# 2013 New Orleans Saints season

The 2013 season was the New Orleans Saints' 47th in the National Football League (NFL) and their 38th playing home games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. It also marked the seventh season under head coach Sean Payton, who returned to the team after serving a one-year suspension for his involvement in the team's 2012 bounty scandal.
The Saints improved their 7–9 record from last season, going 11–5 and making the playoffs as the sixth seed. They earned the franchise's first road postseason victory, with a 26–24 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card round, ending the drought at 0–5. However, the Saints were eliminated by the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round, by a score of 23–15. The 2013 season was also the second time in three years the Saints went 8–0 at home. This was the Saints last playoff appearance and winning season until 2017.

## Offseason
### Signings

| Pos. | Player | 2012 Team | Contract |
| CB | Keenan Lewis | Pittsburgh Steelers | 5 years, $25.5 million |
| TE | Benjamin Watson | Cleveland Browns | 3 years, $4.9 million |
| LB | Victor Butler | Dallas Cowboys | 2 years, $3 million |
| DE | Kenyon Coleman | Dallas Cowboys | 1 year, $1 million |
| CB | Chris Carr | San Diego Chargers | 1 year, $840,000 |
| QB | Luke McCown | Atlanta Falcons | 1 year, $840,000 |
| OT | Jason Smith | New York Jets | 1 year, $780,000 |
| WR | Robert Meachem | San Diego Chargers | 1 year, $715,000 |

### Re-Signings

| Pos. | Player | Contract |
| WR | Courtney Roby | 1 year, $905,000 |
| LB | Will Herring | 1 year, $765,000 |
| OLB | Ramon Humber | 1 year, $740,000 |

### Departures

| Pos. | Player | 2013 Team |
| OT | Jermon Bushrod | Chicago Bears |
| QB | Chase Daniel | Kansas City Chiefs |
| LB | Jonathan Casillas | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| S | Jim Leonhard | Buffalo Bills |
| CB | Elbert Mack | Houston Texans |
| QB | Seneca Wallace | San Francisco 49ers |
| WR | Steve Breaston | |
| LB | Scott Shanle | |

## 2013 draft class

2013 New Orleans Saints draft :
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College |
| 1 | 15 | Kenny Vaccaro | Safety | Texas |
| 3 | 75 | Terron Armstead * | Offensive tackle | Arkansas–Pine Bluff |
| 3 | 82 | John Jenkins | Defensive tackle | Georgia |
| 5 | 144 | Kenny Stills | Wide receiver | Oklahoma |
| 6 | 183 | Rufus Johnson | Defensive end | Tarleton State |
| Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career ||||||
Notes The Saints did not have selections in the second, fourth, or seventh rounds. They forfeited their second-round selection as part of the punishment for the team's 2012 bounty scandal. They acquired the No. 82 selection in a trade that sent two fourth-round selections, Nos. 106 and 109 overall, to the Miami Dolphins. The No. 106 selection had been acquired in a trade that sent running back Chris Ivory to the New York Jets. The Saints traded their seventh-round selection to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for linebacker Barrett Ruud.

## Preseason

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | August 9 | Kansas City Chiefs | W 17–13 | 1–0 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
| 2 | August 16 | Oakland Raiders | W 28–20 | 2–0 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
| 3 | August 25 | at Houston Texans | W 31–23 | 3–0 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | August 29 | at Miami Dolphins | L 21–24 | 3–1 | Sun Life Stadium | Recap |

## Regular season
### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | September 8 | Atlanta Falcons | W 23–17 | 1–0 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
| 2 | September 15 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 16–14 | 2–0 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | September 22 | Arizona Cardinals | W 31–7 | 3–0 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
| 4 | September 30 | Miami Dolphins | W 38–17 | 4–0 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
| 5 | October 6 | at Chicago Bears | W 26–18 | 5–0 | Soldier Field | Recap |
| 6 | October 13 | at New England Patriots | L 27–30 | 5–1 | Gillette Stadium | Recap |
| 7 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 8 | October 27 | Buffalo Bills | W 35–17 | 6–1 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
| 9 | November 3 | at New York Jets | L 20–26 | 6–2 | MetLife Stadium | Recap |
| 10 | November 10 | Dallas Cowboys | W 49–17 | 7–2 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
| 11 | November 17 | San Francisco 49ers | W 23–20 | 8–2 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
| 12 | November 21 | at Atlanta Falcons | W 17–13 | 9–2 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
| 13 | December 2 | at Seattle Seahawks | L 7–34 | 9–3 | CenturyLink Field | Recap |
| 14 | December 8 | Carolina Panthers | W 31–13 | 10–3 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
| 15 | December 15 | at St. Louis Rams | L 16–27 | 10–4 | Edward Jones Dome | Recap |
| 16 | December 22 | at Carolina Panthers | L 13–17 | 10–5 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 17 | December 29 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 42–17 | 11–5 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
    Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: vs. Atlanta Falcons

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Falcons | 10 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| Saints | 0 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 23 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
* Date: September 8
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 72,348
* Referee: Gene Steratore
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
* Recap, Game book
Game information :
First quarter
ATL – Tony Gonzalez 7-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 8:32. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 82 yards, 3:06.
ATL – Matt Bryant 23-yard field goal, 1:28. Falcons 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 40 yards, 3:57.
Second quarter
NO – Garrett Hartley 48-yard field goal, 10:53. Falcons 10–3. Drive: 12 plays, 50 yards, 5:35.
NO – Marques Colston 25-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 9:10. Tied 10–10. Drive: 3 plays, 31 yards, 1:26.
NO – Garrett Hartley 31-yard field goal, 1:47. Saints 13–10. Drive: 6 plays, 67 yards, 4:02.
Third quarter
ATL – Julio Jones 4-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 11:41. Falcons 17–13. Drive: 5 plays, 59 yards, 1:58.
NO – Jimmy Graham 7-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 6:22. Saints 20–17. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:19.
Fourth quarter
NO – Garrett Hartley 22-yard field goal, 3:12. Saints 23–17. Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 6:12.
Top passers
ATL – Matt Ryan – 25/38, 304 yards, 2 TD, INT
NO – Drew Brees – 26/35, 357 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
ATL – Steven Jackson – 11 rushes, 77 yards
NO – Pierre Thomas – 9 rushes, 43 yards
Top receivers
ATL – Harry Douglas – 4 receptions, 93 yards
NO – Darren Sproles – 6 receptions, 88 yards :
With the win against Atlanta, the Saints began their season to 1-0.

