2018 New Orleans Saints season | |
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Owner | Gayle Benson [1] |
General manager | Mickey Loomis |
Head coach | Sean Payton |
Offensive coordinator | Pete Carmichael Jr. |
Defensive coordinator | Dennis Allen |
Home field | Mercedes-Benz Superdome |
Results | |
Record | 13–3 |
Division place | 1st NFC South |
Playoff finish | Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. Eagles) 20–14 Lost NFC Championship (vs. Rams) 23–26 (OT) |
Pro Bowlers | 8
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AP All-Pros | 5
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Uniform | |
The 2018 season was the New Orleans Saints' 52nd in the National Football League (NFL), their 43rd at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and their 12th under head coach Sean Payton.
This season was the first since 1984 without owner Tom Benson, who died in March. In Week 11, the Saints defeated the Philadelphia Eagles to reach their first nine-game winning streak since their Super Bowl winning season in 2009, ensuring 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 victory on Thanksgiving night for the first time since 2015 while extending their second longest winning streak in franchise history to 10 games, [2] which came to an end when the Saints lost to the Dallas Cowboys 13–10, on November 29. On December 9, the Saints clinched their second straight NFC South division championship when they defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, their first back-to-back division titles in franchise history. On December 17, after beating the Carolina Panthers, the Saints improved on their 11–5 record from 2017. After a Week 16 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Saints clinched home field advantage throughout the playoffs for the first time since 2009. The Saints finished the season with a 13–3 record, tied for the most wins in a season in franchise history.
In the playoffs, the Saints defeated the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles 20–14 in the Divisional Round. However, the Saints' season came to an end in a 26–23 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game in controversial fashion, which ended their hopes of returning to the Super Bowl for the first time since Super Bowl XLIV. Additionally, it marked the first time since 1992 that the Saints lost a postseason game at home.
Round | Selection | Player | Position | College |
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1 | 14 | Marcus Davenport | DE | UTSA |
3 | 91 | Tre'Quan Smith | WR | UCF |
4 | 127 | Rick Leonard | OT | FSU |
5 | 164 | Natrell Jamerson | S | Wisconsin |
6 | 189 | Kamrin Moore | CB | Boston College |
6 | 201 | Boston Scott | RB | Louisiana Tech |
7 | 245 | Will Clapp | C | LSU |
Notes
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
| Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
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Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
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1 | August 9 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | W 24–20 | 1–0 | TIAA Bank Field | Recap |
2 | August 17 | Arizona Cardinals | L 15–20 | 1–1 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
3 | August 25 | at Los Angeles Chargers | W 36–7 | 2–1 | StubHub Center | Recap |
4 | August 30 | Los Angeles Rams | W 28–0 | 3–1 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
The Saints' 2018 schedule was released on April 19.
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
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1 | September 9 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 40–48 | 0–1 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
2 | September 16 | Cleveland Browns | W 21–18 | 1–1 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
3 | September 23 | at Atlanta Falcons | W 43–37 (OT) | 2–1 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Recap |
4 | September 30 | at New York Giants | W 33–18 | 3–1 | MetLife Stadium | Recap |
5 | October 8 | Washington Redskins | W 43–19 | 4–1 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
6 | Bye | |||||
7 | October 21 | at Baltimore Ravens | W 24–23 | 5–1 | M&T Bank Stadium | Recap |
8 | October 28 | at Minnesota Vikings | W 30–20 | 6–1 | U.S. Bank Stadium | Recap |
9 | November 4 | Los Angeles Rams | W 45–35 | 7–1 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
10 | November 11 | at Cincinnati Bengals | W 51–14 | 8–1 | Paul Brown Stadium | Recap |
11 | November 18 | Philadelphia Eagles | W 48–7 | 9–1 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
12 | November 22 | Atlanta Falcons | W 31–17 | 10–1 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
13 | November 29 | at Dallas Cowboys | L 10–13 | 10–2 | AT&T Stadium | Recap |
14 | December 9 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 28–14 | 11–2 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap |
15 | December 17 | at Carolina Panthers | W 12–9 | 12–2 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
16 | December 23 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 31–28 | 13–2 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
17 | December 30 | Carolina Panthers | L 14–33 | 13–3 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Buccaneers | 14 | 17 | 10 | 7 | 48 |
Saints | 10 | 14 | 0 | 16 | 40 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
Game information | ||
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With the loss to the Buccaneers, the Saints started their season off with 0-1.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Browns | 3 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 18 |
Saints | 3 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 21 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
Game information | ||
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With the win against the Browns, they improved to 1-1.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
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Saints | 7 | 9 | 7 | 14 | 6 | 43 |
Falcons | 7 | 7 | 7 | 16 | 0 | 37 |
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Game information | ||
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In this game, both teams tied in the 4th quarter, resulting in a Saints victory against the Falcons in overtime. They improved to 2-1.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Saints | 0 | 12 | 7 | 14 | 33 |
Giants | 7 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 18 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Game information | ||
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The Saints played at the Giants for the first time since 2016. In the 1st quarter, they trailed by 7, but for the remainder of the game, they were able to make a comeback against them. Therefore, they won this game and brought their record to 3-1.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Redskins | 3 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 19 |
Saints | 6 | 20 | 14 | 3 | 43 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
