The Atlanta Falcons came up big in primetime once again, throttling their rivals in New Orleans . When the hardest part of writing an article is finding "down" players to nitpick, you know it was a good week.
Here's the Week 4, 3 up and 3 down.
Perkins celebrated his homecoming in style, securing 6 solo tackles and a sack, along with multiple impressive coverage reps. He had his most snaps of the season and finished with the 6th-highest snap count on the team.
Many, myself included, wondered what Perkins' role would be with this team; most envisioned a situational rusher, but he's playing like a legit 3-down linebacker. Jeff Ulbrich has excelled at putting his players in position to succeed, and Perkins' growth over four weeks is one of the best examples.
It was impossible to only pick one running back from this backfield after the duo combined for 5 touchdowns and 187 yards, leading the way to the Falcons win. These two go together like Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller.
Watching Bijan carry the football is poetry in motion, and Brian brings the slam- poetry energy. Every week, analysts say, "If you stop this run game, then you can win the game," but that is easier said than done. Even if you manage to blow up the blocking, the duo has combined for 571 yards after contact.
The All-Pro was an unstoppable force against the Saints. This revitalized run scheme showcased their best player all night. Lindstrom is finally getting the opportunity to pull across the formation, and it's leading to touchdowns.
He's still one of the best in the league at getting to the second level and puts out teach tape on how to take proper angles to cut off would-be tacklers. He finished the game as the highest-graded player on the field per PFF , and the film backs it up. Bill Callahan's influence can be felt across the entire line, but we're seeing him maximize Lindstrom's talents in ways we haven't seen the team do before.
Deablo doesn't look like himself. The linebacker nursed a hamstring injury all week , but he looked sluggish before he hit the injury report. His coverage instincts haven't been there, and he's regressed in the run game too.
If we're being honest, his 2025 season is an outlier in his career, but there's no need to panic yet. The linebacker clearly isn't healthy and should get the benefit of the doubt before being written off; in the meantime, the Falcons have two rookie linebackers who have shown they can be leaned on for support.
Similar to Deablo, Bates' regression has been noticeable this season. The gambles in coverage aren't paying off, and we've seen a few busts and explosive plays happen on his watch. For years it felt like Bates had to make a play to help cover up issues on his side of the ball, but that isn't the case anymore.
Sometimes when you only know one speed, it's hard to adjust, but if Bates focuses more on doing his job on any given play, the turnover opportunities will come. He's still an above-average safety in this league, but he doesn't need to win the game on his own anymore.
First off, the Saints "Domecoming" is worth celebrating and revisiting. Katrina was a travesty that forever altered the lives of New Orleans citizens, and the Superdome's reopening was a historic moment. That doesn't mean the Falcons should be billed as a villain or secondary product; at the end of the day, these are two NFL teams that deserved equal coverage when the game broadcast started.
However, it felt like Troy Aikman and Joe Buck ran out of lines quickly for the Saints and had none prepared for the Falcons. The Manning cast was also a one-sided affair, with no Falcons guests. It is what it is. The Falcons got the W, and that's all that matters.
The Falcons are now at 2-2, resetting the early-season narratives around the team. This staff deserves a lot of credit for keeping this group engaged after both a poor start and a dominant Week 3 win. The sky's the limit, and next week is a battle of the birds as the Falcons return home to host the Baltimore Ravens .
