Notes from New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons game | 2022 NFL Week 15

The New Orleans Saints defeated the Falcons 21-18 to improve to 5-9 and secured their second series sweep in the last three seasons against Atlanta. New Orleans, Atlanta and the Carolina Panthers all have 5-9 records in the NFC South. The Saints will return to action on Saturday, Dec. 24, when they play at the Cleveland Browns at noon CT. The contest will be regionally televised on CBS (locally on WWL-4).

• With the win Sunday, the Saints improve their regular season record in the series to 54-53, giving them a winning record against 12 franchises.

• New Orleans is on a three-game winning streak against the Falcons and are 2-3 against NFC South opponents this season.

• New Orleans improves its 2022 home record to 4-4 (including a Week Four contest vs. Minnesota in London), a 4-3 record at the Caesars Superdome.

• This is the fifth consecutive contest that New Orleans has surrendered 20 or fewer points. This is the third consecutive season that the Saints have had such a streak, which has occurred for the first time in franchise history.

• The Saints surrendered only 320 yards, including 89 yards passing, the lowest total against an opponent this season.

• The New Orleans Saints have a 25-21 overall record against the Falcons at the Superdome.

• The Saints gained 348 yards with 214 yards coming through the air and 134 on the ground.

• Quarterback Andy Dalton has a 3-0 record against Atlanta as a starter with Sunday being his first as a member of the Saints. The first two came as a member of the Cincinnati Bengals in 2014 and 2018.

• Dalton was 11 of 17 passing with 151 yards and two touchdowns for a 132.2 passer rating. It is Dalton’s fourth game this season throwing for multiple touchdowns.

• Dalton has only thrown seven interceptions in 2022 and four the first time in his career, he has not thrown an interception through four consecutive contests.

• Tight end Taysom Hill accounted for 110 total yards, including 2 of 2 passing for 80 yards and a 68-yard touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver Rashid Shaheed. Hill also contributed 30 rushing yards on seven carries.

• With Hill’s touchdown pass, he now has 10 passing touchdowns, 21 rushing touchdowns and 11 receiving touchdowns, including the playoffs. The last player to reach double digit touchdowns in passing, rushing, and receiving (including the playoffs) was Hall of Famer Frank Gifford (played from 1952-1964).

• Running back Alvin Kamara finished with 104 yards from scrimmage, including a team-high 91 yards on 21 carries. Kamara also added 13 yards on two receptions.

• Kamara has 1,121 career yards from scrimmage against the Falcons, the most by him against an opponent. Kamara now has the fourth-most career yards from scrimmage against Atlanta after surpassing Dalton Hilliard on Sunday.

• Tight end Juwan Johnson totaled a season-high 67 yards on four catches and had two touchdowns.

• Johnson tallied his second multi-touchdown game of the season and the third of his career and leads the team with seven touchdown receptions. All seven touchdown catches have come in his last seven games.

• Shaheed had three receptions for a season-high 95 yards to lead the receivers and had the 68-yard touchdown in the win.

• Shaheed’s 68-yard touchdown catch from Hill in the first quarter was the longest touchdown play of the season for the Saints. It was Hill’s first pass attempt of the game and Shaheed’s second receiving touchdown of the season.

• The Saints scored touchdowns on their first two offensive drives for the first time since a Christmas Day, 2020 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in the Caesars Superdome.

• New Orleans scored on the game’s opening possession with a 10-play drive for 75 yards that took 4:54 off the clock.

• The drive featured two third-and-nine conversions, including a 19-yard touchdown connection from Dalton to Johnson.

• Dalton was four of six for 67 yards on the opening scoring drive, and Johnson hauled in two catches for 33 yards on the drive.

• After a three-and-out by the Saints defense, Hill threw a 68-yard touchdown pass to Shaheed on the second play of the drive to build a 14-0 lead.

• New Orleans’ second scoring drive of the game was two plays for 73 yards and 50 seconds.

• In the first half, New Orleans gained 235 yards with 167 yards coming through the air.

• The Black and Gold scored on its first possession of the second half with a 22-yard touchdown pass from Dalton to Johnson.

• The scoring drive was 11 plays, 75 yards, took 7:12 off the clock and was highlighted by a pair of third-down conversions, just like the game’s opening drive.

• The Saints defense collected four sacks, eight pass deflections and had one takeway after recovering a fumble.

• New Orleans held the Falcons to just 120 yards and collected three sacks and five pass deflections in the first 30 minutes of play.

• The Saints defense sealed the game with defensive back Justin Evans’ first forced fumble of his career and cornerback Bradley Roby recovering the ball with 2:03 left to play.

• With his fourth solo tackle, linebacker Demario Davis reached 350 solo tackles in his career with the Black and Gold. Davis finished with a team-best eight tackles, including six solo tackles bringing his career total to 352 solo tackles with the Saints.

• Safety Marcus Maye and defensive tackle Shy Tuttle followed with seven total tackles apiece. Maye matched Davis’ six solo tackles and had two pass deflections.

• Safety Tyrann Mathieu logged six tackles (all solo) and recorded his first sack of the season. Mathieu also had two pass deflections for the second time this season.

• Defensive end Cameron Jordan played in his 200th career game (regular season/postseason combined) on Sunday, surpassing linebacker Rickey Jackson in a tie for fourth in the club record books and moving into a tie for third with kicker Morten Andersen, the most games played by a defensive Saint. Jordan joined quarterback Drew Brees, punter Thomas Morstead and Andersen as only the fourth Saint to play in 200 career contests with the club. Jordan played in his 189th career regular season game as a Saint, putting him in a tie for fifth in club record books with former Black and Gold defensive lineman Frank Warren.

• Rookie cornerback Alontae Taylor recorded four solo tackles and had three passes defensed for the second time this season to now lead the team with 10.