Atlanta
Falcons
2-1
20
FINAL
17
New Orleans
Saints
0-3
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Week 4 matchup, the Atlanta Falcons narrowly defeated the New Orleans Saints with a final score of 20-17, keeping their playoff hopes alive in the 2026 season. Both teams showcased their talents, but it was the Falcons who ultimately secured the victory in a tightly contested battle.
Michael Penix Jr. shone for Atlanta, throwing for two touchdowns and helping his team maintain momentum throughout the game. Bijan Robinson was a force on the ground, racking up 104 rushing yards and providing crucial support to the Falcons' offense. On the other side, Tyler Shough led the Saints with 272 passing yards, while Chris Olave was a standout in the receiving game, accumulating 133 yards despite the loss.
Defensively, the Falcons made key plays to seal the win, highlighted by Jessie Bates III's interception, which shifted the game's momentum in the fourth quarter. Atlanta's defense also held strong against the Saints, limiting their scoring opportunities and forcing critical stops. Chase Young's sack for the Saints put pressure on Penix Jr., but it wasn’t enough to turn the tide in New Orleans' favor, as the Falcons ultimately outlasted their rivals.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Shough | QB | 37 | 23 | 62% | 272 | 1 | 1 | 82.2 |
| Michael Penix Jr | QB | 39 | 22 | 56% | 212 | 2 | 0 | 88.8 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bijan Robinson | HB | 21 | 104 | 5.0 | 17 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 15 | 69 | 4.6 | 16 | 1 | 19 | 0 |
| Brian Robinson Jr | HB | 5 | 24 | 4.8 | 19 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| Tyler Shough | QB | 3 | 15 | 5.0 | — | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Drake London | WR | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Kendre Miller | HB | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | — | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Devaughn Vele | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chris Olave | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kyle Pitts Sr | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 1 | -2 | -2.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Olave | WR | 8 | 133 | 16.6 | 47 | 1 | 31 | 0 |
| Tyreek Hill | WR | 6 | 68 | 11.3 | — | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Devaughn Vele | WR | 5 | 63 | 12.6 | 14 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 4 | 46 | 11.5 | 6 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Jahan Dotson | WR | 5 | 38 | 7.6 | 13 | 1 | 14 | 1 |
| Kyle Pitts Sr | TE | 2 | 36 | 18.0 | 11 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
| Drake London | WR | 4 | 32 | 8.0 | 10 | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| Zachariah Branch | WR | 2 | 21 | 10.5 | — | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Bryce Lance | WR | 2 | 18 | 9.0 | 7 | 0 | 15 | 1 |
| Bijan Robinson | HB | 3 | 17 | 5.7 | 8 | 0 | 10 | 1 |
| Noah Fant | TE | 3 | 9 | 3.0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jessie Bates III | FS | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Jonas Sanker | SS | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chase Young | LEDG | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Divine Deablo | MIKE | 8 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pete Werner | MIKE | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| A.J. Terrell Jr | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Martin Emerson Jr | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kendal Daniels | WILL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kool-Aid McKinstry | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christen Miller | DT | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kaden Elliss | WILL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Julian Blackmon | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| James Pearce Jr | REDG | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Avieon Terrell | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Reid | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Xavier Watts | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalon Walker | LEDG | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jack Jones | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Billy Bowman Jr | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cameron Jordan | REDG | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lorenzo Styles Jr | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Anfernee Jennings | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bryan Bresee | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Colby Wooden | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gervon Dexter Sr | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Carlson | K | 1 | 1 | 2 | 50 |
| Nick Folk | K | 2 | 2 | 2 | 46 |

