Falcons suffer a couple of key injuries against the Saints

The Falcons delivered another dominant primetime performance, shellacking the Saints by 21 points in a 45-24 victory.

Bijan Robinson and Brian Robinson Jr. got whatever they wanted on the ground, rushing for over 200 yards with five touchdowns. Michael Penix Jr. added another touchdown through the air in what was yet another incredibly efficient performance for the third-year starting quarterback. And Atlanta’s defense was once again suffocating. The pressure on Tyler Shough never allowed him to get comfortable, and the Saints managed only 50 rushing yards on 19 carries.

That’s the type of formula that’s going to win the Falcons a lot of football games this season, but one concern as we start to get into the meat of the schedule is the injuries. Atlanta was without a ton of key pieces on Monday night, and two more starters left the game in Jake Matthews and Za’Darius Smith without returning.

Matthews, who has made 199 consecutive starts for the Falcons at left tackle, is dealing with a groin injury. He was questionable to return after he exited before being downgraded to out, so there’s some hope it’s not something that will force him to miss too much time — especially given his pedigree as an ironman.

Smith left the game early and was eventually ruled out with a concussion. He’ll be in concussion protocol this week, but that didn’t stop him from celebrating with the team in the tunnel following the win — a good sign that he likely won’t have to miss much more time, if any at all.

Za'Darius Smith, you have a home in the A for life pic.twitter.com/4XcaLimrvD

— Carrie (@Carrie_ATL) October 6, 2026

In Matthews’ place, Michael Jerrell filled in at left tackle, and the Falcons’ offense didn’t miss a beat. It’s evident the kind of impact first-year offensive line coach Bill Callahan has had on this team, with everybody who’s been called upon seemingly ready to play. Jerrell likely gets the nod again if Matthews can’t play next Sunday night against the Ravens.

The same can be said for the Falcons’ defensive front. Za’Darius Smith leads the team in sacks through four games with 2.5, but there was absolutely zero drop-off when he left the game. With Jalon Walker out for the season and James Pearce Jr. serving an eight-game suspension, this is a position group that came into the season really thin on paper. However, guys have stepped up across the board, and as long as Smith doesn’t miss too much time, this isn’t something the Falcons should be overly concerned about moving forward.

—

Photo: IMAGO / Icon Sportswire