Falcons vs Saints 45-24: Bijan and Brian Robinson run for five touchdowns and spoil the Superdome’s 20th anniversary night

Falcons vs Saints was meant to be a celebration in New Orleans. Monday night marked 20 years since the Superdome reopened after Hurricane Katrina, and the Saints brought back the heroes of that famous 2006 night against the same opponent. Atlanta ruined the party. Bijan Robinson ran for 145 yards and two touchdowns, Brian Robinson Jr. added three more, and the Falcons won 45-24 to close out Week 4 of the NFL season.

The two backs are no relation, but they shared the work perfectly. Their five rushing touchdowns matched the Falcons’ single game franchise record, according to the Associated Press and CBS Sports. Atlanta never trailed, moved to 2-2 with a second straight win, and left the Saints at 1-3 and still without a home win this season.

How the Falcons built a 24-7 halftime lead

It took Atlanta one drive to set the tone. Bijan Robinson burst through a gap on the left side and ran 59 yards untouched for the opening touchdown. He added a 4 yard score later in the first quarter, and the Falcons led 14-0 before New Orleans had found its feet.

Alvin Kamara gave the Superdome something to cheer with a 3 yard touchdown run in the second quarter, but Brian Robinson Jr. answered from 4 yards and Nick Folk added a 29 yard field goal. That made it 24-7 at the break, per the official scoring summary on NewOrleansSaints.com.

The second half: Penix stays sharp, the Saints run out of answers

New Orleans opened the third quarter with a 27 yard field goal to make it 24-10, but Brian Robinson Jr. replied with an 8 yard touchdown run. In the fourth quarter Michael Penix Jr. found Jahan Dotson for a 31 yard touchdown, and Brian Robinson Jr. completed his hat trick from 11 yards. Kamara’s second short touchdown run and a late Tyler Shough touchdown pass only trimmed the margin.

Penix was efficient all night, completing 15 of 20 passes for 223 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. Drake London led Atlanta with 5 catches for 96 yards. Shough threw for 286 yards on 30 of 48 passing, and Chris Olave caught 8 passes for 116 yards, but the Saints could not run the ball. They finished with 50 rushing yards as a team, while the two Robinsons alone ran for 207.

Falcons vs Saints key numbers

Source: ESPN box score and NewOrleansSaints.com scoring summary.

Why this night mattered in New Orleans

On September 25, 2006, the Saints played their first game back in the Superdome after Katrina. They beat the Falcons 23-3, and Steve Gleason’s blocked punt for a touchdown became one of the most famous plays in franchise history. That explains why searches for Gleason spiked on Monday.

The Saints marked the anniversary before kickoff. Gleason, who has lived with ALS for years, was on the field with members of the 2006 team including Drew Brees and Deuce McAllister, and Irma Thomas sang the national anthem again, just as she did in 2006, according to the AP and the Saints’ own recap. The result on the field was the opposite of that night.

Injuries and the NFC South picture

Kamara left briefly in the third quarter with a knee issue but returned and scored again. The Saints were already without linebacker Kaden Elliss and edge rusher Carl Granderson. Atlanta lost left tackle Jake Matthews to a groin injury in the first quarter.

The win puts Atlanta level with Carolina at the top of the NFC South, according to NewOrleansSaints.com. The Saints, beaten 35-27 by Las Vegas a week earlier (our report on Raiders vs Saints), now sit two games back.

What’s next for the Falcons and Saints

• Falcons: host the 3-1 Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night Football, Sunday, October 11 at 8:20pm ET on NBC.
• Saints: host the unbeaten 4-0 Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, October 11 at 1pm ET on FOX.

Sources

• ESPN box score: Falcons 45, Saints 24
• NewOrleansSaints.com scoring summary
• NewOrleansSaints.com game recap
• CBS Sports game report
• Associated Press game story