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Thanksgiving night will mark the last meeting between two rivals from NFC South Arch.
The Atlanta Falcons head to the Superdome to face the New Orleans Saints in the final of the National Football League's three national games, Turkey Day.
It will be a game that will renew some old hostilities, but also a litmus test for two teams apparently headed in opposite directions. Atlanta lost two games in a row and apparently out of the playoffs because of a myriad of injuries to starters, while New Orleans spent the NFL's history on the offensive by winning nine consecutive football games.
Thursday, the Falcons will seek to get back on track and the saints to stay on the track.
Before the match, both teams revealed their full list of inactive players.
For the Falcons, Linebacker Deion Jones, tackle Matt Gono, cornerback Blidi Wreh Wilson, kicker Giorgio Tavecchio, safety Keith Tandy, leader Steven Means and defensive tackle Deadrin Senat are absent.
For the saints, Linebacker Manti Te'o, defensive wing Mitchell Loewen, goaltender Will Clapp, scorer Trey Hendrickson, wide receiver Tre'Quan Smith, wide receiver Brandon Marshall and Terron Armstead will not be in the game.
The two rivals of the NFC South split their series in the 2017 campaign: Atlanta dominates New Orleans (20-17) at the Mercedes Benz stadium on the opening day of the 14th week and the Saints beat the Falcons , 23-13, two weeks later, at the Superdome, Christmas Eve.
Both teams have a mixed record against each other in the primetime matches.
New Orleans are 5-2 against Atlanta in their seven Monday Night Football franchise matches and a 3-2 record against the Falcons against Thursday Night Football.
Atlanta is at the top of the 51-47 time series, which dates back to 1967.
This is the tenth time in the past 12 years that at least one game in the Falcons-Saints rivalry series has been broadcast in front of a national audience at the league's prime viewing hours.
Thanksgiving football has been an American staple since at least 1876, and the National Football League has regularly hosted a festive match since its inception in 1920. In addition to the traditional games of the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys, opponents in alternation, the league added a third game in the 2006 season.
Atlanta went 1-1 in Thanksgiving matches, winning the 27 to 7 victory, against Detroit in 2005, and tilting against the Colts of Indianapolis in a 31-13 decision in 2007.
The Saints hit Dallas, 30-27, in 2010, their only appearance in Thanksgiving.
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