2006 New Orleans Saints season

Last updated

2006 New Orleans Saints season
Owner Tom Benson
General manager Mickey Loomis
Head coach Sean Payton
Home field Louisiana Superdome
Results
Record10–6
Division place1st NFC South
Playoff finishWon Divisional Playoffs
(vs. Eagles) 27–24
Lost NFC Championship
(at Bears) 14–39
Pro Bowlers QB Drew Brees
OT Jammal Brown
DE Will Smith
AP All-Pros QB Drew Brees (1st team)
OT Jammal Brown (1st team)
FB Mike Karney (2nd team)
The Louisiana Superdome during the Saints' win over the Philadelphia Eagles, October 15, 2006 SaintsWinOctober06.jpg
The Louisiana Superdome during the Saints' win over the Philadelphia Eagles, October 15, 2006

The 2006 season was the New Orleans Saints' 40th in the National Football League (NFL).

Contents

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 to that time, reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2000 and the NFC Championship Game for the first time in franchise history.

After a poor season for Aaron Brooks, he was released and eventually signed with the Oakland Raiders. This called for Drew Brees to take his place permanently, after his stint with the San Diego Chargers, which led to an injury last season.

Offseason

On January 17, the Saints made their first step in the 2006 offseason by hiring Sean Payton, the former assistant head coach for the Dallas Cowboys, as their new head coach.

On March 14, 2006, the Saints signed former Chargers quarterback Drew Brees, a free agent, to a six-year deal.

Return to New Orleans

The NFL announced on February 5, 2006, that the Superdome would reopen on September 24 when the Saints hosted the Atlanta Falcons. [1]

Sites for the team's 2006 preseason games were announced on March 23. They were Shreveport, Louisiana, for an August 21 game against the Dallas Cowboys, and Jackson, Mississippi, for an August 26 game against the Indianapolis Colts. [2]

On April 6 the Saints released their 2006 schedule. All home games were scheduled to be played at the Superdome. The home opener against the Atlanta Falcons was moved from September 24 to September 25 and was shown on ESPN's Monday Night Football. [3]

NFL Draft

In the 2006 NFL Draft, the Saints used their first pick (the second pick overall) on USC running back Reggie Bush, the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner (an award later vacated in 2010). Bush had been passed over by the Houston Texans, who instead selected North Carolina State defensive end Mario Williams with the first overall pick.

2006 New Orleans Saints draft
RoundPickPlayerPositionCollegeNotes
12 Reggie Bush   Running back USC
243 Roman Harper  *  Safety Alabama
4108 Jahri Evans  *  Guard Bloomsburg
5135 Rob Ninkovich   Defensive end Purdue
6171 Mike Hass   Wide receiver Oregon State
6174 Josh Lay   Cornerback Pittsburgh
7210 Zach Strief  Guard Northwestern
7252 Marques Colston  Wide receiver Hofstra
      Made roster    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

[4]

Personnel

Staff

2006 New Orleans Saints staff
Front office
  • Owner/president – Tom Benson
  • Owner/executive vice president – Rita Benson LeBlanc
  • Executive vice president/general manager – Mickey Loomis
  • Vice president of football administration – Russ Ball
  • Vice president of player personnel – Rick Mueller
  • Director of college scouting – Rick Reiprish
  • College scouting coordinator – Rick Thompson

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches
  • Defensive coordinator – Gary Gibbs
  • Defensive line – Marion Hobby
  • Assistant defensive line/defensive assistant – Dennis Allen
  • Defensive backs – Tom Hayes
  • Defensive assistant/secondary – Tony Oden
  • Defensive Assistant – Joe Alley

Special teams coaches

Strength and conditioning

  • Head strength and conditioning – Dan Dalrymple
  • Assistant strength and conditioning – Adam Bailey

Roster

2006 New Orleans Saints final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists


Practice squad


Rookies in italics
53 active, 11 inactive, 8 practice squad

2006 Unofficial active depth chart

Offense

WR Marques Colston 12 Devery Henderson 19 Terrance Copper 18
LT Jammal Brown 70 Rob Petitti 79
LG Jamar Nesbit 67 Montrae Holland 61
C Jeff Faine 52 Jonathan Goodwin 76
RG Jahri Evans 73Montrae Holland 61
RT Jon Stinchcomb 78 Zach Strief 64
TE Ernie Conwell 85 Mark Campbell 80 Nate Lawrie 82
WR Joe Horn 87 Jamal Jones 89 Lance Moore 16
QB Drew Brees 9 Jamie Martin 10 Jason Fife 11
RB Deuce McAllister 26 Reggie Bush 25 Aaron Stecker 27
FB Mike Karney 44 Corey McIntyre 36

