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Tag: New Orleans Saints

  • Falcons fire only Black head coach/GM duo in the NFL following 8-9 season

    Falcons head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot have been fired. Morris, after two seasons at the helm, and Fontenot, following six years as one of the National Football League’s few Black GMs.

    The Atlanta Falcons were the only NFL franchise with a Black head coach and a Black general manager. That is no more.

    Atlanta Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot spoke with the media before training camp began on Sunday, July 27, 2025. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    Morris, his staff, and the Falcons defeated the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, bringing the overall record to 8-9 for a consecutive season. The two eight-win seasons were more than any of the three seasons of the former head coach and current Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith. Under Smith, the Falcons went 7-10 for three consecutive seasons, missing the playoffs in each.

    The Falcons’ current streak of missing the postseason is now eight years long. Under Fontenot, the Falcons drafted talented players like Bijan Robinson, Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and rookies Xavier Watts, Jalon Walker, and James Pearce Jr., but consistently missed the playoffs. Fontenot began his tenure in Atlanta in 2021, holding a six-year contract. Morris signed a five-year contract before the 2024 season.

    Fontenot is owed for one more year, while Morris has three years remaining on his deal that he will have to be paid for. Morris is owed $12 million, according to a source familiar with the deal.

    There was a drastic improvement from Morris’s first season to the 2025 season. Atlanta finished the 2025 season among the top three teams in sacks and set a new franchise record with 57 sacks. During the 2024 season, the defense was at the bottom of league rankings for nearly all defensive categories.

    Donnell Suggs

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  • Dear Carolina, you’re welcome: Falcons end season with a 19-17 win over Saints

    The Atlanta Falcons were in the driver’s seat on Sunday, January 4. 

    The scenario was simple: beat the New Orleans Saints, and the Carolina Panthers were in the playoffs. Lose, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would get the playoff bid. Beat the New Orleans Saints, and Atlanta would have their longest winning streak of the season (four). Lose, and the momentum that was building will be done, and another seven-win season will be in the books.

    Falcons ended the season with a 19-17 victory and a sweep of their hated rivals.

    Dear Carolina, you’re welcome.

    With five minutes remaining in the game, Saints rookie quarterback Tyler Shough took off running into Falcons territory. He had been playing a good game up to that point and was a threat on the ground and through the air. His next pass, however, became his team’s downfall. The pass was intercepted by Falcons defensive back Dee Alford and returned 59 yards into Saints territory. Zane Gonzalez’s 48-yard field goal with just under three minutes remaining in the game put Atlanta ahead by nine points. Game over.

    The Falcons defeated the Saints 24-10 on November 23. During that game, Saints rookie quarterback Tyler Shough, a serious candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year, passed for 243 yards with an interception while being sacked five times. Atlanta will finish the 2025 season among the top three teams in sacks and set a new franchise record with 55 sacks following a second-quarter sack by defensive back Dee Alford. But it was the Saints’ defense that got things started.

    The New Orleans Saints (above) came into Sunday’s game in Atlanta on a four-game winning streak.
    Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    New Orleans entered the game in Atlanta on a four-game winning streak, and a significant part of that success has been attributed to their defense. New Orleans defensive end Carl Granderson made an immediate impact on Sunday, sacking Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins and picking off one of his passes during the first quarter. 

    Offense was a different story as the Saints got off to a much slower start than their defense. New Orleans was without its leading receiver, Chris Olave, and starting running back, Alvin Kamara. Both players have played well in Atlanta throughout their time with the Saints. The Falcons, however, had their top receiver, Drake London, back in the fold. Cousins found London in the back of the end zone for the first touchdown of the game to help give Atlanta a 7-0 lead with three minutes remaining in the first quarter. The 15-yard touchdown reception was London’s seventh of the season. 

    The Atlanta Falcons hosted the New Orleans Saints in the final home game and regular season game of the season.
    Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    The second successful Falcons offensive drive was an eight-play, 31-yard drive that included a couple of spectacular runs by Bijan Robinson. Those runs put Atlanta in position for a 40-yard field goal from kicker Zane Gonzalez and a 10-0 advantage. 

    Robinson only needed 237 yards to set a new National Football League single-season record for yardage from scrimmage. In just his third season, Robinson had already set a Falcons franchise record a week earlier. 

    Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    The Saints got on the board with 5 minutes remaining in the first half when Shough scored a touchdown on a bootleg run from the 15-yard line. The extra point from Charlie Smyth made the score 10-7. 

    With two minutes remaining in the first half, the Saints’ offense failed to engineer a final scoring drive and put the ball back in the hands of Cousins and the Falcons with 45 seconds on the clock. Atlanta went into the half with the same score on the board.

