# 2017 New Orleans Saints season

The 2017 season was the New Orleans Saints' 51st in the National Football League (NFL), their 42nd playing home games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and their 11th under head coach Sean Payton. Thanks to a significantly improved defense and consistent quality on offense, the team improved on their 7–9 output from the previous season, while achieving an eight-game winning streak after losing their first two contests, their longest streak (tied with their 2011 team) since 2009, when they won Super Bowl XLIV. In Week 13 the Saints clinched their first winning season since 2013 and swept the Carolina Panthers for the first time since 2011. In Week 16, the Saints clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2013 by defeating the Atlanta Falcons. In Week 17, the Saints clinched the NFC South for the first time since 2011 with the Panthers loss to the Falcons. This was the first of four consecutive NFC South titles for the Saints. On January 7, 2018 the Saints played their divisional rival Carolina Panthers in the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. They beat Carolina 31–26 in the Wild Card, but lost 29–24 to the Minnesota Vikings in the Divisional Round in a shocking ending.
This year was Tom Benson's final season as owner of the Saints, as he died at the age of 90 on March 15, 2018 from influenza.

## Offseason
### Signings

| Position | Player | Age | 2016 Team | Contract |
| OG | Larry Warford | 25 | Detroit Lions | 4 years, $34 million |
| DT | Nick Fairley | 29 | New Orleans Saints | 4 years, $28 million |
| LB | A. J. Klein | 25 | Carolina Panthers | 4 years, $24 million |
| WR | Ted Ginn Jr. | 32 | Carolina Panthers | 3 years, $11 million |
| RB | Adrian Peterson | 32 | Minnesota Vikings | 2 years, $7 million |
| LB | Manti Te'o | 26 | San Diego Chargers | 2 years, $5 million |
| OLB | Alex Okafor | 26 | Arizona Cardinals | 1 year, $2 million |
| DE | Darryl Tapp | 32 | New Orleans Saints | 1 year, $1 million |
| TE | John Phillips | 29 | New Orleans Saints | 1 year, $980,000 |
| CB | Sterling Moore | 27 | New Orleans Saints | 1 year, $900,000 |
| QB | Chase Daniel | 30 | Philadelphia Eagles | 1 year, $900,000 |
| FS | Rafael Bush | 29 | Detroit Lions | 1 year, $855,000 |
| RB | Travaris Cadet | 28 | New Orleans Saints | 1 year, $855,000 |

### Releases

| Position | Player | Age | 2017 Team |
| OLB | Kasim Edebali | 27 | Denver Broncos |
| RB | Tim Hightower | 30 | San Francisco 49ers |
| G | Tim Lelito | 27 | Tennessee Titans |
| CB | B. W. Webb | 27 | Chicago Bears |
| S | Jairus Byrd | 30 | Carolina Panthers |
| DE | Paul Kruger | 31 | TBD |
| SS | Roman Harper | 34 | TBD |
| OG | Jahri Evans | 33 | Green Bay Packers |
| CB | Kyle Wilson | 29 | TBD |

## Draft

2017 New Orleans Saints Draft :
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College |
| 1 | 11 | Marshon Lattimore | CB | Ohio State |
| 1 | 32 | Ryan Ramczyk | OT | Wisconsin |
| 2 | 42 | Marcus Williams | FS | Utah |
| 3 | 67 | Alvin Kamara | RB | Tennessee |
| 3 | 76 | Alex Anzalone | OLB | Florida |
| 3 | 103 | Trey Hendrickson | DE | Florida Atlantic |
| 6 | 196 | Al-Quadin Muhammad | DE | Miami |

## Preseason

After three years of holding training camp at The Greenbrier resort in West Virginia, the Saints opted to move camp back to the team's headquarters facility in Metairie, Louisiana.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
| 1 | August 10 | at Cleveland Browns | L 14–20 | 0–1 | FirstEnergy Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 20 | at Los Angeles Chargers | W 13–7 | 1–1 | StubHub Center | Recap |
| 3 | August 26 | Houston Texans | W 13–0 | 2–1 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
| 4 | August 31 | Baltimore Ravens | L 13–14 | 2–2 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |

## Regular season
### Schedule

On December 13, 2016, the NFL announced that the Saints will play the Miami Dolphins as one of the London Games at Wembley Stadium in London, England, with the Dolphins serving as the home team. The game will occur during Week 4 (Sunday, October 1), and will be televised in the United States. The network and time will be announced in conjunction with the release of the regular season schedule.
The Saints' 2017 schedule was revealed on April 20.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
| 1 | September 11 | at Minnesota Vikings | L 19–29 | 0–1 | U.S. Bank Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | September 17 | New England Patriots | L 20–36 | 0–2 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
| 3 | September 24 | at Carolina Panthers | W 34–13 | 1–2 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | October 1 | at Miami Dolphins | W 20–0 | 2–2 | Wembley Stadium (London) | Recap |
| 5 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 6 | October 15 | Detroit Lions | W 52–38 | 3–2 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
| 7 | October 22 | at Green Bay Packers | W 26–17 | 4–2 | Lambeau Field | Recap |
| 8 | October 29 | Chicago Bears | W 20–12 | 5–2 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
| 9 | November 5 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 30–10 | 6–2 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
| 10 | November 12 | at Buffalo Bills | W 47–10 | 7–2 | New Era Field | Recap |
| 11 | November 19 | Washington Redskins | W 34–31 (OT) | 8–2 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
| 12 | November 26 | at Los Angeles Rams | L 20–26 | 8–3 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | Recap |
| 13 | December 3 | Carolina Panthers | W 31–21 | 9–3 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
| 14 | December 7 | at Atlanta Falcons | L 17–20 | 9–4 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Recap |
| 15 | December 17 | New York Jets | W 31–19 | 10–4 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
| 16 | December 24 | Atlanta Falcons | W 23–13 | 11–4 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
| 17 | December 31 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 24–31 | 11–5 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: at Minnesota Vikings

