Game story
In Week 13 of the 2020 NFL season on 2020-12-06, the New Orleans Saints took care of business against the Atlanta Falcons, pulling away with a 21–16 final that stayed a one-score game deep into the second half.
The highest-scoring period was Q2 with 13 combined points — the stretch that most shaped the final margin.
M. Ryan (Atlanta Falcons) paced the passing game, with -8.56 total EPA, and -11.7% completion percentage over expected.
On the individual side, M. Thomas (New Orleans Saints) delivered the top overall EPA impact at +9.45 — the clearest player-of-the-game signal on the analytics sheet.
The momentum swing (-26.6% win probability) landed in the fourth quarter when Atlanta Falcons changed the game: (1:42) (Shotgun) 2-M.Ryan pass incomplete deep left to 11-J.Jones.
Line score
Final score and points by quarter.
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | — | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans Saints | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 3 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 16 |
Stars of the game
Top performers by total expected points added (EPA) across passing, rushing, and receiving.
- 1 M. Thomas · New Orleans Saints · Receiving · +9.45 total EPA · 11 snaps · +0.86 EPA/play
- 2 T. Hill · New Orleans Saints · Passing · +6.46 total EPA · 45 snaps · +0.14 EPA/play
- 3 E. Sanders · New Orleans Saints · Receiving · +2.12 total EPA · 6 snaps · +0.35 EPA/play
- 4 J. Cook · New Orleans Saints · Receiving · +1.91 total EPA · 5 snaps · +0.38 EPA/play
- 5 T. Smith · New Orleans Saints · Receiving · +1.86 total EPA · 6 snaps · +0.31 EPA/play
- 6 C. Ridley · Atlanta Falcons · Receiving · +1.81 total EPA · 10 snaps · +0.18 EPA/play
- 7 T. Lewis · New Orleans Saints · Rushing · +0.98 total EPA · 1 snaps · +0.98 EPA/play
- 8 R. Gage · Atlanta Falcons · Receiving · +0.27 total EPA · 8 snaps · +0.03 EPA/play
Player of the game
FantasyHQ analytics player-of-the-game pick based on total EPA and signature plays.
M. Thomas — NO · Receiving
M. Thomas posted the highest total EPA (+9.45) in the game, making the biggest overall impact on New Orleans Saints's efficiency. Across 11 counted snaps, they averaged +0.86 EPA per play.
The signature play (-6.04 EPA) came from New Orleans Saints: (11:21) (Shotgun) 7-T.Hill sacked at ATL 14 for -9 yards (55-S.Means). FUMBLES (55-S.Means) [55-S.Means], touched at ATL 10, RECOVERED by ATL-45-D.Jones at ATL 15.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals
Every touchdown and field goal with the player named in official play-by-play.
Touchdowns
- New Orleans Saints — T. Smith (T. Hill pass)
- New Orleans Saints — J. Cook (T. Hill pass)
- New Orleans Saints — A. Kamara
- Atlanta Falcons — R. Gage (M. Ryan pass)
Field goals
- Atlanta Falcons — Y. Koo
- Atlanta Falcons — Y. Koo
- Atlanta Falcons — Y. Koo
How it unfolded, quarter by quarter
A quarter-by-quarter recap built from live scoring plays and play descriptions.
The opening quarter: New Orleans Saints won the period 7–3. New Orleans Saints found the end zone from the ATL 15 (Q1 52:08) — (7:08) 64-W.Clapp reported in as eligible. 7-T.Hill pass short left to 10-T.Smith for 15 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; New Orleans Saints added 1 points from the ATL 15 (Q1 52:01) — 3-W.Lutz extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead.; Atlanta Falcons connected on a field goal from the NO 35 (Q1 49:00) — (4:00) 7-Y.Koo 53 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-47-J.Harris, Holder-4-S.Hofrichter..
The second quarter: New Orleans Saints won the period 7–6. Atlanta Falcons connected on a field goal from the NO 12 (Q2 34:55) — (4:55) 7-Y.Koo 30 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-47-J.Harris, Holder-4-S.Hofrichter.; New Orleans Saints found the end zone from the ATL 11 (Q2 31:50) — (1:50) (Shotgun) 7-T.Hill pass short left to 87-J.Cook for 11 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; New Orleans Saints added 1 points from the ATL 15 (Q2 31:45) — 3-W.Lutz extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead.; Atlanta Falcons connected on a field goal from the NO 10 (Q2 30:05) — (:05) 7-Y.Koo 28 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-47-J.Harris, Holder-4-S.Hofrichter..
