In achieving one of their goals after six consecutive wins, the Saints' record soared to 11-3. However, in order to secure a first-round playoff berth, they still need to continue working hard. The Saints' quarterback Roman Harper said: "Only the sky is the limit for us; we will try our best to achieve it. Our goal is to win the Super Bowl. Now, all we have to do is stay focused and move forward step by step."
The Falcons also need a win to secure a playoff spot. Their coach Mike Smith said: "What we want to do is control what we can. Obviously, our players are familiar with this pressure, and each player clearly understands it. We won't change our plan; stability is a top priority for us. We must go forward as we did during the season."
Since the Thursday night game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on December 16th, the Falcons had enough time to prepare for the match-up against the Saints, who face one of their biggest challenges against the most sought-after team in the NFL. In last Sunday's away victory over the Minnesota Vikings, the Saints accumulated a total of 573 yards of offense. In the last four games, they scored at least 31 points in three of them. In the past six consecutive games, they didn't allow more than 24 points, and their last defeat dates back to October 30th, when they lost to the St. Louis Rams on the road.
It was just a week after the St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series Championship in professional baseball. Saints' star linebacker Jonathan Vilma said: "We're talking about the whole team system, including the offensive group, the defense group, and wickedly plotting. We must fully open fire."
In the last game, Saints quarterback Drew Brees completed 32 out of 40 passes for 412 yards and set the highest five-passing array of the season. Currently, Brees' season passing yardage stands at 4780 yards. He only needs 305 more yards to break Dan Marino's 1984 record of 5084 passing yards in a single season. Brees said: "Now, the offense makes me feel quite comfortable. I know we are gradually approaching our goals, and I know what we have accomplished. Before that, we have to finish our tasks."
In the game against the Falcons, Brees threw for 322 yards and two passing touchdowns, helping the team secure an away overtime victory over the Falcons.
(Note: The last sentence seems unrelated and may be from a different context, mentioning the HSBC Championship in Singapore and Barcelona giving up on a Spanish player in favor of Robin van Persie.)