New Orleans
Saints
8-8
48
FINAL
43
Atlanta
Falcons
7-9
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Week 4 showdown, the New Orleans Saints narrowly defeated the Atlanta Falcons, with a final score of 48-43. The stakes were high as both teams aimed to solidify their standings early in the season, but it was the Saints who emerged victorious in this high-scoring affair.
Michael Penix Jr. was the star of the night for New Orleans, throwing for 288 yards and an impressive five touchdowns. Bucky Irving contributed significantly on the ground, racking up 142 rushing yards, while Duce Robinson was a standout in the receiving game with 131 yards. The Saints' explosive offense proved to be too much for the Falcons to handle, consistently finding ways to put points on the board.
Defensively, Malaki Starks played a crucial role, leading the team with four total tackles and snagging an interception that shifted momentum in favor of the Saints. Kayvon Thibodeaux also made his presence felt with a sack that disrupted the Falcons' rhythm. The game's turning point came late in the fourth quarter when Starks' interception set up a critical touchdown drive for New Orleans, ultimately sealing the win and highlighting the importance of defensive plays in a game dominated by offense.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | YDS | TD | INT | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Penix Jr | QB | 29 | 18 | 288 | 5 | 1 | 120.4 |
| Tyler Shough | QB | 28 | 16 | 254 | 4 | 2 | 97.3 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bucky Irving | HB | 10 | 142 | 14.2 | 2 | 59 | 0 |
| Kewan Lacy | HB | 9 | 53 | 5.9 | 0 | 39 | 0 |
| Michael Penix Jr | QB | 2 | 38 | 19.0 | 0 | 38 | 0 |
| Tyler Shough | QB | 2 | 16 | 8.0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Duce Robinson | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duce Robinson | WR | 5 | 131 | 26.2 | 2 | 37 | 1 |
| Pat Freiermuth | TE | 4 | 106 | 26.5 | 2 | 38 | 2 |
| Zay Flowers | WR | 5 | 92 | 18.4 | 2 | 33 | 2 |
| Kewan Lacy | HB | 6 | 58 | 9.7 | 1 | 19 | 0 |
| Malachi Toney | WR | 1 | 39 | 39.0 | 1 | 39 | 0 |
| Devin Culp | TE | 4 | 38 | 9.5 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Calvin Russell | WR | 2 | 24 | 12.0 | 1 | 20 | 1 |
| Bucky Irving | HB | 3 | 20 | 6.7 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Drake London | WR | 1 | 17 | 17.0 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Jordan Addison | WR | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Cade Otton | TE | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Ethan Davis | TE | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malaki Starks | FS | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaquan Brisker | FS | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Terry Moore | FS | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jessie Bates III | SS | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Kayvon Thibodeaux | REDGE | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D'Antre Robinson | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Avieon Terrell | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Decamerion Richardson | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Trey Amos | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zequan Patterson | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Xavier Watts | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| James Pearce Jr | REDGE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lavar Arrington II | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chase Young | LEDGE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Ellis Robinson IV | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| C.J. Gardner-Johnson | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zane Durant | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Darrell Baker | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Korie Black | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marcus Ratcliffe | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DJ McKinney | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Riley Moss | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Eric Winters | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Carter Meadows | REDGE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Isaiah Stalbird | MIKE | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Loop | K | 2 | 2 | 6 | 43 |
| Greg Zuerlein | K | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Bradley Pinion | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

