NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Tyler Shough knew about the decades-old Falcons-Saints rivalry long before he was drafted by New Orleans last spring.
Now the rookie quarterback looks forward to making his first Superdome start in that matchup on Sunday.
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Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson (7) carries against Carolina Panthers cornerback Corey Thornton (31) in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave celebrates after scoring against the Carolina Panthers during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) scrambles against the Carolina Panthers in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough passes for a touchdown against the Carolina Panthers during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)
“It’s a really cool opportunity,” said Shough, who went 1-1 in his first two NFL starts, both on the road. "I’m obviously new to the rivalry, but it feels a little bit different, for sure.
"That’s a good thing,” he added.
The Falcons (3-7) and Saints (2-8) are in the midst of disappointing seasons. But the Atlanta-New Orleans matchup tends to be intense, regardless of where the teams are in the standings.
Saints veteran defensive end Cameron Jordan, now in his 15th season with New Orleans, has a long history of engaging in lighthearted mockery of the Falcons.
“The Fail-cons. Ain't-lanta. Can't-lanta. Those that don't rise up,” Jordan said. “There's a lot that comes to mind. And I mean it personally.”
After practice this week, as players gathered on the field before heading to the locker room, Jordan addressed teammates to give his take on the rivalry with Atlanta.
“He freakin’ hates them," a seemingly amused Shough said.
The Falcons, who played their first NFL game in 1966, and the Saints, who began play in 1967, have met 111 times in the regular season, with New Orleans winning 56 and Atlanta 55. They met once in the playoffs in 1991 — a game won by the Falcons.
Meanwhile, there's plenty on the line for individual players such as Shough, who was drafted 40th overall and aims to make his case for being New Orleans' QB of the future. His future looks more promising after his performance in a 17-7 victory at Carolina in Week 10.
“I want to be here for the long run," Shough said. "I love my teammates and love these guys and whoever’s here, we’re going to go out there and get after it.”
On the other side, 14-year veteran QB Kirk Cousins was pressed into service for Atlanta because of a knee injury to Michael Penix Jr., who's slated for season-ending surgery.
“My heart breaks for him,” Cousins said of Penix. "But I do think there’s a lot of resilient people in our locker room.
“That’s important — to just stay positive through whatever happens in this league,” Cousins added. "You’re going to have adversity, and when you face it, you’ve got to be ready to handle it well.”
Though Cousins started the Falcons’ 34-10 loss to Miami on Oct. 26 when Penix was held out with a bone bruise on his left knee, there was uncertainty through the week about the team’s plan at QB. This week, Cousins has known he was the starter since Monday and the Falcons have tailored their gameplan for him for the first time since his final start last season — a win at Las Vegas on Dec. 16.
“It’s really important,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said. "The install is for him. The install is about him.”
Asked if he wants to prove in the final seven games he can still be an effective starter, Cousins said: “I don’t know about prove it to myself. It’s an opportunity. What a privilege it is to go out and play and you have to be grateful for the gift that it is.”
While top Saints wideout Chris Olave is in the midst of potentially the best of his four NFL seasons, the rest of the Saints' rotation at receiver will look different going forward.
The Saints granted veteran Brandin Cooks his request to be released this week, just two weeks after trading veteran deep threat Rashid Shaheed to Seattle.
Saints coach Kellen Moore said the second and third receivers in his offense now are expected to be Devaughn Vele, who has six catches for 54 yards and one touchdown, and fellow second-year pro Mason Tipton, who does not have a catch this season.
Since coming back from a collarbone injury during training camp, Darnell Mooney has just 16 catches for 224 yards and no touchdowns.
With top wide receiver Drake London out this week with a knee injury, the Falcons hope to see Mooney return to form.
Mooney had 64 catches for 992 yards and five touchdowns last season, with most of the production coming with Cousins at quarterback.
“I’d love to see him really be able to take off in this last stretch here,” Cousins said.
Mooney had three catches for 34 yards against Carolina last week.
The Saints' defense ranks ninth in yards passing allowed with 193.7 per game and has yet to allow a single receiver to gain 100 yards in a game.
In the past two seasons, the Saints have overhauled their secondary. Gone are former starting cornerbacks Marshon Lattimore and Paulson Adebo, replaced by fourth-year pro Alontae Taylor and second-year pro Kool-Aid McKinstry. The Saints have two new safeties in veteran Justin Reid and rookie Jonas Sanker. Another rookie, Quincy Riley, has become a regular, mostly as a slot defensive back, or nickelback.
“I love the way our back end has been growing and developing," Moore said. "It’s about playing assignment-sound football, not allowing explosive plays.”
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Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson (7) carries against Carolina Panthers cornerback Corey Thornton (31) in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave celebrates after scoring against the Carolina Panthers during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) scrambles against the Carolina Panthers in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough passes for a touchdown against the Carolina Panthers during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian strikes killed at least eight people across Ukraine on Friday, including in a “massive” missile and drone attack near the capital, local authorities reported.
Ukrainian officials claim the Kremlin is changing its tactics to increase civilian suffering, shifting to daytime barrages and preparing to target more key infrastructure.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signaled Kyiv's openness to a potential Easter truce. The holiday is celebrated on April 12 in Ukraine and Russia.
Zelenskyy also said that Ukraine is preparing for a shift in Russian aerial tactics, with intelligence indicating that future attacks will move beyond energy infrastructure.
Russia's Defense Ministry said 192 Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight across Russia and occupied Crimea.
“The Kyiv region is once again under a massive Russian missile and drone attack,” said Mykola Kalashnyk, head of the regional military administration, in a Telegram post on Friday.