    The third quarter began with the Falcons forcing a Saints punt following a sack by Pearce, Jr. The rookie has 9.5 sacks this season to go along with 5.5 sacks by his fellow rookie Jalon Walker. The pair has more than lived up to the expectations that were placed on them during the offseason and preseason. 

    Scoring was minimal during the game. Atlanta took a 13-7 lead on a 51-yard field goal by Zane Gonazelz early in the third quarter and a 16-10 lead when Gonzalez made a 38-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter. 

    New Orleans managed to pull together another scoring drive with just over a minute to play in the game. Their onside kick attempt was not as successful.

    Donnell Suggs

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  • Atlanta Falcons defense is saving its best for last

    Defense wins championships. In the case of the Atlanta Falcons, that will not be happening, at least not this season, but it does win games.

    The Los Angeles Rams hadn’t been held scoreless during the first half of a game all season before they set foot in Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Monday night. The Falcons had failed to hold an opponent scoreless during the first half of any game this season before they began the game on Monday night. 

    The Atlanta Falcons are at the end of the road. There’s only one remaining game on the 2025 schedule, and after Monday night’s 27-24 victory over the Los Angeles Rams, there’s a good chance to end the season on a high note. The Falcons are now on a three-game winning streak, and the defense has to be given a ton of credit for that recent run of success.

    “We got some turnovers early. I thought we did a nice job of doing that as a team,” Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said after the game. “That was a great team win and a great team effort to be able to hold that team scoreless.”

    Rivalry Renewed: Next up for the Falcons (7-9 overall), winners of their last three, is the New Orleans Saints (6-10), winners of their last four. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford had only thrown five interceptions this season before he was picked off three times on Monday night. Jessie Bates III returned a first-half interception for a touchdown, and rookie safety Xavier Watts intercepted two Stafford passes during the second quarter and the fourth quarter. Watts nearly returned the fourth-quarter interception for a touchdown, but stepped out of bounds near midfield. 

    “Great night. The guys came to play tonight, and they played a good football team,” said Morris, the former defensive coordinator for the Rams during their Super Bowl season in 2022. 

    A former college safety during his playing days at Hofstra University, Morris will happily hang his hat on the same rack as current Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich. Atlanta’s defense is second in the league with 53 sacks (Denver is first with 64), 11th in passing yards allowed, and 14th in total yards allowed. 

    During the game against the Rams, the Falcons got sacks from four different players, including Khalid Kareem, whose name was on the practice squad list as early as the beginning of the week. Leonard Floyd, Brandon Dorlus, and Ruke Orhorhoro had the other sacks. 

    Watts’ five interceptions is the most for a Falcons rookie since Deion Sanders had five in 1989.

    That defensive effort could be seen as a sign of what this team is capable of when healthy and focused. Or it could just be a good night in a season of bad nights. The Falcons’ defense also gave up 21 unanswered points, including a touchdown on a blocked field goal late in the third quarter. Either way, the Atlanta Falcons won their seventh game of the season.

    Next up for the Falcons (7-9 overall), winners of their last three, is the New Orleans Saints (6-10), winners of their last four. Neither team is going to make the playoffs, but both are playing their final game of the season with momentum on the line. Kickoff for the Sunday, January 4 game will be 1 p.m.

    Donnell Suggs

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  • ‘I think it was a BS call’: Panthers react to Lathan Ransom’s late flag

    NEW ORLEANS

    It is one of the most difficult decisions any defensive player makes, when a quarterback is running and your task is to bring him to the ground.

    How much is too much? How hard is too hard? How high is too high?

    The Carolina Panthers were on the wrong side of that equation Sunday when they self-destructed in a 20-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints that was damaging — but not fatal — to their playoff hopes. Nowhere was that more apparent than in the final 12 seconds.

    The Saints were out of timeouts by then. The game was tied at 17-all, and New Orleans had driven from its own 8-yard line to the Carolina 48. Tyler Shough, the Saints’ 26-year-old rookie quarterback, saw a “prevent” Carolina defense designed to stop the pass — with no defensive linemen at all lined up in the interior near the center.

    Shough then ran a draw play for a modest four yards. As he slid, however, Panthers rookie safety Lathan Ransom came barreling in and hit Shough. This caused a 15-yard penalty and much consternation in the Carolina locker room.

    “I think it was a BS call,” Panthers defensive lineman Derrick Brown said. Brown was also called for a 15-yard penalty for hitting Shough on a similar play.

    “He did it all day, he was sliding late,” Brown said. “… But we know how it is. They’re going to protect the quarterback at all costs.”

