Rivalry Showdown: Saints Defense Seeks To Flatten Falcons Offense In Week 4

Saints defense may need to shoulder the burden of a victory over Atlanta despite the absence of a major star.

New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan (94) and safety Tyrann Mathieu (32) make a tackle against the Atlanta Falcons / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Saints hit the road this Sunday to square off against their arch rival, the Atlanta Falcons. New Orleans comes in at 2-1 after falling in the final minutes to the Philadelphia Eagles at home. Atlanta counters with a 1-2 mark and a home loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

A red-hot Saints offense was shut down by Philadelphia last week. However, there were also critical defensive breakdowns that led to the defeat. Still, New Orleans brings one of the better defenses in the league into this week's matchup.

The Saints will face an Atlanta offense that was tremendously hyped in national circles coming into this season. After three games, the Falcons have not even come close to living up to those expectations. However, they're led by an experienced quarterback and enough talent to present problems.

Gear Up for Saints-Falcons Week 4: Everything You Need to Know Now!

After breaking down the Saints Offense vs. Atlanta Defense earlier this week, the Saints News Network now looks at how the New Orleans defense matches up against the Falcons offense in this Week 4 showdown.

Saints Defense

Dec 18, 2022; New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan (94) sacks Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder (4) / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The Saints are far more disruptive to opposing quarterbacks so far this year than what we saw in 2023. Their 11 sacks and 62 pressures after three games far surpasses their total over that same span last year. In general, the defensive line has played a far more disruptive role.

End Carl Granderson is off to a fantastic start with three sacks and 18 pressures. Not far off his pace is second-year DT Bryan Bresee, who has three sacks and six pressures. Chase Young has only a half sack but six QB hits. If he could finish plays more consistently, this entire defense would be elevated to an even higher level.

Future Hall of Fame DE Cameron Jordan has played limited snaps early in the year, but is still a capable playmaker. He's also compiled a Hall of Fame career against the Falcons alone, recording 23 sacks, 40 QB hits, and 27 tackles for loss over his storied career against Atlanta. Underrated DT Nathan Shepherd and DE Payton Turner round out a quality rotation of talent up front.

The Saints linebacking unit will be significantly thinned out against the Falcons. All-Pro LB Demario Davis (hamstring) will miss the first game of his 13-year career because of injury. Without him, Pete Werner and Willie Gay Jr. will be expected to make the plays Davis usually makes.

Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier (25) is hit by New Orleans Saints linebacker Pete Werner (20) / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Werner is outstanding against the run but can be vulnerable in space. Gay has the athleticism to match what Davis brings, but has yet to make a major impact this season. Expect second-year LB Anfernee Orji to play a bigger role on 3-linebacker alignments or in passing situations.

New Orleans ranks only 25th against the pass in large part to allowing meaningless yardage late in routs over the first two games. However, breakdowns in coverage, pass rush, and their eighth ranked run defense all cost them dearly against the Eagles.

The Saints have an outstanding trio of cornerbacks in Marshon Lattimore, Paulson Adebo, and Alontae Taylor capable of clamping down even top receiving units. Rookie second-round choice Kool-Aid McKinstry has also had encouraging moments to give the Saints an elite foursome of corners.

New Orleans Saints cornerback Paulson Adebo (29) makes a one-handed interception against the Atlanta Falcons / @ESPNNFL via X.com

Adebo has an interception and team-high four passes broken while allowing 60% completion percentage when targeted up so far. Quarterbacks have avoided testing Lattimore, who has allowed just 50% completion percentage on six targets in man coverage.

Taylor has made the biggest splash of the New Orleans defensive backs. He's broken up two throws and is tied for the team lead in tackles. He also leads the Saints with 3.5 sacks and has terrorized offenses from various spots in the formation.

New Orleans safeties Tyrann Mathieu, Will Harris, and Jordan Howden each had some bad moments against Philadelphia. However, the three very active defenders have combined for four interceptions and two forced fumbles for a defense that has caused forced seven turnovers this season.

Falcons Offense

Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson (7) runs with the ball against the New Orleans Saints / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Atlanta comes in with an offense that ranks 20th in total yardage but is 26th in points scored, managing more than 17 points only once so far. They are 19th in passing production, 18th in rushing, and a lowly 29th in third down percentage.

The Falcons have a new offensive coordinator in former Rams QB coach Zac Robinson and a new quarterback in 13-year veteran Kirk Cousins. Former first-round draft picks RB Bijan Robinson, WR Drake London, and TE Kyle Pitts are still the focal points of the attack.

Robinson, in just his second season, is one of the more explosive backs in the NFL. After rushing for nearly 1,000 yards as a rookie, he's picked up 196 on the ground over the first three games while averaging 4.1 per carry. He's also a capable receiver and has pulled in 11 of his 12 targets, but for only 89 yards through the air. At his best on off-tackle plays or around the edge, Robinson is a home-run threat with adequate power between the tackles.

Atlanta's inside runner is third-year RB Tyler Allgeier, who has 106 yards on the ground. While not much of a receiver, Allgeier is more than capable of handling the team's rushing load, which allows Atlanta to move Robinson around as a receiver when both are in the game.

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London (5) runs after a catch against the New Orleans Saints / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Third-year WR Drake London is coming off back-to-back years with at least 69 catches and 865 yards. This season, London 136 yards and two scores on a team-high 14 receptions. A big-bodied wideout with decent speed, London can still sometimes struggle to separate from physical man coverage.

Offseason addition Darnell Mooney has emerged as a reliable target for Cousins. A slippery smaller receiver, Mooney has 12 receptions for a team-high 169 yards. Veteran returner Ray-Ray McCloud, with nine catches and 111 yards, is an underrated big-play threat.

Enigmatic fourth-year TE Kyle Pitts has the tools to be an elite offensive weapon and consistent mismatch for defenses. Pitts, who has eight receptions for 105 yards, also disappears for long stretches at times. While he is partially to blame, Atlanta is also at fault for inexplicably not using him in some critical moments.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) throws a pass against the Kansas City Chiefs / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Cousins has completed 66.7% of his throws so far for 626 yards, but has only thrown four touchdowns against three interceptions. He's capable of getting hot to beat teams, but is prone to inaccuracy and critical mistakes in pressure moments.

A stationary target in the pocket, Cousins may be ripe for an aggressive New Orleans pass rush. He's been sacked five times this season, but opposing defenses have recorded 24 QB hits against Atlanta pass protection.

The Falcons also have potentially major issues along their offensive line coming into this week. Center Drew Dalman was placed on injured reserve this week with an ankle injury. Right tackle Kaleb McGary will also be sidelined Sunday with an injured knee.

What to Watch

Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts (8) faces off with New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore (23) in the open field / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Last week, the Saints gave up a staggering 317 combined yards to RB Saquon Barkley and TE Dallas Goedert. This week, they'll face another dynamic RB/TE combination in Robinson and Pitts. The challenge will be to contain each, especially Robinson, and to do so without Davis.

Cousins has also had some very good games against Dennis Allen defenses throughout his career. New Orleans must prevent the Atlanta quarterback from getting into a rhythm early. Stripping him of balance and a running game should help do that immensely.

Lattimore or Adebo each match up very well physically against London. Covering Pitts may require whichever corner isn't assigned to Pitts or Taylor. The Saints cannot overlook Mooney, however, not when a similar receiver in Devonta Smith ripped them for seven catches and 79 yards last week.

Stopping Atlanta's passing attack may come down to a chess match between Cousins and Tyrann Mathieu. New Orleans safeties must play better than a week ago. Help from their pass rush is a necessity to take advantage of the matchups that look to favor the Saints in the secondary.

Ultimately, the Saints must consistently dominate a shorthanded Falcons offensive line. Suffocating Robinson and harassing Cousins into errors will require not only disruption from the New Orleans defensive line, but also the ability to finish the big plays they've been so close to making.