John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 5, 2026 9:30 PM
Urgent divisional stakes and a historic anniversary collide as analysts project a high-scoring victory for New Orleans against a revamped Atlanta offense in this pivotal matchup.
The New Orleans Saints approach the closest thing to a must-win as they could have expected in Week 4. They take on the Atlanta Falcons on the 20th anniversary of the Saints' return to New Orleans post Hurricane Katrina. This time they have a chance to get to 2-2 and take command of first place in the NFC South.
Given that the Saints entered Week 4 tied for first place with a 1-2 record, one probably would not have initially viewed the game as a must-win. Yet given the Saints' early losses to teams they should have beat in Detroit and Las Vegas, the urgency heightens with this week's divisional matchup.
New Orleans Saints on SI publisher Doug Joubert predicted a unique score for the Saints game on Monday night with New Orleans winning 32-24. And while it may not be Scorigami, or a score that has not happened in NFL history, it's certainly one that would make the average Saints fan wonder how we got there.
Here's what Joubert added on his 32-24 Saints win prediction.
"The Falcons got back Michael Penix Jr. at quarterback after the debacle of QBs in the first two weeks of the season. He has never played against the Saints, after sitting behind Kirk Cousins in 2024 and tearing his ACL in 2025, missing the entire season. Running back Bijan Robinson is solid, but in the Superdome last season, Robinson ran 14 times for 70 yards and no touchdowns. He did even worse at home against the Saints, getting 15 carries for a measly 33 yards.
With that said, the question that keeps popping in my head is will the Saints learn from these mistakes they've made this season?
They learned from their slow starts in Games 1 and 2, turning that around against Las Vegas last weekend. Will they learn from that fourth-quarter letdown? Tyler Shough says they have. By the way, he said the same thing about the slow starts in the first two weeks of the season, and sure enough, he was right. Who am I to doubt him?"
Sep 25, 2006; New Orleans, LA, USA; Former President of the United States , George H.W. Bush flips a coin as New Orleans Saints wide receiver (87) Joe Horn , quarterback (9) Drew Brees , referee Ed Hochuli (left) watch before a game betweent the Saints and the Atlanta Falcons at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. The Monday Night Football game was the first event in the Louisiana Superdome a year after it was heavily damaged by Hurricane Katrina and used as a shelter from the storm by tens of thousands of people. Mandatory Credit: Photo By John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports Copyright © 2006 John David MercerLike the Saints, the Falcons are not your typical 1-2 team. The firepower that players like running back Bijan Robinson and quarterback Michael Penix Jr bring to the field is among the best in the NFL.
The Saints defense will have its hands full after allowing 31 points to the Detroit Lions in Week 1 and 35 to the Las Vegas Raiders in their last game. More will be required to stop Robinson and the Falcons.
New Orleans will hope to give fans something to celebrate when they take on the Falcons on Monday night.
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