2019 New Orleans Saints season

Last updated

2019 New Orleans Saints season
Owner Gayle Benson
General manager Mickey Loomis
Head coach Sean Payton
Offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr.
Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen
Home field Mercedes-Benz Superdome
Results
Record13–3
Division place1st NFC South
Playoff finishLost Wild Card Playoffs
(vs. Vikings) 20–26 (OT)
Pro Bowlers
11
AP All-Pros
6
Uniform
NO saints uniforms19.png

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.

Contents

The Saints matched their 13–3 record from their 2018 season, which ended with the team losing in the NFC Championship to the Los Angeles Rams partially due to a controversial pass interference no-call from the Rams defense. They attempted to appear in the Super Bowl for the first time since Super Bowl XLIV. Despite losing Drew Brees to a thumb injury during a week 2 rematch against the Rams, the Saints went 5–0 in the games following his absence under backup Teddy Bridgewater, and won the NFC South for the third consecutive season after beating their division rival Atlanta Falcons on Thanksgiving night. The Saints matched their record from the previous year after defeating their divisional rivals Carolina Panthers in week 17, sweeping them for the second time in three seasons, but were not able to secure a first round bye due to a three way tiebreaker with the San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers. This was the first time in franchise history the Saints posted back-to-back seasons with 12 or more wins. They hosted the Minnesota Vikings in the wild card round, the fifth meeting between the two teams in the playoffs. However, for the third time in three straight years, the Saints were eliminated in the playoffs, losing 26–20 to the Vikings in overtime.

The Saints face off against the Rams during a Week 2 matchup in Los Angeles on September 15, 2019 Rams-Saints-2019.jpg
The Saints face off against the Rams during a Week 2 matchup in Los Angeles on September 15, 2019

Off-season

Re-signed

PositionPlayerAgeContract
QB Teddy Bridgewater 271 year, $7.25 million
LB Craig Robertson 312 years, $4.1 million
S Chris Banjo 293 years, $6.9 million
RT Michael Ola 301 year, $805,000
LS Zach Wood 261 year, $645,000
LB Vince Biegel 251 year, $645,000
CB Ken Crawley 251 year, $2.025 million
K Wil Lutz 245 years, $20.25 million
C Cameron Tom 231 year, $635,000
CB Justin Hardee 251 year, $635,000
CB P. J. Williams 251 year, $5 million

New signings

PositionPlayerAge2018 teamContract
G Nick Easton 26 Minnesota Vikings 4 years, $22.5 million
DT Malcom Brown 25 New England Patriots 3 years, $15 million
RB Latavius Murray 28Minnesota Vikings4 years, $14.4 million
DT Mario Edwards Jr. 24 New York Giants 2 years, $5 million
CB Marcus Sherels 31Minnesota Vikings1 year, $1.02 million
TE Jared Cook 31 Oakland Raiders 2 years, $15.5 million

Departures

PositionPlayerAge2019 team
DE Alex Okafor 28 Kansas City Chiefs
RB Mark Ingram II 29 Baltimore Ravens
WR Tommylee Lewis 26 Detroit Lions
DT Tyeler Davison 26 Atlanta Falcons
TE Benjamin Watson 38 New England Patriots
G Josh LeRibeus 29 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
SS Kurt Coleman 30 Buffalo Bills
CB Josh Robinson 28 Jacksonville Jaguars
DT Jay Bromley 26 San Francisco 49ers
WR Dez Bryant 30Released
TE Michael Hoomanawanui 30Released
SS Rickey Jefferson 24Released
RB Daniel Lasco 26Released
MLB Manti Te'o 28Released
DT Tyrunn Walker 29Released
C Max Unger 32Retired
OT Jermon Bushrod 34Retired

NFL draft

2019 New Orleans Saints draft
RoundPickPlayerPositionCollegeNotes
248 Erik McCoy   C Texas A&M
4105 C. J. Gardner-Johnson   S Florida
6177 Saquan Hampton   S Rutgers
7231 Alize Mack   TE Notre Dame
7244 Kaden Elliss   LB Idaho
      Made roster    †    Pro Football Hall of Fame     *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Notes

Staff

2019 New Orleans Saints staff

Front office

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

Strength and conditioning


Final roster

2019 New Orleans Saints roster
Quarterbacks (QB)

Running backs (RB)

Wide receivers (WR)

Tight ends (TE)

 Offensive linemen (OL)

Defensive linemen (DL)

 Linebackers (LB)

Defensive backs (DB)

