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(Sports Network) - A division title could be secured and a cherished individual record has a chance to be broken when the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints square off at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in a marquee Monday night matchup with very high stakes.

The streaking Saints enter this pivotal Week 16 showdown between the NFC South's top two teams on the verge of capturing the division for the second time in the past three years. New Orleans currently leads the Falcons by two games in the standings with two to play, and needs only to win one of its two remaining contests to accomplish the feat.

Though the Saints have already clinched a place in the upcoming playoffs, the home game that comes with winning the division should ensure they'll have plenty of motivation for Monday's clash. New Orleans has been dominant at the Superdome over the course of this 2011 season, prevailing in all six of its bouts to date while averaging an astounding 39.8 points per game.

The Saints were forced to take to the road as a Wild Card entry in last year's postseason and wound up being bounced by a 7-9 Seattle squad in the opening round.

Atlanta, last year's NFC South champions, will making a return postseason trip as well after clinching at least a Wild Card berth following losses by Dallas, Arizona and Chicago over the weekend. Even with that objective now accomplished, the Falcons will have a larger goal in mind when they take the field on Monday.

"This is exactly where we wanted to be, in the mix in December with everything we want still in front of us with two games to play," Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan remarked. "It just so happens that New Orleans is on the schedule this week. It's exciting. It's always fun playing down there and this is the time of the year that I think players enjoy the most. This is when it really counts."

Full article.
The Sports Network - National Football League

homerj07

Getting ansy but still have 10 hours to wait!!