No Special-Teams Drama: Bijan Powers Falcons’ 45-24 Rout of Saints

Summary:

• Bijan Robinson rushed for 145 yards and two touchdowns in the Atlanta Falcons’ 45-24 win against the New Orleans Saints.
• Robinson had a 59-yard score that put the Falcons ahead early.
• Kevin Stefanski’s team dominated on the ground, finishing with 205 rushing yards to the Saints’ 50.

The Atlanta Falcons made sure the special-teams drama that defined their meeting with New Orleans twenty years ago will not repeat itself on Monday night in the NFL.

Bijan Robinson rushed for 145 yards and two touchdowns, and his efforts included a 59-yard score on Atlanta’s third offensive play. At the end of the night, the Falcons beat the Saints 45-24 at the Superdome.

“Pretty Special”

Atlanta quickly silenced a crowd that had gathered to mark the 20th anniversary of the stadium’s reopening following Hurricane Katrina. Bijan Robinson said the Falcons wanted to make an early impact and prevent the atmosphere from becoming a factor.

For it to come after that third play was pretty special

The Falcons never trailed after his opening touchdown and finished with 205 rushing yards, compared with just 50 for New Orleans. Brian Robinson Jr. added three rushing touchdowns as Atlanta improved to 2-2.

Penix Jr. Once Again Showed He’s Back

Michael Penix Jr. also continued his encouraging return from a major knee injury suffered in 2025. After throwing for 319 yards and three touchdowns against Green Bay last week, Penix completed 15 of 20 passes for 223 yards and a touchdown against New Orleans.

His 31-yard fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Jahan Dotson effectively ended any hopes of a Saints comeback and sent fans toward the exits.

New Orleans quarterback Tyler Shough finished with 286 passing yards and a late touchdown pass to Devaughn Vele, but he described the team’s performance as “embarrassing”.

Saints fans booed during the game as New Orleans fell to 1-3. The Saints again found themselves playing from behind early, and mistakes made the deficit harder to overcome. Daniel Carlson missed a 52-yard field goal before Kendre Miller lost a fumble deep in New Orleans territory.

Atlanta turned that turnover into a 14-0 lead when Robinson scored from four yards.

Alvin Kamara scored twice for New Orleans, with his second touchdown cutting the Falcons’ advantage to 31-17 early in the fourth quarter. But Atlanta answered with Penix’s touchdown pass and remained in control.

The game also featured a reunion of members of the 2006 Saints team, including Drew Brees, Deuce McAllister, Scott Fujita and Steve Gleason, who led the crowd in the traditional “Who dat!” chant before kickoff.

The Falcons will now return home to face Baltimore on Sunday night, October 11, while the Saints will host Minnesota.