The Falcons and Saints haven’t been very good since Matt Ryan and Drew Brees left town. But the rivalry between the two organizations remains strong, and new Saints head coach Kellen Moore is well aware of who New Orleans wants to beat the most, poking fun at the Falcons in his introductory press conference.
“Certainly it wasn’t an easy decision, but if the Falcons are our biggest rival, then I already know that’s at least a few easy wins on my resumé already,” Moore said.
While the statement will land well with Saints fans, living up to it is going to be a lot more difficult for the first-time head coach. The Falcons have not made the postseason in seven straight seasons, but the trajectory of the organization is at least promising with Michael Penix Jr. trending towards becoming Atlanta’s next franchise quarterback.
Meanwhile, the Saints are in a type of cap hell that’s never really been seen before. They have an aging roster and will have to release several key pieces just to be cap-compliant before the start of the season. Beyond that, Derek Carr is nothing more than a placeholder under center and there aren’t many young players in New Orleans worth getting excited about. A lengthy and complete rebuild is on the horizon, one that is not going to lead to a lot of wins. It doesn’t matter who the coach is.
There’s also a bit of irony in Kellen Moore’s statement. The Eagles were a dominant force to close the season, ultimately dismantling the Chiefs dynasty in the Super Bowl. Philadelphia only lost three games all season, but one of those was to… the Falcons, who beat the Eagles in front of a national audience on Monday Night Football in Week 2.
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Photographer: Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire
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