For the 2023 NFL season, digital team reporter Terrin Waack will provide select stellar stats, obscure facts and notable quotes from the most recent game to show how the Atlanta Falcons are taking flight into the new week.
ATLANTA — The Atlanta Falcons beat the New Orleans Saints 24-15 on Sunday for their Week 12 matchup at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in front of 70,166 ticketed fans.
STELLAR STATS
— The Falcons defense made it so the Saints offense went 0-for-5 in the red zone. It marked the third time this season Atlanta has kept an opponent at a 0% red-zone efficiency rate. The Jacksonville Jaguars were 0-for-1 but won in Week 4. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were 0-for-2 and lost in Week 7. Meanwhile, it was the fourth time the Saints were shutout in such a way in 2023.
— Falcons running back Bijan Robinson scored his third rushing touchdown and his third receiving touchdown against the Saints. He had a 10-yard scoring run in the first quarter and a 26-yard TD reception in the fourth quarter. It was the first time this season Robinson scored both a rushing and receiving touchdown in a single game. And with that, Robinson became the first Falcons rookie to do so since running back Lynn Cain in 1979. Cain had a rushing and two receiving touchdowns in a Week 7 loss to the then-Oakland Raiders.
— Falcons safety Jessie Bates III intercepted Saints quarterback Derek Carr and returned it 92 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter. That was Bates’ 18th career interception, his fourth this season. It was his second career pick-six, first this season. In the Falcons record book, Bates’ 92-yard interception returned for a touchdown will go down as the third-longest pick-six and the fourth-longest return in general.
— The Falcons put up at least 200 rushing yards on the Saints for the third consecutive game after not breaking 100 five games in a row. Atlanta had a season-high 228 rushing yards Sunday. That also extended the Falcons’ active streak of games with more than 100 rushing yards to six, and the only NFL team with more at the moment is the Baltimore Ravens with 12.
— Falcons left tackle Jake Matthews notched his 155th consecutive career start Sunday, breaking former quarterback Matt Ryan’s benchmark of 154 for a new franchise record. Matthews’ streak is also the longest one active in the NFL right now.
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