“Blocked and Broken: Steve Gleason’s Iconic Punt Block That Crushed Atlanta and Reignited New Orleans”
It was more than just a game. It was more than a rivalry. It was a resurrection.
On September 25, 2006, in a game still considered one of the most emotional moments in NFL history, the New Orleans Saints returned to the Superdome for the first time since Hurricane Katrina devastated the city a year earlier. Their opponent? The Atlanta Falcons — their fiercest rival. What happened that night didn’t just shock the football world — it echoed through the soul of a recovering city.
With a deafening crowd behind them, the Saints were on a mission. And then it happened.
On Atlanta’s first possession, punter Michael Koenen dropped back… and Steve Gleason came flying off the edge, untouched, and blocked the punt. The ball was recovered in the end zone by Curtis Deloatch for a touchdown. The crowd exploded. New Orleans exploded.
People cried in the stands. Gleason’s block wasn’t just a play — it became a symbol of the city’s unbreakable spirit. A moment that forever haunted the Falcons and elevated the Saints’ legacy.
This game — a 31-10 blowout of Atlanta on Monday Night Football — wasn’t supposed to happen. Many said the Dome would never reopen. Many said New Orleans might never come back. But in one explosive, unforgettable play, the Saints announced their return — and crushed their rivals in the process.
Even today, nearly 20 years later, Atlanta fans still shudder at the mention of that night. Saints fans celebrate it like a holiday. Gleason’s block is immortalized with a statue outside the Superdome, and the footage is replayed every year.
And the rivalry? It’s never been the same.
That night, the Saints didn’t just beat the Falcons… they buried the past — and made history.
