Nobody knew what to make of the Atlanta Falcons entering the 2026 season. It was a new regime, which meant a new system, which meant more uncertainty than ever before. The only thing that was a given was that their hopes of winning the NFC South would be tested early, especially in September.
With that in mind, Falcons are fresh off of a dominant Week 3 road win over the Green Bay Packers in their first win of the season. They went for over 500 yards of offense in Michael Penix Jr.'s first start of the year, logged 32 pressured of Jordan Love, and the 35-14 win saw this team look like the team we expected to see for the first time all year.
The most important thing is keeping this momentum in Week 4, and it just so happens this matchup has extra importance beyond proving last Thursday night wasn't a mirage. This time around, they're on primetime for the second time in three weeks as they're set to face their rival New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football in a tribute game to honor the 20-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
But our foes down in New Orleans are just as hard to evaluate. Before the season they were being hyped up as a possible dark horse to make the playoffs and one of the more exciting young teams in the NFL, and while that's true, they also haven't been consistent through these opening three weeks.
It's unclear whether or not the Saints are a team to be taken seriously
Like the Falcons, the Saints are currently 1-2, with losses to the Detroit Lions (in overtime) and 3-0 Las Vegas Raiders while they beat the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2. They're an incredibly difficult team to get a read on because a different team (and a different offense) shows up every single week.
While Atlanta is tied (with the Patriots) for a league-leading eight giveaways this season, the Saints aren't too far behind, as they are tied with the Bucs for the second-most turnovers with seven, because for all of his strengths, second-year QB Tyler Shough has turned the ball over six times .
Shough has thrown three picks and three fumbles, so he's earned the "turnover machine" moniker--which is good news for the Dirty Birds. In two two career games against him, Jeff Ulbrich's defense has had his number, as they swept the Saints last year and the young QB threw a pick in both games.
But that lack of reliability can be an asset for the team in red and black. They're the perfect matchup for a Stefanski-led Falcons team looking to prove they're not to be messed with. They lead the NFL in pressure rate and are near the top in pass-rush win rate, so getting to Shough--who is tied for the second-most sacked QB this season-- should be easy, especially without star tackle Kelvin Banks.
The Saints will be without Travis Etienne and Jordan Tyson (IR) on offense, which means it's on Chris Olave and Juwan Johnson to beat an A.J. Terrell-less secondary in the passing game. And with Etienne sidelined, New Orleans' run game will come down to Alvin Kamara, Kendre Miller, and CJ Donaldson--but Atlanta has the best run defense in football, as they're not even allowing 50 rushing yards per game this year.
Right now, the Saints are a fun, young team with a good amount of talent, but it remains to be seen whether or not they're truly a team to take seriously. Last week it was a Packers team that is a mess, but against a shorthanded Saints team, the Falcons have the perfect opponent to make a true statement--not just to the rest of the division, but the rest of the NFL.
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