New Orleans Saints

Owner: Gayle Benson General Manager: Mickey Loomis Head Coach: Sean Payton

NFL Championships: None Super Bowl Championships: 2009

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	DATE	OPPONENT	ET	TV
Week 1	9/9	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	1:00pm	FOX
Week 2	9/16	Cleveland Browns	1:00pm	FOX
Week 3	9/23	at Atlanta Falcons	1:00pm	FOX
Week 4	9/30	at New York Giants	4:25pm	CBS
Week 5	10/8	Washington Redskins (Mon)	8:15pm	ESPN
Week 6	10/14	BYE
Week 7	10/21	at Baltimore Ravens	4:05pm	FOX
Week 8	10/28	at Minnesota Vikings	8:20pm	NBC
Week 9	11/4	Los Angeles Rams	4:25pm	FOX
Week 10	11/11	at Cincinnati Bengals	1:00pm	FOX
Week 11	11/18	Philadelphia Eagles	1:00pm	FOX
Week 12	11/22	Atlanta Falcons (Thu)	8:20pm	NBC
Week 13	11/29	at Dallas Cowboys (Thu)	8:20pm	FOX / NFLN
Week 14	12/9	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	1:00pm	FOX
Week 15	12/17	at Carolina Panthers (Mon)	8:15pm	ESPN
Week 16	12/23	Pittsburgh Steelers	4:25pm	CBS
Week 17	12/30	Carolina Panthers	1:00pm	FOX

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New Orleans Saints Team History

The establishment of the New Orleans Saints traces back to 1966 when a backroom deal was agreed to officially form the franchise. Saints founder Dave Dixon had been lobbying for an NFL franchise for five years before local U.S. Congressman Hale Boggs negotiated a deal with U.S Senator Russell Long and NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle to bring a team to New Orleans. The NFL needed congressional approval to complete the proposed AFL-NFL merger and agreed to award New Orleans an NFL franchise to curry favor with Boggs, who was house majority whip and member of the congressional committee that would eventually approve the merger. Fittingly, the New Orleans Saints were officially formed on November 1, the Catholic holiday All Saints Day, in 1966.

During its first twenty years, the franchise was the model for futility in the NFL only managing a .500 record twice during the period and never making the playoffs. In 1985, recently deceased owner Tom Benson purchased the franchise in what would mark a pivotal moment in the Saints history. Benson hired general manager Jim Finks and Head Coach Jim Mora in the same year which led to the franchise’s first winning season in 1987. The Jim Mora teams were defined by their stellar linebacker corps nicknamed the “Dome Patrol” which was spearheaded by future Hall of Fame linebacker Ricky Jackson. After Mora stepped down as head coach midway through the 1993 season, the team again fell on hard times only managing a season winning percentage above .500 twice over the next 13 seasons.

The 2005 season was marked by tragedy as the city of New Orleans was devastated by Hurricane Katrina, displacing the team to play home games elsewhere while members of the organization simultaneously attempted to offer aid to those in need across the area. The Superdome became a temporary refuge for the people of New Orleans. The Saints would finish the 2005 season 3-13 culminating in the firing of Head Coach Jim Haslett.

Sean Payton was hired in 2006 and remains the teams current, and most successful, head coach. The Saints also made one of their most important free agent signings in team history by landing Pro Bowl Quarterback Drew Brees to New Orleans. Brees and Payton teamed up to completely change the face of the organization from perennial loser to contender. In 2009 Brees led the Saints to the franchise’s only Super Bowl title, defeating the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV. In 2017 the Saints finished the season 11-5 SU and 10-8-0 ATS and look to be a consistent threat, as they always have been with Brees-Payton guiding the way.