165-541: The New Orleans Saints bounty scandal , colloquially known as " Bountygate ", was an illegal program in which the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL) placed bounties on opposing players. The consensus around the program was that if a targeted player was knocked out of a game, a bonus would be paid to the defensive player that made the hit. A slush fund for paying
330-873: A 13–3 record and won the NFC South. The Saints lost 26–20 in overtime to the Minnesota Vikings in the Wild Card Round. In the 2020 season, the Saints won the NFC South with a 12–4 record. In the Wild Card Round, they defeated the Chicago Bears 21–9. In the Divisional Round, they fell to their NFC South rivals, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 30–20. The loss was Drew Brees's final game. Following Drew Brees's retirement,
495-486: A 2007 ESPY award for " Best Moment in Sports ." The game is remembered by Saints fans for Steve Gleason 's blocked punt on the opening series that resulted in a touchdown for New Orleans. On December 17, the Saints clinched their third division title and their first NFC South title in franchise history. For the first time in Saints' history, they clinched their NFC South title on their home field. Sean Payton became
660-476: A 2–7 start. Black, along with old gold and white, has always been one of the team colors, but it was not the first choice of original majority owner John W. Mecom Jr. His preference was for Mecom blue, a medium shade which was used by all of his other investments. The NFL office, however, informed him that his proposed combination too closely resembled that worn by the San Diego Chargers . Although
825-628: A 7–5 conference record, Saints 6–6, and the Vikings 5–7. The Rams received the number 1 wild-card due to having the best conference record out of the three, followed by the Vikings due to the 38–31 loss handed to the Saints in Week 6. Haslett was fired after the 2005 season , in which the Saints finished 3–13 and did not play any regular-season games in New Orleans due to Hurricane Katrina . Due to
990-513: A 7–9 record for the third consecutive season, their offense finished first in the NFL in yards per game (426.0), second in points per game (29.3), and third in yards per play (6.2). Brees led the NFL in passing yards with 5,208. However the defense yet again struggled mightily, as they were allowed the 2nd most points per game (28.4) and 6th most yards per game (375.4) while being tied for 2nd worst in yards per play allowed (6.0). Despite an 0–2 start to
1155-464: A chest injury (although he later returned), and retired two weeks later. However, Warner later said that the hit which knocked him out was legal, and had nothing to do with his decision to retire. In the 2010 offseason, an anonymous player told NFL officials that the Saints had targeted Favre and Warner as part of a bounty program administered by Williams; the NFL's security department found the allegations credible enough to open an investigation. However,
1320-460: A coach, told The Washington Post that Williams operated a similar system while he was the Redskins' defensive coordinator from 2004 to 2007. The players said that Williams paid his crew thousands of dollars for aggressive play, with the biggest payouts—as much as $ 8,000—coming for "kill shots" that knocked opposing players out of games. Chicago Tribune NFL analyst Matt Bowen , who played for
1485-516: A disappointing 7–9 record in the 2007 season, the Saints ended the 2008 season 8–8. Failing to qualify for the post-season for the second straight year, the Saints found themselves struggling on defense. However, the Saints would match the explosive offense they had in the 2006 season. Drew Brees ended the 2008 season just 16 yards short of beating Dan Marino 's single-season record of 5084 total passing yards, and receiver Lance Moore came 72 yards short of his first 1,000-yard season. The 2009 season
1650-493: A game-winning catch by Calvin Johnson as incomplete. "That was my first real time of being put on the spot", Pereira would later say. "I was worried to death that the referee was going to say it's a touchdown and I'd be out of a job in one week... It validated my role as to being able to go on and explain things so people could understand why a decision was made on the field. Then at that point on, I got more air time." Pereira
1815-464: A general manager was suspended by the league for any reason. Assistant head coach Joe Vitt was suspended for the first six games of the 2012 season. The Saints organization was penalized with a $ 500,000 fine and forced to forfeit their second-round draft selections in 2012 and 2013 . In May 2012, four current and former Saints players were suspended after being named as ringleaders in the scandal, with linebacker Jonathan Vilma also being suspended for
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#17327805186771980-633: A golf equipment and athletic shoe store with his parents, though they had divorced each other by that time. Pereira lives in Sacramento with his wife Gail. Mike and Gail became friends in 1988 through Mike's sister, Linda, who was friends with Gail from college ( UC Davis ). Pereira proposed to Gail in 1996, the day after his first preseason game as an NFL official. Pereira commutes to the Fox Sports studios in Los Angeles each weekend during
