'Rivalry???' Sean Payton Takes Twitter Shot At Falcons
Most Atlanta Falcons fans would likely name the New Orleans Saints as the team's biggest rival.
The Falcons and Saints have played each other 106 times since 1967 and have shared the same division since 1970.
When two teams meet multiple times each year for over 50 years, it would be safe to call it a rivalry, especially when the two are evenly-matched. The Falcons hold a 54-52 all-time series lead.
However, according to former Saints coach Sean Payton, this matchup might have been viewed as just another game.
The long-time head coach in New Orleans took a shot at the Falcons on Twitter when the matchup was called a rivalry.
The former Saints' head coach was referring to a tweet about Deshaun Watson. The Falcons recently emerged as a surprise team in the sweepstakes for the quarterback. The Saints were already in on Watson when Atlanta allegedly threw its name into the mix. Jeff Duncan of Times-Picayune was claiming that the rivalry could heat up if one side lands Watson.
By the looks of Payton's tweet, he is questioning whether there is a rivalry to begin with.
In Payton's 15-year head coaching tenure, the Saints were 21-9 against their NFC South foe. Since 2006, New Orleans won seven NFC South titles compared to Atlanta's three.
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The Saints also won the Super Bowl in 2009 while the Falcons came just short of that goal in 2016.
The Falcons-Saints matchups are ones to circle on the calendar every year. Adding Watson to one side would certainly take things up a notch. And even though he is not on the sidelines anymore, Payton has made sure to keep his name relevant in the discussion and add a bit more fuel to the fire.
