The Saints walked into Week 10 with a 2-7 record and zero momentum. They walked out with one of the season’s biggest upsets, stunning the division-leading Falcons 20-17 at the Caesars Superdome on November 10, 2024.
Here’s how an afternoon that should’ve belonged to Atlanta became New Orleans’ day.
Game Overview: Stats Tell One Story, Scoreboard Tells Another
Final: Saints 20, Falcons 17
Location: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans
Attendance: 70,005
Series: Now tied 56-56 all-time
The Falcons controlled nearly every statistical category. They ran 73 plays to New Orleans’ 52. They held the ball for over 35 minutes. They outgained the Saints 468-365.
None of it mattered.
Quarter-by-Quarter Breakdown
| Quarter | ATL | NO | Scoring Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 0 | 0 | Defensive stalemate |
| 2nd | 7 | 17 | NO: Grupe 38 FG; MVS 40 TD rec; ATL: Robinson 1 TD run; MVS 2 TD rec |
| 3rd | 10 | 3 | ATL: Koo 27 FG; NO: Grupe 26 FG; ATL: Robinson 37 TD run |
| 4th | 0 | 0 | Defenses dominate |
| Final | 17 | 20 |
New Orleans scored 17 second-quarter points on eight total offensive plays. Read that again. Eight plays, 17 points. Meanwhile, Atlanta needed nine plays just to punch in their first touchdown.
Head-to-Head: Quarterback Showdown
Derek Carr outplayed Kirk Cousins when it mattered most. The numbers back it up.
QB Statistical Comparison
| Stat Line | Kirk Cousins (ATL) | Derek Carr (NO) |
|---|---|---|
| Completions/Attempts | 23/38 | 16/25 |
| Completion % | 60.5% | 64.0% |
| Passing Yards | 306 | 269 |
| Touchdowns | 0 | 2 |
| Interceptions | 1 | 0 |
| Yards/Attempt | 8.1 | 10.8 |
| Times Sacked | 3 for -19 | 0 |
| Passer Rating | 75.1 | 126.9 |
Carr’s 10.8 yards per attempt? That’s chunk plays all day. The Saints offensive line kept him upright despite Atlanta blitzing on 48.1% of his dropbacks. Zero sacks allowed. Zero.
Cousins threw for 306 yards and couldn’t find the end zone once. His fourth-quarter pick to Tyrann Mathieu sealed Atlanta’s fate.
Running Back Duel: Robinson’s Brilliance vs. Kamara’s Milestone
Bijan Robinson went off. Alvin Kamara made history.
RB Performance Stats
| Category | Bijan Robinson (ATL) | Alvin Kamara (NO) |
|---|---|---|
| Carries | 20 | 17 |
| Rushing Yards | 116 | 55 |
| Yards/Carry | 5.8 | 3.2 |
| Rushing TDs | 2 | 0 |
| Receptions | 4 | 5 |
| Receiving Yards | 28 | 54 |
| Yards After Contact | 84 | N/A |
| Missed Tackles Forced | 8 | N/A |
| Total Yards | 144 | 109 |
Robinson’s 37-yard touchdown run in the third quarter was vintage Bijan — patient vision, explosive burst, defenders bouncing off him. He forced eight missed tackles and gained 84 yards after contact.
Kamara? Those 55 yards pushed him past Mark Ingram as the Saints’ all-time leading rusher. Career total: 6,544 yards. Not bad for a third-round pick from Tennessee.
Team Rushing Totals
| Team Stats | Falcons | Saints |
|---|---|---|
| Rush Attempts | 31 | 27 |
| Rushing Yards | 181 | 96 |
| Yards/Carry | 5.8 | 3.6 |
| Rush TDs | 2 | 0 |
Receiving Corps: MVS Steals the Show
Marquez Valdes-Scantling picked the perfect time for his best game as a Saint.
Top Pass Catchers
| Player | Team | Rec | Yards | TDs | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marquez Valdes-Scantling | NO | 3 | 109 | 2 | 36.3 |
| Drake London | ATL | 6 | 87 | 0 | 14.5 |
| Darnell Mooney | ATL | 5 | 78 | 0 | 15.6 |
| Ray-Ray McCloud | ATL | 4 | 56 | 0 | 14.0 |
| Alvin Kamara | NO | 5 | 54 | 0 | 10.8 |
| Bijan Robinson | ATL | 4 | 28 | 0 | 7.0 |
MVS entered this game with 31 receiving yards all season. Total. He left with 109 yards and both Saints touchdowns. His 40-yarder in the second quarter split three defenders. Classic case of right place, right time, right execution.
Atlanta spread the ball around — London, Mooney, McCloud all got touches. But no touchdowns. That’s the difference between moving the chains and moving the scoreboard.
Special Teams Disaster: Koo’s Nightmare
Younghoe Koo picked the worst possible time for the worst game of his career.
