NEW ORLEANS – The Atlanta Falcons crashed the Saints' 20th-anniversary 'Domecoming' party Monday night, smothering New Orleans 45-24. 

Here are some takeaways from the Falcons’ dominant win over the Saints. 

Bijan Robinson and the Falcons were ready for prime time

Anyone who plays the Falcons should know Bijan Robinson, especially when the lights are brightest. The Falcons’ running back came into this game averaging 145.4 yards from scrimmage in prime time, the most in the NFL since 1970. 

The Saints clearly missed that assignment, and Robinson nearly matched that historic average in the first half alone. The star running back went untouched on his first touch of the game, carried the ball 59 yards for a score, and finished the half with 108 total yards and a pair of touchdowns. 

Robinson finished with 145 yards on the ground, adding another five through the air. His Week 4 totals marked the fourth straight Monday game with 125+ rushing yards, tying him with Eric Dickerson and Emmitt Smith for the longest such streak in NFL history.

As for the Falcons, they moved to 10-1 on Monday Night Football since 2015, and are 2-0 in prime-time games this season. 

Falcons offense has found its legs

Since Michael Penix Jr. returned from injury, Tommy Rees’ unit has been completely unrecognizable – for reference, they scored just 16 combined points and had two of the NFL’s five worst EPA/play performances of the season (-0.41 in Week 1 and -0.51 in Week 2). 

With Penix, this offense has found an elite gear. 

Their 45 points are their most in any regular-season game since 2016, and this performance comes one week after the offense pummeled the Packers for 35 points and 498 total yards last Thursday. This also marked the franchise’s best two-week stretch since 2016. 

According to ESPN’s Marc Raimondi, the Falcons’ offense scored more points in the first half (24) than in any half of any game over the last five seasons. They came out of the locker room and kept rolling, finishing with touchdown drives on all three of their second-half possessions. 

They finished with 13 plays of 10 yards or more, with Bijan Robinson (145 yards) and Brian Robinson Jr. (62 yards) combining for 207 rushing yards (the second straight week of surpassing the 200-yard mark) and tying the franchise record with five rushing touchdowns. It was the first time since 1973 that two Falcons players each recorded multiple rushing touchdowns in the same game. 

Penix showed full control of the offense on Monday, making several clutch throws and unlocking his skill players' potential by pushing the ball downfield. 

He finished 15-of-20 for 223 yards and a touchdown, while Drake London had his way with Saints defensive back Kool-Aid McKinstry, including this 37-yard reception in the first half en route to five catches for 96 yards for the night. 

Jahan Dotson and Kyle Pitts Sr. also got involved for the first time this season, notching long gains of 31 and 28 yards. Dotson’s fourth-quarter reception was his first touchdown as a Falcon and effectively slammed the door on any hope of a Saints comeback.  

Seven different players caught a pass Monday, and what a difference a quarterback can make. 

Aggressive Falcons or concern about the kicking game? 

Kevin Stefanski would attempt a pair of aggressive conversions in the first half against the Saints. 

Their first fourth-down attempt came at the Atlanta 36-yard line, or the equivalent of a 53-yard field goal. With the offense needing seven yards for a first down, the decision initially drew some skepticism. Ultimately, Michael Penix Jr. couldn't get the snap off, and the Falcons took the five-yard delay of game before punting.

Perhaps it was just Stefanski trying to be aggressive and set the tone early in a heated rivalry game, but it could also signal he isn't confident in kicker Nick Folk's leg from that distance.

The NFL’s most accurate kicker over the last three seasons (just three total misses in that span), Folk matched that total over the Falcons’ first two weeks – he missed kicks of 45 and 54 yards against the Steelers and a kick of 53 yards against the Panthers. 

The second attempt came at the Saints’ 8-yard line on 4th-and-4. A Penix pass fell incomplete, but Kool-Aid McKinstry was flagged for defensive holding. The Falcons would score on the next play. 

With the Falcons leading by seven and having the chance to snatch early momentum, this attempt made much more sense. The aggressive move paid off. 

Folk would also connect on a 29-yard field goal later in the first half. 

Defense continues to shine 

Tyler Shough was the NFL’s third-leading passer coming into this game, and the Saints were scoring 27 points per game, but the Falcons’ defense came ready to shut down this potent offense. 

The Saints’ young quarterback was harassed all game, including this sack that pushed the Saints out of field-goal range to close the first half. 

Atlanta’s front four punished the New Orleans offensive line, holding the rushing attack to just 15 yards on the ground (50 for the game) and just 10:42 total time of possession in the first half. Shough was sacked only twice, but he rarely had time to drop back without a Falcons defender pushing him off his spot. 

The Falcons also forced a Kendre Miller fumble, marking the first time this season that Atlanta has won the turnover battle. 

Harold Perkins Jr. was outstanding again for this defense, recording his first sack of the season, tallying a career-high eight tackles, and also playing strong pass coverage. Other standouts included C.J. Henderson (who led the Falcons in tackles (10), forced/recovered a fumble, and defended a pass), Xavier Watts, Samson Ebukam, and the entire front four. 

The Falcons did struggle a bit more in the second half, surrendering points on both of their first two defensive possessions that spanned 11:33 of the clock. They would later rally and force a turnover on downs on their third possession, all but cementing the Falcons’ win. 

Key Injuries for the Falcons

The evening wasn't all sunshine for the Falcons, as both the offense and defense lost a key contributor. 

On offense, left tackle Jake Matthews suffered a groin injury, while edge rusher Za’Darius Smith left the game with a concussion/neck injury. Neither returned to action. 

Matthews, playing in his 200th career game as a Falcon, is the NFL’s active leader in consecutive games played (199). The iron man was replaced by Michael Jerrell at left tackle, and his health will be pivotal as the team heads into a shortened week. The Falcons have not played a game without him lining up since Sep 14, 2014, ironically, also after Atlanta played New Orleans. 

Smith leads the Falcons in sacks (2.5) and ranks third in pressures (11). Losing him for an extended period would be a tough blow, given the depth concerns at edge after the losses of James Pearce Jr. (until Week 9) and Jalon Walker (for the season). 

The Falcons won't have much time to recover. Atlanta now faces a shortened week before returning home, making the status of both Matthews and Smith particularly important.

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