NEW ORLEANS (Interstat) — The Atlanta Falcons leaned on a punishing ground game and an efficient passing day from Michael Penix Jr. to defeat the New Orleans Saints 45-24 on Monday at Caesars Superdome. Atlanta improved to 2-2, while New Orleans dropped to 1-3 before an announced attendance of 70,007. The game was a National Football League contest that Atlanta controlled early and then sealed with a fourth-quarter burst. Penix, listed at 6-foot-2 and 216 pounds, completed 15 of 20 passes for 223 yards and one touchdown. He previously completed 18 of 25 passes for 256 yards and one touchdown in Atlanta’s win at Green Bay. New Orleans quarterback Tyler Shough, a 6-foot-5, 219-pound passer from Chandler, Arizona, completed 30 of 48 passes for 286 yards and one touchdown while adding two rushes for 5 yards. Shough kept the Saints within range at times, but Atlanta’s offense found answers throughout.

Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson finished with 19 carries for 145 yards, one reception for 2 yards and two touchdowns. Brian Robinson Jr. added 14 carries for 62 yards, one catch for 5 yards and three touchdowns. Their production powered an offense that scored in every quarter and repeatedly converted key short-yardage chances. Bijan Robinson opened the scoring with 13:34 remaining in the first quarter on a 59-yard run around left end, and Nick Folk’s extra point made it 7-0. With 48 seconds left in the opening quarter, Bijan Robinson scored again on a 4-yard run behind left guard, and Folk’s kick pushed the lead to 14-0.

New Orleans answered early in the second quarter when Alvin Kamara scored on a 3-yard run up the middle with 14:57 remaining, and Daniel Carlson added the extra point. Atlanta responded with 8:59 left in the half when Brian Robinson Jr. scored on a 4-yard run through right guard. Folk’s extra point made it 21-7. Folk then connected on a 29-yard field goal with 3:07 remaining in the second quarter, sending Atlanta into halftime with a 24-7 lead. The Saints managed a 27-yard field goal from Carlson with 7:38 remaining in the third quarter, but Atlanta answered again when Brian Robinson Jr. scored on an 8-yard run through right tackle with 2:11 left in the third. Folk’s extra point restored a three-score cushion at 31-10.

In the fourth quarter, Kamara scored his second touchdown on a 5-yard run up the middle with 13 minutes remaining, and Carlson’s extra point trimmed the margin to 31-17. Penix then delivered the play that helped put the game away, finding Jahan Dotson deep over the middle for a 31-yard touchdown with 9:50 remaining. Folk’s extra point made it 38-17. Brian Robinson Jr. added his third touchdown on an 11-yard run around left guard with 6:52 remaining, and Folk’s kick made it 45-17. New Orleans closed the scoring with 1:13 remaining when Shough found Devaughn Vele on a short pass to the left for a 3-yard touchdown, and Carlson added the extra point.

Shough spread the ball among several targets. Chris Olave led the Saints with eight receptions for 116 yards. Juwan Johnson caught six passes for 59 yards. Vele finished with six receptions for 54 yards and one touchdown. Kamara totaled seven carries for 23 yards and five receptions for 35 yards to go with his two touchdowns. Kendre Miller had six rushes for 9 yards and two catches for 10 yards. C.J. Donaldson added three rushes for 18 yards, two receptions for 5 yards and one tackle. Bryce Lance caught one pass for 7 yards. Barion Brown returned five kickoffs for 130 yards and one punt for 2 yards. Jayden Price returned three kickoffs for 79 yards and made one tackle. Ryan Wright punted three times for 149 yards.

Penix also distributed the ball well. Drake London caught five passes for 96 yards. Dotson had two receptions for 54 yards and a touchdown. Kyle Pitts Sr. caught three passes for 47 yards. Zachariah Branch had two receptions for 10 yards, returned three kickoffs for 65 yards and returned one punt for 25 yards. Austin Hooper caught one pass for 9 yards. Jake Bailey punted twice for 72 yards for Atlanta. Charlie Woerner recorded one tackle. The Falcons’ defense got 10 tackles apiece from C.J. Henderson and Harold Perkins Jr., who also had half a sack. Xavier Watts added eight tackles and half a sack. Cameron Thomas had five tackles. Mike Hughes and Kendal Daniels each made four tackles, while Divine Deablo had three.

New Orleans’ defense was led by Julian Blackmon, who made 10 tackles. Jonas Sanker and Tyree Wilson each had six tackles, with Wilson adding one sack. Danny Stutsman had five tackles. Justin Reid, Chase Young, Pete Werner, Quincy Riley and Fadil Diggs each recorded four tackles. Khristian Boyd had three tackles. Colby Wooden, Cameron Jordan, Kool-Aid McKinstry and Nathan Shepherd each had two tackles. Jayden Price, John Ridgeway III, Davon Godchaux, Oscar Delp, Isaiah Stalbird and Vernon Broughton each made one tackle. Daniel Carlson made a 27-yard field goal. The Saints’ special teams also included Wright’s three punts and Brown’s return work.

The result gave Atlanta a split of its first four games. Atlanta had beaten Green Bay in its previous game after losses to Pittsburgh and Carolina. New Orleans had lost to Las Vegas in its previous game and had split its first two contests, including a win at Baltimore and an overtime loss at Detroit. Atlanta is scheduled to host Baltimore next, followed by home games against Chicago and San Francisco. New Orleans is set to host Minnesota next before traveling to the New York Giants and then hosting Pittsburgh.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of New Orleans 34, Atlanta 24. Interstat’s ELO system had projected New Orleans with a 53.7 percent probability to win. Atlanta had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of +1.5. The total score of 69 went under the over/under line of 47.5.