The Atlanta Falcons spoiled New Orleans’ 20th-anniversary Domecoming celebration with a 45-24 beatdown on October 5, 2026, at Caesars Superdome, running for five touchdowns and 205 yards to move to 2-2 while handing the Saints their third straight rivalry loss.
Quarter-by-Quarter
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATL | 14 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 45 |
| NO | 0 | 7 | 3 | 14 | 24 |
Twenty years after New Orleans’ iconic Domecoming victory over Atlanta, the Falcons walked into the Superdome and flipped the celebration on its head. Bijan Robinson needed only three offensive plays to set the tone, ripping off a 59-yard touchdown before finishing with 145 yards and two scores on 19 carries. Then Brian Robinson Jr. joined in with 62 yards and three rushing touchdowns, helping Atlanta steamroll a Saints run defense for 205 yards and five scores on the ground. Michael Penix Jr. barely had to break a sweat, going 15-of-20 for 223 yards and a touchdown, while Drake London bullied his way to five catches for 96 yards — yet somehow his bizarre Saints streak continued, leaving him with just one touchdown in eight career meetings against New Orleans. Jahan Dotson supplied the passing touchdown with a 31-yard strike, and Atlanta averaged 7.5 yards per play without committing a turnover. The history made it sting worse: New Orleans won the original 2006 Domecoming 23-3, but Atlanta spoiled the 10-year anniversary 45-32 in 2016 and just wrecked the 20-year celebration 45-24. Across those three Domecoming nights, the Falcons are now 2-1 — winning both anniversary rematches. The Falcons have also taken three straight in the rivalry.
New Orleans’ offense wasn’t innocent, but its defense and offensive line deserve most of the heat. Tyler Shough still completed 30-of-48 for 286 yards, a touchdown and no picks, pushing him to 1,203 passing yards through four games — enough to slot him third behind Bryce Young and Jared Goff. Chris Olave gave him something with eight catches for 116 yards, Juwan Johnson added 59, Devaughn Vele had six for 54 and a score, and Alvin Kamara scored twice. But New Orleans rushed for just 50 yards, Kendre Miller managed nine yards on six carries and lost the first-quarter fumble that Atlanta immediately turned into another Bijan touchdown. That makes Travis Etienne Jr.’s early struggles look a lot less like an Etienne problem: before landing on injured reserve with a hamstring injury, he had still produced 128 yards on 30 carries behind an offensive line that continues to create almost nothing consistently. Shough was officially sacked only twice, but Atlanta lived around him, with Samson Ebukam recording three quarterback hits and Yasir Abdullah four. The Saints defense was even worse: 420 yards, six offensive touchdowns, zero takeaways, and a front already missing Kaden Elliss, Carl Granderson and Anfernee Jennings got absolutely run over. One of the best Atlanta stories came from rookie Harold Perkins Jr., the New Orleans-born former LSU linebacker who returned home and posted 10 tackles, half a sack and a pass breakup after his long road back from an ACL tear. This game was promoted like a celebration of Saints history. Atlanta turned it into a reminder that this rivalry means just as much — and maybe right now, a little more — to the Falcons.
Postgame Statistical Breakdown
Team Stats
| Stat | Atlanta Falcons | New Orleans Saints |
|---|---|---|
| Final Score | 45 | 24 |
| Total Offensive Yards | 420 | 320 |
| Passing Yards | 215 | 270 |
| Rushing Yards | 205 | 50 |
| Total Plays | 56 | 69 |
| Yards Per Play | 7.5 | 4.6 |
| First Downs | 24 | 22 |
| Third Downs | 4-8 | 6-15 |
| Third-Down % | 50.0% | 40.0% |
| Fourth Downs | 0-0 | 3-4 |
| Passing TDs | 1 | 1 |
| Rushing TDs | 5 | 2 |
| Total Offensive TDs | 6 | 3 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 1 |
| Interceptions Thrown | 0 | 0 |
| Fumbles Lost | 0 | 1 |
