1. History is on the line
Aside from the implications for this season and the Atlanta Falcons playoff position, there is history at stake. The Falcons long had a winning record over the Saints before the Drew Brees and Sean Payton era changed the franchise. Add in Atlanta's dip since the 2017 season and the career record has hung in the balance for the past few seasons.
Heading into the year with the all-time record tied the Falcons grabbed a one-game lead with an early season win. Now Atlanta has a chance to lock up all-time bragging rights for at least another season. The hate between these two teams isn't close to matched by any of Atlanta's remaining rivals. There is a special rivalry between the Saints and Falcons and beyond just this season the game has importance.
With the Saints struggling Atlanta must be able to take advantage and even the score of recent seasons. The Falcons have often been the superior franchise and have a chance to return to this as the Saints deal with chaos. Somewhat self-inflicted chaos for a team that left the fate of their 2024 season in the hands of Dennis Allen and Derek Carr.