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Saints | 3 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 19 |
| Vikings | 3 | 13 | 3 | 10 | 29 |
at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: September 11
* Game time: 6:10 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Referee: Gene Steratore
* TV announcers (ESPN): Sean McDonough, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
NO – Wil Lutz 43-yard field goal, 8:21. Saints 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 56 yards, 6:39.
MIN – Kai Forbath 24-yard field goal, 1:01. Tied 3–3. Drive: 14 plays, 78 yards, 7:20.
Second quarter
NO – Wil Lutz 21-yard field goal, 5:26. Saints 6–3. Drive: 13 plays, 74 yards, 6:49.
MIN – Stefon Diggs 18-yard pass from Sam Bradford (Kai Forbath kick), 4:08. Vikings 10–6. Drive: 3 plays, 74 yards, 1:18.
MIN – Stefon Diggs 2-yard pass from Sam Bradford (kick failed, wide right), 0:03. Vikings 16–6. Drive: 10 plays, 95 yards, 1:40.
Third quarter
MIN – Kai Forbath 32-yard field goal, 11:07. Vikings 19–6. Drive: 8 plays, 54 yards, 3:53.
NO – Wil Lutz 24-yard field goal, 2:43. Vikings 19–9. Drive: 8 plays, 83 yards, 2:46.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Kyle Rudolph 15-yard pass from Sam Bradford (Kai Forbath kick), 12:52. Vikings 26–9. Drive: 9 plays, 89 yards, 4:51.
NO – Wil Lutz 20-yard field goal, 7:49. Vikings 26–12. Drive: 12 plays, 73 yards, 5:03.
MIN – Kai Forbath 45-yard field goal, 4:00. Vikings 29–12. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 3:49.
NO – Coby Fleener 8-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 1:56. Vikings 29–19. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 2:04.
Top passers
NO – Drew Brees – 27/37, 291 yards, TD
MIN – Sam Bradford – 27/32, 346 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
NO – Adrian Peterson – 6 rushes, 18 yards
MIN – Dalvin Cook – 22 rushes, 127 yards
Top receivers
NO – Coby Fleener – 5 receptions, 54 yards, TD
MIN – Adam Thielen – 9 receptions, 157 yards
Top tacklers
NO – A. J. Klein - 8 tackles, 3 assists
MIN – Trae Waynes - 9 tackles, 2 assists :
In a playoff preview between these 2 teams, the Saints lost to the Vikings by a score of 29-19. Despite having a 6-3 lead at one time, the Saints were outscored 26-16 for the remainder of the game. With the loss, the Saints began the season 0-1 for the 4th straight season. It was also running back Adrian Peterson's first time playing in Minneapolis since leaving the Vikings via free agency in the offseason.

#### Week 2: vs. New England Patriots

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Patriots | 20 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 36 |
| Saints | 3 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
* Date: September 17
* Game time: 12:00 pm. CDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 73,168
* Referee: Craig Wrolstad
* TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
NE – Rex Burkhead 19-yard pass from Tom Brady (kick failed, hit left upright), 10:31. Patriots 6–0. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:29.
NO – Wil Lutz 46-yard field goal, 7:43. Patriots 6–3. Drive: 7 plays, 34 yards, 2:53.
NE – Rob Gronkowski 53-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 5:42. Patriots 13–3. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:09.
NE – Chris Hogan 13-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 0:16. Patriots 20–3. Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 3:53.
Second quarter
NO – Brandon Coleman 5-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 11:52. Patriots 20–10. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:24.
NO – Wil Lutz 35-yard field goal, 8:23. Patriots 20–13. Drive: 7 plays, 45 yards, 2:13.
NE – Mike Gillislee 2-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 4:52. Patriots 27–13. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:31.
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 28-yard field goal, 0:02. Patriots 30–13. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 2:23.
Third quarter
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 24-yard field goal, 0:44. Patriots 33–13. Drive: 9 plays, 55 yards, 4:15.
Fourth quarter
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 27-yard field goal, 8:54. Patriots 36–13. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:30.
NO – Coby Fleener 4-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 5:04. Patriots 36–20. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 3:45.
Top passers
NE – Tom Brady – 30/39, 447 yards, 3 TD
NO – Drew Brees – 27/45, 356 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
NE – Mike Gillislee – 18 rushes, 69 yards, TD
NO – Mark Ingram II – 8 rushes, 52 yards
Top receivers
NE – Rob Gronkowski – 6 receptions, 116 yards, TD
NO – Michael Thomas – 5 receptions, 89 yards
Top tacklers
NE – Patrick Chung and Elandon Roberts - 7 tackles, 1 assist
NO – P. J. Williams – 8 tackles, 2 assists :
The Saints lose to the defending Super Bowl champions, New England Patriots, thus dropping their record to 0-2.

