Mark Ingram rushed 15 times for 77 yards and caught 4-of-6 targets for 30 yards and one touchdown in the Saints' Week 3 loss to the Falcons, adding a two-point conversion.
The five-yard touchdown catch came when Ingram motioned out wide left and caught a screen pass before waltzing into the end zone inside the pylon. It was his first receiving touchdown of his career. As evidenced by his 5.1 YPC average, Ingram had gaping holes to run through most of the night. He also had a lengthy run called back on a holding penalty by Coby Fleener. After seeing just 27 total touches Weeks 1-2, the 19 on Monday night gives Ingram owners a sigh of relief. Backups Travaris Cadet and Tim Hightower combined for nine touches. Ingram will be a locked-in RB1 next week at a Chargers defense that was gashed by Spencer Ware in Week 1 and Frank Gore this past Sunday.
Jacob Tamme caught 3-of-4 targets for 28 yards in the Falcons' Week 3 win over the Saints on Monday night.
After seeing eight targets in each of the Falcons' first two games, Tamme was an afterthought on Monday night with the Falcons' running backs doing all the damage and Matt Ryan spreading the ball around to eight different targets. Tamme's lone missed target was an end-zone try that sailed incomplete. Tamme will be a borderline TE1/2 next week against the Panthers.
Michael Thomas caught 7-of-11 targets for 71 yards and one touchdown in the Saints' Week 3 loss to the Falcons on Monday night.
With Willie Snead (toe) inactive, Thomas played a full complement of snaps and got the start. His 11 targets tied for the team lead with Coby Fleener, who also broke out with a 7-109-1 line. Thomas was targeted on quick slant after quick slant after quick slant, and scored his touchdown on that route from three yards out. He was also the intended target on the same route on Drew Brees' back-breaking 90-yard pick-six in the fourth quarter. Thomas was Brees' featured player in the red zone, as he was also stopped at the two-yard line on one grab. Snead should be back for Week 4 against the Chargers, but Thomas has earned his role in three-wide sets. Treat him as an upside WR4.
Julio Jones was held to one catch for 16 yards on seven targets in the Falcons' 45-32, Week 3 win over the Saints on Monday night.
Jones' seven targets were a team-high, but he and Matt Ryan just couldn't connect on much of anything on a night the Falcons' running backs -- Tevin Coleman and Devonta Freeman -- combined for 296 yards and four touchdowns dominated on offense. Jones came into the game with calf and ankle ailments, and he wasn't in on every offensive snap, but didn't look to be any worse for the wear. The Saints simply sold out to stop Jones, and the rest of the offense made them pay. Jones will look to bounce back next week at home against the Panthers.
Drew Brees completed 36-of-54 passes for 376 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception in the Saints' 45-32, Week 3 loss to the Falcons on Monday night.
Unfortunately for the Saints, their defense couldn't stop the Falcons' offense, and Brees had to fire off 54 attempts playing catch-up all night. Brees had a couple passes batted down at the line of scrimmage in the first half, and his streak of 305 pass attempts without an interception ended early in the fourth quarter on a back-breaking 90-yard pick-six as the Falcons defense knew the quick slant was coming from the 10-yard line. Still, Brees found Coby Fleener (two yards), Mark Ingram (five yards), and Michael Thomas (three yards) for short scores. Brees returns to San Diego in Week 4 and will again be a strong QB1 play, even outdoors on the road.
Coby Fleener caught 7-of-11 targets for 109 yards and one touchdown in the Saints' 45-32, Week 3 loss to the Falcons on Monday night.
After totaling three catches for 35 yards on 12 combined targets Weeks 1 and 2, Fleener busted out in a big way against a soft Falcons defense. He caught his first ball for a meager five yards before capping the Saints' first drive with a two-yard touchdown. Fleener's night was still chock full of mistakes, including a pair of drops and a bad holding penalty that took a long run away from Mark Ingram. But Fleener did damage up the seams with a long catch before the half and then a 36-yard gain in the fourth quarter to set up Ingram's five-yard score. Those that dropped Fleener are probably kicking themselves. He'll be in another elite spot Week 4 at San Diego. The Chargers have elite corners, but had given up the most catches and most yards to tight ends entering Monday.
Tevin Coleman rushed 12 times for 42 yards and three touchdowns in the Falcons' 45-32, Week 3 win over the Saints, adding three catches for 47 yards on three targets.
Coleman and Devonta Freeman continued to split the snaps and touches Monday night, but Coleman was the one getting all the scoring chances inside the 10-yard line, with touchdown runs of two, two, and six yards. Freeman owners still have plenty to be happy about after Freeman piled up 207 total yards and a touchdown of his own on 19 touches to Coleman's 15 touches. This offense can support both backs with the tempo it plays at and all the touches it funnels to the two runners. Coleman will be back on the RB2 map next week in a home date with the Panthers.
Devonta Freeman rushed 14 times for 152 yards and caught 5-of-5 targets for 55 yards and one touchdown in the Falcons' 45-32, Week 3 win over the Saints on Monday night.
It was about as perfect a stat line one can have in the blowout loss against the Saints' not-there defense. Freeman and Tevin Coleman continued to split snaps as they had the first two weeks, but Freeman ran with anger right out of the gates. On his first carry, Freeman shoved CB Sterling Moore to the ground with a violent stiff-arm, and it only got better from there. Two of Freeman's three longest career runs came Monday night, as he broke off 36- and 48-yard gains, running through gaping holes all evening. His touchdown came on a walk-in, 13-yard swing pass. Backfield mate Tevin Coleman did have three rushing scores of his own, but Freeman owners will be extremely happy with this performance. Keep firing him up as an RB2 next week vs. Carolina.