NFL Heated Rivalries: Atlanta Falcons VS New Orleans Saints

NFL Heated Rivalries: Atlanta Falcons VS New Orleans Saints

While we now know who will be at this year’s Super Bowl, we can still look at the franchises that have not made it to the Super Bowl this year. Sure, get in your NFL Super Bowl odds, and place those bets. But, remember, the other teams will soon be in the postseason, the draft is soon, and before you know it, it will be the next season. 

Pretty much every team in the NFL has a rival, it is just natural to the game. For Atlanta, their rivals are New Orleans. 

Some rivalries are worse than others, some can even get a bit messy, but they are something that makes the whole game more interesting. When we know rivals are facing off, we can’t help but grab the popcorn and see what will happen. 

This is usually the case with the Falcons and the Saints. Their rivalry runs deep and goes beyond what it does for many other team rivalries. 

For many teams, rivalries are important, and it is one of the most passionate aspects of a sport. A team might have a losing record, however, if they beat their rivals, then it is all okay. 

The competition of these rivalries comes with great pressure from the owners to the rookies. Fans feel the competition even more. However, friendly competition can get nasty and spiral. It can go from stealing a mascot to soccer-similar rioting! 

Is the Falcons and Saints rivalry that bad though? Well… Let’s find out shall we? 

The Beginning

The rivalry began in 1967 when the Saints entered the NFL as an expansion franchise. The Falcons were already in the franchise from a year before. They were the first Deep South, alongside the Cowboys, and they helped to break the monopoly of the Redskins. 

After the merger, both teams were placed in the NFC West, which resulted in them playing two games against each other every year. In 2002, they were then both placed in NFC South due to the realignment. 

Due to how often they faced each other, a rivalry was formed, But, during their first decades they faced a lot of futility, but, as they entered the new millennium, both teams started to a bit more success, and they started routinely battling it out for the top spot in the NFC South. Which thickened their rivalry soup. 

Although, for the most part, these two teams have not reaped oodles of success, the games between them have always been riveting for their fans for over 40 years. 

Fans of the Saints consider the Falcons their most important and hated opponent, and vice versa. In theory, a team could lose every game in the season, but if they beat their rival, it’s okay. 

An Underrated Competition

When it comes to rivalries, some of them can be more heated than others. And everyone knows about the bigger rivalries which get hyped up every year. However, there can be a huge rivalry that goes totally under the radar of the media, and these can be the most vicious rivalries in the sports world. 

Sports fans who attend Falcons Vs Saints games get used to the heavy stream of chaos that comes with the rivalry, but to those of us outside of it all, it can seem all a bit much. The fights, bad language, throwing of things, and more. It can get heavily out of control. 

Some fans often get thrown out of games due to the viciousness of the rivalries. For youngsters who enjoy the games, it can be intimidating, however, as you grow up, these youngsters become another brick in the wall between these two teams. 

Of course, in the past, both teams were not doing so hot, and this is likely why it never got noticed so much. However, as teams improve, it gets noticed more, and the rivalries go even hotter. 

They have nicknames too. Falcon’s fans grit their teeth when they hear ‘Who Dat’, and Saints put their fist in their mouths when they hear ‘Dirty Birds’. 

Beyond The Game

In truth, the rivalry goes way beyond the game. It is not just about the sport, it goes further. The rivalry is also about culture, history, and of course, which city has the right to claim the title of ‘Capital Of The South’. 

Since the rivalry began so young, it has progressed beyond just being about football, it has become a part of the cultures in these cities. 

Many children in New Orleans and Atlanta have grown up with this rivalry, the surrounding chaos all, and it became a part of life. Atlanta is not just New Orleans’ competitors in football, but in everything. 

It can even go to the 1950s and beyond. New Orleans was dominant in the 50s being the biggest port in the South. In the 1860 census, New Orleans had more resistance. 

In the 20th century, Atlanta rose as a business capital, and by the time the teams faced off for the first time, Atlanta was more dominant. There is a rivalry beyond the game between these two cities.