query: who is the head coach of the new orleans saints?

title: 2018 New Orleans Saints season

text: and holding a 12-2 record, the Saints will host a playoff game in either the Wild Card or Divisional round depending on how the regular season finishes. 2018 New Orleans Saints season The 2018 season is the New Orleans Saints' 52nd in the National Football League, their 43rd at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and their 12th under head coach Sean Payton. This season is the first since 1984 without owner Tom Benson, who died in March. On week 11, the Saints beat the Eagles to reach their first 9 game winning streak since their Super Bowl winning season in 2009, it

title: 2018 New Orleans Saints season

text: head coach Sean Payton lost a golf bet to Eagles head coach Doug Pederson, the Saints, despite the home team, will wear their white color rush uniforms. It will be the first time the Saints will use the uniforms at home. NFL on Thanksgiving Day The New Orleans Saints trailed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14-3 halfway through the 3rd quarter when Taysom Hill sparked a rally by blocking a punt and setting up New Orleans inside Tampa Bay territory. The Saints would go on to win in a comeback 28-14 and clinching a playoff berth in the process. Late in

title: 2018 New Orleans Saints season

text: 2018 New Orleans Saints season The 2018 season is the New Orleans Saints' 52nd in the National Football League, their 43rd at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and their 12th under head coach Sean Payton. This season is the first since 1984 without owner Tom Benson, who died in March. On week 11, the Saints beat the Eagles to reach their first 9 game winning streak since their Super Bowl winning season in 2009, it would also ensure they clinched their second consecutive winning season for the first time since 2010/2011. They swept their division rivals, the Atlanta Falcons, after a 31–17

title: 2012 New Orleans Saints season

text: 2012 New Orleans Saints season The 2012 New Orleans Saints season was the franchise's 46th season in the National Football League, and the 37th with home games at the Superdome. It "was" going to be the seventh season under head coach Sean Payton; however, he was suspended by the NFL for the entire 2012 season as part of the punishment for the team's bounty scandal. On April 12, 2012, linebackers coach Joe Vitt was named interim head coach to replace Sean Payton while he served his one-year suspension. On August 22, 2012, it was announced that Aaron Kromer would take

title: History of the New Orleans Saints

text: the NFC Championship resulted in a meandering 14-9 win, the lowest-scoring victory of Sean Payton's tenure as head coach. After a close win in San Francisco, the Saints went 3-3 down the stretch, as Drew Brees threw several interceptions and Garrett Hartley (the hero of the 2009 postseason) missed multiple field goals that resulted in his being temporarily benched in favor of John Carney, a former Saint who had first played in the NFL back in 1988. The last remaining active NFL player from the 1980s booted two field goals to help New Orleans beat the 0-3 Carolina Panthers in

title: 2008 New Orleans Saints season

text: 2008 New Orleans Saints season The 2008 New Orleans Saints season was the franchise's 42nd season in the National Football League, the 33rd to host games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and the third under head coach Sean Payton. The Saints improved on their 7–9 record from the 2007 season with an 8-8 record, however, they would miss the playoffs for the second consecutive season. <nowiki>*</nowiki> New Orleans was the designated home team for the game in London. The Saints began their 2008 campaign at home against their NFC South foe, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In the first quarter, New Orleans

title: 2013 New Orleans Saints season

text: 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. 2013 New Orleans Saints season The 2013 New Orleans Saints season was the franchise's 47th season in the National Football League and the 38th to host games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. It also marked the seventh season under head coach Sean Payton, who returned to the team after serving

title: 2013 New Orleans Saints season

text: 2013 New Orleans Saints season The 2013 New Orleans Saints season was the franchise's 47th season in the National Football League and the 38th to host 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 six-seed. They earned the franchise's first-ever road postseason victory, with a 26–24 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card round,

title: New Orleans Saints

text: the Superdome and the New Orleans area, the Saints' scheduled 2005 home opener against the New York Giants was moved to Giants Stadium. The remainder of their 2005 home games were split between the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, and LSU's Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. On January 17, 2006, the Saints hired Sean Payton as their new head coach. 2006 season On March 14, 2006, the Saints signed former San Diego Chargers quarterback Drew Brees to a 6-year, $60 million deal. On March 23, the Saints announced that the team's two 2006 preseason games were to be played

title: 2015 New Orleans Saints season

text: improved to 6-9. With the win, the Saints ended their season 7-9 for the second straight season. 2015 New Orleans Saints season The 2015 New Orleans Saints season was the franchise's 49th season in the National Football League, the 40th to host games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and the ninth under head coach Sean Payton. On November 16, 2015, the Saints hired Dennis Allen to replace the fired Rob Ryan. However, the Saints still missed the playoffs for the 2nd consecutive season. The Saints set a new league record for the most passing touchdowns allowed with 45. Notes Note: Intra-division

title: 2015 New Orleans Saints season

text: 2015 New Orleans Saints season The 2015 New Orleans Saints season was the franchise's 49th season in the National Football League, the 40th to host games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and the ninth under head coach Sean Payton. On November 16, 2015, the Saints hired Dennis Allen to replace the fired Rob Ryan. However, the Saints still missed the playoffs for the 2nd consecutive season. The Saints set a new league record for the most passing touchdowns allowed with 45. Notes Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. With the loss, the Saints began 0-1. Hoping to avoid an 0-2

title: 2005 New Orleans Saints season

text: ended with a 3–13 record, their equal-worst record alongside 1996 and 1999 since their 1–15 1980 season, and the firing of Jim Haslett. He was replaced by current head coach Sean Payton the following 2006 season. 2005 New Orleans Saints season The 2005 New Orleans Saints season was the franchise's 39th season in the National Football League. The season began with the team trying to improve from their 8–8 record from 2004. The Saints played two preseason games in the Louisiana Superdome before being forced to evacuate New Orleans due to Hurricane Katrina. They were forced to play the rest

title: New Orleans Saints

text: in time for the 2006 season at an estimated cost of US$185 million. The New Orleans Saints' first post-Katrina home game was an emotionally charged "Monday Night Football" game versus their division rival, the Atlanta Falcons. The Saints, under rookie head coach Sean Payton and new quarterback Drew Brees, defeated the Falcons 23–3, and went on to notch the second playoff win in franchise history. The 2009 season was a historic one for the Saints. Winning a franchise-record 13 games, they qualified for Super Bowl XLIV and defeated the AFC champion Indianapolis Colts 31–17. To date, it is the only

