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Wk 4 · 2026

Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints — Mon, Oct 5

Mon, Oct 5 · Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA · ESPN FINAL

Weather

This one is played indoors. There is nothing to forecast.
Atlanta Falcons
NFC South · 2-3
45
at
8:15pET
NO -1.5 · total 47.5 DraftKings opened -2.5 · 1 toward ATL
Ratings differential ATL by 1.7
New Orleans Saints
NFC South · 1-4
24

What is at stake

An NFC South game. These two play each other twice a season, home and away, and when the NFC South finishes level it is the head-to-head result and then the division record that separate them — before any of the rest. Division standings.

What the ratings imply

The differential above is arithmetic on two published numbers: The Gridiron King’s 2026 final efficiency ratings, plus 1.7 points of home field. It is not a projection, a value, an edge or a lean, and nothing on this site compares it with the betting line to tell you one is better. Until 2026 games are played it is last season’s measurement of two rosters that have been through a draft and a free-agency window since.

Efficiency · 2026 ratings

Falcons: -0.4#17
Efficiency margin
Saints: -3.8#27
Falcons: -0.2#15
Offense
Saints: -1.3#24
Falcons: -0.2#17
Defense
Saints: -2.5#28
Falcons: 20.8
Points / game
Saints: 18.0
Falcons: 23.6
Points allowed / game
Saints: 22.5
Opponent-adjusted ratings from The Gridiron King’s 2026 final numbers. Bars share a scale within each row, so the two lengths are comparable; the brighter side is the better of the two, and a longer bar is the better number — including the rows where a lower figure is the good one. Pace is the exception: it is how fast a team plays, not how well, so neither side is lit and a longer bar there means only more plays.

Team stats

The box-score store these rows are built from has not been produced for this league yet, so no preview carries points and yards for and against. The form, trend and series blocks below are built from this site’s own files and are not affected.

Falcons form

L 23-30vs BALW 45-24at NOW 35-14at GBL 3-34vs CARL 13-20at PIT
2026 season

Saints form

L 13-23vs MINL 24-45vs ATLL 27-35vs LVW 24-17at BALL 30-31at DET
2026 season

Falcons this season

Straight up2-3 · 40% (5 games)
Against the spread2-3 · 40% (5 games)
Over / under3-2 · 60% (5 games)

Saints this season

Straight up1-4 · 20% (5 games)
Against the spread2-3 · 40% (5 games)
Over / under3-2 · 60% (5 games)
Lines are captured from ESPN's board before kickoff and locked at kickoff, so an in-play price cannot overwrite the number a game is graded against.

Common opponents · 10

OpponentFalconsSaints
Steelers
AFC
at L 13-20 previewN Wk 7 · scheduled preview
Panthers
NFC
vs L 3-34 previewvs Wk 10 · scheduled preview
Packers
NFC
at W 35-14 previewvs Wk 13 · scheduled preview
Ravens
AFC
vs L 23-30 previewat W 24-17 preview
Bears
NFC
vs Wk 6 · scheduled previewat Wk 11 · scheduled preview
Buccaneers
NFC
at Wk 8 · scheduled previewat Wk 15 · scheduled preview
Bengals
AFC
N Wk 9 · scheduled previewat Wk 12 · scheduled preview
Vikings
NFC
at Wk 12 · scheduled previewvs L 13-23 preview
Lions
NFC
vs Wk 13 · scheduled previewat L 30-31 preview
Browns
AFC
at Wk 14 · scheduled previewvs Wk 9 · scheduled preview
Open these two in the comparison tool for every shared and unshared opponent.