Defense

LDE Charles Grant 94Eric Moore 95
NT Hollis Thomas 99 Antwan Lake 96 Rodney Leisle 77
DT Brian Young 66 Willie Whitehead 98
RDE Will Smith 91Eric Moore 95
SLB Scott Fujita 55Alfred Fincher 56
MLB Mark Simoneau 53 Danny Clark 54
WLB Scott Shanle 58 Terrence Melton 51
LCB Mike McKenzie 34 DeJuan Groce 28 Curtis Deloatch 39
SS Omar Stoutmire 23 Steve Gleason 37 Jay Bellamy 20
FS Josh Bullocks 29 Bryan Scott 24Jay Bellamy 20
RCB Fred Thomas 22 Jason Craft 21

Special teams

LS Kevin Houser 47
P Steve Weatherford 7
H Jamie Martin 10
K John Carney 3
KO Billy Cundiff
PR Michael Lewis 84 Reggie Bush 25
KR Michael Lewis 84 Terrance Copper 18 Aaron Stecker 27

[5]

Preseason

Schedule

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueRecap
1August 12at Tennessee Titans W 19–161–0 LP Field Recap
2August 21 Dallas Cowboys L 7–301–1 Independence Stadium Recap
3August 26 Indianapolis Colts L 14–271–2 Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium Recap
4August 31at Kansas City Chiefs L 9–101–3 Arrowhead Stadium Recap

Regular season

Schedule

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueRecap
1September 10at Cleveland Browns W 19–141–0 Cleveland Browns Stadium Recap
2September 17at Green Bay Packers W 34–272–0 Lambeau Field Recap
3September 25 Atlanta Falcons W 23–33–0 Louisiana Superdome Recap
4October 1at Carolina Panthers L 18–213–1 Bank of America Stadium Recap
5October 8 Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 24–214–1Louisiana Superdome Recap
6October 15 Philadelphia Eagles W 27–245–1Louisiana Superdome Recap
7 Bye
8October 29 Baltimore Ravens L 22–355–2Louisiana Superdome Recap
9November 5at Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 31–146–2 Raymond James Stadium Recap
10November 12at Pittsburgh Steelers L 31–386–3 Heinz Field Recap
11November 19 Cincinnati Bengals L 16–316–4Louisiana Superdome Recap
12November 26at Atlanta Falcons W 31–137–4 Georgia Dome Recap
13December 3 San Francisco 49ers W 34–108–4Louisiana Superdome Recap
14December 10at Dallas Cowboys W 42–179–4 Texas Stadium Recap
15December 17 Washington Redskins L 10–169–5Louisiana Superdome Recap
16December 24at New York Giants W 30–710–5 Giants Stadium Recap
17December 31 Carolina Panthers L 21–3110–6Louisiana Superdome Recap

Standings

NFC South
WLTPCTDIVCONFPFPASTK
(2) New Orleans Saints 1060.6254–29–3413322L1
Carolina Panthers 880.5005–16–6270305W2
Atlanta Falcons 790.4383–35–7292328L3
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4120.2500–62–10211353L1

Regular season

Week 1: at Cleveland Browns

Period1234Total
Saints367319
Browns007714

at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

Game information

The Saints opened the regular season on the road against the Cleveland Browns on September 10. In the first half, kicker John Carney provided all of the Saints' first 9 points. He put up a 43-yarder in the first, along with a 25 and a 21-yarder in the second quarter. In the third quarter, the Browns offense finally got going as Cleveland quarterback Charlie Frye hooked up with TE Kellen Winslow on an 18-yard touchdown pass. The Saints responded with a 12-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Drew Brees to WR Marques Colston. In the fourth quarter, the Browns came close with Frye getting a 1-yard touchdown run. However, the Saints put the game away with Carney kicking a 20-yard FG to give the Saints the win.

Despite not scoring a touchdown, RB Reggie Bush had a sound NFL debut, as he ran 14 times for 61 yards, caught 8 passes for 58 yards, and returned three punts for 22 Yards. In total, he piled up 141 all-purpose yards.

Week 2: at Green Bay Packers

Period1234Total
Saints01461434
Packers13001427

at Lambeau Field

For Week 2, the Saints traveled to take on the Packers at Green Bay's Lambeau Field, where they had lost 52-3 last season. The Saints trailed in the first quarter, on a 22-yard touchdown pass to opposing WR Greg Jennings and two Dave Rayner field goals (a 24-yarder and a 36-yarder). The Saints began their scoring in the second quarter, as RB Deuce McAllister got a 3-yard touchdown run and quarterback Drew Brees threw a 26-yard touchdown strike to WR Devery Henderson. In the third quarter, the punishing continued, as kicker John Carney kicked a 45 and a 47-yard field goal to further New Orleans' lead. In the fourth quarter, Green Bay tried to come back with quarterback Brett Favre throwing a 4-yard pass to WR Robert Ferguson. The Saints managed to put the game away with a 25-yard touchdown pass to WR Marques Colston and a 23-yard run by McAllister. The Packers scored once more, on a 6-yard touchdown pass to RB Noah Herron, but the damage was done.

