ATLANTA — The Atlanta Falcons faced a setback in their NFC South campaign, as they fell short in a 20-17 defeat against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. This loss served as a stark reminder of the team’s imperfections, despite their strong performance earlier in the season. The Falcons, now 6-4, maintain a two-game lead over Tampa Bay in the division standings but stumbled after previously dominating their rivals with a 4-0 record in the division.
In this game, quarterback Kirk Cousins threw for 306 yards without securing a touchdown and suffered an interception late in the fourth quarter. The Falcons received the ball back one more time but were hindered by a third sack, underscoring the defense’s lack of pressure, which was a contrast to their improved performance from the prior week against Dallas.
New Orleans’ Marquez Valdes-Scantling proved to be a thorn in Atlanta’s side, catching two decisive first-half touchdown passes and finishing with an impressive 109 yards on just three catches. On the bright side, running back Bijan Robinson had a standout performance, rushing for a career-high 116 yards and achieving two touchdowns. He also registered three receptions for 28 yards, marking his fifth consecutive game with over 100 scrimmage yards.
Despite gaining a total of 468 yards and securing 25 first downs, the Falcons struggled to convert these opportunities into points. Coach Raheem Morris lamented, “We had all the chances in the world out there and couldn’t capitalize.”
Robinson’s highlight of the match was a spectacular 37-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, showcasing his speed and strength as he navigated the defense to cross the goal line. Earlier in the game, he also executed a crucial fourth-and-1 run for a touchdown.
However, placekicker Younghoe Koo’s performance was disappointing, as he missed three field goals for the first time in his career. His attempts included a miss from 53 yards, a blocked 35-yarder, and a 46-yard kick that hit the upright in a crucial moment. Koo did connect on a 27-yard attempt, but currently boasts a 17-for-24 success rate this season, with the seven misses marking a personal best in his nine NFL seasons.
Darnell Mooney continued to impress in the receiving game, tallying five receptions for 96 yards, marking three straight games with at least 75 receiving yards. This is his first time achieving such a streak. Both he and Drake London exceeded 90 receiving yards in a prior game against Tampa Bay, a feat reminiscent of the tandem of Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley in the 2020 season.
On the defensive side, the Falcons limited the Saints to just a single field goal in the second half; however, they failed to register any sacks or interceptions throughout the game. The secondary struggled to contain Valdes-Scantling, and with the Saints missing key receivers Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed, it was an underwhelming performance overall. Quarterback Derek Carr managed to complete 16 of his 25 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns against the Atlanta defense.
Injuries played a role in the game, as defensive tackle Ta’Quon Graham exited with a pectoral issue. Despite concerns regarding his own hip injury, London notably led the Falcons in receptions with eight for 97 yards.
Key statistics highlighted Cousins’ struggles against New Orleans, as he has not thrown a touchdown pass in two games against them this season. Overall, he boasts 17 touchdown passes against eight interceptions, but his momentum was disrupted after his previous successes against Tampa Bay and Dallas.
Looking ahead, the Falcons will remain on the road as they are set to take on the Denver Broncos next Sunday. Denver narrowly lost to Kansas City, indicating a competitive matchup in the week to come.