NEW ORLEANS SAINTS WEEKLY MEDIA INFORMATION GUIDE ATLANTA FALCONS VS. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS NOVEMBER 28, 2019 @ MERCEDES-BENZ STADIUM GAME INFORMATION • ROSTERS • DEPTH CHART • TEAM AND PLAYER STATISTICS NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (9-2) AT ATLANTA FALCONS (3-8) THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2019 – 7:20 P.M. (CST) MERCEDES-BENZ STADIUM– ATLANTA, GA. TV: NBC (WDSU 6 locally) – Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison (color analysts) and Michele Tafoya (sideline) NATIONAL RADIO: Westwood One Radio – Brandon Gaudin (play-by- play), Tony Boselli (color analyst) and Laura Okmin (sideline) LOCAL RADIO: WWL (870 AM and 105.3 FM) – Zach Strief (play-by-play), Deuce McAllister (color analyst) and Steve Geller (sideline) SPANISH LANGUAGE RADIO: KGLA (830 AM and 105.7 FM) – Mario Je- rez (play-by-play), Juan Carlos Ramos (color analyst) and Victor Quinonez (sideline) victory over the Panthers. New Orleans jumped out to a 14 THE MATCHUP -0 first quarter lead, but Carolina hung around in the con- test and tied the score for the first time midway through the In a matchup between two longtime foes, the New Orle- fourth quarter on a two-yard touchdown pass from Caroli- ans Saints (9-2) will march into Mercedes-Benz Stadium na QB Kyle Allen to WR D.J. Moore. After the Saints were on Thanksgiving night to face the Atlanta Falcons (3-8) in a stopped on a fourth and inches opportunity at their 43-yard nationally televised contest. It will be the third time that the line, the Panthers took the ball back. The Panthers subse- Saints have played on Thanksgiving, the second consecu- quently advanced all the way to the New Orleans three- tive season between these clubs as the Saints captured yard line. But the New Orleans defense kept the Panthers the holiday evening last year 34-17 at the Mercedes-Benz out of the end zone in a powerful goal line sequence, end- Superdome on the strength of four Drew Brees touchdown ing with a sack by DE Marcus Davenport on third down passes and several big red zone defensive plays. and Carolina K Joey Slye had a 28-yard field goal attempt New Orleans is coming off of a 34-31 victory over the Car- go wide right on a play where Davenport provided pres- olina Panthers on Sunday at the Mercedes-Benz Super- sure. dome that featured significant contributions on offense, With the opportunity to win the contest in sight and defense and special teams, as the outcome was not decid- starting field position at their 20-yard line with 1:56 remain- ed until K Wil Lutz kicked a 33-yard field goal at the end of ing in the contest, Brees and the offense got to work. The regulation. The 9-2 Saints currently lead the NFC South by signal-caller shook off a first down sack with completions four games over the 5-6 Carolina Panthers with a third to WR Michael Thomas and RB Alvin Kamara to get a first consecutive division title in plain signed. down. Once again, facing third and six at their 36, Brees New Orleans will be looking for their tenth victory of the completed a pass to Thomas that he turned into a 24-yard season on Thanksgiving night. A win over Atlanta would gain and put them on the precipice of field goal range. On give New Orleans double-digit victories for the third con- a second down play, a 16-yard completion to Kamara put secutive season for only the second time in franchise his- the Saints at Carolina’s 24-yard line. Followed by a nine- tory. Most importantly it would make them division champi- yard run by the team’s leading rusher in 2019 and a spike, ons, setting up a battle for the top seed in the NFC when Lutz drilled his second game-winning field goal of the sea- New Orleans hosts the 10-1 San Francisco 49ers on De- son, both at home, concluding an 11-play, 65-yard drive. cember 8 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome This Week In The NFC South: The Panthers (5-6_ will Sunday’s effort in all three phases took all 60 minutes of host Washington (2-9), while The Tampa Bay Buccaneers regulation for New Orleans to come up with a hard-earned will travel across the state of Florida to face the Jackson- ville Jaguars.. Saints at Falcons: Week 13 2 SAINTS-FALCONS CONNECTIONS Jesuit HS and starred at LSU...New Orleans DT Sheldon Rankins prepped at Eastside (Covington, Ga.) HS. Ran- New Orleans RB Alvin Kamara is an Atlanta native who kins and Saints QB Teddy Bridgewater played with Falcons prepped at Norcross (Ga.) HS, where he rushed for 2,264 G Jamon Brown at Louisville...Saints TE Jared Cook, who yards and 26 touchdowns while averaging 7.5 yards per prepped at North Gwinnett (Suwanee, Ga.) HS, played with carry and added 22 receptions for 286 yards and five Brown in St. Louis in 2015...Saints CB P.J. Williams and