September 25, 2006:
It was Week Three in the NFL season, and the Monday Night Football match-up featured the New Orleans Saints hosting their NFC South division rivals, the Atlanta Falcons. The Saints were fresh off a heartbreaking 2005, which started with Hurricane Katrina devastating the city and surrounding regions. After a rough season of “home” games all over the map, the Saints finished their 2005 campaign with a dismal 3-13 record.
Deja Vu of the New Orleans Saints versus Atlanta Falcons 2006 “Home Sweet Dome” Game
The NFL had New Orleans play their first two games of the 2006 season on the road, to give the city a little more time to make sure the Superdome would be ready for the game after the extensive damage to the structure. The city of New Orleans was desperate for a sense of normalcy. The citizens had been displaced, the team had been displaced, and in many cases, hope had been displaced.
New Orleans needed hope. New Orleans needed a hero. Steve Gleason must have hidden his cape under his jersey that day.
Ninety seconds into the game, after an Atlanta three-and-out, Steve Gleason blocked Michael Koenen’s punt and the ball was recovered by Curtis DeLoatch for a quick touchdown. The Saints would never look back in a 23-3 victory that meant so much more than a plus-one in the win column. The game known as “The Return”, “The Block Heard Round the World” and the “Home Sweet Dome Game” is considered the most important game in New Orleans Saints history. The blocked punt by Gleason is viewed as the moment that changed the culture and fortune for the Saints.
A Different Kind of Meaningful
September 26, 2016:
Fast forward ten years, almost to the day, and here we are again. It’s Week Three. It’s Monday Night Football. It’s the Saints hosting the Falcons. While the situation is completely different and so much has happened in the past ten years for the New Orleans Saints, the game still has meaning for the team, the city, and the fans.
The Saints enter the game 0-2 versus their 2-0 record of 2006. While the roster has almost completely changed in the past decade, there are still a few familiar faces. The Saints are still lead by head coach Sean Payton,and still have Drew Brees under center. If I had to guess, Steve Gleason will be in the building as well. (On a side note, if you haven’t seen the documentary “Gleason”, I very highly recommend it. It’s a very powerful film which gives a raw, powerful look at Steve and his struggles and perseverance living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly known as ALS).
The team is full of young talent, but until the defense is stabilized, their chances of contending for their second title are slight. The records would tell you that Atlanta should walk into New Orleans and improve their record to 2-1. With all the similarities to 2006, however, something tells me that this one is going to go to the home team.
The city now has the hope and the hero. This one can just be about football.
Prediction: Saints 30 – Falcons 23
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