Jan 4, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan (94) walks with Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris after a game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Jan 4, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan (94) walks with Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris after a game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The New Orleans Saints don't have much time to dwell on what went wrong against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Now they must shift their attention to their game against the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football, who come to the Caesars Superdome for the Saints' first NFC South matchup of the season. With both teams sitting at 1-2, New Orleans has an opportunity to not only get back to .500 but claim bragging rights over its longtime divisional rivals.
But there are a few individual performances from that loss that become even more concerning when looking ahead to Atlanta.
Here are two Saints whose stock is down — and who will be under the microscope against Atlanta.
Safety Justin Reid
Saints S Justin Reid
Sep 20, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Justice Hill (43) runs with the ball while defended by New Orleans Saints safety Justin Reid (21) in the second quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
It was a difficult afternoon for Justin Reid, and the numbers backed it up.
Reid received a 28.2 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, the lowest among Saints players who logged at least 20 snaps. His biggest struggles came in coverage, where PFF gave him a 29.6 grade.
PFF charted Reid as the nearest defender on six completions for 74 yards and a touchdown, with opposing quarterbacks producing a 150.3 passer rating when targeting his coverage. That doesn't mean Reid was at fault for each completion because coverage assignments can make nearest-defender statistics imperfect, but it does show how frequently Las Vegas found success in his area.
Reid also drew an unnecessary roughness penalty in the end zone, adding another negative play to an already difficult outing.
The veteran safety was brought to New Orleans to provide stability and experience and, for the most part, has been on the back end, but Week 3 was easily one of those performances he would like to shake off.
EDGE Cameron Jordan
Saints EDGE Cam Jordan
Sep 27, 2026; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints defensive line Khristian Boyd (97) and defensive end Cameron Jordan (94) react after a defensive stop in the second quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
While Chase Young continues to generate pressure from one side of the Saints' defensive front, Cameron Jordan hasn't been nearly as productive from the other.
Jordan finished with a 45.6 overall PFF grade, the second-lowest mark among Saints players who played at least 20 snaps. His 24.8 tackling grade was the lowest defensive grade in any individual category highlighted by PFF's Week 3 numbers.
The pass-rush production was also limited. Jordan rushed Kirk Cousins 21 times but generated only one pressure, according to PFF.
The contrast with Young was noticeable. Young recorded two sacks and earned an 81.1 overall grade and 87.1 pass-rush grade, while Jordan struggled to consistently affect Cousins.
At 37, the Saints aren't asking him to carry their pass rush anymore, but they still need more impact from one of the most experienced players on the defense.
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