NEW ORLEANS — Darren Rizzi’s first game day as an NFL head coach did not begin on a good note.

“I get down to the Superdome and go into the head coach’s locker room, which I’ve never used before. I go to the bathroom and I clogged the toilet,” Rizzi said. “And I’m like, ‘This is going to be a crappy day’ — pun intended. I’m not really feeling like a head coach of an NFL team right now.”

A few hours later, things were flowing a lot better.

Derek Carr threw two touchdown passes to Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and the New Orleans Saints gave their interim coach Rizzi a win in his debut by beating the Atlanta Falcons 20-17 on Sunday.

New Orleans (3-7) snapped a seven-game losing streak that led to the firing of head coach Dennis Allen early last week. Rizzi, the special teams coordinator, was elevated to the position for the rest of the season.

“The entire building is getting a game ball this week,” Rizzi said in his postgame press conference. “Everybody was phenomenal — support staff, coaching staff, front office, players, equipment guys. I gave the equipment guys more work this week changing the lockers around. Never heard anybody complain. Everybody from day one bought in, so everybody is getting a game ball.”

MUST WATCH!!!!!

Darren Rizzi: insightful, informative and very real!

The #Saints interim head coach with a no B.S. glimpse into how his day started in the Superdome.

How can you not love this guy!!!!! pic.twitter.com/QrBjLjhMB2

— Fletcher Mackel (@FletcherWDSU) November 10, 2024

The Saints have struggled on offense all season, but got enough big plays and production to finally get back in the win column.

Carr threw touchdown passes of 40 and 2 yards to Valdes-Scantling in the second quarter to help the Saints take a 17-7 lead.

Carr is one of a number of starters who have missed games because of injuries in the first half of the season. He finished 16-of-25 passing for 269 yards.

Valdes-Scantling, who was signed three weeks ago because the Saints have three receivers on injured reserve, caught three passes for 109 yards. In addition to his long touchdown, he caught a 67-yard bomb from Carr to set up the second.

Running back Alvin Kamara also had 109 total yards — 55 rushing and 54 receiving on five catches — to become the franchise’s all-time leading rusher.

“There’s some wide receivers that weren’t even on our roster today that were making catches,” Rizzi said, referring to the team’s banged-up receiving corps.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Welcome to the DOME!

📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/QRmg5SRBZn

— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) November 10, 2024

Bijan Robinson rushed for 106 yards and two touchdowns for Atlanta (6-4), including a 37-yarder with 1:43 left in the third quarter that got the Falcons within 20-17.

Atlanta got the ball back with less than two minutes left when a wide-open Kamara dropped a potential game-clinching deep pass — he was well beyond the first down marker on third-and-4 and likely would have scored — but the Saints’ defense closed it out.

The Falcons got into New Orleans territory before Kirk Cousins threw to Ray-Ray McCloud short of the marker on fourth-and-4 from the 44 yard-line as time expired.

Rizzi, whose day started with one calamity, ended it with another during the postgame celebration.

“I yelled at (defensive end) Payton Turner with 30 seconds left because he’s celebrating before the game is over, so I screamed at him,” Rizzi said. “When the game is over he wanted to get me back, so he came up to me and jacked me in the back. I have a history of stingers, so my left arm went completely numb. I’m looking at him like, ‘Thanks a lot, Payton.’ But I’m fine.”