Falcons don't Believe in Saints 'Trap Game' Voodoo

Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris was adamant that the upcoming clash against the New Orleans Saints wasn't a trap game.

Bijan Robinson and the Atlanta Falcons won't ever overlook their biggest rival, the New Orleans Saints. / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Falcons take on the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. The Saints fired head coach Dennis Allen earlier this week and are reeling with seven-straight losses. The Falcons have won five out of six and are sitting on top of the NFC South.

Falcons head coach Raheem Morris was questioned Wednesday afternoon about Sunday’s matchup vs. the New Orleans Saints being a potential “Trap Game” post-firing of Allen, but Morris wasn’t buying it.

 “There's no such thing as a trap game in the National Football League,” Morris said. Every game, you have to be about your business.”

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How did the rival NOLA get here? After a 2-0 start to 2024, they lost seven straight. Their worst losing streak since the 1999 firing of Mike Ditka. 

The players haven’t exactly hidden their disdain for Allen according to Nick Underhill of New Orleans Football. 

“The (firing) was spearheaded by owner Gayle Benson, according to sources,” wrote Underhill. “Benson met with multiple players last week … to find out what has been going on with the team and how they felt about the head coach. Multiple players told her that the program was failing and that changes weren't just needed but urgent … Sunday's 23-22 loss to the Panthers was the final straw.” 

Former Saints offensive lineman James Hurst reflected this week on 2023’s last play running up the score on the Falcons, “Many of the players felt he missed an opportunity there to have our backs, to defend us, even though what we did was wrong, admittedly,” Hurst said. 

Special Teams Coordinator turned interim head coach Darren Rizzi assumes the responsibility of preaching the faith. No, I for the life of me will never understand not giving Offensive Coordinator Klint Kubiak the interim and auditioning him, but I digress. 

Now official: The #Saints have named Darren Rizzi their interim head coach.

A longtime respected special teams coordinator, Rizzi interviewed for the job before the team hired Dennis Allen. Now he gets an eight-game audition. pic.twitter.com/VdfNPNTJVV

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 4, 2024

Remaining Schedules - “Trap”

Falcons

Week 10: At New Orleans Saints (2-7)

Week 11: At Denver Broncos (5-4)

BYE

Week 13: Los Angeles Chargers (5-3)

Week 14: At Minnesota Vikings (6-2)

Week 15: At Las Vegas Raiders (2-7)

Week 16: New York Giants (2-7)

Week 17: At Washington Commanders (7-2)

Week 18: Carolina Panthers (2-7)

Composite Record: 29-39

With the bottom four of their remaining seven opponents having a composite record of 8-28, the 6-3 Falcons won’t play down to the Saints Sunday afternoon in New Orleans with some of the league’s best on the road remaining (Minnesota in the Cousins Reunion Match and Washington for the Dan Quinn narrative). 

New Orleans Saints schedule

Week 10: Falcons (6-3)

Week 11: Cleveland Browns (2-7)

BYE

Week 13: Los Angeles Rams (4-4)

Week 14: At New York Giants (2-7)

Week 15: Washington Commanders (7-2)

Week 16: At Green Bay Packers (6-3)

Week 17: Las Vegas Raiders (2-7)

Week 18: At Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5)

Composite Record: 33-36

Here’s the funny thing though: General manager Mickey Loomis just shipped out the most “Saint-Saint” on the team in cornerback Marshon Lattimore. Beyond defensive end Cam Jordan and running back Alvin Kamara, there’s no discussion over who is the tenured face of the team. Emphasis on tenured (Not Carr). Kamara and Lattimore are undoubtedly the most talented. 

Think that’ll leave some of that “Fired Head Coach” charm marching down a street drain? If the Falcons were worried about a new-coach boost, Loomis may have let the air out of that balloon by waving the white flag when he traded Lattimore.

Loomis likely would have been a bigger seller at the deadline if it weren’t for years of salary cap mismanagement. Aging players like Taysom Hill and Jordan have a combined dead-cap hit of $60-million.

No, this is a rivalry game that ended in hurt feelings last year. The Falcons aren’t about to overlook the Saints as they set their sights on bigger and better things. 

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