New Orleans Saints vs Atlanta Falcons Match Player Stats​ (Nov 10, 2024)

New Orleans defeated Atlanta 20-17 on November 10, 2024, at the Caesars Superdome in a game that defied every statistical expectation. The victory brought their historic rivalry to a perfect 56-56 deadlock after 112 meetings.

Atlanta gained 468 yards. New Orleans gained 365. The Falcons won almost every statistical battle except the one that mattered: the scoreboard.

Game Summary and Key Statistics

Final Score: Saints 20, Falcons 17
Total Yards: Falcons 468, Saints 365
Series Record: Now tied 56-56

Atlanta controlled the game for 31 minutes and 15 seconds. They piled up 25 first downs to New Orleans’ 14. None of it mattered.

Three plays changed everything. John Ridgeway III broke through to block a field goal. Later, Tyrann Mathieu picked off Kirk Cousins with two minutes left. Finally, Ugo Amadi made the tackle that saved the game as time expired.

Saints Offensive Player Statistics

Marquez Valdes-Scantling caught everything thrown his way. Three targets, three catches, 109 yards, two touchdowns. Not bad for your second game in a Saints uniform.

The veteran receiver didn’t just catch passes; he caught the right passes. A 67-yard touchdown in the second quarter. A 31-yarder for six in the third. When New Orleans needed explosive plays, Valdes-Scantling delivered.

Meanwhile, Alvin Kamara churned out 87 yards from scrimmage on 19 touches. Solid numbers until that dropped pass with 1:47 left. First down ends the game. Instead, the ball hit the turf. Kamara came into Week 10 with 950 rushing yards for the season. He’ll remember that drop more than any of those yards.

Chris Olave? Five catches, 65 yards. That’s been the story of his 2024 season. After hauling in 87 balls for 1,123 yards last year, he’s stuck at 32 catches through ten games. The explosive plays have vanished.

Falcons Offensive Player Statistics

Kirk Cousins threw for 306 yards and zero touchdowns. His 38 attempts found 11 different receivers, moved the chains 15 times through the air, and ultimately meant nothing. The 36-year-old quarterback has now thrown 16 interceptions in 14 games.

That final pick? Cousins stared down his target. Mathieu jumped the route. Game over.

While Cousins struggled to finish drives, Bijan Robinson ran angry. Twenty carries, 116 yards, one score. Tyler Allgeier added 66 more on just eight touches. Together they gashed New Orleans for 182 yards on the ground. Robinson now sits at 1,456 rushing yards with four games left.

Drake London worked underneath all afternoon. Seven grabs, 95 yards, zero touchdowns. That’s been Atlanta’s problem all season: yards between the 20s, nothing in the end zone. London has 100 catches in 2024. Only nine have gone for scores.

Defensive Statistics and Impact Players

Saints Defense

Two plays defined this Saints defense. First came Ridgeway’s block in the second quarter. Atlanta lined up for a 36-yard field goal to tie the game at 10. Ridgeway burst through the left side, got his hands up, and changed the game. Three points saved.

Then came Mathieu’s moment. Two minutes left, Falcons driving, Cousins looked right. The 32-year-old safety broke on the ball at the Saints’ 38-yard line. Interception. Drive killed. The Honey Badger has made a career out of plays like this. Four picks in 2023, and this one might have been his biggest as a Saint.

Demario Davis did what Demario Davis does: lead the defense with 8 tackles, including a third-quarter sack that forced a punt. At 35, the linebacker shows no signs of slowing down. Last year’s 121 tackles and 6.5 sacks? Just another day at the office.

But don’t forget Ugo Amadi’s final tackle. After Kamara’s drop gave Atlanta life, Cousins found McCloud for a short gain. Amadi wrapped him up immediately. No yards after catch. No first down. Clock hits zero.

Falcons Defense

Atlanta’s defense did its job. They held New Orleans to 20 points and forced five punts. Kaden Elliss was everywhere, leading both teams with 10 tackles. The linebacker has quietly become the heart of this defense.

Jessie Bates III added 8 stops from his safety spot. The All-Pro came to Atlanta after posting 132 tackles and 6 picks in Cincinnati last year. His range and instincts have transformed this secondary.

But when your offense can’t score and your special teams gives up blocks, even a solid defensive performance gets wasted. That’s been Atlanta’s story all season long.

Critical Drive Sequences

The game turned on three possessions. Each one shifted momentum. Each one mattered.

Second Quarter: The Block
Atlanta methodically moved 57 yards in 12 plays, eating 5:45 off the clock. They reached the Saints’ 18-yard line. Younghoe Koo trotted out for a 36-yard field goal to tie it at 10.

John Ridgeway III had other plans. The 321-pound defensive tackle crashed through the line and got both hands on the ball. Blocked. Saints ball. Three points saved in a three-point game.