Week 3: vs. Atlanta Falcons

Period1234Total
Falcons30003
Saints1463023

at Louisiana Superdome

Game information

Riding high from their two-straight road wins, the Saints returned home to the Louisiana Superdome for the first time since December 26, 2004 for a special Monday Night game against their fellow NFC South division rival, the Atlanta Falcons, in front of a jubilant sold-out crowd of 70,003 and ESPN's largest-ever audience, with about 10.8 million households viewing, at the time the second-largest cable audience in history [6] (behind the 1993 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) debate between Al Gore and Ross Perot on CNN).

On just the fourth overall play of the game, Safety Steve Gleason blocked a punt and DB Curtis Deloatch managed to land on the ball in the end zone for the Saints first score of the game. (At this point, the game paused to allow the cameras to show the crowd cheering for a few minutes.) Former Saints kicker Morten Andersen helped Atlanta get its only score of the game, from a 26-yard field goal. From there, the Saints dominated the rest of the game. For the final score of the first quarter, WR Devery Henderson ran 11 yards for a touchdown on a reverse. Kicker John Carney provided the scoring for the rest of the game, as he kicked two-second-quarter field goals (a 37-yarder and a 51-yarder), and one third-quarter field goal (a 20-yarder) to essentially wrap up the game. From there, the Saints defense continued to put pressure on Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, as they sacked him five times, while limiting the running duo of Vick and Dunn to just a combined total of 101 rushing yards. With their dominating performance, the Saints took the lead in the NFC South with a 3–0 record.

Green Day and U2 performed jointly on the field before the game, while the Goo Goo Dolls held a concert outside the Dome earlier in the evening. Former President George H. W. Bush, who won the Republican nod for the presidency in the Superdome back in 1988, was part of the coin toss ceremony.

Week 4: at Carolina Panthers

Period1234Total
Saints0301518
Panthers7001421

at Bank of America Stadium

Following their dominant home game at the Louisiana Superdome, the Saints traveled to Bank of America Stadium for an NFC South battle with the Carolina Panthers. From the get-go, the Saints trailed early, as quarterback Jake Delhomme completed a 9-yard touchdown pass to WR Steve Smith for the only score of the period. In the second quarter, the Saints managed to get a field goal, as kicker John Carney nailed one from 31 yards out. After a scoreless third quarter, RB Deuce McAllister managed to help New Orleans take the lead, as he got a 3-yard touchdown run. That was the only time that the Saints saw the lead, as the Panthers slashed away, with Delhomme completing a 4-yard pass to WR Drew Carter and RB DeShaun Foster running 43 yards for a touchdown. New Orleans tried to come back, as quarterback Drew Brees completed an 86-yard touchdown pass to WR Marques Colston, but that was as close as they got, as Carolina held on to win, while the Saints got their first loss of the year dropping to 3–1.

Week 5: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Period1234Total
Buccaneers707721
Saints377724

at Louisiana Superdome

The second game back in the Superdome was not marked by the media attention of the Saints' home opener, but fans in attendance were not disappointed. The sold-out crowd was treated to a dramatic contest between the Saints and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Though Tampa Bay proved to be a formidable opponent despite their season-long losing streak, the Saints won 24–21. The win was capped off by a fourth quarter punt return by Saints rookie Reggie Bush. Prior to the play, Bush roused the notoriously raucous New Orleans audience to their feet; by the time the ball was snapped, the cheers had reached a tremendous level. The noise only increased as Bush raced past the Bucs' special teams for 65 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown, his first as an NFL player. After the game, the traditional "Who Dat?" cheer was punctuated by spontaneous chants of "Reggie, Reggie" as the Saints claimed their fourth win of the season while improving to 4–1.

Week 6: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Period1234Total
Eagles0314724
Saints10701027

at Louisiana Superdome

Hoping to build on their win over Tampa Bay, the Saints stayed at home for a Week 6 fight with the Philadelphia Eagles. In the first quarter, New Orleans jumped out to an early lead with kicker John Carney kicking a 39-yard field goal and quarterback Drew Brees completing a 14-yard touchdown pass to WR Joe Horn. In the second quarter, Philadelphia got on the board with a 47-yard field goal by David Akers. The Saints managed to further themselves, as Brees completed a 7-yard touchdown pass to WR Marques Colston. However, in the third quarter, the Eagles started to get back into the game, as quarterback Donovan McNabb completed two touchdown passes (a 60-yarder to WR Reggie Brown and a 4-yard to TE L.J. Smith). In the fourth quarter, Philadelphia took the lead on a 15-yard touchdown run by Brown. After Brees completed a 48-yard touchdown pass to Horn, Carney helped give New Orleans the win as he kicked a 31-yard field goal as time ran out on the game. With the win, the Saints maintained their lead in the NFC South with a 5–1 record going into their bye week.

