# 1984 New Orleans Saints season

The 1984 New Orleans Saints season was the team's 18th as a member of the National Football League. They were unable to improve on their previous season's output of 8–8, winning only seven games. The team failed to qualify for the playoffs for the eighteenth consecutive season. The Saints started out winning three of their first five games. However, the Saints would struggle as newly acquired quarterback Richard Todd threw 19 interceptions to just 11 touchdowns as the Saints again finished the season with a losing record at 7-9. It was in week 6 against the Bears that Walter Payton passed Jim Brown to become the NFL's all-time leading rusher.
Todd was acquired from the New York Jets for a first-round draft choice, and he beat out the aging Ken Stabler for the starting job at training camp, the Saints' last at Vero Beach, Florida. Stabler, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016, retired midway through the season. Todd and Stabler both played for the Alabama Crimson Tide under coach Bear Bryant.
Following the loss to the Bears, the Saints traded for Houston Oilers running back Earl Campbell, reuniting the number one selection in the 1978 draft and 1977 Heisman Trophy winner with coach Bum Phillips, the Oilers' coach from 1975-80. Campbell joined 1980 Heisman recipient and 1981 first overall selection George Rogers in the New Orleans backfield.
Late in the season, owner John Mecom Jr., who purchased the Saints as an expansion franchise for $8.5 million in late 1966, announced he would sell the team, with an asking price of $70 million ($212 million in 2024 dollars). Fears abounded across Louisiana the team would be moved to Jacksonville if Mecom could not find a local buyer. Eventually, the team was sold in early 1985 to New Orleans native and car magnate Tom Benson, with Louisiana Governor Edwin Edwards brokering the deal.

## Offseason
### NFL draft

1984 New Orleans Saints draft :
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College |
| 2 | 42 | Jumpy Geathers | Defensive end | Wichita State |
| 3 | 68 | Terry Hoage | Free Safety | Georgia |
| 3 | 69 | Tyrone Anthony | Running back | North Carolina |
| 4 | 97 | Joel Hilgenberg * | Center | Iowa |
| 5 | 123 | Jitter Fields | Defensive back | Texas |
| 6 | 156 | Don Thorp | Defensive tackle | Illinois |
| 8 | 210 | Clemon Terrell | Running back | Southern Miss |
| 9 | 237 | Brian Hansen * | Punter | Sioux Falls |
| 10 | 264 | Paul Gray | Linebacker | Western Kentucky |
| 11 | 291 | Michel Bourgeau | Defensive end | Boise State |
| 12 | 324 | Byron Nelson | Offensive tackle | Arizona |
| Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career ||||||

## Regular season
### Transactions

* October 10, 1984: The New Orleans Saints in exchange for their top choice in the 1985 NFL draft to the Houston Oilers in exchange for running back Earl Campbell.

### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
| 1 | September 2 | Atlanta Falcons | L 28–36 | 0–1 | Louisiana Superdome | 66,652 |
| 2 | September 9 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 17–13 | 1–1 | Louisiana Superdome | 54,686 |
| 3 | September 16 | at San Francisco 49ers | L 20–30 | 1–2 | Candlestick Park | 57,611 |
| 4 | September 23 | St. Louis Cardinals | W 34–24 | 2–2 | Louisiana Superdome | 58,723 |
| 5 | September 30 | at Houston Oilers | W 27–10 | 3–2 | Astrodome | 43,108 |
| 6 | October 7 | at Chicago Bears | L 7–20 | 3–3 | Soldier Field | 53,752 |
| 7 | October 14 | Los Angeles Rams | L 10–28 | 3–4 | Louisiana Superdome | 63,161 |
| 8 | October 21 | at Dallas Cowboys | L 27–30 (OT) | 3–5 | Texas Stadium | 50,966 |
| 9 | October 28 | at Cleveland Browns | W 16–14 | 4–5 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | 52,489 |
| 10 | November 4 | Green Bay Packers | L 13–23 | 4–6 | Louisiana Superdome | 57,426 |
| 11 | November 11 | at Atlanta Falcons | W 17–13 | 5–6 | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium | 40,590 |
| 12 | November 19 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 27–24 | 6–6 | Louisiana Superdome | 66,005 |
| 13 | November 25 | San Francisco 49ers | L 3–35 | 6–7 | Louisiana Superdome | 65,177 |
| 14 | December 2 | at Los Angeles Rams | L 21–34 | 6–8 | Anaheim Stadium | 49,348 |
| 15 | December 9 | Cincinnati Bengals | L 21–24 | 6–9 | Louisiana Superdome | 40,855 |
| 16 | December 15 | at New York Giants | W 10–3 | 7–9 | Giants Stadium | 63,739 |
| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. |||||||