Game information | ||
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This game was one year removed from last season, where the Saints overcame a 15-point deficit against the Redskins at home with three minutes remaining. This time, the Saints dominated the entire game. This game marked Drew Brees passing Brett Favre and Peyton Manning on most passing yards. The win improved the Saints to 4-1.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Saints | 0 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 24 |
Ravens | 0 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 23 |
Game information | ||
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Drew Brees would throw his 500th touchdown pass against Baltimore and becoming the third quarterback in modern NFL history to defeat all 32 teams playing in the 2018 season – after Peyton Manning and Brett Favre. In doing so, he improved his record against the Ravens to 1-4. This also marked the Saints' one point victory over the Ravens, since Justin Tucker missed the extra point which was a nod to John Carney's missed PAT in a 2003 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Saints | 7 | 10 | 10 | 3 | 30 |
Vikings | 7 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Game information | ||
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The Saints travelled to Minnesota for the first time since the 2017 Divisional round; during which safety Marcus Williams missed a tackle on the game's final play that allowed a 61-yard game-winning touchdown reception by Stefon Diggs. In this divisional round rematch, despite a good offensive showing from Kirk Cousins and Stefon Diggs, and Drew Brees who was held to just 120 passing yards, New Orleans still won the game 30-20 to go to 6-1 and avenge their aforementioned playoff loss.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Rams | 7 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 35 |
Saints | 14 | 21 | 0 | 10 | 45 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
Game information | ||
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With the victory, the Saints extended their winning streak to 7 games (Starting from week 2) and ended Rams 8-game win streak. Star wide receiver Michael Thomas, after scoring on his 12th reception, paid homage to former Saints wide receiver Joe Horn; while simultaneously taunting former teammate Brandin Cooks and the Rams by pulling out a cell phone from underneath the goalpost pretending to imitate making a phone call. This celebration drew a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, enraging the Rams sideline. [3] [4] This was also the final victory over the Rams, who eventually beat them in the playoffs and one season after that.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Saints | 7 | 28 | 10 | 6 | 51 |
Bengals | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
Game information | ||
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After losing the newly acquired Dez Bryant for the year with an Achilles' tear in practice, several players, including Michael Thomas, and running backs Mark Ingram II and Alvin Kamara paid tribute by throwing up Bryant's signature 'X' celebration each time they scored. Safety Marcus Williams returned a long interception to end the first half with the Saints leading 35-7. New Orleans would eventually stun the Bengals in a 51-14 victory and their streak continued, going 8-1. It was also the first time since the 2010 season in which the Saints defeated the Bengals.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Eagles | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
Saints | 10 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 48 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
Game information | ||
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After head coach Sean Payton lost a golf bet to Eagles head coach Doug Pederson, the Saints, despite being the home team, wore their white color rush uniforms. It was the first time the Saints used the uniforms at home. They were able to beat the Eagles by 41 points, despite Philadelphia being the defending Super Bowl champions from last season. This brought the Saints record to 9-1.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Falcons | 3 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
Saints | 7 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
Game information | ||
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The Saints were able to beat the Falcons 31-17 on a Thanksgiving Game. This not only improved their record to 10-1, it also marked the first season since 2015 to sweep the Falcons.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Saints | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
Cowboys | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
Game information | ||
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Michael Thomas recorded his 90th catch of the season, joining Odell Beckham Jr. as the only players in NFL history to record at least 90 receptions in their first three seasons. [5] However, Drew Brees would lose the game for the Saints by throwing an interception to Jourdan Lewis, thus snapping the Saints' 10-game win streak and dropping them to 10–2.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Saints | 0 | 3 | 8 | 17 | 28 |
Buccaneers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
Game information | ||
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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. Their record improves to 11-2 with the victory over the Buccaneers.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Saints | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 12 |
Panthers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 |
Game information | ||
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The Saints travel to Bank of America Stadium to play against the Panthers. During the punt, Thomas Morstead was tripped up by the defender, prompting the Saints to get a free first down from the Roughing the Kicker penalty. The Saints win by 3 points and improve their record to 12-2.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Steelers | 3 | 11 | 14 | 0 | 28 |
Saints | 7 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
Game information | ||
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With the win, the Saints clinched home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. Mark Ingram II recorded his 50th touchdown, surpassing Deuce McAllister for the Saints franchise record for rushing touchdowns. [6] The Saints were the only NFC South team to defeat all four of their AFC North opponents in 2018. They improve to 13-2 in the process.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Panthers | 13 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 33 |
Saints | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
Game information | ||
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Teddy Bridgewater started in this game. With the loss, the Saints finish the season 13-3. With the first-round bye, the Saints secured their spot in the playoffs.
