Atlanta Falcons vs New Orleans Saints for NFL 2016: Rivalry Resumes at Symbolic Superdome Game; Match Prediction, TV Schedule and Streaming Details
The 2016 NFL season is shaping up to be one of the most interesting yet. For starters, a new star seems to have been born down at the City of Brotherly Love.
Carson Wentz, the No. 2 pick of the 2016 NFL Draft, debuted strong en route to a 3-0 lead for the Philadelphia Eagles. Their last time out was against a Super Bowl favorite, the Pittsburgh Steelers—and the underdogs dominated with a 34-3 victory at home.
Amid talks of youth and new blood, old bad blood is set to take its course on Monday Night Football. The Atlanta Falcons face the New Orleans Saints, a match-up that features two of the league most familiar rivals.
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History
The Falcons and the Saints meet on Monday, in a game that could have been prepared for by both teams more than any other in the NFL. The division rivals are set to clash at the Saints' home stadium, the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, in their 95th game since 1967. Known as one of the deepest feuds in the league, the week before each game is dubbed "Hell Week" by avid fans of both teams.
The Falcons currently lead the series at 49-45. The arrival of their franchise quarterback, Drew Brees, tipped the scales of the matchup, with the Saints gaining a 15-5 streak in the past 20 games vs. Atlanta. The past 10 years had been good to New Orleans, at least when it comes to games against their rivals, and that success might just carry over to Monday's game.
The odds
The Saints currently have a 0-2 record at the start of the season, and are tagged as the worst defense in the league so far. They are No. 24 on ESPN's Week 3 Power Rankings, but the game against the No. 17 and 1-1 Falcons is more than just climbing the standings.
Monday Night Football marks the 10th game since the Saints' first game after Hurricane Katrina at the Superdome. Steve Gleason became an icon when his blocked punt became the highlight of a 23-3 win over the Falcons. The city ravaged by a natural disaster was granted a "rebirth" by their home football team.
The animosity, the historic records and the symbolic celebration prompted experts to put odds in favor of the home team. The Saints are a field-goal favorite this Monday, albeit losing three of their last four games as favorites.
The game kicks off on Monday, 8:30 p.m. ET at the Mercedes-Benz Super-dome in New Orleans, Louisiana. Fans can tune in to the game on ESPN, or online through the NFL Game Pass or DirecTV's NFL Sunday Ticket.
