NEW ORLEANS SAINTS WEEKLY MEDIA INFORMATION GUIDE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT ATLANTA FALCONS DECEMBER 6, 2020 @ MERCEDES­BENZ STADIUM GAME INFORMATION • ROSTERS • DEPTH CHART STATISTICS • MINIBIOS NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (9-2) AT ATLANTA FALCONS (4-7) SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2020 – 12:00 P.M. (CST) MERCEDES-BENZ STADIUM – NEW ORLEANS, LA. TV: FOX (WVUE FOX 8 locally) – Kenny Albert (play-by-play), Jonathan Vilma (color analyst) and Shannon Spake (sideline) NATIONAL RADIO: Sports USA Radio – John Ahlers (play-by-play) and Doug Plank (color analyst) LOCAL RADIO: WWL (870 AM and 105.3 FM) – Zach Strief (play-by-play) and Deuce McAllister (color analyst) SPANISH LANGUAGE RADIO: KGLA (830 AM and 105.7 FM) – Mario Je- rez (play-by-play), Juan Carlos Ramos and Victor Quinonez (color analysts) team’s newest addition, LB Kwon Alexander, posted the THE MATCHUP team’s third takeaway, a fumble recovery. Following a dominant 31-3 road win over the Denver QB Taysom Hill helped the Saints offense score three Broncose, the New Orleans Saints (9-2), will face off touchdowns in three red zone appearances, including two against the Atlanta Falcons (4-7), this Sunday at Mercedes rushing scores of his own, as New Orleans dominated the -Benz Stadium at 12 p.m. CT. The club’s will meet once time of possession battle 35:46-24:14. RB Latavius Murray again for the second time in three weeks. The Black and enjoyed his most explosive performance as a Saint, carry- Gold came out with a convincing 24-9 victory in the first ing 19 times for 124 yards (6.5 avg.), including a 36-yard meeting at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on November scoring burst, his longest rush as a Saint. The Saints’ of- 22 and will looking for the season sweep and to improve fensive line blocked for 229 total rushing yards, the most their division record to 5-0. The 9-2 Saints are currently prolific run game performance by the team since the 2018 atop the NFC postseason seedings and will be looking to season. hold or gain ground in that department as well as reach double-digits in victories in four consecutive seasons for On Sunday, the Black and Gold will meet their division the first time in franchise history. Head Coach Sean Pay- rival Black and Red, trailing 52-50 in the all-time series, ton has now defeated all 31 opponents. after picking up five of the last seven meetings. Since tak- ing the reigns of the Falcons, Atlanta Interim Head Coach The formula of a suffocating defense and explosive run- Raheem Morris has posted a 4-2 record in charge of the ning came took control of the Broncos matchup, allowing Falcons, as New Orleans will face off against a threatening Denver to finish with only 112 total net yards, 100 rushing offense once against led by QB Matt Ryan and WR Julio and 12 passing. The Broncos became the third Saints op- Jones, as Atlanta attempts to inch back into the post- ponent in the past four games to fail to reach the end season race zone. LB Demario Davis led New Orleans in tackles, con- cluding the game with nine stops, while DE Cameron Jor- Around The NFC South: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers dan pitched in a sack to increase his season total to (7-5) and the Carolina Panthers (4-8) will both have Week 6.5. DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson and CB Janoris Jenkins 13 byes. capitalized on the back end with one pick apiece. The Saints at Falcons: Week 13 2 SAINTS-BRONCOS CONNECTIONS prepped at Foley (Al.) HS...Falcons linebacker Deion Jones is a New Orleans native who prepped at Jesuit HS and New Orleans RB Alvin Kamara is an Atlanta native who starred at LSU...Atlanta running back Ito Smith prepped at prepped at Norcross (Ga.) HS, where he rushed for 2,264 McGill-Toolen Catholic (Mobile, Al.) HS and played at yards and 26 touchdowns while averaging 7.5 yards per Southern Mississippi, where he was a teammate of Saints carry and added 22 receptions for 286 yards and five practice squad center/guard Cameron Tom...Saints tight scores as a senior in 2012, earning Georgia Mr. Football end Jared Cook, who prepped at North Gwinnett honors from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution...Saints De- (Suwanee, Ga.) HS, played with Brown in St. Louis in fensive Coordinator Dennis Allen’s father, Grady, played 2015...Saints defensive end Carl Granderson and Falcons for Atlanta from 1968-72. Allen served on the Falcons de- running back Brian Hill were college teammates at the Uni- fensive coaching staff from 2002-05 before coming to New versity of Wyoming...Saints defensive back C.J. Gardner- Orleans in 2006. Allen tutored Falcons quarterback Matt Johnson and Falcons wide receiver