2006 Atlanta Falcons–New Orleans Saints game
The Louisiana Superdome (pictured in 2009), where the game was played | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | September 25, 2006 | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Stadium | Louisiana Superdome New Orleans, Louisiana | ||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | Falcons by 4 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Ed Hochuli | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 70,003 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Ceremonies | |||||||||||||||||||
| National anthem | Irma Thomas, Allen Toussaint, Kermit Ruffins | ||||||||||||||||||
| Coin toss | George H. W. Bush | ||||||||||||||||||
| Halftime show | Human Jukebox | ||||||||||||||||||
| TV in the United States | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | ESPN | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Mike Tirico, Joe Theismann, Tony Kornheiser, Suzy Kolber, and Michele Tafoya | ||||||||||||||||||
| Nielsen ratings | 11.8 U.S. viewership: 14.9 million | ||||||||||||||||||
The Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints played a National Football League (NFL) regular season game on September 25, 2006, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. Part of the Falcons–Saints rivalry, the game took place in Week 3 of the 2006 NFL season.
The game was the first at the Superdome since 2004, after which the stadium was severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina. In a win regarded as symbolic of the city's recovery following the disaster, the Saints defeated the Falcons 23–3. The first touchdown of the game came on the first series when Saints safety Steve Gleason blocked Michael Koenen's punt, which was recovered by cornerback Curtis Deloatch in the end zone.
Due to the emotional circumstances and how it revitalized New Orleans, it is nicknamed the "Rebirth" game and "Domecoming". A statue of the blocked punt is on display outside the Superdome.