The third quarter: New Orleans Saints won the period 7–0. New Orleans Saints found the end zone from the ATL 11 (Q3 24:06) — (9:06) (Shotgun) 41-A.Kamara left tackle for 11 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; New Orleans Saints added 1 points from the ATL 15 (Q3 24:01) — 3-W.Lutz extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead..
The fourth quarter: Atlanta Falcons won the period 7–0. Atlanta Falcons found the end zone from the NO 10 (Q4 7:49) — (7:49) (Shotgun) 2-M.Ryan pass short left to 83-R.Gage for 10 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Atlanta Falcons added 1 points from the NO 15 (Q4 7:43) — 7-Y.Koo extra point is GOOD, Center-47-J.Harris, Holder-4-S.Hofrichter..
Turning points
Plays that moved win probability the most — the swings that decided the game.
- Atlanta Falcons (Q4 1:42) — (1:42) (Shotgun) 2-M.Ryan pass incomplete deep left to 11-J.Jones.
- Atlanta Falcons (Q4 2:30) — (2:30) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 2-M.Ryan pass deep middle to 11-J.Jones to NO 21 for 18 yards (43-M.Williams).
- Atlanta Falcons (Q4 0:09) — (:09) (Shotgun) 2-M.Ryan pass incomplete deep middle (36-D.Swearinger).
- Atlanta Falcons (Q4 1:49) — (1:49) (Shotgun) 21-T.Gurley left tackle to NO 20 for -7 yards (56-D.Davis).
- Atlanta Falcons (Q4 7:49) — (7:49) (Shotgun) 2-M.Ryan pass short left to 83-R.Gage for 10 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Impact plays
Highest expected-points added snaps that flipped field position and scoring chances.
- New Orleans Saints (Q4 11:21) — (11:21) (Shotgun) 7-T.Hill sacked at ATL 14 for -9 yards (55-S.Means). FUMBLES (55-S.Means) [55-S.Means], touched at ATL 10, RECOVERED by ATL-45-D.Jones at ATL 15.
- Atlanta Falcons (Q4 14:39) — (14:39) (Shotgun) 2-M.Ryan pass incomplete short right to 81-H.Hurst (96-C.Granderson) [96-C.Granderson]. New Orleans challenged the incomplete pass ruling, and the play was REVERSED. (Shotgun) 2-M.Ry
- New Orleans Saints (Q2 42:00) — (12:00) 3-W.Lutz 40 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Right, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead.
- Atlanta Falcons (Q4 1:42) — (1:42) (Shotgun) 2-M.Ryan pass incomplete deep left to 11-J.Jones.
Quarterback report card
M.Ryan led all passers in efficiency for Atlanta Falcons, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.
- M.Ryan (Atlanta Falcons) · 46 dropbacks · 41.3% completion · -11.7% CPOE · -0.19 EPA/play · -8.56 total EPA
- T.Hill (New Orleans Saints) · 45 dropbacks · 60.0% completion · +4.7% CPOE · +0.14 EPA/play · +6.46 total EPA
Team stats comparison
Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency from FantasyHQ analytics.
| Stat | New Orleans Saints | Atlanta Falcons |
|---|---|---|
| Offensive EPA/play | -0.023 | -0.108 |
| Offensive success rate | 42.1% | 38.8% |
| Pass EPA/play | +0.143 | -0.186 |
| Rush EPA/play | -0.040 | -0.094 |
| Defensive EPA/play | +0.108 | +0.023 |
| Defensive success rate | 61.3% | 57.9% |
By the numbers
Despite the final score, New Orleans Saints generated the better offensive EPA per play (-0.02 vs -0.11), suggesting they moved the ball more efficiently.
- Atlanta Falcons: 12 drives, -8.64 total EPA, 4 scoring drives
- New Orleans Saints: 11 drives, -2.21 total EPA, 3 scoring drives
Key takeaways
What to remember for fantasy research, film review, and follow-up box score digging.
- New Orleans Saints leaves with the win and the better postgame narrative for Week-to-week momentum.
- One-score margin — fantasy managers should double-check garbage-time stats before drawing conclusions.
- M. Thomas (New Orleans Saints) is the first name to pull up for highlight reels and prop-retrospective research.
- M. Ryan (ATL) finished below expected efficiency — volume may have masked accuracy issues.
- T. Hill (NO) beat expectation through the air — positive CPOE game for stack builds.
Every scoring play
Chronological scoring with field position and full play-by-play context.
