The Atlanta Falcons are officially back in business following their 45-24 victory over the New Orleans Saints on Monday night. At 2-2, the Falcons are not only back in the playoff picture, but they are arguably the hottest team in the NFL right now.
The offense has been red-hot with Michael Penix Jr. in the lineup, racking up elite yardage in back-to-back weeks. The defense continues to be one of the most underrated units in the entire league, and the team is now 2-0 in prime-time games this season.
Here are five takeaways from the Falcons' 21-point win over the Saints in Week 4.
Brian Robinson, Bijan Robinson combine for 5 TDs
The Falcons' RB duo stole the show on Monday night. Bijan Robinson set the tone with a 59-yard touchdown run to take the crowd out of the game. Bijan added a second touchdown and
finished with 145 yards on 19 carries. Brian Robinson Jr. rushed 14 times for 62 yards and three touchdowns. The Falcons racked up 205 rushing yards on Monday night, and they have tallied more than 400 rushing yards over the last two weeks combined. This is the kind of production that fans have been expecting with one of the highest-paid offensive lines and the NFL's best running back.
BIJAN ROBINSON. TO. THE. HOUSE.
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) October 6, 2026
ESPN | ANF pic.twitter.com/MwZu66Ji8p
Falcons defense shut down Saints for 4 quarters
The Falcons defense keeps getting overlooked due to the insane production of the offense, but Jeff Ulbrich and company deserve credit for getting this unit to perform at an elite level in spite of injuries. The Saints offense was useless for most of the game, and even though they scored some points in garbage time, Atlanta's defense was fully in charge for all flour quarters. CJ Henderson turned in another gutsy performance, overcoming an injury to force and recover a fumble. Rookie Harold Perkins played his best game yet, and the pass rush was impressive despite losing Za'Darius Smith. Oh, and the Falcons held the Saints to 50 rushing yards for the day.
Michael Penix Jr. has unlocked this offense's potential
Penix was steady all game long, and while he didn't have as many big plays as last week, the third-year QB made great decisions and hit his throws when it mattered. Penix's 31-yard touchdown pass to Jahan Dotson put the game on ice as the Saints were finally starting to come to life in the fourth quarter. In his second start, Penix completed 15/20 passes for 223 yards, one touchdown and a passer rating of 127.7. The running game's resurgence since Penix's return is no coincidence.
"I'm just so thankful to be able to be healthy," Penix said after the game. It's safe to say fans feel the same way. The former first-round pick deserves a ton of credit for all that he has overcome in the past year.
Falcons tied for 1st place in NFC South
- Carolina Panthers (2-2)
- Atlanta Falcons (2-2)
- New Orleans Saints (1-3)
- Tampa Bat Buccaneers (0-4)
The Falcons pulled even with the Panthers in the NFC South standings following Monday's win. Both teams are now 2-2 and back in the playoff hunt. Carolina technically has the head-to-head tiebreaker at the moment due to beating Atlanta in Week 2. With the Buccaneers spiraling at 0-4, this could soon be a two-man division race. However, we wouldn't totally write off the 1-3 Saints just yet as they've proven to be a scrappy team under Kellen Moore.
Falcons lose two key players in first half
The Falcons dominated early in Monday's win, but they did lose two key players to injury. Edge rusher Za'Darius Smith suffered a concussion in the first quarter and was on the ground for a minute after taking a big blow to the head. The veteran defensive end did not return. Left tackle Jake Matthews also exited in the first half with a groin injury and was ruled out for the game shortly after. Michael Jerrell replaced Matthews at left tackle and played well in the second half.
What's next for the Falcons in Week 5?
In Week 5, the Falcons will play their third consecutive prime-time game. This time, Atlanta will host the Baltimore Ravens at home at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday Night Football. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson suffered an ankle injury in Week 4 and did not play in the second half. Jackson was spotted in a walking boot as he left the stadium, but is reportedly day-to-day entering Week 5. Keep an eye on Jackson's status in practice this week. If the two-time MVP can't play, it will be Tyler Huntley starting for Baltimore on Sunday night.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: 5 takeaways from Falcons' 45-24 win over the Saints on MNF
