The Falcons finally looked like themselves in Week 3, and now they get a prime-time chance to prove it wasn’t a one-off. Atlanta’s 35-14 road win over the Green Bay Packers gave the new regime its first victory of 2026, and it came with plenty to like: more than 500 yards of offense, a big day from Michael Penix Jr. in his first start of the season, and 32 pressures on Jordan Love.
That kind of showing will mean a lot more if the Falcons can carry it into Week 4, when they meet the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football. It’s Atlanta’s second prime-time spot in three weeks, and the stage carries extra weight as a tribute game marking the 20-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
The timing also fits because New Orleans is just as difficult to pin down. The Saints were mentioned before the season as a possible playoff dark horse and one of the league’s more intriguing young teams, but three weeks in, the picture still isn’t clear.
They’re 1-2, with an overtime loss to the Detroit Lions and a defeat against the 3-0 Las Vegas Raiders, along with a Week 2 win over the Baltimore Ravens. Every week has brought a different version of the Saints, especially on offense.
Turnovers are a big reason for that instability. Atlanta is tied with the Patriots for the league lead with eight giveaways, but New Orleans isn’t far behind, sitting tied with the Buccaneers for second with seven turnovers.
Tyler Shough has been at the center of that issue. The second-year quarterback has turned it over six times, with three interceptions and three fumbles, which has earned him the “turnover machine” label.
That’s encouraging for Atlanta, because Jeff Ulbrich’s defense has already had success against Shough. In two career games against him, the Falcons swept the Saints last season, and Shough threw a pick in both meetings.
The matchup lines up well for Atlanta in other ways too. The Falcons lead the NFL in pressure rate and are near the top in pass-rush win rate, so they should be able to get after Shough, who is tied for the second-most sacked quarterback in the league this season. That challenge gets even tougher for New Orleans without star tackle Kelvin Banks.
The Saints are also missing Travis Etienne and Jordan Tyson, who is on injured reserve, which puts more pressure on Chris Olave and Juwan Johnson to deliver through the air against an A.J. Terrell-less secondary.
On the ground, New Orleans will lean on Alvin Kamara, Kendre Miller, and CJ Donaldson with Etienne out, but that runs straight into Atlanta’s defense. The Falcons have the best run defense in football and are allowing fewer than 50 rushing yards per game.
So while New Orleans has talent and upside, it still hasn’t shown enough consistency to be trusted. Atlanta just handled a Packers team that was out of sorts, and now it gets another shot at a shorthanded opponent. If the Falcons want to make a real statement, this is the kind of game where they can do it - not just to the division, but to the rest of the league.
In Other News...
Falcons-Saints Just Lost A Reunion Fans Had Circled
The Week 4 meeting with New Orleans just got a little thinner on the Saints defensive side, as linebacker Kaden Elliss has been ruled out because of a calf injury. Atlanta also got some clarity on the rest of the matchup picture, with the Saints set to be without edge rushers Carl Granderson and Anfernee Jennings, while linebacker Pete Werner is listed as questionable.
For the Falcons, the most interesting ripple could come at linebacker if Divine Deablo cant go. That would open the door for rookie Harold Perkins Jr. to see more action, giving Atlanta a chance to lean on a younger defensive look in a division game that already carried plenty of intrigue before the injury report started to reshape it. [Read more 🡒]
Michael Penix Jr. Just Raised The Stakes For Falcons Vs Saints
Michael Penix Jr. is walking into one of the biggest spots of his young Falcons career, and he is not treating Monday nights trip to New Orleans like just another divisional game. Fresh off returning from an ACL injury, the quarterback is set to start against the Saints in a matchup that carries real weight for Atlantas NFC South hopes, with the Falcons still trying to establish themselves in the division race.
The setting only adds to the pressure. The game also lands on the 20th anniversary of the Saints first game back at the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina, giving the night an extra layer of emotion and attention. Penixs recent critical remark about New Orleans has already sharpened the edge of the matchup, and now he has to back it up in one of the leagues more charged road environments. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Fans Remember The Steve Gleason Play For A Different Reason
Two decades later, Steve Gleasons blocked punt still looms large over the Saints return to the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina, a snapshot that became bigger than the play itself and a symbol of recovery for a city and a franchise. For Falcons fans, it remains one of those moments that lives on for more than the football, a reminder of how one snap can take on a meaning nobody could have scripted.
Gleasons story did not stop there, of course. After his ALS diagnosis in 2011, he turned the visibility from that night into something far more lasting, becoming one of the sports most recognizable advocates for ALS awareness while continuing to share his life publicly. He now has an album, titled "Rebirth," on the way, drawn from the years since his diagnosis, and he has said that the blocked punt ended up giving him a platform that proved important in a fight much bigger than football. [Read more 🡒]