1992 New Orleans Saints season
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The 1992 New Orleans Saints season was the franchise's 26th season in the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
, and the 17th with home games at the Superdome. This is also the last time the Saints qualified to the postseason until the 2000 season. The 1992 Saints surrendered only 202 points during the season (12.6 points per game), the lowest total by any team in the 1990s. They also gave up the fewest passing yards (2,470) and second-fewest total yards (4,075) of any team in 1992. This was also only the second season where four linebackers from the same team made the pro bowl with the other time being the year prior.


Offseason

The team entered 1992 with great expectations after its NFC West division title season of 1991. It was the franchise's first division championship since entering the NFL in 1967. Most preseason forecasts had the Saints making the playoffs again and another division title possible.


NFL Draft


Personnel


Staff


Roster


Regular season

The team opened 1992 at
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
, their first road opener in 11 years. The usually steely defense showed some chinks as Eagles running back
Herschel Walker Herschel Junior Walker (born March 3, 1962) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons. He was also the Republican nominee in the 2022 United States Senate election in Georgia. ...
rushed for more than 100 yards. Turnovers caused by the two great defenses kept the game close, but the Eagles won 15–13. Offensive struggles continued the next week vs.
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
, as the Bears led 6–0 at halftime. Big plays on both sides of the ball broke it open for the Saints, as quarterback
Bobby Hebert Bobby Joseph Hebert Jr. (surname pronounced ; born August 19, 1960) is an American sportscaster and former professional football quarterback. He played in the United States Football League (USFL) and National Football League (NFL) from 1983 to ...
connected with wide receivers Eric Martin and Wesley Carroll on touchdown passes of 52 and 72 yards, respectively. Two second half scores by the Saints' defense capped the 28–6 win – a fumble return by Robert "Pig" Goff and an interception return by Reggie Jones. Those plays set the tone for the defensive unit throughout 1992. A 10–7 win over
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
followed and set up the annual battle with the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers had worn the title of "Team of the Decade" for the 1980s and were the primary stumbling block for an otherwise resurgent Saints franchise during Jim Mora's tenure as head coach. The Sunday night, prime-time audience saw a tight contest throughout. With the Niners leading 16–10, the Saints faced first-and-goal at the San Francisco 2-yard line. Saints
guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...
Derek Kennard Derek Craig Kennard (born September 9, 1962) is a former American football guard and center in the National Football League (NFL) for the St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals, New Orleans Saints, and Dallas Cowboys. He also was a member of the Los Ange ...
was flagged for holding and, on the next play, a pass into tight coverage was picked off by 49ers
cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create tur ...
Eric Davis. It was the Saints' sixth consecutive home game against the Niners decided by seven points or less. The team rebounded with five straight wins and stood at 7–2 in the road game vs. the Niners. For three quarters, the Saints dominated the clock and scoreboard, leading 20–7 on two touchdown passes by Hebert. But the defense couldn't hold the lead as
Steve Young Jon Steven Young (born October 11, 1961) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. He also played for the Tampa Bay Buccane ...
led San Francisco on two touchdown drives in the 4th quarter to win 21–20. Most impressive of the Saints' 12 wins in 1992 came over the next three weeks, when the team won three home games in a 10-day span. The first was a Monday Night win over the
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
, 20–3, keyed by a Hebert-to- Early touchdown pass and stifling defense. Another eventual playoff team came to the Superdome the following Sunday, as the Miami Dolphins took a 13–10 lead into the second half. A blindsiding takeaway from Dolphins
quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
Dan Marino Daniel Constantine Marino Jr. (born September 15, 1961) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons with the Miami Dolphins. After a successful college career at Pittsburgh and be ...
by speed-rushing
linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, p ...
Pat Swilling Patrick Travis Swilling (born October 25, 1964) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the New Orleans Saints, Detroit Lions, and the Oakland Raiders. He had ...
led to Robert Goff's second fumble return touchdown of the season. Later, cornerback
Vince Buck Vincent Lamont Buck (born January 12, 1968 in Owensboro, Kentucky) is a former American football safety in the National Football League for the New Orleans Saints. He played college football at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, where ...
returned an interception for a score as the Dolphins were defeated, 24–13. The third game in this trifecta was a Thursday night tilt against Atlanta. Despite several marches up and down the field – and a memorable rumble by fullback Craig "Ironhead" Heyward that left Falcons
safety Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are ...
Scott Case staring up at the ring of lights high above the field – the Saints offense managed just five field goals by late in the 4th quarter to lead 15–14. It was another defensive touchdown that saved the game for the Saints, this time an interception by
Toi Cook Toi Fitzgerald Cook (born December 3, 1964) is a former professional American football player who was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the eighth round of the 1987 NFL Draft. A 5'11", . defensive back from Stanford University, he played i ...
. The Saints won two of their last three to finish 12–4, which was the second-best finish in team history.


Schedule


Standings


Postseason


NFC Wild Card Game

Despite the .750 winning percentage, the Saints couldn't catch the 14–2 Niners for the division crown. In the Wild Card Game, the Saints faced the Philadelphia Eagles in a rematch of their tough opening game loss and an equally bruising game in 1991 won by the Saints. The Saints dictated the pace during the first half, leading 20–7 on a Heyward touchdown run and a Hebert-to-Early touchdown pass. Big plays on both sides of the ball turned game in the Eagles favor, the first being a Randall Cunningham-to-Fred Barnett touchdown pass and the last an interception return for a score by Eric Allen. The Eagles scored 26 points in the 4th quarter to win, 36–20. Until the 2018 NFC Championship Game, this was the last time the Saints lost a playoff game at home. They would lose two of their next three after that at home as well.


Awards and records

Statistically, the team finished with the top defense in the league in points allowed (202) and second-best in total yards allowed (254.6 per game) They were 5th in the NFL in the giveaway-takeaway ratio(+9)as the defense feasted on 20 fumbles and 18 interceptions. Of those 38 takeaways, six were returned for touchdowns. Sam Mills led the team in tackles with 130. Wayne Martin led the team in sacks, with 15.5. On offense, the team's passing game enjoyed its best season of the Jim Mora era to date. Hebert completed 59 percent of his passes for 3,287 yards and 19 touchdowns. Wide receiver Eric Martin had the third and final 1,000-yard season of his career.


Milestones


References


External links


Saints on Pro Football ReferenceSaints on jt-sw.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:1992 New Orleans Saints Season
New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster.
; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...
New Orleans Saints seasons
New New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...