Double trouble as Saints have no answer for Falcons’ Robinsons

The Atlanta Falcons travelled to Caesars’ Superdome to take on the New Orleans Saints, commemorating the 20th anniversary of the infamous “Domecoming” for the Saints after the tragic events of Hurricane Katrina – one of the most emotional nights in franchise history. 

With both teams entering at 1-2, a win for either would help gain a strong position in the wide-open NFC South. The Saints have showcased a high ceiling through their first 3 games, but were still trying to improve on their execution in late-game scenarios. Meanwhile, the Falcons were looking to build on their convincing win against the Green Bay Packers after an embarrassing offensive start to the season. 

Atlanta put themselves on the front foot with the opening drive of the game, with Michael Penix Jr. making two consecutive, classy completions for easy yardage, followed by a commanding 59-yard rushing touchdown by the electric Bijan Robinson. New Orleans responded poorly in their first possession, with Tyler Shough failing to find targets on 2 of 3 pass attempts as a result of the intense pressure generated by Atlanta’s pass-rush.

A holding penalty on New Orleans’ initial punt meant a retake was required, resulting in the Falcons gaining an extra 30 yards and a chance to maintain heat on the Saints defense. However, poor precision from Penix Jr. and resilience from the defensive line saw Atlanta fail to capitalise upon the territory and were forced into a punt of their own from midfield as a result.

The Saints’ running game continued to show toothlessness without Travis Etienne Jr., but were able to shift momentum through a 23-yard completion to the in-form Juwan Johnson and a successful screen play to find Alvin Kamara, pushing the Saints upfield swiftly. Atlanta’s defense was able to withstand the pressure, however, leading to New Orleans having to settle for a 52-yard FG attempt – unsuccessfully so, as Daniel Carlson’s kick narrowly missed to the left.

The Saints forced a quick 3-and-out from Atlanta, but the Falcons instantly forced a takeaway after a fumble from running back Kendre Miller on first down, compounding New Orleans’ woes in maintaining possession to start the season.

After failing to move the chains in the first 3 downs inside the red zone, Kevin Stefanski decided to leave the Atlanta offense out on the field for 4th down, which proved successful after a holding penalty against Kool-Aid McKinstry. Atlanta took advantage of the automatic first down with a 4-yard touchdown by Robinson, notching up a career-high 78 yards in the first quarter as well as grabbing his second score of the night. 

New Orleans were able to end what had been a disastrous 1st quarter with a 44-yard completion to star receiver Olave, followed by another pass to Bryce Lance to place the Saints on the Falcons’ 3-yard line to finish the quarter. A handoff to Alvin Kamara in the opening play of the 2nd quarter got the home team on the board and helped regain the voice of an energetic Superdome crowd. 

Brian Robinson Jr. led Atlanta’s backfield on the following drive, and a 27-yard completion to Drake London had them quickly placed deep within New Orleans territory. Robinson Jr. emphatically finished an impressive drive by breaking through for a 4-yard score. Atlanta’s secondary continued to shine with exceptional coverage on the following Saints drive, limiting opportunities for Shough and quickly earning back possession for Atlanta. 

The Falcons offense showed no signs of relenting the hot hand. Penix Jr. converted a long play to Drake London, followed up by strong carries from the backfield duo, further exposing New Orleans’ struggles against the run. A lack of execution from Penix Jr. in the red zone forced Atlanta to settle for a 29-yard field goal from Nick Folk to make it 24-7, extending their lead to 3 scores in the last notable play of the half.

New Orleans had no choice but to open the second half strongly. But their lack of running options meant that they were unable to punish an uncharacteristically ill-disciplined Atlanta defense, leading to a 27-yard field goal by Daniel Carlson in an ultimately disappointing drive for New Orleans.

Penix Jr. seemed to shake off an up and down second quarter in Saints territory with multiple important completions, as New Orleans’ inability to defend Atlanta’s strong running game continued to be highlighted by Robinson Jr. making an 8-yard dash to give him a double on the night.

Whilst a Saints offense on the ropes were bailed out by a pass interference from Avieon Terrell, their one-dimensional offensive approach without the services of Etienne Jr. and the temporary absence of Kamara was being greatly exposed. However, two vital receptions from Devaughn Vele kept the New Orleans’ slim chance of remaining in the game alive, as Kamara wound back the clock with a robust 5-yard rushing touchdown, his second of the game. 

Kyle Pitts Sr. made his first notable contribution of the game through a 28-yard catch-and-run. The home outfit’s soft run defense remained constant throughout the drive, before Penix Jr. grabbed his first passing touchdown of the night with a perfectly-weighted pass to Jahan Dotson, who ran an outstanding route that left Quincy Riley in the dust, all but sealing a resounding victory on the road.

After Atlanta’s defense persisted in their bullying of the one-dimensional New Orleans approach, their lead was compounded by Robinson Jr. making it an unlikely on the night, as the Falcons equalled a franchise record of 5 rushing touchdowns in a single game.

An outstanding consolation toe-tap touchdown from Devaughn Vele gave Tyler Shough his first touchdown on a night where he faced a multitude of adversities, culminating to a final score of 45-24.

Overall, a highly impressive result for Atlanta to travel to a hostile stadium on a night filled with emotion and meaning and exit with a massive result against their bitter rivals. The outstanding running game and offensive line, combined with Penix Jr. finally looking settled in his third year, gives the franchise genuine hope in their pursuit for their first playoff campaign since 2017.

For New Orleans, genuine concerns should continue to be raised about their ability to deal with a strong running arsenal, and their offense needs to vastly improve upon its own ground game before facing the ever-impressive Brian Flores-ran Minnesota Vikings defense next week. 

Touchdowns
Atlanta: Robinson Jr. 3, Robinson 2, Dotson
New Orleans: Kamara 2

Top Performers
Atlanta: Robinson, Robinson Jr., Henderson, Perkins Jr.
New Orleans: Kamara,  Shough, T. Wilson, Blackmon

Injuries
Atlanta: Matthews (groin)
New Orleans: N/A

Crowd: TBC @ Caesars’ Superdome