The New Orleans Saints needed a response after letting their Week 3 game against the Las Vegas Raiders slip away. Instead, they spent Monday night chasing the Atlanta Falcons
and lost 45-24. Atlanta built a two-touchdown lead in the first quarter and kept finding the end zone on the ground. A night celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Saints' return to the Superdome ended with New Orleans falling 1-3.A few individual bright spots stood out, but this was the Saints' least competitive performance of the season. Let's break down what happened and where they go from here.
What went right?
Chris Olave remained the Saints' best option offensively. His 44-yard reception set up their first touchdown, giving New Orleans an answer after Atlanta jumped ahead 14-0. He
also made several difficult catches to move the chains when the Saints weren't getting much from the run game. Finding ways to get Olave involved remains the offense's most dependable part.
Juwan Johnson was another reliable target for Tyler Shough, and Devaughn Vele capped the night with an acrobatic touchdown catch. Vele's score came too late to affect the outcome, but it was a strong individual play. Tyree Wilson also recorded his first sack as a Saint, one of the few defensive highlights.
What went wrong?
New Orleans needed touchdowns sooner. Trailing 24-7 at halftime, the Saints used more than seven minutes on their opening third-quarter possession and came away with three points. Atlanta answered with a touchdown, putting New Orleans further behind despite a long drive.
That was the problem throughout the second half. The Saints had to grind out long possessions for points, while the Falcons kept finishing drives in the end zone. New Orleans simply couldn't gain enough ground.
Early mistakes made that task even harder. Kendre Miller's fumble gave Atlanta a short field, and a defensive holding penalty erased a fourth-down stop on the ensuing possession. What could've been a chance to recover from the turnover instead became a 14-0 deficit.
What's the bottom line?
The Saints never forced Atlanta to change its desired approach. The Falcons kept handing the ball to Bijan Robinson and Brian Robinson Jr., who combined for five rushing touchdowns. New Orleans couldn't get enough stops to make Michael Penix Jr. carry Atlanta's offense.
That's a difficult way to win, especially when the Saints' own rushing attack isn't producing. Shough was left trying to sustain possessions through the air, with little margin for even an incompletion, a penalty, or a missed opportunity. Alvin Kamara rushed for two touchdowns, but that didn't solve the problem between the goal lines.
This loss felt different from the first two. The Saints had chances to finish against Detroit and Las Vegas. They spent almost the entire night on Monday trying to get back within striking distance.
What comes next?
The Saints host the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Oct. 11, at noon CT. They'll have a short week to prepare after falling to 1-3.
The immediate challenge is finding a way to keep the next game from following the same pattern. New Orleans needs early stops, better production on the ground, and fewer self-inflicted wounds. The Saints can't afford to spend another home game waiting until the second half to give themselves a chance.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Instant analysis: What went right, what went wrong in Saints-Falcons