Kalashnyk said one person died and at least eight others were wounded in strikes on three of Kyiv’s satellite towns — Bucha, Fastiv and Obukhiv. Earlier in the week, residents of Bucha marked the fourth anniversary of atrocities committed in the town by Russia's invading forces.
Obukhiv resident Lesia Podoriako, 37, told The Associated Press she was at work with her child when she learned her building had been struck.
“I found out about it through Telegram channels. Then all my friends and acquaintances started calling me, telling me that our building was attacked. I have no words. The main thing is that everyone is alive and healthy,” she said.
Another person was killed in Ukraine's northern Sumy region after a Russian guided aerial bomb struck an apartment block, local Gov. Oleh Hryhorov reported. Authorities in the Kherson, Zhytomyr, Kharkiv and Donetsk regions also reported casualties from Friday's attacks.
Ukrainian officials highlighted what they said were increased daytime attacks by Russia, which they said could lead to more civilian deaths. For months, Moscow pummeled Ukraine with nighttime missile and drone strikes that could involve hundreds of drones at a time.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, said in a post on X that “almost half a thousand drones and cruise missiles” attacked Ukraine overnight.
“This is how Moscow responds to Ukraine’s Easter ceasefire proposals — with brutal attacks,” Sybiha said.
Zelenskyy on Thursday signaled Kyiv's continued openness to a potential truce on Easter, which falls next week according to the Julian calendar followed by Orthodox churches in Ukraine and Russia.
Zelenskyy told reporters that the proposal had been communicated to Moscow through U.S. channels. He added that the Kremlin's response remains unclear.
Zelenskyy has previously offered a ceasefire for the Easter period — but Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said earlier this week that Moscow wants a lasting peace settlement, not a temporary truce.
President Vladimir Putin unilaterally declared a 30-hour ceasefire last Easter, but each side accused the other of breaking it.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials said Russia was increasingly striking the country during the day, an apparent departure from months of nighttime barrages.
Andrii Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation within Ukraine's defense ministry, said that the daytime strikes aimed to “increase civilian casualties.”
“That is why the combined attack is carried out on a working day, using a large number of drones and missiles,” Kovalenko wrote on Friday in a Telegram post.
Zelenskyy told reporters on Thursday that Ukraine is preparing for Russian aerial attacks that could target water systems, logistics and other critical networks. After months of sustained strikes on power facilities, Kyiv now expects increased pressure elsewhere.
“According to intelligence documents we have received, the Russians will target logistics – railways and other infrastructure. They will also target the water supply,” Zelenskyy said at a press briefing.
Around midday on Friday, Russian forces dropped five aerial bombs on the city of Kramatorsk, in eastern Ukraine. At least two people were killed and three were injured, according to a Telegram update by Vadym Filashkin, who heads the regional military administration.
Elsewhere in Ukraine on Friday, a Russian drone strike damaged a bus in the southern city of Kherson, leaving the driver seriously wounded and at least eight passengers hurt, according to regional officials.
Separately, authorities reported sustained attacks on Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, beginning on Thursday and continuing into early Friday. Drone strikes near the city center caused several injuries. Two people later died in hospital, local Gov. Oleh Syniehubov wrote in separate Telegram updates.
Bohdan Hladykh, head of Kharkiv’s Department of Emergency Situations, said Russia struck the city at least 20 times during the day on Thursday with explosive drones.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy told reporters that the battlefield situation has stabilized, with recent intelligence assessments pointing to the most favorable conditions for Kyiv in months. While fighting remains intense across eastern sectors, Ukrainian forces have disrupted Russian offensives in recent weeks and regained limited ground.
“On Wednesday I received a report from our intelligence and an analysis from British intelligence. I received MI6’s assessment of the situation at the front: right now, it is the best situation for Ukraine in the past 10 months,” the Ukrainian leader said at a press briefing Thursday.
Zelenskyy added that Ukraine has invited U.S. negotiators to visit Kyiv, as part of ongoing discussions on security guarantees and a broader framework for ending the war. Recent talks have involved senior American officials as well as NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, with Ukraine seeking clearer commitments on long-term defense support and responses to any future Russian aggression.
Two people were hospitalized on Friday following a Ukrainian drone strike on Russia's Leningrad region, over 1,100 kilometers (684 miles) from the border, said regional Gov. Alexander Drozdenko reported, who added that the drones also set fire to an “unoccupied” building within the Morozov industrial zone.
The settlement of Morozov houses a state-owned plant that makes explosives and components for ammunition, including solid fuel used in Topol-M missile systems. The plant was put under U.S., EU and other Western sanctions following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Twelve people, including at least three Russian soldiers, were injured in a Ukrainian drone strike late Thursday on Russia’s Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, local Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov reported.
Four drones were downed during the night on the approach to Moscow, mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported Friday. He did not reference any casualties or damage.
Associated Press journalists Vasilisa Stepanenko in Obukhiv and Derek Gatopoulos in Kyiv contributed.
Broken glass is seen on beds at an which was damaged after a Russian strike on residential neighbourhood in Kriukivshchyna, Kyiv region, Ukraine, on Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
A destroyed car is seen after a Russian strike on residential neighbourhood in Vyshneve, Kyiv region, Ukraine, on Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
A house is seen damaged after a Russian strike on residential neighbourhood in Kriukivshchyna, Kyiv region, Ukraine, on Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
People walk in front of a house which was damaged after a Russian strike on residential neighbourhood in Kriukivshchyna, Kyiv region, Ukraine, on Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
People remove broken glass from their windows after a Russian strike on residential neighbourhood in Kriukivshchyna, Kyiv region, Ukraine, on Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
In this image made from video provided by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, Russian soldiers fire a grenade launcher towards Ukrainian positions on an undisclosed location in Ukraine. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)
