NEW ORLEANS — Marquez Valdes-Scantling made an impressive contribution to the New Orleans Saints by catching three passes for 109 yards and two touchdowns in just his second game with the team. The Saints celebrated the commencement of Darren Rizzi’s role as interim head coach by breaking a seven-game losing streak with a narrow 20-17 win over their rivals, the Atlanta Falcons, on Sunday.
Rizzi, who had been the special teams coordinator, stepped into the head coaching position following the dismissal of Dennis Allen after three seasons. His debut was particularly noteworthy, as the game was not only against the Falcons, who currently sit atop the NFC South, but also against a long-standing regional adversary of the Saints.
In a crucial moment, Tyrann Mathieu intercepted Kirk Cousins at the New Orleans 38-yard line with just two minutes left in the game, halting a promising drive from Atlanta. Subsequently, the Falcons regained possession after Alvin Kamara, who accumulated 109 yards from scrimmage and became the Saints’ all-time rushing leader, surprisingly dropped a well-thrown third-down pass from Derek Carr that would have sealed the game for New Orleans.
However, Atlanta faced adversity when Chase Young sacked Cousins and forced a fumble, resulting in a substantial 19-yard loss that pushed the Falcons back to their own 32-yard line with only 34 seconds remaining. Although they managed to recover the ball, this play proved to be a significant turning point.
With just one timeout remaining, Atlanta was compelled to make a hasty choice on whether to attempt a long 60-yard field goal or keep their offense on the field following a completion that set up a fourth-and-4 situation at the New Orleans 43-yard line with 18 seconds remaining. They opted for a quick pass to Ray-Ray McCloud III, who was tackled short of the first down by Ugo Amadi as the clock hit zero.
Despite outgaining the Saints 468 yards to 365 and rushing for 181 yards, Atlanta failed to capitalize on several scoring opportunities, leaving at least 13 points on the field. Falcons’ kicker Younghoe Koo experienced an unusual day with three missed field goals, marking the first time in his career he failed on all attempts—one wide, another blocked, and the third hitting the upright.
Their struggles were compounded by consecutive penalties that pushed a first-and-goal situation from the 5-yard line back 20 yards, limiting the Falcons to a field goal. Cousins completed 23 of his 38 pass attempts, totaling 306 yards with one interception.
On the flip side, Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson impressed with 116 rushing yards and two touchdowns, including a remarkable 37-yard run in the third quarter that trimmed the Saints’ lead to just a field goal. Carr, in contrast, threw for 269 yards with two touchdowns and no turnovers, while Kamara’s 55 rushing yards allowed him to surpass Mark Ingram’s previous franchise record of 6,500 rushing yards.
In terms of injuries, the Falcons lost defensive tackle Ta’Quon Graham in the first half due to a pectoral issue. Meanwhile, Saints’ defensive end Payton Turner exited with an injury to his hand or wrist.
Looking ahead, the Falcons will be traveling to Denver next Sunday, while the Saints will face the Cleveland Browns at home on the same day.
