Thursday's National Football League Capsules

Oct 29, 2009 - 6:53 PM ---=

Monday, Nov. 2=

ATLANTA (4-2) AT NEW ORLEANS (6-0)=

8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN=

OPENING LINE - Saints by 8 1/2

RECORD VS. SPREAD - Atlanta 4-2; New Orleans 6-0

SERIES RECORD - Falcons lead 44-35

LAST MEETING - Saints beat Falcons 29-25, Dec. 7, 2008

LAST WEEK - Falcons lost to Cowboys 37-21; Saints beat Dolphins 46-34

FALCONS OFFENSE - OVERALL (19), RUSH (19), PASS (17)

FALCONS DEFENSE - OVERALL (25), RUSH (23) PASS (26)

SAINTS OFFENSE - OVERALL (1), RUSH (3), PASS (6)

SAINTS DEFENSE - OVERALL (11), RUSH (8), PASS (14)

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES - Falcons seek first win in Louisiana Superdome since 2002 and first road win vs. Saints since 2005 in San Antonio. ... QB Matt Ryan is 11-3 in games played indoors. ... WR Roddy White has four TDs in last three games and had 10 catches for 164 yards in last game vs. Saints. ... TE Tony Gonzalez has a catch in 137 consecutive games. ... S Thomas DeCoud has two INTs and a sack in past two games. ... RB Michael Turner has seven of Falcons' eight TDs rushing. ... Saints lead NFL with 39.7 points per game. ... Saints are first team in NFL history to score 45 or more points in four of first six games. ... Drew Brees has won five of six starts vs. Falcons as Saints QB. ... Brees has at least two TD passes in last five games vs. Falcons. ... WR Marques Colston has 100-plus yards in three of past four divisional games and has nine TDs in his last nine games. ... S Darren Sharper had 42-yard interception for TD last week, giving him 11 career INTs for TDs and 1,353 career INT return yards, both second all-time in NFL behind Hall of Famer Rod Woodson. ... CB Tracy Porter had 54-yard INT for TD last week. ... Saints have five defensive TDs this season, four on interceptions and one on a fumble.

END CAPSULES