The Falcons and Saints entered into Sunday’s game looking to for a positive start to the rest of their season. Though things started slowly, the Falcons got the desired outcome behind Desmond Ridder’s poised play, a great running back trio, and a special performance from safety Jessie Bates III.
Bates seems to enjoy putting the dagger in the hearts of the other NFC South teams as all of his extraordinary performances have come within the division. After starting the year robbing rookie Bryce Young three times and creating a forced fumble, his play has been steady but not flashy. That changed once New Orleans came to town with the divisional lead on the line for the taking.
Bates was a tackling machine early in the game but things went sour for the Saints quickly, as he read Derek Carr like a children’s book and jumped the route, ran 92 yards, and managed to high step into the end zone for six points in the first quarter. In the third quarter, Bates continued his terror by causing jack-of-all-trades Tyson Hill to fumble, which Atlanta recovered.