    New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough (6) slides and is hit by the Carolina Panthers’ Lathan Ransom (22) during Sunday’s fourth quarter at Caesars Superdome. Ransom’s hit resulted in a 15-yard penalty and an easier potential game-winning field goal for the Saints, who won, 20-17.
    New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough (6) slides and is hit by the Carolina Panthers’ Lathan Ransom (22) during Sunday’s fourth quarter at Caesars Superdome. Ransom’s hit resulted in a 15-yard penalty and an easier potential game-winning field goal for the Saints, who won, 20-17. Chris Graythen Getty Images

    The Saints certainly could have made a game-winning field goal from where Shough slid. The attempt would have been from 62 yards, and New Orleans kicker Charlie Smyth has that sort of leg.

    Instead, though, Ransom’s penalty made the kick a modest 47-yarder. Smyth drilled it, and Carolina fell to 7-7 and into a tie with Tampa Bay (7-7) atop the NFC South. The two teams will play twice in the final three weeks of the season, but now the Panthers may have to sweep those games rather than split them to take the playoff spot and postseason home game awarded to the division winner.

    To his credit, Ransom stood up and faced questions from the media in the locker room. “Every yard matters in that situation,” he said. “He’s running the ball and I’m just thinking stop him as fast as I can.”

    What does he wish he had done differently?

    “Not hit him,” Ransom said. And later: “I’m mad I got the penalty. That’s all I can say.

    He’s a quarterback, so I’ve got to be more aware of the situation. … Let him slide.”

    Lathan Ransom (22) of the Carolina Panthers tackles Audric Estime (30) of the New Orleans Saints during Sunday’s fourth quarter at Caesars Superdome.
    Lathan Ransom (22) of the Carolina Panthers tackles Audric Estime (30) of the New Orleans Saints during Sunday’s fourth quarter at Caesars Superdome. Chris Graythen Getty Images

    That a penalty would be instrumental in the Panthers’ loss was fitting, given the team was called for 11 penalties for 103 yards. Carolina was sloppy all afternoon, drawing one flag after another. Even on the game-winning field goal, Carolina’s Chau Smith-Wade jumped offside, so New Orleans would have been able to try it again had Smyth missed.

    But the veteran Panthers players were also aware that Ransom’s error didn’t cost them the game. Their defense, after all, had allowed New Orleans to go 78 yards on a game-tying drive and then 62 more on the game-winning one. The offense never scored in the game’s final 25 minutes. There was plenty of blame to go around.

    Veteran safety Nick Scott said Ransom’s aggressiveness was one reason he’s been playing regularly as a rookie.

    “Being a rookie, there’s a lot of highs and lows,” Scott said. “Lathan’s been doing a lot of great things for us this entire season. One play doesn’t define him. … Latham is an aggressive player. He hits extremely hard. He makes a lot of plays, and that’s why he’s here. That’s why we love him, and so we don’t want to take that away from him. So we’re going to keep encouraging and uplifting him, and help him move past this.”

    Brown thought that Panthers quarterback Bryce Young should have drawn a similar flag or two during his scrambles. But he wasn’t. Ransom, however, was called for the late hit, and this loss and that play will sting him for a while.

    I thought the flag was justified. It’s called that way in the NFL almost every time, because the league does want to protect its marquee players. Ransom is a good player and a smart one. He will learn. But he — and his teammates — walked out of New Orleans hurting.

    Scott Fowler

    The Charlotte Observer

    Columnist Scott Fowler has written for The Charlotte Observer since 1994. He has earned 24 national APSE sportswriting awards and hosted The Observer’s podcast “Carruth,” which Sports Illustrated once named “Podcast of the Year.” Fowler hosts the online series and podcast “Sports Legends of the Carolinas,” which features 1-on-1 interviews with NC and SC sports icons. He also writes occasionally about non-sports subjects, such as the 5-part series “9/11/74,” which chronicled the plane crash of Eastern Air Lines Flight 212 in Charlotte in 1974.
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    Scott Fowler

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  • What will it take for the Falcons to make the playoffs? Wins, ways, and a miracle

    The Atlanta Falcons are back home after defeating the New Orleans Saints 24-10 on the road on Sunday. The victory may have only been the Falcons’ first in five weeks, but it has some significance. The win reignited the discussion over what it would take to make the playoffs, at the very least.

    At 4-7, the road to the playoffs in the NFC is going to take a lot of winning by Atlanta and a lot of losing by several teams. Before we go over the teams that the Falcons have to pass to make the playoffs, and what it will take to get that accomplished, the Falcons will need to win their final six games of the season.

    The Falcons are back on the road against the New York Jets (2-9 overall) on Sunday. A loss to the Jets would render this entire breakdown moot. The Falcons cannot afford to lose any of their remaining games. The seven losses are more than any of the teams that are in Atlanta’s way of getting a wild card spot have. Those teams are the following: the Detroit Lions (7-4), Green Bay Packers (7-3-1), Seattle Seahawks (8-3), San Francisco 49ers (8-4), and the Carolina Panthers (6-6 following a loss at San Francisco on Monday night. The Panthers hold a tiebreaker over the Falcons after sweeping them this season.

    Following the Jets game, the Falcons will return home to host the Seahawks, who are a game behind the L.A. Rams (9-2 overall) in the NFC West on Sunday, Dec. 7. Atlanta will host the Rams and NFL MVP candidate and former University of Georgia Bulldogs star quarterback Matthew Stafford (30 touchdowns and two interceptions this season) next month in the last Monday Night Football game of the year on Dec. 29. Both games can be described as the toughest of the season for Atlanta.

    Atlanta will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday, Dec. 11, and a loss to Tampa will end the season, even if the Falcons win every other game they play from this point forward. The season-opening loss to Tampa has Atlanta in a position to not lose to the Buccaneers again or be swept by two teams in the NFC South (Carolina).

    The Falcons have games against the Cardinals in Arizona on Sunday, Dec. 21, and the Saints at Mercedes-Benz Stadium to close the regular season on Jan. 4. Neither will matter if the winning doesn’t continue. The Philadelphia Eagles (8-3), Chicago Bears (8-3), Bucs, and Rams are leading their respective divisions and won’t be out of the playoff picture without a free fall of some sort.

    The Falcons are not done with the 2025 season, but it will take a lot of winning and a miracle.

    Donnell Suggs

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  • Saints coach Kellen Moore discusses bringing in Justin Tucker for workout: ‘He’s gone through an experience’

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    For the first time since his 10-game suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, Justin Tucker has a tryout.

    The New Orleans Saints are going to work out Tucker, the veteran placekicker, after Blake Grupe missed two of his three field-goal attempts in a loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

    Saints head coach Kellen Moore spoke about Tucker’s tryout on Monday.

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    Sep 5, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker (9) warms up against the Kansas City Chiefs prior to a game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. (Denny Medley/Imagn Images)

    “He’s been one of their leaders for an extended period of time on a very successful team,” Moore said, via Nick Underhill. “Obviously, there’s been some stuff that’s been unfortunate. He’s gone through an experience and I think it’s about collecting what that experience was.”

    Tucker accepted the league’s lengthy suspension, which was one game less than that of Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson, who was involved in a similar situation in 2022.

    NFL SUSPENDS JUSTIN TUCKER FOR VIOLATING PERSONAL CONDUCT POLICY AMID SEXUAL MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS: REPORT

    When referring to Tucker being a leader, Moore was discussing the 36-year-old’s time with the Ravens, where he made seven Pro Bowls, became a five-time All-Pro and won a Super Bowl over his 13 years with the franchise.

    Justin Tucker kicks the ball

    Baltimore Ravens place kicker Justin Tucker (9) kicks the ball during the first quarter against the Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium.  (Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images)

    But due to the off-the-field issues, the Ravens decided to move on from Tucker, who struggled in 2024, making 22 of his 30 field-goal attempts while missing two of his 62 extra-point attempts.

    His wife, Amanda, also stuck by her husband.

    “The false allegations against Justin have caused so much hurt to our family,” she told OutKick. “I believe my husband, and I love and support him fully.”

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    The Saints are also reportedly bringing in Cade York to try out for the position.

    Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

    Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

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  • Atlanta Falcons’ lack of fourth-quarter scoring can’t continue

    The Atlanta Falcons came into Sunday‘s game against the Carolina Panthers ( now 6-5 overall) three games under .500, quite a distance from first-place Tampa Bay, whom the Falcons had already lost to in week one, and on a four-game losing streak. Believe it or not, things have gotten worse.

    The Falcons, now 3-7 overall, managed to score just six points in the fourth quarter against the Panthers, resulting in a 30-27 loss. Three of these points came courtesy of a clutch 52-yard field goal by Zane Gonzalez late in regulation. 

    This season, Atlanta is averaging 5.3 points per game during the 10 fourth quarters they have played. With the exception of the 10 points Atlanta scored against the Minnesota Vikings in week two, they haven’t reached the double-figure mark in a fourth quarter this season. Let’s get into the numbers:

    The Falcons scored seven points against Tampa in a week-one loss, no points in the fourth quarter at Carolina in a 30-point loss in week three, and just three points against the Washington Commanders in a 34-27 victory at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Atlanta was ahead 31-16 after three quarters and only managed a field goal the rest of the way.

