The Saints and Falcons faced off in a highly anticipated matchup this past Sunday, and the game had a few surprises in store. The biggest surprise of the day was the absence of Saints running back Alvin Kamara, who was ruled out due to a knee injury. This put a damper on the Saints’ offense, as Kamara is one of their most explosive playmakers.
In his place, the Saints turned to veteran running back Latavius Murray, who filled in admirably with 83 yards and a touchdown. The Saints also got a boost from quarterback Taysom Hill, who had a career-high passing yards with 233. The Saints’ offense was able to move the ball effectively, but ultimately fell short in the end.
On the other side of the ball, the Falcons had a few surprises of their own. Quarterback Taylor Heinicke was ruled out due to a shoulder injury, leaving the Falcons with just two quarterbacks on their roster. In his place, the Falcons turned to veteran Matt Schaub, who had a solid performance with 229 passing yards and two touchdowns.
The Falcons’ defense also stepped up in a big way, limiting the Saints to just 17 points. The Falcons’ offense was able to move the ball effectively as well, with running back Ito Smith having a career-high 75 rushing yards. The Falcons also got a boost from wide receiver Russell Gage, who had a career-high seven receptions for 90 yards and a touchdown.
In the end, the Falcons were able to come away with a 26-17 victory over the Saints. The Falcons’ defense was able to limit the Saints’ offense and their offense was able to move the ball effectively enough to come away with the win. With both teams missing key players due to injury, it was an impressive victory for the Falcons.
