GAME PREDICTION: Falcons vs. Saints

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Matt Moscona and Ryan Theriot give you one final preview and prediction for the Saints matchup against the Falcons.

Welcome to the AFR Saints Channel where we provide you daily content on your favorite team the New Orleans Saints do us a favor and hit that subscribe button be sure to leave your comments below and smash that like button who that Saints Falcons week 18 in the Dome

The hudats and the Dirty Bird Saints the last time they played Atlanta earlier this year it was Desmond Ritter and it was arguably the worst game the Saints played uh five Red Zone trips they came away with no touchdowns in those five Red Zone trips despite putting up over

400 yards of offense the Saints lost to Atlanta it’s one of those games that you’ll look back this year uh if the Saints season does end on Sunday as I I assume it will because the Saints not only need to win but they need a lot of

Help the game against Atlanta is one that you’ll Circle and say that’s one that that got away and why they’re not a playoff team the game in week three at Green bay where the Saints LED 17 to nothing in the fourth quarter and blew that game losing 18 to 17 another game

That you’ll Circle and say that’s one that got away that that you had no business losing um you know this is a team that should be a playoff team playing in this awful division the easiest schedule that the Saints have had arguably in their entire history but

To get into the playoffs you’ll have to beat Atlanta at home and get some help either Carolina beating Atlanta or you’ll need Seattle and Green Bay to lose on Sunday with a Saints win to get a wild card uh the probability of that happening all of the things happening is

Not very good but it’s the NFL and weird things happen Saints and Falcons the Saints are a fial favorite at home against the Falcons Taylor hinei is questionable so it might be Desmond Ritter who’s been benched twice already this year but it might be hinei starting for Arthur Smith and the Atlanta Falcons

Uh in the dome against Derek Carr and the New Orleans Saints Derek car did meet with the media on Friday said he challenged the team going into week 18 and explained why everybody wants to win and everybody is willing to work to win but there’s a there’s a certain level of commitment

That it takes to really win at a high level in our league and I I just think we had to put a little bit more little bit more into it a little bit more into the preparation a little bit more focus into it and and you know cuz if you want

To be a a playoff team or a chance Championship caliber team it takes a little bit extra and I just challenged our guys to to give that little bit extra so I said Derek Car my apologies Dennis Allen obviously is who that was all right M Mr the riot Saints are 8-8

Falcons are 7-9 um do the Saints get above 500 or do the Falcons uh look Falcons by the way with a win in the same scenario we just described could also make the playoffs so a lot on the line for Atlanta I think that that speech you know or or whatever

It was I’m sure it was a little more colorful than he L on to be should have should have happened a long time ago like at this at this point in the season if a Coach um a player a team leader whatever it is is having to stand up in front of

The team and and and make a challenge to give effort and to play hard and to finish strong I think that ship’s already sailed I mean I’ve been on a number of teams that were kind of uh looking down the barrel at the end of

The season and it’s kind of win or go home type scenarios and and you know those those aren’t the the discussions that are had you know it it’s the let’s let’s finish the race let’s go let’s just continue to do what we’ve been doing not do anything extra um you know

You get in certain circumstances as a team for for many different reasons whether it be injuries or what whatnot um but effort and challenging them to go finish it and play hard and and that to me is a red flag and and I you know it’s

Not what I wanted to hear yeah um I I agree who you picking I think the Saints are going to win okay um there’s so many reasons to think New Orleans won’t win this game uh you already lost Atlanta once this year you lost Desmond Ritter um you have

Been inconsistent all season long uh twice you have one back-to-back games you did it weeks one and two against the Titans and the Panthers then you did it when you beat the Colts on the road then at home against the Bears there are um it’s been tough for this team to find

Consistency right and that’s I forgive they also did it with the Panthers and the Giants they went back toback games the it’s the Hallmark of a bad team is inconsistency right you you win one you lose one you win two you lose one you lose two you lose you win one the Saints

Have gone win-win loss loss win loss loss win-win loss loss loss win- win loss win when you’re bad you just you’re you’re a yo-yo you’re up and you’re down and the Saints are bad it’s why you can go play the worst game of the season against the Rams and get smothered on

Thursday Night Football and then you can go a week later on the road to Tampa who’s at home playing with a chance to win the division and you throttle them you put them in a three-hour choke hold that’s you’re a bad team at your best you’re very capable but we very seldom

Seen this team at their best all year I’m I’m also curious to see what it’s going to be like in the Dome on Sunday because man the last few home games it’s been kind of toxic there were tons of lions fans there when uh the Saints

Played the Lions and lost at home you had booze against the Panthers and the giants like sometimes it’s like you’ll know this like when you’re on a bad team sometimes it’s good to get away right like you get sort of like a camaraderie thing the team it’s like just us against

The world type mentality where it could be I mean right it could be kind of toxic at home so that’s a real thing so you come home you’re playing the Falcons we’ll see what the what the environment is but I said this earlier and I’m not

I’m really not joking um I know chra is a game time decision I know we don’t know if it’s going to be hinei or Ritter hinek is questionable so Ritter may start there’s a lot of things up in the air but I am really looking at Drew

Dalman being out I’m not joking about this Drew Dalman is the starting center for the Falcons and y’all know a sports bet and one of the angles that I’ve believed in for a long time because I’ve seen it manifest is something Mike dailer told us here for a decade which

Was teams that lose their starting center fail to cover 80% of the time the week they lose their starting center and Drew Dalman of the Atlanta Falcons got injured and he’s out this week so I’m looking at that and I’m going I’m going to play that angle and so if Drew Dalman

And he is out Drew Dalman is not going to play so the Falcons lose their starting center I’m picking the Saints to win to win and to cover so it’s a three-point line I’m picking the Saints 26 to13 I think the Saints win they win easily uh and they scoreboard watch and

We hope we get some help from uh from Carolina if uh Carolina ends up beating Tampa and the Saints beat Atlanta the Saints are in the playoffs and you’re hosting a playoff game as a Division champion next week which I would love to see I mean you’re winning or losing this

Game isn’t going to materially matter for for your where you draft now if you win get help and you win the division to make the playoffs now that will matter where you pick in round one but at this point do we really think what’s going to change the Saints organization is if you

Pick 13th or 20th no if it was if it was you know top five pick I would I would argue maybe but no yeah absolutely like but that ship is sailed man um that ship about you’re talking about being in a spot where you might actually have an opportunity to pick your franchise

Quarterback in the top 10 top five like that ship is sailed that that’s not a reality for this team so why not go make the playoffs go go beat beat your rival beat the Falcons finish above 500 hope you get some help win the division and

Go to the playoffs like that’s what I would love to see so that’s what I’ll be pulling for this weekend I think the Saints do it because not because of the quarterback not because of Dennis Allen because of your man of God headband not because of the man of God headband shout

Out to Mario Davis who’s still awesome and I love my man of God headband don’t you speak ill of it sitting on my desk in my house right now I’ll be wearing it on you’ll be wearing it you know I’ll be wearing on Sunday yelling at the TV I

Don’t spend many I don’t send you many pictures of of it on Sunday anymore I used to send you these like really intense face photos on Sunday with my manag God headband on it’s just it’s been hard to it has been hard to get emotionally involved in this team I know

You love the Saints I do but I think they win on Sunday here we go because Drew Do’s out what did that say 2613 Saints 2613 win and cover hey thanks so much for watching please leave your comments i’ love to interact and be sure to hit the red subscribe button Below with [Applause] You with you after