## Season summary
### Week 1

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Falcons | 5 | 14 | 7 | 10 | 36 |
| Saints | 7 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 28 |

### Week 2

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buccaneers | 7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
| • Saints | 0 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 17 |

#### Week 3 (Sunday, September 16, 1984): at San Francisco 49ers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Saints (1–2) | 0 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 20 |
| 49ers (3–0) | 7 | 10 | 0 | 13 | 30 |
at Candlestick Park • San Francisco, California
* Date: September 16, 1984
* Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C); wind 16 mph
* Game attendance: 57,611
* Referee: Tom Dooley
* TV announcers (CBS): Tom Brookshier (play-by-play) and Wayne Walker (color commentator)
* Pro-Football-Reference.com
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| NO | Passing | Ken Stabler | 14/27, 157 YDS, 2 TDs, 2 INTs |
| NO | Rushing | George Rogers | 23 CAR, 88 YDS |
| NO | Receiving | Eugene Goodlow | 6 REC, 62 YDS, 1 TD |
| SF | Passing | Joe Montana | 10/17, 128 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| SF | Rushing | Wendell Tyler | 10 CAR, 82 YDS, 1 TD |
| SF | Receiving | Freddie Solomon | 3 REC, 72 YDS, 1 TD |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | NO | SF |
| 1 | 9:04 | | | | 49ers | Solomon 32-yard touchdown reception from Montana, Wersching kick good | 0 | 7 |
| 2 | 14:57 | | | | 49ers | 31-yard field goal by Wersching | 0 | 10 |
| 1 | 9:06 | | | | 49ers | Tyler 3-yard touchdown run, Wersching kick good | 0 | 17 |
| 2 | 1:20 | | | | Saints | Goodlow 8-yard touchdown reception from Stabler, Andersen kick good | 7 | 17 |
| 2 | 0:00 | | | | Saints | 32-yard field goal by Andersen | 10 | 17 |
| 3 | 11:11 | | | | Saints | Brenner 26-yard touchdown reception from Stabler, Andersen kick good | 17 | 17 |
| 3 | 3:11 | | | | Saints | 41-yard field goal by Andersen | 20 | 17 |
| 4 | 9:33 | | | | 49ers | Cooper 23-yard touchdown reception from Cavanaugh, Wersching kick good | 20 | 24 |
| 4 | 7:45 | | | | 49ers | 22-yard field goal by Wersching | 20 | 27 |
| 4 | 1:56 | | | | 49ers | 30-yard field goal by Wersching | 20 | 30 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 20 | 30 |
* Point spread: 49ers by 5½
* Over/Under: 45.0 (over)
* Time of Game:
| Saints | Game Statistics | 49ers |
| 20 | First downs | 19 |
| 31–119 | Rushes–yards | 32–148 |
| 162 | Passing yards | 179 |
| 16–34–5 | Passes | 13–26–1 |
| 2–13 | Sacked–yards | 3–20 |
| 149 | Net passing yards | 159 |
| 268 | Total yards | 307 |
| 166 | Return yards | 160 |
| 3–46.0 | Punts | 5–40.8 |
| 0–0 | Fumbles–lost | 0–0 |
| 4–47 | Penalties–yards | 6–54 |
| 31:38 | Time of Possession | 28:22 |

