This Sunday, the New Orleans Saints (0-1) travel to MetLife stadium in East Rutherford to take on the New York Giants (1-0). This will be the 29th meeting between the two teams, with the last meeting between each other coming in Week 8 of the 2015 NFL season. The Saints came away with a 52-49 victory in that game, but they are currently losing the all-time series 13-15.

This will be a very important game for the black and gold, as they try to avoid starting the season 0-2 for the third consecutive year in a row.

But before we get into any type of pregame talk, we take a look at what connections the two teams share ahead of the game.

Coaching/Front Office

• New Orleans Head Coach Sean Payton served on the Giants staff from 1999-2002, which included handling offensive coordinator duties from 2000-02.
• Giants Defensive Coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo served in the same position in New Orleans in 2012.
• New York Head Coach Ben McAdoo served as an Offensive Assistant/Quality Control Coach in New Orleans in 2004.
• Giants Quarterbacks Coach Frank Cignetti served on the Saints coaching staff from 2000-01.
• New York Performance Manager/Strength and Conditioning Assistant Joe Danos is a New Orleans native who attended John Curtis Christian High School and who also served as an assistant at LSU.
• Coach Adam Henry played at McNeese State, went to training camp with the Saints in 1995 and coached at his alma mater from 1997-2006 and then at LSU from 2012- 14.
• Saints National Scout Steve Malin was a member of the Giants scouting staff from 2001-16.
• New Orleans Assistant Head Coach/Linebackers Joe Vitt and Giants Offensive Line Coach Mike Solari served on the same coaching staff in Kansas City.

Player connections

• Giants linebacker Jonathan Casillas played for New Orleans from 2009-12, making the 53-man roster and contributing on special teams when the team captured Super Bowl XLIV.
• Giants quarterback Eli Manning is a New Orleans native who’s the son of former University of Mississippi and Saints quarterback and Ring of Honor member Archie Manning. He prepped at Isidore Newman (New Orleans, La.) High School.
• New York wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. also prepped at Newman and in three years at LSU, played in 40 games with 34 starts and recorded 143 receptions for 2,340 yards (16.4 avg.) and 12 touchdowns.
• Saints running back Mark Ingram was born in Hackensack, N.J. Ingram’s father Mark Ingram Sr., was a first round draft pick of the Giants in 1987 and played wide receiver for the Giants from 1987- 92, including a Super Bowl XXV victory for which he played a prominent role.
• New Orleans Defensive End Kasim Edebali and Giants linebacker Mark Herzlich were college teammates at Boston College.
• Giants linebacker Devon Kennard is the son of former New Orleans offensive lineman Derek Kennard.
• New Orleans defensive tackle Nick Fairley, linebacker James Laurinaitis and New York cornerback Janoris Jenkins were teammates in St. Louis.
• Giants cornerback Eli Apple and Saints safety Vonn Bell and wide receiver Michael Thomas were teammates at Ohio State.

Are you surprised by any of these connections, and do you see them having any affect on Sunday’s game? Let us know.