A look back at one of the most bitter rivalries in sports, which could also be a key factor in determining the NFC South
and Atlanta Falcons have one of the most closely contested and bitter rivalries in all of sports. Vastly under publicized, the two teams have often finished below .500 throughout their history. That hasn't prevented the two franchises from downright hate at times over the years.
After the initial home win against the Falcons in their inaugural season of 1967, the Saints would lose their next nine matchups against Atlanta through 1973. It remains the second longest streak either team has had against the other, only topped by a 10-game winning streak the Falcons owned over the Saints between 1995 and 2000.
Dec 14, 1986; FILE PHOTO; New Orleans Saints linebacker Sam Mills in action against the Atlanta Falcons / Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports These teams would nearly split their matchups between 2001 and 2005, with Atlanta holding a slight 6-4 advantage. Since 2006, coinciding with the arrival of QB Drew Brees and coach Sean Payton, the Saints have taken complete control of the rivalry.
Atlanta has also become a home away from home for the Saints over that span. New Orleans is an impressive 12-5 against the Falcons on the road since 2006. Since Atlanta opened Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2017, the Saints are 5-2 in that venue, including a five-game winning streak there that was finally snapped last season.
The last meeting between these teams resulted in a 48-17 New Orleans thrashing of the Falcons in the Superdome in last year's season finale. That loss was the last for Falcons coach Arthur Smith, who was fired after the game.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
NFL Matchups: All-Time Series History New Orleans Saints And Philadelphia EaglesA look back at the series history between the New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles, a Week 3 showdown in 2024
Read more »
NFL Matchups: The New Orleans Saints Vs. Dallas Cowboys All-Time Series HistoryLooking back at the all-time series history between the New Orleans Saints and their Week 2 opponent, the Dallas Cowboys.
Read more »
Patriots' 3 Marquee Matchups for 2024 Revealed by NFL.comThe New England Patriots have some dates to circle on the calender ahead of next season.
Read more »
Michigan State Football Leads Big Ten in all-time Top-10 win percentageMichigan State football has a 71.7 win percentage in all-time Top-10 matchups.
Read more »
NFL Analyst Makes Bold Prediction About Tennessee TitansThe Tennessee Titans could shock the entire NFL during the upcoming 2024 NFL season.
Read more »
Former NFL QB Chris Simms Rates C.J. Stroud 7th Best QB in the NFLWell, we are into that part of the sports content calendar year, NFL in particular, kids, where it's sort of 'no man's land' until the start of training camp in a month or so. It's the part of the NFL calendar where it's a sea of power rankings, lists, and...
Read more »