2145-588: A guard for the Bills during Williams's time as coach there, denied there was any sort of bounty system in place in Buffalo, a position reiterated by linebacker London Fletcher and then-general manager Tom Donahoe . Chidi Ahanotu , who played one year under Williams in Buffalo, indicated that such a program was not within his character at the time and that Williams was "the softest coach I've been around." Former NFL coach Tony Dungy later told Profootballtalk.com he
2310-656: A heartbreaking 13–17 defeat to their division rival the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte who went on to win the NFC South. The Saints finished the season with an 11–5 record and earned a wild card berth as the sixth seed in the NFC. On January 4, 2014, the Saints recorded their first road playoff win in franchise history over the Philadelphia Eagles 26–24. On January 11, the Saints lost to the first seed,
2475-451: A history of concussions. He also appeared to put a bounty on quarterback Alex Smith ; according to Pamphilon, after Williams told his men to hit Smith in the chin, "then he rubs his thumb against his index and middle fingers – the cash sign – and says, I got the first one. I got the first one. Go get it. Go lay that motherfucker out. " Pamphilon, who was doing a documentary on Steve Gleason and his fight against Lou Gehrig's Disease, released
2640-406: A large number of players took part in the program, he chose to suspend those players who "were in leadership positions at the Saints; contributed a particularly large sum of money toward the program; specifically contributed to a bounty on an opposing player; demonstrated a clear intent to participate in a program that potentially injured opposing players; sought rewards for doing so; and/or obstructed
2805-569: A larger mentality" instilled by Williams. Speculation quickly abounded about how severely Goodell, who has made player safety and the overall integrity of the game a point of emphasis during his six years as commissioner, would punish Williams and the Saints. In his weekly "Monday Morning Quarterback" column on March 5, SI ' s Peter King wrote that he believed Williams faced at least an eight-game suspension, and that Payton and Loomis would almost certainly be suspended as well. He also argued that Goodell would have no choice but to come down hard on
2970-411: A league source told CBSSports.com's Judge that it also gives Goodell the power to rule on in-game conduct if he feels that it runs counter to the integrity of the game. On July 26, 2012, Jonathan Vilma and seven witnesses from the Saints testified in front of a federal judge in New Orleans that Goodell got his facts wrong in the bounty scandal. "Everybody was sworn in under oath in front of a judge with
3135-467: A losing effort, 27–13, to the Los Angeles Rams at Tulane Stadium, with over 80,000 in attendance. It was one of the few highlights of a 3–11 season, which set an NFL record for most wins by an expansion team. For most of their first 20 years, the Saints finished third or fourth in their division until 1979 . Until 1987, the 1979 and 1983 teams were the only ones to finish at .500. One of
3300-607: A meeting Williams held with his defense before their 2012 divisional playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers . In a profanity-laced speech, Williams instructed his players to deliberately try to injure several 49ers players. He ordered his men to try to knock out running back Kendall Hunter , even if it meant hitting him out of bounds. He specifically directed them to try to tear wide receiver Michael Crabtree 's ACL , injure tight end Vernon Davis ' ankles and go after kick returner Kyle Williams specifically because he had
3465-579: A member of the National Football Conference (NFC) South Division . Since 1975, the team plays its home games at Caesars Superdome after using Tulane Stadium during its first eight seasons. Founded by John W. Mecom Jr. , David Dixon , and the city of New Orleans on November 1, 1966, the Saints joined the NFL as an expansion team in 1967. The Saints were among the NFL's least successful franchises in their first several decades, where they went 20 consecutive seasons without
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#17327805186773630-444: A player being unable to return for the rest of the game). Players usually earned $ 1,000 for cartoffs and $ 1,500 for knockouts during the regular season, though they were encouraged to put their winnings back into the pot in order to raise the stakes as the season went on. Payments were known to double or even triple during the playoffs. The NFL sent a confidential and detailed memo to all 32 teams detailing its findings. It revealed that
3795-430: A playoff game. Mora coached the Saints until the middle of the 1996 season , when he stepped down halfway through the 3–13 season . His 93 wins were three more than the Saints won in their entire history prior to his arrival, and would remain the most for any Saints coach until 2016. After the end of the 1996 season, ironically as Diliberto had suggested before Mora's resignation, former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka
