Falcons vs. Saints 2015, 'Thursday Night Football' preview: Atlanta looks to stay perfect in New Orleans

The Atlanta Falcons are determined to prove that their perfect 5-0 record is no fluke. The New Orleans Saints are trying to avoid letting their season spiral out of control after a blowout loss last week. The two rivals will meet in a key divisional showdown at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Thursday Night Football.

The Falcons' win last week over Washington wasn't pretty, but the only thing that matters is that Atlanta improved to 5-0 and kept pace atop the NFC South standings with the Carolina Panthers. It might be the most important and noteworthy victory of the season so far, because it showed they can win a game even when their vaunted offense and explosive aerial attack isn't firing on all cylinders.

The defense and run game kept the Falcons in the game against Washington -- and ultimately won it in overtime -- which is something that you never would have been able to say about Atlanta last season, when it ranked 24th in rushing and allowed the most yards in the league.

New head coach Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan have completely transformed this team on both sides of the ball, and with another victory on Thursday, the Falcons will match their entire win total from last season ... in the middle of October.

The Saints followed up their first win of the season in Week 4 with perhaps their most embarrassing loss yet to the Eagles on Sunday. The game was tied 10-10 in the third quarter before the Saints imploded and allowed Philly to score 29 unanswered points en route to an ugly 39-17 beatdown. That horrible second-half performance dropped the Saints to 1-4 and now leaves them scrambling to salvage their season as they return home to face the Falcons.

Although this matchup looks like a total mismatch on paper, it's still a divisional game between two heated rivals, and, if history is any indication, it could be a close one on the scoreboard. Seven of the last 11 meetings dating back to the 2008 season have been decided by four points or fewer, including three overtime games in that span.

Digits

Coming off back-to-back double-digit loss seasons, hardly anyone would have predicted that Atlanta would be 5-0 and in first place in the NFC South after five weeks. In fact, at the beginning of the season, ESPN's Football Power Index projections gave the Falcons a 2.7 percent chance to win their first five games, the lowest probability of any of the current unbeaten teams.

The Falcons aren't just the most surprising undefeated team this year based on their dismal record the last two seasons, they might be the most improbable 5-0 club in league history. Although they've faced fourth-quarter deficits in four of five games, they are unbeaten for a simple reason: They refuse to lose. The Falcons are the first team ever to start 5-0 with four of their wins coming after they trailed in the fourth quarter.

Atlanta has featured prolific offenses in the past, but rarely have been able to combine it with a defense that is as aggressive and opportunistic as this year's version. They are one of six teams with double-digit takeaways and one of three teams with three defensive touchdowns this season. Matt Ryan doesn't have to carry this team anymore, and that's a really good thing for the Falcons' chances of being a playoff contender.

The Saints are a mess and have multiple flaws on both sides of the ball. The defense is once again among the league's worst, ranking last in total yardage and tied for 29th in points allowed per game. They gave up 519 yards to the Eagles on Sunday and now have to face the Falcons' high-powered offense on a short week.

The offense is averaging just 20.6 points per game and has really been hurt by a whopping 10 giveaways, tied for the third-highest total in the league. Drew Brees has the Saints' passing game once again among the league leaders, but has gotten little support from a ground game that ranks 29th in yards and 28th in yards per carry. What they really lack is explosiveness out of the backfield, with zero runs of 20-plus yards in five games.

Who to Watch

Devonta Freeman - The second-year runner has become a breakout fantasy darling with three dominating performances in the past three games. He leads the NFL with eight touchdowns and 645 yards from scrimmage, and he is rewriting the record books on a weekly basis.

Freeman is the only player in the Super Bowl era with seven rushing touchdowns in his first three starts, and is the first player with at least eight rushing scores in his team's first five games since LaDainian Tomlinson and Shaun Alexander in 2005. Freeman is so much fun to watch because he combines patience and vision with an aggressive and physical running style that is unmatched by few other backs in the league.

Mark Ingram - The good news is that Ingram has been a key part of the Saints' passing game this season, already with more receiving yards (220) than he had all of last year. However, he has really struggled to run the ball, averaging just 3.8 yards per rush. Ingram has yet to reach 80 yards rushing in a game and has scored only two touchdowns in five games.

How to watch

When: 8:25 p.m. ET

Where: Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans

TV: CBS, NFL Network

Announcers: Announcers: Jim Nantz, Phil Simms, Tracy Wolfson

Online: NFL Game Pass

Preliminary Judgment

The experts are heavily favoring the Falcons to survive a trip to New Orleans and remain unbeaten. Over at CBS Sports, seven of the eight guys have Atlanta winning, with just Dave Richard taking the Saints. Here at SB Nation headquarters, the Falcons are also the pick by a 7-1 margin. Only the Odds Shark computer is going rogue and predicting a Saints victory.

Odds

The Falcons are 3-point favorites at New Orleans and the over/under is 51, per OddsShark.com.

Further Reading

For more on the Falcons, be sure to check out The Falcoholic. To catch up on everything Saints, head over to Canal Street Chronicles.