2009 New Orleans Saints Season
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The 2009 season was the
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
' 43rd 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 ...
(NFL). As of the 2021 season's conclusion, the Saints' 2009 campaign is the most successful in franchise history, culminating with a victory in
Super Bowl XLIV Super Bowl XLIV was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champions New Orleans Saints and the American Football Conference (AFC) champions Indianapolis Colts to decide the National Football League (NFL) champ ...
. The Saints recorded a franchise record 13 regular season victories (later tied in the
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,
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, and
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seasons) an improvement on their 8–8 record and fourth-place finish in the
National Football Conference The National Football Conference (NFC) is one of the two conferences of the National Football League (NFL), the highest professional level of American football in the United States. The NFC and its counterpart, the American Football Conference ...
(NFC)'s southern division from
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. As a result, the Saints advanced to the playoffs for the first time since 2006. For
head coach A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manager", as in assoc ...
Sean Payton Sean, also spelled Seán or Séan in Irish English, is a male given name of Irish origin. It comes from the Irish versions of the Biblical Hebrew name ''Yohanan'' (), Seán (anglicized as ''Shaun/ Shawn/ Shon'') and Séan (Ulster variant; anglici ...
, this was his fourth season with the franchise, commanding a club overall record of 36–24, though it also marked the first year of the
New Orleans Saints bounty scandal The New Orleans Saints bounty scandal, formally known as "Bountygate," was an incident in which members of the New Orleans Saints team of the National Football League (NFL) were accused of paying out bonuses, or " bounties," for injuring opposing ...
that would ultimately result in his unprecedented (for a coach) one-year suspension from the league. With a victory over the
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
on November 8, the Saints jumped out to an 8–0 start, the best in franchise history. They went on to set the record for the longest undefeated season opening (13–0) by an NFC team since the
AFL–NFL merger The AFL–NFL merger was the merger of the two major professional American football leagues in the United States at the time: the National Football League (NFL) and the American Football League (AFL). It paved the way for the combined league, w ...
, eclipsing the previous record (12–0) held by the 1985 Chicago Bears. This record has since been tied by the 2011 Green Bay Packers and surpassed by the
2015 Carolina Panthers The 2015 NFL season, 2015 season was the Carolina Panthers' 21st in the National Football League (NFL) and their fifth under List of Carolina Panthers head coaches, head coach Ron Rivera. This season marked the first time in team history they play ...
. Despite losing the last three games of the season to finish 13–3, the team clinched a
playoff The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
berth, a first-round bye and—for the first time ever—the top seed in the NFC. The Saints defeated
Kurt Warner Kurtis Eugene Warner (born June 22, 1971) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals. His career, which saw him ascend fr ...
and the defending NFC Champions
Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
in the NFC Divisional playoffs, and proceeded to host the
NFC Championship Game The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semi-final playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football league in the world. ...
for the first time in franchise history. There, they defeated
Brett Favre Brett Lorenzo Favre ( ; born October 10, 1969) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. Favre had 321 consecutive starts from 1992 to 20 ...
and the
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
in overtime, then went on to face
Peyton Manning Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and four with th ...
and the
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
at Super Bowl XLIV in the franchise's first-ever
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
appearance. The Saints won the Super Bowl 31–17, giving the city of New Orleans its first, and currently only, pro sports championship. The Saints are the first team to defeat three former Super Bowl winning quarterbacks in a row in the playoffs to win the Super Bowl, and were the only team to do so until the 2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with the Buccaneers beating Drew Brees and the Saints in the NFC Divisional. The Saints, along with the
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
, are the only teams to go to one Super Bowl and win it. Although five Saints were elected to the
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...
(with two others added as injury replacements), since the game was held one week prior to Super Bowl XLIV, they did not participate.


Off-season


Staff changes

* Bill Johnson was named the defensive line coach. *
Gregg Williams Gregg Williams (born July 15, 1958) is an American football coach. He most recently served as the defensive coordinator for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL) from 2019 to 2020. Previously, he was head coach of the Buff ...
replaced
Gary Gibbs Gary Gibbs (born August 13, 1952) is an American football coach and former player who previously served as the head football coach at the University of Oklahoma for six years, compiling a record of 44–23–2. Gibbs spent the first half of his a ...
as the
defensive coordinator A defensive coordinator is a coach responsible for a gridiron football (American football) team's defense. Generally, the defensive coordinator, the offensive coordinator and the special teams coordinator represent the second level of a team's c ...
on January 15, 2009 after Gibbs was released on January 7, 2009. * On January 12, 2009, Pete Carmichael, Jr. replaced
Doug Marrone Douglas Charles Marrone (born July 25, 1964) is an American football coach and former offensive lineman who is the offensive line coach for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He came to prominence as the head coach a ...
as the
offensive coordinator An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of an American football or Canadian football team who is in charge of the team's offense. Generally, along with the defensive coordinator and the special teams coordinator, this coach re ...
after Marrone had resigned from his position in December 2008;
Aaron Kromer Aaron Kromer (born April 30, 1967) is an American football coach who is the offensive line coach for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). Kromer served as the interim head coach of the New Orleans Saints for the first six ga ...
was named the offensive line coach/running game, and as a result,
Bret Ingalls Bret Ingalls is an American football coach. He previously served as an offensive assistant for the New Orleans Saints from 2009 to 2016. He also served as offensive coordinator for San Diego State, Louisville, Northern Iowa and Idaho between 199 ...
replaced him as the running backs coach;
Joe Lombardi Joseph Philip Lombardi (born June 6, 1971) is an American football coach and former player. He previously served as the quarterbacks coach for the New Orleans Saints from 2016 to 2020 and was the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions fro ...
was named the quarterbacks coach.


