New Orleans possibly won't have available a single offensive lineman who started last year's regular-season finale against Atlanta when the teams play at noon Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, while having added an almost totally new offensive coaching staff and a significant free agent addition to the defensive line.
The Falcons have a new head coach, new quarterback and different offensive system as they enter the game.
Lots of current coaches and players weren't on either roster for the 48-17 shellacking the Saints administered Jan. 7 in the Caesars Superdome. But some things aren't easily forgotten, especially against a division rival and particularly when the margin is as lopsided as was that one.
Understandably, there's an expectation of some carryover of hard feelings in the upcoming NFC South Division game.
"I believe so, especially with this kind of game," said Tyrann Mathieu, Saints safety, and New Orleans native. "It's a divisional game, everybody in New Orleans, they want to travel this one. They want us to come back with a victory.
"It's going to be hard fought, we know that. Like a lot of these games, it's going to come down to taking the ball away and which team can create the best field position for their offense."
That wasn't a problem for the Saints in the 31-point win, punctuated by a 1-yard touchdown run by Jamaal Williams with 1:13 left, which kindled tensions that already were flickering.
Saints Coach Dennis Allen said the newness of each organization, and the task at hand, likely is the preventative antidote for reflections on last season.
"I think you've got a new year, I think you've got two teams that feel like they're pretty good and want to throw their hat in the ring," he said. "And so I think – I can speak for us, our focus is on getting ready for this team, this year. They present a lot of challenges, so we're going to have to be ready to play."
And quarterback Derek Carr, a veteran of many rivalry games against the Broncos, Chiefs and Chargers as quarterback for the Raiders, agreed.
"Now, there's so much turnover with coaches and players and things like that, every year is a new year," Carr said. "Every team has a new identity, all those kinds of things. Some of the things that happened last year, some guys aren't even on our team, some guys aren't even on their team.
"It's still a rivalry, you still want to beat each other and all that kind of stuff. But the year-to-year stuff, I just found throughout my career, to me it's just a new team, new opponent that you're facing and you've got to get ready for them."
Mostly, Mathieu said, the Saints (2-1) need a win in order to be the kind of team they want to be; good teams, he said, find ways to not lose two games in a row.
Carr said it's important for the Saints to get back on track after their 15-12 loss to Philadelphia. The periphery around this game is noticeable, but the task is greater.
"You can feel it, especially once you play in the games," Carr said. "You definitely know what you're getting yourself into. It's a big deal. But it's the biggest deal because it's our next game, so that's even more important."
