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Falcons Takeoff: Facts, stats, quotes from road loss to Saints

Your one-stop shop for an overall statistical and factual look at the Falcons-Saints game in Week 10.

For the 2024 NFL season, digital team reporter Terrin Waack will provide select stellar stats, obscure facts and notable quotes from the most recent game to show how the Atlanta Falcons are taking flight into the new week.

NEW ORLEANS — The Atlanta Falcons lost, 20-17, to the New Orleans Saints Sunday in their Week 10 rematch at Caesars Superdome in front of 70,005 ticketed fans.

The Falcons-Saints all-time record is tied back up at 56-56, including one playoff matchup between the two teams.

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STELLAR STATS

— The Falcons held the Saints to 96 yards rushing. It marked the first time this season the Falcons kept an opponent under 100 yards rushing. The Saints, meanwhile, had posted at least 100 yards rushing in their last two games and in five games overall. They were averaging 125.3 yards rushing per game before Sunday.

— Falcons running back Bijan Robinson finished with 144 total yards from scrimmage. That puts him at five consecutive games with at least 100 yards, which is an NFL best. He has reached that mark in seven games this season, joining Saints running back Alvin Kamara and Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley as the only players who can say the same.

— Kamara broke the Saints' all-time rushing record in the first quarter. He ended up with 55 yards rushing, putting him at 6,544 in his career. Kamara surpassed former Saints running back Mark Ingram II's 6,500 rushing yards to claim the No. 1 spot in the record books.

— Falcons wide receiver Drake London caught eight passes for 97 yards. It was his seventh game this season with at least six receptions and 50 yards. He leads the league in that regard.

— Falcons inside linebacker Kaden Elliss recorded double-digit tackles (10) for the fourth week in a row, giving him the longest active streak of double-digit tackles in the NFL.

OBSCURE FACTS

Shoutout to @TheDonJulio1 on Twitter for this: "(The Falcons) haven't turned a 6-3 record into 7-3 the following week since 1980." This remains true. There have now been seven seasons in which Atlanta held a 6-3 record (2024, 2016, 2015, 2008, 2005, 1995 and 1980). All besides 1980 saw the Falcons drop to 6-4 rather than improve to 7-3. The 1980 team did so with a 33-27 overtime win against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Falcons finished that season 12-4, ultimately losing in the divisional round of the playoffs to the Dallas Cowboys.

— Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo missed three field goal attempts for the first time in his seven-year career. He made a 27-yarder in the third quarter but otherwise was unsuccessful from 53 (second quarter), 35 (second quarter) and 46 (fourth quarter) yards out. To be fair, the 35-yarder was blocked, not outright missed. Anyway, the most Koo had ever missed in a single game before was two, which he has done so only four times. He now stands at 171 field goals made on 198 attempts.

— Entering Week 10, wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling had three receptions for 31 yards for the Saints and Buffalo Bills in 2024. His first touchdown came in the second quarter and more than doubled his totaled yardage. He caught a 40-yard pass from Saints quarterback Derek Carr while covered by Falcons defensive backs Justin Simmons, A.J. Terrell and Jessie Bates III. He finished the game with three catches for 109 yards and two touchdowns.

— The Falcons fired head coach Dennis Allen and named special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi as their interim head coach the Monday before the Falcons game. With Rizzi's win, NFL interim head coaches are now 18-15 in their first game since 2010. Rizzi was specifically the Saints' fifth head coach to win in a debut

— There have only been two games this season in which Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins has not thrown a touchdown pass. Both were against the Saints.

QUOTING RAHEEM MORRIS

On how he compartmentalizes giving up two big plays to Saints compared to the production the rest of the game…

"You don't. Hats off to the Saints. They did a great job executing. That's what the game of football is. You go out there and make some plays. They made them. We've got to go out there and find a way to stop those plays and be ahead of the curve so those plays don't happen. They can be disastrous within the framework of the game. I'm fine about my guys staying in the fight. I'm fine about what we did. I'm fine about the adjustments. I'm fine about our guys going out there and playing the right way and doing it the right way. We just need to finish that game off, and we would be a lot happier right now."

QUOTING THE FALCONS

Quarterback Kirk Cousins

On how this loss feels…

"I felt like we had chances to win the football game or at least take the lead late in the game. Not being able to do it is difficult. It's a bad taste in our mouth. This is one that you get sick over."

Cornerback A.J. Terrell

On dealing with the Saints after head coach Dennis Allen's firing…

"That's the thing I was saying: You can't take anyone for granted especially when they have a coaching switch like that. Typically, teams like to come out hot. They actually get more energy when they get a new coach. We mentioned that all week. We knew they were going to come out hot and throw everything at us. We just started out slow. We just can't beat ourselves and get on task quick."

QUOTING THE OPPONENT

Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi

On coaching his first game as the head coach…

"I get down here to the (Caesars Superdome), and I go in the head coach's locker room, which you know I've never used before, right? So, here I am. I go to the bathroom, and this is how my day started: I clogged the toilet. I'm like this is going to be a crappy day, pun intended. I'm like OK, this is not really a great start to the day. Here we go. I'm not really feeling like a head coach of an NFL team right now. I'm like really? This is really how I'm going to start my day?"

Saints quarterback Derek Carr

On recovering from running back Alvin Kamara's massive dropped catch on the last drive…

"Rizzi talked a lot about this week like, 'Hey, if crap doesn't go our way, it's OK. Keep playing.' It kind of just eased the mood. Honestly, we have nothing to lose. They already fired our coach. We lost last week, at the time, to a team that was in last place in our division. What else do we have to lose?"

GAME LEADERS

Top 3 rushers

  1. Falcons: Bijan Robinson | 20 carries for 116 yards and two touchdowns
  2. Falcons: Tyler Allgeier | 11 carries for 59 yards
  3. Saints: Alvin Kamara | 17 carries for 55 yards

Top 3 receivers

  1. Saints: Marquez Valdes-Scantling | three receptions for 109 yards and two touchdowns
  2. Falcons: Drake London | eight receptions for 97 yards
  3. Falcons: Darnell Mooney | five receptions for 96 yards

Top 3 passers

  1. Falcons: Kirk Cousins | 23-38 for 306 yards (intercepted once, sacked three times)
  2. Saints: Derek Carr | 16-25 for 269 yards with two touchdowns
  3. N/A

Top 3 tacklers

  1. Falcons: Kaden Elliss | 10 total tackles, four solo
  2. Saints: Demario Davis | 10 total tackles, two solo (a pass breakup)
  3. Saints: Ugo Amadi | nine total tackles, all solo (a pass breakup, three tackles for a loss)

NEXT UP

The Falcons (6-4) remain on the road in Week 11 with a trip to the Denver Broncos (5-5) on Sunday. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. ET. FOX will carry live coverage from Empower Field at Mile High.

The Broncos are coming off a Week 10 away loss of their own, falling 16-14 to the Kansas City Chiefs.

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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