NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) – It was a nail-biter, but New Orleans Saints fans can start their week off right after the Saints took home the win against the Atlanta Falcons.
The game was in Georgia, but that didn’t stop Saints fans from showing up for their team.
Hundreds of Saints fans packed the Wrong Iron in Mid-City Sunday for the Saints’ first game of the NFL season.
Saints fan Adam Nelson said, “It’s the livest place in the nation!”
If you couldn’t be at the game, Wrong Iron was the next best thing.
“Going up to order food and order drinks, I felt like I was in the dome, like the ambiance was just so loving,” Saints fans Arion Smith and Kashina Simmons said. “The vibe was just on. I feel like I’m at the game, not here.”
The Saints played the Atlanta Falcons, a notorious rival.
“I’m born and raised here, and the Falcons have always been a rival even though I’m not a Saints fan, but you know, it is what it is,” Saints fan Jarrad Carroll said.
The question remains: Why is it such a contentious rivalry between the Saints and the Falcons?
“They just love our style; that’s it,” Nelson said. “You can’t copy it… one of a kind!”
Although the Saints clinched the win, that didn’t mean they didn’t have some fans nervous.
“Because man, we’re losing! We’re down by three, and they’re tripping! The offensive line is tripping, the defensive line is tripping,” Saints fan John Gibson said. “Coach, Dennis Allen, get ’em together, man.”
However, these fans are keeping the faith and believe it’s their year.
“It’s time for us to go all the way,” Smith and Simmons said. “We have a new team; we have a new coach. We love Sean Payton, but it was his time to step aside and give somebody else a chance, so we’re excited for a new beginning.”
Next up: The Saints will play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next Sunday at noon at Caesars Superdome.