ATLANTA — When the metaphorical dust settled in the aftermath of the Falcons' 26-24 win over the New Orleans Saints Sunday afternoon, players and coaches alike commended the Atlanta squad for a true team win.
"We needed all three phases today," Matthew Judon said while coming off the field.
"That was a complete team win across the board," Raheem Morris said from the podium in his postgame press conference.
"(I'm) pleased with the complementary football today that was able to give us the win," Kirk Cousins added.
And, well, no one is really wrong in these sentiments.
The Falcons won off a career-best, 58-yard field goal from Younghoe Koo in the final seconds of the game. They were in it from the start thanks to a special teams touchdown, when Rashid Shaheed muffed a punt that KhaDarel Hodge landed on in the end zone. The Falcons made it a game when Judon tipped a pass from Derek Carr into the air, Troy Andersen came down with it and returned it 47 yards for a defensive touchdown.
Offensively, Tyler Allgeier averaged a whopping 7.5 yards per carry with eight attempts. Drake London led the Falcons' receiving corps with six catches on 12 targets and 64 receiving yards. The Falcons' offense — led by Cousins — amassed over 300 total yards of offense Sunday.
So, what was the problem?
In a game the Falcons won... against a heated rival... to get them to 2-2 on the year... what could possibly be wrong?
Well, the Falcons offense never actually scored a touchdown. At all.
For as complete of a win as players and coaches described, the Falcons' final score didn't include any offensive points, which doesn't feel very complete if we're nit-picking word choices. And for the Falcons to go the distance — or at least reach the postseason — this offense, at some point, is going to have to carve out its own destiny.
It did so against the Philadelphia Eagles two weeks ago, with a two-minute drill executed with flying colors on Monday Night Football. But the Falcons are 2-2 not because they are simply outpacing people offensively — they have only gotten into the end zone five times through 16 quarters in 2024. They are 2-2 because they have done enough to keep themselves alive by way of key defensive stops and, on Sunday, impressive special teams feats.
Destiny, as it would seem Sunday, was in the hands of that career-best from Koo, a precise tip to Andersen, a muffed punt that Hodge fell on and a defensive pass interference call that gifted the Falcons the 30 yards necessary to set up the game-winning field goal.
It's a game of chance so wild that this particularly style of outcome hasn't happened since the 80s. According to Jeff Asher, the last team to lose a game while scoring over 24 points and giving up zero offensive touchdowns was the 1983 New Orleans Saints. History had a weird way of repeating itself in 2024 with the same organization.
For the Falcons' offense, though, their role in this stat was notable. It's noteworthy because the offense had multiple opportunities to control today's outcome, but couldn't truly take hold of its own destiny in the win. And that right there will be the difference for this team and what it can accomplish in 2024.
As soon as this offense takes hold of games — takes hold of this finicky thing we call chance — that will be the moment they break through the proverbial glass ceiling they have not yet reached.
"There are a lot of things to fix," Cousins said postgame.
"There are so many things to correct," Morris added.
Both agreed, though, that its easier to do so after a win.
So, it raises the question: How do you balance the good feelings of a win and all the good things that did transpire Sunday afternoon with the crux of a problem being an offense that didn't score points and hasn't been exceptionally high-powered through four games?
For what its worth, Cousins was asked this exact question postgame. He said he'll enjoy the win, but still, in the back of your head you know there's still a lot left on the table. Win or lose, you can't ignore that, and the Falcons won't.
"It's such an outcome-driven league," Cousins said. "So, to have a win is a big deal, but you never really stop going back and analyzing the performance and looking at how to be better."
At the end of the day you cannot always rely on special teams touchdowns, defensive pick-sixes and career-long field goals to score you enough points to win a game.
On Sunday, the Falcons could. They can go home and breathe a sigh of relief that they could. They're 2-2 because they could.
In this league, though — a league that pays the money it does to quarterbacks and offensive weapons for a reason — games like Sunday are oftentimes the exception to the rule. You'll take it when the exception comes but it doesn't come often.
And living for the exceptions isn't a truly sustainable way to play.
So, when it comes to unlocking the potential of this 2024 Falcons team, finding sustainability in offensive production to the point where it becomes a reliable part of their game instead of a liability at times will be the key.
Even in a win, it's acceptable to want more.
Get an inside look at the matchup between the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes-Benz Stadium during Week 4, presented by Grady.