- New Orleans Saints TD (+6) — Q1 52:08 · ATL 15 · Score 6-0
(7:08) 64-W.Clapp reported in as eligible. 7-T.Hill pass short left to 10-T.Smith for 15 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - New Orleans Saints XP (+1) — Q1 52:01 · ATL 15 · Score 7-0
3-W.Lutz extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead. - Atlanta Falcons FG (+3) — Q1 49:00 · NO 35 · Score 7-3
(4:00) 7-Y.Koo 53 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-47-J.Harris, Holder-4-S.Hofrichter. - Atlanta Falcons FG (+3) — Q2 34:55 · NO 12 · Score 7-6
(4:55) 7-Y.Koo 30 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-47-J.Harris, Holder-4-S.Hofrichter. - New Orleans Saints TD (+6) — Q2 31:50 · ATL 11 · Score 13-6
(1:50) (Shotgun) 7-T.Hill pass short left to 87-J.Cook for 11 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - New Orleans Saints XP (+1) — Q2 31:45 · ATL 15 · Score 14-6
3-W.Lutz extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead. - Atlanta Falcons FG (+3) — Q2 30:05 · NO 10 · Score 14-9
(:05) 7-Y.Koo 28 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-47-J.Harris, Holder-4-S.Hofrichter. - New Orleans Saints TD (+6) — Q3 24:06 · ATL 11 · Score 20-9
(9:06) (Shotgun) 41-A.Kamara left tackle for 11 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - New Orleans Saints XP (+1) — Q3 24:01 · ATL 15 · Score 21-9
3-W.Lutz extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead. - Atlanta Falcons TD (+6) — Q4 7:49 · NO 10 · Score 21-15
(7:49) (Shotgun) 2-M.Ryan pass short left to 83-R.Gage for 10 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Atlanta Falcons XP (+1) — Q4 7:43 · NO 15 · Score 21-16
7-Y.Koo extra point is GOOD, Center-47-J.Harris, Holder-4-S.Hofrichter.
Frequently asked questions
Who won New Orleans Saints vs Atlanta Falcons?
The New Orleans Saints beat the Atlanta Falcons 21-16 in Week 13, 2020 on 2020-12-06.
What was the final score of New Orleans Saints vs Atlanta Falcons?
The final score was New Orleans Saints 21, Atlanta Falcons 16 (NO 21-16 ATL) in Week 13, 2020 on 2020-12-06.
What was the score by quarter in New Orleans Saints vs Atlanta Falcons?
Q1: New Orleans Saints 7, Atlanta Falcons 3; Q2: New Orleans Saints 7, Atlanta Falcons 6; Q3: New Orleans Saints 7, Atlanta Falcons 0; Q4: New Orleans Saints 0, Atlanta Falcons 7; Final: New Orleans Saints 21, Atlanta Falcons 16.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals in New Orleans Saints vs Atlanta Falcons?
New Orleans Saints touchdown — T. Smith (T. Hill pass) (Q1 52:08) New Orleans Saints touchdown — J. Cook (T. Hill pass) (Q2 31:50) New Orleans Saints touchdown — A. Kamara (Q3 24:06) Atlanta Falcons touchdown — R. Gage (M. Ryan pass) (Q4 7:49) Atlanta Falcons field goal — Y. Koo (Q1 49:00, 3 pts) Atlanta Falcons field goal — Y. Koo (Q2 34:55, 3 pts) Atlanta Falcons field goal — Y. Koo (Q2 30:05, 3 pts) Extra points followed each touchdown unless noted in the play-by-play.
How did the quarterbacks play in New Orleans Saints vs Atlanta Falcons?
M. Ryan (Atlanta Falcons), 41.3% completion, -11.7% CPOE, -0.19 EPA per dropback, -8.56 total passing EPA. T. Hill (New Orleans Saints), 60.0% completion, +4.7% CPOE, +0.14 EPA per dropback, +6.46 total passing EPA.
Who was the most impactful player in New Orleans Saints vs Atlanta Falcons?
M. Thomas (New Orleans Saints) led the game in total EPA with +9.45 on receiving plays. across 11 snaps. The top single-play swing was (-6.04 EPA): (11:21) (Shotgun) 7-T.Hill sacked at ATL 14 for -9 yards (55-S.Means). FUMBLES (55-S.Means) [55-S.Means], touched at ATL 10, RECOVERED by ATL-45-D.Jones at ATL 15.. The biggest win-probability swing was -26.6%.
Was New Orleans Saints vs Atlanta Falcons a close game?
Yes — the margin was 5 points. New Orleans Saints won 21-16 in a game that stayed a one-score game deep into the second half.
Season records after this game
New Orleans Saints
Entered 9-2 Now 10-2 W
Atlanta Falcons
Entered 4-7 Now 4-8 L
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