### Week 4

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 0 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 24 |
| • Saints | 10 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 34 |

### Week 5

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Saints | 14 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 27 |
| Oilers | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 |

### Week 6

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Saints | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| • Bears | 6 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 20 |

### Week 7

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Rams | 0 | 21 | 7 | 0 | 28 |
| Saints | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 |

### Week 8

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Saints | 0 | 17 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 27 |
| • Cowboys | 3 | 3 | 0 | 21 | 3 | 30 |

### Week 9

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Saints | 0 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 16 |
| Browns | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |

### Week 10

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Packers | 0 | 10 | 10 | 3 | 23 |
| Saints | 7 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 13 |

### Week 11

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Saints | 10 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Falcons | 0 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 13 |

### Week 12

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 0 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 24 |
| • Saints | 3 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 27 |

#### Week 13 (Sunday, November 25, 1984): vs. San Francisco 49ers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers (12–1) | 0 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 35 |
| Saints (6–7) | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
at Louisiana Superdome • New Orleans, Louisiana
* Date: November 25, 1984
* Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: indoors
* Game attendance: 65,177
* Referee: Jerry Markbreit
* TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist (play-by-play) and Terry Bradshaw (color commentator)
* Pro-Football-Reference.com
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| SF | Passing | Joe Montana | 14/30, 177 YDS, 2 TDs |
| SF | Rushing | Wendell Tyler | 15 CAR, 117 YDS |
| SF | Receiving | Freddie Solomon | 3 REC, 63 YDS, 1 TD |
| NO | Passing | Richard Todd | 9/18, 72 YDS, 1 INT |
| NO | Rushing | George Rogers | 21 CAR, 88 YDS |
| NO | Receiving | Tyrone Anthony | 4 REC, 31 YDS |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | SF | NO |
| 2 | 5:43 | | | | 49ers | Craig 1-yard touchdown run, Wersching kick good | 7 | 0 |
| 2 | 2:18 | | | | Saints | 27-yard field goal by Andersen | 7 | 3 |
| 3 | 8:36 | | | | 49ers | Cooper 19-yard touchdown reception from Montana, Wersching kick good | 14 | 3 |
| 3 | 6:52 | | | | 49ers | Solomon 28-yard touchdown reception from Montana, Wersching kick good | 21 | 3 |
| 4 | 11:35 | — | — | — | 49ers | Interception returned 53 yards for touchdown by Shell, Wersching kick good | 28 | 3 |
| 4 | 10:39 | | | | 49ers | Ring 1-yard touchdown run, Wersching kick good | 35 | 3 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 35 | 3 |
* Point spread: 49ers by 2
* Over/Under: 42.0 (under)
* Time of Game:
| 49ers | Game Statistics | Saints |
| 22 | First downs | 12 |
| 33–219 | Rushes–yards | 28–131 |
| 201 | Passing yards | 118 |
| 15–32–0 | Passes | 14–26–1 |
| 1–13 | Sacked–yards | 8–48 |
| 188 | Net passing yards | 70 |
| 407 | Total yards | 201 |
| 107 | Return yards | 113 |
| 6–44.3 | Punts | 8–45.5 |
| 1–0 | Fumbles–lost | 1–0 |
| 4–60 | Penalties–yards | 3–20 |
| 27:48 | Time of Possession | 32:12 |

### Week 14

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Saints | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
| • Rams | 14 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 34 |

### Week 15

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Bengals | 0 | 3 | 14 | 7 | 24 |
| Saints | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |

### Week 16

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Saints | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| Giants | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |

## Standings

NFC West :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| San Francisco 49ers$^{(1)}$ | 15 | 1 | 0 | .938 | 6–0 | 12–0 | 475 | 227 | W9 |
| Los Angeles Rams$^{(4)}$ | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 7–5 | 346 | 316 | L1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 1–5 | 4–8 | 298 | 361 | W1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 2–4 | 3–9 | 281 | 382 | W1 |