Atlanta
Falcons
1-2
35
FINAL
28
New Orleans
Saints
1-2
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling showdown, the Atlanta Falcons narrowly defeated the New Orleans Saints 35-28 in Week 4 of the 2026 season. With both teams vying for a crucial win early in the season, the Falcons managed to hold off a late Saints surge, solidifying their position in the race for the playoffs.
Leading the charge for Atlanta was Kyle Pitts Sr., who racked up 80 receiving yards, providing quarterback support when it mattered most. On the ground, Travis Etienne Jr. shined for the Saints, amassing an impressive 145 rushing yards, while Tyler Shough contributed with a passing touchdown, though his overall yardage was limited to just 111 yards. The offensive units showcased moments of brilliance, but it was the Falcons who found the end zone at key junctures.
Defensively, the game was highlighted by Billy Bowman Jr.’s pivotal interception, which shifted momentum back to the Falcons in the second half. Though the Saints' Kaden Elliss led the team with four total tackles and BJ Shanks added a sack, it was Bowman's timely play that ultimately proved to be the turning point. The Falcons' defense held strong when needed, allowing them to outlast the Saints in a tightly contested battle.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Shough | QB | 14 | 6 | 43% | 111 | 1 | 3 | 55.0 |
| Michael Penix Jr | QB | 11 | 7 | 64% | 93 | 0 | 1 | 52.4 |
| Tua Tagovailoa | QB | 3 | 1 | 33% | 23 | 0 | 0 | 61.8 |
| Devaughn Vele | WR | 0 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 12 | 145 | 12.1 | 23 | 2 | 52 | 0 |
| Bijan Robinson | HB | 11 | 141 | 12.8 | 10 | 3 | 65 | 0 |
| Brian Robinson Jr | HB | 7 | 55 | 7.9 | 17 | 1 | 31 | 0 |
| Alvin Kamara | HB | 8 | 46 | 5.8 | 32 | 1 | 11 | 0 |
| Michael Penix Jr | QB | 2 | 12 | 6.0 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| Tyler Shough | QB | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Trey Palmer | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kyle Pitts Sr | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Noah Fant | TE | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyle Pitts Sr | TE | 5 | 80 | 16.0 | 66 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| Devaughn Vele | WR | 2 | 41 | 20.5 | 39 | 0 | 32 | 0 |
| Chris Olave | WR | 1 | 34 | 34.0 | — | 1 | 34 | 0 |
| Drake London | WR | 2 | 25 | 12.5 | 9 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 2 | 21 | 10.5 | 10 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 1 | 15 | 15.0 | 12 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Bijan Robinson | HB | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Danny Stutsman | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| A.J. Terrell Jr | CB | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Billy Bowman Jr | CB | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Jessie Bates III | FS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Kaden Elliss | WILL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonas Sanker | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jordan Howden | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| BJ Shanks | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sydney Brown | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Reid | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kool-Aid McKinstry | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Xavier Watts | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Hughes | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Matt Milano | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalon Walker | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Avieon Terrell | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Julian Blackmon | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Carlson | K | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Nick Folk | K | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |

