Week 14 of the NFL season ends Monday night not with a bang but with a whimper. In probably the worst prime-time matchup of the year, the 5-7 New Orleans Saints visit the 3-9 Atlanta Falcons, with New Orleans a 3.5-point favorite (over/under 42.5) on WagerWeb.com.
Hanging over the game as well was the fact that former Falcons QB Michael Vick, the main reason the Atlanta franchise is in such bad shape, was sentenced Monday in federal court for his dogfighting operation.
Oh, and Saints running back Reggie Bush, the biggest star on either team, won't play tonight (or possibly for the rest of the season) as he gets a second opinion on a torn knee ligament.
But here at WagerWeb.com, we'll preview even the most dog (pardon the pun) of games because the worst NFL game still is more watchable sometimes than many other sports.
Shockingly, this game is even a sellout.
While it's not surprising the Falcons are struggling without Vick, New Orleans was one of the NFC's preseason favorites. But the Saints enter barely alive in the wild-card race and already have exceeded their loss total from last year when they reached the NFC title game.
Bush, who has carried the load for New Orleans since Deuce McAllister went down for the season with a knee injury in Week 3, struggled in his second year. The 2005 Heisman Trophy winner has rushed for only 581 yards this season -- an average of 3.7 per carry -- with eight fumbles.
"Reggie is a great talent. Reggie is one of the best athletes I have ever seen, but that only gets you so far," Saints quarterback Drew Brees said. "Certain fundamentals and discipline to playing this game -- that is learned and that's not something that just happens immediately."
Aaron Stecker, Jamaal Branch and Pierre Thomas will take snaps at tailback in Bush's absence.
That trio likely won't strike fear in the Atlanta defense, so expect Brees to air it out. Brees is having a good year (3,176 passing yards, 20 TDs, 15 INTs) but nothing like his MVP-quality 2006 season.
And he is coming off a 179-yard passing day in a loss to Tampa Bay, Brees' lowest total of the season.The Saints must win out to have any chance of returning to the postseason.
``We have to understand that we're capable of playing better football,' coach Sean Payton said. ``When we do, we give ourselves a chance.'
Atlanta, meanwhile, would just like to stay with one quarterback. Joey Harrington and Byron Leftwich have rotated in and out much of the season, without much season.
So tonight, journeyman Chris Redman gets his first start since 2002.
Redman was out of the league the last three seasons; he was selling insurance a year ago, believing his career was over.
``It's been a long time,' he said. ``I'm looking forward to going out there and playing.'
In last week's 28-16 loss to St. Louis, Redman replaced Harrington after he threw an interception late in the third quarter with Atlanta down 21-3. A former first-round pick of Baltimore, Redman went 16-of-24 for 172 yards and two touchdowns before throwing a costly interception late in the contest.
Atlanta needs something: The Falcons rank 26th in total yards (299.2 yards per game) and next-to-last in scoring, including an NFL-low 16 touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Falcons coach Bobby Petrino has hinted that Jerious Norwood (442 rushing yards, 1 TD, 23 receptions), who rushed for a season-high 94 yards on just eight carries last week, could assume a larger role in the offense over fellow running back Warrick Dunn (600 rushing yards, 3 TD, 32 receptions) in the team's final four games.
The lowdown: Entering Week 14, the Saints ranked 10th in NFL total offense (343.9 yards per game), while the Atlanta defense ranks 18th (332.7 yards per game), including 13th against the pass (210.8 yards per game). The Saints are 26th in the league in total defense (351.7 yards per game) ... The Falcons have lost three straight for the third time this year and will finish the 30th losing record in their 42-year history. ... New Orleans has won three straight against Atlanta, including a 22-16 victory on Oct. 21 at the Superdome. The Falcons led 16-14 in the fourth quarter before Brees' 4-yard touchdown pass to Bush put the Saints ahead for good.
Betting trends
The Saints are 4-8 ATS.
The Saints are 3-3 ATS away.
The Saints are 3-7 ATS as the favorite.
The Saints are 2-2 ATS as an away favorite.
The Falcons are 6-6 ATS.
The Falcons are 2-4 ATS at home.
The Falcons are 5-6 ATS as the underdog.
The Falcons are 1-4 ATS as a home underdog.
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