broadcasters and I’m excited about Sunday I think it’ll be fun and I think it’ll be really interesting to see as and we’re fortunate in our in in our line of work on Sunday I think it it’ll be interesting to watch the
Temperament of the game change based on what happens in Charlotte I both teams want to win we know that but if if that Miracle occurs in Charlotte what does that do to the texture of the ball game that we’re watching I I think because you know good and well that’s going to
Be part of the that’s going to be a piece of this that we weren’t counting on what four to six weeks ago that now becomes a uh kind of a constitutional piece of of the 60 minutes we’re going to watch yeah we’ve been asking players here if they’re going to be scoreboard
Watching cuz it’s going to be up on the video boards and they’ve said well the fans will let you know they’ll let you know how the game is going because yeah as you mentioned it just feels different but I also think this and this is the part where the Falcons announcer also
Has to say well the creativity of the New Orleans Saints uh entertainment program during the course of the game albe at the video board or the way you know visiting bands line up or whatever the case may be I’m sure that there’ll be some element in the super doome on
Sunday that lets us know how the game is going yeah absolutely it’s it’s going to be a fun one either way obviously emotions are going to be high a lot on the line for both sides I don’t know I’m looking forward to it looking forward to
Seeing you yeah so am I so am I thanks I appreciate you guys having thank you so much for joining us you bet appreciate Wes joining us this one is a 12:00 kickoff on CBS it’s going to be intense tune in there and don’t forget to catch
Our pre postgame show on New Orleans saints.com I really hope to see the Dome rocking this weekend tons of black and gold hopefully all the fans come out enjoy it and let’s go Saints thanks for listening to the New Orleans Saints podcast join us three times per week on New Orleans saints.com
The Saints mobile app or you can download the podcast on iTunes we’ll see you next time right here on the New Orleans Saints podcast [Applause]
2 Comments
Matt vs Brees 🔥⚜️
Love some Matt Ryan! He is a damn good Falcon!