Reggie Bush was injured. Nobody had heard of Chris Ivory. And Pierre Thomas carried the ball just nine times before leaving with an ankle injury that would keep him out eight weeks.That was the state of the New Orleans Saints' running game when Atlanta first traveled to New Orleans for the NFC South showdown in late September.
Thirteen weeks later, Bush and Thomas are healthy again. And Ivory, an undrafted rookie from Tiffin University, is the team's leading rusher with 683 yards. His first career carry came in the first matchup with the Falcons.
Atlanta's run defense has been one potential soft spot -- it ranks 12th in the NFL -- and it's yet to be seen whether New Orleans has the personnel to take advantage. But one thing is clear: This won't be the same ground game the Falcons saw in September, when the Saints only ran for 43 yards and lost in overtime 27-24.