New Orleans Saints

Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints form circle of unity (Photo)

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

The Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints hate each other in their rivalry, but both teams came together to form a circle of unity before kickoff.

The Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints have one of the most storied rivalries in the NFL. These two NFC South teams have met on the gridiron 94 times before Monday Night Football in Week 3.

In an act of unity, the Falcons and Saints players put their differences aside to form a circle of unity at Mercedes-Benz Superdome right before the 8:30 PM ET kickoff in New Orleans. The Falcons’ official Twitter account tweeted out an image of the unifying circle.

With a message of togetherness, the Falcons and Saints lock arms and put the rivalry aside for a moment before #MNF. #Together #ATLvsNO pic.twitter.com/kK6F0ULycJ

— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) September 27, 2016

This game also marks the 10th anniversary of when these two rivals met on September 25th, 2006 to re-open the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina devastated Louisiana. That game featured the iconic blocked punt by Saints special teamer Steve Gleason on Falcons punter Michael Koenen, in a way symbolizing the rebirth of the region and the Saints as an NFL franchise.

Atlanta and New Orleans have been bitter rivals since the Saints’ first season in 1967. The Falcons joined the NFC the year before in 1966. For the longest time, these were the only two NFC teams in the Southeastern United States.

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These two southern metropolises couldn’t be more different. Atlanta is a fast-moving city with a ton of transplants, while New Orleans has a slower cadence and a strong ties to its Cajun culture. These two teams have met twice annually since their days in the old NFC West.

It’s cool to see two teams that would love nothing more than to clobber the other on Monday Night Football come together like this on national television.