scores as a senior in 2012, earning Georgia Mr. Football Falcons RB Devonta Freeman were college teammates at honors from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution...Saints De- Florida State...Saints defensive end Carl Granderson and fensive Coordinator Dennis Allen’s father, Grady, played Falcons running back Brian Hill were college teammates at for Atlanta from 1968-72. Allen served on the Falcons de- the University of Wyoming...Saints DB C.J. Gardner- fensive coaching staff from 2002-05. Allen tutored Falcons Johnson and Falcons WR Brandon Powell played to- QB Matt Schaub in Oakland in 2014, when he served as gether at the University of Florida...Saints G Will Clapp and head coach and Schaub and Saints RB Latavius Murray Falcons WR Russell Gage were college teammates at Lou- were teammates. Murray and Falcons S Kemal Ismael isiana State University...New Orleans RB Dwayne Wash- were college teammates at Central Florida. Atlanta Quar- ington and Falcons T Kaleb McGary were college team- terbacks Coach Greg Knapp served as Allen’s offensive mates at the University of Washington...Saints defensive coordinator in Oakland in 2012. Knapp also served as of- tackle Tyler Davison was a fifth round draft pick of the fensive coordinator of the Raiders from 2007-08, Saints Saints in 2015 and played his first four seasons for the Wide Receiver Coach Ronald Curry’s final two seasons as Black and Gold...New Orleans LB Stephone Anthony and a wideout for the Silver and Black...New Orleans Second- Atlanta OLB Vic Beasley Jr. and DT Grady Jarrett were ary Coach Aaron Glenn and Falcons Defensive Passing college teammates at Clemson...Saints CB Marshon Lat- Game Coordinator Jerome Henderson were teammates timore and Falcons CB Kendall Sheffield were college with the New York Jets from 1997-98...Falcons Offensive teammates at Ohio State...Falcons P Ryan Allen played at Assistant Chad Walker is a New Orleans native who Louisiana Tech and was a teammate on the New England served as an assistant at Louisiana State University for Patriots with Saints DT Malcom Brown along with Barner three seasons (2000, 2003-04( and also at Mississippi Col- and Falcons DE Adrian Clayborn. lege from 2011-12...Falcons Assistant Defensive Line Coach Travis Jones served in the same position in New Orleans from 2008-12 and also served as an assistant in NEW ORLEANS – ATLANTA Baton Rouge...Atlanta safety Sharrod Neasman spent the 2018 preseason with New Orleans and was a college STATISTICAL COMPARISON teammate at Florida Atlantic University with New Orleans defensive end Trey Hendrickson...Saints kicker Wil Lutz 2019 National Football League Regular Season prepped at Northgate (Newnan, Ga.) HS and played at Rankings Georgia State...New Orleans Linebackers Coach Mike No- Saints Falcons lan served as defensive coordinator of the Falcons from 2012-14...New Orleans Quarterbacks Coach Joe Record 9-2 3-8 Lombardi served on the Falcons coaching staff as an Scoring Avg. (NFL Rank) 24.7 (9) 22.0 (19) offensive assistant in 2006...Saints tackle/guard Andrus Opp. Scoring Avg. (NFL Rank) 20.9 (14) 27.0 (28) Peat and Falcons tight end Austin Hooper were college Total Off. (NFL Rank) 368.9 (12) 371.4 (10) teammates at Stanford…New Orleans LB Craig Robertson Rushing Off. (NFL Rank) 108.5 (17) 72.9 (31) and Atlanta C Alex Mack were teammates in Cleveland. Passing Off. (NFL Rank) 260.5 (9) 298.5 (3) Saints DE Cameron Jordan and Mack were college team- Total Def. (NFL Rank) 321.3 (10) 376.3 (26) mates at the University of California...New Orleans CB Pat- Rushing Def. (NFL Rank) 88.5 (3) 109.9 (18) rick Robinson and Atlanta RB Kenjon Barner were Passing Def. (NFL Rank) 232.7 (14) 266.4 (27) teammates in Philadelphia in 2017...Saints WR Ted Ginn Kickoff Return Avg. (NFL Rank) 21.4 (21) 22.8 (13) Jr., LB A.J. Klein and Barner were teammates in Caroli- Punt Return Avg. (NFL Rank) 9.4 (4) 8.7 (8) na in 2013…New Orleans Defensive Assistant Leigh Tor- Turnover Margin (NFL Rank) +8 (4t) -8 (27) rence prepped at the Marist School in Atlanta and Penalties 86 84 played for the Falcons in 2005, later coaching at high high Penalty Yards 699 665 school alma mater before returning to New Orleans to Opp. Penalties 60 86 begin his NFL coaching career...New Orleans S Vonn Bell Opp. Penalty Yards 469 715 prepped at Rossville (Ga.) Ridgeland HS...Falcons WR Julio Jones prepped at Foley (Al.) HS...Falcons LB Deion Jones is a New Orleans native who prepped at Saints at Falcons: Week 13 3 THE COACHES Dan Quinn was named the 16th head coach in Atlanta Falcons history in 2015 and took over the club after serving New Orleans Saints Head Coach Sean Payton has posted as the Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator from 2013- a 135-82 overall record (.622), including an 8-6 postseason 14.