New Orleans
Saints
9-6
56
FINAL
28
Atlanta
Falcons
9-6
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a dominant display, the New Orleans Saints topped the Atlanta Falcons 56-28 in Week 17 of the 2026 season. With playoff positioning on the line, the Saints showcased their offensive firepower, securing a crucial win to bolster their postseason hopes.
J.J. McCarthy was the standout star for New Orleans, throwing for an impressive 309 yards and a staggering seven touchdown passes, making it a game to remember. Travis Etienne Jr. added to the offensive onslaught with 127 rushing yards, while Mason Tipton was a reliable target, racking up 114 receiving yards.
Defensively, the Saints also made their mark, with Bryan Bresee leading the charge with two sacks and Isaiah Bolden intercepting two passes, turning the tide in crucial moments. The game's turning point came early in the third quarter when McCarthy connected with Tipton for a touchdown, extending the lead and shifting momentum firmly in favor of New Orleans. The Falcons struggled to recover from that blow, sealing their fate as the Saints cruised to victory.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J.J. McCarthy | QB | 18 | 15 | 83% | 309 | 7 | 0 | 158.3 |
| Michael Penix Jr | QB | 30 | 19 | 63% | 298 | 2 | 3 | 78.8 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 14 | 127 | 9.1 | 17 | 1 | 55 | 0 |
| Bijan Robinson | HB | 19 | 86 | 4.5 | 22 | 2 | 18 | 0 |
| Kyle Pitts Sr | TE | 3 | 32 | 10.7 | 7 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| Michael Penix Jr | QB | 3 | 31 | 10.3 | — | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| J.J. McCarthy | QB | 2 | 14 | 7.0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Tre Tucker | WR | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Drake London | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mason Tipton | WR | 2 | 114 | 57.0 | 66 | 2 | 61 | 0 |
| Kyle Pitts Sr | TE | 5 | 100 | 20.0 | 69 | 1 | 53 | 0 |
| Zachariah Branch | WR | 4 | 99 | 24.8 | 52 | 1 | 48 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 5 | 93 | 18.6 | 90 | 1 | 46 | 0 |
| Bijan Robinson | HB | 6 | 49 | 8.2 | 30 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Bryce Lance | WR | 3 | 42 | 14.0 | 32 | 1 | 21 | 0 |
| Juwan Johnson | TE | 1 | 40 | 40.0 | 15 | 1 | 40 | 0 |
| Austin Hooper | TE | 2 | 30 | 15.0 | 28 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| Tre Tucker | WR | 4 | 20 | 5.0 | 30 | 2 | 14 | 0 |
| Olamide Zaccheaus | WR | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 4 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Drake London | WR | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isaiah Bolden | CB | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Bryan Bresee | LEDG | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lorenzo Styles Jr. | CB | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Anfernee Orji | SAM | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Xavier Watts | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Isaiah Stalbird | MIKE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian Harris | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonas Sanker | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jessie Bates III | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Decamerion Richardson | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Danny Stutsman | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chase Young | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| A.J. Terrell Jr | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Avieon Terrell | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Divine Deablo | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Amari Burney | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quincy Riley | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Carlson | K | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Nick Folk | K | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |

