A little over 20 years ago, the New Orleans Saints hosted the Atlanta Falcons on September 25th. It was the first game back in the Superdome following their home stadium suffering damage and serving as a refuge center in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Both the Saints and Falcons came into that game with two wins and no losses and the home team was a four-point underdog.
On the game's first possession, the Saints defense held and forced the Falcons to punt. In what became one of the National Football League’s most remembered special teams plays, New Orleans undrafted free agent Steve Gleason blocked the punt which was recovered in the endzone to open the scoring in a game the Saints would roll to a romp victory, 23-3.
There is a statue at the New Orleans Super Dome commemorating Gleason’s pivotal play, but Gleason has become even better known for his ongoing battle with Lou Gehrig’s disease. His courage is exemplified by his work that is aimed at finding a cure. Tonight, 20 years after his punt block, the team and city are celebrating Gleason and his courageous life.
And they are also going to play a football game.
In this one, the home team is a slight favorite, and both teams appear on the cusp of getting better. Playing out of the NFC South, long established as the league’s weakest division … last year the NFC South Champion had a losing record when the 8-9 Carolina Panthers captured the four-team grouping which includes the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in addition to the Saints and Falcons.
This season, the NFC South again lacks a team with a winning record, and the Buccaneers are the only team in the National Football Conference without a win. The lack of talent leaves the division wide open, but both the Saints and Falcons appear to have found their franchise quarterbacks which is the first cog in a winning organization.