#### Week 3: at Carolina Panthers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Saints | 7 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 34 |
| Panthers | 3 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
* Date: September 24
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 pm. CDT
* Game weather: 82 °F (28 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 73,775
* Referee: Bill Vinovich
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Ronde Barber and Kristina Pink
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 32-yard field goal, 6:23. Panthers 3–0. Drive: 15 plays, 61 yards, 8:41.
NO – Michael Thomas 5-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 0:29. Saints 7–3. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 5:57.
Second quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 48-yard field goal, 10:52. Saints 7–6. Drive: 8 plays, 45 yards, 4:36.
NO – Brandon Coleman 11-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 5:48. Saints 14–6. Drive: 4 plays, 24 yards, 2:08.
NO – Wil Lutz 33-yard field goal, 0:05. Saints 17–6. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 4:43.
Third quarter
NO – Ted Ginn Jr. 40-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 11:18. Saints 24–6. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:51.
CAR – Cam Newton 3-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 1:26. Saints 24–13. Drive: 7 plays, 83 yards, 4:11.
Fourth quarter
NO – Wil Lutz 50-yard field goal, 12:03. Saints 27–13. Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 4:21.
NO – Alvin Kamara 25-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 4:50. Saints 34–13. Drive: 4 plays, 35 yards, 2:16.
Top passers
NO – Drew Brees – 22/29, 220 yards, 3 TD
CAR – Cam Newton – 17/26, 167 yards, 3 INT
Top rushers
NO – Mark Ingram II – 14 rushes, 56 yards
CAR – Jonathan Stewart – 12 rushes, 57 yards
Top receivers
NO – Michael Thomas – 7 receptions, 87 yards, TD
CAR – Christian McCaffrey – 9 receptions, 101 yards :
The Saints gain their first victory of the season against the Carolina Panthers. They improve to 1-2.

#### Week 4: at Miami Dolphins

NFL London Games
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Saints | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 20 |
| Dolphins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Wembley Stadium, London, England
* Date: October 1
* Game time: 2:30 p.m. BST/8:30 am. CDT
* Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C), clear
* Game attendance: 84,423
* Referee: Ed Hochuli
* TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Charles Davis and Pam Oliver
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays
Second quarter
NO – Wil Lutz 43-yard field goal, 0:00. Saints 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 25 yards, 1:10.
Third quarter
NO – Michael Thomas 3-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 9:01. Saints 10–0. Drive: 11 plays, 77 yards, 5:59.
Fourth quarter
NO – Wil Lutz 45-yard field goal, 12:32. Saints 13–0. Drive: 12 plays, 34 yards, 6:37.
NO – Alvin Kamara 12-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 3:57. Saints 20–0. Drive: 11 plays, 87 yards, 5:41.
Top passers
NO – Drew Brees – 29/41, 268 yards, 2 TD
MIA – Jay Cutler – 20/28, 164 yards, INT
Top rushers
NO – Mark Ingram II – 14 carries, 45 yards
MIA – Jay Ajayi – 12 carries, 46 yards
Top receivers
NO – Michael Thomas – 8 receptions, 89 yards, TD
MIA – DeVante Parker – 6 receptions, 69 yards :
Hoping to improve their record to 2-2, the Saints flew to London to take on the Miami Dolphins. With the shutout victory, the Saints improved their season record in the process.

#### Week 6: vs. Detroit Lions

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 7 | 3 | 14 | 14 | 38 |
| Saints | 17 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 52 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
* Date: October 15
* Game time: 12:00 pm. CDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 73,117
* Referee: Jeff Triplette
* TV announcers (Fox): Dan Hellie, Chris Spielman and Peter Schrager
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
NO – Kenny Vaccaro fumble recovery in end zone (Wil Lutz kick), 11:02. Saints 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, -2 yards, 0:54.
DET – Golden Tate 45-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 7:02. Tied 7–7. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 4:00.
NO – Ted Ginn Jr. 20-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 4:56. Saints 14–7. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 2:06.
NO – Wil Lutz 41-yard field goal, 0:04. Saints 17–7. Drive: 9 plays, 69 yards, 3:50.
Second quarter
NO – Mark Ingram II 1-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 10:46. Saints 24–7. Drive: 6 plays, 31 yards, 2:55.
DET – Matt Prater 41-yard field goal, 6:38. Saints 24–10. Drive: 8 plays, 53 yards, 4:08.
NO – Mark Ingram II 2-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 1:48. Saints 31–10. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 4:50.
Third quarter
NO – Michael Hoomanawanui 2-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 9:17. Saints 38–10. Drive: 7 plays, 54 yards, 3:18.
NO – Marshon Lattimore 27-yard interception return (Wil Lutz kick), 8:34. Saints 45–10. Drive: 2 plays, 2 yards, 0:43.
DET – Marvin Jones Jr. 22-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 5:56. Saints 45–17. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:38.
DET – Darren Fells 22-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 1:21. Saints 45–24. Drive: 11 plays, 61 yards, 3:16.
Fourth quarter
DET – Jamal Agnew 74-yard punt return (Matt Prater kick), 11:03. Saints 45–31.
DET – A'Shawn Robinson 2-yard interception return (Matt Prater kick), 6:41. Saints 45–38. Drive: 2 plays, -4 yards, 0:48.
NO – Cameron Jordan interception in end zone (Wil Lutz), 5:04. Saints 52–38. Drive: 2 plays, 0 yards, 0:07.
Top passers
DET – Matthew Stafford – 25/52, 312 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT
NO – Drew Brees – 21/31, 186 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
DET – Ameer Abdullah – 14 carries, 54 yards
NO – Mark Ingram II – 25 carries, 114 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
DET – Golden Tate – 7 receptions, 96 yards, TD
NO – Ted Ginn Jr. – 4 receptions, 66 yards, TD :
Coming off with the perfect win over Miami, the Saints host the Lions at home in the Superdome. Cameron Jordan gained popularity for his "spider" tackle, as well as a pick six in the end zone. The Saints would beat the Lions for the first time since the 2011 season, and then improve their record to 3-2.

