Atlanta Falcons will face a new look New Orleans Saints team when both sides kick off at 1pm on Sunday.

New Orleans fired head coach Dennis Allen after a 2-7 start. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo. Allen, who began his tenure as head coach in 2022, finished with an 18-25 record.

Special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi was named the team’s interim head coach.

The Saints went 7-10 and 9-8 in his first two years under Allen, who was the team’s defensive coordinator from 2015-21 and replaces Sean Payton in 2022. New Orleans won its first two games this season by 37 and 25 points. respectively, before losing seven consecutive matches.

The final straw for Saints general manager Mickey Loomis and owner Gayle Benson was the team’s 23-22 loss to the Carolina Panthers, who matched New Orleans’ 47-10 lead in Week 1.

Now the Saints are heading in a different direction.

Atlanta and New Orleans met in Week 4 and the Falcons won 26-24 on September 29. In five games against the Falcons, the Allen-led Saints went 3-2.

Led by first-year coach Raheem Morris, the Falcons have won five of their last six games and sit atop the NFC South.

Atlanta fired head coach Arthur Smith after a Week 18 loss to the Saints last season. This year, New Orleans is parting ways with Allen before the Falcons have a chance to achieve a similar result.

Without Allen, the Saints and Falcons kick off Sunday at 1 p.m. at Caesars Superdome.