Lance Moore’s tenure with the Falcons was brief.
Not quite 48 hours after signing with the Falcons, the former New Orleans Saints player decided to retire.
Saints fans got a kick out of the move on social media. They were quick to assume that Moore just couldn’t bring himself to play for the enemy. He didn’t want to be Joe Horn they surmised.
That kind of banter has been going on between the Saints and Falcons fans for years.
After some late-game heroics on Sept. 30, 2012, Matt Ryan told the Carolina Panthers to “get the (expletive) off my field.”
Since that game, that rivalry also has heated up. There was the bizarre Greg Hardy and Matt Bryant exchange in the next meeting that season, a loss in Charlotte.
Since Ryan so rudely told the Panthers where to go, they are 5-2 against the Falcons. There was last season’s embarrassing 38-0 loss which turned into a Cam Newton photo-shoot and dancing festival.
Now, with former coach Mike Smith and his offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter, running things in Tampa Bay, albeit in reversed roles, that rivalry is certain to spark up. Throw in the development of second-year quarterback Jameis Winston and now the NFC South is rivalry-central.
“I think the rivalries are deep,” Ryan said. “This is my ninth year going into it, played a lot of games against those organizations and those teams. I know how tough they always are.”
The Falcons went 1-5 in the division last season. After opening the season in Smith’s return to the Georgia Dome as Tampa Bay’s defensive coordinator, the Falcons play at Oakland, then in New Orleans before hosting Carolina. Three of the first four games are in-division.
“It’s going to be awesome,” Falcons coach Dan Quinn said. “I love the way that the league has set that up where three of the four are right off the bat. It’s an area we didn’t do a good enough job last year. We struggled against our very own division, which is a tough one.”
The Falcons know they must handle those rivalry games much better.
“That’s been a talk for us this offseason,” Quinn said. “How do we get right in our division, and we know when you get right in your division what that can lead to. So it’s a real priority for us.”
Falcons assistant head coach/wide receivers Raheem Morris is an authority on the NFC South, which was founded in 2002. Morris served two stints with Tampa Bay from 2002-05 and then from 2007 to 2011. He was the head coach from 2009-11.
He knows that there was not a repeat winner until Carolina pulled off a three-peat from 2013 through 2015.
“There have been a lot of head coaches in the NFC South, that’s a big part of it,” Morris said. “The battles with (former Tampa Bay defensive coordinator) Monte Kiffin going against Sean Payton’s offense. All of those battles, I can remember.”
It will be interesting to watch Smith, the winningest coach in Falcons history, return to the Georgia Dome.
“It’s always been a very competitive division,” Morris said. “Smitty was here and so was Dirk. Sean Payton, all of those kind of guys. Ron Rivera in Carolina. Those guys have all been in it for a long time and you’re talking about a bunch of really good coaches.
“You are talking about adding Dan Quinn to the mix. Jon Gruden was in this division. We’ve had a lot of great coaches go through here. Jim Haslett when he was coaching the Saints.”
In addition to the coaches, the marquee play at quarterback has fueled the rivalry. Brees, Ryan and Newton have all been to Pro Bowls.
“The quarterback play has particularly stood out for me in this division,” Morris said.
Most folks are picking Carolina to defend their division title.
“It’s huge,” Morris said. “Owning your division. If you have a chance to win your division, you have a chance to get in the playoffs and go deep.”
The normally low-key Ryan was stoked after pulling off that 30-28 victory over the Panthers. After the game he was stunned when he was asked about the rare outwardly display of emotion.
There was also the time the Saints defensive linemen posed at the 50-yard line after a win at the Georgia Dome.
Crazy things happen in rivalry games like when Carolina players brought out baseball bats during warmups to try to intimidate the Falcons last season.
“It happens,” Ryan said of the rivalry antics. “When you see people twice a year, you get to know them very well because you are playing against them so many times. There is going to be natural rivalries and that’s the fun part of it. Competition is what it’s all about and there’s certainly been great competition within the division.”
Which team does Ryan hate the most?
“I’m an equal opportunity offender,” Ryan said.
About the Author