#### Week 2: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Saints | 10 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 16 |
| Buccaneers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
* Date: September 15
* Game time: 4:05 p.m. EDT/3:05 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 93 °F (34 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 60,870
* Referee: Bill Leavy
* TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Erin Andrews
* Recap, Game book
Game information :
First quarter
NO – Garrett Hartley 44-yard field goal, 10:30. Saints 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 54 yards, 4:30.
TB – Kevin Ogletree 5-yard pass from Josh Freeman (Rian Lindell kick), 5:15. Buccaneers 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 35 yards, 2:48.
NO – Jimmy Graham 56-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 2:36. Saints 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:39.
Second quarter
No scoring plays.
Third quarter
NO – Garrett Hartley 41-yard field goal, 8:04. Saints 13–7. Drive: 8 plays, 17 yards, 3:45.
Fourth quarter
TB – Mason Foster 85-yard interception return (Rian Lindell kick), 12:40. Buccaneers 14–13.
NO – Garrett Hartley 27-yard field goal, 0:00. Saints 16–14. Drive: 5 plays, 54 yards, 1:06.
Top passers
NO – Drew Brees – 26/46, 322 yards, TD, 2 INT
TB – Josh Freeman – 9/22, 125 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
NO – Pierre Thomas – 5 rushes, 29 yards
TB – Doug Martin – 29 rushes, 144 yards
Top receivers
NO – Jimmy Graham – 10 receptions, 179 yards, TD
TB – Vincent Jackson – 5 receptions, 77 yards :
Coming off a Week 1 win against Atlanta, the Saints face the Buccaneers. The Saints narrowly won over the Buccaneers 16–14, thus improving them to 2-0.

#### Week 3: vs. Arizona Cardinals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Saints | 7 | 7 | 3 | 14 | 31 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
* Date: September 22
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 73,057
* Referee: Walt Coleman
* TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, Heath Evans and Molly McGrath
* Recap, Game book
Game information :
First quarter
ARI – Alfonso Smith 3-yard run (Jay Feely kick), 9:13. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:47.
NO – Robert Meachem 27-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 5:28. Tied 7–7. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:45.
Second quarter
NO – Jimmy Graham 16-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 2:52. Saints 14–7. Drive: 6 plays, 58 yards, 2:16.
Third quarter
NO – Garrett Hartley 31-yard field goal, 4:03. Saints 17–7. Drive: 8 plays, 67 yards, 3:48.
Fourth quarter
NO – Drew Brees 7-yard run (Garrett Hartley kick), 14:42. Saints 24–7. Drive: 7 plays, 39 yards, 2:18.
NO – Jimmy Graham 7-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 5:25. Saints 31–7. Drive: 12 plays, 63 yards, 6:31.
Top passers
ARI – Carson Palmer – 18/35, 187 yards, 2 INT
NO – Drew Brees – 29/46, 342 yards, 3 TD, INT
Top rushers
ARI – Rashard Mendenhall – 9 rushes, 29 yards
NO – Khiry Robinson – 4 rushes, 38 yards
Top receivers
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 5 receptions, 64 yards
NO – Jimmy Graham – 9 receptions, 134 yards, 2 TD :
After a 2-0 start, the Saints faced the Cardinals. With a dominant 31-7 win, they improved to 3-0.

#### Week 4: vs. Miami Dolphins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Dolphins | 3 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Saints | 7 | 14 | 14 | 3 | 38 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
* Date: September 30
* Game time: 7:40 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 73,118
* Referee: Bill Vinovich
* TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters
* Recap, Game book
Game information :
First quarter
NO – Darren Sproles 5-yard run (Garrett Hartley kick), 11:52. Saints 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 82 yards, 3:08.
MIA – Caleb Sturgis 34-yard field goal, 7:16. Saints 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 4:36.
Second quarter
NO – Jimmy Graham 27-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 8:01. Saints 14–3. Drive: 7 plays, 62 yards, 3:47.
MIA – Lamar Miller 5-yard run (Caleb Sturgis kick), 3:35. Saints 14–10. Drive: 8 plays, 81 yards, 4:26.
NO – Darren Sproles 13-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 0:55. Saints 21–10. Drive: 4 plays, 23 yards, 0:28.
Third quarter
NO – Benjamin Watson 4-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 9:44. Saints 28–10. Drive: 8 plays, 59 yards, 4:23.
NO – Jimmy Graham 43-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 8:12. Saints 35–10. Drive: 1 play, 43 yards, 0:08.
Fourth quarter
MIA – Charles Clay 3-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Caleb Sturgis kick), 13:48. Saints 35–17. Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 4:05.
NO – Garrett Hartley 29-yard field goal, 7:15. Saints 38–17. Drive: 10 plays, 69 yards, 6:33.
Top passers
MIA – Ryan Tannehill – 22/35, 249 yards, TD, 3 INT
NO – Drew Brees – 30/39, 413 yards, 4 TD
Top rushers
MIA – Lamar Miller – 11 rushes, 62 yards, TD
NO – Khiry Robinson – 12 rushes, 37 yards
Top receivers
MIA – Brandon Gibson – 6 receptions, 71 yards
NO – Jimmy Graham – 4 receptions, 100 yards, 2 TD :
With the win, the Saints improved to 4-0.