Fourth Quarter: The Pick
With 2:15 remaining, Atlanta started at their own 25. Eight plays later, they’d moved to the Saints’ 38. Cousins saw an opening on the right side. So did Tyrann Mathieu.

The safety cut underneath the route and snagged interception number one on the season. Falcons’ best drive of the fourth quarter: dead.

Final 30 Seconds: The Stop
After Kamara’s drop gave Atlanta one last shot, they started at their 20 with no timeouts. Four plays moved them 25 yards. On the final snap, Cousins hit Ray-Ray McCloud III on a quick out.

McCloud caught it. Turned upfield. Met Ugo Amadi. No gain after contact. No first down. No miracle.

Team Statistics Comparison

Look at those numbers. Atlanta won eight of nine statistical categories. They moved the chains 11 more times than New Orleans. They ran for 72 more yards. They held the ball for an extra three and a half minutes.

Here’s what killed them: Four trips inside the Saints’ 20-yard line. One touchdown.

New Orleans went 2-for-3 in the red zone. Atlanta went 1-for-4. Add in Ridgeway’s blocked field goal from the 18, and the Falcons left 13 points on the field. In a game decided by three, that math doesn’t work.

Special Teams Impact

Special teams decided this game. Period.

Blake Grupe stayed perfect, hitting from 31 and 43 yards. Younghoe Koo made his first two attempts before disaster struck on the third. That blocked kick? Worth exactly three points in a three-point game.

Darren Rizzi spent 11 years as an NFL special teams coordinator before getting promoted to Saints interim head coach. His fingerprints were all over this win. The field goal block came from perfect scheme and execution. His coverage units contained Cordarrelle Patterson. His return game kept flipping field position.

Both kickers entered Week 10 with strong track records. Grupe hit 30 of 37 field goals in 2023 (81.1%). Koo connected on 32 of 37 (86.5%). On this day, protection mattered more than percentages.

Historical Context and Rivalry Impact

These teams have been beating each other up since 1967. Their first meeting? Saints won 27-24. The worst beating? Atlanta dropped 62 points on New Orleans in 1973. The only playoff game? Falcons took it 27-20 in the 1991 Wild Card round.

Some streaks define this rivalry. Atlanta won 10 straight from 1995 to 1999. New Orleans responded by going 25-11 against the Falcons during the Sean Payton and Drew Brees era.

But forget the history for a second. This game mattered because of what happened the week before. Derek Carr retired. The Saints had lost seven straight. Their season was falling apart. Darren Rizzi had just been promoted from special teams coordinator to interim head coach.

New Orleans entered as 4.5-point underdogs. The Saints won by three.

Key Matchup: A.J. Terrell vs Chris Olave

A.J. Terrell shadowed Chris Olave most of the afternoon. The 6’1″ corner has given Olave problems before. In their 2023 meeting, Terrell followed Olave on 44.1% of his routes and allowed just 2 catches for 10 yards on 3 targets.

This game followed the same script. Olave managed 5 catches on 8 targets with Terrell in coverage. No big plays. No touchdowns. Just 65 yards of frustration for a receiver who averaged 66 yards per game in 2023.

Atlanta’s two-high safety look has consistently taken away Olave’s deep ball. Without those explosive plays, he’s become just another possession receiver. Not what New Orleans expected from their 2022 first-round pick.

2024 Season Context

Saints (3-7)

• Ended seven-game losing streak
• Lost starting QB Derek Carr to retirement
• Chris Olave regression: 400 yards vs 1,123 in 2023

Falcons (6-4)

• Kirk Cousins: 18 TD, 16 INT in 2024
• Bijan Robinson: 1,456 rushing yards, 14 TD
• Drake London: 100 catches, 1,271 yards

Want more NFC South stats? Check out how the Panthers matched up against these same Saints or see what happened when Atlanta faced Washington’s defense.

Frequently Asked Questions

Saints vs Falcons Statistical Summary

Atlanta outgained New Orleans by 103 yards. They won the time of possession battle. They converted more third downs. They rushed for more yards. They earned more first downs.

They also lost by three points.

The difference? New Orleans scored touchdowns in the red zone. Atlanta didn’t. New Orleans protected the football. Atlanta didn’t. New Orleans made the plays that mattered. Atlanta didn’t.

Three plays, three points, one rivalry game that brought these teams to a perfect 56-56 deadlock. The final margin matched the blocked field goal exactly.

Data Sources

Statistical information compiled from official NFL game data, team reports, and verified media sources from the November 10, 2024 matchup at Caesars Superdome.

Official Game Resources:

• ESPN Game Center – Complete stats and play-by-play
• NFL.com Game Center – Official league statistics
• Pro Football Reference Box Score – Historical data and advanced metrics