Atlanta beat New Orleans as the Superdome marked two decades since its post-Katrina reopening. Bijan Robinson ran for 145 yards and two touchdowns.
The New Orleans Saints lost 45-24 to the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night, turning a day of commemoration into a difficult anniversary. The teams met at the Superdome 20 years after the Saints’ celebrated return to the venue following Hurricane Katrina.
The 2006 “Domecoming” game was remembered for Steve Gleason’s blocked punt on Atlanta’s opening possession. Curtis Deloatch recovered the ball for a touchdown, helping New Orleans to a 23-3 win that became a defining moment in the city’s return to the stadium.
Before kickoff, Gleason, who lives with ALS and now uses a wheelchair, joined former Saints Drew Brees, Scott Fujita, Scott Shanle, Deuce McAllister, Devery Henderson and Deloatch on the field. They led the crowd in the familiar “Who dat!” chant. Irma Thomas sang the national anthem again, as she had at the dome’s reopening. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell attended, and Mayor Helena Moreno presented Gleason with a key to the city.
Gleason later met former Falcons punter Michael Koenen beside the Rebirth statue outside the stadium, a monument to the famous punt block. The game itself quickly broke from the celebratory script. On Atlanta’s third play from scrimmage, Bijan Robinson ran 59 yards for a touchdown. The Falcons led 24-7 at halftime after New Orleans scored on just one of its five first-half possessions.
Saints quarterback Tyler Shough passed for 286 yards and Chris Olave caught eight passes for 116 yards, but New Orleans struggled to sustain its offence. Bijan Robinson finished with 145 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Brian Robinson Jr added three scoring runs.
Atlanta did not punt after the first quarter and scored touchdowns on five of its last six full possessions. The Saints gained only 50 yards on 19 rushing attempts. After the Falcons stretched their lead to 31-10 in the third quarter, fans began leaving the stadium early.
Shough called the performance disappointing and said the team had fallen short after the fans and the city had made the anniversary significant. Coach Kellen Moore also said the team was frustrated and needed to learn from the loss. New Orleans dropped to 1-3, one game behind NFC South co-leaders Atlanta and Carolina.
The ceremonies recalled a night when the team’s win and Gleason’s blocked punt became a source of shared celebration during the city’s recovery from Katrina. This time, Atlanta’s 45-24 victory brought the anniversary evening to a subdued close.