Studs and Duds from the Falcons' Week 18 win over the Saints

6 days ago 2

The Atlanta Falcons ended their chaotic 2025 season in a three-way tie for first place in the NFC South. It's tough to look back at what could have been considering how the team played against the Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills. However, the Falcons' inconsistency came back to bite them and now big changes are coming.

While Atlanta did end the season on a high, the franchise's post-game decisions have put a damper on Sunday's win. Here's a look at the studs and duds from the Falcons' 19-17 victory over the Saints in Week 18.

Stud: EDGE James Pearce Jr.

There were no shotage of people mocking the Falcons for drafting James Pearce Jr after trading back into the first round to get him in 2025. Sure, you can argue that they were better off to take him with their original first-round selection, but Jalon Walker hasn't been bad either and the need was there for two pass rushers. Even so, Pearce has now ended the season with 10.5 sacks (most by a rookie since Micah Parsons) and played a part in the team's franchise record 57 sacks in 2025.

Dud: RB Bijan Robinson

Bijan Robinson just didn't have a normal day by his standards. The lack of explosion in the passing game allowed the Saints to load the box against the run. However, while we didn't get the Robinson we're used to, the team still found a way to win without the star running back having a major impact.

Stud: CB Dee Alford

With the game on the line and the Saints pushing to get the win, Dee Alford came away with a clutch game-clinching interception that allowed the Falcons to kick a field goal and take a nine-point lead. Alford rarely gets the credit for his versatility, but he has stepped up when called upon all season long.

Fired: Head coach Raheem Morris, GM Terry Fontenot

The head coach and general manager duo have been fired. Morris had been with the Falcons for two seasons, going 16-18 overall. While he did get the team to play well in some big games this season, Atlanta lacked consistency during his tenure. Fontenot, on the other hand, had been the GM since 2021 when he was brought on with former Falcons head coach Arthur Smith. It's rare for a general manager to survive three coaching changes without a winning record.

This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Falcons defeat Saints: Studs and duds from NFL Week 18 win

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