The Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints will meet tomorrow night on Monday Night Football, their fifth all-time MNF matchup. This is a newer thing, as all of the previous four have occurred since 2005. They’ve played each other the second-most of all teams, with the Falcons playing the Rams six times and the Saints playing the 49ers five times. The Saints hold a 3-1 series edge.
2005: The Falcons beat the Saints 36-17 in December to improve to 8-5, putting the franchise’s first-ever consecutive winning season in reach. They’d, of course, lose their final three to finish .500. Michael Vick gained 269 total yards and three touchdowns, throwing for 94 to Alge Crumpler, and man do I miss Aaron Brooks.
2006: The post-Katrina game, and one which could inspire any Falcons fan to express a concern or two about early-2006 referee impartiality, if you really want to press the issue. The Saints won 23-3 in their first game in the Superdome since Hurricane Katrina, with Drew Brees and Reggie Bush among the faces making their first appearances in the rivalry.
2007: The lost year featured a 34-14 November beatdown highlighted by three Brees touchdowns. Falcons QB Chris Redman nearly kept pace, throwing for almost 300 yards of his own.
2009: The Falcons had a chance to tie with seconds remaining in New Orleans, but a Matt Ryan lob was picked off and the Saints won 35-27. A should’ve-been-controversial interception return by Jabari Greer before halftime, which involved Roddy White being shoved to the ground while the ball was in the air, sent the Saints to the locker room with a two-score lead.
No, I only complained about referees once here, not twice. You're the one trying to force us to complain about 2006.