Falcons vs. Saints score, live updates: Bijan Robinson gets Atlanta off to a hot start with 2 TDs and leads New Orleans 24-7 at halftime
The Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints meet in a Week 4 NFC South game at 8:15 p.m. ET on “Monday Night Football” at Caesars Superdome, broadcast on ESPN and ABC.
Both teams enter at 1-2, and the winner will move into a tie with the Carolina Panthers (2-2) for the division lead. A Falcons win, however, comes with a catch: Carolina beat Atlanta in Week 2 and would hold the head-to-head tiebreaker. The loser falls to 1-3, one game ahead of the winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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The Falcons are coming off a stunning upset against the Green Bay Packers in Week 3, as quarterback Michael Penix Jr. brought a spark to the offense in his return from a knee injury. Former first-rounder Drake London had a career-high 194 receiving yards in the win, while All-Pro running back Bijan Robinson went wild with 213 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns.
The Saints have found their own spark this season under starting quarterback Tyler Shough, averaging 305.7 passing yards per game with eight touchdowns and three interceptions through the first three weeks of the season. He continues to demonstrate a strong bond with Chris Olave, who has more than eight catches in every game this season, including two outings of over 100 receiving yards.
Follow Yahoo Sports for live updates, highlights and more as the Saints host the Falcons in an NFC South matchup on Monday Night Football in Week 4.
Ryan Young
Ryan Young
Chris Olave keeps the Saints offense moving all night long. They’ll just need more than him if a return is to happen.
Ryan Young
The Falcons are very happy to take this 17-point lead into the locker room. They’ve already totaled 138 rushing yards tonight and held New Orleans to just 15.
It’s been a very, very dominant start for Atlanta.
Kate Magdziuk
Ryan Young
Chris Olave had a few attempts to get them to midfield – he’s pretty much the only one working for the Saints offense tonight – but New Orleans was pushed out of range for a field goal.
They have to punt again, so the Falcons will have a chance to score more points before the break.
Ryan Young
Michael Penix missed Woerner and Zaccheaus, so the Falcons had to settle for an easy 29-yard field goal from Nick Folk.
It wasn’t a touchdown, but they further increased their lead. It’s 24-7 now with 3:07 left in the half.
Ryan Young
Drake London was wide open on their first play of the drive, and the Falcons denied a penalty to preserve the 37-yard gain.
They quickly return to goal position.
Ryan Young
Chris Olave just never saw that Tyler Shough ball on third down, so the Saints will have to return it immediately.
The Falcons have a chance to blow this game out midway through the second quarter.
Ryan Young
The Falcons just responded with a quick 10-play drive, and Brian Robinson capped it with a 4-yard run to keep their lead at 14.
The Falcons already have 105 rushing yards, and we’re not even halfway through the first half. The Saints, meanwhile, only have 11 yards rushing.
Atlanta leads 21-7.
Ryan Young
Jake Matthews is now doubtful due to a groin injury. The Falcons offensive lineman made his 200th start tonight and hasn’t missed a game since 2014.
If he is out for an extended period of time, it would be a huge loss for the Falcons front.
Ryan Young
After a huge end to the quarter, Alvin Kamara scored the touchdown with a short run. This is his first touchdown since the start of last season.
The Saints are finally on the board.
Ryan Young
It was the perfect end to the quarter for New Orleans. Tyler Shough just found a wide open Chris Olave for a huge 44 yard gain.
They also reached the goal line at the end of the period. Trailing by 14, the Saints are ready to score.
Ryan Young
The Saints almost stopped Atlanta on fourth down, but a defensive holding penalty gave them new life. Then Bijan Robinson punched it in from four yards out for his second score of the night.
Robinson is up to 78 yards on seven carries so far tonight, and the Falcons lead 14-0 with less than a minute to play in the first.
Ryan Young
Well, it’s brutal for the Saints. Kendre Miller took a handoff on their first play, but had the ball stripped.
The fumble was also confirmed after a review, so Atlanta will take over here in scoring position. What a turn of events.
Ryan Young
Bijan Robinson was stuffed twice at the line for almost no gain, then Tyree Wilson absolutely drilled Michael Penix in the backfield for the sack.
The Saints, after a huge defensive stand, will recover now with only a few minutes left in the first half.
Kate Magdziuk
The Saints’ second drive of the game ends after some big gains against TE Juwan Johnson (23 yards) and RB Alvin Kamara (17).
The Saints decided to attempt a 52-yard field goal with Daniel Carlson, but it was no good. He is now 1 of 3 for 50+ yards this season.
The Falcons maintain the lead, 7-0.
Kate Magdziuk
While the Saints placed running back Travis Etienne Jr. on injured reserve with a hamstring, the Saints gave running back Kendre Miller the first carry of the day, which went…literally nowhere (-2 yards). Alvin Kamara followed Miller’s move with a four-yard run of his own.
The carry distribution between these two backs will certainly be worth monitoring in the future, even though Kamara is already clearly favored in passing.
Kate Magdziuk
The Atlanta Falcons offense stalled after a nine-yard gain from Michael Penix Jr. to Zachariah Branch, followed by a first down from Bijan Robinson.
It looked like they were going to go for it on fourth-and-7, but they failed to field the snap in time and ended up punting with Jake Bailey returning it 28 yards after the penalty, putting the Saints offense on their own 13-yard line.
Kate Magdziuk
The Falcons are already thin on the defensive line, and it looks like they could become thinner, as DE Za’Darius Smith went down with an apparent injury on third down.
After remaining on the ground for several minutes, the cart came out, but he was finally able to leave under his own power.
Smith currently leads the team with 2.5 sacks, adding six total tackles (4 tackles for loss) and three QB hits.
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