Let the hate week begin as the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints go head-to-head at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
These two teams that have spent the last five decades going from jokes to contenders.
The Falcons and Saints entered the National Football League at around the same time. The Falcons in 1966 and the Saints in 1967.
In 1970, the NFL failed their geography test when they put these two southern teams in the same division, the NFC West. That's when the rivalry intensified.
For years, the two teams took turns finishing last.
Now, there were rare exceptions like in 1978 when both teams were in contention for the playoffs. The Falcons got two wild last-second wins over the Saints to make the playoffs while the Saints stayed home.
It was right around the turn of the century when the fortunes of both teams changed. The Falcons have been to two Super Bowls and the Saints won it all in their only Super Bowl appearance.
In 2012, Falcons fans egged the Saints team bus when as they arrived for a game. Then last year, Saints fans placed a billboard near Mercedes-Benz Stadium to mock the Falcons last Super Bowl loss.
As these two teams have improved, the rivalry has warmed to the boiling point.