Brandon Powell Schaub in Oakland in 2014, when he served as head played together at the University of Florida...Saints practice coach and Schaub and Saints running back Latavius Mur- squad guard/center Will Clapp and Falcons wide receiver ray were teammates. Murray was tutored in Oakland by Russell Gage were college teammates at Louisiana Falcons Running Backs Coach Bernie Parmalee from 2015 State University...New Orleans running back Dwayne -16...Saints QB Jameis Winston, linebacker Kwon Alexan- Washington and Falcons tackle Kaleb McGary were der and Falcons tight end Luke Stocker played for At- college teammates at the University of Washington...Saints lanta Offensive Coordinator Dirk Koetter when he served defensive tackle Tyler Davison was a fifth round draft pick as head coach in Tampa Bay. Saints QB Taysom Hill and of the Saints in 2015 and played his first four seasons for Koetter are both Pocatello, Idaho natives who played quar- the Black and Gold....Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore terback at Pocatello Highland High School. Atlanta Quar- and Falcons cornerback Kendall Sheffield were college terbacks Coach Greg Knapp served as Allen’s offensive teammates at Ohio State. coordinator in Oakland in 2012. Knapp also served as of- fensive coordinator of the Raiders from 2007-08, Saints DATING GAME Wide Receivers Coach Ronald Curry’s final two seasons This week’s game at Atlanta on December 6. The Saints as a wideout for the Silver and Black...New Orleans Run- are 3-3 on December 6. New Orleans’ first December 6 ning Backs Coach Joel Thomas and Falcons Defensive game was a 34-16 loss at the Los Angeles Rams in 1970 Line/Run Game Coordinator Tosh Lupoli served on the and fell to the Carolina Panthers in 2015. New Orleans has same University of Washington coaching staff in 2012. Lu- not played a team multiple times on the date. Here is a poli tutored Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan at the brief look at New Orleans’ December 6 games: University of California from 2008-10...Atlanta safety Shar- rod Neasman spent the 2018 preseason with New Orle- 1970 - The Saints lose to the Los Angeles Rams 34-16 at ans and was a college teammate at Florida Atlantic Univer- the L.A. Memorial Coliseum sity with New Orleans defensive end Trey Hendrick- 1981 - The Saints lose to St. Louis Cardinals 30-3 at Busch son...Saints kicker Wil Lutz prepped at Northgate Stadium. (Newnan, Ga.) HS and played at Georgia State...Atlanta Defensive Safeties Coach Chad Walker is a New Orleans 1987 - New Orleans defeats the Tampa Bay Buccaneers native who began his coaching career as a student assis- 44-34 at the Superdome to lock up the team’s first playoff tant at LSU in 2000 after graduating with a degree in edu- appearance. cation and also coached at Louisiana-Monroe and Missis- 1998 - The Saints defeat the Dallas Cowboys 22-3 at the sippi College...New Orleans Quarterbacks Coach Joe Lom- Superdome. bardi served on the Falcons coaching staff as an offen- sive assistant in 2006...Saints wide receiver Tre’Quan 2009 - New Orleans improves to 12-0 with a 33-30 over- Smith and Falcons guard Justin McCray were college time victory at Washington en route to a 13-0 start and the teammates at the University of Central Florida…Falcons Super Bowl XLIV championship. Director of Player Personnel Steve Sabo served as a pro 2015 - New Orleans loses to the Carolina Panthers 41-38, scout in New Orleans from 1996-98...New Orleans line- narrowly missing breaking their undefeated start. backer Craig Robertson and Atlanta center Alex Mack were teammates in Cleveland. Jordan and Mack were college . teammates at the University of California...New Orleans linebacker Alex Anzalone and Atlanta safety Keanu Neal were teammates at the University of Florida...Falcons De- fensive Assistant Lance Schulters went to training camp with the Saints in 2008...Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones Saints at Falcons: Week 13 3 NEW ORLEANS – ATLANTA games on the road for the second consecutive season. The Saints set an NFL single-season record with only eight STATISTICAL COMPARISON turnovers as they ranked second in the league in turnover ratio (+15). New Orleans also ranked third in sacks (51), 2020 NFL Regular Season Rankings tied for third in scoring (28.6 ppg.) and ranked fourth in op- Saints Falcons ponent rushing yards per game. Special teams captured first place in NFL writer Rick Gosselin’s annual comprehen- Record 9-2 4-7 sive rankings. Payton earned a bachelor’s degree in com- Scoring Avg. (NFL Rank) 29.6 (5) 26.8 (11) munications at Eastern Illinois, where as a quarterback he Opp. Scoring Avg. (NFL Rank) 20.5 (5) 25.6 (17) had 10,665 passing yards, at the time the third-highest total Total Off.