The Falcons-Saints rivalry is one of the best in the NFL, featuring some of the ugliest and most epic games between two any longtime opponents in the sports. This was a rivalry forged in the fires of failure—the Falcons and Saints have been mostly awful in their respective histories—and has endured and intensified as the teams have improved.
It’s also a history defined by its long streaks. It’s rare that the Falcons or Saints trade victories, with long winning and losing runs marking the rivalry. Atlanta was the victor very often throughout the first 30 or so years, but the Saints have improved and have been largely dominating the past 15 years under Sean Payton, which is super annoying.