When Falcons punter Bradly Pinion entered the field after the offense's first drive stalled at the Saints' 46-yard line, it appeared the eight-play, 24-yard drive would result in zero points. Instead, Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed dropped the punt after calling for a fair catch inside the 5-yard line. It rolled into the end zone, where Falcons wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge jumped on it for a special teams touchdown.

NOTE: According to TruMedia, this was the first botched punt that the Falcons returned for a touchdown since at least 2000.

Atlanta had moved the ball during its first offensive possession, but a facemask penalty on left guard Matthew Bergeron set the Falcons back 15 yards and a second down that they were unable to recover from.

The Saints offense responded with a touchdown of their own when tight end Taysom Hill scored on a 2-yard run. It capped a nine-play, 70-yard drive in which the Saints effectively ran the ball against the Falcons. That was evident on two 13-yard runs, one by Shaheed and one by running back Alvin Kamara.

The Falcons, on the other hand, struggled to get the ground game going early on. After each offensive action, the difference in the success rate of the two teams was obvious. Only Falcons running back Bijan Robinson had run the ball on two runs for 2 yards, while the Saints had three players combine for six runs for 41 yards. This was not a sustainable approach for Atlanta’s offense.

Nor was the ball turned over, which was the case in the next series. This is a continuing problem for the Falcons in 2024.

On the fifth play of the Falcons' second drive, Cousins ​​attempted a second-and-3 pass to wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud III. McCloud fell on his way and Saints cornerback Paulson Adebo was there to block the pass.

New Orleans took over at its own 47-yard line and found itself at Atlanta's 15-yard line at the end of the quarter. The Saints converted on a 7-yard run by Hill on a fourth-and-1 along the way. New Orleans finished the first period with 59 rushing yards on 11 carries, compared to 9 yards on three runs by the Falcons. The score was tied, but the Saints moved the ball much better on offense.

Falcons: KhaDarel Hodge muffled punt recovery…7-0, ATL

Saints: Taysom Hill 2-yard run; PAT well…7-7, ALL

END Q1: Falcons 7, Saints 7