Atlanta
Falcons
1-2
35
FINAL
40
New Orleans
Saints
2-1
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Week 4 matchup, the New Orleans Saints narrowly defeated the Atlanta Falcons with a final score of 40-35. With both teams searching for momentum early in the season, this game was crucial for their playoff aspirations and showcased their offensive firepower.
Michael Penix Jr. had a standout performance for the Falcons, throwing for 309 yards and five touchdowns, demonstrating his ability to lead the offense effectively. However, it was Travis Etienne Jr. who stole the show for the Saints, rushing for an impressive 151 yards and contributing significantly to their ground game. Chris Olave added to the Saints' success with 98 receiving yards, making critical catches to keep drives alive.
Defensively, the game was highlighted by key plays that swung the momentum in favor of New Orleans. Bryan Bresee's lone sack put pressure on Penix at crucial moments, while Xavier Watts of the Falcons made an impact with four total tackles and an interception. The turning point came late in the fourth quarter when the Saints' defense held strong, allowing them to secure the victory and maintain their early-season momentum.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Penix Jr | QB | 33 | 23 | 70% | 309 | 5 | 1 | 126.1 |
| Tyler Shough | QB | 24 | 14 | 58% | 246 | 2 | 1 | 103.8 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 17 | 151 | 8.9 | 18 | 3 | 72 | 0 |
| Bijan Robinson | HB | 9 | 70 | 7.8 | 9 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Michael Penix Jr | QB | 2 | 19 | 9.5 | — | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Tyler Shough | QB | 1 | 15 | 15.0 | — | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alvin Kamara | HB | 1 | -2 | -2.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Olave | WR | 2 | 98 | 49.0 | 35 | 1 | 68 | 0 |
| Bijan Robinson | HB | 6 | 90 | 15.0 | 19 | 0 | 48 | 0 |
| Bryce Lance | WR | 5 | 78 | 15.6 | 25 | 1 | 23 | 0 |
| KJ Hamler | WR | 4 | 60 | 15.0 | 41 | 2 | 33 | 0 |
| Drake London | WR | 5 | 57 | 11.4 | 18 | 1 | 18 | 0 |
| Kyle Pitts Sr | TE | 6 | 47 | 7.8 | 10 | 1 | 18 | 0 |
| Zachariah Branch | WR | 1 | 45 | 45.0 | 4 | 1 | 45 | 0 |
| Alvin Kamara | HB | 3 | 34 | 11.3 | 9 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 1 | 14 | 14.0 | 12 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Oscar Delp | TE | 2 | 14 | 7.0 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| Jahan Dotson | WR | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xavier Watts | SS | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonas Sanker | SS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| JD Bertrand | SAM | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christen Miller | DT | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jessie Bates III | FS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Bryan Bresee | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Reid | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| A.J. Terrell Jr | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Avieon Terrell | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Julian Blackmon | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kool-Aid McKinstry | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Christian Wilkins | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kaden Elliss | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Anfernee Orji | SAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kendal Daniels | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lorenzo Styles Jr | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Harold Perkins Jr | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chase Young | LEDG | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cameron Jordan | REDG | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Isaiah Stalbird | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DeMarcco Hellams | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Howden | FS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Carlson | K | 2 | 2 | 4 | 45 |
| Nick Folk | K | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |

