NEW ORLEANS, LA — Bijan Robinson rushed for 145 yards and two touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons rolled to a 45-24 victory over the New Orleans Saints on Monday night.
Brian Robinson Jr. added three short touchdown runs for Atlanta. The Falcons (2-2) never trailed and controlled the line of scrimmage, outrushing the Saints 207-50.
Atlanta continued its strong play behind quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who returned to the lineup in a 35-14 victory over Green Bay. Penix completed 15 of 20 passes for 223 yards and a touchdown against New Orleans.
His 31-yard touchdown pass to Jahan Dotson in the fourth quarter helped put the game out of reach and sent many Saints fans toward the exits.
New Orleans running back Alvin Kamara scored his first two touchdowns of the season. His second cut Atlanta's lead to 31-17 early in the fourth quarter.
Saints quarterback Tyler Shough threw for 286 yards and connected with Devaughn Vele for a late touchdown.
Atlanta again received the opening kickoff Monday while wearing red, but this time the Falcons struck first.
Bijan Robinson broke through the left side of the offensive line and raced 59 yards for a touchdown, giving Atlanta an early lead.
It marked the fourth time in four games that New Orleans had fallen behind early.
The Saints missed an opportunity to respond when Daniel Carlson failed on a 52-yard field goal attempt. Running back Kendre Miller then lost a fumble at the New Orleans 22-yard line on the Saints' following possession.
Atlanta capitalized on the turnover, with Bijan Robinson scoring on a 4-yard run to make it 14-0. The drive was aided by a third-down defensive holding penalty against cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry.
The Falcons return home to face Baltimore on Sunday night. The Saints, who fell to 1-3, will host Minnesota on Sunday.
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