Signings


Departures


NFL Draft


Personnel


Final roster


Depth chart


Coaching staff


Preseason


Regular season


Schedule


Standings


Game summaries


Week 1: vs. Detroit Lions

The Saints began their season with a Week 1 duel against the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
. New Orleans got off to a fast start in the first quarter as quarterback
Drew Brees Drew Christopher Brees (; born January 15, 1979) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, Brees is the NFL leader in ...
completed a 9-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Marques Colston Marques E. Colston ( born June 5, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Hofstra University, and was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He helped the Saints ac ...
and a 39-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Robert Meachem Robert Emery Meachem (born September 28, 1984) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Tennessee and was drafted by the New Orleans Saints 27th overall in the 2007 NFL draft. Meachem also played one season ...
. The Lions answered with kicker
Jason Hanson Jason Hanson (born June 17, 1970) is an American former professional football player who was a kicker who spent his entire 21-year career with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football with the Washi ...
kicking a 47-yard field goal. In the second quarter, Detroit came closer as running back
Kevin Smith Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American filmmaker, actor, comedian, comic book writer, author, YouTuber, and podcaster. He came to prominence with the low-budget comedy buddy film ''Clerks'' (1994), which he wrote, directed, co ...
scored on a 4-yard touchdown run. The Saints replied with Brees completing 1-yard and a 15-yard touchdown passes to tight end
Jeremy Shockey Jeremy Charles Shockey (born August 18, 1980) is a former American football tight end. He played college football at the University of Miami and was drafted by the New York Giants in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft. The winner of the fir ...
. The Lions tried to catch up in the third quarter as quarterback
Matthew Stafford John Matthew Stafford (born February 7, 1988) is an American football quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Georgia, where he was a first-team All-American, and was selected f ...
got a 1-yard touchdown run, yet New Orleans answered with kicker John Carney making a 39-yard field goal. Detroit responded respond with Hanson nailing a 24-yard field goal, while the Saints kept pounding away as Brees completed a 58-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Devery Henderson Devery Vaughn Henderson Jr. (born March 26, 1982) is a former American football wide receiver who spent 9 seasons with the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). The Louisiana-born Henderson played for Louisiana State Univer ...
. The Lions closed out the period with safety
Louis Delmas Louis Delmas (; born April 12, 1987) is a former American football safety. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Western Michigan. He was also a member of the Miami Dolphins. ...
returning a fumble 65 yards for a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, New Orleans closed out the game as Brees completed a 13-yard touchdown pass to fullback Heath Evans. With the win, not only did the Saints begin their season at 1–0, but Brees (26-of-34, 358 yards, 6 touchdowns, 1 interception) became the first quarterback to throw 6 touchdown passes in an opening day game, as well as tying Billy Kilmer's franchise record for touchdown passes in a game.


Week 2: at Philadelphia Eagles

Coming off their win over the Lions, the Saints flew to
Lincoln Financial Field Lincoln Financial Field is an American football stadium located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It serves as the home stadium of the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL) and the Temple Owls football team of Temple University. ...
for a Week 2 duel with the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
. In the first quarter, New Orleans drew first blood as quarterback
Drew Brees Drew Christopher Brees (; born January 15, 1979) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, Brees is the NFL leader in ...
completed a 15-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Marques Colston Marques E. Colston ( born June 5, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Hofstra University, and was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He helped the Saints ac ...
. The Eagles answered with quarterback
Kevin Kolb Kevin Benjamin Kolb (; born August 24, 1984) is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He has also been a member of the Arizona Cardinals and the Buffalo Bills ...
(in his first start as the Eagles' quarterback) completing a 71-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
DeSean Jackson DeSean William Jackson (born December 1, 1986) is an American football wide receiver for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the California Golden Bears, where he was recognized as a con ...
, yet the Saints replied with kicker John Carney making a 23-yard field goal. In the second quarter, Philadelphia tied the game as kicker
David Akers David Roy Akers (; born December 9, 1974) is an American former football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles. He began his career in 1998 with the Washington Reds ...
got a 23-yard field goal. New Orleans answered with Brees completing a 25-yard touchdown pass to Colston. The Eagles closed out the half as Akers made a 32-yard field goal. In the third quarter, the Saints began to take command as Brees completed an 11-yard touchdown pass to fullback Heath Evans, along with running back Mike Bell getting a 7-yard touchdown run and Carney nailing a 25-yard field goal. The Eagles answered with Kolb completing a 3-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Jason Avant Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Medea. He was ...
. In the fourth quarter, New Orleans kept up its domination as running back
Reggie Bush Reginald Alfred Bush Jr. (born March 2, 1985) is an American former football running back who now serves as an on-air college football analyst for Fox Sports. He played college football at USC, where he earned consensus All-American honors twi ...
got a 19-yard touchdown. Philadelphia drove to the Saints' 5-yard line, but could not score and the drive ended on downs; the Saints were then unable to move the ball and, rather than punting out of their own end zone, opted to have Brees throw the ball out of the end zone for an intentional safety. After the ensuing free kick, the Eagles again drove deep into Saints territory, but again failed to score, as Kolb threw an interception which safety
Darren Sharper Darren Mallory Sharper (born November 3, 1975) is an American convicted serial rapist and a former football safety who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. He played college football at William & Mary and was selected ...
returned 97 yards for a touchdown. With the win, the Saints improved to 2–0.


Week 3: at Buffalo Bills

Coming off their win over the Eagles, the Saints flew to
Ralph Wilson Stadium Highmark Stadium is a stadium in Orchard Park, New York, in the Southtowns of the Buffalo metropolitan area. The stadium opened in 1973 as Rich Stadium and is the home venue of the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). It was kn ...
for a Week 3 interconference duel with the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
. New Orleans made an immediate impact in the first quarter with running back
Lynell Hamilton Lynell Hamilton (born August 5, 1985) is a former American football running back who has most recently worked as a graduate assistant at San Diego State University. He was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He pla ...
's 1-yard touchdown run. The Bills answered in the second quarter on a fake field goal attempt; punter
Brian Moorman Brian Donald Moorman (born February 5, 1976) is an American former football punter in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Pittsburg State University, and was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free age ...
completed a 25-yard touchdown pass to defensive end Ryan Denney. The Saints closed out the half with kicker John Carney's 27-yard field goal. After a scoreless third quarter, New Orleans took control in the fourth quarter with running back Pierre Thomas' 34-yard touchdown run, Carney's 35-yard field goal, and Thomas' 19-yard touchdown run. With the win, the Saints improved to 3–0.


Week 4: vs. New York Jets

Coming off their road win over the Bills, the Saints went home for a Week 4 interconference duel with the
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
. New Orleans delivered the game's first points as kicker John Carney got a 34-yard field goal. In the second quarter, the defense went to work. Safety
Darren Sharper Darren Mallory Sharper (born November 3, 1975) is an American convicted serial rapist and a former football safety who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. He played college football at William & Mary and was selected ...
returned an interception 99 yards for a touchdown, followed by defensive end
Will Smith Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968), also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor and rapper. He began his Will Smith filmography, acting career starring as Will Smith (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air), a ...
forcing an endzone fumble by sacking Jets quarterback
Mark Sanchez Mark Travis John Sanchez (born November 11, 1986) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons. He played college football at the University of Southern California (USC) and was draft ...
, which allowed defensive tackle
Remi Ayodele Remilekun "Remi" Ayodele (born April 22, 1983) is a former American football defensive tackle in the National Football League for the New Orleans Saints, Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings. He played college football at Oklahoma. Early year ...
to land on the ball for a touchdown. Afterwards, New York closed out the half with kicker
Jay Feely Thomas James "Jay" Feely (born May 23, 1976) is a former American football placekicker and current sportscaster. He started his career with the Florida Bobcats in the Arena Football League as a street free agent in 1999 before playing for seve ...
's 38-yard field goal. The Jets began a comeback attempt in the third quarter with running back Thomas Jones getting a 15-yard touchdown run. Afterwards, the Saints closed out the game with running back Pierre Thomas' 1-yard touchdown and the defense making an impressive stand. With the win, New Orleans entered its bye week at 4–0.


