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Falcons and Saints seek to snap losing streaks

Nov 21, 2006 - 10:38 PM New Orleans (6-4) at Atlanta (5-5) Sunday 1:00 pm ESTATLANTA (Ticker) -- The 2006 season is starting to look eerily familiar to last season for the Atlanta Falcons.The Falcons look to snap a three-game losing streak Sunday whenthey face the New Orleans Saints in a critical NFC Southmatchup.After a surprising 6-2 start, the Saints are trying to avoidtheir third straight loss.New Orleans is tied with Carolina for first place while Atlantais just a game back. However, the Falcons and Saints both arestruggling.Last season, the Falcons got out to a 6-2 record at the midwaypoint of the season. However, they lost six of their last eightgames en route to missing the playoffs.The Falcons won five of their first seven games this season buthave not won since, enduring key injuries along the way. PatrickKerney is out for the season, fellow defensive end John Abrahamhas missed the last four games with an abdominal injury andcornerback Jason Webster is out for at least another month witha groin injury.Electrifying quarterback Michael Vick also is struggling. Afterthrowing for seven touchdowns in back-to-back wins overPittsburgh and Cincinnati, Vick has three TDs and fourinterceptions in the last three games.Vick completed just 11-of-21 passes for 127 yards and atouchdown in last Sunday's 24-10 loss at Baltimore. The struggles for the Saints also have to do with their defense, which has allowed 69 points in their last two games.Last Sunday, the Saints suffered a 31-16 loss to Cincinnati.Drew Brees continued to light things up offensively against theBengals, throwing for 510 yards - the sixth-highest total in NFLhistory - and two touchowns with three interceptions.Brees leads the league with 3,114 passing yards to go along with17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.But Brees could be without one of his main targets this weekafter rookie Marques Colston suffered a sprained left ankleagainst the Bengals. The seventh-round pick out of Hofstra has54 catches for 869 yards and seven touchdowns."We'll treat it and see how much pressure he can put on it,"Saints coach Sean Payton said. "It's just a matter of how muchweight it can support and how quickly he can come back off ofit. Each day we'll get an idea maybe a little bit of hisprogress."In their emotional return to the site that was one of the focalpoints of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, theSaints posted an emotional 23-3 victory over the Falcons onSeptember 25.Following a pregame ceremony, the Saints sent the sellout crowdinto a frenzy just 90 seconds into the game when Steve Gleasonblocked a punt and Curtis Deloatch recovered in the end zone fora touchdown.Defensively, the Saints frustrated Vick, who completed just12-of-31 passes for 137 yards and was sacked five times.Warrick Dunn also was limited to 44 rushing yards on 13attempts.