Falcons Lose Heartbreaker to Saints: 3 Takeaways

A bevy of self-inflicted wounds proved critical to the Atlanta Falcons' demise Sunday against the New Orleans Saints.

The New Orleans Saints defeated the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday at Caesars Superdome. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

New Orleans Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi started his tenure with a 20-17 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

The Falcons (6-4) lost their first divisional game of the season and just their second contest overall in the last seven weeks, while the Saints (3-7) snapped a seven-game losing streak -- but not without drama.

Trailing 20-17 with just over two minutes to play, the Falcons were driving -- before quarterback Kirk Cousins was intercepted by Saints defensive back Tyrann Mathieu.

New Orleans regained possession, but went three-and-out after star running back Alvin Kamara dropped a potential walk-in touchdown.

The Falcons had a chance to respond, but Cousins was sacked and fumbled for a 20-yard loss near midfield. Not only did Atlanta lose yards, but also its final timeout, and it failed to convert on 4th and 5 in the waning seconds.

Here are three takeaways from Sunday's game ...

Falcons Unable to Climb Out of Early Hole

The Saints' offense dominated the first half, totaling 265 yards and 17 points across four drives, two of which ended in touchdowns, one in a field goal and the other in a turnover on downs deep in Atlanta territory.

The Falcons punched back in the second half, recording 294 yards to the Saints' 100, but Atlanta couldn't overcome its 17-7 halftime deficit amid three missed field goals, Cousins's interception and a turnover on downs.

Bijan Stars

Running back Bijan Robinson's stellar second season continued Sunday. Robinson rushed 20 times for 116 yards and two touchdowns while catching three passes for 28 yards.

With his 146 scrimmage yards, Robinson has now amassed 1,081 yards of offense this season. He's only 382 yards away from his 17-game total as a rookie.

Koo Struggles

One of the NFL's most reliable kickers, Younghoe Koo had perhaps the worst performance of his NFL career Sunday. Koo made only one of his four field goal attempts -- one sailed wide left, another hit the upright and one was blocked.

It's the first time in his pro career he's missed three kicks.

Dating back to Atlanta's 34-14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Oct. 20, Koo has made only two of his last seven field goals. He remains unblemished on extra points, but his missed field goals proved too much to overcome.