Week 5: Bye week


Week 6: vs. New York Giants

Coming off their bye week, the Saints stayed at home for a huge Week 6 game in a "Battle of The Unbeatens" against the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
. New Orleans' offense roared out of the gates in the first quarter with running back Mike Bell's 2-yard touchdown run on a 4th-down-conversion and quarterback
Drew Brees Drew Christopher Brees (; born January 15, 1979) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, Brees is the NFL leader in ...
' 1-yard touchdown pass to former Giants tight end
Jeremy Shockey Jeremy Charles Shockey (born August 18, 1980) is a former American football tight end. He played college football at the University of Miami and was drafted by the New York Giants in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft. The winner of the fir ...
. New York closed out the opening quarter with a 49-yard field goal from kicker
Lawrence Tynes Lawrence James Henry Tynes (born May 3, 1978) is a Scottish-born former American football placekicker. After playing soccer for Milton High School a coach suggested he try out for the football team as a kicker. He played college football at Troy ...
, with the Saints leading 14–3. The Saints' high-powered offense continued to heat up in the second quarter as Brees completed a 36-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Robert Meachem Robert Emery Meachem (born September 28, 1984) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Tennessee and was drafted by the New Orleans Saints 27th overall in the 2007 NFL draft. Meachem also played one season ...
, being called a "Week 6 Can't-Miss Play." The Giants tried to keep up as running back
Ahmad Bradshaw Ahmad Bradshaw (born March 19, 1986) is a former American football running back. He was drafted in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. He played college football at Marshall. He is a two-time Super Bowl champion, ...
got a 10-yard touchdown run, yet New Orleans answered with Brees hooking up with wide receiver
Lance Moore Lance Andrew Moore (born August 31, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver who played over ten seasons professionally in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Toledo. He was signed by the Cleveland Brown ...
on a 12-yard touchdown pass. New York tried to catch up, yet continued to stay persistent as quarterback
Eli Manning Elisha Nelson Manning (born January 3, 1981) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons with the New York Giants. A member of the Manning football dynasty, he is the youngest son o ...
completed a 15-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Mario Manningham Mario Cashmere Manningham (born May 25, 1986) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. After receiving few opportunities in his rookie year, Manningham caught 1 ...
, yet the Saints closed out the half with a 7-yard touchdown run from running back
Reggie Bush Reginald Alfred Bush Jr. (born March 2, 1985) is an American former football running back who now serves as an on-air college football analyst for Fox Sports. He played college football at USC, where he earned consensus All-American honors twi ...
. The Saints now led 34–17, with the point deficit being at 17 points. The Saints had over 300 yards of total offense, with 5 offensive touchdowns and 2 TD runs by Mike Bell and Reggie Bush, and 3 TD passes from Drew Brees to Jeremy Shockey, Robert Meachem and Lance Moore. New Orleans solidified its lead in the third quarter with Brees finding wide receiver
Marques Colston Marques E. Colston ( born June 5, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Hofstra University, and was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He helped the Saints ac ...
on a 12-yard touchdown pass. The Giants opened the fourth quarter with Tynes booting a 38-yard field goal, yet the Saints ended its dominating run with fullback Heath Evans getting a 2-yard touchdown run. New York then closed out the game's scoring with quarterback David Carr completing a 37-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Hakeem Nicks Hakeem Amir Nicks (born January 14, 1988) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at North Carolina, and was drafted by the New York Giants in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft. Nicks has also played for t ...
. The New Orleans Saints finished the game with 493 yards of total offense (369 passing and 124 rushing), 7 offensive touchdowns (3 runs and 4 pass), 48 points, 28 first-downs, finished 7/13 (53%) in 3rd-down-conversions and 1/2 (50%) in 4th-down conversions, ran 70 plays (30 pass plays and 40 rushing plays), controlled the ball 36:07 minutes and did not commit a turnover, though Robert Meachem fumbled, with the fumble being recovered by the Saints. According to NFL Game Center, some of the team leaders for the Saints included Drew Brees, who missed only 7 passes, passed for 369 yards, scored 4 touchdowns and spread them to 4 different receivers, and threw 0 interceptions, did not fumble and did not get sacked. For the receiving game, Marques Colston caught 8 receptions for 166 yards with 1 touchdown coming from 12 yards out from Drew Brees in the 3rd quarter, and Lance Moore caught 6 receptions for 78 yards with 1 touchdown, being from 12 yards out from Drew Brees. For the running game, Pierre Thomas ran 15 times for 72 yards with 0 touchdowns, and Mike Bell ran 15 times for 34 yards, with 1 touchdown, being a 2-yard touchdown run early in the 1st quarter on the Saints' first possession on 4th-down. The Giants lost the game by a 21-point deficit and finished it with only 325 yards of total offense (241 passing and 84 rushing), 3 offensive touchdowns (2 pass and 1 run), 27 points, 17 first-downs, finished 3/10 (30%) in 3rd-down-efficiency and 1/1 in 4th-down-efficiency, ran only 57 plays (36 pass plays and 19 rushing plays), controlled the ball for 23:53 minutes on the clock and committed 2 turnovers (1 interception and 1 fumble). Their team leaders included Eli Manning, who completed 14 passes out of 31 attempts, passed for 178 yards, ran the ball 1 time for a loss 1 yard, threw an interception and fumbled on a sack, while David Carr finished 4/5 for 72 yards and 1 touchdown, a 37-yarder to Hakeem Nicks. For the receiving game, Hakeem Nicks caught 5 receptions for 114 yards, with 1 touchdown reception coming from quarterback David Carr, while Mario Manningham caught 4 receptions for 50 yards, with 1 touchdown from Eli Manning. For the running game, Ahmad Bradshaw had 10 carries for 48 yards for a 4.8 average with 1 touchdown, and Brandon Jacobs had 7 carries for 33 yards for a 4.7 average, with 0 touchdowns. With the win, New Orleans improved to 5–0.


