The Atlanta Falcons just stuck it to an energized New Orleans crowd. The 20-year anniversary of the Superdome's reopening was spoiled by the high-flying Falcons.
From drive one, you knew the Falcons had things rolling. Bijan Robinson rolled right down the field on the third offensive snap to take a seven-point lead that they never relinquished.
Here are the four winners and very few losers from the statement win against the 'Aints.
Falcons crash the party thanks to multiple dominant performances
Winner: Tommy Rees, OC
The first two weeks made everyone give up on Tommy Rees. It made Kevin Stefanski's hiring of him look like a buddy-buddy hire.
Well, that has changed since his quarterback returned. The Falcons have looked like the best offense these past two weeks. Rees deserves a lot of credit because he isn't overthinking things -- he is not afraid to run the ball ten times in a row. He has also helped get Penix Jr. in a groove.
Winner: Brian Robinson Jr., RB
And the league thought one B. Robinson was enough...
The Falcons lost nothing moving from Tyler Allgeier to Brian Robinson Jr. The latter has been a bowling ball who has given Stefanski all the confidence to go to him when he wants to give his counterpart a break. His last touchdown run encapsulated the entire game.
Loser: Olamide Zaccheaus, WR
Olamide Zaccheaus hasn't started his return the way he would have liked. The targets and production haven't been there, which is surprising considering how good he has been as a vital-down receiver. This week, he had one target and a drop.
That said, his energy on the sideline at the end of the game was great.
Winner: Harold Perkins Jr., LB
Saints fans are probably sick of seeing former LSU linebackers destroy them in their own house. First it was Deion Jones; now it is Harold Perkins Jr.
The sixth-round rookie made a statement with 10 tackles, a QB hit, a pass defense, and a half of a sack. That play he made down the sideline against a running back showed everyone what he is capable of.
Winner: C.J. Henderson, CB
Another week, another unbelievable performance by C.J. Henderson despite the tough matchup. The former top-10 pick had another fantastic night where he padded the stat sheet.
Last week, he had eight tackles. This week, he had 10 tackles, a pass defense, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. It is incredible how well he has revived his career; once we get AJ Terrell back, this is a heck of a secondary.
Loser: Rest of the NFC South
It is two weeks now, and it is two dominant wins. The Falcons have exhausted their opponents early in the game and haven't allowed them to get any hope of a comeback. It starts with the run game; when they have had to run the ball, they have not failed. They look like real threats to win the division.
The Panthers, as of right now, appear to be the only team that can contend with Atlanta. Sure, they beat this team down in Week 2, but this is an entirely different team now.
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