Week 8: vs. Baltimore Ravens

Period1234Total
Ravens7217035
Saints0701522

at Louisiana Superdome

Coming off their bye week, the Saints stayed at home for their Week 8 fight with the visiting Baltimore Ravens. From the get-go, New Orleans trailed as quarterback Steve McNair got a 5-yard touchdown run for the only score of the quarter. In the second quarter, things only got worse for the Saints, as McNair completed a 4-yard touchdown pass to WR Clarence Moore, while rookie DB Ronnie Prude returned an interception 12 yards for a touchdown. New Orleans got on the board, as quarterback Drew Brees completed a 32-yard touchdown pass to WR Joe Horn, yet Baltimore increased their lead with McNair completing a 6-yard touchdown pass to TE Todd Heap. In the third quarter, the Ravens got another 12-yard touchdown interception return with rookie Strong Safety Dawan Landry making the pick for the only score of the period. In the fourth quarter, the Saints tried to mount a comeback, as Brees completed a 47-yard touchdown pass and a 25-yard touchdown pass to rookie WR Marques Colston. However, the Saints comeback drive ended there, as New Orleans fell to 5–2.

Week 9: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Period1234Total
Saints14314031
Buccaneers0140014

at Raymond James Stadium

Hoping to rebound from their home loss to the Ravens, the Saints flew to Raymond James Stadium for an NFC South rematch with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In the first quarter, quarterback Drew Brees completed a 15-yard touchdown pass to rookie WR Marques Colston and a 52-yard touchdown pass to WR Devery Henderson. In the second quarter, kicker John Carney made a 46-yard field goal to give New Orleans a 17–0 lead. Yet, the Bucs started to fight back, as quarterback Bruce Gradkowski completed two touchdown passes to WR Joey Galloway (a 44-yarder and a 17-yarder). In the third quarter, the Saints took over, as RB Deuce McAllister completed a 3-yard touchdown run, while Brees completed a 45-yard touchdown pass to Henderson. After a scoreless fourth quarter, New Orleans got the sweep over Tampa Bay and improved to 6–2.

Week 10: at Pittsburgh Steelers

Period1234Total
Saints7170731
Steelers14371438

at Heinz Field

Coming off their sweeping win over the Bucs, the Saints flew to Heinz Field for a match-up with the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers. In the first quarter, the Saints trailed early as quarterback Ben Roethlisberger completed a 37-yard touchdown pass to WR Hines Ward and a 2-yard touchdown pass to TE Heath Miller. Afterwards, New Orleans got on the board with quarterback Drew Brees completing a 3-yard touchdown pass to WR Terrance Copper. In the second quarter, the Saints started to take command as kicker John Carney completed a 20-yard field goal, while rookie RB Reggie Bush got a 15-yard touchdown run on a reverse. Pittsburgh got a 32-yard field goal from kicker Jeff Reed, but New Orleans responded with RB Deuce McAllister getting a 4-yard touchdown run. In the third quarter, the Steelers started to fight back as Roethlisberger completed a 38-yard touchdown pass to WR Cedrick Wilson for the only score of the period. In the fourth quarter, RB Willie Parker followed up two 70+ yard runs with a 3-yard and a 4-yard touchdown run to give Pittsburgh the lead. The Saints tried to fight back with McAllister getting a 4-yard touchdown run, but Pittsburgh held on to win. With the loss, the Saints fell to 6–3.

Week 11: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Period1234Total
Bengals7302131
Saints700916

at Louisiana Superdome

Coming off a road loss to the Steelers, the Saints went home for an interconference fight with the Cincinnati Bengals. In the first quarter, Cincinnati struck first with quarterback Carson Palmer completing a 41-yard touchdown pass to WR Chad Johnson. Afterwards, New Orleans responded with quarterback Drew Brees completing a 72-yard touchdown pass to WR Joe Horn. In the second quarter, the Bengals took the lead with kicker Shayne Graham getting a 21-yard field goal for the only score of the period. After a scoreless third quarter, kicker John Carney began the fourth quarter with 24-yard field goal. However, things went downhill with Cincinnati's most dominant part of the game. Palmer completed a 60-yard touchdown pass and a 4-yard touchdown pass to Chad, while rookie DB Ethan Kilmer returned an interception 52 yards for a touchdown. Afterwards, New Orleans could only muster a 27-yard touchdown pass from Brees to WR Terrance Copper. With the loss, the Saints fell to 6–4.

Week 12: at Atlanta Falcons

Period1234Total
Saints14701031
Falcons337013

at Georgia Dome

Trying to snap a two-game skid, the Saints flew to the Georgia Dome for an NFC South rematch with the Atlanta Falcons. In the first quarter, New Orleans started off strong with quarterback Drew Brees completing a 76-yard touchdown pass to WR Devery Henderson, while RB Deuce McAllister got a 1-yard touchdown run. Afterwards, Falcons kicker Morten Andersen completed a 22-yard field goal for Atlanta. In the second quarter, Andersen made a 30-yard field goal, while on the final play of the half, Brees threw a spectacular 48-yard "Hail Mary" touchdown pass to WR Terrance Copper. In the third quarter, Atlanta tried to fight back, as RB Warrick Dunn got a 1-yard touchdown run for the only score of the quarter. In the fourth quarter, New Orleans managed to put the game away with kicker John Carney completing a 25-yard field goal and McAllister getting a 9-yard touchdown run. With the season sweep over the Falcons, the Saints improved to 7–4.