#### Week 5: at Chicago Bears

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Saints | 6 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 26 |
| Bears | 0 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 18 |
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
* Date: October 6
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 62,361
* Referee: Scott Green
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
* Recap, Game book
Game information :
First quarter
NO – Garrett Hartley 47-yard field goal, 7:38. Saints 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 39 yards, 5:23.
NO – Garrett Hartley 19-yard field goal, 6:00. Saints 6–0. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 1:27.
Second quarter
NO – Pierre Thomas 2-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 5:57. Saints 13–0. Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 3:22.
CHI – Alshon Jeffery 3-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Robbie Gould kick), 2:41. Saints 13–7. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:16.
NO – Pierre Thomas 25-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 0:23. Saints 20–7. Drive: 7 plays, 71 yards, 2:18.
Third quarter
NO – Garrett Hartley 36-yard field goal, 8:03. Saints 23–7. Drive: 13 plays, 60 yards, 6:57.
CHI – Robbie Gould 27-yard field goal, 4:56. Saints 23–10. Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards, 3:07.
Fourth quarter
NO – Garrett Hartley 48-yard field goal, 3:01. Saints 26–10. Drive: 12 plays, 44 yards, 5:39.
CHI – Brandon Marshall 2-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Matt Forte run), 2:11. Saints 26–18. Drive: 4 plays, 82 yards, 0:50.
Top passers
NO – Drew Brees – 29/35, 288 yards, 2 TD
CHI – Jay Cutler – 24/33, 358 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
NO – Pierre Thomas – 19 rushes, 36 yards
CHI – Matt Forte – 12 rushes, 55 yards
Top receivers
NO – Jimmy Graham – 10 receptions, 135 yards
CHI – Alshon Jeffery – 10 receptions, 218 yards, TD :
With the win at Chicago, they improve to 5-0. This was the second time the Saints beat the Bears.

#### Week 6: at New England Patriots

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Saints | 7 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 27 |
| Patriots | 3 | 14 | 3 | 10 | 30 |
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
* Date: October 13
* Game time: 4:25 p.m. EDT/3:25 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 59 °F (15 °C), partly cloudy
* Game attendance: 68,756
* Referee: Tony Corrente
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
* Recap, Game book
Game information :
First quarter
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 35-yard field goal, 9:54. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 14 plays, 60 yards, 5:06.
NO – Travaris Cadet 3-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 1:46. Saints 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 73 yards, 5:23.
Second quarter
NE – Stevan Ridley 1-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 13:00. Patriots 10–7. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:46.
NE – Stevan Ridley 4-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 7:36. Patriots 17–7. Drive: 12 plays, 66 yards, 4:52.
Third quarter
NO – Garrett Hartley 28-yard field goal, 11:27. Patriots 17–10. Drive: 8 plays, 70 yards, 3:33.
NO – Khiry Robinson 3-yard run (Garrett Hartley kick), 6:19. Tied 17–17. Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 4:07.
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 54-yard field goal, 1:36. Patriots 20–17. Drive: 12 plays, 55 yards, 4:43.
Fourth quarter
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 35-yard field goal, 8:34. Patriots 23–17. Drive: 7 plays, 15 yards, 3:36.
NO – Kenny Stills 34-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 3:29. Saints 24–23. Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 5:05.
NO – Garrett Hartley 39-yard field goal, 2:24. Saints 27–23. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 0:22.
NE – Kenbrell Thompkins 17-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 0:05. Patriots 30–27. Drive: 8 plays, 70 yards, 1:08.
Top passers
NO – Drew Brees – 17/36, 236 yards, 2 TD, INT
NE – Tom Brady – 25/43, 269 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
NO – Khiry Robinson – 7 rushes, 53 yards, TD
NE – Stevan Ridley – 20 rushes, 96 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
NO – Kenny Stills – 3 receptions, 64 yards, TD
NE – Aaron Dobson – 6 receptions, 63 yards :
The Saints meet the Patriots on the road. Despite stopping Tom Brady and the Patriots offense twice in the last 3 minutes of the game, the Saints defense proceeded to give up a game-winning touchdown pass with 5 seconds left on the clock. With the close loss, the Saints fall to 5-1, their first loss of the season.

#### Week 8: vs. Buffalo Bills

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 0 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Saints | 7 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
* Date: October 27
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 72,405
* Referee: Terry McAulay
* TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf
* Recap, Game book
Game information :
First quarter
NO – Lance Moore 15-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 4:44. Saints 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 21 yards, 1:21.
Second quarter
BUF – Stevie Johnson 13-yard pass from Thad Lewis (Dan Carpenter kick), 10:44. Tied 7–7. Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 4:07.
BUF – Dan Carpenter 37-yard field goal, 4:35. Bills 10–7. Drive: 9 plays, 43 yards, 3:58.
NO – Kenny Stills 69-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 3:43. Saints 14–10. Drive: 2 plays, 86 yards, 0:52.
NO – Jimmy Graham 15-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 0:30. Saints 21–10. Drive: 9 plays, 77 yards, 2:48.
Third quarter
NO – Jimmy Graham 13-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 5:15. Saints 28–10. Drive: 6 plays, 57 yards, 3:25.
Fourth quarter
BUF – Fred Jackson 1-yard run (Dan Carpenter kick), 14:20. Saints 28–17. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 5:55.
NO – Kenny Stills 42-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 7:34. Saints 35–17. Drive: 6 plays, 51 yards, 2:58.
Top passers
BUF – Thad Lewis – 22/39, 234 yards, TD, INT
NO – Drew Brees – 26/34, 332 yards, 5 TD
Top rushers
BUF – Fred Jackson – 15 rushes, 45 yards, TD
NO – Pierre Thomas – 14 rushes, 65 yards
Top receivers
BUF – Stevie Johnson – 7 receptions, 72 yards, TD
NO – Kenny Stills – 3 receptions, 129 yards, 2 TD :
Coming off a loss to New England on the road, they face the Bills at home. With the win, they improve to 6-1.

