The Atlanta Falcons secured a 24-10 victory over the New Orleans Saints in their NFC South rivalry game at the Caesars Superdome. Tyler Shough made his first career home start for the Saints, but turnovers and missed opportunities led to their second straight loss. The Saints fall to 2-9 on the season.
Game Overview
The matchup kicked off at 3:25 p.m. on Sunday, with the Saints winning the coin toss and deferring possession to the Falcons. Early momentum shifted when Saints quarterback Tyler Shough fumbled on a handoff to Alvin Kamara, recovered by Atlanta's Dee Alford at the New Orleans 39-yard line. This set up a 56-yard field goal by Zane Gonzalez, giving the Falcons a 3-0 lead with 10:41 left in the first quarter.
A 75-yard kickoff return by Saints' Mason Tipton positioned New Orleans at the Atlanta 16, but a sack and a missed 38-yard field goal by Blake Grupe kept the score unchanged. The Falcons extended their lead to 10-0 in the second quarter on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Kirk Cousins to David Sills IV.
Key Turning Points
The Saints responded with a pick-six by safety Justin Reid, who returned a tipped pass from Kool-Aid McKinstry 49 yards for a touchdown, narrowing the gap to 10-7 with 6:41 left in the half. Atlanta added field goals of 41 and 54 yards from Gonzalez before halftime, leading 13-7 at the break and 16-7 after the third quarter.
In the second half, running back Alvin Kamara was ruled out with a knee injury after a first-quarter awkward fall. The Saints mounted a drive into the red zone but turned it over on downs from the 1-yard line. They later settled for a 33-yard field goal by Grupe, making it 16-10 with 12:13 remaining.
Atlanta sealed the win with an 81-yard drive capped by a touchdown pass to Darnell Mooney and a successful two-point conversion, pushing the score to 24-10. The Saints' final drive ended with an interception in the end zone.
Final Stats
Falcons: 24 points, Cousins 14/20 for 118 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT. Saints: 10 points, Shough 12/17 for 81 yards, 2 sacks. Total yards: Atlanta 191, New Orleans 95. The teams are now tied 56-56 in their all-time series.
This loss drops the Saints to 2-9, with upcoming games against the Dolphins and Buccaneers. Falcons coach Raheem Morris highlighted their defensive stands post-game.