Week 7: at Miami Dolphins

In Week 7, the Saints traveled to Miami to continue their interconference series against the Dolphins. Miami jumped out to a 24–3 lead by the second quarter, with former Saints first-rounder and Heisman winner
Ricky Williams Errick Miron (born Errick Lynne Williams Jr.; May 21, 1977) is an American former football running back who played 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) and one season in the Canadian Football League (CFL). After playing baseball an ...
scoring on runs of 4 and 68 yards, and
Ronnie Brown Ronnie G. Brown Jr. (born December 12, 1981) is a former American football running back. After graduating from Cartersville High School in Georgia, Brown attended Auburn University to play college football for the Auburn Tigers. He and Cadill ...
added a touchdown run of 8 yards in the second quarter. Despite being behind for the first time in the season, the Saints gained momentum when Drew Brees scored on a quarterback sneak to end the first half and cap a 1:36 drive of 51 yards. In the second half, the Saints scored on a 42-yard interception return by Darren Sharper in the third, but Dan Carpenter added a second field goal to push the lead back to ten points. The Saints responded with a 10-yard Brees-Colston connection, but Ricky Williams answered with another 4-yard rushing score to make the score 34–24. The Saints completed their comeback in the fourth quarter, first with Reggie Bush scoring on a reverse from 10 yards out, then with Brees scoring his second rushing touchdown from 2. Though John Carney missed the extra point, he later hit a field goal from 20 yards, and Tracy Porter sealed the comeback with a 54-yard interception return. The Saints outscored Miami 22–0 in the fourth quarter, and 36–10 for the second half. The Saints improved to 6–0 with the win.


Week 8: vs. Atlanta Falcons

Coming off their comeback road win over the Dolphins, the Saints went home for a Week 8 NFC South duel with the
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
on Monday night. New Orleans would initially trail in the first quarter as Falcons running back Michael Turner got a 13-yard touchdown run, yet the Saints answered with running back Pierre Thomas getting a 22-yard touchdown run. Atlanta would come right back as quarterback
Drew Brees Drew Christopher Brees (; born January 15, 1979) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, Brees is the NFL leader in ...
was sacked by free safety Thomas DeCoud, causing him to fumble and allow defensive end
Kroy Biermann Kroy Evan Biermann (born September 12, 1985) is a former American football outside linebacker. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Montana. He is married to former Bravo t ...
to return the ball 4 yards for a touchdown. In the second quarter, New Orleans would go on a rampage with Brees' 18-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Marques Colston Marques E. Colston ( born June 5, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Hofstra University, and was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He helped the Saints ac ...
, running back
Reggie Bush Reginald Alfred Bush Jr. (born March 2, 1985) is an American former football running back who now serves as an on-air college football analyst for Fox Sports. He played college football at USC, where he earned consensus All-American honors twi ...
's 1-yard touchdown run, and cornerback
Jabari Greer Jabari Amin Greer (born February 11, 1982) is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League. He played college football at Tennessee and was signed by the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2004. Greer also pl ...
's 48-yard interception return for a touchdown. However, the Falcons began to get back into the game with quarterback Matt Ryan finding wide receiver
Roddy White Sharod Lamor "Roddy" White (born November 2, 1981) is a former American football wide receiver who played his entire professional career with the Atlanta Falcons. He played college football at UAB, and was drafted by the Falcons in the first ...
on a 68-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter, followed by kicker
Jason Elam Jason Elam (born March 8, 1970) is a former American football placekicker. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft and played 15 seasons with the Broncos and two with the Atlanta Falcons. A three-time Pro B ...
booting a 25-yard field goal. Fortunately, cornerback
Tracy Porter Tracy O'Neil Porter (born August 11, 1986) is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. With the Saints, he won Super Bowl XLIV over the Indianapolis Colts, sealin ...
's key interception (helped from linebacker
Jonathan Vilma Jonathan Polynice Vilma (born April 16, 1982) is a former American football linebacker and current Fox NFL analyst. He played college football at the University of Miami, winning a National Championship in 2001. He went on to be drafted by the N ...
's tip) lead to Brees finding Thomas on a 1-yard touchdown pass. Even though Atlanta crept closer with Elam nailing a 40-yard field goal and recovering an onside kick, free safety
Darren Sharper Darren Mallory Sharper (born November 3, 1975) is an American convicted serial rapist and a former football safety who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. He played college football at William & Mary and was selected ...
's interception sealed the tight victory. With the win, the Saints improved to 7–0 (tying their best start since 1991).


Week 9: vs. Carolina Panthers

Coming off their Monday night win over the Falcons, the Saints stayed at home for a Week 9 NFC South duel with the
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
. New Orleans would trail in the first quarter as Panthers running back
DeAngelo Williams DeAngelo Chondon Williams (born April 25, 1983) is a former American football running back and professional wrestler. He played college football at Memphis, and was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He st ...
got a 66-yard and a 7-yard touchdown run. In the second quarter, the Saints got on the board with a 23-yard field goal from kicker John Carney. Carolina would reply with kicker
John Kasay John David Kasay (born October 27, 1969) is a former American football kicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 21 seasons, primarily with the Carolina Panthers. He played college football at Georgia and was selected by the Se ...
getting a 32-yard field goal, yet New Orleans would close out the half with Carney's 25-yard field goal. In the third quarter, the Saints crept closer with a 10-yard touchdown by running back Pierre Thomas. The Panthers would reply with Kasay nailing a 25-yard field goal, yet New Orleans would close out the period with quarterback
Drew Brees Drew Christopher Brees (; born January 15, 1979) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, Brees is the NFL leader in ...
' 54-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Robert Meachem Robert Emery Meachem (born September 28, 1984) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Tennessee and was drafted by the New Orleans Saints 27th overall in the 2007 NFL draft. Meachem also played one season ...
. Afterwards, the Saints took command in the fourth quarter as Carney booted a 40-yard field goal, followed by defensive tackle
Anthony Hargrove Anthony La'Ron Tony Hargrove (born July 20, 1983) is a former American football defensive end. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia Tech. Hargrove also played for t ...
forcing Williams into a fumble and recovering it for a 1-yard touchdown run. With the win, the Saints improved to 8–0, which is the team's best start in franchise history.


