Roughly 21 years ago, Category 5 Hurricane Katrina made landfall in New Orleans
and devastated Louisiana's biggest city. The storm killed nearly 1,400 people and caused $125 billion in damage. The greater New Orleans community took years to recover from the natural disaster. Even the beloved New Orleans Saints were forced to play their home games elsewhere during the 2005 season because of extensive damage to the famous Louisiana Superdome.A Week 3 home game against the Atlanta Falcons in 2006 marked the Saints' return to a rebuilt Superdome, with the people of New Orleans still healing from Katrina. When the Saints blew the Falcons out 23-3 during an emotional evening, the night quickly became the biggest and most important night in franchise
history. You probably most remember the game for ALS survivor Steve Gleason, who blocked a punt that was recovered for a touchdown within the first two minutes of the first quarter and set the tone for a raucous night:
THE SAINTS BLOCK THE PUNT!!
— 20 Years Ago Sports (@20YearsAgoSport) September 25, 2026
Steve Gleason came flying in for a perfect block leading to Curtis DeLoatch falling on it in the end zone.
The Superdome is as loud as it’s ever been right now. What a moment for the city of New Orleans! https://t.co/BkvdiNtcgx pic.twitter.com/V0tiSO7D1k
This Monday night's matchup between the Saints and Falcons isn't exactly on the anniversary of that famous game. (That would be September 25th, 2006, for what it is worth.) But it is close enough for the Saints to celebrate one of the most memorable victories they'll ever have. That's why you're seeing so much celebration and remembrance for the game during ESPN's coverage of Saints-Falcons.
According to the Saints, the night will include, among other things, a pregame interview with NBC's Mike Tirico, who called that famous post-Katrina Saints game for ESPN. New Orleans native and actor Anthony Mackie will narrate a special opening for the night. There will also be a video of Gleason, commemorating his blocked punt, with recent Hall of Fame inductee quarterback and fellow franchise legend Drew Brees joining a "Who Dat" chant from the field.
The Saints understand their history and how much that fateful 2006 Monday night game meant to the city of New Orleans. Kudos to them for pulling out all the stops to celebrate it with their community.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Why is Monday night's game so significant to Saints history?