| Sacks Allowed | 1 | 2 |
| Penalties | 8 | 8 |
| Penalty Yards | 70 | 49 |
| Time of Possession | 30:45 | 29:15 |
Passing
Atlanta Falcons
- Michael Penix Jr. — 15/20, 75.0%, 223 YDS, 1 TD, 0 INT, 11.2 YPA, 1 SACK, 127.7 RTG
New Orleans Saints
- Tyler Shough — 30/48, 62.5%, 286 YDS, 1 TD, 0 INT, 6.0 YPA, 2 SACK, 85.9 RTG
Rushing
Atlanta Falcons
- Bijan Robinson — 19 CAR, 145 YDS, 7.6 AVG, 2 TD, LONG 59
- Brian Robinson Jr. — 14 CAR, 62 YDS, 4.4 AVG, 3 TD, LONG 11
New Orleans Saints
- Alvin Kamara — 7 CAR, 23 YDS, 3.3 AVG, 2 TD, LONG 5
- CJ Donaldson — 3 CAR, 18 YDS, 6.0 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 9
Receiving
Atlanta Falcons
- Drake London — 5 REC, 6 TGT, 96 YDS, 19.2 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 37
- Jahan Dotson — 2 REC, 3 TGT, 54 YDS, 27.0 AVG, 1 TD, LONG 31
- Kyle Pitts Sr. — 3 REC, 3 TGT, 47 YDS, 15.7 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 28
- Zachariah Branch — 2 REC, 2 TGT, 10 YDS, 5.0 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 9
- Austin Hooper — 1 REC, 1 TGT, 9 YDS, 9.0 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 9
New Orleans Saints
- Chris Olave — 8 REC, 12 TGT, 116 YDS, 14.5 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 44
- Juwan Johnson — 6 REC, 8 TGT, 59 YDS, 9.8 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 23
- Devaughn Vele — 6 REC, 9 TGT, 54 YDS, 9.0 AVG, 1 TD, LONG 18
- Alvin Kamara — 5 REC, 7 TGT, 35 YDS, 7.0 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 17
- Kendre Miller — 2 REC, 3 TGT, 10 YDS, 5.0 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 7
Scoring Plays
| Qtr | Clock | Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 13:34 | Atlanta Falcons | Bijan Robinson 59-yard run (Nick Folk kick) | ATL 7, NO 0 |
| Q1 | 0:48 | Atlanta Falcons | Bijan Robinson 4-yard run (Nick Folk kick) | ATL 14, NO 0 |
| Q2 | 14:57 | New Orleans Saints | Alvin Kamara 3-yard run (Daniel Carlson kick) | ATL 14, NO 7 |
| Q2 | 8:59 | Atlanta Falcons | Brian Robinson Jr. 4-yard run (Nick Folk kick) | ATL 21, NO 7 |
| Q2 | 3:07 | Atlanta Falcons | Nick Folk 29-yard field goal | ATL 24, NO 7 |
| Q3 | 7:38 | New Orleans Saints | Daniel Carlson 27-yard field goal | ATL 24, NO 10 |
| Q3 | 2:11 | Atlanta Falcons | Brian Robinson Jr. 8-yard run (Nick Folk kick) | ATL 31, NO 10 |
| Q4 | 13:00 | New Orleans Saints | Alvin Kamara 5-yard run (Daniel Carlson kick) | ATL 31, NO 17 |
| Q4 | 9:50 | Atlanta Falcons | Jahan Dotson 31-yard pass from Michael Penix Jr. (Nick Folk kick) | ATL 38, NO 17 |
| Q4 | 6:52 | Atlanta Falcons | Brian Robinson Jr. 11-yard run (Nick Folk kick) | ATL 45, NO 17 |
| Q4 | 1:13 | New Orleans Saints | Devaughn Vele 3-yard pass from Tyler Shough (Daniel Carlson kick) | ATL 45, NO 24 |
Defense
Atlanta Falcons
- C.J. Henderson — 10 TOT, 9 SOLO, 1 PD, 1 FR
- Harold Perkins Jr. — 10 TOT, 7 SOLO, 0.5 SACK, 1 QBH, 1 PD
- Samson Ebukam — 1 TOT, 1 SOLO, 1 TFL, 1 SACK, 3 QBH
- Xavier Watts — 8 TOT, 5 SOLO, 0.5 SACK, 1 QBH
- Yasir Abdullah — 4 QBH, 1 PD
- Cameron Thomas — 5 TOT, 2 SOLO, 1 QBH, 1 PD
- Mike Hughes — 4 TOT, 3 SOLO, 1 TFL, 1 PD
- DeMarcco Hellams — 2 TOT, 1 SOLO, 1 TFL, 1 PD
- Sydney Brown — 2 TOT, 1 SOLO, 1 TFL, 1 PD
- Kendal Daniels — 4 TOT, 3 SOLO
New Orleans Saints
- Tyree Wilson — 6 TOT, 4 SOLO, 1 TFL, 1 SACK, 1 QBH
- Julian Blackmon — 10 TOT, 5 SOLO
- Jonas Sanker — 6 TOT, 4 SOLO
- Pete Werner — 4 TOT, 1 SOLO, 1 TFL
- Chase Young — 4 TOT, 2 SOLO, 1 PD
- Fadil Diggs — 4 TOT, 1 SOLO, 1 PD
- Danny Stutsman — 5 TOT, 1 SOLO
- Justin Reid — 4 TOT, 3 SOLO
- Quincy Riley — 4 TOT, 2 SOLO
- Khristian Boyd — 3 TOT, 1 SOLO
Kick Returns
Atlanta Falcons
- Zachariah Branch — 3 KR, 65 YDS, 21.7 AVG, LONG 25, 0 TD
New Orleans Saints
- Barion Brown — 5 KR, 130 YDS, 26.0 AVG, LONG 30, 0 TD
Punt Returns
Atlanta Falcons
- Zachariah Branch — 1 PR, 25 YDS, 25.0 AVG, LONG 25, 0 TD
New Orleans Saints
- Barion Brown — 1 PR, 2 YDS, 2.0 AVG, LONG 2, 0 TD