Special teams

Practice squad

Reserve

Rookies in italics
53 active, 15 reserve, 9 practice squad

Preseason

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordGame siteNFL.com
recap
1August 9 Minnesota Vikings L 25–340–1 Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap
2August 18at Los Angeles Chargers W 19–171–1 Dignity Health Sports Park Recap
3August 24at New York Jets W 28–132–1 MetLife Stadium Recap
4August 29 Miami Dolphins L 13–162–2Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap

Regular season

Schedule

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueNFL.com
recap
1 September 9 Houston Texans W 30–281–0 Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap
2 September 15at Los Angeles Rams L 9–271–1 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Recap
3 September 22at Seattle Seahawks W 33–272–1 CenturyLink Field Recap
4 September 29 Dallas Cowboys W 12–103–1Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap
5 October 6 Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 31–244–1Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap
6 October 13at Jacksonville Jaguars W 13–65–1 TIAA Bank Field Recap
7 October 20at Chicago Bears W 36–256–1 Soldier Field Recap
8 October 27 Arizona Cardinals W 31–97–1Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap
9 Bye
10 November 10 Atlanta Falcons L 9–267–2Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap
11 November 17at Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 34–178–2 Raymond James Stadium Recap
12 November 24 Carolina Panthers W 34–319–2Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap
13 November 28 at Atlanta Falcons W 26–1810–2 Mercedes-Benz Stadium Recap
14 December 8 San Francisco 49ers L 46–4810–3Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap
15 December 16 Indianapolis Colts W 34–711–3Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap
16 December 22at Tennessee Titans W 38–2812–3 Nissan Stadium Recap
17 December 29at Carolina Panthers W 42–1013–3 Bank of America Stadium Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Houston Texans

Week One: Houston Texans at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Texans0147728
Saints03141330

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

Game information

The game was an offensive shootout. The Saints started slow and fell behind 14–3 at halftime. The Saints offense took off in the third quarter and they outscored the Texans 24–7 in the next 29 minutes of the game. With less than one minute to play, Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson threw a go-ahead touchdown to wide receiver Kenny Stills; however, the Saints and Brees were able to move the ball down the field and kicker Wil Lutz kicked a 58–yard field goal to lead the team to victory. This was the first time the Saints won their season opener since the 2013 season.

Week 2: at Los Angeles Rams

Week Two: New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Rams – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Saints03339
Rams3314727

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California

Game information

In a rematch of 2018's controversial NFC Championship game, Drew Brees collided with Aaron Donald while attempting to pass; the hit broke Brees' thumb, forcing him out of action for the next five weeks following surgery. In place of the injured Brees, Teddy Bridgewater was held to just 165 yards passing. On defense, Cam Jordan strip sacked Jared Goff and returned a fumble 87 yards for a touchdown, which was controversially overturned. Despite this; the Rams went on to blow them out 27-9. [1] [2]

The loss dropped the Saints to 1–1. After the game, head coach Sean Payton agreed to a five-year contract extension. The Saints don't match up with the Rams until the 2022 season.

Week 3: at Seattle Seahawks

Week Three: New Orleans Saints at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Saints7137633
Seahawks7002027

at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington

Game information

In a surprising upset on the road against Seattle without starting quarterback Drew Brees, the Saints led 27–7 going into the fourth quarter thanks to two touchdown passes from quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, in addition to touchdowns off a punt return and a fumble recovery. The Seahawks scored 20 points in the final period, but a short touchdown run from Alvin Kamara proved the difference between the two teams, to move the Saints to 2–1 on the season.

Week 4: vs. Dallas Cowboys

Week Four: Dallas Cowboys at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Cowboys307010
Saints090312

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

Game information

The Saints found yet another way to win a game without star quarterback Drew Brees and with Teddy Bridgewater at the helm, as Wil Lutz kicked four field goals. It was the first Saints win since week 8 of the 1998 season to feature no touchdowns. The Saints would improve their overall record to 3-1.

Week 5: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week Five: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Buccaneers737724
Saints3147731

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

Game information

Bridgewater improved to 3–0 as a starter with a strong performance throwing for 314 yards and four touchdowns. The Saints defense sacked Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston six times in the win. Buccaneers' cornerback Carlton Davis committed a helmet-to-helmet hit on tight end Jared Cook, resulting in Davis being ejected from the game. After the Saints secured their win against Tampa Bay, they improve their overall record to 4-1.