title: 2014 New Orleans Saints season

text: 2014 New Orleans Saints season The 2014 New Orleans Saints season was the franchise's 48th season in the National Football League, the 39th to host games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and the eighth under head coach Sean Payton. After they lost to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 16, the Saints were officially eliminated from postseason contention for the first time since 2012. Draft trades In March 2014, the Saints announced an agreement with The Greenbrier resort to hold the team's training camp at the hotel, in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, for three years beginning with 2014. The hotel has

title: 2017 New Orleans Saints season

text: swept the Carolina Panthers for the first time since the Saints' 2011 Season. 2017 New Orleans Saints season The 2017 New Orleans Saints season was the franchise's 51st season in the National Football League, the 42nd to host games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and the eleventh under head coach Sean Payton. The team improved on their 7–9 output from last season, while achieving an 8-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

title: 2014 New Orleans Saints season

text: game winning pass to Jimmy Graham until he was flagged with offensive interference, which sent the game into overtime where San Francisco won with a field goal after recovering a fumble by Brees. With the loss, the Saints dropped their record to 4-5. This would snap an 11-game winning streak for Saints when playing at home. 2014 New Orleans Saints season The 2014 New Orleans Saints season was the franchise's 48th season in the National Football League, the 39th to host games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and the eighth under head coach Sean Payton. After they lost to the Atlanta

title: 2009 New Orleans Saints season

text: 2009 New Orleans Saints season The 2009 New Orleans Saints season was the franchise's 43rd season in the National Football League (NFL). It was the most successful season in franchise history, culminating with a victory in Super Bowl XLIV. The Saints recorded a franchise record 13 regular season victories (later tied in the 2011 season), an improvement on their 8–8 record and fourth-place finish in the National Football Conference (NFC)'s southern division from 2008. As a result, the Saints advanced to the playoffs for the first time since 2006. For head coach Sean Payton, this was his fourth season with

title: 2011 New Orleans Saints season

text: still able to drive down the field and closed out the game with a 1-yard touchdown run from running back Pierre Thomas. With the win, New Orleans improved its overall record to 14–3. 2011 New Orleans Saints season The 2011 New Orleans Saints season was the franchise's 45th season in the National Football League, the 36th to host home at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and the sixth under head coach Sean Payton. During Week 16, Drew Brees broke the single season passing record set by Dan Marino. Brees ended the season with 5,476 passing yards, an NFL record. The team also

title: 2016 New Orleans Saints season

text: have worn white pants since 1985 and the second season they wore all-white uniforms in franchise history, the first being the 1975 season. The Saints went into the fourth quarter with a 20-point deficit to the Panthers. The Saints rallied and got within three with 5:11 left to go in the game, but the Panthers were able to hold them off. 2016 New Orleans Saints season The 2016 New Orleans Saints season was the franchise's 50th season in the National Football League (NFL), the 41st to host games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, and the 10th under head coach Sean Payton.

title: 2016 New Orleans Saints season

text: 2016 New Orleans Saints season The 2016 New Orleans Saints season was the franchise's 50th season in the National Football League (NFL), the 41st to host games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, and the 10th under head coach Sean Payton. The Saints matched their 7–9 record from 2014 and 2015, and missed the playoffs for the third year in a row. Notes Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. The Saints opened the season at home against the Oakland Raiders in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Despite 423 passing yards—including a franchise-record 98-yard touchdown pass to receiver Brandin Cooks—and four touchdowns from Drew

title: 2012 New Orleans Saints season

text: 2018, no team has done this in Super Bowl history). With the loss, the Saints finished with their first losing season since 2007 at 7–9. Also, the team was swept by the Panthers for the first time since 2008. 2012 New Orleans Saints season The 2012 New Orleans Saints season was the franchise's 46th season in the National Football League, and the 37th with home games at the Superdome. It "was" going to be the seventh season under head coach Sean Payton; however, he was suspended by the NFL for the entire 2012 season as part of the punishment for

title: 2011 New Orleans Saints season

text: 2011 New Orleans Saints season The 2011 New Orleans Saints season was the franchise's 45th season in the National Football League, the 36th to host home at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and the sixth under head coach Sean Payton. During Week 16, Drew Brees broke the single season passing record set by Dan Marino. Brees ended the season with 5,476 passing yards, an NFL record. The team also broke the record for offensive yards from scrimmage with 7,474 and Darren Sproles broke the record for all purpose yards, with 2,696. The Saints also finished second in scoring for total points with

title: 2017 New Orleans Saints season

text: 2017 New Orleans Saints season The 2017 New Orleans Saints season was the franchise's 51st season in the National Football League, the 42nd to host games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and the eleventh under head coach Sean Payton. The team improved on their 7–9 output from last season, while achieving an 8-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

title: 2008 New Orleans Saints season

text: ended their season at 8–8. Despite falling 16 yards shy of surpassing Dan Marino for the most single-season passing yards, Brees (30/49 for 386 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT) joined Marino as the only quarterbacks to throw for 5,000+ yards in a season (5,069). Final Stats Source: ESPN 2008 New Orleans Saints season The 2008 New Orleans Saints season was the franchise's 42nd season in the National Football League, the 33rd to host games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and the third under head coach Sean Payton. The Saints improved on their 7–9 record from the 2007 season with an 8-8

title: New Orleans Saints

text: March 2, 2012, that 22 to 27 defensive players on the New Orleans Saints maintained a "pay for performance" program that included "bounty" payments administered by defensive coordinator Gregg Williams during the 2009, 2010, and 2011 seasons. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell stated, "The payments here are particularly troubling because they involved not just payments for 'performance,' but also for injuring opposing players." The report also found out that head coach Sean Payton was aware of the allegations, but failed to stop the program. The league also said that Mickey Loomis, the Saints' general manager, was directed to end the program

title: 2006 New Orleans Saints season

text: 2006 New Orleans Saints season The 2006 New Orleans Saints season was the franchise's 40th season in the National Football League. The season began with the team returning to New Orleans after a year in exile from the city, and trying to improve on their 3–13 record in 2005. All of the team's 2006 regular season home games were played in the Louisiana Superdome, which had been unplayable for the entire 2005 season after being damaged during Hurricane Katrina. Led by a new coach, Sean Payton, and a new quarterback, Drew Brees, the Saints enjoyed their most successful season up

title: New Orleans Saints

text: were stopped short by the New England Patriots in Week 6, losing 30–27, with a touchdown pass by Tom Brady in the last 5 seconds of the game. New Orleans would go undefeated at home for the second straight season with Sean Payton as the head coach, but finish just 3–5 on the road. Key losses included a 7–34 blowout against the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football in Seattle which cost them homefield advantage throughout the playoffs, a 16–27 upset against the St. Louis Rams in St. Louis which led to the Saints needing to win their next game

