Table of Contents
Week 4 of the 2026 NFL season will come to a close in New Orleans on Monday night with a prime-time matchup between the Falcons and Saints.
The Falcons enter Monday night well rested, having not played since last Thursday when they took down the Packers 35–14. The victory was not only Atlanta’s first win of the season, but also the return of quarterback Michael Penix Jr. to the lineup after he tore his ACL in 2025. The 26-year-old completed 72% of his passes on 10.2 yards per attempt for 256 yards, one touchdown and one interception in his debut.
On the other sideline Monday night will be the Saints, who come into this one with a 1–2 record despite boasting one of the league’s top passing attacks through three weeks. The Saints’ defense has been keeping them down—as they’ve allowed 27.7 points per game and have forced just three turnovers.
We’re in for a classic, NFC South showdown on Monday night. Here are three bold predictions for Falcons vs. Saints.
Chris Olave will tally 150-plus receiving yards
Part of what’s made the Saints’ top-tier passing game so dominant this season has been quarterback Tyler Shough’s continued trust in wide receiver Chris Olave. Heading into Week 4, the 26-year-old pass catcher was tied for first in the NFL with 27 catches and ranked second in receiving yards with 375, trailing only Seahawks star Jaxon Smith-Njigba (405).
“Every single rep, him and I are getting closer and closer from a chemistry standpoint,” Shough said this week on his growing on-field relationship with Olave. “… I have full trust in him. I think he’s the best in the league. So I’ve got to do my job to make sure he’s getting the ball and make sure I’m protecting him.”
To me, that sounds like Olave will have plenty of opportunities on Monday night against the Falcons—which is why I’m predicting that he’ll tally 150-plus receiving yards for his third triple-digit game of the season.
<section data-block="SingleChoice"><h2>Who will win Monday night's game in New Orleans?</h2><p><p><span style="font-size: 12px;">Make your pick and continue to the final results page to see how your answer compares</span><span style="font-size: 12px;"> ➡️</span></p></p><ul><li>Falcons</li><li>Saints</li></ul></section>
Drake London will score his first touchdown of the season
Falcons wide receiver Drake London found quite the groove in Penix’s debut last Thursday night, notching a career-high 194 receiving yards on nine catches. It was the 25-year-old’s third career prime-time game with 150-plus receiving yards—tying Julio Jones for the most in Falcons franchise history.
The only thing missing from London’s impressive start to the season is a touchdown, as he’s been held scoreless through Atlanta’s first three games.
It’s clear that Penix and London have quite a connection. Through 15 games with Penix as the starter, London has hauled in 100 receptions for 1,480 yards and scored nine touchdowns. It’s time for London to find the end zone in 2026, and so, given the chemistry he has with his quarterback, I’m predicting that London will finally score a touchdown on Monday night against the Saints.
The Saints will win by 20 as they commemorate the 20th anniversary of The Domecoming
Monday night marks the unofficial 20th anniversary of The Domecoming, the Saints’ first game back at the Superdome following Hurricane Katrina. That night in New Orleans was special, as a first-quarter Steve Gleason blocked punt ignited the home crowd before the Saints ultimately defeated the Falcons 23–3.
Needless to say, Monday night is also likely to be an emotional one in the Bayou.
While the Falcons are coming off an impressive win last Thursday night and seem to be headed in the right direction, I can’t help but think that the Saints are going to feed off of the energy inside the Superdome and deliver another memorable moment, 20 years later.
And so, as fate would have it, I’m predicting that the Saints will win this one by the same 20-point margin as The Domecoming—and come away with a 30–10 victory over the Falcons to improve to 2–2 on the season.
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollowPublished | Modified 
MIKE KADLICK
Mike Kadlick is a senior NFL news writer for Sports Illustrated. He’s also a New England Patriots reporter for CLNS Media, where he hosts the Patriots Daily podcast and covers the beat from Gillette Stadium. Before joining SI, Kadlick worked at WEEI sports radio in Boston. He holds a master’s degree in public relations from Boston University. When Kadlick’s not covering football, he can be found running, spending time with his wife and dog, and enjoying all things pizza.
Share on XFollow mikekadlickShare on FacebookShare on XHome/NFLOriginal Article