Week 10: at St. Louis Rams

Coming off their divisional home win over the Panthers, the Saints flew to the
Edward Jones Dome The Dome at America's Center is a multi-purpose stadium used for concerts, major conventions, and sporting events in Downtown St. Louis, downtown St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Previously known as the Trans World Dome from 1995 to 2001 and ...
for a Week 10 duel with the
St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994. The arr ...
. After a scoreless first quarter, New Orleans got the game's inaugural points in the second quarter with running back
Reggie Bush Reginald Alfred Bush Jr. (born March 2, 1985) is an American former football running back who now serves as an on-air college football analyst for Fox Sports. He played college football at USC, where he earned consensus All-American honors twi ...
getting a 3-yard touchdown run. The Rams would respond with quarterback
Marc Bulger Marc Robert Bulger (; born April 5, 1977) is a retired American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eleven seasons, primarily with the St. Louis Rams. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the sixth r ...
completing a 29-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Donnie Avery Donnie Dion Avery (born June 12, 1984) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Houston and was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Avery ...
. New Orleans would answer with quarterback
Drew Brees Drew Christopher Brees (; born January 15, 1979) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, Brees is the NFL leader in ...
hooking up with Bush on a 15-yard touchdown pass, yet St. Louis would close out the half with a 2-yard touchdown run from running back
Steven Jackson Steven Rashad Jackson (born July 22, 1983) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the St. Louis Rams. He played college football at Oregon State and was sele ...
. The Saints would begin the third quarter with wide receiver
Courtney Roby Courtney E. Roby (born January 10, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver, drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft, following a historical college football career at Indiana. Roby has also played for t ...
returning the second half's opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown. The Rams would stay close with kicker Josh Brown nailing a 32-yard field goal. New Orleans would extend their lead in the fourth quarter Brees finding wide receiver
Robert Meachem Robert Emery Meachem (born September 28, 1984) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Tennessee and was drafted by the New Orleans Saints 27th overall in the 2007 NFL draft. Meachem also played one season ...
on a 27-yard touchdown pass. St. Louis tried to catch up as Bulger found Avery again on a 19-yard touchdown pass (with a failed 2-point conversion), yet the defense prevented the Rams from getting any closer. With the win, the Saints improved to 9–0.


Week 11: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Coming off a tough road win against the Rams, the Saints went to
Raymond James Stadium Raymond James Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Tampa, Florida that opened in 1998 and is home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL) and the University of South Florida (USF) Bulls college football program. The se ...
for a Week 11 duel against the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
. After a quick first quarter Tampa Bay touchdown from rookie quarterback
Josh Freeman Joshua Tyler Freeman (born January 13, 1988) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Kansas State University, and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft. Freeman became th ...
to Micheal Clayton to cap a 95-yard drive, the Bucs showed how the Saints struggled defensively. The Bucs looked to improve on their next drive by moving the ball with running backs Carnell Williams and Ernest Graham. The Saints would answer defensively as they took advantage of numerous mistakes by rookie Tampa Bay quarterback Josh Freeman. Drew Brees passed for 187 yards and three touchdowns. He connected with Robert Meacham for a 4-yard touchdown catch and a 6-yard touchdown catch, and to tight end David Thomas for an 11-yard touchdown. Pressure on the young Freeman from the Saints forced him to throw 3-interceptions and a fumble, allowing the Saints to take more control during the second half. The Saints would close out the game with two scores from running back Mike Bell from 3 yards and one yard out. With the win, the Saints improved to 10–0.


Week 12: vs. New England Patriots

The Saints returned to the Dome for possibly the most hyped game in recent team history, a Monday Night showdown in front of 70,768 with the 7–3 Patriots, winners of 3 Super Bowls in this decade. The Saints came out firing from the start with a 33-yard completion from Brees to Devery Henderson. The drive resulted in a John Carney field goal from 30 yards. The Patriots stormed back on the next drive, converting twice on 4th-and-1, the second being Laurence Maroney's 4-yard touchdown run to put New England in the lead. On New England's next drive, Tom Brady was intercepted by a healthy and re-signed Mike McKenzie, leading to a touchdown from Brees to Pierre Thomas on an 18-yard swing pass. Forcing the Patriots to punt again, Drew Brees found a wide-open Henderson on the next play, who waltzed into the endzone on a 75-yard reception to make it 17–7. The Patriots scored again on a 38-yard field goal by
Stephen Gostkowski Stephen Carroll Gostkowski ( ; born January 28, 1984) is an American football former placekicker who played for 15 years in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the New England Patriots. He was selected in the fourth round of th ...
. Drew Brees made it 24–10 on a 38 yarder to Robert Meachem, which was set up by a 25-yard catch by former Patriots tight end David Thomas, and Gostkowski missed a 50-yard field goal wide to close out the half. On the Pats first play of the third quarter, Scott Fujita forced Maroney to fumble, and Sedrick Ellis recovered the ball. However, Maroney forced Ellis to fumble, and
Wes Welker Wesley Carter Welker (born May 1, 1981) is an American football coach and former wide receiver who is the wide receivers coach for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as an assistant coach for the San ...
recovered the ball on the New England 19. Brady then drove New England downfield, including a 47 yarder to
Randy Moss Randy Gene Moss (born February 13, 1977) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Tennessee ...
, and Maroney scored his second rushing touchdown from two yards. On the next offensive play, Marques Colston turns a 10-yard catch into a 68-yard gain to the Patriots 6, and New Orleans gets another touchdown via a two-yard catch by backup tight end Darnell Dinkins. In the fourth quarter, Brees hits Colston from 20 yards for his 5th passing touchdown of the game, and the game was sealed when Sharper got his 8th interception of the year, and Brady was pulled with 5:28 to go, replaced by backup
Brian Hoyer Axel Edward Brian Hoyer (born October 13, 1985) is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). Since joining the NFL in 2009 as an undrafted free agent, he has started for seven different ...
. With the win, the Saints improve to 11–0. Drew Brees completed 18 of 23 passes for a season-high 371 yards, five touchdowns and his first-ever perfect passer rating of 158.3, and became the first to throw 5 touchdowns against a
Bill Belichick William Stephen Belichick (; born April 16, 1952) is an American professional football coach who is the head coach of the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). Additionally, he exercises extensive authority over the Patri ...
-coached team. The television broadcast of the game on
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
's ''
Monday Night Football ''ESPN Monday Night Football'' (abbreviated as ''MNF'' and also known as ''ESPN Monday Night Football on ABC'' for simulcasts) is an American live television broadcast of weekly National Football League (NFL) games currently airing on ESPN, AB ...
'' was the second-most-watched cable telecast of all time. The Saints were able to sweep the AFC East with the victory.