#### Week 7: at Green Bay Packers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Saints | 0 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 26 |
| Packers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
* Date: October 22
* Game time: 12:00 pm. CDT
* Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C), rain
* Game attendance: 78,380
* Referee: Jerome Boger
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Charles Davis and Pam Oliver
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
GB – Aaron Jones 46-yard run (Mason Crosby kick), 13:09. Packers 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:00.
Second quarter
NO – Mark Ingram II 12-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 12:35. Tied 7–7. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 3:13.
GB – Brett Hundley 14-yard run (Mason Crosby kick), 08:45. Packers 14–7. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:54.
Third quarter
NO – Brandon Coleman 22-yard pass from Drew Brees, 11:29. Packers 14–13. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 3:36.
NO – Wil Lutz 28-yard field goal, 4:12. Saints 16–14. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 4:40.
Fourth quarter
GB – Mason Crosby 46-yard field goal, 14:50. Packers 17–16. Drive: 10 plays, 53 yards, 4:18.
NO – Wil Lutz 44-yard field goal, 10:26. Saints 19–17. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 4:29.
NO – Drew Brees 1-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 4:57. Saints 26–17. Drive: 8 plays, 55 yards, 3:30.
Top passers
NO – Drew Brees – 27/38, 331 yards, TD, 2 INT
GB – Brett Hundley – 12/25, 87 yards, INT
Top rushers
NO – Mark Ingram II – 22 rushes, 105 yards, TD
GB – Aaron Jones – 17 rushes, 131 yards, TD
Top receivers
NO – Ted Ginn Jr. – 7 receptions, 141 yards
GB – Martellus Bennett – 2 receptions, 17 yards :

#### Week 8: vs. Chicago Bears

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 12 |
| Saints | 7 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 20 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
* Date: October 29
* Game time: 12:00 pm. CDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 73,192
* Referee: Carl Cheffers
* TV announcers (Fox): Justin Kutcher, Chris Spielman and Jennifer Hale
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
NO – Alvin Kamara 8-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 11:08. Saints 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 81 yards, 3:52.
Second quarter
CHI – Connor Barth 27-yard field goal, 14:52. Saints 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 67 yards, 5:25.
NO – Mark Ingram II 1-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 3:41. Saints 14–3. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:30.
Third quarter
CHI – Connor Barth 44-yard field goal, 5:42. Saints 14–6. Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 3:31.
Fourth quarter-
NO – Wil Lutz 45-yard field goal, 12:54. Saints 17–6. Drive: 7 plays, 26 yards, 2:26.
CHI – Tarik Cohen 1-yard run (pass failed), 3:58. Saints 17–12. Drive: 10 plays, 72 yards, 3:34.
NO – Wil Lutz 49-yard field goal, 1:35. Saints 20–12. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 0:16.
Top passers
CHI – Mitchell Trubisky – 14/32, 164 yards, INT
NO – Drew Brees – 23/28, 299 yards
Top rushers
CHI – Jordan Howard – 23 rushes, 102 yards
NO – Mark Ingram II – 18 rushes, 75 yards, TD
Top receivers
CHI – Tre McBride – 3 receptions, 92 yards
NO – Michael Thomas – 7 receptions, 77 yards
Top tacklers
CHI – Danny Trevathan – 9 tackles, 4 assists
NO – Kenny Vaccaro – 6 tackles, 3 assists :

#### Week 9: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Saints | 9 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 30 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
* Date: November 5
* Game time: 12:00 pm. CST
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 73,121
* Referee: Bill Vinovich
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Chris Spielman and Peter Schrager
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
NO – Wil Lutz 40-yard field goal, 8:49. Saints 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 58 yards, 6:11.
NO – Justin Hardee 7-yard return of block punt (kick blocked), 6:31. Saints 9–0.
Second quarter
TB – Patrick Murray 50-yard field goal, 2:57. Saints 9–3. Drive: 10 plays, 40 yards, 5:44.
NO – Alvin Kamara 33-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 0:55. Saints 16–3. Drive: 7 plays, 93 yards, 2:02.
Third quarter
NO – Alvin Kamara 6-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 9:59. Saints 23–3. Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 3:31.
NO – Ted Ginn Jr. 36-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 9:39. Saints 30–3. Drive: 1 plays, 36 yards, 0:07.
Fourth quarter
TB – Luke Stocker 8-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Patrick Murray kick), 6:48. Saints 30–10. Drive: 3 plays, 19 yards, 1:26.
Top passers
TB – Ryan Fitzpatrick – 8/15, 68 yards, TD
NO – Drew Brees – 22/27, 263 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
TB – Peyton Barber – 11 carries, 34 yards
NO – Mark Ingram II – 16 carries, 77 yards
Top receivers
TB – DeSean Jackson – 2 receptions, 25 yards
NO – Michael Thomas – 8 receptions, 65 yards
Top tacklers
TB – Ryan Smith - 4 tackles, 5 assists
NO – Cameron Jordan - 5 Tackles, 2 assists, 1.5 sacks :

#### Week 10: at Buffalo Bills

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Saints | 7 | 10 | 20 | 10 | 47 |
| Bills | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
at New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York
* Date: November 12
* Game time: 1:00 pm. EST/12:00 pm. CST
* Game weather: 42 °F (6 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 67,501
* Referee: Terry McAulay
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Ronde Barber and Kristina Pink
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
BUF – Stephen Hauschka 37-yard field goal, 10:58. Bills 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 4:02.
NO – Mark Ingram II 1-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 6:18. Saints 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:40.
Second quarter
NO – Mark Ingram II 3-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 9:03. Saints 14–3. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 4:47.
NO – Wil Lutz 23-yard field goal, 1:39. Saints 17–3. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:04.
Third quarter
NO – Alvin Kamara 5-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 9:40. Saints 24–3. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 5:20.
NO – Mark Ingram II 3-yard run (Wil Lutz PAT failed), 8:24. Saints 30–3. Drive: 1 play, 3 yards, 0:05.
NO – Drew Brees 7-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 0:22. Saints 37–3. Drive: 10 plays, 94 yards, 6:33.
Fourth quarter
NO – Wil Lutz 53-yard field goal, 4:53. Saints 40–3. Drive: 14 plays, 38 yards, 9:25.
NO – Trey Edmunds 41-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 3:04. Saints 47–3. Drive: 2 plays, 44 yards, 0:51.
BUF – Nick O'Leary 7-yard pass from Nathan Peterman (Stephen Hauschka kick), 1:54. Saints 47–10. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 1:10.
Top passers
NO – Drew Brees – 18/25, 184 yards
BUF – Nathan Peterman – 7/10, 79 yards, TD
Top rushers
NO – Mark Ingram II – 21 carries, 131 yards, 3 TD
BUF – LeSean McCoy – 8 carries, 49 yards
Top receivers
NO – Michael Thomas – 9 receptions, 117 yards
BUF – Kelvin Benjamin – 3 receptions, 42 yards :

