Canal Street Chronicles
Let’s start the breakdown for the New Orleans Saints’ Sunday matchup against the Atlanta Falcons!
One of my favorite matchups to watch heading into the NFL Draft was the battle between Kelvin Banks and Jalon Walker when Texas and Georgia faced off last season. It was a battle that many criticised Banks for, but it was not entirely his fault during the games. Going into the NFL, being able to revive that battle when the Falcons and Saints played each other was exciting. In the first matchup earlier this season, it was an even battle, but depending on who you ask (Falcons fans), Walker won. Now, in this season finale this Sunday, Banks has a really good opportunity to step up and win.
This game could very well be the performance that secures Tyler Shough his ROTY award. The rookie has had a string of excellent games recently, and his odds for ROTY have skyrocketed. Against a tough Falcons defense, most of his pass catchers (including Chris Olave) will be out, and the offensive line issues still exist. It will be a shock if Shough can have a good performance in the last game of the season, but with how he has played, I won’t underestimate the rookie.
Last week, Sanker had a good game as a tackler, but his mistake in coverage to end the first half put the Saints in a horrible spot going into halftime. Yes, Justin Reid was called for the flag, but he had to recover to make up for Sanker’s mistake. This isn’t the first time a play like this has happened this season for the rookie, but not letting that happen this week is key. Kirk Cousins was able to beat the Saints deep last time these teams played; that can not happen again. On that note, Sanker will need to try to tackle RB Bijan Robinson… good luck.
Similar to Sanker, Riley and the other corners struggled throughout last week’s game. They were able to recover a bit, but the first half was marked by miscommunication throughout the group. The Saints need the Falcons’ offense to go away from the run and rely on passing, so Riley will need to have a great game to stop that offense from scoring. Also, as with Sanker, tackling will be extremely important.
