Domecoming was a special night for New Orleans. Fans came to the 2006 Saints vs. Atlanta Falcons game in a newly renovated Superdome, still reeling from the nightmare that was Hurricane Katrina. But they left the stadium rejuvenated after their home team bullied the Falcons into a 23-3 defeat. This is one of the best games in Saints fans’ collective memory, but the opposite for the Falcons. The latter reportedly tried to escape from recalling it this season.

Famed analyst and author, Jeff Duncan, took to X and shared, “I heard the Atlanta Falcons wanted no part of being the opponent for the Saints’ Monday Night Football game, commemorating the 20-year anniversary of the historic “Dome-coming” game in 2006. And the NFL scheduled them for it anyway. #SacrificialLambs”

20 years ago, the Saints helped breathe life back into the city of New Orleans. The Falcons faced off against a retooled New Orleans and were outsmarted big time. Right in the beginning of the game, Saints safety Steve Gleason famously blocked an Atlanta punt in the opening minutes, which landed in the hands of Curtis Deloatch, who fell with it on the endzone. That one touchdown had the stadium roaring with life, cementing a historic moment: the Saints were back.

“No words from the most revered wordsmith walking the planet could have equaled the message of the cheers of that crowd,” former broadcaster Mike Tirico, who was the play-by-play announcer for the game, told NOLA.com. “Not even close.”

For the Falcons, it marked a deafening defeat. Clearly, they didn’t want to be on the receiving side of the result once again.  

They will face a severe psychological disadvantage of playing in a stadium where the crowd will carry two decades of historical emotion. And the emotions against the Falcons have grown even stronger after they refused to display their logo on the ‘Rebirth’ statue to commemorate Gleason’s iconic blocked punt. And the crowd is going to be even more raucous, because these two have one of the most intense rivalries in the league. This time, it’s going to be testy.

The game will actually take place on October 4, a few days after the actual anniversary of Domecoming. However, the Falcons had to play the Saints on the road anyway during the season. They would have liked it if the matchup had happened at a different time, but New Orleans was going to be fired up regardless of when the Falcons came.

The lead between the two teams is an extremely thin one. The Falcons have the current edge at 58-56, having won both of their clashes at Atlanta last season. But there is no reason for them to lose the lead playing at such a poignant venue and time this season. Sharp Football Analysis’s Warren Sharp called the Falcons “soft” for requesting the NFL not to schedule this game.

“‘Please don’t make us play the Saints on Katrina’s 20-year anniversary.’ So the NFL forced Atlanta to play that specific game,” he added.

Regardless of what the Falcons want, the matchup is healthy for the league’s viewership. And the big guns wouldn’t want to miss out on such an opportunity to garner views. But why did they schedule the game nine days after the anniversary? 

NFL insider reveals the reason behind the delay in the Falcons vs. Saints matchup

NFL vice president of broadcast planning, Mike North, said, “Relative to the exact date of the anniversary, honestly, we figured if we were within a couple of weeks, we were in good shape. If we were a week early or close to the day or a week later, we weren’t going to throw away our best schedule just by being off a couple of days.” 

Of course, the league has to be mindful of the other events in the said region. Hence, Week 3 on the MNF went to the matchup between the Chicago Bears and the Philadelphia Eagles, which is when the actual anniversary falls. But the NFL couldn’t ignore an iconic and historical battle without a prime-time slot. And Commissioner Roger Goodell made sure of it. 

“It was, and it’s really to the commissioner’s credit, it was, ‘We’re gonna play Falcons at Saints on Monday night this year. Fit it in that kind of 3-week window,’’ North continued. “It wasn’t a requirement it had to land in a special week, but it was a requirement straight from the boss that it landed on our schedule.” 

The Saints have been in a losing slump as of late, and are looking to break free from it this season. Who knows, maybe the Falcons will be the ones to witness this phenomenon for the second time in a row.