Scoring Plays:
1Q - NO - Taysom Hill to Adam Trautman 18 yd TD pass (PAT Good) | NO 7, ATL 0
1Q - ATL - Younghoe Koo 48 yd FG GOOD | NO 7, ATL 3
End of Quarter Score - New Orleans Saints 7, Atlanta Falcons 3
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2Q - ATL - Younghoe Koo 54 yd FG GOOD | NO 7, ATL 6
2Q - NO - Trevor Siemian to Tre'Quan Smith 13 yd TD pass (PAT Good) | NO 14, ATL 6
2Q - NO - Brett Maher 37 yd FG GOOD | NO 17, ATL 6
2Q - NO - Trevor Siemian to Juwan Johnson 5 yd TD pass (PAT Good) | NO 24, ATL 6
End of Quarter Score - New Orleans Saints 24, Atlanta Falcons 6
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3Q - ATL - Qadree Ollison 19 yd TD rush (PAT Good) | NO 24, ATL 13
End of Quarter Score - New Orleans Saints 24, Atlanta Falcons 13
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4Q - NO - Brett Maher 27 yd FG GOOD | NO 27, ATL 13
4Q - NO - Brett Maher 33 yd FG GOOD | NO 30, ATL 13
4Q - ATL - Matt Ryan to Russell Gage 1 yd TD pass (PAT Good) | NO 30, ATL 20
Final Score - New Orleans Saints 30, Atlanta Falcons 20
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Hello Who Dats & Who Datettes and welcome to the first ever Week 18, game 17 thread.

If you had told me the Saints would use 4 different starting QBs in the first season post-Drew Brees and start more than 50 different players overall throughout said season (meaning turning over the starting 22... more than twice), I'd say this was a throwaway season and that we're just ready for summer.

But that's not the case as we're here in the final week of the regular season still with a chance to make the playoffs. A couple of early bad results aside, the Saints have kept themselves in contention for the postseason. Truly an amazing coaching job by Sean Payton and the staff to have this team, with these circumstances, still in the hunt.

1 of those early, bad results was a week 9 home loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Trevor Siemian was making his 1st start as a Saint post-Winston's torn ACL and the slow start put the Saints behind the 8-ball. But he got the offense into rhythm in the 4th quarter as the Saints came back to take the lead. But the defense faltered in the clutch, allowing the Falcons to get into easy field goal range to kick the game-winner with no time on the clock.

So it's revenge time for the 2nd week in a row as the Saints look to finish the first post-Drew Brees season not just with a winning record but also 4-2 in the NFC South. Like most seasons of late, the Falcons have nothing to play for in the final week of the season other than ruin the other team's life as Atlanta is already eliminated from postseason contention and its fanbase is more looking forward to tomorrow's CFP Championship Game between the Georgia Bulldogs & Alabama Crimson Tide.

Now with Taysom Hill at QB instead of Trevor Siemian, can the Saints do their job in Atlanta today and do what it can to get into the postseason? Are the Saints, somehow, playoff bound?

LET'S GROUND THE DIRTY BIRDS AND GET BACK INTO THE POSTSEASON!!!

Injury Report:
NO- (players on IR OR COVID-19 Reserve List are not listed here)
Terron Armstead - Knee - OUT
Bradley Roby - Shoulder - OUT
PJ Williams - Ankle - OUT
Marcus Davenport - Ankle - QUESTIONABLE
Ryan Ramczyk - Knee - QUESTIONABLE
Mark Ingram - Knee - QUESTIONABLE
(OT Caleb Benenoch was added to the COVID-19 list yesterday... just adding to the offensive line issues)

ATL-
Kyle Pitts - Hamstring - QUESTIONABLE
Quadree Ollison - Quadricap - QUESTIONABLE
Frank Darby - Shoulder - QUESTIONABLE
Jalen Mayfield - Back - QUESTIONABLE

Weather: Should be a fine day to close down Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium with another L for the Falcons

Uniforms: Saints going with the traditional road look in the regular season finale... white jerseys & gold pants in Atlanta

Saints Playoff Clinching Scenarios:
The New Orleans Saints will clinch a playoff berth with:
1) Saints win + 49ers loss

Relevant Games:
San Francisco 49ers 27 @ Los Angeles Rams 24 | Final/OT

Current Standings:
NFC South:
Buccaneers 12-4
Saints 8-8
Falcons 7-9
Panthers 5-11

Betting Lines: Saints (-4.5); O/U 40

Want to listen to Mike Hoss, Deuce McAllister, & Steve Geller instead of Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez, & Laura Okmin?
Find your local Saints Radio Network affiliate at this link

Today's Officials:
Referee: #4 Craig Wrolstad

Umpire: #54 Steve Woods
Down Judge: #48 Jim Mello
Line Judge: #37 Tripp Sutter
Field Judge: #43 Terry Brown
Side Judge: #21 Jeff Lamberth
Back Judge: #27 Grantis Bell
Replay Official: Kevin Stine
Replay Assistant: Gavin Anderson

Inactive Lists:
NO-
T Terron Armstead
QB Ian Book
RB Mark Ingram II
CB Bradley Roby
DB P.J. Williams
WR Kenny Stills

ATL-
QB Josh Rosen
DL John Cominskey
G Jalen Mayfield
WR Frank Darby
LB James Vaughters
DL Tyeler Davison

This post was edited on 1/10/22 at 7:14 am