Without Brees, Saints Go Marching On

New Orleans (7-2 SU, 4-5 ATS) will be without veteran QB Drew Brees when it puts a six-game winning streak on the line against the Falcons (3-6, 4-5). The Saints, who went 5-0 without Brees as their starter last year, have won 10 of the last 14 meetings with Atlanta.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

Injuries to Brees and several other Saints starters caused this line to drop from the opener, with most sportsbooks offering New Orleans -4.5 at the time of writing. The Saints were double-digit favorites in the last two meetings in the Big Easy.

Atlanta News & Notes

The Falcons have been an entirely different team since firing coach Dan Quinn after a 0-5 start. Atlanta is 3-1 SU and ATS since, and the only loss came by a point against Detroit in a game the Falcons would have won if Todd Gurley had gone down at the goal line instead of scoring a TD late in regulation.

Improved defense has sparked the turnaround, with the Falcons holding four of their last five opponents to 23 points or less after giving up 30 or more in their first four games. Atlanta’s also coming off a bye, something it used to its advantage last year when it returned from a week off to stun the Saints 26-9 as a 14-point underdog.

Wide receiver Calvin Ridley, who leads the team in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches, could return from a mid-foot sprain that forced him to miss Atlanta’s most recent game.

New Orleans News & Notes

Brees is expected to be out for at least a few weeks after suffering fractured ribs and a collapsed lung in the Saints’ 27-13 win over San Francisco on Sunday. The future Hall of Famer led a pair of touchdown drives following the injury before sitting out the entire second half. Jameis Winston played the rest of the game, completing six of 10 passes for 63 yards in his first extensive action in a Saints uniform.

With their top quarterback out, the Saints relied on their defense and special teams to help them overcome an early 10-0 deficit. New Orleans allowed just 49 rushing yards, had two interceptions and recovered a pair of fumbled punts inside the San Francisco 25-yard line.

Alvin Kamara also saw increased usage as a pass catcher, recording seven of the Saints’ 14 receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown, part of a three-TD afternoon for the All-Pro running back.

Brees isn’t the only New Orleans player who is banged up this week. Wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith and tight end Josh Hill left the San Francisco game with concussion-like symptoms, while cornerback Marshon Lattimore, defensive tackle Malcom Brown and safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson also exited early with injuries.

Betting Pick: Saints -4.5

Brees’ absence doesn’t mean nearly as much as it used to, evidenced by the Saints’ 5-0 record without him last year. Expect New Orleans coach Sean Payton to put an effective game plan in place for Winston, who led the NFL in passing yards in 2019.