3960-474: A program. The Steelers released a statement on their official web site mentioning that the team does not condone any sort of bounty program. Williams, who left after the season to become defensive coordinator of the St. Louis Rams , was summoned to NFL headquarters after the investigation concluded in mid-February. He initially denied any involvement, but recanted and admitted everything in a meeting with Goodell. After
4125-406: A row" when the league interviewed them. Before the start of the 2011 season, Payton received an email from Ornstein detailing the broader lines of the scheme. In that same email, Ornstein offered $ 5,000 to anyone who knocked Rodgers out of the 2011 season opener. Payton initially denied knowing that this email existed, but subsequently admitted that in fact he had read it. When Benson was informed of
4290-475: A safety during Williams' tenure, said that Williams gave bonuses for hits that left opponents seriously injured, and two other players said that bonuses were also awarded for "knockouts." However, linebacker Eddie Robinson , who played for Williams in Houston and Tennessee as well as in Buffalo, acknowledged an incentive pool but said he never heard Williams favor deliberately injuring other players. Ruben Brown ,
4455-527: A season, completion percentage, yards passing, completions and more. The New Orleans Saints beat the Detroit Lions in the 2011 NFC wild-card playoff game 45–28. New Orleans also tied the NFL's postseason mark for team first downs in a game (34), and broke the record for total yards with 626, eclipsing the yardage record set 49 years ago. The Saints lost in the Divisional round in the playoffs against
4620-499: A side judge on the officiating crew headed by referee Mike Carey . He wore uniform number 77, later worn by three-time Super Bowl referee Terry McAulay , and now worn by Terry Killens . While working for the NFL, Pereira served as supervisor of officials for the Western Athletic Conference. In 1998, Pereira was promoted to NFL supervisor of officiating. In 2001 Pereira became Director of Officiating for
4785-467: A six-year, $ 60 million deal. On March 23, the Saints announced that the team's two 2006 preseason games were to be played at Shreveport, Louisiana , and Jackson, Mississippi . After a $ 185 million renovation of the historic stadium, on April 6 the Saints released their 2006 schedule, with all home games scheduled to be played at the Superdome. On September 19, Saints owner Tom Benson announced that
4950-452: A statement calling the suspensions unjustified, claiming that Goodell had not furnished them with any evidence supporting the sanctions. The union lodged a formal grievance on May 4, contending that since the suspensions were for on-field misconduct, the players' appeals should be heard by Ted Cottrell and Art Shell , whom the collective bargaining agreement designates as the hearing officers for on-field sanctions. It also contended that since
5115-524: A statement taking "full responsibility" for not stopping the alleged "bounty" program. Payton and Loomis also apologized to Benson and the Saints fans, and promised that such behavior would never happen again. Three days later, Drew Brees , the starting quarterback for the Saints, issued a statement denying any knowledge of or involvement in the program. On March 12, WWL-TV in New Orleans reported that Payton and Benson met with Goodell in New York for much of
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5280-499: A week, and announced on November 1, 1966, that the NFL officially had awarded the city of New Orleans an expansion franchise. The team was named for " When the Saints Go Marching In ", the classic jazz standard associated with New Orleans. When the deal was reached a week earlier, Dixon strongly suggested to Rozelle that the announcement be delayed until November 1, to coincide with All Saints' Day . Dixon cleared
5445-409: A wide gold stripe with their white jerseys in 1999, but following a 3–13 season and the dismissal of coach Mike Ditka , the black pants were mothballed by new coach Jim Haslett . Mike Pereira Mike Pereira (born April 13, 1950) is a former American football official and later vice president of officiating for the National Football League (NFL) and currently the head of officiating for
5610-453: A winning record or qualifying for the playoffs. They earned their first winning record and postseason berth in 1987 , while their first playoff win would not occur until 2000 , the team's 34th season. The team's fortunes improved in the 21st century, especially during the late 2000s and 2010s, which saw them become more consistent postseason contenders. Their greatest success to date came in the 2009 season , when they won Super Bowl XLIV over
5775-450: Is alleged to exist, with teams, it is claimed, turning a blind eye to the practice. The league constitution specifically forbids payment of bonuses based on performances against an individual player or team, as well as bonuses for on-field misconduct; the NFL holds that such practices undermine the integrity of the game, and also would allow teams to use such payments to circumvent the salary cap . The collective bargaining agreement with
