Report: Falcons tried to dodge prime-time anniversary game vs. Saints

The New Orleans Saints are returning to prime time in a Week 4 matchup with their oldest rivals, but it wasn't easy getting here. The Times-Picayune/NOLA.com's Jeff Duncan shares that "the Atlanta Falcons wanted no part of being the opponent for the Saints' Monday Night Football game, commemorating the 20-year anniversary of the historic "Dome-coming" game in 2006. And the NFL scheduled them for it anyway."

That's backed up by a quote from NFL vice president of broadcast planning Mike North, who told Duncan's colleague at the Times-Picayune, Matthew Paras, the decision to put Saints-Falcons in prime time came from league commissioner Roger Goodell himself: "It was, and it’s really to the commissioner’s credit, it was, ‘We’re gonna play Falcons at Saints on Monday night this year. Fit it in that kind of three-week window. It wasn’t a requirement it had to land in a special week, but it was a requirement straight from the boss that it landed on our schedule."

It's no surprise that the Falcons didn't want to be part of this. They wouldn't even let their logo be displayed on the iconic "Rebirth" statue commemorating Steve Gleason's blocked punt from that game. But it is the latest humiliation in a franchise history full of them. From choking in every Super Bowl appearance they've had to wasting Julio Jones' career to rotating through a cast of out-of-their-depth coaches, the dirty birds have never stayed in the win column for long. The Saints will do everything possible to keep them there this season.

This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Report: Falcons didn't want to play anniversary game vs. Saints