title: History of the New Orleans Saints

text: negotiation, the Saints re-signed quarterback Drew Brees. Due to the Bountygate scandal, head coach Sean Payton, as well as some of the defensive players allegedly involved in the scandal, were not allowed to play. The 2012 season began in disappointing fashion with four straight losses to the Washington Redskins, Carolina Panthers, Kansas City Chiefs, and Green Bay Packers. Then the Saints went on to win five of their next six games, including handing division rival Atlanta its first loss of the season. After three straight losses to San Francisco, Atlanta, and the defending champion New York Giants, the Saints won

title: 2006 New Orleans Saints season

text: the first two plays of the second drive, before resting all of the starters. The head coach of the Saints, Sean Payton, did this to prevent injuries before the playoff game. The Carolina Panthers ended up scraping together a victory against the second and third stringers of the Saints 31–21. Being in the divisional round for only the second time in franchise history, the second-seeded Saints began their playoff run against the third-seeded Philadelphia Eagles. With both teams coming into the game with the NFL's best offenses, the outlook was a high-scoring shootout. In the first quarter, New Orleans drew

title: New Orleans Saints

text: Gleason's blocked punt on the opening series that resulted in a touchdown for New Orleans. On December 17, the Saints clinched their third division title and their first NFC South title in franchise history. For the first time in Saints' history, they clinched their NFC South title on their home field. Sean Payton became the second consecutive Saints coach to win a division title in his first season. After the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Dallas Cowboys 23–7 on Christmas Day 2006, the Saints clinched a first-round playoff bye for the first time in franchise history. After the first-round bye, the

title: History of the New Orleans Saints

text: as they were the first team to go from 3-13 to a conference title game the next season. First-year head coach Sean Payton, who came from Dallas as a Bill Parcells pupil, was hired for a daunting task at hand. In his first move as coach, he released almost half of the roster, most notably inconsistent quarterback Aaron Brooks. The Saints were aggressive in free agency, signing former San Diego Chargers quarterback Drew Brees, who had been released after suffering a career-threatening injury to his throwing shoulder during the last game of the 2005 season and was still recovering from

title: History of the New Orleans Saints

text: two of their last three games, including a 41-0 shutout against division rival Tampa Bay. The 2012 season ended with a 7-9 record for the Saints, their first losing season since 2007. The Saints finished 1st in the NFL in passing yards per game and 2nd in overall offense, but they were last in the league in overall defense. As the team tried to leave the Bountygate in the past, Sean Payton returned to the team as Head Coach following the 2012 season. 2013 prove to be a successful season for the Saints, going undefeated at home and going 11–5,

title: History of the New Orleans Saints

text: owned numerous car dealerships throughout the New Orleans area. The team's future in New Orleans was safe for the time being. In 1985, the Saints started off 3-2, but then lost six games in a row. Bum Phillips resigned twelve games into the season, and his son Wade Phillips, the Saints' defensive coordinator, was named interim coach. The Saints ended the season 5-11. A bright spot of the campaign was the emergence of quarterback and Louisiana native Bobby Hebert, who led the Saints to victories over the Vikings and Rams late in the season. Hebert previously spent three seasons in

title: 1986 New Orleans Saints season

text: 1986 New Orleans Saints season The 1986 New Orleans Saints season was the team's 20th as a member of the National Football League. They bested their previous season's output of 5–11, winning seven games. On January 14, owner Tom Benson hired Jim Finks as the franchise's general manager, and turned over the entire football operation to the veteran operative who previously built championship clubs with the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears. Two weeks later, Finks hired Jim Mora as the new head coach. Mora was the most successful coach in the history of the United States Football League, leading the

title: 1986 New Orleans Saints season

text: Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars to two USFL championships and a runner-up finish. 1986 New Orleans Saints season The 1986 New Orleans Saints season was the team's 20th as a member of the National Football League. They bested their previous season's output of 5–11, winning seven games. On January 14, owner Tom Benson hired Jim Finks as the franchise's general manager, and turned over the entire football operation to the veteran operative who previously built championship clubs with the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears. Two weeks later, Finks hired Jim Mora as the new head coach. Mora was the most successful coach in

title: History of the New Orleans Saints

text: the United States Football League with the Michigan Panthers and Oakland Invaders, leading the Panthers to the first USFL championship in 1983. Before the 1986 season, Saints owner Tom Benson put his stamp on the team by making two important hires: first, he named Jim Finks president and general manager; then, he named Jim Mora head coach. The Saints' offense struggled throughout the year after Bobby Hebert went down with a knee injury in the third game of the season, but behind a revitalized defense and NFC Rookie of the Year Rueben Mayes, New Orleans improved to 7-9. The 1987

title: History of the New Orleans Saints

text: In December, oilman John W. Mecom, Jr. became the majority shareholder and thus president of the team; later that month, Tom Fears was named head coach. The team was named "Saints" due to its birthday on the Roman Catholic Church's All Saints Day—a fitting nickname for a team in the largely Catholic New Orleans area. The name was announced on January 9, 1967. The team's original stadium was Tulane Stadium, which could seat more than 80,000 fans. The team was placed in the Capitol Division of the NFL's Eastern Conference; their division foes were the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, and

title: 1981 New Orleans Saints season

text: old one 27-24. 1981 New Orleans Saints season The 1981 New Orleans Saints season was the Saints' 15th season. Hoping past success would bring a bright future to New Orleans the Saints hired Bum Phillips to be their new head coach. With the first pick overall the Saints draft Heisman Trophy winner George Rogers out of South Carolina. Phillips banked on Rogers giving the Saints the same boost that Earl Campbell did when Phillips drafted him out of Texas three years earlier. Rogers won the Offensive Rookie of the Year, as he rushed all-time rookie record of 1,674 yards, a

title: 1981 New Orleans Saints season

text: 1981 New Orleans Saints season The 1981 New Orleans Saints season was the Saints' 15th season. Hoping past success would bring a bright future to New Orleans the Saints hired Bum Phillips to be their new head coach. With the first pick overall the Saints draft Heisman Trophy winner George Rogers out of South Carolina. Phillips banked on Rogers giving the Saints the same boost that Earl Campbell did when Phillips drafted him out of Texas three years earlier. Rogers won the Offensive Rookie of the Year, as he rushed all-time rookie record of 1,674 yards, a record which was

