Falcons vs. Saints: Drew Brees Won't Let Atlanta Spoil Fun in New Orleans

Monday night should be, and will be, all about Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints, as much as Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons may try to play spoiler.

The Saints, as a team, have everything to play for. With a win over the Dirty Birds, New Orleans will clinch the NFC South title in front of the home fans and move one step closer to securing the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoff picture. Such would assure them an extra week of rest and their legions of fans at the Superdome at least one more home game to cheer on their favorite team.

But all of that will pale in comparison to Drew Brees' pursuit of Dan Marino's single-season passing record, which he may well eclipse tonight. Brees needs "only" 304 yards to match Marino's mark, which would seem to be a foregone conclusion given that he's topped the 300-yard mark 11 times this season and threw for 412 yards just last week.

Don't think for a second, though, that Atlanta is simply going to roll over and play dead so Brees can have his moment in the spotlight. The Falcons have allowed just 231 yards per game to opposing passers, though Brees torched them for 322 yards the last time they met.

Realistically, it would be more of a surprise if Brees didn't leave Marino in his rear view on Monday night. He came agonizingly close in 2008, posting just the second 5,000-yard passing season in NFL history but falling all of 15 yards shy of the record.

This time around, Brees will leave no doubt, about his own accolades or those of his team. He and the Saints have a division title firmly in sight, with a Super Bowl berth not too far down the road. That, in itself, should be motivation enough to elevate them about the flawed Falcons and on the path to Indianapolis.

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