Week 13: at Washington Redskins

After an emotional Monday night win against the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
, the
Saints In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual res ...
traveled to
FedExField FedExField (originally Jack Kent Cooke Stadium) is an American football stadium located in Summerfield, Maryland, east of Washington, D.C. The stadium is the home of the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). From 2004 un ...
in
Landover, Maryland Landover is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 25,998. Landover is contained between Sheriff Road and Central Avenue to the so ...
for a Week 13 matchup against 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 ...
. In the 1st quarter, the Redskins scored first with
Jason Campbell Jason S. Campbell (born December 31, 1981) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college footbal ...
throwing an 8-yard touchdown to Fred Davis.
Shaun Suisham Shaun Christopher Suisham (; born December 29, 1981) is a Canadian-born former American football placekicker in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins and Pittsburgh Steelers. He was signed b ...
then kicked a 32-yard field goal to go up 10–0. In the 2nd quarter, the Saints finally scored with a
Garrett Hartley Garrett Hartley (born May 16, 1986) is an American football placekicker who is a free agent. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2008. Later that year he became the placekicker for the New Orleans Saints, for whom he ...
34-yard field goal. After a defensive stance,
Drew Brees Drew Christopher Brees (; born January 15, 1979) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, Brees is the NFL leader in ...
threw a 40-yard touchdown to
Marques Colston Marques E. Colston ( born June 5, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Hofstra University, and was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He helped the Saints ac ...
which tied the game 10–10. The Redskins retook the lead with Jason Campbell connecting with
Devin Thomas Devin Thomas (born November 15, 1986) is a former American football wide receiver. After playing college football for Michigan State, he was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played for the Redskins ...
for a 10-yard touchdown. With the Saints now down 17–10, Brees and the Saints attempted to drive the field. Brees’ pass attempt to
Jeremy Shockey Jeremy Charles Shockey (born August 18, 1980) is a former American football tight end. He played college football at the University of Miami and was drafted by the New York Giants in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft. The winner of the fir ...
was intercepted by
Kareem Moore Kareem Moore (born August 13, 1984) is a former American football safety. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Nicholls State University, where he was named second-team ...
.
Robert Meachem Robert Emery Meachem (born September 28, 1984) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Tennessee and was drafted by the New Orleans Saints 27th overall in the 2007 NFL draft. Meachem also played one season ...
then ran into Moore, stripped the football, and returned it for a 44-yard touchdown. In the 3rd quarter, the Redskins kicker Suisham made a 28-yard field goal. The Redskins then extended their lead with Devin Thomas catching a 13-yard touchdown pass from Campbell. The Saints’ Hartley made a 27-yard field goal. In the 4th quarter, Shaun Suisham and Garrett Hartley traded field goals. After a field goal miss from 23 yards by Shaun Suisham, the Saints, only down by 7 points, now had the opportunity to tie the game. Drew Brees and the Saints offense drove the field in 5 plays, in 33 seconds and capped the drive with a 53-yard touchdown pass to Robert Meachem to tie the game 30–30 at the end of regulation. The Saints completed the comeback with Garrett Hartley's 18-yard field goal for the first lead in the game and the win 33–30 in
overtime Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. The term is also used for the pay received for this time. Normal hours may be determined in several ways: *by custom (what is considered healthy or reasonable by society), ...
. With the win, the Saints improved to 12–0 and clinched the NFC South title. Their 12 wins also tied a single-season franchise record set in the 1987 and 1992 seasons.


Week 14: at Atlanta Falcons

After a tough road win in overtime against the Redskins. The Saints marched into Atlanta with their eyes on a franchise best 13th straight victory. In the first quarter, Atlanta started out fast driving down the field for a
Matt Bryant Steven Matt Bryant (born May 29, 1975), nicknamed "Money Matt", is a former American football placekicker. He played college football for the Baylor Bears, and was signed as an unrestricted free agent by the AFL's Iowa Barnstormers in 2000. A ...
36-yard field goal. The Saints responded with a Garrett Hartley 33-yard field goal. Atlanta responded with another Matt Bryant 30-yard field goal to take 6–3 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Saints would come out strong in the second quarter, when RB Reggie Bush scored on a 6-yard pass from Drew Brees to take a 10–6 lead. The Saints continued to move the ball and added onto the lead with a Marques Colston 3-yard touchdown catch from Drew Brees. Garrett Hartley kick failed giving the Saints a 16–6 lead in the second quarter. The Falcons troubles would continue. After failing to score a touchdown for the third time in the first half, Atlanta settled for a Matt Bryant 27-yard field goal to get within a touchdown at halftime. The second half looked promising for the Saints but RB Reggie Bush fumbled and recovered the ball. RB Reggie Bush would redeem his performance on the next play with a 21-yard screen pass from Drew Brees to put the Saint up 23–9. Atlanta would make a run and wear down the Saints defense when Michael Jenkins caught a 50-yard touchdown pass from Chris Redman to move within a touchdown. Jason Snelling would add a 4-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 23. Late in the fourth quarter, the Saints would have a chance to get the lead back with a Garrett Hartley 38-yard field goal. The Saints got a break when Jonathan Vilma intercepted a Chris Redman pass to give the Saints a chance to increase the lead. The Saints would move the ball but only settle for a fake field goal that failed. The results continued in doubt for the Saints until Vilma came up with another defensive fourth-down hit on RB Jason Snelling. Stopping him a yard short of the marker with just over a minute remaining, the Saints' defense came up big but gave up 392 yards. Drew Brees threw for 296 yards for the season and threw for more than 30,000 yards in his career. He also added three touchdowns for the season and tied a club record with 120 in his Saints career. Running back Reggie Bush had 47 rushing yards, 33 receiving yards and two touchdowns added for the season. The Saints won 26–23. With the win, they improved to 13–0, clinching a first-round bye in the
playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
.