title: 1999 New Orleans Saints season

text: New Orleans Saints selected RB Ricky Williams out of the University of Texas with the fifth pick in the first round. The Saints traded all of their draft picks in the 1999 draft in order to move up so they could draft Williams, as well as a first round pick in the 2000 NFL Draft that eventually was used by the Washington Redskins to draft LaVar Arrington. 1999 New Orleans Saints season The 1999 New Orleans Saints season was the Saints' thirty-third NFL season. This was Mike Ditka's third and final season as the Saints' head coach, as he was

title: History of the New Orleans Saints

text: History of the New Orleans Saints This article details the history of the New Orleans Saints NFL football team, which was organized in 1967 and is based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The city of New Orleans was awarded an NFL franchise on November 1, 1966, thanks to a combination of local activism (most notably by David Dixon and by members of the local media, such as New Orleans States-Item sports editor Crozet Duplantier) and political force (Senator Russell Long and Congressman Hale Boggs, who made approval of the NFL-AFL merger conditional on the awarding of a franchise to New Orleans).

title: 1976 New Orleans Saints season

text: 1976 New Orleans Saints season The 1976 New Orleans Saints season was the Saints' tenth year in the National Football League (NFL). Hoping past success could influence the franchise; the Saints hired Hank Stram as the new head coach. However, in Stram's first season at the helm, the Saints continued to struggle finishing with a 4–10 record. The Saints made a uniform change before the year, going from a dark gold to old gold, and have retained the color albeit with minor shading changes since. It was also the team's first season wearing black pants. The high point of the

title: 2000 New Orleans Saints season

text: 2000 New Orleans Saints season The 2000 New Orleans Saints season was the team's thirty-fourth in the National Football League (NFL). The Saints were looking to improve on their 3–13 finish from a year earlier under new head coach Jim Haslett. Not only did the Saints do so, finishing with a 10–6 record to win the NFC West and advance to the playoffs for the first time since 1992, they also won their first ever playoff game by defeating the defending Super Bowl champion St. Louis Rams in the Wild Card round. The Saints went no further, though, as they

title: 1999 New Orleans Saints season

text: 1999 New Orleans Saints season The 1999 New Orleans Saints season was the Saints' thirty-third NFL season. This was Mike Ditka's third and final season as the Saints' head coach, as he was fired, along with his entire coaching staff and general manager Bill Kuharich, three days after the conclusion of the season. During 1999, the Saints became the first team to lose to the expansion Cleveland Browns and in the process became the only team since the NFL/AFL merger in 1970 to lose to the last winless team in successive seasons. With the only pick in the draft the

title: 1990 New Orleans Saints season

text: 1990 New Orleans Saints season The 1990 New Orleans Saints season was the franchise’s 24th season in the National Football League, the 15th to host games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and the fifth under head coach Jim Mora. The team looked to improve on its 9–7 record from 1989 and make the playoffs for the second time in franchise history. The Saints did not improve on their 9–7 record, as they finished the season 8–8. However, the Saints would unexpectedly make the postseason as the final seed in the NFC. The Saints, with a record of eight wins and eight

title: 1977 New Orleans Saints season

text: Saints. The Bucs led at halftime by a score of 13–0. Dave Green had two field goals, while Gary Huff threw a touchdown pass to Morris Owens. Upon their arrival to Tampa Bay, the Bucs were greeted by 8,000 fans. Said Saints head coach Hank Stram following the loss, "What a nightmare. It was the worst experience of my coaching career. We're all ashamed for our people, for our fans, for our organization". He was fired the next week. 1977 New Orleans Saints season The 1977 New Orleans Saints season was the team's 11th as a member of the National

title: New Orleans Saints bounty scandal

text: Oilers/Titans and Washington Redskins and as head coach of the Buffalo Bills; the NFL briefly investigated these allegations but elected to focus on the Saints. In 2012, ESPN reported that former New Orleans Saints defensive assistant Mike Cerullo contacted the NFL regarding a bounty program after the 2009 postseason. Cerullo was released after the 2009 postseason for poor performance and lying about personal leave according to the New Orleans Saints. Cerullo testified that he kept track of payments and pledges made. Cerullo also states in the article, "I was angry for being let go from the Saints". In the summer

title: Playoff history of the New Orleans Saints

text: Playoff history of the New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints have appeared in 18 different postseason games and have compiled a record of 8-10 (as of January, 2018). This is a brief history of the playoff appearances of the Saints. "at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana" In the Saints' first playoff game in history, the Vikings dominated the game by recording 2 sacks, forcing 4 turnovers, and allowing only 149 yards. New Orleans scored first after Vikings quarterback Tommy Kramer's fumble on a bad snap led to Saints running back Dalton Hilliard ran 10-yards for the touchdown. Kramer then

title: History of the New Orleans Saints

text: 2016 NFL Draft, both had over 1,000 yards receiving. Running back Mark Ingram broke 1,000 yards rushing for the first time in his career. History of the New Orleans Saints This article details the history of the New Orleans Saints NFL football team, which was organized in 1967 and is based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The city of New Orleans was awarded an NFL franchise on November 1, 1966, thanks to a combination of local activism (most notably by David Dixon and by members of the local media, such as New Orleans States-Item sports editor Crozet Duplantier) and political force

title: History of the New Orleans Saints

text: Saints upset the favored Philadelphia Eagles in New Orleans, 27–24, and the Saints were taken seriously heading into their bye week. New Orleans entered a midseason slump, losing three of four by Week 10 before going on a three-game win streak. They defeated Atlanta, San Francisco, and Dallas in convincing fashion. The Saints concluded the regular season at 10–6, winning the NFC South title and, for the first time in the team's history, securing a first-round bye in the playoffs. The Saints' divisional playoff game would be a Week 6 rematch with the Eagles, who were led by backup quarterback

title: 1975 New Orleans Saints season

text: first game in charge, a 23-7 victory at home over the hated Atlanta Falcons. The Saints were winless on the road for the fourth time in six seasons, leaving them 3-36-3 away from New Orleans since 1970. 1975 New Orleans Saints season The 1975 New Orleans Saints season was the Saints ninth season and their first in the newly opened Louisiana Superdome. Despite the new stadium, they failed to match their 1974 output of 5–9, winning only two games and tying the San Diego Chargers for the league’s worst record. Coach John North, who was hired four games into the