NFC South | |||||||||
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W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
(1) New Orleans Saints | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 4–2 | 9–3 | 504 | 353 | L1 |
Atlanta Falcons | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–2 | 7–5 | 414 | 423 | W3 |
Carolina Panthers | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 2–4 | 5–7 | 376 | 382 | W1 |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 2–4 | 4–8 | 396 | 464 | L4 |
# | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
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Division leaders | |||||||||||
1 [lower-alpha 1] | New Orleans Saints | South | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 4–2 | 9–3 | .482 | .488 | L1 |
2 [lower-alpha 1] | Los Angeles Rams | West | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 6–0 | 9–3 | .480 | .428 | W2 |
3 | Chicago Bears | North | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 10–2 | .430 | .419 | W4 |
4 | Dallas Cowboys | East | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 5–1 | 9–3 | .488 | .444 | W2 |
Wild Cards | |||||||||||
5 | Seattle Seahawks | West | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 8–4 | .484 | .400 | W2 |
6 | Philadelphia Eagles | East | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .518 | .486 | W3 |
Did not qualify for the postseason | |||||||||||
7 | Minnesota Vikings | North | 8 | 7 | 1 | .531 | 3–2–1 | 6–5–1 | .504 | .355 | L1 |
8 [lower-alpha 2] | Atlanta Falcons | South | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .482 | .348 | W3 |
9 [lower-alpha 2] | Washington Redskins | East | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 2–4 | 6–6 | .486 | .371 | L2 |
10 [lower-alpha 2] | Carolina Panthers | South | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 2–4 | 5–7 | .508 | .518 | W1 |
11 | Green Bay Packers | North | 6 | 9 | 1 | .406 | 1–4–1 | 3–8–1 | .488 | .417 | L1 |
12 | Detroit Lions | North | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .504 | .427 | W1 |
13 [lower-alpha 3] | New York Giants | East | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .527 | .487 | L3 |
14 [lower-alpha 3] | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | South | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .523 | .506 | L4 |
15 | San Francisco 49ers | West | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–5 | 2–10 | .504 | .406 | L2 |
16 | Arizona Cardinals | West | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 2–4 | 3–9 | .527 | .302 | L4 |
Tiebreakers [lower-alpha 4] | |||||||||||
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Late in the first half of the Week 5, Monday Night game against the Washington Redskins, Quarterback Drew Brees surpassed Brett Favre (71,838) and Peyton Manning (71,940) for the most career passing yards. Brees surpassed Favre on a 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Josh Hill, and later he surpassed Manning with a 62-yard touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver Tre'Quan Smith, giving him the NFL's All-Time Career pass yardage record. [7] Brees also threw his 500th touchdown pass against the Baltimore Ravens, with a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Benjamin Watson.
Playoff round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
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Wild Card | First-round bye | |||||
Divisional | January 13, 2019 | Philadelphia Eagles (6) | W 20–14 | 1–0 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
NFC Championship | January 20, 2019 | Los Angeles Rams (2) | L 23–26 (OT) | 1–1 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Eagles | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
Saints | 0 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
Game information | ||
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The Saints host the Philadelphia Eagles in the playoffs for the first time since the 2006 season, the first since the 2013 season to play the Eagles under Nick Foles. The Saints initially trailed by 14 points but made a comeback in the end. Marshon Lattimore stuns the Eagles with an interception to secure the Saints' victory and advance to the NFC Championship. Their record improves to 14-3.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
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Rams | 0 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 26 |
Saints | 13 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 23 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
Game information | ||
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Coming off with the Divisional Round victory over the Eagles, the Saints remain in the Superdome to host the Los Angeles Rams. It was the first time since January 24, 2010, the Saints host the NFC Championship in their home field.