#### Week 9: at New York Jets

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Saints | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 20 |
| Jets | 3 | 17 | 3 | 3 | 26 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Date: November 3
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 48 °F (9 °C)
* Game attendance: 76,957
* Referee: Clete Blakeman
* TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Molly McGrath
* Recap, Game book
Game information :
First quarter
NYJ – Nick Folk 39-yard field goal, 5:41. Jets 3–0. Drive: 5 plays, 27 yards, 1:53.
NO – Jimmy Graham 51-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 2:45. Saints 7–3. Drive: 6 plays, 81 yards, 2:56.
Second quarter
NYJ – Nick Folk 21-yard field goal, 10:04. Saints 7–6. Drive: 11 plays, 93 yards, 4:56.
NO – Jimmy Graham 10-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 7:51. Saints 14–6. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:13.
NYJ – Chris Ivory 3-yard run (Nick Folk kick), 2:39. Saints 14–13. Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 5:12.
NYJ – Geno Smith 3-yard run (Nick Folk kick), 0:37. Jets 20–14. Drive: 5 plays, 39 yards, 1:35.
Third quarter
NYJ – Nick Folk 47-yard field goal, 11:57. Jets 23–14. Drive: 7 plays, 50 yards, 3:03.
NO – Garrett Hartley 55-yard field goal, 1:46. Jets 23–17. Drive: 9 plays, 34 yards, 5:00.
Fourth quarter
NYJ – Nick Folk 45-yard field goal, 11:56. Jets 26–17. Drive: 8 plays, 53 yards, 4:50.
NO – Garrett Hartley 43-yard field goal, 3:06. Jets 26–20. Drive: 11 plays, 60 yards, 3:06.
Top passers
NO – Drew Brees – 30/51, 382 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
NYJ – Geno Smith – 8/19, 115 yards
Top rushers
NO – Pierre Thomas – 6 rushes, 24 yards
NYJ – Chris Ivory – 18 rushes, 139 yards, TD
Top receivers
NO – Jimmy Graham – 9 receptions, 116 yards, 2 TD
NYJ – Greg Salas – 2 receptions, 57 yards :

#### Week 10: vs. Dallas Cowboys

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 3 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| Saints | 7 | 21 | 7 | 14 | 49 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
* Date: November 10
* Game time: 7:30 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 73,018
* Referee: Jerome Boger
* TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
* Recap, Game book
Game information :
First quarter
DAL – Dan Bailey 37-yard field goal, 8:14. Cowboys 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:22.
NO – Marques Colston 22-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 3:23. Saints 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:51.
Second quarter
DAL – DeMarco Murray 7-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 14:05. Cowboys 10–7. Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 4:18.
NO – Pierre Thomas 1-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 5:09. Saints 14–10. Drive: 15 plays, 80 yards, 8:56.
NO – Darren Sproles 3-yard run (Garrett Hartley kick), 1:32. Saints 21–10. Drive: 9 plays, 52 yards, 2:29.
NO – Darren Sproles 28-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 0:05. Saints 28–10. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 0:48.
Third quarter
NO – Mark Ingram 4-yard run (Garrett Hartley kick), 2:12. Saints 35–10. Drive: 6 plays, 92 yards, 2:43.
DAL – Terrance Williams 21-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 0:41. Saints 35–17. Drive: 5 plays, 89 yards, 1:31.
Fourth quarter
NO – Kenny Stills 52-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 12:43. Saints 42–17. Drive: 6 plays, 83 yards, 2:30.
NO – Pierre Thomas 1-yard run (Garrett Hartley kick), 5:44. Saints 49–17. Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, 5:27.
Top passers
DAL – Tony Romo – 10/24, 128 yards, TD
NO – Drew Brees – 34/41, 392 yards, 4 TD
Top rushers
DAL – DeMarco Murray – 16 rushes, 89 yards, TD
NO – Mark Ingram – 14 rushes, 145 yards, TD
Top receivers
DAL – Dez Bryant – 1 reception, 44 yards
NO – Marques Colston – 7 receptions, 107 yards, TD :
The Saints would dominate the Cowboys at home in the Superdome, recording an NFL-record 40 first downs and 625 total yards of offense. This improves their record to 7-2.

