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DOWN X DOWN › week 17 › Saints at Falcons
Updated Nov 2, 5:48 PM ET
2026
2026this season2025final

Week 17 · Sunday 1:00 PM ET · Mercedes-Benz Stadium

NOvsATL

Saints offensevsFalcons defense

Season numbers through Week 8: 7 games for Saints, 8 for Falcons. Ranks are out of 32; #1 is the best offense or the stingiest defense.

NO offenseATL offense
Keys to the game · where this matchup tilts, from the season numbers4 reads
01
Biggest edge

Red zone touchdowns

Saints score a touchdown on 74% of red zone trips (2nd). Falcons allow 63% (17th).

02
Opportunity

Deep left is open

Falcons are worst against deep left throws, allowing +0.17 EPA per attempt. Saints send 7% of their throws there. That is a small part of their offense so far.

03
Watch out

Nowhere to run

Saints' run game is 26th in EPA per carry (-0.16). Falcons allow -0.08 (14th).

04
Wash

Success rate

Call this one even. Saints succeed on 42% of plays (23rd) against a defense that allows 44% (18th).

Players to watch

NO Saints

6Tyler ShoughQB · 183/273 · 1721 yds · 13 TD · 6 INTEPA per dropback +0.02 · 20th41Alvin KamaraRB · 41 car · 125 yds · 3 TD · 22 recEPA per touch -0.1012Chris OlaveWR · 49 rec · 636 yds · 2 TD · 71 tgtEPA per target +0.53 · 18th14Devaughn VeleWR · 33 rec · 348 yds · 3 TD · 48 tgtEPA per target +0.46 · 25th99Chase YoungStrongside Linebacker · 14 tackles · 7 sacks · 3 PD7 sacks · T-3rd in the NFL96Carl GrandersonWeakside Linebacker · 25 tackles · 5.5 sacks5.5 sacks · T-9th in the NFL

ATL Falcons

9Michael Penix Jr.QB · 104/168 · 1282 yds · 9 TD · 5 INTEPA per dropback +0.02 · 21st7Bijan RobinsonRB · 150 car · 780 yds · 5 TD · 25 recEPA per touch -0.075Drake LondonWR · 39 rec · 624 yds · 1 TD · 62 tgtEPA per target +0.408Kyle PittsTE · 22 rec · 197 yds · 4 TD · 32 tgtEPA per target +0.0653Kendal DanielsLeft Inside Linebacker · 52 tackles · 1 sack · 1 INT · 2 PD1 INT26C.J. HendersonRight Cornerback · 39 tackles · 8 PD8 passes defended · T-7th in the NFL
The series · Saints and Falcons since 1999, and this season's records55 meetings

The Saints lead the series 32–23 since 1999. The Falcons have won the last 3. Oct 5, 2026, at Caesars Superdome: the Falcons won 45–24. Tyler Shough started at quarterback for the Saints and Michael Penix Jr. for the Falcons; Kellen Moore and Raheem Morris coached.

Saints at home17–11the Saints' record
In Atlanta15–12the Saints' record
Most pointsSaints 48 · Falcons 452023 · 2016
Biggest winSaints by 31 · Falcons by 232023 · 1999

The last 5

2026 · Wk 4ATL 45 at NO 24
2025 · Wk 18NO 17 at ATL 19
2025 · Wk 12ATL 24 at NO 10
2024 · Wk 10ATL 17 at NO 20
2024 · Wk 4NO 24 at ATL 26

2026 records

SaintsFalcons
Overall2–53–5
Division0–11–2
Conference1–33–3
Other conference1–20–2
Home0–41–3
Away2–12–2
Last 5LLLWLWLLWL
StreakLost 1Lost 1
Points a game23.1 – 27.721.4 – 23.6

Every meeting since 1999, regular season and playoffs, from nflverse's game list, which starts in 1999; the all-time series goes back further. Franchises that moved count as one team (the Raiders, Chargers and Rams). Home and away are from the Saints' side. Records are this regular season.

