After entering Week 18 on a five-game win streak with all the momentum in the world, the New Orleans Saints had a real chance to end the season with a win. Instead, the Atlanta Falcons earned a 19-17 victory over New Orleans.
For the first time in a while, the obstacles proved too much for this team, but the Saints still had several standout performances.
QB Tyler Shough
If QB Tyler Shough had a horrible game today, every Saints fan would have understood. Once LT Kelvin Banks Jr. went out with an injury, Shough was playing with just three other starters on offense. There was no reason for him to play well, but Shough still made plays and looked like a franchise QB.
He finished with 259 passing yards, one passing touchdown, one interception (which was the first time he made a genuine rookie mistake), 34 rushing yards, and one rushing touchdown. Shough was throwing to backups who dropped passes or made other mistakes. The Saints can feel comfortable at QB heading into the 2026 season.
The Starting Pass Rush
There was no way to choose just one of these starters, so all were included. When EDGEs Chase Young, Cam Jordan, and Carl Granderson were on the field, the Falcons’ offense struggled. Young recorded 1.5 sacks (10 on the season), Granderson had 1.5 sacks (six on the season), and Jordan added one sack (10.5 on the season) in this game (all season sack totals are provided by PFSN’s EDGE Impact Metric).
Kool-Aid McKinstry
The final standout performer was second-year CB Kool-Aid McKinstry, and it was much needed. The young defensive playmaker has had an up-and-down season, flashing at times and getting beaten far too often at others. Looking ahead to next season, cornerback remains a major need for the Saints, regardless of McKinstry’s development. New Orleans needs McKinstry to play like a CB1.
McKinstry has always excelled in man coverage, but with the Saints’ shift to heavy zone under Brandon Staley, he needed to adjust, and that process has taken time. One of the best plays of the day came early, when McKinstry perfectly read the play in zone coverage and broke up the ball while avoiding the rub route.
