For the 2025 NFL season, digital team reporter Terrin Waack will provide select stats, facts and quotes from the most recent Atlanta Falcons game to consume with Miller Lite.
NEW ORLEANS — The Atlanta Falcons beat the New Orleans Saints 24-10 last Sunday in their Week 12 game at Caesars Superdome in front of 70,005 ticketed fans.
STATS TO CHEERS OVER
-- The Falcons had scored a touchdown on 11 straight red-zone drives before a second-quarter field goal on a possession that reached the Saints' 18-yard line. That streak is tied for the second-longest streak by any team this season. The Indianapolis Colts' 12 straight red-zone touchdowns stand as the most, though their streak isn't active.
-- Falcons cornerback Dee Alford recorded a team-high 10 tackles. It was the first time in his career that he broke double digits.
-- The Falcons won by 14 points. It's their largest margin of victory in New Orleans since Week 10 of 2019, when Atlanta won 26-9.
-- Sunday was the fourth game this season that the Falcons have had multiple rookies with at least a half sack. That is the most such games in a single season in franchise history.
-- The Falcons are 4-2 when leading at halftime this season. They led the Saints 16-7 at the end of the second quarter.
-- The Saints' leading rusher was quarterback Tyler Shough with 22 rushing yards. The last time a Falcons opponent's leading rusher had that few yards was in Week 9 of 2018, when then-Washington Commanders quarterback Alex Smith led with 22 rushing yards. The Falcons won that game 38-14.
FACTS TO SIP ON
-- Quarterback Kirk Cousins made his 16th start for the Falcons and the 161st in his career.
- Cousins was sacked twice in the first quarter. Michael Penix Jr. was never sacked more than once in the first quarter of any of his 12 career starts.
- Cousins threw two touchdown passes against the Saints, bringing his career total to 290 and tying Johnny Unitas for the 17th-most in NFL history. Cousins is one shy of trying Warren Moon at No. 16.
- Cousins has now thrown 20 touchdown passes as a Falcons player, which are the 10th most in team history. He entered the game tied with Dave Archer for the 10th spot and is now in sole possession.
- Cousins threw a pick six in the second quarter. He has now thrown 16 interceptions that were returned for a touchdown in his career. That ties for third most among active quarterbacks in the league. Los Angeles Rams' Matthew Stafford leads with 30.
- Cousins' pick six marked the Falcons' first against the Saints since Nov. 2, 2009, when Matt Ryan had one.
-- The Falcons held the Saints to 3.76 yards per play. It's the lowest mark allowed by the Falcons since Week 1 of 2018, when they held the Philadelphia Eagles to 3.63 yards per play. The Falcons, though, lost that season opener.
-- The Falcons ran just three plays in the third quarter, which tied for their fewest plays in a quarter since 1991. In franchise history, there have now been six games in which Atlanta has had only three plays in a quarter.
-- The Falcons allowed 146 rushing yards in their last two games after allowing 323 yards on the ground to the Colts in Week 10. Atlanta held the Carolina Panthers to 67 yards rushing in Week 11 and the Saints to 79 in Week 12.
-- Zane Gonzalez became the first Falcons kicker to make two field goals from at least 54 yards out since 1995. Meanwhile, Saints kicker Blake Grupe missed two field-goal attempts. Opposing kickers had only missed two field goals against the Falcons all season.
-- The Falcons and Saints' regular-season record is now tied at 56-56.
QUOTING RAHEEM MORRIS
On wide receiver Darnell Mooney's 49-yard touchdown reception…
"That's what Mooney is more like. He came to life today"
QUOTING THE FALCONS
Quarterback Kirk Cousins
On his scramble to the sideline…
"I thought, 'This is going to be a collision, but I don't know how to do this any other way.' So, I just said let's take it back to high school and lower the shoulder and may the best man win."
Inside linebacker Divine Deablo
On playing with a club for the first time ever…
"I think I hugged a few people out there, trying to get my arms around them so they couldn't escape. It was a little hard to tackle, not having a grip on my left hand. But it's OK. I think it worked out."
QUOTING THE OPPONENT
Saints head coach Kellen Moore
On the loss overall…
"Credit to those guys. Those guys coached better, played better and ultimately executed better than us today. It was a frustrating game. All three phases had different opportunities that, obviously, we missed."
Saints quarterback Tyler Shough
On what he learned about the Saints-Falcons rivalry…
"Just how important it is to the people of the city, and how important it can be, and it makes you want to work that much harder and find that extra edge."
GAME LEADERS
Top passers
- Saints: Tyler Shough | 30-of-43 for 243 yards (1 interception, 5 sacks)
- Falcons: Kirk Cousins | 16-of-23 for 199 yards, 2 touchdowns (1 interception, 3 sacks)
- Saints: Taysom Hill | 0-of-2 for 0 yards
Top rushers
- Falcons: Bijan Robinson | 14 carries for 70 yards
- Falcons: Tyler Allgeier | 12 carries for 44 yards
- Saints: Tyler Shough | 7 carries for 22 yards
Top receivers
- Falcons: Darnell Mooney | 3 receptions for 74 yards, 1 touchdown
- Saints: Chris Olave | 9 receptions for 70 yards
- Saints: Juwan Johnson | 6 receptions for 46 yards
Top tacklers
- Saints: Demario Davis | 11 total tackles, 6 solo
- Falcons: Dee Alford | 10 total tackles, 9 solo (1 pass breakup, 1 fumble recovery)
- Falcons: Kaden Elliss | 9 total tackles, 7 solo (1 tackle for loss)
LAST CALL
The Falcons (4-7) play the New York Jets (2-9) at MetLife Stadium on Sunday for a Week 13 matchup after Thanksgiving. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET. FOX will carry live coverage.
The Jets are coming off a 23-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 12.
Opponent connection: Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich worked for the Jets prior to arriving in Atlanta. Ulbrich served as the Jets' defensive coordinator from 2021-24. He was also the interim head coach for part of 2024. Mike Rutenberg, Atlanta's defensive pass game coordinator, worked with Ulbrich as the Jets' linebackers coach from 2021-24.
Get an inside look at the matchup between the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome during Week 12, presented by Grady.