5940-441: Is also a frequent guest on KNBR during football season. In 2012, Sports Illustrated named Pereira as one of the NFL's most indispensable broadcasting talents, saying, "Viewers have longed for broadcasters to provide accurate explanations from the NFL's Byzantine rule book, and Pereira, thankfully, has taken the burden off ex-jocks and announcers". Michael Hiestand of USA Today wrote that "after Fox's groundbreaking move to put
6105-519: Is more appropriate". Pereira also sparked coverage by others in the media when he criticized the commentary of Monday Night Football announcer Jon Gruden , calling him out as a "blowhard ... who spouts off when he doesn't know what he's talking about". Pereira specifically felt that Gruden "butchered" the analysis of two defenseless receiver plays during the telecast of an Atlanta Falcons - New Orleans Saints game. However, Doug Farrar of Yahoo! Sports thought that Pereira should have instead taken
6270-509: The Cincinnati Bengals for a late hit to the back by running back Boobie Clark that fractured three vertebrae four years earlier and ended his career. A Colorado court ruled against Hackbart, saying violence was part of the game. However, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed, saying that "the general customs of football" do not include deliberately attempting to injure opposing players. On March 6, Payton and Loomis issued
6435-597: The Denver Broncos afterward. Former safety Ryan Clark , who played under Williams in Washington from 2004–2005 and himself was fined by the NFL $ 40,000 for a helmet-to-helmet hit against Baltimore Ravens tight end Ed Dickson during the 2011 season, defended Williams, saying that he never ran a bounty program with the Redskins and has yet to see one during his time in the NFL. Clark added that he would have reported Williams or any coach that offered to run such
6600-713: The Green Bay Packers and a 31–15 victory against the Chicago Bears in Chicago. The Saints finished with a 7–9 record for the second consecutive season. They were third in the NFC South after the 15–1 NFC champions Carolina Panthers and the 8–8 Atlanta Falcons . Their defense was historically bad. They allowed the most passing touchdowns in a season in NFL history as they allowed 45, effectively making them
6765-463: The House of Bourbon ), while its uniform design consists of gold helmets, gold pants, and either black or white jerseys. Minor changes to the uniform stripes and trim have been made throughout the years. The team wore black helmets during the 1969 preseason, but NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle barred the Saints from using the helmets during the regular season, since Mecom did not notify the league office of
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6930-569: The NFC North for ESPN.com, wrote that neither he nor most Vikings fans were surprised at the discovery of the bounty program. Seifert argued that even before the findings were revealed, it was obvious that the Saints were determined to inflict a severe beating on Favre, even if it meant breaking the rules. The only difference in Seifert's mind was that he no longer believed the Saints were out of control. Rather, he wrote, they were acting as "part of
7095-669: The NFL Players Association also forbids this practice, as does the standard NFL player contract. Every year, the NFL sends a memo reiterating this ban to every team before training camp opens. However, according to many former players, bounty systems of some sort have been around the NFL for decades, with the percentage of players participating speculated to be between 30 and 40 percent. According to these players, such bounty programs were usually informal and often between players only, more with intent at locker-room braggadocio than systemic malice. What would draw attention to
7260-490: The New England Patriots , and therefore, could not be forfeited; after the penalty; the Saints' first pick in the 2012 NFL draft is a third-rounder). He also gave the league's clubs until March 30, 2012 to certify in writing that they do not have bounty programs. Clubs will also be required to certify that no bounty systems exist as part of the yearly certifications they must make under the league's Integrity of
7425-577: The Pittsburgh Panthers football team—have long used black and gold as their colors, their shade of gold more closely resembles yellow, making the Saints black and gold compatible with the rest of the NFL. Except for minor modifications, the Saints' logo and uniforms have basically remained the same since the club debuted in 1967. The team's logo is a fleur-de-lis (a symbol of the City of New Orleans and of France's Royal Family , which included
7590-608: The Tennessee Oilers/Titans and (since renamed) Washington Redskins and as head coach of the Buffalo Bills ; the NFL briefly investigated these allegations but elected to focus on the Saints. In 2012, ESPN reported that former New Orleans Saints defensive assistant Mike Cerullo contacted the NFL regarding a bounty program after the 2009 postseason. Cerullo was released after the 2009 postseason for poor performance and lying about personal leave according to