#### Week 11: vs. San Francisco 49ers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers | 0 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
| Saints | 7 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 23 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
* Date: November 17
* Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 73,025
* Referee: Tony Corrente
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
* Recap, Game book
Game information :
First quarter
NO – Josh Hill 3-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 0:44. Saints 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 97 yards, 6:44.
Second quarter
SF – Anquan Boldin 11-yard pass from Colin Kaepernick (Phil Dawson kick), 10:16. Tied 7–7. Drive: 2 plays, 11 yards, 0:10.
SF – Phil Dawson 55-yard field goal, 3:34. 49ers 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 43 yards, 2:51.
NO – Jed Collins 1-yard run (Garrett Hartley kick), 1:58. Saints 14–10. Drive: 3 plays, 21 yards, 1:36.
Third quarter
SF – Vernon Davis 17-yard pass from Colin Kaepernick (Phil Dawson kick), 10:52. 49ers 17–14. Drive: 6 plays, 43 yards, 2:51.
Fourth quarter
SF – Phil Dawson 29-yard field goal, 13:23. 49ers 20–14. Drive: 13 plays, 49 yards, 6:11.
NO – Garrett Hartley 21-yard field goal, 7:50. 49ers 20–17. Drive: 9 plays, 77 yards, 5:33.
NO – Garrett Hartley 42-yard field goal, 2:06. Tied 20–20. Drive: 12 plays, 48 yards, 4:42.
NO – Garrett Hartley 31-yard field goal, 0:00. Saints 23–20. Drive: 6 plays, 47 yards, 1:41.
Top passers
SF – Colin Kaepernick – 17/31, 127 yards, 2 TD, INT
NO – Drew Brees – 30/43, 305 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
SF – Frank Gore – 13 rushes, 48 yards
NO – Pierre Thomas – 11 rushes, 49 yards
Top receivers
SF – Anquan Boldin – 6 receptions, 56 yards, TD
NO – Marques Colston – 5 receptions, 80 yards :
The Saints beat the defending NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers with a game-winning field goal. With the victory, they improve to 8-2.

#### Week 12: at Atlanta Falcons

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Saints | 7 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 17 |
| Falcons | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
* Date: November 21
* Game time: 8:25 p.m. EST/7:25 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 70,422
* Referee: Ron Winter
* TV announcers (NFLN): Brad Nessler, Mike Mayock and Alex Flanagan
* Recap, Game book
Game information :
First quarter
ATL – Steven Jackson 1-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 8:48. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 76 yards, 4:16.
NO – Benjamin Watson 1-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 1:17. Tied 7–7. Drive: 15 plays, 78 yards, 7:31.
Second quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 39-yard field goal, 12:20. Falcons 10–7. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 3:57.
NO – Jimmy Graham 44-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 10:12. Saints 14–10. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:08.
ATL – Matt Bryant 24-yard field goal, 2:41. Saints 14–13. Drive: 14 plays, 74 yards, 7:31.
Third quarter
NO – Garrett Hartley 41-yard field goal, 4:37. Saints 17–13. Drive: 9 plays, 55 yards, 3:55.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays.
Top passers
NO – Drew Brees – 23/33, 278 yards, 2 TD
ATL – Matt Ryan – 30/39, 292 yards
Top rushers
NO – Pierre Thomas – 10 rushes, 73 yards
ATL – Steven Jackson – 16 rushes, 63 yards, TD
Top receivers
NO – Jimmy Graham – 5 receptions, 100 yards, TD
ATL – Harry Douglas – 9 receptions, 79 yards :
The Saints beat the Falcons on the road. This not only brought the Saints' record to 9-2, but they also sweep the Falcons for the first time since the 2011 season.

#### Week 13: at Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Saints | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Seahawks | 17 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 34 |
at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington
* Date: December 2
* Game time: 7:40 p.m. CST/5:40 p.m. PST
* Game weather: 41 °F (5 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 68,387
* Referee: Ed Hochuli
* TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters
* Recap, Game book
Game information :
First quarter
SEA – Stephen Hauschka 26-yard field goal, 7:47. Seahawks 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 61 yards, 5:44.
SEA – Michael Bennett 22-yard fumble return (Stephen Hauschka kick), 6:27. Seahawks 10–0.
SEA – Zach Miller 2-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Stephen Hauschka kick), 1:55. Seahawks 17–0. Drive: 6 plays, 73 yards, 2:58.
Second quarter
NO – Jimmy Graham 2-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 8:45. Seahawks 17–7. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 8:10.
SEA – Stephen Hauschka 20-yard field goal, 3:41. Seahawks 20–7. Drive: 10 plays, 82 yards, 5:04.
SEA – Doug Baldwin 4-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Stephen Hauschka kick), 0:13. Seahawks 27–7. Drive: 12 plays, 88 yards, 1:52.
Third quarter
SEA – Derrick Coleman 8-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Stephen Hauschka kick), 7:07. Seahawks 34–7. Drive: 8 plays, 79 yards, 3:47.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays.
Top passers
NO – Drew Brees – 23/38, 147 yards, TD
SEA – Russell Wilson – 22/30, 310 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
NO – Mark Ingram – 8 rushes, 22 yards
SEA – Russell Wilson – 8 rushes, 47 yards
Top receivers
NO – Jimmy Graham – 3 receptions, 42 yards, TD
SEA – Zach Miller – 5 receptions, 86 yards, TD :
In a Monday Night matchup, the Saints were dominated from the start by the Seahawks. Russell Wilson threw for 310 yard and three touchdowns and rushed for another 47 yards while Seattle's "Legion of Boom" defense limited Drew Brees to 147 yards passing. The loss brought the Saints record down to 9-3.