title: 1990 New Orleans Saints season

text: 7–9 and clinched their division, becoming the first team in NFL history to win their division despite having a losing record, and this would be repeated by the 2014 Carolina Panthers. Coincidentally, the Saints during that 2010 season met Seattle in that season’s NFC Wild Card game, in which they were upset 41–36. 1990 New Orleans Saints season The 1990 New Orleans Saints season was the franchise’s 24th season in the National Football League, the 15th to host games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and the fifth under head coach Jim Mora. The team looked to improve on its 9–7 record

title: History of the New Orleans Saints

text: Moore, made it a 24–17 Saints lead. On the Colts' ensuing drive, quarterback Peyton Manning was intercepted by Tracy Porter, who returned it 74 yards for the game-clinching touchdown. A strong defensive effort by New Orleans halted the Colts' attempt at another scoring drive, and the game ended 31–17. The Saints had finally won a championship after decades of futility, sending the city of New Orleans, and the region, into wild celebrations. The Saints did not quite live up to their 2009 level of play the following season. Hosting the Vikings in the 2010 season opener, a much-vaunted rematch of

title: New Orleans Saints

text: administrators and individuals with significant contributions to the franchise. Their names are displayed along the Mercedes-Benz Superdome's Terrace Level fascia. The first three honorees were Archie Manning, Rickey Jackson and Willie Roaf and were officially inducted during halftime of the Saints' game against the Dallas Cowboys on November 10, 2013. To commemorate the club's 45th anniversary, the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame selected its All-45th Anniversary Team. The Hall of Fame updates its all-time team every five years, and this latest squad of head coach and players features four standouts from the club's roster at the time of selection:

title: 1977 New Orleans Saints season

text: 1977 New Orleans Saints season The 1977 New Orleans Saints season was the team's 11th as a member of the National Football League. They were unable to improve on their previous season's output of 4–10, winning only three games. The team failed to qualify for the playoffs for the eleventh consecutive season, as Coach Hank Stram was fired following the season. In his two years as Coach the Saints only won seven games. The season's first victory for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the franchise's first overall, did not come until week 13 on the road against the New Orleans

title: New Orleans Saints

text: person who has contributed to the betterment of the New Orleans Saints organization. The award is named for Joe Gemelli, a New Orleans clothing store owner and an active supporter of sports in the city, who was known as the team's biggest fan. The Saintsations are the cheerleading squad for the Saints. A cheerleading squad has existed since the franchise's founding but the current name was only adopted in 1987. The Saints' flagship station is WWL (870 AM/105.3 FM), one of the oldest radio stations in the city of New Orleans and one of the nation's most powerful as a

title: 1976 New Orleans Saints season

text: season was in week three, when Stram's Saints traveled to Kansas City and defeated the Chiefs 27-17. Stram rubbed salt in the wounds of the team he coached for 15 seasons (1960-74) and led to the Super Bowl IV championship when Bobby Scott threw a touchdown pass on the game's final play to Tinker Owens. Chiefs coach Paul Wiggin refused to shake hands with Stram, who was carried off the Arrowhead Stadium turf by his players. 1976 New Orleans Saints season The 1976 New Orleans Saints season was the Saints' tenth year in the National Football League (NFL). Hoping past

title: History of the New Orleans Saints

text: game went into overtime, and New Orleans got possession of the ball after winning the coin toss. Kicker Garrett Hartley made a 40-yard field goal, sending the Saints to Super Bowl XLIV. The Super Bowl was played in Miami against the Colts, who had won Super Bowl XLI there three years earlier. Indianapolis jumped out to a 10-0 lead by the end of the 1st quarter. The Saints were unable to score a touchdown in the first half, and instead settled for two long Hartley field goals, making the score 10-6 at halftime. The 3rd quarter opened with New Orleans

title: New Orleans Saints

text: New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints currently compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The team was founded by John W. Mecom Jr., David Dixon, and the city of New Orleans on November 1, 1966. The Saints began play in Tulane Stadium in 1967. The name "Saints" is an allusion to November 1 being All Saints Day in the Catholic faith. New Orleans has a large Catholic population, and the spiritual "When the Saints

title: History of the New Orleans Saints

text: its entire history prior to his arrival. Rick Venturi was named interim head coach, but he had even less success than Mora did that season, going 1-7 to bring the Saints' final record to 3-13, their worst record since 1980. Before the 1997 season, Tom Benson named legendary Chicago Bears head coach Mike Ditka as the Saints coach, leading to optimism that he would be able to win a Super Bowl with the Saints as he had done with the Bears. However, the Ditka era would be a tumultuous time for the organization. In 1997, Ditka led the team to

title: 1975 New Orleans Saints season

text: 1975 New Orleans Saints season The 1975 New Orleans Saints season was the Saints ninth season and their first in the newly opened Louisiana Superdome. Despite the new stadium, they failed to match their 1974 output of 5–9, winning only two games and tying the San Diego Chargers for the league’s worst record. Coach John North, who was hired four games into the 1973 exhibition season, was fired following a 38-14 road loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the sixth game. Director of Player Personnel Ernie Hefferle took over for the final eight games. His only win was his

text: did with the Cowboys in 1977, Earl Campbell did with the Houston Oilers in 1978 and Ron Dayne did with the Giants in 2000. Campbell and Bush are the only two of those to not advance to the Super Bowl in that season. "at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana" Super Bowl 44 "at Sun Life Stadium, Miami, Florida" Playoff history of the New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints have appeared in 18 different postseason games and have compiled a record of 8-10 (as of January, 2018). This is a brief history of the playoff appearances of the Saints. "at

title: 1967 New Orleans Saints season

text: 1967 New Orleans Saints season The 1967 New Orleans Saints season was the inaugural season for the franchise. The team went 3–11, finishing in last place in the four-team NFL Eastern Conference Capitol Division. The Saints made a splash in the expansion draft by selecting Green Bay Packers running back Paul Hornung. Lombardi was distraught when the Saints selected Hornung in the draft. In later years, Hornung revealed that he spoke to Saints coach Tom Fears prior to the draft. Fears was a former assistant in Green Bay and Fears felt that Hornung would help sell tickets in New Orleans.

