In the National Football League, momentum is simply as fleeting as your last game.

The Atlanta Falcons will be looking to put last week’s disappointing 37-21 loss in the rear view mirror when they take on the undefeated New Orleans Saints at the Superdome on Monday night.

The prime time matchup couldn’t come at a tougher time for the Falcons, who haven’t lost back-to-back games under coach Mike Smith.

“It is a tough two-game stretch and we’ve talked about it, obviously it is no secret,” Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez told the team’s official web site.  “You don’t want to lose two in a row, but this is a tough challenge.  We’ve just got to be up to it.  I think we’re up to it.  I think we’re going to go out there and we’re going to play a good football game and may the best team win.”

Not exactly words of confidence.

There’s no mistaking why the Falcons’ confidence seemed shattered.  Quarterback Matt Ryan was battered, hurried and rattled against a Cowboys’ team whose previous wins came against NFL doormats Carolina, Tampa Bay and Kansas City.

The defense allowed Tony Romo to throw for more than 300 yards.  An undrafted receiver from Monmouth University brought down six catches for 171 yards and two scores.

Folks might not know Miles Austin, but he’s starting to make a name for himself in the league.

Ryan for one, chalked up his performance in Dallas up to the rigors of the NFL schedule.

“There’s going to be weeks that you are going to get knocked around and that’s playing this position in this league,” Ryan told AtlantaFalcons.com.  “Our guys do such a great job upfront that you don’t often see that.  It’s just one of those weeks you just have to bounce back from it and focus on this week.

“You can’t beat yourselves twice you know what I mean?  We lost last week and now the motivation is going out and winning this week.  I think the guys have done a great job of that."

But can the Falcons overcome the high-flying Saints?

New Orleans is marching through its early season schedule with ease, winning and winning big. The Saints humiliated a previously undefeated New York Giants team in Week 6 before spotting the Miami Dolphins 21 points only to beat them by 12.

And this isn’t your normal Saints team.  While Drew Brees has the league’s No. 1 offense clicking on all cylinders, they actually went out and acquired a defense in the offseason, too.

This one could get ugly, quick, unless the Falcons make some quick adjustments.

“We’ve obviously got to play better in all phases,” Gonzalez said.  “I don’t think it’s one particular thing.  … Otherwise in every aspect of the game we’ve got to improve.  I know that’s really not the answer you’re looking for, but really it’s everything.”

To do so, Atlanta must somehow get its running game back on track.

That all starts and stops with the Falcons’ offensive line and running back Michael Turner.

But the league’s second leading rusher last season has been a shadow of his old self, averaging just 67 yards per game this season.

The news didn’t get much better for the Falcons, who were without running backs Jerious Norwood and Jason Snelling in practice on Thursday.  Fullback Ovie Mughelli, who missed the game in Dallas, was limited in practice as well.  Atlanta’s so thin at running back that the club inked former Saint Aaron Stecker earlier this week.

Ryan thinks that the Atlanta offensive line needs to step up its physical play to prevail in this one.

“I think this week we’re playing against a good defense,” he said.  “They obviously bring a lot of pressure and do a great job with that.  For us it’s just the details.  Trying to be physical up front making sure that I carry out my fakes to try to open some things up.  Just trying to get better at what we do.”

The Falcons better get better quickly.  If not, they could find themselves three games behind the Saints in the race for the NFC South crown.

“It would be a tough thing (to lose), but it’s something that we hope doesn’t happen,” Gonzalez said.  “That’s why we’re preparing getting ourselves ready for this game.   It’s going to be a tough game there’s no doubt about it, going in there on Monday Night Football.  It’s going to be loud in there and it’s a division game, but that’s why they play the game.  Hopefully we will come out on top.”

--PHIL FOLEY