Series history · 2006–2026

Since 2006, Saints leads 26–15 · Falcons has won the last 3
41 meetings in 2006–2026 · average margin 2.7 points toward Saints
Yr DateResultSiteWon
20262026-10-05Falcons 45 — 24 Saintsat NOFalcons
20252026-01-04Saints 17 — 19 Falconsat ATLFalcons
20252025-11-23Falcons 24 — 10 Saintsat NOFalcons
20242024-11-10Falcons 17 — 20 Saintsat NOSaints
20242024-09-29Saints 24 — 26 Falconsat ATLFalcons
20232024-01-07Falcons 17 — 48 Saintsat NOSaints
20232023-11-26Saints 15 — 24 Falconsat ATLFalcons
20222022-12-18Falcons 18 — 21 Saintsat NOSaints
20222022-09-11Saints 27 — 26 Falconsat ATLSaints
20212022-01-09Saints 30 — 20 Falconsat ATLSaints
20212021-11-07Falcons 27 — 25 Saintsat NOFalcons
20202020-12-06Saints 21 — 16 Falconsat ATLSaints
20202020-11-22Falcons 9 — 24 Saintsat NOSaints
20192019-11-28Saints 26 — 18 Falconsat ATLSaints
20192019-11-10Falcons 26 — 9 Saintsat NOFalcons
20182018-11-22Falcons 17 — 31 Saintsat NOSaints
20182018-09-23Saints 43 — 37 Falconsat ATLSaints
20172017-12-24Falcons 13 — 23 Saintsat NOSaints
20172017-12-07Saints 17 — 20 Falconsat ATLFalcons
20162017-01-01Saints 32 — 38 Falconsat ATLFalcons
20162016-09-26Falcons 45 — 32 Saintsat NOFalcons
20152016-01-03Saints 20 — 17 Falconsat ATLSaints
20152015-10-15Falcons 21 — 31 Saintsat NOSaints
20142014-12-21Falcons 30 — 14 Saintsat NOFalcons
20142014-09-07Saints 34 — 37 Falconsat ATLFalcons
20132013-11-21Saints 17 — 13 Falconsat ATLSaints
20132013-09-08Falcons 17 — 23 Saintsat NOSaints
20122012-11-29Saints 13 — 23 Falconsat ATLFalcons
20122012-11-11Falcons 27 — 31 Saintsat NOSaints
20112011-12-26Falcons 16 — 45 Saintsat NOSaints
20112011-11-13Saints 26 — 23 Falconsat ATLSaints
20102010-12-27Saints 17 — 14 Falconsat ATLSaints
20102010-09-26Falcons 27 — 24 Saintsat NOFalcons
20092009-12-13Saints 26 — 23 Falconsat ATLSaints
20092009-11-02Falcons 27 — 35 Saintsat NOSaints
20082008-12-07Falcons 25 — 29 Saintsat NOSaints
20082008-11-09Saints 20 — 34 Falconsat ATLFalcons
20072007-12-10Saints 34 — 14 Falconsat ATLSaints
20072007-10-21Falcons 16 — 22 Saintsat NOSaints
20062006-11-26Saints 31 — 13 Falconsat ATLSaints
20062006-09-25Falcons 3 — 23 Saintsat NOSaints

Falcons leaders 2026 regular season

PassingMichael Penix Jr. QB #933/45, 479 YDS, 2 TD, 1 INT
Cooper Rush QB #1322/39, 229 YDS, 1 TD, 4 INT
RushingBijan Robinson RB #785 CAR, 494 YDS, 4 TD
Brian Robinson Jr. RB #1544 CAR, 194 YDS, 4 TD
Cooper Rush QB #132 CAR, 20 YDS
ReceivingDrake London WR #520 REC, 370 YDS
Bijan Robinson RB #714 REC, 120 YDS, 1 TD
Jahan Dotson WR #46 REC, 95 YDS, 1 TD
Kyle Pitts Sr. TE #85 REC, 67 YDS
Defense
TacklesXavier Watts S #3124
C.J. Henderson CB #2623
Mike Hughes CB #2119
SacksZa'Darius Smith DE #912.5
Samson Ebukam DE #521.5
Cameron Thomas DE #991.5
InterceptionsXavier Watts S #311
full roster and per-player history

Saints leaders 2026 regular season

PassingTyler Shough QB #6121/180, 1203 YDS, 9 TD, 3 INT
RushingTravis Etienne Jr. RB #330 CAR, 128 YDS
Alvin Kamara RB #4125 CAR, 74 YDS, 2 TD
Tyler Shough QB #616 CAR, 72 YDS, 1 TD
ReceivingChris Olave WR #1235 REC, 491 YDS, 1 TD
Juwan Johnson TE #8321 REC, 232 YDS, 3 TD
Devaughn Vele WR #1421 REC, 226 YDS, 2 TD
Noah Fant TE #878 REC, 66 YDS, 3 TD
Defense
TacklesJonas Sanker S #726
Pete Werner LB #2025
Kaden Elliss LB #5524
SacksChase Young DE #993.5
Carl Granderson DE #961
Pete Werner LB #201
InterceptionsJulian Blackmon S #231
full roster and per-player history
These are regular-season totals for the season named on each card — the players who led that team that year, taken from ESPN's team leaders. That list is keyed to the season, not to today's roster, so a leader who has since signed elsewhere, been traded or retired still appears against the year he earned it; the roster pages and the depth chart on each team page are where the current squad is. A team switches to this season's numbers once it has played a game.