Week 6: at Jacksonville Jaguars

Week Six: New Orleans Saints at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Saints303713
Jaguars03306

at TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, Florida

Game information

In a defensive game, both offenses struggled to score as the game was tied 3–3 at halftime and 6–6 at the end of the third quarter. A touchdown pass from Bridgewater to Jared Cook proved to be the difference.

With the win, the Saints improved to 5–1 and Bridgewater improved to 4–0 as a starter. Cook and running back Alvin Kamara suffered injuries during the game.

Week 7: at Chicago Bears

Week Seven: New Orleans Saints at Chicago Bears – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Saints93141036
Bears7301525

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

Game information

The Saints dominated the Bears with a strong performance on both sides of the football. Bridgewater threw for 281 yards and 3 touchdowns. Running back Latavius Murray, filling in for an injured Alvin Kamara, rushed for over 100 yards on the ground. The Saints stifled the Bears offense for the majority of the game before giving up two touchdowns in garbage time. The win improved the Saints to 6–1 and Bridgewater to 5–0, setting the stage for Drew Brees's comeback.

Week 8: vs. Arizona Cardinals

Week Eight: Arizona Cardinals at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Cardinals33309
Saints01071431

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

Game information

With Alvin Kamara still sidelined, Drew Brees returned after missing five weeks following thumb surgery. He threw for 373 yards and 3 touchdowns as the Saints dominated the Cardinals to improve to 7–1.

Week 10: vs. Atlanta Falcons

Week Ten: Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Falcons31001326
Saints33309

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

Game information

In a shocking fashion, the Saints were defeated by the 1–7 Falcons. Drew Brees had a miserable day, being sacked six times by an inspired Falcons pass-rush; the Falcons had recorded just seven prior to this game.

The loss dropped them to 7–2. The Saints were flagged 10 times for 120 yards in the loss.

Week 11: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week Eleven: New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Saints1377734
Buccaneers0710017

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

Game information

Brees and the Saints bounced back from the previous week. He threw three touchdowns and 228 yards in the game. The Saints defense intercepted Buccaneers QB Jameis Winston four times, including a pick-six by safety Marcus Williams to ice the game in the fourth quarter. The win improved the Saints to 8–2, and they swept the Buccaneers for the first time since 2014.

Week 12: vs. Carolina Panthers

Week Twelve: Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Panthers699731
Saints14314334

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

  • Date: November 24
  • Game time: 12:00 pm. CST
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 73,068
  • Referee: Alex Kemp
  • TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

The game was close all the way. Both Brees and Panthers quarterback Kyle Allen played well, with three touchdown passes each. After benefiting from a pass interference penalty, the Panthers were set up with a 1st-and-goal at the Saints' 5-yard line, but the Saints defense held strong, and kicker Joey Slye missed a short field goal. Brees quickly moved the Saints down the field and Wil Lutz made the game-winning field goal from 36 yards out.

With the win, the Saints improved to 9–2, ensuring a winning record for the third straight season.

Week 13: at Atlanta Falcons

Thanksgiving Day Games

Week Thirteen: New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Saints7103626
Falcons090918

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

Game information

The Saints played an excellent game and got revenge on their division rivals. The Saints defense played one of its best games of the season with 9 sacks of Matt Ryan and forced 3 takeaways. Taysom Hill blocked a punt early, caught a touchdown pass and ran one in from 30 yards out.

With the win, the Saints clinched the NFC South title for the third straight season. The Saints improved their record to 10-2.

Week 14: vs. San Francisco 49ers

Week Fourteen: San Francisco 49ers at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
49ers72171348
Saints131461346

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

  • Date: December 8
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 73,038
  • Referee: John Hussey
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Charles Davis and Pam Oliver
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

In the NFL's second-highest-scoring game of 2019, [3] Brees and 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo threw for a combined 698 yards and nine touchdowns as the two teams traded blows all game long. Brees played his best game of the season with his five touchdowns against one of the league's best pass defenses. Although Brees found Tre'Quan Smith late in the game to take a 46–45 lead, Garoppolo connected with tight end George Kittle who ran past several Saints defenders on one of the iconic plays of the season. This set up Robbie Gould's game winning 30-yard field goal as time expired.

With the loss, the Saints fell to 10–3.

Week 15: vs. Indianapolis Colts

Week Fifteen: Indianapolis Colts at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Colts00077
Saints31714034

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

  • Date: December 16
  • Game time: 7:15 pm. CST
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 73,053
  • Referee: Shawn Hochuli
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Joe Tessitore, Booger McFarland and Lisa Salters
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Drew Brees threw four touchdown passes, passing Peyton Manning for most career touchdown passes. His completion percentage of 96.67% set a new record for single-game completion percentage (by a quarterback who attempted more than 10 passes in the game) [4] as the Saints demolished the Colts 34–7, improving to 11–3.

