The Atlanta Falcons played their last two preseason games of the 2013 season against the Tennessee Titans and the Jacksonville Jaguars respectively. The Falcons fell to the Titans 27-16 on the road and lost at home 20-16 to the Jaguars.

The third preseason game is traditionally the game in which the starters play, at least, the entire first half of the ball game. Pundits are usually quoted by saying that what teams do in the third preseason game should be what fans expect to see in the regular season. If that's true, Falcons fans should be quivering with fear. The starting offensive line allowed Matt Ryan to get sacked 5 times. The defense also looked inconsistent. Also worth mentioning, there were way too many penalties.

The fourth and final preseason game is usually when the starters, seemingly, have no part in the game. That's the game in which the backups battle for a spot on the 53 man roster. Quarterback Dominique Davis looked solid in the game; he threw for 175 yards on 18 completions. Josh Vaughan was the most impressive that night as he ran for 83 yards on 5 carries, including a 65 yard touchdown run in the 3rd quarter. Also, the Falcons two rookie corners, Desmond Trufant and Robert Alford, came away with interceptions. Those two have tremendous potential and they have a great mentor in Asante Samuel.

Atlanta's already made their cuts and have formed their 53 man roster. They have also added 8 players to the practice squad and are getting ready for the first game of the regular season against the New Orleans Saints.

For those curious, here's a link to view the 53 man roster of the Atlanta Falcons: http://www.atlantafalcons.com/team/player-roster.html

So as the season opener against the Saints approaches, what should you expect to see after the opening kickoff at 1pm on Sunday? Well, no telling what you'll see. You can definitely expect plenty of emotion. This is not just a typical Falcons-Saints game in which there would already be emotional play. This is New Orleans Saints coach, Sean Peyton's, first game back after being suspended for the entire 2012 season for the infamous bounty scandal. The Saints also switched to a 3-4 defense after hiring Rob Ryan as their new defensive coordinator. Last season, the Saints posted the worst defensive stats in NFL history. Then there is Drew Brees and the offense that can be very dangerous. Expect them to air it out and test the secondary.

As for the Falcons: expect Atlanta to run Steven Jackson at New Orleans early to wear them down and then open up the passing game. Ultimately, the plan should be to keep the Saints defense on their toes with a balanced attack. Defensively, the Falcons defensive line has to create a pass rush and get to Drew Brees. He can pick a defense apart if he has the time to do it. Quarterbacks, like Brees, are the reason the Falcons signed Osi Umenyiora.

For those into historical facts, the Falcons haven't beaten the Saints in New Orleans since week 3 of the 2010 season. Also, the last time the Falcons played in New Orleans in week 1, they won 62-7.

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