The Falcons were road favorites in the heated division rivalry after arriving in the Big Easy in first place in the NFC South. The Saints, by contrast, had lost seven straight games and were playing for the first time since firing coach Dennis Allen and replacing him with special teams coach Darren Rizzi on an interim basis.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling caught three passes for 109 yards and two touchdowns in his second game for New Orleans, and the Saints began Rizzi’s tenure by snapping a seven-game skid with a 20-17 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi figured one way to help New Orleans overcome its seven-game skid was to think about anything but the losing streak itself. So Rizzi's messaging revolved around the idea that with a new regime comes a “fresh start.