#### Week 14: vs. Carolina Panthers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 6 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 13 |
| Saints | 0 | 21 | 3 | 7 | 31 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
* Date: December 8
* Game time: 7:30 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 73,089
* Referee: Walt Anderson
* TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
* Recap, Game book
Game information :
First quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 45-yard field goal, 8:42. Panthers 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 53 yards, 6:18.
CAR – Graham Gano 24-yard field goal, 1:56. Panthers 6–0. Drive: 9 plays, 26 yards, 5:12.
Second quarter
NO – Marques Colston 6-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 13:35. Saints 7–6. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:21.
NO – Marques Colston 15-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 2:44. Saints 14–6. Drive: 11 plays, 86 yards, 5:44.
NO – Jimmy Graham 5-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 0:18. Saints 21–6. Drive: 7 plays, 76 yards, 1:43.
Third quarter
NO – Garrett Hartley 19-yard field goal, 4:18. Saints 24–6. Drive: 13 plays, 60 yards, 6:01.
Fourth quarter
NO – Jimmy Graham 8-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 9:52. Saints 31–6. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 3:46.
CAR – Steve Smith Sr. 17-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 5:15. Saints 31–13. Drive: 11 plays, 61 yards, 4:37.
Top passers
CAR – Cam Newton – 22/34, 160 yards, TD
NO – Drew Brees – 30/42, 313 yards, 4 TD
Top rushers
CAR – DeAngelo Williams – 13 rushes, 52 yards
NO – Darren Sproles – 1 rush, 38 yards
Top receivers
CAR – Steve Smith Sr. – 6 receptions, 49 yards, TD
NO – Marques Colston – 9 receptions, 125 yards, 2 TD :
The Saints would beat the Panthers 31-13, thus improving to 10-3.

#### Week 15: at St. Louis Rams

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Saints | 0 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 16 |
| Rams | 14 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 27 |
at Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri
* Date: December 15
* Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 58,442
* Referee: Mike Carey
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Tim Ryan and Jennifer Hale
* Recap, Game book
Game information :
First quarter
STL – Cory Harkey 31-yard pass from Kellen Clemens (Greg Zuerlein kick), 11:20. Rams 7–0. Drive: 1 play, 31 yards, 0:07.
STL – Lance Kendricks 4-yard pass from Kellen Clemens (Greg Zuerlein kick), 2:45. Rams 14–0. Drive: 9 plays, 93 yards, 4:49.
Second quarter
STL – Greg Zuerlein 31-yard field goal, 14:57. Rams 17–0. Drive: 6 plays, 34 yards, 2:48.
NO – Garrett Hartley 45-yard field goal, 10:17. Rams 17–3. Drive: 8 plays, 53 yards, 4:40.
STL – Zac Stacy 40-yard run (Greg Zuerlein kick), 4:10. Rams 24–3. Drive: 5 plays, 82 yards, 2:13.
Third quarter
STL – Greg Zuerlein 35-yard field goal, 2:42. Rams 27–3. Drive: 10 plays, 39 yards, 5:30.
Fourth quarter
NO – Drew Brees 1-yard run (run failed), 11:25. Rams 27–9. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 6:17.
NO – Marques Colston 5-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 3:07. Rams 27–16. Drive: 18 plays, 80 yards, 5:07.
Top passers
NO – Drew Brees – 39/56, 393 yards, TD, 2 INT
STL – Kellen Clemens – 14/20, 158 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
NO – Darren Sproles – 7 rushes, 24 yards
STL – Zac Stacy – 28 rushes, 133 yards, TD
Top receivers
NO – Marques Colston – 8 receptions, 92 yards, TD
STL – Austin Pettis – 4 receptions, 41 yards :
The Saints meet the Rams on the road. The Rams, however, were able to pull off an upset victory. The Saints drop to 10-4.

#### Week 16: at Carolina Panthers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Saints | 0 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 13 |
| Panthers | 0 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 17 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
* Date: December 22
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C), rainy
* Game attendance: 73,825
* Referee: Gene Steratore
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
* Recap, Game book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
NO – Shayne Graham 40-yard field goal, 10:49. Saints 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 45 yards, 4:22.
NO – Shayne Graham 24-yard field goal, 7:22. Saints 6–0. Drive: 7 plays, 46 yards, 3:27.
CAR – DeAngelo Williams 43-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 1:45. Panthers 7–6. Drive: 1 play, 43 yards, 0:09.
Third quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 40-yard field goal, 7:21. Panthers 10–6. Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 3:33.
Fourth quarter
NO – Jimmy Graham 5-yard pass from Drew Brees (Shayne Graham kick), 6:37. Saints 13–10. Drive: 11 plays, 97 yards, 5:59.
CAR – Domenik Hixon 14-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 0:23. Panthers 17–13. Drive: 5 plays, 65 yards, 0:32.
Top passers
NO – Drew Brees – 30/44, 281 yards, TD, 2 INT
CAR – Cam Newton – 13/22, 181 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
NO – Mark Ingram – 13 rushes, 83 yards
CAR – DeAngelo Williams – 12 rushes, 67 yards, TD
Top receivers
NO – Jimmy Graham – 5 receptions, 73 yards, TD
CAR – Ted Ginn Jr. – 2 receptions, 66 yards :
At Bank of America Stadium, the Saints meet the Panthers again. The Saints fall to a close loss by 4 points, allowing a go-ahead touchdown pass with 23 seconds remaining. This drops their record to 10–5. This loss cost the Saints clinching a playoff berth, the NFC South, and a first-round bye. In addition, the Panthers moved ahead of the Saints in the NFC South.

