Atlanta
Falcons
1-2
10
FINAL
16
New Orleans
Saints
0-3
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a hard-fought battle in Week 4 of the 2026 season, the New Orleans Saints topped the Atlanta Falcons with a final score of 16-10. The win was crucial for the Saints as they look to establish themselves in a competitive division, while the Falcons aimed to bounce back from their recent struggles.
Tyler Shough led the Saints' offense with a steady performance, throwing for a touchdown and managing the game effectively. Travis Etienne Jr. was a standout on the ground, racking up 95 rushing yards and helping to control the pace of the game. For the Falcons, Michael Penix Jr. showcased his arm strength with 208 passing yards, but it wasn't enough to secure victory, as he faced a staunch New Orleans defense.
Defensively, the Saints were anchored by Kool-Aid McKinstry, who recorded six total tackles, contributing to a solid performance against Atlanta’s attack. The game's turning point came in the fourth quarter when the Saints' defense held the Falcons to a crucial three-and-out, allowing New Orleans to maintain their slim lead and ultimately seal the win. Jalon Walker made his presence felt for Atlanta with 1.5 sacks, but it wasn't enough to shift the momentum in their favor.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Penix Jr | QB | 42 | 23 | 55% | 208 | 1 | 0 | 76.2 |
| Tyler Shough | QB | 36 | 16 | 44% | 164 | 1 | 0 | 67.3 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 22 | 95 | 4.3 | 17 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| Bijan Robinson | HB | 12 | 79 | 6.6 | 33 | 0 | 36 | 0 |
| Tyler Shough | QB | 4 | 34 | 8.5 | 23 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| Kendre Miller | HB | 3 | 23 | 7.7 | 22 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| Zachariah Branch | WR | 2 | 9 | 4.5 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Drake London | WR | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | — | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | — | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Brian Robinson Jr | HB | 3 | 8 | 2.7 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Michael Penix Jr | QB | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Austin Hooper | TE | 1 | -3 | -3.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Braelon Allen | HB | 1 | -4 | -4.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drake London | WR | 2 | 62 | 31.0 | 48 | 1 | 52 | 0 |
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 6 | 60 | 10.0 | 7 | 0 | 16 | 1 |
| Zachariah Branch | WR | 6 | 55 | 9.2 | 19 | 0 | 16 | 1 |
| Chris Olave | WR | 4 | 49 | 12.3 | 5 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Kyle Pitts Sr | TE | 5 | 38 | 7.6 | 12 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Jahan Dotson | WR | 4 | 37 | 9.3 | 6 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Noah Fant | TE | 1 | 24 | 24.0 | 6 | 0 | 24 | 1 |
| Bijan Robinson | HB | 6 | 16 | 2.7 | 25 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Juwan Johnson | TE | 3 | 14 | 4.7 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 1 |
| Devaughn Vele | WR | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | — | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Giovanni Ricci | FB | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | — | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Austin Hooper | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Young | LEDG | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalon Walker | LEDG | 4 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kool-Aid McKinstry | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonas Sanker | SS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Avieon Terrell | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| A.J. Terrell Jr | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Reid | FS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Jessie Bates III | FS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Divine Deablo | MIKE | 4 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Cameron Jordan | REDG | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kaden Elliss | WILL | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Taylor Rapp | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christen Miller | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pete Werner | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marshon Lattimore | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Za'Darius Smith | LEDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Anterio Thompson | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Davon Godchaux | DT | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Julian Blackmon | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandon Dorlus | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| James Pearce Jr | REDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian Harris | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| David Long Jr | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Danny Stutsman | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Martin Emerson Jr | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Harold Perkins Jr | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Carlson | K | 3 | 3 | 1 | 53 |
| Nick Folk | K | 1 | 2 | 1 | 53 |

