After opening the season with five straight losses, the Atlanta Falcons have gone 4-2 in their last six games.
That turn around started after the franchise made a coaching change, firing Dan Quinn and elevating assistant Raheem Morris on an interim basis.
Morris said his only goal has been to go 1-0 each week.
"This whole spark for me right now is to go 1-0 against Sean Payton and the New Orleans Saints,” Morris said. “If we can find a way to do that, I really could care less. Everything else has been nice, but this weekend is big, it's huge because it's the next man up.
“If you can always think about the next man up, you can focus on that and go 1-0 mentality. That's what gets us going, that's the spark."
Another spark for Atlanta’s turn around has been a vastly improved on defense. After allowing 32.2 points per game during their first five games, the Falcons are now only giving up 20 points per over the last six contests.
Saints coach Sean Payton said the unit is playing with confidence, and that the improvement was noticeable in Atlanta’s 43-6 win against the Las Vegas Raiders Sunday.
“They took the ball away five times and it just looked like they were a tick step faster to the spot than Vegas,” he said. “They did it with pressure. They did it with ball disruption. They intercepted it, they recovered fumbles.
“I think they are playing with confidence I think you’re seeing a little bit more pressure from them than in the past and you got a veteran group, an experienced group that I think is playing exceptionally well.”
Saints quarterback Taysom Hill said New Orleans recognizes the challenge of facing Atlanta’s defense.
"I think they're a really fast defense,” Hill said. “I would say they're disruptive up front. But their linebackers are really fast, and they move really well laterally. And so as you try to get the edge, they do a great job of defending you laterally or making your stretch in the run game, but they move so well that it's hard to get the edge. And then I would say they've done a nice job with their safeties. Their safeties are aggressive, and good tacklers. And so they don't make a lot of misses. They've always been really productive."