Week 16: at Tennessee Titans

Week Sixteen: New Orleans Saints at Tennessee Titans – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Saints01021738
Titans1407728

at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee

Game information

The Saints started the game poorly, falling into an early 14–0 deficit. However, from there they scored 24 unanswered points to take the lead. With the Titans driving and only down 3, Kalif Raymond was tackled by C. J. Gardner-Johnson and lost a fumble; the hit was controversially not flagged.[ citation needed ]

The Saints improved to 12–3. Michael Thomas broke Marvin Harrison's 18-year record for most receptions in a single season with 145. Alvin Kamara rushed for two touchdowns, his first since Week 3 and bringing his season total to four. The Saints were the only NFC South team to defeat all four of their AFC South opponents in 2019.

Week 17: at Carolina Panthers

Week Seventeen: New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Saints14217042
Panthers037010

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

  • Date: December 29
  • Game time: 12:00 pm. CST/1:00 pm. EST
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 63 °F (17 °C)
  • Game attendance: 72,203
  • Referee: Ronald Torbert
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Ronde Barber and Lindsay Czarniak
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

The Saints dominated the Panthers to end their regular season. Kamara rushed for two more touchdowns and Brees threw three against a bad Panthers defense. Linebacker A. J. Klein intercepted an errant pass by Panthers quarterback Will Grier and returned it for a 14-yard pick-six.

The win improved the Saints to 13–3. However, they were unable to clinch a first-round bye as the Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers also won.

Standings

Division

NFC South
WLTPCTDIVCONFPFPASTK
(3) New Orleans Saints 1330.8135–19–3458341W3
Atlanta Falcons 790.4384–26–6381399W4
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 790.4382–45–7458449L2
Carolina Panthers 5110.3131–52–10340470L8

Conference

NFC
#TeamDivisionWLTPCTDIVCONFSOSSOVSTK
Division leaders
1 [a] San Francisco 49ers West1330.8135–110–2.504.466W2
2 [a] [b] Green Bay Packers North1330.8136–010–2.453.428W5
3 [a] [b] New Orleans Saints South1330.8135–19–3.486.459W3
4 Philadelphia Eagles East970.5635–17–5.455.417W4
Wild Cards
5 Seattle Seahawks West1150.6883–38–4.531.463L2
6 Minnesota Vikings North1060.6252–47–5.477.356L2
Did not qualify for the postseason
7 Los Angeles Rams West970.5633–37–5.535.438W1
8 [c] Chicago Bears North880.5004–27–5.508.383W1
9 [c] Dallas Cowboys East880.5005–17–5.479.316W1
10 [d] Atlanta Falcons South790.4384–26–6.545.518W4
11 [d] Tampa Bay Buccaneers South790.4382–45–7.500.384L2
12 Arizona Cardinals West5101.3441–53–8–1.529.375L1
13 Carolina Panthers South5110.3131–52–10.549.469L8
14 New York Giants East4120.2502–43–9.473.281L1
15 Detroit Lions North3121.2190–62–9–1.506.375L9
16 Washington Redskins East3130.1880–62–10.502.281L4
Tiebreakers [e]
  1. 1 2 3 San Francisco finished ahead of Green Bay and New Orleans based on head-to-head sweep.
  2. 1 2 Green Bay finished ahead of New Orleans based on conference record.
  3. 1 2 Chicago finished ahead of Dallas based on head-to-head victory.
  4. 1 2 Atlanta finished ahead of Tampa Bay based on division record.
  5. ↑ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division.

Postseason

Schedule

RoundDateOpponent (seed)ResultRecordVenueNFL.com
recap
Wild Card January 5, 2020 Minnesota Vikings (6)L 20–26 (OT)0–1 Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap

Game summaries

NFC Wild Card Playoffs: vs. (6) Minnesota Vikings

NFC Wild Card Playoffs: (6) Minnesota Vikings at (3) New Orleans Saints – Game summary
Quarter1234OTTotal
Vikings31070626
Saints37010020

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

Game information

With this loss, the Saints suffered their first one-and-done postseason campaign since 2010, their sixth straight playoff loss by one score, their second straight overtime playoff loss and became the first-ever 13–3 team to lose in the wild-card round.