7755-533: The Tennessee Titans , the Saints lost running back Deuce McAllister for the season with his second career (second time in three seasons) ACL tear. After winning their first game, against the Seattle Seahawks , two weeks later, the team went on a four-game winning streak to bring their record to an even 4–4. After reaching 7–7, the Saints lost their final two games to finish 7–9. Following
7920-667: The United Football League (UFL). Since 2010, he has served as a rules analyst for Fox Sports , for which he has gained the nickname " Mikey Rule Books ". Before working in the NFL, Pereira spent 14 years officiating college football games, with nine years in the Big West Conference (1982–90) followed by five years in the Western Athletic Conference (1991–95). Pereira moved up to the NFL for two seasons ( 1996 and 1997 ) as
8085-433: The 1971 season opener against the Los Angeles Rams , temperatures on the field reached as high as 130 °F (54 °C). The heavily favored Rams wilted in the stifling heat, and the Saints claimed their first-ever victory over their NFC West rivals, 24–20, on Manning's one-yard quarterback sneak on the last play of the game. The Saints switched to white pants in 1975, coinciding with the team's move from Tulane Stadium to
8250-425: The 1981–82 seasons ( Bum Phillips ' first two seasons as coach), the team wore white jerseys with black pants at home, but reverted to the black jerseys and white pants for 1983. They reverted to wearing gold pants with both their black and white jerseys in 1986 under new coach Jim E. Mora . From 1986 through 1995, the sleeves of the jerseys and sides of the pants featured a logo with a fleur-de-lis inside an outline of
8415-416: The 2006 Divisional Playoffs. No team had ever had such a poor record in the prior year (3–13) and then gone on to a league or conference championship game since the 1999 St. Louis Rams who advanced to win their first Super Bowl after being 4–12 the season before. Since the Saints' only previous playoff win was in the wild card round, this was the farthest the Saints had ever advanced at the time. The victory
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#17327805186778580-406: The 2010 investigation." The NFL determined that Vilma and Smith helped Williams start the bounty program. Hargrove lied to league officials during the 2010 investigation, but later signed a letter to the NFL admitting that he was an active participant in the scheme. He also told at least one other player that the Saints had put a bounty on Favre in the 2009 NFC title game. Fujita, who left the team for
8745-434: The 2012 season. Nonetheless, the loss of Payton, combined with the distractions caused by the scandal, proved too much for the Saints to overcome. After finishing 13–3 and reaching the Divisional round of the playoffs a year earlier, they finished 7–9 and missed the playoffs. The behavior detailed in the report was almost universally condemned in the press. In an editorial, New Orleans' local paper The Times-Picayune called
8910-469: The Browns immediately after the Saints won Super Bowl XLIV , pledged "a significant amount of money" into the bounty program. Earlier, Goodell had indicated that he was going to come down hard on the players involved, telling Eisen that they "enthusiastically embraced" the scheme. "They are on the field, so I don't think they are absolved from any responsibility because of that," he said. The NFLPA released
9075-490: The Burbank appeals panel vacated the suspensions imposed on the four, and the NFL confirmed that the ruling reinstated them in time for their first games of the 2012 season two days later. Two days after the fifth game of the season, on October 9, 2012, the league re-issued the suspensions without any changes or reductions; the players' appeals continued. On October 27, 2012, former league commissioner Paul Tagliabue postponed
9240-585: The Carolina Panthers and led all rookies in tackles. Second-round pick Hau'oli Kikaha had 4 sacks. Canadian football star Delvin Breaux , who was signed in the off-season, led the Saints struggling secondary with 3 interceptions and 19 pass deflections. Drew Brees also tied the NFL record for touchdown passes in a game with 7, coming against the New York Giants . The Saints finished with
9405-587: The Chargers were members of the AFL, the older league did not want to offend its soon-to-be partner so soon after the merger. Mecom settled on black as the primary color as a nod to his financial involvement in the petroleum industry . "Black gold" is a term synonymous with oil . Although the Pittsburgh Steelers —who played a few home games in New Orleans during their early years to avoid conflict with
9570-521: The Game Policy. In a statement, Goodell said that the NFL would not tolerate "conduct or a culture" that put player safety at risk. He also said that the fact that the scheme went on for three years demanded that "a strong and lasting message must be sent that such conduct is totally unacceptable and has no place in the game." He was particularly upset that those involved had lied about the scheme on two separate investigations, and had denied that there
