The Atlanta Falcons beat the New Orleans Saints 45-24 on Monday Night Football, powered by Bijan Robinson’s 145 rushing yards and two touchdowns. The win pulls Atlanta to 2-2, tying Carolina atop the NFC South, while New Orleans drops to 1-3.
Robinson broke the game open just four plays in, tearing off a 59-yard touchdown run that capped a three-play, 80-yard opening drive. Atlanta piled up 205 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns as a team, while Saints quarterback Tyler Shough threw for 286 yards and a late touchdown but could never close the gap. New Orleans’ top performer, wideout Chris Olave, finished with eight catches for 116 yards but no touchdowns.
How The Falcons Pulled Away
Atlanta’s first-quarter blitz set the tone. Robinson’s long touchdown made it 7-0, and the Falcons added a second score with 48 seconds left in the opening period to lead 14-0, according to Yahoo Sports. By the end of the first quarter, Robinson alone had 78 yards on seven carries.
New Orleans got on the board when Alvin Kamara scored from 3 yards out early in the second quarter, but Brian Robinson Jr. answered right back with a 4-yard touchdown run, and Nick Folk added a 29-yard field goal to make it 24-7 at halftime. A Saints field goal attempt from 52 yards missed in that stretch, and a Kendre Miller fumble ended a one-play Saints possession, compounding New Orleans’ problems. The Saints also lost a fourth-and-4 stop to a defensive holding penalty in the first quarter that let Atlanta’s drive continue and ultimately score on the next play, per NFL.com.
Daniel Carlson’s 27-yard field goal trimmed the deficit to 24-10 early in the third quarter, but Brian Robinson Jr.’s second touchdown run pushed the lead back to 31-10 with 2:11 left in the period. Kamara’s second rushing score of the night cut it to 31-17, but Michael Penix Jr. connected with Jahan Dotson for a 31-yard touchdown to make it 38-17, and Brian Robinson Jr.’s third rushing touchdown of the game sealed it at 45-17. Shough found Devaughn Vele for a 3-yard TD pass with 1:13 left to make the final 45-24.
Top Performers
Robinson led all rushers with 19 carries for 145 yards and two touchdowns, including his 59-yard long of the night. Brian Robinson Jr. added 62 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries. Penix finished 15 of 20 passing for 223 yards and a touchdown, completing all but five of his passes while facing pressure on just three dropbacks.
Drake London caught five passes for 96 yards without a touchdown.
For New Orleans, Shough completed 30 of 48 passes for 286 yards and a touchdown against an Atlanta defense that forced one turnover. Olave’s eight catches for 116 yards topped Saints receivers, while Kamara scored twice on the ground but managed just 23 yards on seven carries.
What It Means
The Falcons move to 2-2, tying Carolina atop the NFC South. The Saints fall to 1-3 and remain mired in a stretch of slow starts, having scored just one first-quarter touchdown through four games this season. New Orleans has now trailed big early in multiple games, including a 21-point hole against Detroit in Week 1 and a 14-3 deficit to Baltimore in Week 2.
Atlanta’s ground game was the story: 205 yards and five touchdowns against a Saints defense that had allowed just 11 rushing yards at the midway point of the first half before the floodgates opened. The Falcons also avoided any turnovers, a sharp contrast to a Saints offense that lost a fumble and struggled on third down, converting only 6 of 15 attempts.
What’s Next
Left tackle Jake Matthews, making his 200th career start, suffered a groin injury 11 snaps into the game and is listed as questionable to return, per Yahoo Sports. Atlanta travels to Week 5. New Orleans hosts its Week 5 matchup at home.
Reporting from Yahoo Sports and NFL.com contributed to this story. Official statistics: ESPN (official league data).
Don't stop here
Every Score. Every Story. One Home.
Breaking sports, entertainment and news from across the Total Apex network, updated all day.
Get the Full Story →
