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New Orleans Saints self-inflict damage, fall 24-10 to Atlanta on Sunday

"We stayed getting in our own damn way"

Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Atlanta Falcons for Week 12 of the 2025 NFL season on Nov. 23, 2025 at the Caesars Superdome.

No need to have searched for a rocket scientist or nuclear physicist on Sunday in the Caesars Superdome.

The New Orleans Saints shot themselves in the foot, then tied a hand behind their back, then got in their own way, then…

You get the idea: In a 24-10 loss to Atlanta, which dropped the Saints to 2-9 and prevented their first two-game winning streak this season, describing why was simple because applicable cliches were appropriate. New Orleans committed such self-injury that the Falcons (4-7) only needed to accept the benevolence and not reciprocate.

The Saints missed two field goals and twice didn't score touchdowns after drives advanced to Atlanta's 1-yard line, leaving twice as many points on the field as they posted on the scoreboard. The lone touchdown was a 49-yard interception return by safety Justin Reid in the second quarter, pulling the Saints to within 10-7 in a game they never led.

"Defense has got to come up with a second turnover," said edge rusher Cameron Jordan, who posted a sack (No. 126 of his career), two tackles for loss and a forced fumble. "I think the games we've won, we've gotten two turnovers quick and easy and gave the offense another chance. I had a sack-strip-fumble, I've got to get that ball."

Had Jordan recovered the first-quarter fumble, with the Falcons facing third-and-10 from their 45-yard line, New Orleans likely would have taken over inside Atlanta's 40, trailing 3-0.

But the Falcons recovered, maintained possession, punted and forced the Saints punt to end New Orleans' ensuing drive.

And the Saints were 0 for 3 in the red zone — two failed drives that reached the 1 and a missed 38-yard field goal attempt by Blake Grupe on a drive that started at Atlanta's 16, following a 75-yard kickoff return by Mason Tipton.

Grupe also missed a 47-yard attempt — both were wide right — in the second quarter and now is 18 of 26 this season.

"It's not working right now," Grupe said. "All I can do at this point is look at, literally, everything. Look into myself, first of all, and go from there. But other than just literally continuing to put the work in week by week and day by day, that's all I can do."

Jordan said he can sympathize with the struggles, but also stressed the expectation.

"I have no idea what it's like to be a kicker," Jordan said. "I've seen kickers go 40-for-40, or whatever, and then … I assume it's a mindset thing. When you have a great kicker and he starts missing, I've seen it happen multiple times. I understand there's a mental aspect to it all, one that I can't relate to. I expect them, just like I expect (edge rushers) Chase (Young) or Carl (Granderson), to be able to do their jobs.

"So, when a teammate is in a rut or something, you can't do anything but uplift them. You have to find a way, as a teammate and as a team, to get yourselves out of a hole.

"Beyond that, when you enter the red zone as many times as we did today, you have to be able to come out with points, preferably touchdowns. When you have a chance on defense to take over the game, you have to be able to. We were playing a good team; I think we showed we are the better team, and we lost. The better team did not win today, and that's on us. We have to be our best friend and not our worst enemy. We stayed getting in our own damn way."

The Saints held Atlanta to 302 yards of offense and the defense produced stops on nine of 12 third-down attempts, but New Orleans' own offensive struggles — 293 yards, 5 for 16 on third down and 2 for 5 on fourth down — counterbalanced the effort.

The frustration glared most at the goal line.

On the opening drive of the third quarter, the Saints drove 73 yards on 13 plays (aided by a defensive pass interference) to reach the Falcons' 1-yard line. But on third-and goal from the 2, Taysom Hill took a direct snap and gained one yard and on fourth-and-goal from the 1, Hill threw an incomplete pass and the deficit remained 16-7 with 7:32 left in the third.

The Saints forced a punt, began the next drive at their 41-yard line and used 12 plays to reach the 1. On second-and-goal, quarterback Tyler Shough was stuffed on a sneak. On third down, a direct snap to Hill went through his hands, he recovered at the 12 and threw incomplete. But he was penalized for intentional grounding and, facing fourth-and-goal from the 15, the Saints settled for Grupe's 33-yard field goal with 12:13 left in the fourth quarter.

Atlanta responded with a 49-yard touchdown pass and successful two-point conversion to end its next drive, and that was more than enough.

"Frustrating game," Coach Kellen Moore said. "All three phases kind of had different opportunities that, obviously, we missed. It's going to be a big opportunity for us to respond the right way and stick together and keep battling."

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