Week 13: vs. San Francisco 49ers

Period1234Total
49ers307010
Saints014101034

at Louisiana Superdome

Attempting to capitalize on their decisive victory at Atlanta, a revitalized Saints team entered the game with high hopes. In the first quarter, 49ers kicker Joe Nedney kicked a 29-yarder for the 49ers only score of the half. Reggie Bush exploded in the second quarter with a 1-yard run touchdown and, after an interception returned to the 7-yard line by Mike McKenzie, a sneak-around touchdown late in the quarter. Coming into the third quarter, Alex Smith completed a 48-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Bryant, but that was the final score for the 49ers. After a John Carney field goal, Reggie Bush took hold of a five-yard shovel pass from Drew Brees and scored his third touchdown of the night. In the fourth quarter, Bush ran down the sidelines and appeared to be heading for a fourth touchdown after a quick pass that he turned into a 74-yarder, but he fumbled the ball out of bounds. However, he scored on a ten-yard run a few plays later, and kicker John Carney sent the game away with a 33-yard field goal. With the win, the Saints improve to 8–4.

Week 14: at Dallas Cowboys

Period1234Total
Saints02121042
Cowboys7010017

at Texas Stadium

After a spectacular offensive performance all around by the Saints against the 49ers, they headed to Dallas to face off against their NFC rivals the Cowboys. The Cowboys started off strong with a 77-yard Julius Jones run, but they were silent for the rest of the quarter. In the second quarter, a shaky Saints team suddenly scored on all three of their drives: a 2-yard run from Mike Karney, a 3-yard pass from Drew Brees to Karney, and a 27-yard pass from Brees to WR Jamal Jones; and to cap it all off, Dallas kicker Martin Gramatica missed a field goal at the end of the half. A surprising Saints team stymied the Cowboys to a field goal by Gramatica, and Reggie Bush quickly answered with a 61-yard catch for a touchdown. Terrell Owens answered with a 34-yard touchdown catch. Mike Karney struck again with a 6-yard catch, and after a challenge by Sean Payton it was ruled a touchdown. The Saints recovered an onside kick at the 40, and Devery Henderson caught a 42-yard pass and crawled in for a touchdown. With the blowout against the Cowboys, the Saints improved to 9–4 and are one game away from clinching the NFC South. Mike Karney was called by Drew Brees 'Mr. Touchdown,' because he had three touchdowns.

Week 15: vs. Washington Redskins

Period1234Total
Redskins1030316
Saints070310

at Louisiana Superdome

The Washington Redskins entered the game strongly, with a solid drive straight down the field, but blitz, a fumble, and a penalty all worked against the Redskins, and forced a 37-yard field goal. However, they stifled the Saints offense and scored a quick touchdown later. The Saints answered back with a touchdown from the goal line, and limit the Redskins to a field goal. The surprising Redskins offense was hindered in the second quarter, as were the Saints, but in the beginning of the fourth, the Saints opened up with a field goal, which the Redskins quickly answered. In a key play, the Saints converted a 4th-and-5 play late in the fourth quarter, down 16–10, which led to another key 16-yard throw on third down on the 2-minute warning. Reggie Bush made a dash to the twenty-yard line two plays later, and the Saints took their second time out with 1:01 left in the 4th quarter. On 4th and 8 with 53 seconds left, Carlos Rogers knocked the ball down and sealed the Saints' fate. With the loss, the Saints fell to 9–5, but because the Carolina Panthers fell to the Pittsburgh Steelers (along with the Atlanta Falcons falling to the Dallas Cowboys), they clinched the NFC South and a spot in the playoffs.

Week 16: at New York Giants

Period1234Total
Saints31071030
Giants70007

at Giants Stadium

Despite the loss the previous week, the Saints could clinch a first-round bye with a win and help. They entered the Meadowlands against a New York Giants team trying to gain momentum that could lead them to a playoff spot. Hoping they could capitalize off the Saints loss, the Giants' first drive saw a 55-yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning to Plaxico Burress. The Saints' offense opened with a three-and-out, but they successfully recovered their punt. A field goal narrowed the score to 7–3. A subsequent Saints drive ended with another field goal. With 10:30 left in the second quarter, the Saints directed a huge, time-eating drive that ended with a touchdown on fourth-down with just 1:56 left in the half. Seven minutes into the third quarter, Reggie Bush sped past the Giants' linebacker corps and scored on a one-yard touchdown, to lengthen the score to 20–7. In the middle of the third quarter, Reggie Bush returned a punt, fell onto his knees (but because nobody touched him he was not down by contact), and he then ran the ball in for a touchdown. However, a challenge revealed that the Giants' punter just barely nicked the leg of Bush, and he was ruled down by contact. Early in the fourth quarter, Deuce McAllister ran it in for the final touchdown of the day, and John Carney sealed it with a 38-yard field goal. The Saints defense was stout throughout the game, shutting out the Giants after their opening touchdown, and never allowing the Giants to run a play in their territory. With the win, the Saints improved to 10–5. The following day, the Dallas Cowboys fell to the revitalized, Jeff Garcia-led Philadelphia Eagles, and the Saints secured the #2 spot in the NFC, and a first-round bye.