Field Goal Breakdown
| Kicker | Younghoe Koo (ATL) | Blake Grupe (NO) |
|---|---|---|
| Made/Attempts | 1/4 | 3/3 |
| Percentage | 25% | 100% |
| Longest Made | 27 | 38 |
| Misses | 53 (wide), 35 (blocked), 46 (upright) | None |
Three misses. Nine points left on the field. Three-point loss.
The 46-yarder that hit the upright with 6:43 left? That’s your ballgame right there. Caesars Superdome went nuts. Momentum shifted. Game over.
Defense Wins Championships (And Regular Season Games)
Fourth quarter. Game on the line. Saints defense stepped up.
Game-Changing Defensive Plays
| Time | Player | Play | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q4 – 2:16 | Tyrann Mathieu | Interception | Ended ATL drive in NO territory |
| Q4 – 0:41 | Chase Young | Strip-sack for -19 | Forced ATL to burn final timeout |
| Q4 – 0:05 | Ugo Amadi | 4th down tackle | Stopped McCloud short, game over |
| Q2 – 0:19 | John Ridgeway III | Blocked FG | Preserved 17-7 halftime lead |
Mathieu’s pick came with Atlanta driving for the go-ahead score. Young’s strip-sack forced Atlanta into panic mode. Amadi’s tackle sealed it.
Offensive Line Dominance
Zero sacks allowed tells the story, but here’s the breakdown:
Pass Protection Stats
| Team | Sacks Allowed | QB Hits Allowed | Blitz Rate Faced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saints | 0 | 2 | 48.1% |
| Falcons | 3 | 7 | N/A |
Atlanta blitzed like crazy. The Saints picked it up every time. That’s winning football in the trenches.
Critical Drives That Defined The Game
Saints’ Second Quarter Lightning:
- Drive 1: 57 yards, 4 plays, 1:18 — MVS 40-yard TD
- Drive 2: 70 yards, 4 plays, 1:58 — MVS 2-yard TD
Falcons’ Red Zone Failure (Q3): Started with 1st-and-goal from the 5. Ended with a 27-yard field goal. Back-to-back penalties killed them.
The Darren Rizzi Factor
First game as interim head coach after Dennis Allen’s firing. Rizzi changed the vibe immediately — moved lockers, switched up practice routines, went for it on 4th-and-2 on the opening drive.
The longtime special teams coordinator’s expertise showed when Ridgeway blocked that field goal. Rizzi called timeout right before the snap. Veteran move.
Complete Team Statistics
Offensive Production
| Category | Atlanta Falcons | New Orleans Saints |
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | 468 | 365 |
| Plays Run | 73 | 52 |
| Yards/Play | 6.4 | 7.0 |
| First Downs | 25 | 14 |
| Third Downs | 5/14 (35.7%) | 5/13 (38.5%) |
| Fourth Downs | 1/2 | 0/1 |
| Red Zone Scores | 1/3 | 1/3 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 0 |
| Penalties | 6-45 | 8-76 |
| Time of Possession | 35:07 | 24:53 |
Why The Stats Lied
Atlanta dominated possession and yardage but failed where it counts:
- Red zone efficiency: 33.3%
- Points off turnovers: 0
- Special teams points: -9 (missed FGs)
New Orleans maximized every opportunity:
- Yards per play: 7.0 (elite efficiency)
- Turnovers: 0 (perfect ball security)
- Explosive plays: 2 TDs on 8 second-quarter plays
Division Implications
The upset shook up the NFC South race. Atlanta fell to 6-4 but remained in first place. New Orleans improved to 3-7, keeping slim playoff hopes alive while tying the all-time series at 56-56.
FAQs About Saints vs Falcons Player Stats
Marquez Valdes-Scantling dominated with 109 receiving yards and both Saints touchdowns after entering the game with just 31 receiving yards all season.
Koo missed three field goal attempts (53 yards wide, 35 yards blocked, 46 yards hit upright) — the first time in his career he’s missed three in one game.
Saints 20, Falcons 17 at the Caesars Superdome on November 10, 2024.
Alvin Kamara passed Mark Ingram with 6,544 career rushing yards.
Saints had zero turnovers. Falcons had one (Kirk Cousins interception).
The Saints scored twice in the second quarter on incredibly efficient drives: 57 yards in 4 plays (1:18) and 70 yards in 4 plays (1:58), both ending with Valdes-Scantling touchdowns.
Carr completed 16 of 25 passes for 269 yards, 2 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, and a 126.9 passer rating.
The victory tied the Saints-Falcons all-time series at 56-56.
The Final Word
Atlanta should’ve won this game. They controlled the clock, dominated total yardage, and had the league’s best young running back doing his thing. But football games aren’t won on paper.
The Saints took their shots and connected. They protected the football. They made kicks. They made stops when they absolutely had to. That’s how you steal a game you have no business winning.
Falcons learned the hard way: Stats are nice, but points are what matter. In a game decided by three points, leaving nine on the field via missed kicks is inexcusable.
This upset proved once again that efficiency beats volume every time. The Saints made their limited opportunities count. The Falcons didn’t. Sometimes it really is that simple.
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