Atlanta
Falcons
1-2
21
FINAL
22
New Orleans
Saints
1-2
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Week 4 matchup of the 2026 season, the New Orleans Saints narrowly defeated the Atlanta Falcons 22-21, solidifying their position as a contender in the division. With both teams vying for supremacy, every play mattered, and the stakes were high as the Saints sought to maintain their winning momentum.
Tyler Shough was the standout for New Orleans, throwing for three touchdowns and keeping the Falcons' defense on their toes throughout the game. Meanwhile, Michael Penix Jr put up an impressive performance for Atlanta, racking up 313 passing yards, but it was Chris Olave who shined as the primary target, accumulating 120 receiving yards. The offensive firepower from both teams made for an exciting contest as they traded blows.
Defensively, the Falcons were led by Kenny Moore II, who registered four total tackles, while Jessie Bates III made a crucial interception that momentarily shifted the momentum in Atlanta's favor. The turning point came late in the fourth quarter when Shough connected with Olave for a touchdown that put the Saints ahead for good. Despite a valiant effort from the Falcons, they were unable to reclaim the lead, allowing New Orleans to hold on for the victory.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Penix Jr | QB | 30 | 21 | 70% | 313 | 3 | 0 | 137.2 |
| Tyler Shough | QB | 27 | 21 | 78% | 289 | 3 | 1 | 132.8 |
| Chris Olave | WR | 0 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 9 | 46 | 5.1 | 18 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Bijan Robinson | HB | 11 | 31 | 2.8 | 17 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Brian Robinson Jr | HB | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Alvin Kamara | HB | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Zachariah Branch | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zach Ertz | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyler Shough | QB | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kareem Hunt | HB | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Darius Slayton | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Olave | WR | 8 | 120 | 15.0 | 25 | 1 | 41 | 1 |
| Kyle Pitts Sr | TE | 6 | 111 | 18.5 | 42 | 0 | 41 | 0 |
| Zachariah Branch | WR | 3 | 61 | 20.3 | 27 | 0 | 36 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 6 | 60 | 10.0 | 37 | 2 | 22 | 0 |
| Devaughn Vele | WR | 3 | 58 | 19.3 | 2 | 0 | 42 | 0 |
| Drake London | WR | 4 | 54 | 13.5 | — | 2 | 28 | 0 |
| Bijan Robinson | HB | 3 | 38 | 12.7 | 26 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 3 | 33 | 11.0 | 7 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| Darius Slayton | WR | 3 | 28 | 9.3 | 12 | 1 | 12 | 1 |
| Noah Fant | TE | 1 | 18 | 18.0 | 17 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Zach Ertz | TE | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 6 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Kareem Hunt | HB | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | — | 0 | 9 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jessie Bates III | FS | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Kenny Moore II | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kaden Elliss | WILL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| A.J. Terrell Jr | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kool-Aid McKinstry | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Justin Reid | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Martin Emerson Jr | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pete Werner | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| James Pearce Jr | REDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyrel Dodson | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Avieon Terrell | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bryan Bresee | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gervon Dexter Sr | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Howden | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lorenzo Styles Jr. | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Isaiah Stalbird | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Divine Deablo | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Davon Godchaux | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DaQuan Jones | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Carlson | K | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Nick Folk | K | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 |

