Atlanta Falcons @ New Orleans Saints
Final Score: Falcons 45, Saints 24
Writer: Steven Pintado (@coachstevenp)
We had a classic NFC South divisional matchup between the Falcons and Saints. The success in this game came down to which team could run the ball better, and that was Atlanta. The Falcons leaned on their backfield of Bijan Robinson and Brian Robinson Jr., who combined for 5 touchdowns. The defense also came up clutch with a turnover while consistently putting pressure on Tyler Shough throughout the game. Atlanta took the lead and never looked back. The Saints struggled to establish a run game and were forced to pass heavily throughout the game. Shough and the passing attack were not at their best, leading to an inconsistent offense and ultimately a loss.
Three Up
- Bijan Robinson – Robinson started the game with a bang, taking his first carry for a 50-plus-yard touchdown. He would find the end zone multiple times against the Saints, once again showing why he is one of the best running backs in football.
- Brian Robinson Jr. – With the Falcons building an early lead, they leaned on Robinson Jr. to take some of the workload off Bijan Robinson. While he wasn’t as effective as a runner, he still managed to find the end zone three times.
- Drake London – London continues to show us the amazing connection he has with Michael Penix Jr. He put together another elite performance, leading the team in targets and receiving yards.
Three Down
- Kendre Miller – Miller had a chance to establish himself as the Saints’ early-down running back, but he struggled to make an impact and also committed a costly turnover. He failed to take advantage of an opportunity to earn a larger role in the backfield.
- Tyler Shough – After dominating through the first 3 weeks, Shough struggled against consistent pressure and had an inaccurate performance. After throwing multiple touchdowns from inside the 10-yard line the week prior, he also missed out on scoring opportunities with the Saints leaning on the backfield near the goal line.
- Kyle Pitts – Pitts wasn’t needed much with the Falcons playing from ahead and leaning heavily on the run. While he looked good on his limited opportunities, the lack of volume continues to frustrate fantasy managers and makes him difficult to trust in redraft leagues right now.
Atlanta Falcons
Quarterback
Michael Penix: 15/20, 223 Yards, TD | 2 Carries, -2 Yards
Michael Penix Jr. was a true game manager in this one, making the right throws and allowing the running game to do most of the work. His best connection was with Drake London, who accounted for 5 of Penix’s 15 completions. Penix struggled early with some pressure from the Saints, but the Falcons’ offensive line stepped up and gave him more time as the game went on. His touchdown throw in the fourth quarter came on a nice rollout, where he delivered a beautifully placed ball to Jahan Dotson. The Falcons didn’t ask Penix to do much in this game, instead allowing their rushing attack to control the offense.
Running Back
Bijan Robinson: 19 Carries, 145 Yards, 2 TDs | 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 2 Yards
Bijan Robinson had a day! It could have been a historic performance, but the Falcons simply didn’t need him enough in the second half. Robinson made noise on his first carry, going nearly untouched for a 59-yard touchdown. He dominated the first half, entering halftime with 12 carries for 103 yards and 2 touchdowns. Robinson showed off his burst and speed while consistently making defenders miss to pick up extra yards. In the second half, Atlanta wisely took some of the workload off him after he had already dominated the game. We also didn’t see much of Robinson’s usual passing-game role with the Falcons playing from ahead for most of the night. It was still an elite performance, but it could have been a historic one if Atlanta needed him more in the second half.
Brian Robinson Jr.: 14 Carries, 62 Yards, 3 TDs | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 5 Yards
With Bijan Robinson dominating the first half, the Falcons were able to give Brian Robinson Jr. more work as the game progressed. Once Atlanta went up by two scores, Robinson Jr. was given a drive of his own that eventually helped set up a touchdown. He continued to receive opportunities in the red zone and finished with 3 rushing touchdowns from inside the 20-yard line. As a runner, Robinson Jr. was just okay, although he became more effective in the second half against a tired Saints defense. His increased workload was mostly a product of the Falcons playing with a comfortable lead rather than anything being wrong with Bijan.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Drake London: 6 Targets, 5 Receptions, 96 Yards
Drake London finished with another solid performance as his connection with Michael Penix Jr. continues to shine. He made a couple of big plays in the first half, including catches of 27 and 37 yards. Penix consistently put the ball where only London could make the play, while London showed his ability to break tackles and remain a reliable target for his quarterback. London didn’t find the end zone, but the Falcons didn’t need to throw much in the red zone, instead leaning heavily on their running backs to finish drives.
Kyle Pitts: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 47 Yards
We finally saw a decent outing from Kyle Pitts, who caught all 3 of his targets for 47 yards. All 3 targets came on short passes, allowing Pitts to use his YAC ability to create additional yards after the catch. He looked physical and fast with the ball in his hands, but the lack of opportunities continues to hurt his value in redraft leagues. From the small sample size, Pitts looked more like the player we know he can be. He also missed out on a potential touchdown during Jahan Dotson’s score, as Pitts was wide open on the right side of the field.