Week 15: vs. Dallas Cowboys

Coming off yet another close win, this time over the Falcons, the Saints went home for a Week 15 Saturday night duel with the Dallas Cowboys. In the first quarter, Dallas would get off to a fast start with quarterback Tony Romo completing a 49-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Miles Austin. The Cowboys then increased their lead later in the quarter with a 3-yard touchdown run by running back Marion Barber. In the second quarter, the Saints would score their only points of the half with kicker Garrett Hartley nailing a 34-yard field goal. However, the Cowboys took a 17–3 lead at halftime with kicker Nick Folk's 44-yard field goal. In the third quarter, Dallas scored the period's only points when running back Marion Barber got a 2-yard touchdown run. An exciting fourth quarter ensued. New Orleans got the first score of the period when running back Mike Bell scored from one yard out to make a 24–10 Dallas lead. Following a Dallas three-and-out, New Orleans made it a one touchdown game when quarterback Drew Brees hit wide receiver Lance Moore for a 7-yard touchdown pass. Dallas then marched down the field to the Saints' eight-yard line, but then kicker Nick Folk's potential game-icing 24-yard field goal hit the right goalpost and went no good, setting up another fourth quarter comeback for the Saints. However, unlike previous close games against Washington and Atlanta, quarterback Drew Brees was sacked with 10 seconds left in the contest at the Dallas 48-yard line, forcing a fumble for the second time in the game by Dallas'
DeMarcus Ware DeMarcus Omar Ware (born July 31, 1982) is an American former football outside linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Troy University and was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys with the 11th overall pick in th ...
, which was then recovered by nose tackle Jay Ratliff. The Cowboys then took a knee to end the game. With the loss, the Saints fell to 13–1, ending their chance at a
perfect season A perfect season is a sports season, including any requisite playoff portion, in which a team remains and finishes undefeated and untied. The feat is extremely rare at the professional level of any team sport, and has occurred more commonly at the ...
. Also with the Colts' win, the Saints held the 2nd best overall record of any team.


Week 16: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Saints dominated the first quarter and entered halftime riding on a 17–3 lead. Tampa Bay scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, including a 77-yard kick return by
Micheal Spurlock Micheal Curtis Spurlock (born January 31, 1983) is an American football coach and former wide receiver who is the special teams quality control coach for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Arizona ...
, to tie the game at 17. As time expired,
Garrett Hartley Garrett Hartley (born May 16, 1986) is an American football placekicker who is a free agent. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2008. Later that year he became the placekicker for the New Orleans Saints, for whom he ...
attempted a 37-yard field goal that would have salvaged the game for the Saints, but the kick hooked left. In overtime, Tampa Bay won the coin toss, received the kickoff, and drove down the field to win the game with a field goal, for a final score of 20–17. With the loss, the Saints fell to 13–2, and appeared to be at risk of losing homefield advantage in the playoffs to the Vikings. However, the Vikings lost in overtime to the Chicago Bears in Week 16's Monday night game, and the Saints clinched the top seed in the NFC.


Week 17: at Carolina Panthers

After barely losing to the now 3–12 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the New Orleans Saints looked to rest their starters for the remaining game against the Carolina Panthers. In the first quarter, the Carolina Panthers started out with great runs from Jonathan Stewart who capped off the first drive with a 67-yard run for a touchdown. In the second quarter the Saints got on the board with a Garrett Hartley 35-yard field goal making the score 7–3. Carolina was not done, they continued to go to their play makers like Dwayne Jarrett who caught a 30-yard pass from Matt Moore to go up 14–3. Later John Kasay added a 41-yard field goal to extend the lead to 17–3. In the second half, the Saints could not stop Carolina from scoring twice more on a John Kasay 39-yard field goal and a 37-yard field goal to go up 23–3. The Saints would show promise when Lynell Hamilton ran for a 1-yard touchdown to end the game at 23–10. Game Notes: Mark Brunell was dismal completing 15 of his 29 attempts for 102 yards, 1 interception and a passer rating of 45.5. This marks the first time this season that the Saints did not have a productive quarterback, receiver or running back. This marks the second time the Saints have allowed a Carolina running back to run for over 100 yards in a game (DeAngelo Williams 149 yards week 9 & Jonathan Stewart 128 yards week 17). Sitting out allowed Drew Brees to break the NFL record for completion percentage in a season with 70.60, beating the previous NFL record of 70.55 by Ken Anderson of Cincinnati set in 1982. The Saints have home-field throughout the national football conference playoffs.


Game officials


Preseason


Regular season


Postseason


Schedule


Game summaries


NFC Wildcard Round: Bye week

By earning the NFC top-seed, the Saints earned a bye week in the first round of the NFC Playoffs.


NFC Divisional Round: vs. Arizona Cardinals

Entering the postseason as the NFC's #1 seed, the Saints began their playoff run at home in the NFC Divisional Round against the #4
Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
. New Orleans would immediately trail in the first quarter as Cardinals running back
Tim Hightower Timothy Michael Hightower (born May 23, 1986) is a former American football running back. He played college football at the University of Richmond and was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He also played f ...
ran for a 70-yard touchdown. The Saints would greatly respond with a 1-yard touchdown run from running back
Lynell Hamilton Lynell Hamilton (born August 5, 1985) is a former American football running back who has most recently worked as a graduate assistant at San Diego State University. He was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He pla ...
, quarterback
Drew Brees Drew Christopher Brees (; born January 15, 1979) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, Brees is the NFL leader in ...
finding tight end
Jeremy Shockey Jeremy Charles Shockey (born August 18, 1980) is a former American football tight end. He played college football at the University of Miami and was drafted by the New York Giants in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft. The winner of the fir ...
on a 17-yard touchdown pass, and running back
Reggie Bush Reginald Alfred Bush Jr. (born March 2, 1985) is an American former football running back who now serves as an on-air college football analyst for Fox Sports. He played college football at USC, where he earned consensus All-American honors twi ...
's 54-yard touchdown run. Arizona would reply in the second quarter with a 4-yard touchdown run from running back Chris "Beanie" Wells. Afterwards, New Orleans struck again as Brees found wide receiver
Devery Henderson Devery Vaughn Henderson Jr. (born March 26, 1982) is a former American football wide receiver who spent 9 seasons with the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). The Louisiana-born Henderson played for Louisiana State Univer ...
on a 44-yard touchdown pass, followed by wide receiver
Marques Colston Marques E. Colston ( born June 5, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Hofstra University, and was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He helped the Saints ac ...
for a 2-yard touchdown pass. In the third quarter, the Saints continued their offensive day as place-kicker
Garrett Hartley Garrett Hartley (born May 16, 1986) is an American football placekicker who is a free agent. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2008. Later that year he became the placekicker for the New Orleans Saints, for whom he ...
kicked a 43-yard field goal, followed by Bush's 83-yard punt return for a touchdown. For the rest of the game, New Orleans' defense took control and shut down the Cardinal's offense. With the win, the Saints advanced to the
NFC Championship Game The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semi-final playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football league in the world. ...
for the second time in franchise history.


