Saints coach Kellen Moore embracing rivalry with 'the team in red'

Kellen Moore hasn't ridden in any parade floats or shared a list of his favorite local restaurants like his quarterback Tyler Shough, but the New Orleans Saints head coach has put in the work to learn more about his new home. And something that was apparent right away is that New Orleans is a football city, and that the Saints have one rivalry that stands out apart from others. Moore made an appearance on the Up & Adams Show with Kay Adams during NFL owners meetings in Phoenix, and he passed an important test by going out of his way to embrace his team's rivalry with the Atlanta Falcons .

"Unfortunate end to the season. We lost, ah, to the team in red down there, but, yeah, it was a great, great finish for Tyler," Moore grinned, pointing to a one-handed touchdown Ronnie Bell caught from Shough late in regulation. Refusing to address a rival by name is one of the oldest tricks in the book, but it remains a hit for a reason.

Michigan and Ohio State play it out every year with "that school up north," which has been picked up by other regional rivalries. Former Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen got a rise out of Ole Miss fans for using it ahead of the Egg Bowl that still irritates them decades later. Credit to Moore for finding a new spin on it.

It's not quite the same as Sean Payton ordering a meal of "Roasted Falcon" for a credit card commercial, but we'll take it. Seeing Moore play up that rivalry when his predecessor Dennis Allen infamously apologized to the Falcons after his players ran up the score is about as stark a contrast as we've seen. But this was just one small test in the big picture.