Kirk Cousins passed for two touchdowns and the visiting Atlanta Falcons ended a five-game losing streak by defeating the New Orleans Saints 24-10 on Sunday.
Cousins completed 16 of 23 passes for 199 yards for the Falcons (4-7) as he filled in for Michael Penix Jr., who suffered a season-ending knee injury last week.
Tyler Shough passed for 243 of the 293 total yards for the Saints (2-9), who did not score an offensive touchdown. Running back Alvin Kamara left the game after injuring a knee in the first quarter and did not return.
The Saints received the second-half kickoff and drove to the Falcons’ 2, but on fourth and goal Taysom Hill’s pass was batted incomplete, and Atlanta’s 16-7 halftime lead carried into the fourth quarter.
On the sixth play of the fourth quarter, Blake Grupe, who had missed two field goal attempts earlier, made a 33-yard field goal to pull New Orleans within 16-10.
Cousins threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to Darnell Mooney and Bijan Robinson ran in a two-point conversion to increase the Falcons’ lead to 24-10 with 11:04 remaining.
On the Saints’ second play from scrimmage, Shough and Kamara mishandled a handoff, Dee Alford recovered and the Falcons took over at the New Orleans 39. Atlanta gained just 1 yard in three plays, and Zane Gonzalez kicked a 56-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.
Mason Tipton returned the ensuing kickoff 75 yards to the Falcons’ 16, but the Saints lost 5 yards in three plays and Grupe was wide right on a 38-yard field goal attempt, leaving Atlanta with a 3-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Cousins threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to David Sills V to increase the lead to 10-0 with 11:31 left in the second quarter.
New Orleans got its first points when Kool-Aid McKinstry tipped a pass by Cousins and Justin Reid intercepted and returned it 49 yards for a touchdown.
Gonzalez kicked a 41-yard field goal, and after Grupe missed a 47-yarder for the Saints, Gonzalez added a 54-yarder as time expired, giving the Falcons a 16-7 halftime lead.