Related Research Articles

The 2003 Houston Texans season was the franchise's second season in the National Football League and the second under head coach Dom Capers. It saw the Texans make a one-game improvement on its initial season's record.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 New Orleans Saints season</span> NFL team season

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">2012 New Orleans Saints season</span> NFL team season

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 New Orleans Saints season</span> NFL team season

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 New Orleans Saints season</span> NFL team season

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 New Orleans Saints season</span> NFL team season

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 New Orleans Saints season</span> NFL team season

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Carolina Panthers season</span> 23rd season in franchise history

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 New Orleans Saints season</span> NFL team season

The 2017 season was the New Orleans Saints' 51st in the National Football League (NFL), their 42nd playing home games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and their 11th under head coach Sean Payton. 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Atlanta Falcons season</span> 53rd season in franchise history

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 New Orleans Saints season</span> NFL team season

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Carolina Panthers season</span> 26th season in franchise history

The 2020 season was the Carolina Panthers' 26th in the National Football League (NFL) and their first under head coach Matt Rhule. The offseason saw several notable departures; quarterback Cam Newton was released after the Panthers were unable to find a team willing to trade for him, while linebacker Luke Kuechly announced his retirement on January 14, 2020. On December 21, 2020 the Panthers parted ways with general manager Marty Hurney after a total of 19 seasons with the organization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 New Orleans Saints season</span> 54th season in franchise history

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Atlanta Falcons season</span> 56th season in franchise history

The 2021 season was the Atlanta Falcons' 56th season in the National Football League (NFL), their fifth playing their home games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and their first under general manager Terry Fontenot and head coach Arthur Smith.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 New Orleans Saints season</span> 55th season in franchise history

The 2021 season was the New Orleans Saints' 55th season in the National Football League (NFL), the 46th playing home games at Caesars Superdome and the 15th and final season under head coach Sean Payton. After starting the season 5–2, the Saints fell into a five game losing streak after losing starting quarterback Jameis Winston to a torn ACL in Week 8 vs. Winston's former team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They also failed to improve on their 12–4 record from the previous season, as well as failing to win the division title for the first time since 2016. Despite winning four of their last five games, the Saints missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016 after the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Los Angeles Rams in Week 18. The Saints finished tied with the Philadelphia Eagles for the 7th seed in the NFC, but lost the tiebreaker based on the teams' Week 11 head-to-head meeting—won by the Eagles. The team started a record of 58 different players and ranked in the bottom 5 in total offense.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Atlanta Falcons season</span> 57th season in franchise history

The 2022 season was the Atlanta Falcons' 57th in the National Football League (NFL), their sixth playing their home games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and their second under head coach Arthur Smith.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 New Orleans Saints season</span> 56th season in franchise history

The 2022 season was the New Orleans Saints' 56th in the National Football League (NFL), their 47th playing home games at the Caesars Superdome and their first under head coach Dennis Allen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 New Orleans Saints season</span> 57th season in franchise history

The 2023 season was the New Orleans Saints' 57th season in the National Football League (NFL), the 48th to host games at the Caesars Superdome and the second and final full season under head coach Dennis Allen, as he would be fired during their next season. The team improved on their 7–10 record from 2022, but missed the playoffs for a third consecutive season. The Saints finished tied with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the NFC South division title, as well as in a three-way tie with the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks for the last Wild Card spot; however, the Saints lost both tiebreakers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 New Orleans Saints season</span> 58th season in franchise history

The 2024 season is the New Orleans Saints' 58th season in the National Football League (NFL), the 49th to host games at the Caesars Superdome and the third and final under head coach Dennis Allen. For this season, the Saints attempt to improve from their 9–8 record from the previous season, and return to the playoffs as well as win the NFC South, both for the first time in four years. Despite starting the season 2–0 for the second consecutive season with over 40 points scored in both games, the Saints went on a seven-game losing streak for the first time since 1999. On November 4, following a Week 9 loss to the Carolina Panthers, the Saints fired Allen and promoted assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi to be the interim head coach.

References

  1. ↑ Shpigel, Ben (September 16, 2019). "Drew Brees' Injury and Another Bad Call Add to Saints' Pain". The New York Times. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Drew Brees leaves after his thumb gets hit against the Rams, Teddy Bridgewater goes in for the Saints".
  3. ↑ "Team Game Finder Query Results - In a single game, in 2019, in the Regular Season, sorted by descending Points Combined". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  4. ↑ "Player Game Finder Query Results - In a single game, from 1950 to 2019, in the Regular Season, played QB, requiring Pass Completion % >= 95 and Pass Attempts >= 11, sorted by descending Pass Completion %". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.