Saints fall to rival Falcons in final minute

ATLANTA, Georgia — Despite the errors, unexpected outcomes, and key player absences due to injuries, the New Orleans Saints were still in a position to secure a victory against their fierce rival until the final minutes of the game.

Alvin Kamara's short touchdown run and Blake Grupe's subsequent extra point put the Saints ahead by one point with a minute left on the clock. The Saints then relied on their defense, which had not conceded a touchdown throughout the game, to maintain the lead.

However, a costly mistake proved to be their downfall as a pass interference penalty against Paulson Adebo allowed the Atlanta Falcons to secure a game-winning field goal in the closing seconds, resulting in a heartbreaking 26-24 loss for the Saints.

The absence of key players, including offensive line starters Erik McCoy and Cesar Ruiz, defensive captain Demario Davis, and injuries to other players like Willie Gay, Taysom Hill, and Tyrann Mathieu further compounded the Saints' challenges in the game.

After the Saints got a defensive stop on the game’s opening drive, the typically sure-handed All-Pro return man tried to make an over-the-shoulder fair catch on a punt at his own 5-yard line. He muffed the kick, and the ball caromed into the end zone, where Atlanta fell on it for a touchdown.

The Saints reacted by devising a solid offensive strategy to compensate for the absence of two starting offensive linemen. They utilized short, quick passes and a combination of Taysom Hill and Alvin Kamara in the running game to challenge Atlanta's defense.

Hill scored a 2-yard touchdown on the Saints' initial drive, and following a interception by Adebo, Hill scored another touchdown from 5 yards out, giving the Saints a 14-7 advantage. However, Hill, who had missed the previous game due to a bruised lung, sustained a rib injury on the other side and had to exit the game in the first half. Subsequently, the Falcons began to anticipate and counter the Saints' attempts at short, rapid passes.

During the Saints’ third offensive drive, Derek Carr attempted a short screen pass to the left, but Falcons' defender Matthew Judon disrupted the play, causing Carr to hesitate. In an attempt to throw the ball away, Judon deflected it instead. The tipped pass ended up in the hands of Troy Andersen in the middle of the field, who returned it 47 yards for a touchdown, putting Atlanta ahead 17-14.

Both teams exchanged field goals in the second half, but there were still missed opportunities.

In the fourth quarter, the Saints' pass rush, which had been ineffective for most of the game, finally made an impact. Payton Turner sacked Kirk Cousins after beating left tackle Jake Matthews, forcing a fumble in the process. Despite a clear chance at a recovery, defensive tackle Nathan Shepherd failed to secure the loose ball.

Cousins then completed a 16-yard pass to Drake London, leading to a 42-yard field goal by Koo that extended Atlanta's lead to 23-17.

New Orleans had two chances to score touchdowns in the fourth quarter. The first opportunity ended in a turnover on downs when the Saints opted to go for it on fourth-and-goal from the 7-yard line instead of reducing Atlanta's lead to three points. Carr's pass on fourth down fell incomplete.

Allen considered kicking a field goal but decided to remain aggressive since the Saints would still need a defensive stop regardless.

After the Saints defense forced a quick three-and-out, a 17-yard Shaheed punt return positioned the Saints at Atlanta’s 42-yard line.

Subsequently, Carr completed third-down conversions with passes of 13 and 16 yards to Chris Olave, leading to Kamara's go-ahead touchdown run with just 60 seconds left.

However, the Saints were not done making mistakes.

The defeat was particularly frustrating. Despite not conceding an offensive touchdown, the Saints suffered a loss, marking the first time since 1983 that an NFL team lost a game after scoring at least 24 points without allowing an offensive touchdown.