NFC Championship Game: vs. Minnesota Vikings

Coming off their divisional home win over the Cardinals, the Saints stayed at home for the
NFC Championship Game The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semi-final playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football league in the world. ...
against the #2
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
. New Orleans would initially trail in the first quarter as Vikings running back
Adrian Peterson Adrian Lewis Peterson (born March 21, 1985) is an American football running back who is a free agent. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest running backs in football history. He played college football at Oklahoma, where he set the ...
got a 19-yard touchdown run, yet the Saints responded with quarterback
Drew Brees Drew Christopher Brees (; born January 15, 1979) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, Brees is the NFL leader in ...
hooking up with running back Pierre Thomas on a 38-yard touchdown pass. However, Minnesota would answer with quarterback
Brett Favre Brett Lorenzo Favre ( ; born October 10, 1969) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. Favre had 321 consecutive starts from 1992 to 20 ...
completing a 9-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Sidney Rice Sidney R. Rice (born September 1, 1986) is a former American football wide receiver who played seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Rice played college football at South Carolina. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the s ...
. New Orleans would tie the game again in the second quarter with Brees finding wide receiver
Devery Henderson Devery Vaughn Henderson Jr. (born March 26, 1982) is a former American football wide receiver who spent 9 seasons with the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). The Louisiana-born Henderson played for Louisiana State Univer ...
on a 9-yard touchdown pass. The Saints would take the lead in the third quarter with Thomas' 9-yard touchdown run, but the Vikings would tie the game with a 1-yard touchdown run from Peterson. In the fourth quarter, New Orleans would regain the lead as Brees found running back
Reggie Bush Reginald Alfred Bush Jr. (born March 2, 1985) is an American former football running back who now serves as an on-air college football analyst for Fox Sports. He played college football at USC, where he earned consensus All-American honors twi ...
on a 5-yard touchdown pass, yet Minnesota would tie again with Peterson's 2-yard touchdown run. A key interception late in 4th quarter by
Tracy Porter Tracy O'Neil Porter (born August 11, 1986) is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. With the Saints, he won Super Bowl XLIV over the Indianapolis Colts, sealin ...
stopped what could have been Minnesota's game-winning drive, leading to overtime. In overtime, the Saints came out on top as place-kicker
Garrett Hartley Garrett Hartley (born May 16, 1986) is an American football placekicker who is a free agent. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2008. Later that year he became the placekicker for the New Orleans Saints, for whom he ...
booted the game-winning 40-yard field goal. With the win, not only did the Saints improve their overall record to 15–3, but they would advance to their very first
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
in franchise history.


Super Bowl XLIV: vs. Indianapolis Colts

In continuation of a string of firsts, the Saints advanced to their first
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
in franchise history and won it in dramatic fashion. After the coin toss, the Saints wanted the ball first; however, they did not score on their first drive. The Colts drove the ball down the field, attempting to score the first touchdown, but were denied and
Matt Stover John Matthew Stover (born January 27, 1968) is a former American football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons, primarily with the Baltimore Ravens. After five seasons for the Cleveland Browns, he was amon ...
was forced to kick a 38-yard field goal. But the Colts were not finished: on their next possession,
Pierre Garçon Pierre Andre Garçon (; born August 8, 1986) is a former American Football wide receiver. He played college football at Norwich University and Mount Union College, and was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Dra ...
caught a 19-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, and the Colts led 10–0 after fifteen minutes. In the second quarter, the Saints were forced to look upon
Garrett Hartley Garrett Hartley (born May 16, 1986) is an American football placekicker who is a free agent. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2008. Later that year he became the placekicker for the New Orleans Saints, for whom he ...
for two field goals – a 46 yarder and a 44 yarder respectively – and the deficit was reduced to four points by halftime. Garrett Hartley ended the half with the Super Bowl record for kicks of more than 40 yards, with 3. Kicking off the second half, the Saints caught Indy by surprise with the "Ambush" play (an
onside kick In gridiron football, an onside kick is a kickoff deliberately kicked short in an attempt by the kicking team to regain possession of the ball. This is in contrast with a typical kickoff, in which the kicking team intends to give the ball to the o ...
in kickoff formation), which the Saints recovered, shifting the momentum to them. Pierre Thomas caught a 16-yard screen pass from
Drew Brees Drew Christopher Brees (; born January 15, 1979) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, Brees is the NFL leader in ...
and NO had their first lead of the game, 13–10 after the extra point. The Colts would not be denied from scoring again with the rushing attack of
Joseph Addai Joseph Kwaku Duah Addai Jr. ( ) (born May 3, 1983) is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected in the first round (30th overall pick) of the 2006 NFL Draft out of Louisiana State University b ...
, capping off the scoring drive with a 4-yard run. From here, however, the Colts would be denied. The Saints still stood by Hartley to keep the game close with a 47-yard field goal, taking the score to 17–16. In the fourth quarter,
Jeremy Shockey Jeremy Charles Shockey (born August 18, 1980) is a former American football tight end. He played college football at the University of Miami and was drafted by the New York Giants in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft. The winner of the fir ...
caught a two-yard touchdown pass from Drew Brees with
Lance Moore Lance Andrew Moore (born August 31, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver who played over ten seasons professionally in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Toledo. He was signed by the Cleveland Brown ...
catching a
two-point conversion In gridiron football, a two-point conversion or two-point convert is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point conversion immediately after it scores a touchdown. In a two-point conversion attempt, the team that just scored must run ...
and the Saints led 24–17. On the Colts ensuing possession, season MVP quarterback
Peyton Manning Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and four with th ...
swiftly moved the Indianapolis offense into Saints territory, off four passes for 44 yards, vying for the tying score. However, in the end, it was the Saints defense that would prove championship worthy, when
Tracy Porter Tracy O'Neil Porter (born August 11, 1986) is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. With the Saints, he won Super Bowl XLIV over the Indianapolis Colts, sealin ...
intercepted and returned Manning's shotgun pass 74 yards for a touchdown to seal the win and the first Super Bowl title for the New Orleans Saints in their 44-year existence. With the win in the Super Bowl, the Saints not only finished their season with a 16-3 record, but Drew Brees also became the MVP in this game, thus rebuilding popularity in the city of New Orleans.


Game officials


Media


Pre season Local TV


Local Radio


References


External links


2009 New Orleans Saints season at Pro Football Reference

2009 New Orleans Saints season at ESPN
{{DEFAULTSORT:2009 New Orleans Saints Season
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New Orleans Saints seasons NFC South championship seasons National Football Conference championship seasons Super Bowl champion seasons
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