If the Atlanta Falcons want to win their first NFC South title since 2004, they know they have to find a way to beat the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints.
They'll get the first of at least two shots at doing so this season when they visit the Superdome on Sunday.
New Orleans (2-0) has won seven of the past eight meetings with the Falcons, but many of them haven't come easily.
The Saints earned a pair of tight victories against Atlanta last season, coming back for a 35-27 victory in New Orleans and getting a Garrett Hartley field goal in the fourth quarter for a 26-23 win in Atlanta.
Hartley was the hero again Monday night, booting a 37-yard field goal as time expired to lift New Orleans to a 25-22 win in San Francisco.
It was the second hard-fought win in a row to start the season for the Saints, who opened their title defense with a 14-9 home win over Minnesota.
After an overtime loss to the Steelers to start the season, the Falcons (1-1) rebounded for a dominating 41-7 victory last week against Arizona.
Backup running back Jason Snelling carried the load in the victory, gaining a career-high 186 total yards (129 rushing, 57 receiving) and scoring three touchdowns after starter Michael Turner left in the first quarter with a groin injury. Snelling was named the NFC offensive player of the week.
Turner hopes to return Sunday, and with good reason - he has scored a rushing touchdown in each of his past three games against New Orleans and had 151 yards and a score in the last meeting.
The Saints also had a key offensive player suffer an injury last week, as the versatile Reggie Bush fractured his fibula against the 49ers and is expected to miss up to six weeks.
Bush's absence probably will mean more work for Pierre Thomas, who has averaged only 3.2 yards per carry through two games but is the Saints’ leading rusher (117 yards, 1 TD) and receiver (11 catches, 72 yards). Thomas has scored rushing and receiving touchdowns in each of his past two home games against Atlanta.
Saints quarterback Drew Brees also has excelled against the Falcons, going 7-1 against them during his tenure in New Orleans. Through two games this year, Brees has completed 74.3 percent of his passes for 491 yards and three touchdowns without throwing an interception.
Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan has put up numbers through two games that rival Brees', completing 63.2 percent of his passes for 477 yards and three scores with one interception.
Ryan has made good use of receiver Roddy White, who is tied for the league lead with 20 receptions for 189 yards and a touchdown. White has gained 100 yards or more in his last three games at New Orleans.