title: History of the New Orleans Saints

text: coached the club. The Saints won for the first time on "Monday Night Football" by defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Superdome, but a three-game losing streak late in the season dropped the Saints to 7-9. The biggest news of the 1984 season was that John Mecom, the owner of the team for almost 20 years, was putting them up for sale. Speculation was rife that a new owner might move the Saints out of New Orleans, namely Jacksonville, Florida. But on May 31, 1985, negotiations were finalized to sell the team to Tom Benson, a native New Orleanian who

title: History of the New Orleans Saints

text: then headed back for the first game in the Superdome since the 2005 preseason, a Monday Night date with the Atlanta Falcons on September 25. The Saints entered the game 2–0 against the 2–0 Falcons with many expecting the Falcons' powerful running game to overwhelm the team. The game kicked off to fanfare of the Saints' official return to New Orleans. The game also featured pregame festivities featuring Green Day and U2 performing a song that would become the team's unofficial anthem, "The Saints Are Coming". New Orleans dominated the game right from the start when Steve Gleason blocked a

title: New Orleans Thunder

text: New Orleans Thunder The New Orleans Thunder was a professional American football team that played during the 1999 season as part of the Regional Football League. They played their home games at Tad Gormley Stadium in New Orleans' City Park. The team was announced as one of the league's charter members on February 25, 1999. For their lone season, Rex Stevenson would serve as head coach for the preseason and first two games before being replaced with former Saints' player Buford Jordan who completed the season as the Thunder's head coach. Although the team was scheduled to play a 14

title: New Orleans Saints

text: Saints players Archie Manning (QB, 1971–82) and Stan Brock (OT, 1980–91). Most preseason games are televised by WVUE (Channel 8), a station which has been owned by a consortium led by Saints owner Tom Benson since mid-2008, and, as the Fox affiliate for New Orleans, carries the majority of Saints games; both stations also carry a heavy complement of coach and player shows. Tim Brando and Jon Stinchcomb call the preseason games for the Saints . Saints preseason games were previously produced by Cox Sports Television. Beginning in the 2015 season, owing to Raycom Media's management of the station on

title: History of the New Orleans Saints

text: head coach for the final eight games of the season. For the 1976 season, Hank Stram was hired as head coach; he came with a proven track record (three AFL titles, one Super Bowl win) from his years with the Kansas City Chiefs (formerly the Dallas Texans). However, his talents proved ineffective in his first season, as the Saints went 4-10; Manning sat out the entire season after undergoing elbow surgery just after Stram's hiring, forcing the quarterback duties to be split by backup Bobby Scott and Chicago Bears castoff Bobby Douglass. 1977 was not much better as the Saints

title: History of the New Orleans Saints

text: stop it. General Manager Mickey Loomis was suspended for the first eight regular season games, as he ignored an order from owner Tom Benson to ensure that the program was stopped. Assistant head coach Joe Vitt (who was named interim head coach during Payton's suspension) was banned for the first six regular season games. The Saints were also fined $500,000 and stripped of their 2nd-round picks in the 2012 and 2013 NFL drafts. Payton began his suspension April 15 after his appeal was rejected. Loomis and Vitt also appealed their suspensions, but they were upheld. The NFL later announced punishments

title: History of the New Orleans Saints

text: Jeff Garcia this time and riding a six-game winning streak. The game featured several lead changes and a most inspired effort by Deuce McAllister, who rushed for almost 150 yards and two touchdowns, one receiving and one rushing. New Orleans won its first divisional playoff game in team history, 27–24, and only the second playoff win in franchise history. The Saints then traveled to Chicago to face the Bears in the team's first ever NFC Championship appearance, where they ended up falling short in the title game, 14–39. New Orleans led the NFL in total yards gained and passing yards

title: History of the New Orleans Saints

text: where they would remain through 2001. Their original NFC West competitors – the Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles (and later, St. Louis) Rams, and San Francisco 49ers – would also remain in the division through 2001 (with the Carolina Panthers joining in 1995), leading to the development of long-standing rivalries. The season started off poorly for the Saints. After going 1-5-1 in the first seven games, Fears was fired and replaced by J.D. Roberts on November 3. In Roberts' first game as coach, New Orleans trailed the Detroit Lions 17-16 with time winding down, but Tom Dempsey kicked an NFL-record 63-yard

title: 1970 New Orleans Saints season

text: 1970 New Orleans Saints season The 1970 New Orleans Saints season was the team's fourth as a member of the National Football League. After spending their first three seasons in the NFL's Eastern Conference, the Saints moved in 1970 to the West Division of the new National Football Conference. They failed to improve on their previous season's output winning only two games. The team failed to qualify for the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. Following a 1–5–1 start, coach Tom Fears was fired by owner John W. Mecom Jr. and replaced by J.D. Roberts, whose first game was a

title: History of the New Orleans Saints

text: with a record of 11-5. New Orleans reached the playoffs, but had to settle for a wild card spot as division rival Atlanta had already locked up the NFC South title and the #1 seed. The #5-seeded Saints headed to Seattle, where their season came to a spectacular end, as the 7-9 Seahawks overpowered the defending champions 41-36. The game was highlighted by a 67-yard touchdown run by Marshawn Lynch, who broke several tackles on the play. In 2011, New Orleans played in the season opener for the second year in a row, but this time in Green Bay as

title: New Orleans Night

text: New Orleans Night The New Orleans Night were an Arena Football League (AFL) team that competed in the 1991 and 1992 AFL seasons and were based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The team was officially announced at a press conference on March 18, 1991. On April 9, the name Night was unveiled as was Eddie Khayat, former head coach of the Nashville Kats, as head coach. The Night played their home games inside the massive Louisiana Superdome, also home of the NFL New Orleans Saints, which obviously had to be modified considerably to cut the playing surface and fan seating down

title: Effect of Hurricane Katrina on the New Orleans Saints

text: Effect of Hurricane Katrina on the New Orleans Saints Hurricane Katrina devastated the city of New Orleans, Louisiana on August 29, 2005 and caused extensive damage to the Louisiana Superdome. The National Football League (NFL)'s New Orleans Saints professional American football team were unable to play any home games at the Superdome for the entire 2005 NFL regular season as a result. The stadium was also used to temporarily house victims of the storm. In April 2005, Tom Benson, owner of the New Orleans Saints, halted lease negotiations with the state of Louisiana until after the completion of the 2005

text: Superdome; a news report commented that the blocked punt "etched Steve Gleason into Saints lore and became symbolic of New Orleans' resilience in the face of disaster". Effect of Hurricane Katrina on the New Orleans Saints Hurricane Katrina devastated the city of New Orleans, Louisiana on August 29, 2005 and caused extensive damage to the Louisiana Superdome. The National Football League (NFL)'s New Orleans Saints professional American football team were unable to play any home games at the Superdome for the entire 2005 NFL regular season as a result. The stadium was also used to temporarily house victims of the

