Depending on the year and the circumstances, an Atlanta Falcons game against the New Orleans Saints is either a moment of anticipation and hatred or dread and hatred. This season, we’re in the anticipation camp, because Atlanta is surging while New Orleans crumbles to dust.
It may seem like the distant past now, but after the first week of the season the Saints looked like a juggernaut and the Falcons had lost on an anemic day for the offense, sparking fears that Kirk Cousins wouldn’t be healthy enough to dominate. Fast forward two months and Atlanta’s 6-3 with a comfortable NFC South lead and an offense that’s rounding into form as one of the NFC’s best, while the Saints are 2-7, firing their head coach, and trading away star cornerback Marshon Lattimore.