New Orleans
Saints
1-0
31
FINAL
28
Atlanta
Falcons
1-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Week 2 matchup of the 2028 season, the New Orleans Saints narrowly defeated the Atlanta Falcons by a score of 31-28. With both teams looking to establish momentum early in the season, the stakes were high, and the rivalry lived up to its billing as a nail-biter right to the final whistle.
New Orleans quarterback DJ Lagway showcased his skills, throwing for 225 yards and two touchdowns, leading the Saints’ offense effectively throughout the game. Meanwhile, wide receiver Jordyn Tyson was a reliable target, racking up 94 receiving yards, helping to keep New Orleans in the lead. On the other side, Bijan Robinson of the Falcons had a standout performance with 134 rushing yards, providing a strong ground game that kept Atlanta competitive.
Defensively, the Saints were anchored by Drue Tranquill, who tallied an impressive 13 total tackles, showcasing his ability to disrupt plays and limit Atlanta's scoring opportunities. The turning point of the game came late in the fourth quarter when the Saints' defense managed to hold off a late Falcons push, preserving their slim lead and sealing the victory. Jalon Walker's 1.5 sacks for Atlanta were not enough to flip the momentum, as New Orleans ultimately held firm in a tightly contested battle.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DJ Lagway | QB | 35 | 24 | 69% | 225 | 2 | 0 | 105.0 |
| Joe Milton | QB | 35 | 21 | 60% | 212 | 1 | 0 | 86.8 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bijan Robinson | HB | 19 | 134 | 7.1 | 53 | 1 | 24 | 0 |
| Keaton Mitchell | HB | 15 | 132 | 8.8 | 71 | 0 | 35 | 0 |
| Joe Milton | QB | 4 | 34 | 8.5 | 19 | 1 | 24 | 0 |
| Trey Benson | HB | 6 | 26 | 4.3 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 9 | 19 | 2.1 | — | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Zachariah Branch | WR | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | — | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| DJ Lagway | QB | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | — | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Luke Reynolds | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 8 | 94 | 11.8 | 16 | 1 | 24 | 1 |
| Zachariah Branch | WR | 6 | 69 | 11.5 | 13 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
| Troy Franklin | WR | 5 | 50 | 10.0 | 13 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Luke Reynolds | TE | 5 | 49 | 9.8 | 18 | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| Jalin Hyatt | WR | 5 | 39 | 7.8 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Omar Cooper Jr | WR | 2 | 36 | 18.0 | 6 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Kyle Pitts Sr | TE | 4 | 34 | 8.5 | 21 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Benjamin Brahmer | TE | 2 | 20 | 10.0 | 9 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Drake London | WR | 1 | 14 | 14.0 | 4 | 1 | 14 | 1 |
| Moliki Matavao | TE | 3 | 12 | 4.0 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Ted Hurst III | WR | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Barion Brown | WR | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Trey Benson | HB | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drue Tranquill | MIKE | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Matt Milano | WILL | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Avieon Terrell | CB | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Williams Nwaneri | REDG | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalon Walker | LEDG | 4 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chase Young | LEDG | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Byron Murphy Jr | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dashawn Spears | FS | 5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Xavier Watts | SS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quincy Riley | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lorenzo Styles Jr | SS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Keon Sabb | FS | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jalen Redmond | DT | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dylan Stewart | REDG | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suntraine Perkins | WILL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ellis Robinson | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jayden Jackson | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| OJ Frederique Jr. | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kool-Aid McKinstry | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gervon Dexter Sr | DT | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Andre Cisco | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christen Miller | DT | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Reid | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Kaden Elliss | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Jackson | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Billy Bowman Jr | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spencer Shrader | K | 3 | 3 | 2 | 55 |
| Lucas Carneiro | K | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |

