Saints Suffer Painful Loss, Set Staggering Record Against Falcons

Saints set dubious NFL history in frustrating and infuriating loss at Falcons

Falcons cornerback Dee Alford (20) stands over Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (22) after an incomplete pass / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Saints suffered their second straight disappointing and infuriating loss of the season on Sunday. This time, they fall by a score of 26-24 to their bitter rival Atlanta Falcons on the road.

A week after blowing a late lead to lose to the Philadelphia Eagles 15-12, the Saints took another late lead against the Falcons on Sunday. An Alvin Kamara touchdown run gave New Orleans a 24-23 lead with just a minute to play.

For the second straight week, a defensive breakdown by the Saints defense sent them to defeat. A pass interference by CB Paulson Adebo, who was badly beaten on the play, gifted Atlanta 30 yards. The mistake set the Falcons up for their 58-yard game-winning field goal.

Adding insult to injury, the kick from K Younghoe Koo was the longest field goal in the history of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It also gave Atlanta a 56-55 edge in the all-time series between these rivals. New Orleans has not held a lead in their series against the Falcons since winning the first meeting between these franchises in 1967.

Atlanta Falcons linebacker Troy Andersen (44) returns a tipped interception for a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints / Atlanta Journal Constitution

Breakdowns by the Saints defensively in the most critical moments is an ongoing problem. A lacking pass rush and tackling are also crucial issues. Offensively, the abysmal lack of complementary weapons outside of Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and Taysom Hill is a glaring and crippling problem for play-calling. Self-inflicted miscues also doomed the Saints on Sunday.

Atlanta's first touchdown came when Shaheed inexplicably attempted to field a punt along the sideline inside the 5-yard line. Shaheed fumbled the kick, which rolled into the end zone and was recovered by the Falcons for the score. Atlanta's second touchdown came on a tipped pass from QB Derek Carr which LB Troy Andersen plucked out of the air and returned to the end zone.

Incredibly, those were the only two times that the Falcons scored a touchdown against New Orleans yesterday. Saints-Falcons history is littered with weird moments. One of the weirdest in the storied history of this rivalry occurred on Sunday.

According to NFL.com, this was only the second time in Atlanta franchise history where they've won a game without getting an offensive touchdown and getting two scores from their defense or special teams. It was also only the second time in NFL history during the Super Bowl era that a team has scored at least 24 points, not given up an offensive touchdown, but LOST a game.

The first such occurrence? Well, that would also be courtesy of the New Orleans Saints. It would also come against a divisional opponent and would be a costly loss.

Dec. 18, 1983: Rams’ Mike Lansford (1) celebrates after kicking a game-winning field goal against the New Orleans Saints / Robert Lachman / Los Angeles Times

New Orleans hosted the Los Angeles Rams, an NFC West rival, during the season finale of the 1983 season. A win by the Saints would give them a winning record and a playoff berth for the first time in their franchise history.

The Saints dominated the game defensively. They held future Hall of Fame RB Eric Dickerson in check and allowed the Rams only 238 yards of total offense while forcing three turnovers. Most importantly, the prevented Los Angeles from scoring an offensive touchdown while scoring 24 points of their own.

What cost the Saints in this one was a safety and two interceptions returned for touchdowns by the Rams defense. Los Angeles also returned a punt for a touchdown. A last second field goal by the Rams sent New Orleans to, you guessed it, a 26-24 defeat. The loss cost the Saints their first trip to the playoffs.

New Orleans has missed the playoffs for three consecutive seasons. In two of those years, the Saints were left out of the postseason because they lost costly tiebreakers to division and conference opponents.

After another avoidable loss to another division foe, the Saints can now only hope that history won't repeat itself.