#### Week 11: vs. Washington Redskins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Redskins | 10 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 31 |
| Saints | 10 | 3 | 0 | 18 | 3 | 34 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
* Date: November 19
* Game time: 12:00 pm. CST
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 73,138
* Referee: Walt Coleman
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
WSH – Nick Rose 38-yard field goal, 11:40. Redskins 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 27 yards, 2:11.
NO – Wil Lutz 52-yard field goal, 5:30. Tied 3–3. Drive: 11 plays, 48 yards, 6:10.
WSH – Chris Thompson 16-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Nick Rose kick), 2:11. Redskins 10–3. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:19.
NO – Mark Ingram II 36-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 0:35. Tied 10–10. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 1:36.
Second quarter
WSH – Samaje Perine 1-yard run (Nick Rose kick), 10:44. Redskins 17–10. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:51.
NO – Wil Lutz 29-yard field goal, 0:00. Redskins 17–13. Drive: 10 plays, 69 yards, 1:39.
Third quarter
WSH – Ryan Grant 40-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Nick Rose kick), 1:37. Redskins 24–13. Drive: 12 plays, 94 yards, 5:44.
Fourth quarter
NO – Wil Lutz 42-yard field goal, 9:19. Redskins 24–16. Drive: 5 plays, 27 yards, 2:02.
WSH – Jeremy Sprinkle 7-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Nick Rose kick), 5:58. Redskins 31–16. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:21.
NO – Josh Hill 3-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 2:53. Redskins 31–23. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:05.
NO – Alvin Kamara 18-yard pass from Drew Brees (Alvin Kamara run for two-point conversion), 1:05. Tied 31–31. Drive: 5 plays, 19 yards, 1:05.
Overtime
NO – Wil Lutz 28-yard field goal, 7:25. Saints 34–31. Drive: 3 plays, 51 yards, 1:29.
Top passers
WSH – Kirk Cousins – 22/32, 322 yards, 3 TD
NO – Drew Brees – 29/41, 385 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
WSH – Samaje Perine – 23 carries, 117 yards, TD
NO – Mark Ingram II – 11 carries, 134 yards, TD
Top receivers
WSH – Josh Doctson 4 receptions, 81 yards
NO – Coby Fleener – 5 receptions, 91 yards :
This would be the last time the team allowed a 100-yard rusher until December 13, 2020. This is also the first time since the 2009 season for the Saints to beat the Redskins and the first season to beat Kirk Cousins.

#### Week 12: at Los Angeles Rams

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Saints | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
| Rams | 10 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 26 |
at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California
* Date: November 26
* Game time: 3:25 pm. CST/1:25 p.m. PST
* Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 62,006
* Referee: John Parry
* TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
LAR – Sammy Watkins 5-yard pass from Jared Goff (Greg Zuerlein kick), 10:53. Rams 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 4:07.
LAR – Greg Zuerlein 50-yard field goal, 3:02. Rams 10–0. Drive: 11 plays, 51 yards, 5:28.
NO – Alvin Kamara 74-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 2:14. Rams 10–7. Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 0:48.
Second quarter
LAR – Josh Reynolds 7-yard pass from Jared Goff (Greg Zuerlein kick), 4:22. Rams 17–7. Drive: 8 plays, 86 yards, 4:18.
NO – Wil Lutz 50-yard field goal, 0:58. Rams 17–10. Drive: 8 plays, 44 yards, 3:24.
Third quarter
LAR – Greg Zuerlein 46-yard field goal, 3:37. Rams 20–10. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 3:13.
Fourth quarter
LAR – Greg Zuerlein 49-yard field goal, 14:11. Rams 23–10. Drive: 6 plays, 50 yards, 3:20.
NO – Wil Lutz 21-yard field goal, 10:05. Rams 23–13. Drive: 10 plays, 72 yards, 4:06.
LAR – Greg Zuerlein 26-yard field goal, 2:27. Rams 26–13. Drive: 13 plays, 67 yards, 5:28.
NO – Alvin Kamara 15-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 1:45. Rams 26–20. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 0:42.
Top passers
NO – Drew Brees – 22/32, 246 yards, TD
LAR – Jared Goff – 28/43, 354 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
NO – Alvin Kamara – 5 carries, 87 yards, TD
LAR – Todd Gurley – 17 carries, 74 yards
Top receivers
NO – Ted Ginn Jr. – 7 receptions, 71 yards
LAR – Cooper Kupp – 8 receptions, 116 yards
Top tacklers
NO – Vonn Bell - 8 tackles, 2 assists, 1 sack
LAR – Alec Ogletree - 5 tackles, 2 assists :
The Saints weren't able to beat the Rams, thus dropping to 8-3.