    In a week six win over the Buffalo Bills, the Falcons scored only three points in the fourth quarter, marking the last game they would win for the next five weeks. Atlanta did not score in the fourth quarter of their 20-10 loss at San Francisco in week seven. 

    The fourth-quarter scoring picked up a bit when the Falcons scored nine points against New England in a one-point loss on the road, and eight points in an overtime loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Berlin, Germany, last week.

    The Atlanta Falcons are averaging 5.3 points per game in the fourth quarter this season. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    The first game of the two meetings with the New Orleans Saints, the last-place team in the NFC South and one of the worst in the National Football League, will take place in two weeks on Nov. 23 at the Caesars Superdome (4:25 p.m. kickoff). Fourth-quarter scoring might not be needed to defeat the struggling Saints (2-8 overall), 

    The team’s saving grace this season, despite the play on the opening drives to start the game and to start the second half on Sunday, has been the Falcons’ defense. On Carolina’s second drive of the game, the Falcons forced a punt following a sack by rookie corner Billy Bowman, Jr. That sack almost knocked Young out of the game as he was slow to get back on his feet afterward. Young had started nine of the Panthers’ 10 games this season.

    This team should be able to score more points in the fourth quarter. Falcons receiver Drake London went over 100 yards receiving with his fifth reception of the first half on Sunday. Bijan Robinson had over 90 yards rushing at halftime of the loss to Carolina. It has been the second half of games that have been the issue this season. 

    The Saints game is followed by a trip to New Jersey to play the New York Jets on Sunday, Nov. 30. The opportunity for the Falcons to make the playoffs might be dwindling, but getting back to .500 is a realistic possibility. That, however, will start with scoring in the fourth quarter.

    Donnell Suggs

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  • A Blown Chance To Get Back In The Saddle. – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    You’d think the Eagles would’ve taken things personally after coming up short to the Denver Broncos at home. Losing 21-17 in Week 5. A short week that would see their second NFC East match of the season, against a 1-4 Giants squad that just struggled to keep a close game against the New Orleans Saints. The opportunity to go 5-1 was right in front of them.

    And then disaster struck. 

    Injuries On Injuries On Injuries 

    Jalen Carter was held out of Thursdays game as a precaution. An unfortunate pre-game loss but it shouldn’t have been as detrimental to the team as it was. Hopefully the Week 7 injury report comes with good news for his availability against Minnesota. 

    Add on top of that a Quinyon Mitchell hamstring injury held him out for the remainder of the game (we’re still waiting on an update for Week 7). 

    With Landon Dickerson finally being given much needed time off to recover from a plethora of injuries. The Eagles aren’t looking as healthy as they did for last seasons run.

    Another Week Of Sloppy Offense

    The Eagles can’t seem to pick which quarter they struggle the most in. From 3 points in the 2nd half of week 1. 7 points in the first half against the Rams, and only 7 points in the 2nd half against the Buccaneers and Broncos. The Eagles were shutout against the Giants and were picked off the first time in the 4th quarter of Week 6.

    If the Eagles plan on winning more games, they’ll need to get the offense in a more consistent rhythm that is able to score more than 17 points against some of the best (and worst) defenses. 

    A Weekend Of Successful Hate Watches.

    While the Eagles dropped an important division game against a bottom feeder Giants team. That didn’t stop more teams in the NFC from also having very unfortunate ends to their Week 6 matches.

    • The Cowboys fell to 2-3-1 as Rico Dowdle stacked up 239 total yards against his former team. 
    • The 49ers(4-2)lost their 2nd game to the Buccaneers(5-1), but both teams racked up more injuries, including Fred Warner & Emeka Egbuka. 
    • The unstoppable Lions were held to only 17 points to a Chiefs team that started the year 0-2. 
    • The Bears struggled to take down the Commanders, but a late 4th Quarter fumble gave the Bears the opportunity to come out on top. 

    After a very long week being disappointed in an Eagles loss. They still finish Week 6 atop the NFC East with a 1 game lead on the Commanders. 

    Perhaps things aren’t that bad after all?

    The post A Blown Chance To Get Back In The Saddle. appeared first on Philadelphia Sports Nation.

    Tyler L’Heureux

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  • How to Watch Patriots vs Saints: Live Stream NFL Week 6, TV Channel

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    Ben Verbrugge is a freelance sportswriter with a journalism degree from CSU Dominguez Hills. He is a member of the Los Angeles media and spends most of his time covering the NBA, NFL, and MLB. When not writing, he is either playing or watching sports.


    Ben Verbrugge

    Contributing Sports Network