The lineups · Saints offense against the Falcons defenseDepth charts
Falcons defense · 3-4 DSaints offense · 3WR 1TE72Richards76Edwards78McCoy51Ruiz75Fuaga83Johnson6Shough41Kamara12Olave18Lance14Vele54Dorlus95Dexter92Smith99Thomas27Pearce0Deablo53Daniels26Henderson24Terrell33Bowman3Bates31Watts

Saints offense · 3WR 1TE

  • QBTyler Shough#6 · 183/273 · 1721 yds · 13 TD · 6 INT
  • RBAlvin Kamara#41 · 41 car · 125 yds · 3 TD · 22 rec
  • WRChris Olave#12 · 49 rec · 636 yds · 2 TD · 71 tgt
  • WRDevaughn Vele#14 · 33 rec · 348 yds · 3 TD · 48 tgt
  • WRBryce Lance#18 · 9 rec · 78 yds · 1 TD · 22 tgt
  • TEJuwan Johnson#83 · 26 rec · 255 yds · 3 TD · 37 tgt
  • LTAsim Richards#72
  • LGDavid Edwards#76
  • CErik McCoy#78
  • RGCesar Ruiz#51
  • RTTaliese Fuaga#75

Falcons defense · Base 3-4 D

  • RDEBrandon Dorlus#54 · 13 tackles · 1 sack · 1 PD
  • NTGervon Dexter Sr.#95 · 21 tackles · 1.5 sacks · 1 PD
  • LDEMaason Smith#92 · 15 tackles · 1 sack · 1 PD
  • WLBCameron Thomas#99 · 21 tackles · 2 sacks · 1 PD
  • SLBJames Pearce Jr.#27 · 0 tackles
  • RILBDivine Deablo#0 · 29 tackles · 1 PD
  • LILBKendal Daniels#53 · 52 tackles · 1 sack · 1 INT · 2 PD
  • RCBC.J. Henderson#26 · 39 tackles · 8 PD
  • LCBA.J. Terrell Jr.#24 · 13 tackles · 3 PD
  • NBBilly Bowman Jr.#33 · 6 tackles · 2 PD
  • SSJessie Bates III#3 · 45 tackles · 1 INT · 4 PD
  • FSXavier Watts#31 · 53 tackles · 0.5 sacks · 1 INT · 2 PD

Starters from each team's current depth chart (nflverse, from ESPN), drawn in the offense's base three-receiver set against the defense's base front. The nickel back, the extra defensive back most teams use against three receivers, is drawn lighter. Left and right are as the offense sees the field. The toggle at the top flips which offense is drawn.

Head to head · NO offense against ATL defense
StatNO NO offFavors NO · Favors ATLATL ATL def allowsNFL avg
Overall
EPA per play
-0.04#22
-0.04#11+0.00
Success rate
42%#23
44%#1844%
Yards per play
4.9#29
5.3#135.4
Explosive play rate
7%#30
9%#139%
Passing
Pass EPA per dropback
+0.01#19
+0.00#14+0.03
Sack rate
5%#10
6%#207%
Running
Run EPA per carry
-0.16#26
-0.08#14-0.08
Yards per carry
3.2#31
4.6#264.1
Money downs
3rd down conversion
43%#10
42%#1841%
Red zone TD rate
74%#2
63%#1761%
Targets by position
WR yards per game
162#9
150#20147
TE yards per game
51#20
55#1755
TE targets per game
8.3#10
7.6#167.6
RB receiving yards per game
33#13
33#1732
Where the ball goes · EPA per throwDeep is 15+ air yds

Saints: EPA per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
-0.137% of throws
+0.893% of throws
+1.026% of throws
Short
+0.1935% of throws
+0.0510% of throws
-0.0340% of throws

Falcons: EPA allowed per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
+0.1727 throws
+1.598 throws
-0.0521 throws
Short
+0.1293 throws
-0.1533 throws
+0.06106 throws

Green gains more than expected, red loses value. Cells with fewer than 5 throws are grayed out.