Week 17: vs. Carolina Panthers

Period1234Total
Panthers7714331
Saints777021

at Louisiana Superdome

  • Game time: 1:00 pm EST/12:00 pm CST
  • Game weather: Indoors (Domed stadium)
  • Game attendance: 69,569
  • Referee: Bill Leavy
  • TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen and Tim Ryan

The New Orleans Saints hosted the final game in their regular season against their NFC South Rivals, the Carolina Panthers at 12:00 Central Time in the Superdome. On December 29, 2006, the Friday before the game, the Saints announced several roster moves. Players, such as RB Jamaal Branch, were activated from the practice squad. It was widely speculated that this was to help give some of the full-time starters rest before the post-season. The Saints allowed the starters to play in the first drive on offense, which ended up in a quick touchdown, and for 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.

Postseason

Schedule

RoundDateOpponent (seed)ResultRecordVenueRecap
Wild Card First-round bye
DivisionalJanuary 13 Philadelphia Eagles (3)W 27–241–0 Louisiana Superdome Recap
NFC ChampionshipJanuary 21at Chicago Bears (1)L 14–391–1 Soldier Field Recap

NFC Divisional Round: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Period1234Total
Eagles0147324
Saints31014027

at Louisiana Superdome

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 first blood with kicker John Carney nailing a 33-yard field goal for the only score of the period. In the second quarter, the Saints increased its lead with Carney kicking a 23-yard field goal. However, the Eagles took the lead with quarterback Jeff Garcia completing a 75-yard touchdown pass to former Saints wide receiver Donte' Stallworth. New Orleans retook the lead with rookie RB Reggie Bush ramming a 4-yard touchdown run; yet Philadelphia regained the lead with RB Brian Westbrook diving for a 1-yard touchdown run to exit the second quarter with a 14–13 lead. In the third quarter, the Eagles jabbed at the Saints' once-stoic running defense with another Westbrook touchdown run, this one for 62 yards. The Saints countered with RB Deuce McAllister shoving his way in with a 5-yard touchdown run; and finally, the Saints scored their final touchdown for the lead with a knockout 11-yard touchdown pass from Drew Brees to McAllister. In the fourth quarter, the Eagles drove down to the red zone and threatened to strike, but the Saints' defense stepped up and forced kicker David Akers to kick his only score for the Eagles, a 24-yard field goal. Suddenly it looked grim for the Saints when, on the ensuing drive, a pitch-out from Brees to Bush bounced off the running back's hands and the Eagles recovered. However, the Saints defense forced a 4th-and-10, and an 18-yard pass that seemed keep the Eagles alive was called back on a false start penalty. The Eagles punted with 1:39 remaining, and the Saints converted a first down on a run by McAllister to end the game.

During the game, the Saints made a franchise playoff record with 435 total yards of offense. Deuce McAllister gained a franchise playoff record 143 yards on 21 carries with 1 touchdown, along with 4 catches for 20 yards and 1 touchdown. Additionally, this is one of the very rare occasions where a team beats another in the same matchup in both the regular season and the playoffs with exactly the same score both times, as they won against the Eagles at home 27–24 in Week 6.

With the win, New Orleans improved its overall record to 11–6 and advanced to its first NFC Championship Game appearance in the team's 40-year franchise history, where they took on the Chicago Bears.

NFC Championship Game: at Chicago Bears

Period1234Total
Saints077014
Bears31322139

at Soldier Field

Game information
  • Q1 – CHI – 0:41 – Robbie Gould 19 yd FG (CHI 3–0)
  • Q2 – CHI – 13:40 – Robbie Gould 43 yd FG (CHI 6–0)
  • Q2 – CHI – 8:52 – Robbie Gould 24 yd FG (CHI 9–0)
  • Q2 – CHI – 1:56 – Thomas Jones 2 yd touchdown run (Gould kick) (CHI 16–0)
  • Q2 – NO – 0:46 – 13 yd touchdown pass from Drew Brees to Marques Colston (John Carney kick) (CHI 16–7)
  • Q3 – NO – 12:20 – 88 yd touchdown pass from Drew Brees to Reggie Bush (Carney kick) (CHI 16–14)
  • Q3 – CHI – 5:27 – Safety, Intentional Grounding on New Orleans (Drew Brees) (CHI 18–14)
  • Q4 – CHI – 14:23 – 33 yd touchdown pass from Rex Grossman to Bernard Berrian (Gould kick) (CHI 25–14)
  • Q4 – CHI – 11:37 – Cedric Benson 12 yd touchdown run (Gould kick) (CHI 32–14)
  • Q4 – CHI – 4:19 – Thomas Jones 15 yd touchdown run (Gould Kick) (CHI 39–14)