Jahan Dotson: 3 Targets, 2 Reception, 54 Yards, TD
Jahan Dotson was used as the downfield threat in this game, finishing with two catches of 20-plus yards. His best play came in the fourth quarter when he fooled the defender with his route and breezed past him for a 31-yard touchdown. Dotson didn’t see much volume, but he made the most of his opportunities as the Falcons’ big-play threat.
Austin Hooper: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 9 Yards
Zachariah Branch: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 10 Yards
Olamide Zaccheaus: 1 Target
Charlie Woerner: 1 Target
New Orleans Saints
Quarterback
Tyler Shough: 30/48, 286 Yards, TD | 2 Carries, 5 Yards
MNF was not kind to Tyler Shough, but neither was the Falcons’ pass rush. Shough was forced to play hero ball for most of the game as Atlanta consistently brought pressure, leading to a low completion percentage. Early on, he made some impressive throws, especially a nice fade to Juwan Johnson. Shough continued to focus on his top playmakers, but the Falcons’ secondary did a good job limiting big plays. The Saints needed to keep the play-action game going, as Shough looked much better off play action compared to traditional dropbacks. He wasn’t afraid to air the ball out downfield, but he struggled to connect on many of those throws. Shough nearly threw an interception in the fourth quarter, but the defender couldn’t secure it. His late-game touchdown pass was beautifully thrown, with his receiver making a remarkable catch in the end zone. Hopefully, this was just a rough primetime performance for the second-year starter. I expect better games from Shough moving forward, but handling pressure and improving his deep-ball accuracy are two areas he’ll need to clean up.
Running Back
Alvin Kamara: 7 Carries, 23 Yards, 2 TDs | 7 Targets, 5 Receptions, 35 Yards
Alvin Kamara tried to turn back the clock in this divisional matchup. While he averaged just 3.3 yards per carry, Kamara still made an impact, with his best non-touchdown play coming on a 17-yard catch early in the game. Instead of relying on the passing game in the red zone, the Saints leaned on the run, allowing Kamara to find the end zone twice. He was also involved in the passing game as a reliable dump-off option for Tyler Shough. Kamara got banged up in the third quarter and missed a few series, but he returned and continued to out-touch Kendre Miller until CJ Donaldson entered the game late.
Kendre Miller: 6 Carries, 9 Yards, Fumble (Lost)| 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 10 Yards
Kendre Miller received the first carry of the game but was ineffective as a runner. Miller looked slow without much explosiveness and made matters worse by fumbling late in the first quarter. While he continued to rotate into the game, he wasn’t able to make much of an impact outside of his two catches. Overall, Miller looked like the least effective running back on either side of the ball.
CJ Donaldson: 3 Carries, 18 Yards| 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 5 Yards
Rookie running back CJ Donaldson didn’t enter the game until late in the fourth quarter, when he finally received a few snaps. Donaldson was a player the Saints liked during the preseason, so he could be in line for a larger workload after looking more effective than Kendre Miller on just 5 touches. He is a name to watch moving forward while Travis Etienne remains on IR.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Chris Olave: 12 Targets, 8 Receptions, 116 Yards
Chris Olave also slightly benefited from garbage time and Tyler Shough’s 48 pass attempts. Olave led the team with 12 targets and 116 receiving yards. In the first half, Olave was given more space to work, with his first reception turning into a 44-yard catch and run. He consistently beat the Falcons’ defense, creating plenty of separation throughout the game. In the second half, Olave settled in as Shough’s safety blanket, consistently being where his quarterback needed him to be. Most of his opportunities came on shorter passes rather than shots downfield. Olave remains an elite option in the Saints passing offense.
Juwan Johnson: 8 Targets, 6 Receptions, 59 Yards
Juwan Johnson had another solid outing against the Falcons. He continued his scoreless streak vs. the Falcons but managed to see 8 targets in a high-scoring game. His biggest play was a 23-yard reception where he broke a tackle to pick up additional yards. Johnson also drew a pass interference penalty that helped set up Devaughn Vele’s touchdown. He did a great job finding the soft spots in the Falcons’ zone coverage and consistently getting open. A couple of his targets were broken up when Atlanta played man coverage, but outside of that, Johnson put together another solid performance.
Devaughn Vele: 9 Targets, 6 Receptions, 54 Yards, TD
Devaughn Vele had fantasy managers sweating for about two quarters of this game, finishing the first half with just 1 catch for 2 yards. He started to come alive late in the third quarter as a quick passing option for Tyler Shough, including a big 18-yard catch on fourth-and-long. Vele also had a few missed opportunities, including a 5-yard catch called back by a penalty and a difficult diving attempt with a defender all over him that he couldn’t bring in. He eventually saved his fantasy day with a garbage-time touchdown on a beautifully thrown ball from Shough, securing the catch and getting his feet down in the end zone. The biggest concern is that Vele didn’t see much work early and only became heavily involved once the Saints fell far behind on the scoreboard.
Bryce Lance: 5 Targets, 1 Reception, 7 Yards
Barion Brown: 1 Carry, -5 Yards
Treyton Welch: 1 Target