#### Week 17: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buccaneers | 7 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 17 |
| Saints | 14 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 42 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
* Date: December 29
* Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 73,150
* Referee: Carl Cheffers
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick and Laura Okmin
* Recap, Game book
Game information :
First quarter
NO – Lance Moore 44-yard pass from Drew Brees (Shayne Graham kick), 10:15. Saints 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:45.
TB – Tiquan Underwood 48-yard pass from Mike Glennon (Rian Lindell kick), 8:40. Tied 7–7. Drive: 4 plays, 62 yards, 1:35.
NO – Jimmy Graham 10-yard pass from Drew Brees (Shayne Graham kick), 3:08. Saints 14–7. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:32.
Second quarter
NO – Robert Meachem 41-yard pass from Drew Brees (Shayne Graham kick), 8:04. Saints 21–7. Drive: 5 plays, 57 yards, 1:29.
TB – Tim Wright 1-yard pass from Mike Glennon (Rian Lindell kick), 3:28. Saints 21–14. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:36.
NO – Kenny Stills 76-yard pass from Drew Brees (Shayne Graham kick), 2:40. Saints 28–14. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 0:48.
Third quarter
TB – Rian Lindell 54-yard field goal, 6:35. Saints 28–17. Drive: 13 plays, 44 yards, 8:25.
NO – Pierre Thomas 8-yard run (Shayne Graham kick), 1:22. Saints 35–17. Drive: 10 plays, 92 yards, 5:13.
Fourth quarter
NO – Drew Brees 9-yard run (Shayne Graham kick), 14:08. Saints 42–17. Drive: 4 plays, 25 yards, 2:05.
Top passers
TB – Mike Glennon – 22/41, 219 yards, 2 TD, INT
NO – Drew Brees – 24/31, 381 yards, 4 TD
Top rushers
TB – Brian Leonard – 5 rushes, 35 yards
NO – Khiry Robinson – 12 rushes, 50 yards
Top receivers
TB – Tiquan Underwood – 5 receptions, 93 yards, TD
NO – Kenny Stills – 1 reception, 76 yards, TD :
The Saints were able to sweep the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the second straight season with the victory. They finished the season 11-5, clinching a playoff berth as the NFC's #6 seed and would face the #3 seeded Eagles in the wild-card round.

### Standings
#### Division

NFC South :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(2)}$ Carolina Panthers | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 9–3 | 366 | 241 | W3 |
| $^{(6)}$ New Orleans Saints | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–1 | 9–3 | 414 | 304 | W1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–5 | 3–9 | 353 | 443 | L2 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–5 | 2–10 | 288 | 389 | L3 |

#### Conference

NFCviewtalkedit :
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
| Division winners ||||||||||||
| 1 | Seattle Seahawks | West | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 4–2 | 10–2 | .490 | .445 | W1 |
| 2 | Carolina Panthers | South | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 9–3 | .494 | .451 | W3 |
| 3 | Philadelphia Eagles | East | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–2 | 9–3 | .453 | .391 | W2 |
| 4 | Green Bay Packers | North | 8 | 7 | 1 | .531 | 3–2–1 | 6–5–1 | .453 | .371 | W1 |
| Wild cards ||||||||||||
| 5 | San Francisco 49ers | West | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 9–3 | .494 | .414 | W6 |
| 6 | New Orleans Saints | South | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–1 | 9–3 | .516 | .455 | W1 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason ||||||||||||
| 7 | Arizona Cardinals | West | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 2–4 | 6–6 | .531 | .444 | L1 |
| 8 | Chicago Bears | North | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .465 | .469 | L2 |
| 9 | Dallas Cowboys | East | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 5–1 | 7–5 | .484 | .363 | L1 |
| 10 | New York Giants | East | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .520 | .366 | W2 |
| 11 | Detroit Lions | North | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .457 | .402 | L4 |
| 12 | St. Louis Rams | West | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .551 | .446 | L1 |
| 13 | Minnesota Vikings | North | 5 | 10 | 1 | .344 | 2–3–1 | 4–7–1 | .512 | .450 | W1 |
| 14 | Atlanta Falcons | South | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .553 | .313 | L2 |
| 15 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | South | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–5 | 2–10 | .574 | .391 | L3 |
| 16 | Washington Redskins | East | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 0–6 | 1–11 | .516 | .438 | L8 |
| Tiebreakers ||||||||||||
| ↑ Chicago defeated Dallas head-to-head (Week 14, 45–28). ↑ The NY Giants and Detroit finished with a better conference record than St. Louis. ↑ The NY Giants defeated Detroit head-to-head (Week 16, 23–20 (OT)). ↑ Detroit finished with a better conference record than St. Louis. ↑ Atlanta finished with a better conference record than Tampa Bay. ↑ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division. ||||||||||||

## Postseason
### Schedule

| Playoff round | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
| Wild Card | January 4, 2014 | at Philadelphia Eagles (3) | W 26–24 | 1–0 | Lincoln Financial Field | Recap |
| Divisional | January 11, 2014 | at Seattle Seahawks (1) | L 15–23 | 1–1 | CenturyLink Field | Recap |