Following their divisional win over the Eagles, the Saints flew to Soldier Field for their very first NFC Championship Game, where they took on the top-seeded Chicago Bears. In the first quarter, New Orleans trailed early with Bears kicker Robbie Gould getting a 19-yard field goal for the only score of the period. In the second quarter, the Saints continued to trail as Gould gave Chicago a 43-yard and a 23-yard field goal, while RB Thomas Jones got a 2-yard touchdown run. New Orleans managed to get some momentum for the second half as quarterback Drew Brees completed a 13-yard touchdown pass to rookie WR Marques Colston. In the third quarter, the Saints started to get more momentum as Brees completed an 88-yard touchdown pass to rookie RB Reggie Bush to make the score 16–14. However, that was as close as the Saints got, as the Bears took over the game with safety when Brees was called for intentional grounding while in his own end zone, followed in the fourth quarter by Chicago quarterback Rex Grossman completing a 33-yard touchdown pass to WR Bernard Berrian, Bears RB Cedric Benson scoring on a 12-yard touchdown run, and Jones wrapping up the game with a 15-yard touchdown run.

Pundits felt that the New Orleans' loss was the fact that they were a "dome" team and were forced to play in snowy conditions while committing five turnovers (three lost fumbles, an interception, and one on downs).

With the loss, the Saints season ended with an overall record of 11–7.

Related Research Articles

The 2006 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 31st season in the National Football League (NFL), the 9th playing their home games at Raymond James Stadium, and the 5th under head coach Jon Gruden.

The 2007 Atlanta Falcons season was the 42nd season for the franchise in the National Football League (NFL). They finished the 2007 season with a record of 4–12 and failed to improve upon their 7–9 record in 2006 after finishing third place in the NFC South.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007 New Orleans Saints season</span> NFL team season

The 2007 season was the New Orleans Saints' 41st season in the National Football League (NFL), their 32nd playing home games at the Louisiana Superdome and their second under head coach Sean Payton. The team tried to improve upon its 10–6 record in 2006 and its third division title—the Saints' first in the NFC South. Their other two division titles were in the NFC West, prior to the league's 2002 realignment. After opening up the pre-season in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on August 5, 2007, the Saints ended with a 3–2 pre-season record. The Saints opened the regular season with a nationally televised game against the defending Super Bowl XLI champion Indianapolis Colts, but ultimately had a disappointing season, finishing 2007 with a 7–9 record and were officially eliminated from postseason contention for the first time since 2005. The Saints also had no player make the Pro Bowl for the first time since their 1–15 1980 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007 Carolina Panthers season</span> NFL team season

The 2007 Carolina Panthers season was the franchise's 13th season in the National Football League (NFL) and the team's 11th season at Bank of America Stadium. They failed to improve upon their 8–8 record in 2006, finishing at 7–9 and missing the playoffs for the second straight season.

The 2007 Tennessee Titans season was the franchise's 38th season in the National Football League (NFL) and the 48th overall. It also marked the franchise's 11th season in the state of Tennessee and the 14th under head coach Jeff Fisher. They improved from their 8–8 record from 2006 to a 10–6 record, and made the playoffs for the first time since 2003. However their season ended with a loss to the San Diego Chargers in the wild card round.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Washington Redskins season</span> NFL team season

The 2008 season was the Washington Redskins' 77th in the National Football League (NFL) and their first under head coach Jim Zorn.

The 2008 Carolina Panthers season was the franchise's 14th season in the National Football League (NFL). They entered the season and improved on their 7–9 record from 2007, winning the NFC South for the first time since 2003 and earning their first playoff berth since 2005. Their 12–4 finish tied their then-best record in franchise history, which occurred in the 1996 season, and later on tied in 2013; however, this would be surpassed by the 2015 club. The second-seeded Panthers were upset at home in the divisional playoffs by the eventual NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals, 33–13.

The 2008 New York Giants season was the franchise's 84th season in the National Football League (NFL) as the team looked to defend its Super Bowl XLII title. They improved upon their 10–6 record from 2007, becoming NFC East champions and finished with the #1 seed in the NFC playoffs for the only time in the Tom Coughlin era. Despite a franchise best 11–1 start and clinching the number 1 seed for the first time in eight years, the Giants lost four of their last five games, including their first playoff game against the Eagles, ending their season. The Giants were the only NFC team from the 2007 playoffs to qualify for the 2008 playoffs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 New Orleans Saints season</span> NFL team season

The 2008 season was the New Orleans Saints' 42nd in the National Football League (NFL), their 33rd playing home games at the Louisiana Superdome and their 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. This was the only season under Drew Brees that they finished last in the division. Despite this, Brees became just the second quarterback to throw for over 5,000 passing yards and won the NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 San Francisco 49ers season</span> NFL team season

The 2008 season was the San Francisco 49ers' 59th in the National Football League (NFL), their 63rd overall, and their fourth and final under the head coach Mike Nolan. The team improved on their 5–11 record from the 2007 season, and ended the season with a 7–9 record. They failed to reach the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season. It was the final season that the 49ers wore their 1996 dark red uniforms. With the 49ers offense struggling the previous season, offensive coordinator Jim Hostler was fired and replaced by Mike Martz. In addition, Scot McCloughan was promoted from vice president of player personnel to general manager. Mike Nolan was terminated after a 29–17 loss to the New York Giants in Week 8.

