Bijan Robinson rushed for 145 yards and two touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons posted a dominant 45-24 victory over the New Orleans Saints on Monday night.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was among those in attendance on the night as New Orleans commemorated the 20th anniversary of the Superdome’s reopening after Hurricane Katrina.
Brian Robinson ran for three short touchdowns for the Falcons (2-2), who never trailed and controlled the line of scrimmage while outgaining the Saints (1-3) on the ground, 207 yards to 50.
Atlanta continued rolling behind quarterback Michael Penix Jr, who returned to the lineup for a 35-14 victory at Green Bay. Penix was an efficient 15 of 20 for 223 yards and a touchdown. His 31-yard scoring strike to Jahan Dotson in the fourth quarter would prompt a mass exodus of Saints fans.
Stats leaders:
Atlanta Falcons
- Passing: Michael Penix Jr, 15/20, 223 yards, 1 TD
- Rushing: Bijan Robinson, 19 carries, 145 yards, 2 TDs
- Brian Robinson Jr., 14 carries, 62 yards, 3 TDs
- Receiving: Drake London, 5 catches, 96 yards
New Orleans Saints
- Passing: Tyler Shough, 30/48, 268 yards, 1 TD
- Rushing: Alvin Kamara, 7 carries, 23 yards, 2 TDs
- Receiving: Chris Olave, 8 catches, 116 yards
Saints running back Alvin Kamara scored his first two touchdowns of the season, the second cutting Atlanta’s lead to 31-17 early in the fourth quarter.
Tyler Shough passed for 286 yards and a late touchdown to Devaughn Vele.
The game kicked off following festivities commemorating the Saints’ return to the Superdome after Katrina had displaced the team from New Orleans for the entire 2005 season. In addition to causing levee breaks and a storm surge that flooded about 80 per cent of the city, the hurricane also ripped a hole in the Superdome’s roof while evacuees sheltered there.
Ignited by Steve Gleason’s punt block for a touchdown following the 2006 game’s opening possession, the Saints beat the Falcons 23-3 in that Week 3, Monday night matchup.
Like that meeting two decades ago, the Falcons, wearing red, received the opening kickoff. This time, however, there would be no punt to block. Bijan Robinson burst through a hole on the left side of the line and raced 59 yards for a touchdown.
For a fourth time in four games, the Saints were playing from behind early – a challenge made more difficult by Daniel Carlson’s missed 52-yard field goal attempt and running back Kendre Miller’s lost fumble on the New Orleans 22-yard line one possession later.
Atlanta cashed in on the turnover when Bijan Robinson made it 14-0 on a 4-yard power run, set up in part by cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry’s third-down defensive holding penalty.
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