### Game summaries
#### NFC Wild Card Round: at #3 Philadelphia Eagles

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Saints | 0 | 6 | 14 | 6 | 26 |
| Eagles | 0 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 24 |
at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
* Date: January 4, 2014
* Game time: 8:10 p.m. EST/7:10 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 25 °F (−4 °C), clear
* Game attendance: 69,144
* Referee: Bill Vinovich
* TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
* Recap, Game book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
NO – Shayne Graham 36-yard field goal, 8:37. Saints 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 43 yards, 5:45.
PHI – Riley Cooper 10-yard pass from Nick Foles (Alex Henery kick), 1:48. Eagles 7–3. Drive: 6 plays, 44 yards, 2:44.
NO – Shayne Graham 46-yard field goal, 0:00. Eagles 7–6. Drive: 8 plays, 47 yards, 1:48.
Third quarter
NO – Lance Moore 24-yard pass from Drew Brees (Shayne Graham kick), 10:08. Saints 13–7. Drive: 6 plays, 53 yards, 3:34.
NO – Mark Ingram 4-yard run (Shayne Graham kick), 3:54. Saints 20–7. Drive: 8 plays, 66 yards, 4:52.
PHI – LeSean McCoy 1-yard run (Alex Henery kick), 0:32. Saints 20–14. Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 3:22.
Fourth quarter
PHI – Alex Henery 31-yard field goal, 11:14. Saints 20–17. Drive: 7 plays, 28 yards, 2:59.
NO – Shayne Graham 35-yard field goal, 8:04. Saints 23–17. Drive: 7 plays, 58 yards, 3:10.
PHI – Zach Ertz 3-yard pass from Nick Foles (Alex Henery kick), 4:54. Eagles 24–23. Drive: 8 plays, 77 yards, 3:10.
NO – Shayne Graham 32-yard field goal, 0:00. Saints 26–24. Drive: 10 plays, 34 yards, 4:54.
Top passers
NO – Drew Brees – 20/30, 250 yards, TD, 2 INT
PHI – Nick Foles – 23/33, 195 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
NO – Mark Ingram – 18 rushes, 97 yards, TD
PHI – LeSean McCoy – 21 rushes, 77 yards, TD
Top receivers
NO – Jimmy Graham – 3 receptions, 44 yards
PHI – Riley Cooper – 6 receptions, 68 yards, TD :
In their first playoff matchup since the 2006 season, the Saints defeated the Eagles and earned their first postseason win on the road. Drew Brees threw for 250 yards and one touchdown, Mark Ingram rushed for 97 yards and another touchdown, and Shayne Graham went 4-for-4 on field goals, including the game winner with no time left on the clock. Graham started the scoring with a 36-yard field goal in the second quarter. Philadelphia struck back with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Nick Foles to Riley Cooper, but Graham hit another field goal at the end of the half to pull the Saints to within one at 7-6. Early in the third quarter the Saints got their first touchdown when Brees connected with Lance Moore for a 24-yard touchdown pass to take a 13-7 lead, and the Saints extended it to 20-7 on a one-yard run by Ingram. However, Philadelphia came back with a touchdown drive of their own to pull to within six at 20-14 on the strength of a 40-yard completion from Foles to DeSean Jackson to the Saints 9-yard line and a one-yard run by McCoy for the TD. The Eagles got the ball back in the fourth quarter and pulled to within three on the strength of a 31-yard field goal by Eagles K Alex Henery. The Saints responded with Graham's third field of the night from 35 yards out to make the score 23-17, but Philadelphia went on a 73-yard drive to take the lead, aided by a pass interference on Saints cornerback Corey White and a three-yard touchdown pass from Foles to TE Zach Ertz. On the ensuing kickoff, Saints returner Darren Sproles returned the ball to the Saints 37 and then had fifteen more tacked on because of a horse-collar tackle by the Eagles' Cary Williams. Brees then methodically led the Saints on a 10-play, 34-yard drive to the Eagles' 14 where Graham put his fourth field goal through the uprights for a 26-24 lead as time expired.

#### NFC Divisional Round: at #1 Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Saints | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 15 |
| Seahawks | 6 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 23 |
at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington
* Date: January 11, 2014
* Game time: 3:35 p.m. CST/1:35 p.m. PST
* Game weather: 48 °F (9 °C), rain
* Game attendance: 68,388
* Referee: Terry McAulay
* TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Erin Andrews
* Recap, Game book
Game information :
First quarter
SEA – Steven Hauschka 38-yard field goal, 10:19. Seahawks 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 20 yards, 3:20.
SEA – Steven Hauschka 49-yard field goal, 0:37. Seahawks 6–0. Drive: 9 plays, 34 yards, 4:26.
Second quarter
SEA – Marshawn Lynch 15-yard run (Steven Hauschka kick), 14:17. Seahawks 13–0. Drive: 2 plays, 24 yards, 0:34.
SEA – Steven Hauschka 26-yard field goal, 1:18. Seahawks 16–0. Drive: 12 plays, 63 yards, 4:44.
Third quarter
No scoring plays
Fourth quarter
NO – Khiry Robinson 1-yard run (Mark Ingram II run), 13:11. Seahawks 16–8. Drive: 9 plays, 74 yards, 4:27.
SEA – Marshawn Lynch 31-yard run (Steven Hauschka kick), 2:40. Seahawks 23–8. Drive: 4 plays, 62 yards, 1:11.
NO – Marques Colston 9-yard pass from Drew Brees (Shayne Graham kick), 0:26. Seahawks 23–15. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 2:14.
Top passers
NO – Drew Brees – 24/43, 309 yards, 1 TD
SEA – Russell Wilson – 9/18, 103 yards
Top rushers
NO – Khiry Robinson – 13 rushes, 57 yards, 1 TD
SEA – Marshawn Lynch – 28 rushes, 140 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
NO – Marques Colston – 11 receptions, 144 yards, 1 TD
SEA – Doug Baldwin – 2 receptions, 30 yards :
In a much different game than the earlier Monday Night Football matchup, the Saints lost to the Seahawks under stormy and freezing conditions in Seattle. Despite Drew Brees' 309 yards passing, the Saints fumbled once and PK Shane Graham missed two field goal attempts. Seattle jumped out to a 16-0 lead on three Stephen Hauschka field goals and a 15-yard touchdown run by Marshawn Lynch. The Saints got back into the game in the fourth quarter with a 1-yard touchdown rush by Khiry Robinson and a two-point conversion run by Mark Ingram. However, Seattle struck again, this time with a 31-yard touchdown rush by Lynch. The Saints scored their final touchdown on a 9-yard pass from Brees to Marques Colston with only 26 seconds remaining, but the Saints had a chance to tie the game when they recovered the onsides kick. A final attempt at a pass followed by laterals fell short as time expired, sending Seattle to the NFC Championship and the Saints home with a 12-6 record. Lynch finished with a game-high 140 yards on 28 attempts for Seattle while Colston caught 11 balls for 144 yards in a losing effort for the Saints.