South Atlanta News

For the 2024 NFL season, digital team reporter Terrin Waack will provide select stellar stats, obscure facts, and notable quotes from the most recent game to show how the Atlanta Falcons are taking flight into the new week.

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Falcons won 26-24 against the New Orleans Saints in Week 4 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in front of 72,204 ticketed fans.

Wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge was responsible for the Falcons' first muffed-punt-turned-touchdown of this century. Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed dropped the punt after the Falcons' first drive, and Hodge collected the loose ball in the end zone, thus scoring a special teams touchdown.

With his two rushing touchdowns – a 2-yarder in the first quarter and a 5-yarder in the second quarter – Saints tight end Taysom Hill is now responsible for 11 touchdowns against the Falcons. He has had one receiving, four passing, and six rushing. According to Josh Kendall of The Athletic, only quarterbacks Tom Brady (28 passing), Jameis Winston (27 passing, two rushing), and Drew Brees (54 passing, two rushing) have more.

Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo's 58-yard field goal to win the game signified not only the longest field goal of his career but also the longest field goal made in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It was Koo's eighth game-winning field goal (kicked within the final 10 seconds) since 2021, which is good for most in the NFL over that span.

Safety Jessie Bates III made his 100th career regular-season start Sunday, doing so in every single game he has played since his debut in 2018.

The Saints have intercepted at least one pass in every game this season. Cornerback Paulson Adebo picked off Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins in the first quarter. The pass was intended for wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud III but he slipped while coming out of his break. New Orleans' six interceptions overall rank third through Sunday's games behind only Green Bay Packers' and Minnesota Vikings' eight picks.

Falcons inside linebacker Troy Andersen had his first pick-six Sunday by intercepting Saints quarterback Derek Carr in the second quarter and returning it 47 yards to score. Saints wide receiver Chris Olave tried to chase down Andersen but was unable to do so. Both Andersen and Olave were selected during their respective combines with Andersen running a faster time yet outran Olave three seasons later.

The Falcons special teams (first quarter) and defensive unit (second quarter) each scored a touchdown without any offensive contribution. The last time Atlanta won a game without an offensive touchdown was Week 3 of 2004 when they defeated Arizona Cardinals by scoring just six points compared to three from Arizona’s side marking it as another instance where defense & special teams helped secure victory like on Sunday making it third such occurrence since year-2000 including previous instances happening during weeks-6/2005 vs-Saints & week14/2016 vs-Rams respectively

The last team losing despite scoring at least twenty-four points while not giving up any offensive touchdowns happened back again involving-Saints losing Rams(1983). Other similar occurrences involved New York Giants losing similarly during year1981 all these featuring same outcome-scoreline i.e., twenty-six-twenty-four

The all-time record between both teams now stands at fifty-six-fifty-five including playoff meeting(s); Atlanta leads after winning Sunday’s match although initial meeting went favorably towards-NewOrleans winning twenty-seven-twenty-four followed by losing next nine consecutive matches starting biannual series dating back-to1967

According-to ESPN Stats&Info no other team participated more frequently within close-margin games since-year2022 than-Falcons totaling up-to twenty-seven inclusive-of-all four-games played-so-far under current-year

On tight end Kyle Pitts not having a single reception: "Really for me stats are-for-losers man I don't get involved-in-that stuff You go-out try-win each-game We-were able-win today that's what we did"

On whether he thinks this is-a-team-of-destiny: "No I don't feel-like Cinderella I feel like you got-go-out play-every-single-game you've-got try-go-out win More poised-team usually wins Right-now I'm trying-show my-team poise show them-poise what-it looks feels-like being resilient"

Long snapper Liam McCullough on KhaDarel Hodge's touchdown off muffed punt: "To be completely honest I'm-not surprised-at-all-Hodge got-that mean works harder-than anyone I've-seen-special-teams loves-play flies-downfield So happy-for-him not-surprised-at-all"

Quarterback Kirk Cousins on whether he noticed intensity-rivalry: "I loved-it fourth-quarter little-bit backed-up TV-timeout playing-song about-swag surf whole-stadium moving looked-around pretty sweet Dirty Birds Nest especially love-Nest favorite thing-being Falcon awesome energy-bring felt-it"

Saints head coach Dennis Allen on Rashid Shaheed's decision call fair-catch-first-punt turned-Falcons-touchdown: "Bad-decision We-don't ever want-field-ball Look typically-been guy-made lot-really-good-decisions-back-there uncharacteristic make-decision certainly-don't-want-do-that"

Quarterback Derek Carr on interception turned-by-Troy-Andersen into forty-seven-yard-touchdown-return: "I don't know-last-time seen-happen screen But hey happened sucks got-get-rid-quicker when-not-there can't wait-too-long throw-away"

Top rushers:

Saints: Alvin Kamara | nineteen carries seventy-seven yards one-touchdown

Falcons: Tyler Allgeier | eight carries sixty yards

Falcons: Bijan Robinson | seven carries twenty-eight yards

Top receivers:

Saints: Chis Olave | eight receptions eighty-seven yards

Saints: Rashid Shaheed | eight receptions eighty-three yards

Falcons Drake London | six receptions sixty-four yards

Top passers:

Saints Derek Carr | twenty-eight thirty-six passes two hundred thirty-nine-yards sacked-once intercepted-once

Falcons Kirk Cousins | twenty-one thirty-five passes two hundred thirty-eight-yards sacked-once intercepted-once

Top defenders:

Falcons Troy Andersen sixteen total tackles nine solo-interception

Saints Paulson Adebo twelve total tackles ten solo-interception

Falcons Dee Alford nine total tackles eight solo-sack

Next up:

The-Falcons(2-2) quick-turnaround Thursday-game Tampa-Bay Buccaneers(3-1) Week5 Kickoff scheduled-for8pm ET inside-Mercedes-Benz-Stadium Prime Video carry-live coverage nationally along-with FOX5 locally Buccaneers coming-off-week4 home-win defeating Philadelphia-Eagles33-16