Dirty Birds Dispatch: Falcons need to get Kyle Pitts going in Domecoming

FLOWERY BRANCH — Ask Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich about rivalries in the NFL, and he’ll tell you most are fake. They’re manufactured for hype. The players don’t embrace them, or at least not as much as they do in college. The environments don’t meet the billing.

But not this one. And certainly not this year.

Tension between the Falcons and Saints, Ulbrich said, is real. Entirely. Nothing fictitious. It’s cool and exciting, he says. And when the two sides meet at 8:15 p.m. Monday at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, it’ll be loud, too.

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“It’s always that place where your ears hurt when you leave,” Ulbrich said, “but it’s extra special when it’s these two organizations, for sure.”

This meeting carries additional weight. It’s the 20th anniversary of the “Domecoming,” when the Saints took a 23-3 victory over the Falcons on Sept. 25, 2006, in the first game back in the Superdome following Hurricane Katrina. That, too, was a “Monday Night Football” bout.

Falcons players and coaches say they know of the game, but few remember vivid details. The Falcons spoiled the 10-year anniversary, taking a 45-32 win in a Monday night showdown in 2016, and they’re hoping for the same this time around.

Already exposed to loud crowds in Pittsburgh and Green Bay, the Falcons anticipate nothing different in New Orleans.

They carry momentum from a 35-14 win over the Packers, where quarterback Michael Penix Jr. starred and Kevin Stefanski took his first win as the team’s coach. They’ll get the chance to build Monday night, when they’ll either silence a boisterous crowd or give it reason to yell, and cheer, even louder.

“It’s just an electric crowd,” Stefanski said. “It’s outstanding. It affects how you operate, obviously. But I think any competitor, you look around the league, you love to be in these types of situations.”

Competitors certainly love a good rivalry, too.

Falcons still need to get Kyle Pitts involved

Stefanski said the Falcons are “always thinking about” Pitts, receiver Drake London and running back Bijan Robinson. The latter two proved evident against the Packers — London had 194 receiving yards, Robinson tallied 194 rushing yards — but the former still hasn’t shown itself true to begin this season.

Falcons offensive coordinator Tommy Rees acknowledged before Week 3 the team’s love of tight ends hadn’t yet been apparent on the stat sheet. Pitts made just one catch for 15 yards in the season’s first two games, then caught only one pass for five yards in Green Bay.

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So, what gives? Stefanski implied it’s the way the Falcons are being played, and some games — like the team’s win over the Packers — take on a different form, such as riding the hot hands of London and Robinson.

“When the defense plays a certain way and allows the ball to go to a certain place, it’s where it goes,” Stefanski said. “It doesn’t change how we design the game plan. You’re trying to make sure Kyle’s involved. And when he’s there, we’ll take it. When he’s not, we’ll move on.

“But Kyle’s going to be a big part of this offense. I think you guys know that. … Kyle will be a huge part of what we do.”

In the Raiders’ 35-27 win over the Saints in Week 3, Las Vegas had considerable success targeting tight ends Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer. Bowers tallied 10 catches for 116 yards and one touchdown, while Mayer caught three passes for 32 yards and a score. Perhaps Pitts gets his first touchdown of the season Monday night.

Falcons hope Stefanski picks up their Monday magic

One of the more interesting storylines entering the Falcons’ dominant win over the Packers was Stefanski’s historically brilliant work on “Thursday Night Football.” He carried a 5-0 record into Lambeau Field and walked away with his perfect mark intact.

It’s a far different story for “Monday Night Football.” Under Stefanski, the Cleveland Browns went just 1-5, including 0-4 when coming off a win the week before. Of the Browns’ five losses, three came by one possession, and their average margin of defeat was only 6.4 points.

The Falcons, meanwhile, have been strong in Monday night games recently. After not appearing in any such contests from 2021-23, they won all four “Monday Night Football” outings under former coach Raheem Morris, going 2-0 in both 2024 and 2025.

Shough’s rise key to Saints’ hopes

Stefanski is no stranger to Saints quarterback Tyler Shough, who took an official visit to the Cleveland Browns during the 2025 pre-draft process, Stefanski’s final year leading the team. The new Falcons coach said he “spent a lot of time” with Shough throughout the spring in 2025 and thinks highly of New Orleans’ second-year signal-caller.

“He’s, first of all, wired the right way,” Stefanski said Tuesday. “Great kid. Very experienced. He’s used a lot of his experience to his advantage. Extremely athletic — really, really athletic player. Can make every throw as a playmaker.”

Shough, who played seven college seasons across stints at Oregon, Texas Tech and Louisville, turned 27 years old Monday. A second-round pick, Shough started nine games as a rookie in 2025, going 5-4 but losing both starts to the Falcons.

• Through three games, Shough is 91-for-132, passing for 917 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions.
• He leads the NFL in completions and attempts, ranks second in passing yards and is tied for third in touchdowns.
• He’s also been sacked 10 times, tied for second-most in the league.

Stefanski acknowledged Shough has made a jump from his rookie year to his second season under coach Kellen Moore and offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier.

“I think Kellen and their entire staff do an outstanding job with their offense and with the young quarterback in particular in this case,” Stefanski said. “So, can’t say I’m surprised because (it’s a) good coach and a good player.”