The 2009 Carolina Panthers season was the franchise's 15th season in the National Football League (NFL). They failed to improve on their franchise-record 12–4 season in 2008 and also failed to make the playoffs. The 2009 Panthers are only the sixth team in NFL history to have two players rush for 1,000 yards: Jonathan Stewart (1,133) and DeAngelo Williams (1,117). It was also the first team in NFL history to have two players rush for more than 1,100 yards.

The 2009 season was the New Orleans Saints' 43rd in the National Football League (NFL), and as of the 2022 season's conclusion, the most successful in franchise history. The Saints recorded a franchise record 13 regular season victories an improvement on their 8–8 record and fourth-place finish in the NFC South from 2008, and advanced to the playoffs for the first time since 2006 en route to victory in Super Bowl XLIV.

The 2010 Carolina Panthers season was the franchise's 16th season in the National Football League (NFL), and their ninth and final under head coach John Fox. They entered the season trying to improve on their 8–8 record from 2009, but failed to do so with a record of 2–14 and were officially eliminated from postseason contention in Week 11. It was the franchise's worst record since 2001, when they went 1–15. In Week 16, the team clinched the NFL's worst record of the year and earned the #1 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. They would go on to select quarterback Cam Newton with that pick. On December 31, 2010, it was announced that the contracts of Fox and his entire coaching staff would not be renewed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 San Francisco 49ers season</span> 65th season in franchise history

The 2010 San Francisco 49ers season was the franchise's 65th season, their 61st in the National Football League (NFL), and the third year with Mike Singletary as the head coach. The 49ers were looking to build upon their 8–8 season in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 St. Louis Rams season</span> NFL team season

The 2010 season was the St. Louis Rams' 73rd in the National Football League (NFL), and their 16th in St. Louis. The team greatly improved on their near winless record of 1–15 from the 2009 season by achieving more total victories than in their previous three seasons for a record of 7–9, which almost won a weak NFC West ultimately decided by a loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the final week. Since the start of the 2007 NFL season, the Rams had won just 6 combined games and had not qualified for the playoffs since 2004. In the 2010 NFL Draft, the Rams had the number 1 overall pick, which they picked Sam Bradford from Oklahoma. This year marked their second season under head coach Steve Spagnuolo. The Rams played all of their home games at the Edward Jones Dome, in St. Louis, Missouri.

The 2010 Atlanta Falcons season was the 45th season for the team in the National Football League (NFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Arizona Cardinals season</span> NFL team season

The 2010 season was the Arizona Cardinals' 91st in the National Football League (NFL) and their 23rd in Arizona. The Cardinals attempted to improve on their 10–6 record from 2009. But after a modest 3–2 start, the Cardinals fell apart by losing 9 of their remaining 11 contests. They were eliminated from postseason contention for the first time since 2007 in Week 15.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 New Orleans Saints season</span> NFL team season

The 2010 season was the New Orleans Saints' 44th in the National Football League (NFL) and their 35th playing home games in the Louisiana Superdome. From 2009, the Saints were coming off their first Super Bowl-winning season and the most successful in franchise history, having begun undefeated for 13 consecutive games only to lose their three final regular season encounters to finish 13–3. The Saints also attempted to win the NFC South Division title for the third time in history, earn their first consecutive postseason berths since 1991, and successfully defend their conference and league championships. The Saints failed to improve on their 13–3 record, finishing 11–5 and qualifying for the playoffs as a wild card team. The Saints were eliminated in the first round by the Seattle Seahawks, who were the first team with a losing record (7–9) to qualify for the playoffs and/or win a division title in a full season. Sean Payton served his fifth year as head coach.

The 2011 season was the New Orleans Saints' 45th in the National Football League (NFL), their 36th playing home games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and their sixth under head coach Sean Payton. In Week 16, Drew Brees broke the single-season passing record previously held 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 547, and finished second for points per game with 34.2 points and sacks with 24.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 New Orleans Saints season</span> 53rd season in franchise history

The 2019 season was the New Orleans Saints' 53rd in the National Football League (NFL), their 44th playing home games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and their 13th under head coach Sean Payton.

References

  1. New Orleans Saints – 404 Archived January 6, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  2. "New Orleans Saints – 404". Archived from the original on April 27, 2006. Retrieved September 10, 2006.
  3. "New Orleans Saints – 404". Archived from the original on April 25, 2006. Retrieved September 10, 2006.
  4. "2006 New Orleans Saints Draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 5, 2014.
  5. "NewOrleansSaints.com Depth Chart". Archived from the original on October 16, 2006. Retrieved October 16, 2006.
  6. Sports Illustrated article on Saints' return to NO
  7. Fox Sports on MSN – NFL on Fox – NFL on Fox Archived 2007-01-07 at the Wayback Machine