The game was marred with controversy after the referees missed a pass interference call of Nickell Robey-Coleman's hit on Tommylee Lewis on 3rd-and-10 with 1:45 remaining in the 4th quarter. [8] [9] The NFL admitted to missing the call soon after the game was over, [10] but did not apologize for the situation until a week and a half later. [11] The fallout from the missed call was a factor in the NFL's decision to expand instant replay, making pass interference (including non-calls) reviewable. [12]
With the controversial loss in overtime, the Saints finish their season 14-4.
The 2000 season was the St. Louis Rams' 63rd in the National Football League (NFL) and their sixth in St. Louis. For the first time in franchise history, the Rams entered the season as the defending Super Bowl champions. The Rams finished the regular-season with a record of 10–6 but would go on to lose to the New Orleans Saints 31–28 in the wild-card round of the playoffs. They led the NFL in scoring for a second straight year with 540 points. The Rams became the first team in NFL history to score more than 500 points on offense, while allowing more than 450 points on defense.
The 2011 Atlanta Falcons season was the franchise's 46th season in the National Football League (NFL) and the fourth under head coach Mike Smith.
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.
The 2012 season was the New Orleans Saints' 46th in the National Football League (NFL) and their 37th playing home games at the Superdome. The Saints head coach was Sean Payton, but he was suspended by the NFL for the entire 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 Payton while he was suspended. On August 22, 2012, it was announced that Aaron Kromer would take over while Vitt himself served a six-game suspension to start the regular season. The Saints attempted to make history as the first host team to play the Super Bowl on their own home field, but they were eliminated from post-season contention for the first time since 2008 in Week 16. The Saints set an NFL record for most yards given up by a defense, 7,042 yards, surpassing the 1981 Baltimore Colts record of 6,793 yards.
The 2013 season was the New Orleans Saints' 47th in the National Football League (NFL) and their 38th playing home games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. It also marked the seventh season under head coach Sean Payton, who returned to the team after serving a one-year suspension for his involvement in the team's 2012 bounty scandal.
The 2014 season was the Baltimore Ravens' 19th in the National Football League (NFL) and their seventh under head coach John Harbaugh. The Ravens improved upon their 8–8 record from 2013, when they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2007. Additionally, the Ravens scored a franchise record 409 points and quarterback Joe Flacco passed for a career-high 27 touchdowns and 3,986 yards.
The 2014 Atlanta Falcons season was the franchise's 49th season in the National Football League (NFL) and the seventh and final under head coach Mike Smith. The Falcons were defeated by the Carolina Panthers in week 17, officially eliminating them from postseason contention for the second straight year. As a result, Smith was fired after his seventh year as head coach, after two straight years with a losing record.
The 2014 season was the Carolina Panthers' 20th in the National Football League (NFL) and their fourth under head coach Ron Rivera.
The 2014 season was the New Orleans Saints' 48th in the National Football League (NFL), their 39th playing home games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and their eighth under head coach Sean Payton.
The 2015 Tennessee Titans season was the franchise's 46th season in the National Football League (NFL), the 56th overall and the 19th in the state of Tennessee. Second-year head coach Ken Whisenhunt was fired on November 3 following a 1–6 start, and was replaced by tight ends coach Mike Mularkey on an interim basis. Despite slightly improving from their 2–14 season from the previous year, finishing with a 3–13 record, they finished with a lower Strength of Schedule, thus earning the right to the top pick in the 2016 NFL draft, later trading it to the Los Angeles Rams.
The 2015 season was the New Orleans Saints' 49th in the National Football League (NFL), their 40th playing home games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and their ninth under head coach Sean Payton. On November 16, 2015, the Saints hired Dennis Allen to replace fired defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. However, the Saints still missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season. The Saints set a new league record for the most passing touchdowns allowed with 45.
The 2016 Atlanta Falcons season was the franchise's 51st season in the National Football League (NFL) and the second under head coach Dan Quinn. It also marked the team's 25th and final season playing their home games at the Georgia Dome, as the Falcons moved into the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2017. The Falcons won the NFC South for the first time since 2012 and improved on their 8–8 record from 2015, going 11–5 and earning the second seed in the NFC playoffs. Quarterback Matt Ryan was named the 2016 NFL MVP. The Falcons scored 540 points, the most in the NFL for 2016 and 8th all-time. The team scored fewer than 23 points only once all season: a 24–15 loss to the Eagles.