9735-468: The NFL had indeed found evidence of a bounty program. Later that day, the NFL announced it had obtained irrefutable proof of a bounty pool dating back to the 2009 season, based on a review of 18,000 documents. It determined that Williams had initiated the fund soon after he arrived in New Orleans in 2009, in hopes of making the defense more aggressive. Between 22 and 27 Saints defensive players were involved. The players and Williams contributed their own cash to
9900-459: The NFL, succeeding Jerry Seeman , and then was promoted to Vice President of Officiating in 2004. Pereira retired from the NFL after the 2009 season. From February to June 2011, Pereira was the Pac-10 's interim coordinator of officiating, charged with implementing changes in the conference's officiating program. His successor, Tony Corrente , retained Pereira on his staff as a consultant through
10065-502: The NFL. He also claimed that NFL Network yanked its planned replay of the 2009 NFC Championship Game due to concern that fans might look more closely for late hits that should have been called. Most of the players who were the targets of questionable hits by the Saints, including Favre and Warner, claimed the bounties were merely part of the game. However, several former players interviewed by Sports Illustrated said that while payments for good hits and sacks were indeed considered part of
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#173278051867710230-540: The New Orleans Saints. Cerullo testified that he kept track of payments and pledges made. Cerullo also states in the article, "I was angry for being let go from the Saints". In the summer of 2017, the NFL hired Mike Cerullo as Director of Football Administration. Cerullo later served as director of football operations at Princeton University . Late in the 2011 season, the NFL received what it called "significant and credible new information" that suggested there
10395-753: The Pac-12's 2011–12 football season. Pereira was an officiating consultant for the Alliance of American Football , which began play in February 2019 and ended in April of the same year. Pereira is currently the VP of Officiating for the United Football League . As VP of Officiating, Pereira appeared on the NFL Network show NFL Total Access during the "Official Review" segment, to discuss key calls made during
10560-414: The Redskins and Colts, in which Manning was knocked down by a high-low hit from the Redskins' Phillip Daniels and Andre Carter and appeared to lose some feeling in his neck. While Dungy did not speculate at the time about whether the Redskins targeted Manning on that play, he believes that hit ultimately caused the neck problems that sidelined Manning for the entire 2011 season and led to his departure for
10725-584: The Redskins at the time, later wrote in one of his regular columns that the bounty pool was funded by fines for mistakes made during practice and in games, and insisted similar systems operated on other teams. On March 4, The Post reported that the NFL was investigating the allegations against Williams with the Redskins. Several former Bills players subsequently told The Buffalo News of a similar system during Williams' tenure as Bills' head coach from 2001 to 2003. However, they didn't agree on whether there were rewards for intentionally injuring players. Coy Wire ,
10890-592: The Saints also set the record for the longest undefeated season opening (13–0) by an NFC team since the AFL–NFL merger , surpassing the previous record (12–0) held by the 1985 Chicago Bears . However, they would fall victim to the Dallas Cowboys in week 14, going on to end the season with a three-game losing streak. The Saints became the first team to win a Super Bowl after losing its last three regular-season games. Although its opponents would include winners of 9 of
11055-453: The Saints and Williams. Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Steve Young , who has a law degree from BYU , suggested that anyone who had been injured during a Saints game during the scheme's existence has grounds for a lawsuit. Louisiana State University law professor William Corbett told Fox Sports that any legal action by players has a chance of succeeding. He cited a 1977 case in which Denver Broncos defensive back Dale Hackbart sued
11220-402: The Saints had a revolving door at quarterback in the 2021 season with Trevor Siemian, Jameis Winston, Taysom Hill, and Ian Book starting over the course of the year. In the 2021 season, the Saints finished 9–8 and missed the postseason. On January 25, 2022, Sean Payton announced to the team that he was stepping away as head coach after 15 seasons with the team. During his tenure as head coach,
11385-526: The Saints had not only targeted Warner and Favre during the 2009 playoffs, but had also targeted Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton during the 2011 regular season. According to that memo, Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma offered $ 10,000 cash to any teammate who knocked Favre out of the NFC Championship Game. Another source told CBSSports.com's Mike Freeman that Reggie Bush 's agent at
