The Atlanta Falcons will face the New Orleans Saints in NFL Week 18 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, a game that could decide the NFC South champion despite both teams being eliminated from playoff contention. Quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and rookie Tyler Shough aim to showcase their skills in the season finale. The outcome may impact the Carolina Panthers or Tampa Bay Buccaneers based on Saturday's result.
Both the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints enter their Week 18 matchup having been eliminated from playoff contention, yet the game carries significant implications for the NFC South division title. Scheduled for Sunday, January 4, at 1 p.m. ET in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, the contest will be broadcast on Fox and streamed on Fubo.
If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeat the Carolina Panthers on Saturday night, a Falcons victory would clinch the division for Carolina due to tiebreakers, while a Saints win would secure it for Tampa Bay. In any other scenario, the Panthers advance as champions.
Atlanta's Kirk Cousins, who took over as starter following Michael Penix Jr.'s season-ending ACL tear in Week 11, has thrown six touchdowns and one interception during the Falcons' current three-game winning streak, suffering just two sacks. The Falcons previously defeated the Saints 24-10 in late November, sacking then-starter Tyler Shough five times.
Shough, a second-round rookie who became the Saints' starter in Week 9, has completed over 71% of his passes in New Orleans' four-game winning streak, throwing four touchdowns, rushing for two more, and exceeding 300 passing yards in each of his last two games with one interception.
Running back Bijan Robinson has been a standout for Atlanta, amassing 2,255 yards from scrimmage this season. In Week 17's 27-24 win over the Los Angeles Rams, he recorded 229 yards, positioning him to potentially enter the top 10 single-season list with 100 more yards or challenge Chris Johnson's 2009 record of 2,509 with 255 yards.
Betting odds list the Falcons as 3- to 3.5-point favorites with an over/under of 43.5 to 44.5 points. The SportsLine Projection Model simulates a 27-21 Falcons win in 63% of 10,000 runs, with Atlanta covering in 55% and the over hitting in 57%. Atlanta is 8-7-1 against the spread, while New Orleans is 8-8. Saints wide receiver Chris Olave is out due to a blood clot.
The Falcons' 2026 first-round pick, owed to the Rams, adds another layer, as more Atlanta losses could improve its draft position for Los Angeles.
