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Falcons-Saints game breakdown: What happened in Week 10

Find out the main takeaways, moments and more that determined the outcome of Sunday’s game between Falcons and Saints.

NEW ORLEANS — In their first game under interim head coach Darren Rizzi, the New Orleans Saints hit a number of explosive plays and limited the Atlanta Falcons offense to defeat their NFC South rival inside Caesars Superdome and snap a seven-game losing streak.

Final score: 20-17

Why it's important: The Falcons drop their first NFC South contest and now sit at 4-1 in the division. The all-time record between the Falcons and Saints is tied back up at 56-56, too.

Key moment: Despite getting within 11 yards of the end zone, the Falcons came away with zero points on their final drive prior to halftime and entered the locker room with a 10-point deficit.

  • More: After the Saints scored on a 2-yard completion from quarterback Derek Carr to wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, the Falcons' offense compiled an 11-play drive for 53 yards that ended in a blocked 35-yard field goal.
  • The Falcons ran three plays in the red zone. Quarterback Kirk Cousins threw an incomplete pass to tight end Kyle Pitts from the 11-yard line. Cousins was then sacked for a loss of 5 yards. He fumbled in the process, but wide receiver Drake London recovered the loose ball. Cousins tried to connect with London afterward on a third-down pass from the 16-yard line but overshot him in the end zone.
  • Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo came out for the field-goal attempt. The Saints called a timeout, likely hoping to throw off Koo, who previously missed a 53-yard field goal attempt. Saints defensive tackle John Ridgeway III, though, got a hand on the ball to ultimately block the kick.
  • The Saints went into halftime with a 17-7 lead after the Falcons came up empty.

Standout performance: Bijan Robinson. The Falcons running back stormed through what seemed like the entire Saints defense in the third quarter to score on a 37-yard run. Quarterback Kirk Cousins pitched Robinson the ball in the backfield, so really, Robinson ran even farther than the recorded distance. Saints defensive backs Tyrann Mathieu and Shemar Jean-Charles tried to get Robinson down before the end zone, but Robinson's contact balance was on full display. It was his second touchdown after he scored on a 1-yard run in the second quarter. Robinson entered the game riding a four-game streak with at least 100 yards from scrimmage, which he pushed to five Sunday. Robinson finished the game with 144 total yards and two touchdowns.

Number to know: Three. It's the number of field goal attempts Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo did not convert into points. He missed wide left from 53 yards out and had a 35-yarder blocked in the second quarter, and he hit the right upright on a 46-yard try in the fourth quarter that would have tied the game. Koo's misses didn't single-handedly determine Sunday's outcome, but nine points certainly would have helped the Falcons.

Injury update:

  • Cornerback Mike Hughes injured his neck in the second quarter and was ruled questionable to return. He did not return to the game, although there was no official update to his injury designation.
  • Defensive tackle Ta'Quon Graham went down with a pectoral injury in the second quarter and was ruled out during halftime.

A quick tweet: Tori McElhaney, Will McFadden, Terrin Waack and Amna Subhan share their gut reactions to Sunday's outcome in 280 characters or less.

  • McElhaney: Can't say they didn't have their chances
  • McFadden: Bijan brings it every single week.
  • Waack: I've covered both sides of this rivalry. It's crazy. That was crazy.
  • Subhan: I didn't see this coming.

Settling the storylines:

  • **No. 5 active**: The Falcons listed wide receiver Drake London as questionable on Friday's game report because of a hip injury. London, however, was not one of Atlanta's seven inactive players Sunday. London finished the game as Atlanta's leading receiver, catching eight passes for 97 yards.
  • **An urgent Saints team**: The Saints fired head coach Dennis Allen in the lead-up to Sunday's rematch with the Falcons. Special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi was named the Saints' interim head coach as a result. Because of this massive personnel change, Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said: "You just increase the urgency in the Saints organization." Well, the Saints took an early 10-0 lead before the Falcons put any points on the scoreboard themselves.
  • **Player of the Game?**: Inside linebacker Troy Andersen was predicted to shine Sunday in his first game since the first Falcons-Saints showdown in Week 4 when he had a 47-yard pick-six, the first of his career. Andersen sustained a knee injury on special teams during that Atlanta win, though, and has been held out of competition ever since. Sunday marked his return to the playing field.

Looking forward: The Falcons remain on the road in Week 11, playing the Denver Broncos next Sunday at 4:05 p.m. ET. FOX will carry live coverage from Empower Field at Mile High.

Get an inside look at the matchup between the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome during Week 10, presented by Grady.

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