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The Atlanta Falcons don’t see any sense in letting themselves get enraged over the fact that they’re 3-13 against the Saints since quarterback Drew Brees arrived in New Orleans in 2006.

They simply respect New Orleans’ recent hegemony, attempt to block it from their minds and put confidence in offseason developments they’ve orchestrated as they prepare to face Brees and the Saints for a 17th occasion, this time to open their 2014 campaign at home at noon Sunday.

“Obviously, we have a lot of respect for them; and certainly, I have a ton of respect for Drew — I think he’s as good as it gets at this position and has played at a high level for a long time,” Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan said Wednesday of the MVP of the Saints’ victory in Super Bowl XLIV as well as the player who’s thrown for the NFL’s most passing yards (10,339) and second-most touchdowns (82) since 2012.

“(Yet) I don’t think it’s something we’ve worried too much about — what’s happened the last couple of years. Really, what it comes down to is this week and what we do this week.”

Falcons coach Mike Smith echoed that tune, insisting, “What happened in the previous six or seven years is going to have no bearing on the game being played on Sunday.”

Instead, what the coach who has a 3-9 mark versus the Saints since taking over the Falcons in 2008 hopes will begin reversing the course of an increasingly lopsided NFC South rivalry is a commitment to beefing up the lines on either side of the ball. What a quarterback who’s suffered defeats in five of his eight career match-ups with the Saints makes him believe could alter the story a bit is the return of a star receiver he largely did without last season.

Read more: The Atlanta Falcons aren't fazed by their recent struggles against the Saints | Saints | The Advocate — Baton Rouge, Louisiana

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Everyone is entitled to be stupid, but some abuse the privilege.

All little common sense goes a long way.