11550-514: The Saints in playoff contention in the final week of the season. In week 17, the Saints defeated division rivals Carolina ; however, the Saints needed other results to break their way and when the St. Louis Rams beat the New York Jets the Saints were eliminated despite having beaten the Rams, who finished with the same record. The Rams, Saints, and Vikings all were 8–8, with the Rams having
11715-462: The Saints lost their first 14 games, prompting local sportscaster Bernard "Buddy D" Diliberto to advise Saints supporters to wear paper bags over their heads at the team's home games; many bags rendered the club's name as the "' Aints " rather than the "Saints." Tom Benson , a successful automobile dealership owner and banker, acquired the franchise in 1985, and hired Jim Finks as general manager and Jim Mora as head coach. That combination provided
11880-477: The Saints organization as a whole guilty of conduct detrimental to the league as well due to Williams and the players' maintenance of the bounty pool, as well as Loomis and Payton's failure to act "in a responsible manner" to stop it. Several Chicago Bears players and fans believe that the Bears were targets of this program during the second game of the 2011 season, a 30–13 loss to the Saints. Quarterback Jay Cutler
12045-449: The Saints went 152–89 in the regular season and 9–8 in the postseason. The team promoted defensive coordinator, Dennis Allen to head coach on February 8, 2022. On November 14, 2022, after a 3–7 start, disappointed Saints fans started a petition on change.org, asking to relieve Dennis Allen of his duties. The Saints finished the 2022 season with a 7–10 mark and missed the postseason. Allen would maintain his head coaching position into
12210-452: The Saints with their first-ever winning record and playoff appearance, going 12–3 in 1987 , which had one fewer game than normal due to a players' strike . Another playoff berth would follow during the 1990 season , and the club's first division title came in 1991 . During Mora's tenure, the Saints made the playoffs four times, with teams marked by strong defenses led by the " Dome Patrol " linebacking corps, but they were never able to win
12375-656: The Saints' bounty program was the alleged practice of methodically organizing such a concept at the coaches' level, with the primary intent to systematically and routinely injure opposing star players. After the Saints defeated the Minnesota Vikings in the 2009 NFC Championship Game in what has become a heated rivalry , several Vikings players and coaches claimed that the Saints were deliberately trying to hurt Vikings quarterback Brett Favre . The Vikings were particularly angered when Saints defensive end Bobby McCray and defensive tackle Remi Ayodele knocked Favre to
12540-417: The Saints' second-round pick in 2013 (though the Saints would still lose a lower-round pick), as well as reduce the fine on the Saints and restore Payton, Vitt and Loomis' lost pay. However, all appeals were denied. The NFLPA requested that the league should hold off on any punishments for the players until it conducts its own investigation. Goodell told Schefter, however, that he would hand down punishments to
12705-478: The Saints, given that the league was facing numerous lawsuits brought by former players who suffered head injuries. Given the circumstances, King said, Goodell had a lot of incentive to "issue a string of suspensions the likes of which the league has never seen." In an article written for the March 12 edition of SI , King wrote that league officials were so outraged that they were likely to hand down penalties similar to
12870-463: The Saints. He recalled that Goodell was always upset when officials didn't penalize hits on defenseless players. New Orleans Saints 2005 due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina : 2021 due to the effect of Hurricane Ida : The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans . The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as
13035-547: The San Francisco 49ers in Candlestick Park that featured the Saints losing two leads in the last four minutes of regulation. After an off-season dominated by the bounty scandal and the year-long suspension of head coach Sean Payton , the Saints sought to refocus on football and produce yet another winning year. Instead, the team, led by offensive line coach Aaron Kromer for its first six games, started
13200-530: The Seattle Seahawks, once again in Seattle 15–23. The weather conditions were very poor, which gave the offense much difficulty. Despite the conditions, the defense of the Saints played well, holding Seattle to just 23 over the 34 points allowed against Seattle during the regular season. The Saints finished the season 7–9, second in their division behind the 7–8–1 Carolina Panthers. They missed out on
13365-567: The Superdome, and have worn white at home numerous times since then. One year later, they started to wear black pants with their white jerseys, a move influenced by coach Hank Stram, who introduced red pants to the Kansas City Chiefs ' uniforms in 1968. In an October 3, 1976, home game against the Houston Oilers , Hank Stram used the Saints' road uniforms, the white jerseys and black pants. The Saints lost that game 31–26. During
