A devastating loss to the Raiders leaves New Orleans reeling as they prepare for an explosive Falcons offense led by Bijan Robinson and a revitalized passing attack.
The New Orleans Saints lost a game they had no business losing on last weekend. They're paying for it in the form of pressure and less margin for error.
The Saints lost to the Las Vegas Raiders on in Week 3. Though improved, the Raiders were bad enough to secure the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft last offseason. Needless to say, the game was a must-win-before-must-wins and now the Saints will have more games deemed as those they cannot afford to lose moving forward.
The Falcons are not much better than New Orleans sitting in a three-way tie for first place in the NFC South with a 1-2 record. Still, they do have plenty of skill talent going for them.
Neal Coolong of Athlon Sports updated what the Atlanta Falcons offense is looking like this season. In short, it's looking scary. Here's what Coolong had to write about the Falcons' young skill players.
"Bijan Robinson ran for 194 yards and two touchdowns in last week's 35-14 win over Green Bay. He leads all running backs with 66 carries, sits second with 349 rushing yards and owns an 84.1 overall PFF grade that ranks third at the position. He's also forced 11 missed tackles and is averaging 4.2 yards after contact per attempt, according to PFF.
New Orleans is allowing 4.7 yards per carry and ranks 27th in rushing yards allowed. If Robinson keeps breaking first contact, the Saints will have to bring a safety down, and that opens the middle of the field for everything else Atlanta wants to do.
Michael Penix Jr. made his first start since tearing his ACL last November and went 18 of 25 for 256 yards, a touchdown pass and an interception against the Packers. Cooper Rush had started the first two games, and Atlanta scored three points in a 34-3 loss to Carolina in Week 2.
Drake London caught nine passes for 194 yards in Penix's return. He has 15 catches on 17 targets this season with no drops, and his 86.3 PFF grade ranks 10th among 82 qualified wide receivers."
Nov 23, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson (7) carries the ball as New Orleans Saints linebacker Pete Werner (20) defends during the second half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn ImagesRobinson is the best running back in the National Football League. That's becoming less and less arguable with every game. The do-it-all running back is set to make several more plays over the coming weeks. Stopping him will be paramount to defeating the Falcons.
Preventing Robinson from having a highlight reel-filled performance may entail making Michael Penix Jr. beat the Saints through the air. That strategy is looking less sound by the day.
The Saints will need to figure out solutions fast if they want to take control of the NFC South. They will hope to do so this week.
