Atlanta Falcons Week 1 matchup announced ahead of schedule release

The Atlanta Falcons are entering a new era in 2022, after 14 years of Matt Ryan opening each and every season, Atlanta will have a new quarterback taking the field for week one, it could be Marcus Mariota or Desmond Ridder.

As the NFL prepares to release each team’s schedule, every week one matchup has been announced and the Falcons will be opening up at home in Mercedes Benz Stadium.

Falcons will prepare to play their bitter rivals to open up the 2022 season

The Atlanta Falcons will have to get ready to host the New Orleans Saints in Atlanta to kick off their 2022 season.

This will be the first time since 2014 that the Falcons will take on the Saints in week one, back then it was the second straight year of taking on the Saints in the first game of the year.

Last year the Falcons also opened up the year at home as they took on the Eagles who went on to make the playoffs. It was Arthur Smith’s first game as a head coach in the NFL and it was a disappointing showing as they fell to Philadelphia 32-6.

When you compare the Falcons and Saints week one matchup to others around the NFL, it is pretty obvious this will not be a featured matchup. It will be overshadowed by games like the Rams and Bills, Buccaneers and Cowboys, and then a very interesting reunion as Russell Wilson and the Broncos head to Seattle to take on the Seahawks.

So, do not expect to hear much talk about the Falcons and Saints in week one.

The quarterback matchup will be much different this year compared to the past decade, as we expect to see the first two players taken in the 2015 NFL Draft square off against each other, that, of course, being Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota.

Nothing would be more exciting than opening the year with a win against the Saints, hopefully, Arthur Smith will have this team ready in week one, unlike last year.