New Orleans
Saints
7-7-1
26
FINAL
21
Atlanta
Falcons
9-6
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a pivotal Week 17 showdown, the New Orleans Saints narrowly defeated the Atlanta Falcons with a final score of 26-21. With playoff implications on the line, the Saints secured a crucial victory, keeping their postseason hopes alive as the regular season winds down.
Leading the charge for New Orleans was quarterback Justin Fields, who threw for 229 yards and two touchdowns, showcasing his ability to make big plays in critical moments. Running back Tank Bigsby added a strong ground presence, racking up 91 rushing yards, while Justin Jefferson emerged as Fields' go-to receiver, finishing with 80 receiving yards. This dynamic offensive performance proved too much for the Falcons to handle.
Defensively, the Saints were bolstered by Laiatu Latu, who contributed with a key sack that disrupted Atlanta's rhythm at a crucial point in the game. While the Falcons' Kerby Joseph made an impressive seven total tackles, it was the Saints' ability to pressure the opposing quarterback that ultimately shifted momentum. The turning point came in the fourth quarter when Latu's sack set up a pivotal stop, allowing the Saints to maintain their slim lead and secure the win.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | YDS | TD | INT | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Fields | QB | 34 | 23 | 229 | 2 | 0 | 106.1 |
| Cole Payton | QB | 37 | 19 | 197 | 0 | 0 | 67.0 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tank Bigsby | HB | 18 | 91 | 5.1 | 1 | 28 | 0 |
| RJ Harvey | HB | 11 | 50 | 4.5 | 1 | 14 | 0 |
| Kyle Monangai | HB | 7 | 29 | 4.1 | 1 | 14 | 0 |
| Justin Fields | QB | 7 | 21 | 3.0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Jonathon Brooks | HB | 5 | 19 | 3.8 | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| Cole Payton | QB | 2 | 12 | 6.0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Justin Jefferson | WR | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Eli Heidenreich | HB | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Marvin Harrison Jr | WR | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| CeeDee Lamb | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ja'Tavion Sanders | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Jefferson | WR | 6 | 80 | 13.3 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| George Pickens | WR | 6 | 71 | 11.8 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| Chimere Dike | WR | 3 | 52 | 17.3 | 0 | 28 | 1 |
| Ja'Tavion Sanders | TE | 6 | 51 | 8.5 | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| CeeDee Lamb | WR | 4 | 41 | 10.3 | 1 | 13 | 0 |
| Marvin Harrison Jr | WR | 4 | 32 | 8.0 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Cole Kmet | TE | 1 | 30 | 30.0 | 0 | 30 | 0 |
| Devin Duvernay | WR | 1 | 24 | 24.0 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 2 | 14 | 7.0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Jonathon Brooks | HB | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Adam Trautman | TE | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Tank Bigsby | HB | 2 | 8 | 4.0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| RJ Harvey | HB | 3 | 5 | 1.7 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Eli Raridon | TE | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Eli Heidenreich | HB | 1 | -2 | -2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kerby Joseph | FS | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Ty Okada | FS | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D'Angelo Ponds | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josiah Trotter | MIKE | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jihaad Campbell | MIKE | 5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derek Stingley Jr | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brian Branch | SS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jahdae Barron | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| C.J. Gardner-Johnson | SS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Micah Parsons | REDG | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cashius Howell | LEDG | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tony Jefferson | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Laiatu Latu | LEDG | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jermod McCoy | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aidan Hutchinson | LEDG | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kool-Aid McKinstry | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Osa Odighizuwa | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Demetrius Knight Jr | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Khalil Mack | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Will Johnson | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Billy Bowman Jr | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Byron Murphy II | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dillon Thieneman | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Chandler Rivers | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quay Walker | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tershawn Wharton | DT | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cameron Dicker | K | 2 | 3 | 1 | 52 |
| Spencer Shrader | K | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |

