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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

ATLvsNO

Falcons offensevsSaints defense

Season numbers through Week 8: 8 games for Falcons, 7 for Saints. 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

Ground game edge

Falcons average 4.7 yards per carry (5th). Saints allow 4.8 (30th).

02
Opportunity

Deep left is open

Saints are worst against deep left throws, allowing +1.21 EPA per attempt. Falcons send 7% of their throws there. That is a small part of their offense so far.

03
Watch out

Pressure problem

Falcons take a sack on 7% of dropbacks (18th). Saints get home on 7% (11th). League average is 7%.

04
Wash

EPA per play

Call this one even. Falcons average -0.10 EPA per play (29th). Saints allow +0.08 (27th). League average is +0.00.

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 · Falcons offense against the Saints defenseDepth charts
Saints defense · 3-4 DFalcons offense · 3WR 1TE70Matthews65Bergeron64Neuzil63Lindstrom71Taylor8Pitts9Penix7Robinson5London14Zaccheaus4Dotson91Broughton93Shepherd94Jordan96Granderson99Young20Werner55Elliss22Emerson1McKinstry7Sanker21Reid23Blackmon

Falcons offense · 3WR 1TE

  • QBMichael Penix Jr.#9 · 104/168 · 1282 yds · 9 TD · 5 INT
  • RBBijan Robinson#7 · 150 car · 780 yds · 5 TD · 25 rec
  • WRDrake London#5 · 39 rec · 624 yds · 1 TD · 62 tgt
  • WRJahan Dotson#4 · 14 rec · 337 yds · 2 TD · 30 tgt
  • WROlamide Zaccheaus#14 · 5 rec · 21 yds · 0 TD · 13 tgt
  • TEKyle Pitts Sr.#8 · 22 rec · 197 yds · 4 TD · 32 tgt
  • LTJake Matthews#70
  • LGMatthew Bergeron#65
  • CRyan Neuzil#64
  • RGChris Lindstrom#63
  • RTJawaan Taylor#71

Saints defense · Base 3-4 D

  • RDEVernon Broughton#91 · 14 tackles
  • NTNathan Shepherd#93 · 12 tackles · 0.5 sacks
  • LDECameron Jordan#94 · 13 tackles
  • WLBCarl Granderson#96 · 25 tackles · 5.5 sacks
  • SLBChase Young#99 · 14 tackles · 7 sacks · 3 PD
  • RILBPete Werner#20 · 53 tackles · 2 sacks · 2 PD
  • LILBKaden Elliss#55 · 29 tackles · 1 PD
  • RCBMartin Emerson Jr.#22 · 18 tackles · 2 INT · 4 PD
  • LCBKool-Aid McKinstry#1 · 23 tackles · 6 PD
  • NBJonas Sanker#7 · 44 tackles · 1 PD
  • SSJustin Reid#21 · 37 tackles
  • FSJulian Blackmon#23 · 36 tackles · 2 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 · ATL offense against NO defense
StatATL ATL offFavors ATL · Favors NONO NO def allowsNFL avg
Overall
EPA per play
-0.10#29
+0.08#27+0.00
Success rate
43%#15
49%#3144%
Yards per play
5.6#13
6.0#285.4
Explosive play rate
9%#17
11%#289%
Passing
Pass EPA per dropback
-0.18#29
+0.09#23+0.03
Sack rate
7%#18
7%#117%
Running
Run EPA per carry
-0.02#9
+0.04#31-0.08
Yards per carry
4.7#5
4.8#304.1
Money downs
3rd down conversion
35%#29
51%#3041%
Red zone TD rate
64%#14
60%#1461%
Targets by position
WR yards per game
133#21
144#16147
TE yards per game
37#26
68#2755
TE targets per game
6.5#25
8.9#287.6
RB receiving yards per game
30#19
38#2432
Where the ball goes · EPA per throwDeep is 15+ air yds

Falcons: EPA per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
+1.227% of throws
-0.333% of throws
+0.387% of throws
Short
+0.1335% of throws
-0.5216% of throws
-0.3732% of throws

Saints: EPA allowed per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
+1.2117 throws
+0.5010 throws
+0.2516 throws
Short
+0.0476 throws
+0.2538 throws
+0.0967 throws

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