#### Week 13: vs. Carolina Panthers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| Saints | 7 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 31 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
* Date: December 3
* Game time: 3:25 pm. CST
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 73,171
* Referee: John Hussey
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
NO – Alvin Kamara 2-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 10:15. Saints 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 70 yards, 4:45.
CAR – Jonathan Stewart 2-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 5:09. Tied 7–7. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:06.
Second quarter
NO – Mark Ingram II 3-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 11:32. Saints 14–7. Drive: 3 plays, 84 yards, 1:36.
NO – Michael Thomas 10-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 7:21. Saints 21–7. Drive: 6 plays, 31 yards, 3:18.
CAR – Christian McCaffrey 21-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 1:56. Saints 21–14. Drive: 4 plays, 45 yards, 1:54.
Third quarter
NO – Alvin Kamara 20-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 8:10. Saints 28–14. Drive: 8 plays, 67 yards, 5:04.
Fourth quarter
NO – Wil Lutz 31-yard field goal, 6:08. Saints 31–14. Drive: 6 plays, 34 yards, 2:47.
CAR – Devin Funchess 24-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 3:57. Saints 31–21. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:11.
Top passers
CAR – Cam Newton – 17/27, 183 yards, 2 TD
NO – Drew Brees – 25/34, 269 yards, TD
Top rushers
CAR – Cam Newton – 6 carries, 51 yards
NO – Mark Ingram II – 14 carries, 85 yards, TD
Top receivers
CAR – Christian McCaffrey – 5 receptions, 33 yards, TD
NO – Mark Ingram II - 6 receptions, 37 yards
Top tacklers
CAR – Luke Kuechly - 8 tackles, 1 assist
NO – Cameron Jordan - 5 tackles, 1 assist and A. J. Klein - 3 tackles, 2 assists, 1 sack :
The Saints clinched a winning record for the first time since 2013 and swept the Carolina Panthers for the first time since the Saints' 2011 Season. This improved their record to 9-3.

#### Week 14: at Atlanta Falcons

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Saints | 3 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| Falcons | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
* Date: December 7
* Game time: 8:25 pm. EST/7:25 pm. CST
* Game weather: Played indoor (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 72,866
* Referee: Clete Blakeman
* TV announcers (NBC/NFLN/Amazon Video): Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth and Heather Cox
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
NO – Wil Lutz 34-yard field goal, 9:50. Saints 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 5:10.
ATL – Matt Bryant 28-yard field goal, 5:33. Tied 3–3. Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 4:17.
Second quarter
ATL – Devonta Freeman 1-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 4:29. Falcons 10–3. Drive: 15 plays, 90 yards, 8:27.
NO – Tommylee Lewis 26-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 1:53. Tied 10–10. Drive: 5 plays, 66 yards, 2:36.
Third quarter
NO – Michael Thomas 1-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 13:10. Saints 17–10. Drive: 4 plays, 29 yards, 1:36.
Fourth quarter
ATL – Mohamed Sanu 8-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 9:55. Tied 17–17. Drive: 11 plays, 69 yards, 7:06.
ATL – Matt Bryant 52-yard field goal, 3:49. Falcons 20–17. Drive: 8 plays, 38 yards, 3:57.
Top passers
NO – Drew Brees – 26/35, 271 yards, 2 TD, INT
ATL – Matt Ryan – 15/27, 221 yards, TD, 3 INT
Top rushers
NO – Mark Ingram II – 12 carries, 49 yards
ATL – Devonta Freeman – 24 carries, 91 yards, TD
Top receivers
NO – Michael Thomas – 10 receptions, 117 yards, TD
ATL – Mohamed Sanu – 6 receptions, 83 yards, TD
Top tacklers
NO – Manti Te’o - 8 tackles, 2 assists
ATL – Deion Jones - 7 tackles, 6 assists, 1 INT :
After a costly Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalty committed by Sean Payton, the Saints were defeated by the Falcons. They fell to 9-4.

#### Week 15: vs. New York Jets

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Jets | 0 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 19 |
| Saints | 10 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 31 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
* Date: December 17
* Game time: 12:00 pm. CST
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 73,018
* Referee: Ronald Torbert
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon and Otis Livingston
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
NO – Wil Lutz 23-yard field goal, 11:36. Saints 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 71 yards, 3:24.
NO – Mark Ingram II 1-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 3:07. Saints 10–0. Drive: 13 plays, 82 yards, 5:25.
Second quarter
NYJ – Bilal Powell 2-yard run (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 10:58. Saints 10–7. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 7:09.
NO – Alvin Kamara 10-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 6:12. Saints 17–7. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:46.
NYJ – Chandler Catanzaro 29-yard field goal, 0:09. Saints 17–10. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 1:05.
Third quarter
NYJ – Chandler Catanzaro 26-yard field goal, 8:07. Saints 17–13. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 3:49.
Fourth quarter
NO – Michael Thomas 4-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 7:39. Saints 24–13. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 4:43.
NYJ – Elijah McGuire 2-yard pass from Bryce Petty (pass failed), 1:51. Saints 24–19. Drive: 6 plays, 70 yards, 1:32.
NO – Mark Ingram II 50-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 1:33. Saints 31–19. Drive: 2 plays, 55 yards, 0:18.
Top passers
NYJ – Bryce Petty – 19/39, 179 yards, TD, 2 INT
NO – Drew Brees – 26/36, 281 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
NYJ – Bilal Powell – 13 carries, 44 yards, TD
NO – Mark Ingram II – 12 carries, 74 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
NYJ – Elijah McGuire – 3 receptions, 48 yards, TD
NO – Michael Thomas – 9 receptions, 93 yards, TD
Top tacklers
NYJ – Jamal Adams - 6 tackles, 2 assists and Demario Davis - 3 tackles, 5 assists
NO – Kenny Vaccaro - 8 tackles, 2 assists :
The Saints beat the Jets for the first time since the 2009 Season, improving their record to 10-4.

