When the NFL schedule was released in May, some were left shaking their heads as to why the Week 4 Monday Night Football matchup was Atlanta Falcons (1-2) at New Orleans Saints (1-2). After all, both were mediocre NFC South clubs in 2025 and expected to be again this year -- so far, that's accurate. But the matchup was set because MNF is commemorating the 20th anniversary of one of the most emotional football games not just in Big Easy history but in league annals. It's a typical 8:15 ET kick, solely on ESPN this week with no ABC broadcast.
The game I am referring to was Sept. 25, 2006, at the Superdome -- the "Rebirth Game," the first time the building hosted the Saints after the destruction Hurricane Katrina caused in the greater New Orleans area. Steve Gleason became a legend in the Big Easy by blocking a punt after the Atlanta opening drive that was recovered by Curtis Deloatch in the end zone for a touchdown on the way to a 23-3 Saints rout of the Falcons. I thought the Superdome roof was going to blow off watching, as the crowd was going so crazy.
The 49-year-old Gleason has been battling ALS since 2011 but is expected to be on hand as are several members of the 2006 Saints club that reached the NFC title game. It's the first MNF game at the Superdome overall since 2022.
Yes it's only Week 4, but this is potentially big in the mega-weak NFC South. Entering the season, I thought maybe eight wins would be enough to win the division, just like it did last year for Carolina and in 2022 for Tampa Bay. But maybe only seven victories, especially with the Bucs now down Baker Mayfield for a bit. The last thing the Falcons want to do is start 0-2 in the division, while it's the first NFC South game for New Orleans.
The Saints are current +144 favorites with the Falcons +325. Even this early, how important is a key head-to-head divisional win? Per the SportsLine Projection Model, New Orleans moves from a 27.5% shot of the NFC South title to 38.6% with a victory, while Atlanta jumps from 19.7% to 28.4%. With how bad the South is overall, it seems unlikely a wild-card team emerges from there. The division hasn't had one since Tom Brady's Bucs in 2020, when they won the Super Bowl in their own stadium.
We'll take you through every aspect of the Falcons vs. Saints game that you need to know before you lock in your bets, including SportsLine expert picks, props, trends, DFS, injury information and everything else that will help you know which plays are worth making for the prime-time matchup.
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