title: History of the New Orleans Saints

text: punt that was recovered for a touchdown by Curtis Deloatch. The Saints went on to win 23–3. The next week, the Saints lost their first game of the season to division rival Carolina, 18–21. The Saints bounced back in their second game in New Orleans facing division rival Tampa Bay. With time winding down and the Saints down by four, they were set to receive a punt. Reggie Bush returned the punt 65 yards, untouched, for the winning touchdown, and the first of his career. The Saints were 4–1 and in control of the NFC South. A week later, the

title: 1971 New Orleans Saints season

text: win Super Bowl VI over the Miami Dolphins. 1971 New Orleans Saints season The 1971 New Orleans Saints season was the Saints' fifth season. The Saints drafted Archie Manning with their first round pick, the second overall. Manning led the Saints to their first opening day victory in franchise history, scoring a touchdown run on a rollout on the final play of a 24–20 victory over the Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans' first over Los Angeles following four consecutive losses, including the Saints' inaugural game in 1967. Four weeks later, Manning engineered a 24–14 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, who

title: 1971 New Orleans Saints season

text: 1971 New Orleans Saints season The 1971 New Orleans Saints season was the Saints' fifth season. The Saints drafted Archie Manning with their first round pick, the second overall. Manning led the Saints to their first opening day victory in franchise history, scoring a touchdown run on a rollout on the final play of a 24–20 victory over the Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans' first over Los Angeles following four consecutive losses, including the Saints' inaugural game in 1967. Four weeks later, Manning engineered a 24–14 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, who would return to Tulane Stadium in January and

title: History of the New Orleans Saints

text: Panthers to Super Bowl XXXVIII in his first season in Carolina, further rubbing salt in the wounds of Saints fans. The 2003 season started off poorly for the Saints, going 1-4 in their first five games, including a 55-21 blowout loss at home against the Indianapolis Colts, as Colts quarterback and New Orleans native Peyton Manning threw six touchdown passes to hand the Saints a humiliating loss on national television. The Saints, however, would rebound somewhat from their poor start and finish the season 8-8. McAllister ran for a career-high 1,641 yards. The 2004 season saw the Saints struggle out

title: New Orleans VooDoo

text: BattleWings left Bossier City for New Orleans and reactivated the New Orleans VooDoo. Legendary AFL player/coach Derek Stingley coached the VooDoo for the 2011 season and was replaced in 2012 by longtime AFL quarterback and coach Pat O'Hara. In 2015, the VooDoo's final season, Dean Cokinos was the head coach. At the completion of the 2015 season, the New Orleans VooDoo ceased operations. The VooDoo's official mascots were known as Bones and Mojo. Their cheerleaders were known as the VooDoo Dolls. In 1998, New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson committed to the purchase of an Arena Football League (AFL) team,

title: New Orleans Saints

text: behalf of Tom Benson's ownership group, production of preseason telecasts were taken over by Raycom Sports under a new multi-year deal, and syndicated to Raycom stations and others around the team's footprint. Regular season games are aired on WWL-TV, the local CBS station whenever they host an AFC opponent (and games vs. NFC opponents cross-flexed from Fox to CBS) and NBC affiliate WDSU via Sunday Night Football. New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints currently compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the

text: 7 catches for 99 yards and a score. "at CenturyLink Field, Seattle" As Super Bowl defending champions, Saints entered the postseason as a wild card, hoping to go to a second consecutive Super Bowl. Two early Seahawk miscues enabled the Saints to build a 10-point lead. First Olindo Mare kicked the opening kickoff out of bounds, giving New Orleans the ball at their 40-yard line. New Orleans then drove to the Seahawks' 8-yard line, but had to settle for a Garrett Hartley field goal after Reggie Bush dropped a pass on third down that could have kept the drive going.

title: History of the New Orleans Saints

text: Lions (0-16). A local journalist and radio/TV personality, Buddy Diliberto, wore a paper grocery bag over his head to promote the brown bag special of Sonic, the Saint's sponsor at the time. Many fans took to wearing bags over their heads when attending games. The moniker "Aints" was also born due to the ineptitude of the 1980 Saints. In 1981, ex-Houston Oilers head coach Bum Phillips was put in charge. The dismal 1980 season meant that the Saints would get the first pick in the 1981 NFL Draft. They selected Heisman-winning running back George Rogers out of South Carolina. Rogers

title: History of the New Orleans Saints

text: previous best season record. Eight weeks after the conclusion of the 1983 season, the Saints traded their number one pick in the 1984 NFL Draft to the New York Jets for quarterback Richard Todd, who had worn out his welcome in the Big Apple by throwing too many interceptions, and was being phased out in favor of rookie Ken O'Brien. During the 1984 season, New Orleans traded for former Heisman Trophy winner and future Hall of Fame running back Earl Campbell, who won the NFL rushing championship in each of his first three seasons with the Oilers, when Bum Phillips

text: for a tying field goal. However, the Eagles were unable to get a first down and chose to punt the ball back with 1:57 left. The Saints then clinched the victory by keeping possession of the ball for the rest of the game. "at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana" Saints running back Reggie Bush accumulated 217 all-purpose yards, including an 83-yard punt return touchdown, the third longest in NFL postseason history, and a franchise playoff record 46-yard touchdown run, while quarterback Drew Brees added 247 passing yards and three touchdowns. Although Arizona scored first, New Orleans racked up a franchise

text: for a 35-yard touchdown completion. Then on the first play of the Saints' next possession, Eagles linebacker Seth Joyner intercepted a pass to set up running back Heath Sherman's 6-yard touchdown, giving Philadelphia the lead, 24-20. After New Orleans got the ball back, Eagles defensive lineman Reggie White sacked Hebert in the end zone for a safety. Philadelphia kicker Roger Ruzek then added a 39-yard field goal, and 19 seconds later, defensive back Eric Allen intercepted Hebert and returned it 18 yards for a touchdown. "at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana" The Saints won their first playoff game in their

title: New Orleans Saints bounty scandal

text: game to the league-wide average. Did the New Orleans Saints injure more players? The data-driven answer is a resounding 'no.' The Saints appear to have injured far fewer players over the 2009, 2010 and 2011 seasons. The numbers are striking." New Orleans Saints bounty scandal The New Orleans Saints bounty scandal, widely dubbed "Bountygate," was an incident in which members of the New Orleans Saints team of the National Football League (NFL) were found guilty of paying out bonuses, or "bounties", for injuring opposing team players. The pool was alleged to have been in operation from 2009 (the year in

