Monday Night Football is serving up an NFC South rivalry this Week 5, and man, does it look like a good one. The Atlanta Falcons are rolling into New Orleans after taking down the Green Bay Packers, thanks to Michael Penix’s return under center. But the Saints? They’re hungry to get back in the win column after a tough loss last week, and their passing game has been absolutely electric. If you’re looking to get in on the action, Kalshi’s hooking new users up with a $55 bonus using the promo code FOXSPORTS, and there are markets galore to follow for this one.
Shough and Olave Are Coming For That Leaky Falcons Secondary
Let’s talk about the Saints’ passing game because Tyler Shough has been absolutely cooking through the first three weeks. He’s the guy carrying that offense, slinging it at a heavy clip, and the numbers don’t lie. Shough’s completed a solid 68.9 percent of his throws, racked up 917 yards, tossed 8 touchdowns, and only 3 interceptions. The Saints are fourth in the whole dang league in passing yards per game, averaging 281.3. Last week, even in a 35-27 shootout loss to Las Vegas, Shough went 29 of 42 for 255 yards and hit a career-high 4 touchdowns. That’s the kind of performance that keeps you in any game.
And who’s his main guy? Chris Olave, no doubt. He’s been the busiest target for the Saints, getting 36 targets through three games, turning them into 27 catches for 375 yards and a touchdown. The dude has already cleared 100 receiving yards twice this season, including a monster 9-catch, 107-yard day against Las Vegas. Now, the Falcons’ defense is giving up 263 passing yards per game, which is third most in the league. Their secondary has been active with 17 broken up passes, but they’ve only got one interception all season. That’s an aggressive, low-reward profile, and that’s exactly the kind of defense Olave has been picking apart. Get ready for some fireworks.
Bijan Robinson Is About To Test a Saints Defense That’s Leaking Points
On the other side of the ball, Atlanta’s ground game absolutely exploded in their last outing, and Bijan Robinson was the whole reason why. The guy went off in the Week 3 win over Green Bay, carrying the rock 29 times for a ridiculous 194 yards and 2 touchdowns. He even chipped in 19 receiving yards and had a 55-yard burst that just showed off his pure speed. Through three games, Robinson is sitting at 349 rushing yards and 3 total touchdowns. The Falcons are second in the league in rushing yards per game, averaging 173.0. This dude is a problem, and the Saints defense has to know it.
Speaking of the Saints’ defense, they’ve been giving up points, a lot of them. They’re allowing 27.7 points per game, which is fifth most in the league, having coughed up 83 points through just three weeks. Robinson’s workload and burst are built to just keep piling on a defense that’s already leaking points. Plus, Drake London is coming off the best game of his career, catching 9 of 10 targets for a career-high 194 yards in that Week 3 win over Green Bay, including back-to-back fourth-quarter gains of 68 and 40 yards. Through three games he has 15… well, 15 of whatever he’s getting, he’s making it count!
This Monday Night game has divisional stakes written all over it. Both teams have explosive playmakers, and both defenses have shown some real vulnerabilities. It’s going to be a battle to see which offense can exploit the other team’s weaknesses more effectively. Buckle up, because this one is gonna be wild!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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