#### Week 16: vs. Atlanta Falcons

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Falcons | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 13 |
| Saints | 3 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 23 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
* Date: December 24
* Game time: 12:00 pm. CST
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 73,188
* Referee: Pete Morelli
* TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Charles Davis and Pam Oliver
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
NO – Wil Lutz 40-yard field goal, 7:31. Saints 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 40 yards, 4:04.
Second quarter
NO – Wil Lutz 29-yard field goal, 1:19. Saints 6–0. Drive: 16 plays, 68 yards, 8:21.
NO – Ted Ginn Jr. 54-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 0:14. Saints 13–0. Drive: 3 plays, 64 yards, 0:36.
Third quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 37-yard field goal, 9:34. Saints 13–3. Drive: 7 plays, 29 yards, 2:23.
NO – Mark Ingram II 26-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 2:52. Saints 20–3. Drive: 4 plays, 54 yards, 2:01.
Fourth quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 48-yard field goal, 10:18. Saints 20–6. Drive: 5 plays, 18 yards, 1:06.
NO – Wil Lutz 45-yard field goal, 3:38. Saints 23–6. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 0:22.
ATL – Tevin Coleman 14-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 2:40. Saints 23–13. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 0:58.
Top passers
ATL – Matt Ryan – 22/36, 288 yards, TD, INT
NO – Drew Brees – 21/28, 239 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
ATL – Devonta Freeman – 11 carries, 36 yards
NO – Mark Ingram II – 13 carries, 44 yards, TD
Top receivers
ATL – Julio Jones – 7 receptions, 149 yards
NO – Ted Ginn Jr. – 4 receptions, 76 yards, TD
Top tacklers
ATL – Keanu Neal and Deion Jones - 8 tackles, 2 assists (Jones also has a INT)
NO – Craig Robertson - 7 tackles, 3 assists :
The Saints meet the Falcons again, but this time, they beat them by 10 points. This also brought their record up to 11-4.

#### Week 17: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Saints | 14 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 24 |
| Buccaneers | 7 | 6 | 0 | 18 | 31 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
* Date: December 31
* Game time: 4:25 pm. EST/3:25 pm. CST
* Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C), clear
* Game attendance: 55,376
* Referee: Walt Anderson
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Chris Spielman and Peter Schrager
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
TB – Peyton Barber 1-yard run (Patrick Murray kick), 9:42. Buccaneers 7–0. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 5:18.
NO – Alvin Kamara 106-yard kickoff return (Wil Lutz kick), 9:29. Tied 7–7.
NO – Alvin Kamara 7-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 2:36. Saints 14–7. Drive: 6 plays, 65 yards, 3:24.
Second quarter
TB – Jameis Winston 1-yard run (kick failed), 5:50. Saints 14–13. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 6:15.
Third quarter
NO – Wil Lutz 48-yard field goal, 2:44. Saints 17–13. Drive: 9 plays, 50 yards, 5:18.
Fourth quarter
TB – Isaiah Johnson 7-yard fumble return (Patrick Murray kick), 14:04. Buccaneers 20–17.
NO – Zach Line 3-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 7:07. Saints 24–20. Drive: 13 plays, 92 yards, 6:57.
TB – Patrick Murray 42-yard field goal, 4:31. Saints 24–23. Drive: 10 plays, 51 yards, 2:36.
TB – Chris Godwin 39-yard pass from Jameis Winston (Jameis Winston-Mike Evans pass), 0:09. Buccaneers 31–24. Drive: 11 plays, 95 yards, 1:49.
Top passers
NO – Drew Brees – 22/30, 245 yards, TD
TB – Jameis Winston – 28/51, 363 yards, TD, 3 INT
Top rushers
NO – Alvin Kamara – 9 carries, 44 yards, TD
TB – Peyton Barber – 17 carries, 71 yards, TD
Top receivers
NO – Michael Thomas – 6 receptions, 94 yards
TB – Chris Godwin – 7 receptions, 111 yards, TD
Top tacklers
NO –
TB – :
The Saints meet the Buccaneers on the road. However, Jameis Winston would win this game. The Saints finish their regular season 11-5 and advance to the Wild Card playoff game.

### Standings
#### Division

NFC South :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(4)}$ New Orleans Saints | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 4–2 | 8–4 | 448 | 326 | L1 |
| $^{(5)}$ Carolina Panthers | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 3–3 | 7–5 | 363 | 327 | L1 |
| $^{(6)}$ Atlanta Falcons | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–2 | 9–3 | 353 | 315 | W1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 3–9 | 335 | 382 | W1 |

#### Conference

NFCvte :
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
| Division leaders ||||||||||||
| 1 | Philadelphia Eagles | East | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 5–1 | 10–2 | .461 | .433 | L1 |
| 2 | Minnesota Vikings | North | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 5–1 | 10–2 | .492 | .447 | W3 |
| 3 | Los Angeles Rams | West | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .504 | .460 | L1 |
| 4 | New Orleans Saints | South | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 4–2 | 8–4 | .535 | .483 | L1 |
| Wild Cards ||||||||||||
| 5 | Carolina Panthers | South | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .539 | .500 | L1 |
| 6 | Atlanta Falcons | South | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–2 | 9–3 | .543 | .475 | W1 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason ||||||||||||
| 7 | Detroit Lions | North | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 5–1 | 8–4 | .496 | .368 | W1 |
| 8 | Seattle Seahawks | West | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .492 | .444 | L1 |
| 9 | Dallas Cowboys | East | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 5–1 | 7–5 | .496 | .438 | W1 |
| 10 | Arizona Cardinals | West | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .488 | .406 | W2 |
| 11 | Green Bay Packers | North | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 2–4 | 5–7 | .539 | .357 | L3 |
| 12 | Washington Redskins | East | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 1–5 | 5–7 | .539 | .429 | L1 |
| 13 | San Francisco 49ers | West | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .512 | .438 | W5 |
| 14 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | South | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .555 | .375 | W1 |
| 15 | Chicago Bears | North | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 0–6 | 1–11 | .559 | .500 | L1 |
| 16 | New York Giants | East | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 1–5 | 1–11 | .531 | .458 | W1 |
| Tiebreakers ||||||||||||
| 1 2 Philadelphia claimed the No. 1 seed over Minnesota based on winning percentage vs. common opponents. Philadelphia's cumulative record against Carolina, Chicago, the Los Angeles Rams and Washington was 5–0, compared to Minnesota's 4–1 cumulative record against the same four teams. 1 2 LA Rams claimed the No. 3 seed over New Orleans based on head-to-head victory. 1 2 New Orleans clinched the NFC South division over Carolina based on head-to-head sweep. 1 2 3 Detroit finished ahead of Dallas and Seattle based on conference record, while Seattle finished ahead of Dallas based on head-to-head victory. 1 2 Green Bay finished ahead of Washington based on record vs. common opponents. Green Bay's cumulative record against Dallas, Minnesota, New Orleans and Seattle was 2–3, compared to Washington's 1–4 cumulative record against the same four teams. 1 2 Tampa Bay finished ahead of Chicago based on head-to-head victory. ↑ 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

