Falcons will see unfamiliar running attack Monday (1 Viewer)

[98greenGT]

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.

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http://www.ajc.com/sports/atlanta-falcons/falcons-will-see-unfamiliar-785771.html

 

[26ISTHEMAN]

Ivory will make a big difference, assuming he can go. He's a different runner now than the first game.

 

[efil4stnias]

Ivory will make a big difference, assuming he can go. He's a different runner now than the first game.

our entire team is different from that first game.

 

[bornnraisedwhodat]

Wasnt that game Jimmy Graham's first time playing also?

 

[Guitarzan]

Time to break out the Finesse label again... our O-line can't run block because our gameplan and practices don't emphasize it as important. This team is ranked 26th in rushing offense in spite of 4+ yards per carry. What does that tell me? It tells me running the football is NOT important if one has the virus.
Cold Hard Truth is like a Mike Tyson blow to the body: It Hurts

 

[nola234]

We are gonna give "flippin' the bird" a whole new meaning come Monday night.

 

[BIG DAWG]

Hope Sean Payton call a fantastic game. Go get'em Sean....maybe I need to carry Payton a bag of Juicy Fruit for this one.

 

[DesertKajun]

Gotta get Bush involved IMO. They are not using Bush effectively IMO. SP get it going with Bush and running room....

 

[Saints 4 life]

Gotta play solid D. Can't let them continue to get the first on third and long. 3 and outs are a MUST. Time of possession killed us last game. But, even as bad as it looked, we still should have won that game. You know their coaching staff and players know this as well. They're scared. This is what probably set Roddy White off on Twitter. He's know they're gonna face a team just about at full strength, unlike the first game, that's gonna be on a mission. If our ground game is on, the Falcons lose by 20+.

 

[jatchis]

It was the 4th and whatevers that killed the Saints back in September ...

 

[Pilz-E]

I think the Saints can run on the Falcons but it remains to be seen if Payton is willing to sustain a steady ground attack. I'd like to see the saints try to beat teams the same way teams are trying to beat the saints. Run the ball down their throats, keep their offense on the sideline and use Brees quick strike capability when they're good and tired from defending the run.