Week 4 of the NFL season will wrap up with the New Orleans Saints hosting the Atlanta Falcons. It is the second straight home game for the 1-2 Saints after a disappointing 35-27 loss to the Raiders on Sunday. The Falcons also come in at 1-2 and with a few extra days off after a 35-14 win at the Green Bay Packers last Thursday night.
A previously lifeless New Orleans running game showed some improvement against the Raiders. In the process though, they also lost a key piece of their rushing attack to injury. Atlanta enters Monday with a defense that's been surprisingly effective against the run. We take a look at that aspect of Monday night's showdown now.
Atlanta Falcons Falcons run defense
- 47.7 yards per game (1st)
- 2.8 per carry (1st)
- 0 touchdowns (1st)
- 10 tackles for loss
After ranking 24th against the run in 2025, the Falcons have been very stout in this area
so far in their second year under defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich. The fact that Atlanta has faced the fewest rushing attempts in the league (52) helps their numbers. Still, the Falcons have allowed opponents to a league-best 2.8 per carry to underscore their tremendous improvement.
An offseason trade for defensive tackle Gervon Dexter has helped Atlanta bulk up in the middle. Another offseason addition, Maason Taylor, has played well as Dexter's backup. La'Cale London, Brandon Dorlus, and Zach Harrison have given the Falcons a solid defensive line rotation.
Divine Deablo is one of the most underrated and athletic linebackers in the NFL. He's excellent in sideline-to-sideline pursuit but has been limited by a hamstring injury in practice. Rookies Kendal Daniels and Harold Perkins Jr., along with veteran Christian Harris, gives this defense excellent depth at the position. Along the edge, Samson Ebukam looks like he could be questionable with a hamstring injury. Second-year Jared Ivey is his likely replacement if he can't go, with veteran edge Za'Darius Smith a strong run defender on the other side.
Atlanta has a physical group of corners that do a decent job of run support on the outside. At safety, Xavier Watts and Jessie Bates III are one of the top duos in the league. Bates (17) and Watts (16) are the top two tacklers on the team. They often create turnovers against the pass, but their run support skills are vastly underrated.
New Orleans Saints rushing attack
- 101.3 yards per game (16th)
- 3.8 per carry (21st)
- 2 touchdowns (13th)
While the Saints are ranked around the middle of the pack in running the ball, this aspect of their offense has felt mostly invisible. Their 148 yards on the ground against the Raiders nearly equaled their combined output from the first two games and was only the third time this team has had more than 110 yards rushing in their last 16 outings.
Making matters worse is the fact that top back Travis Etienne will miss several weeks with a hamstring injury. That leaves the offense with Alvin Kamara, Kendre Miller, and undrafted rookie CJ Donaldson at running back. These three have a combined average of only three yards per carry, with Kamara coming off his most ineffective season by far in 2025. Donaldson seems to have settled into a short yardage role, so Kamara and Miller are likely to share most of the reps.
The inadequacies of the running game isn't all on their running backs. New Orleans blockers have simply not created running room up front. Left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. (ankle) is likely to miss most of the season, creating a drop-off from him to Asim Richards on the left side beside offseason addition David Edwards at guard. Edwards, center Erik McCoy, and right guard Cesar Ruiz have gotten neither the necessary push off the line of scrimmage or created lanes for their runners. Right tackle Taliese Fuaga has also struggled to get the edge on his side.
New Orleans will certainly miss Etienne, but it doesn't matter who runs the ball if the offensive line doesn't create the necessary lanes. The Saints are in the middle of the pack in rushing attempts, so the effort for balance is there. Against Atlanta, it'll be up to Alvin Kamara, Kendre Miller, and the offensive line for the results.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints run game must establish balance in Falcons rivalry matchup