| Playoff round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
| Wild Card | January 7, 2018 | Carolina Panthers (5) | W 31–26 | 1–0 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
| Divisional | January 14, 2018 | at Minnesota Vikings (2) | L 24–29 | 1–1 | U.S. Bank Stadium | Recap |

### NFC Wild Card Playoffs: vs. (5) Carolina Panthers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 0 | 9 | 3 | 14 | 26 |
| Saints | 7 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 31 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
* Date: January 7, 2018
* Game time: 3:40 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 73,186
* Referee: Tony Corrente
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews and Chris Myers
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
1st quarter
NO – Ted Ginn Jr. 80-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 1:46. Saints 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 80 yards, 0:18.
2nd quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 27-yard field goal, 14:12. Saints 7–3. Drive: 6 plays, 66 yards, 2:34.
NO – Josh Hill 9-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 9:04. Saints 14–3. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 5:08.
CAR – Graham Gano 39-yard field goal, 2:47. Saints 14–6. Drive: 12 plays, 54 yards, 6:17.
NO – Zach Line 1-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 0:43. Saints 21–6. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 2:04.
CAR – Graham Gano 58-yard field goal, 0:00. Saints 21–9. Drive: 5 plays, 35 yards, 0:43.
3rd quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 29-yard field goal, 10:58. Saints 21–12. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 4:02.
NO – Wil Lutz 57-yard field goal, 6:05. Saints 24–12. Drive: 10 plays, 36 yards, 4:53.
4th quarter
CAR – Greg Olsen 14-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 12:47. Saints 24–19. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 3:45.
NO – Alvin Kamara 2-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 5:08. Saints 31–19. Drive: 5 plays, 62 yards, 3:02.
CAR – Christian McCaffrey 56-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 4:09. Saints 31–26. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 0:59.
Top passers
CAR – Cam Newton – 24/40, 349 yards, 2 TD
NO – Drew Brees – 23/33, 376 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
CAR – Jonathan Stewart – 11 rushes, 51 yards
NO – Alvin Kamara – 10 rushes, 23 yards, TD
Top receivers
CAR – Greg Olsen – 8 receptions, 107 yards, TD
NO – Michael Thomas – 8 receptions, 131 yards :
The Saints meet the Panthers in the Playoffs for the first time. It also marked their first Wild Card victory against their division rival by five points. With their victory over the Panthers, the Saints extend their season by improving to 12-5 and advancing to the Divisional Playoff game.

### NFC Divisional Playoffs: at (2) Minnesota Vikings

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Saints | 0 | 0 | 7 | 17 | 24 |
| Vikings | 10 | 7 | 0 | 12 | 29 |
at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: January 14, 2018
* Game time: 3:40 pm. CST
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 66,612
* Referee: Gene Steratore
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews and Chris Myers
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Jerick McKinnon 14-yard run (Kai Forbath kick), 9:45. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 55 yards, 4:15.
MIN – Kai Forbath 20-yard field goal, 4:42. Vikings 10–0. Drive: 7 plays, 79 yards, 2:27.
Second quarter
MIN – Latavius Murray 1-yard run (Kai Forbath kick), 9:58. Vikings 17–0. Drive: 12 plays, 58 yards, 6:08.
Third quarter
NO – Michael Thomas 14-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 1:18. Vikings 17–7. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:40.
Fourth quarter
NO – Michael Thomas 3-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 13:19. Vikings 17–14. Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 3:00.
MIN – Kai Forbath 49-yard field goal, 10:12. Vikings 20–14. Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 2:57.
NO – Alvin Kamara 14-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 3:01. Saints 21–20. Drive: 4 plays, 40 yards, 2:20.
MIN – Kai Forbath 53-yard field goal, 1:29. Vikings 23–21. Drive: 9 plays, 40 yards, 1:32.
NO – Wil Lutz 43-yard field goal, 0:25. Saints 24–23. Drive: 11 plays, 50 yards, 1:04.
MIN – Stefon Diggs 61-yard pass from Case Keenum (run failed), 0:00. Vikings 29–24. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 0:25.
Top passers
NO – Drew Brees – 25/40, 294 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
MIN – Case Keenum – 25/40, 318 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
NO – Alvin Kamara – 11 rushes, 43 yards
MIN – Latavius Murray – 19 rushes, 50 yards, TD
Top receivers
NO – Michael Thomas – 7 receptions, 85 yards, 2 TD
MIN – Stefon Diggs – 6 receptions, 137 yards, TD :