text: team in New Orleans. On December 5, Tagliabue met with Benson and New Orleans officials to tour the city and assess the viability of playing in New Orleans in 2006. On January 11, 2006, at a press conference in New Orleans, Tagliabue announced that the Saints would likely play all eight home games at the Superdome. Superdome officials said January 12 that the Dome would be ready by September 1, 2006. The NFL announced on February 5, 2006, that the Superdome would reopen on September 24 when the Saints were to host the Atlanta Falcons. Tagliabue said the team's preseason

text: 44-yard field goal by Norm Johnson. The score was later tied 20-20 late in the final period as the teams traded scores: Andersen and Johnson each added another field goal, Miller threw a 20-yard touchdown to Haynes, and New Orleans running back Dalton Hilliard rushed for a 1-yard touchdown. After Haynes scored the winning touchdown for the Falcons, the Saints reached the Atlanta 35-yard line before Hebert threw an interception to Falcons defensive back Tim McKyer to clinch the victory. "at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana" The Eagles overcame a 20-7 Saints lead late in the third quarter by scoring

text: But New Orleans then scored 31 unanswered points, beginning with Brooks' 12-yard touchdown pass to Robert Wilson on their ensuing possession. Sammy Knight's 52-yard interception return to the Rams 20-yard line set up kicker Doug Brien's 33-yard field goal to give the Saints a 10-7 lead by halftime. Then early in the third quarter, Chris Oldham's interception gave New Orleans the ball at the Rams 45-yard line, setting up another score on a 10-yard catch by Willie Jackson and increasing their lead to 17-7. Early in the fourth quarter, the Saints drove 74 yards in 5 plays and scored with

title: History of the New Orleans Saints

text: team which came into the game 0-4. The loss to the Packers was even worse for the Saints due to a season-ending injury suffered by star running back Deuce McAllister. The Saints would eventually finish the season with a 3-13 record; the last few games of the season saw quarterback Aaron Brooks being benched (and later traded to the Oakland Raiders), giving playing time for backup quarterback Todd Bouman and even third-stringer Adrian McPherson and, eventually, the season ended with head coach Jim Haslett losing his job. The 2006 Saints orchestrated one of the more remarkable turnarounds in NFL history,

text: when Drew Brees was intercepted by defensive back Bradley Fletcher, who returned the ball 24 yards to the New Orleans 27-yard line. After the turnover, Philadelphia drove to the Saints 15-yard line, but New Orleans' defense made two key plays to prevent a score. First, Curtis Lofton tackled tight end Brent Celek on a screen pass for an 8-yard loss. Then defensive end Cameron Jordan sacked Nick Foles for an 11-yard loss, pushing the Eagles all the way back to the 34-yard line. Following a 4-yard gain on third down, Alex Henery missed a 48-yard field goal 34 seconds into

title: History of the New Orleans Saints

text: more victories, they lost two more games, then beat the Carolina Panthers, and then fell to the Buccaneers again. In Week 16, the Saints lost to Philadelphia, which removed them from the playoffs. A loss to the Chicago Bears in the regular season finale ended the Saints' season with a 7–9 record. In 2008, the Saints began by defeating the Buccaneers before losing three of the next four games. New Orleans was selected for that year's international series game in London, where they beat San Diego 37–32. The remainder of the season was an uneven string of games, and after

title: History of the New Orleans Saints

text: of the gate. They compiled a 4-8 record in their first twelve games, and Haslett's job appeared to be in jeopardy. Then the Saints put together three straight wins (two of them on the road) to give them a shot at an 8-8 record and a playoff berth. The Saints faced Carolina (also 7-8) in Week 17. The Saints needed to beat the Panthers; they also needed one of two things to happen: a St. Louis tie or loss, or a Seattle win or tie and a Minnesota win or tie. The New Orleans, St. Louis, and Minnesota games were

title: History of the New Orleans Saints

text: guests of the defending champion Packers. The Saints struggled, as the Packers quickly marched out to two touchdowns, but regained their composure in a wild shootout. Green Bay never lost their lead however, and went on to win the game 42-34 after stopping Saints rookie running back Mark Ingram on the 1-yard line as time expired. Opening at home in Week 2, the Saints easily beat Chicago 30-13, then won another shootout against the Houston Texans. Although New Orleans' defense had performed poorly up to Week 3, the unit got back in sync by limiting Jacksonville to 10 points in

title: History of the New Orleans Saints

text: Saints started 1-1; then, another player strike followed. This time, however, replacement players were used until the regular players ended their strike. As a result, the season was only one game shorter than usual. The Saints went 2-1 with replacement players as they were led by their quarterback, New Orleans native John Fourcade. When the regular players returned, their first game was against the San Francisco 49ers. The Saints lost 24-22, but that would be the last time they would taste defeat that year. They ran off a nine-game winning streak to close out the season — a remarkable feat

title: History of the New Orleans Saints

text: an injury early in the game, the Saints managed to surge ahead to a 31-7 lead early in the 4th quarter behind three touchdowns from Brooks to backup wide receiver Willie Jackson. A late comeback by the Rams was halted in dramatic fashion when St. Louis wide receiver Az-Zahir Hakim fumbled a punt late in the game. Saints fullback Brian Milne fell on the ball, and New Orleans able to run out the clock to secure its first-ever playoff win. The final score was 31-28. The return of Ricky Williams the next week could not prevent the injury-hobbled Saints from

title: History of the New Orleans Saints

text: in the 2006 season. Drew Brees set new Saints single-season records in passes completed (356), passer rating (96.2), and passing yards (4,418). The team sent three players to the 2007 Pro Bowl: Brees, defensive end Will Smith, and offensive tackle Jammal Brown. The 2007 regular season began with a primetime matchup against the defending Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts, but New Orleans suffered a 10–41 pounding. The losses continued, as Tampa Bay and Tennessee routed them, followed by a close loss to Carolina. The Saints finally managed a victory in Week 6 by defeating the Seattle Seahawks 28–17. After three

text: just short of making a formal commitment to keep the Saints in New Orleans. Said Tagliabue: "The Saints are Louisiana's team and have been since the late '60s when my predecessor Pete Rozelle welcomed them to the league as New Orleans' team and Louisiana's team. Our focus continues to be on having the Saints in Louisiana." He dispelled rumors that had the Saints relocating to Los Angeles. Tagliabue appointed an eight-owner advisory committee to help decide the team's future. Benson left the game with five minutes left in the fourth quarter. A WWL-TV camera crew recorded him leaving the stadium.