The 2016 season was the New Orleans Saints' 50th in the National Football League (NFL), their 41st playing home games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, and their 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. One highlight from the season includes quarterback Drew Brees' first return to San Diego for the first time since the Chargers released him at the end of the 2005 season, also where Brees played his first five seasons in. This came 10 years after the Chargers released Brees after the Saints' previous regular season meetings with the Chargers were home games for the Saints, and including a 2008 meeting at Wembley Stadium in London, a game which New Orleans was designated as the home team.
The 2016 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 41st season in the National Football League (NFL) and the first under head coach Dirk Koetter. In week 13, the club won their seventh game, eclipsing their win total from 2015.
The 2017 season was the Atlanta Falcons' 52nd in the National Football League (NFL), their first playing their home games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and their third under head coach Dan Quinn. They entered the season as the defending NFC champions and tried to defend their NFC title for a second consecutive trip to the Super Bowl after losing the previous year against the Patriots in Super Bowl LI after blowing a 28-3 lead. This was the Falcons' first year in Mercedes-Benz Stadium after spending the previous 25 seasons in the Georgia Dome, which was demolished on November 20, 2017. Mercedes-Benz Stadium opened as scheduled on August 26, 2017; however, its retractable roof system was incomplete. The roof of Mercedes-Benz Stadium remained in the closed position for most of the 2017 season, with the roof opened only during the September 17 game against the Green Bay Packers, as contractors continued to fully mechanize the roof.
The 2017 season was the Carolina Panthers' 23rd in the National Football League (NFL) and their seventh under head coach Ron Rivera. During the offseason, the team's notable free agent signings included Matt Kalil, Captain Munnerlyn and veteran Julius Peppers. Peppers previously spent his first eight seasons with the Panthers, appearing in Super Bowl XXXVIII with them. On July 17, 2017, the team announced Dave Gettleman had been relieved as general manager. His predecessor, Marty Hurney, was hired as interim general manager a day later. For the first time since 2011, the Panthers did not play the Seattle Seahawks during the regular season. The Panthers rebounded after a disappointing 2016 campaign, where they were the defending NFC champions but finished 6–10 and last in the NFC South. 2017 saw the Panthers qualify for the playoffs with an 11–5 record. However, they lost to the Saints 31–26 in the Wild Card round.
The 2017 season was the New Orleans Saints' 51st in the National Football League (NFL), their 42nd playing home games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and their 11th under head coach Sean Payton. The team improved on their 7–9 output from the previous season, while achieving an eight-game winning streak after losing their first two contests, their longest streak since 2009, when they won Super Bowl XLIV. In Week 13 the Saints clinched their first winning season since 2013 and swept the Carolina Panthers for the first time since 2011. In Week 16, the Saints clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2013 by defeating the Atlanta Falcons. In Week 17, the Saints clinched the NFC South for the first time since 2011 with the Panthers loss to the Falcons. This was the first of four consecutive NFC South titles for the Saints. On January 7, 2018 the Saints played their divisional rival Carolina Panthers in the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. They beat Carolina 31–26 in the Wild Card, but lost 29–24 to the Minnesota Vikings in the Divisional Round in a shocking ending.
The 2018 season was the Atlanta Falcons' 53rd in the National Football League (NFL), their second playing their home games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and their fourth under head coach Dan Quinn. The Falcons attempted to be the first team to play the Super Bowl in their home stadium as an expected Super Bowl contender. However, the Falcons were riddled with injuries, losing 7 starters to IR with the Falcons stumbling to a 1–4 start.
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.
The 2020 season was the New Orleans Saints' 54th season in the National Football League (NFL), their 45th playing home games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, and their 14th under head coach Sean Payton. Although they failed to match their 13–3 records from 2018 and 2019, the Saints defended their NFC South title for the fourth consecutive year following a Week 16 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. After beating the San Francisco 49ers in Week 10, they won six straight games for the fourth consecutive season. With a Week 13 win over the Atlanta Falcons, the Saints clinched a franchise record fourth consecutive playoff appearance. After Week 17 victory over the division rival, Carolina Panthers, the Saints became the first NFC South member to sweep the division in its history. During the Wildcard round against the Chicago Bears of the 2020–21 NFL playoffs, the Saints made history as one of the first two teams to air in a post-season football game on Nickelodeon, a primarily children-related network. The Saints would defeat the Bears 21–9, advancing to the divisional round, where they were defeated by division rival and eventual Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 30–20, despite having swept them in the regular season.