In 1967, the Atlanta Falcons lost a 27-24 road matchup against the New Orleans Saints. That was the last time the Saints held the series lead between the two rival franchises.
The Falcons won 10 of the next 12 games, including nine straight victories over their rivals. Atlanta bested that nine-game run again by winning 10 straight games over New Orleans from 1995 to 1999.
However, the Saints have dominated the rivalry in the new millennium, going 31-17 against the Falcons over the last 23 seasons. If you take away that five-year run where Atlanta rattled off 10 straight wins, the rivalry has been fairly one-sided since 1983.
The series is tied at 55 wins each entering Sunday’s NFC South battle at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. If the Falcons can’t take care of business, they will have lost their series lead over the Saints for the first time in 56 years.
Thus far in 2024, New Orleans has been one of the NFL’s most surprising teams. The Saints started the season off 2-0 before suffering a three-point loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3. Atlanta is coming off a five-point loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Falcons cannot afford to start the season 1-3, plus giving the Saints control of the series would add insult to injury. As we look ahead to Week 4, the Falcons are favored by less than a field goal. Atlanta is 0-2 at home this season but perhaps the red throwback helmets will help remind the team of what’s at stake on Sunday.
The game kicks off at 1 p.m. ET inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Check out the Falcons’ latest depth chart, injury report, and 53-man roster going into Week 4.
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