13530-579: The Windy City since 2000. The Saints fared well against Chicago, Arizona and Miami, winning 26–18, 31–7 and 38–17 respectively, but needed a 4th down shutdown and a last-minute field goal to escape Atlanta and Tampa Bay. The Saints went on a 5–0 win streak, but were stopped short by the New England Patriots in Week 6, losing 30–27, with a touchdown pass by Tom Brady in the last 5 seconds of the game. New Orleans would go undefeated at home for
13695-538: The alleged conduct took place before the most recent CBA was signed in August, Goodell should have deferred to NFL special master Stephen Burbank in ruling on the players' actions. Goodell issued the suspensions as part of his power to sanction any "conduct detrimental to the integrity and public confidence in the NFL," a violation of Article 46 of the CBA. This provision is normally used to sanction off-field conduct. However,
13860-498: The audio to Yahoo! Sports without Gleason's approval. However, the Saints were not penalized for illegal hits during that game, which they lost 36–32. On March 21, 2012, the NFL issued sanctions to Saints coaches and front-office personnel for their roles in the scandal. The Saints were also fined $ 500,000—the maximum fine permitted under the league constitution, and had to forfeit their second-round draft picks in 2012 and 2013 (their first-round pick in 2012 had already been traded to
14025-465: The bounties was found to have operated from the 2009 season (the year in which the Saints won Super Bowl XLIV ) to the 2011–12 playoffs . League commissioner Roger Goodell responded with some of the most severe sanctions in the league's history, and among the most severe punishments for in-game misconduct in North American professional sports history. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams
14190-417: The bounty appeals hearing, expecting to set a new schedule on October 29, 2012. On December 11, with three games left in the regular season, Tagliabue vacated the players' suspensions, saying in his ruling, "I affirm Commissioner Goodell's factual findings as to the four players. I conclude that Hargrove, Smith and Vilma—but not Fujita—engaged in 'conduct detrimental to the integrity of, and public confidence in,
14355-500: The bounty scandal. "Everybody was sworn in under oath in front of a judge with the risk of perjury and jail time if we were lying, and categorically denied there was a bounty," Vilma said in a text message to ESPN's Ed Werder . "Seven people testified, 2 sworn affidavits all saying the same thing. I ask that you and ESPN report the facts. No more bias or b.s. or hearsay. I gave you facts that you can report if so choose." Tulane University Sports Law Program Director Gabe Feldman (who attended
14520-419: The broadcast of the game was ESPN 's highest-ever rated program to date, with an 11.8 rating, and viewership by 10.85 million homes. It was the most-watched program for the night, broadcast or cable, and was the second-highest rated cable program of all time at the time. Green Day and U2 performed " Wake Me Up When September Ends " and " The Saints Are Coming ", respectively, before the game. The game received
14685-402: The broader lines of the scheme and even witnessed Williams handing out payments to players. However, Vitt failed to tell anyone about it. The NFL found that Payton and Loomis' misfeasance amounted to "conduct detrimental" to the league. The NFL found no club money had been used to fund the bounty pool, and praised Benson for doing what he could to shut down the slush fund. Nonetheless, it found
14850-413: The change was made. That logo was removed in 1996 and replaced with a fleur-de-lis on both the sleeves and sides of the pants. From 1996 through 1998, the Saints returned to gold numbers on both the white and black jerseys, but complaints about the numbers on the white jerseys being too difficult to read forced the numbers on the white jerseys to be changed to black in 1999. The Saints wore black pants with
15015-528: The change. Black helmets were not introduced until 2022, after the NFL repealed its "one-helmet rule" previously enforced in 2013. The Saints predominantly wore white at home when the club played at Tulane Stadium from 1967 through 1974 (except in 1969 and 1970), forcing opponents to suffer in their darker jerseys in the subtropical climate of New Orleans. When the surface at Tulane Stadium switched from natural grass to PolyTurf in 1971, field temperatures became hotter still. In Archie Manning 's first game, in
15180-660: The damage Hurricane Katrina caused to the Superdome and the New Orleans area, the Saints' scheduled 2005 home opener against the New York Giants was moved to Giants Stadium . The remainder of their 2005 home games were split between the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas , and LSU 's Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge . On January 17, 2006, the Saints hired Sean Payton as their new head coach and, on March 14, signed former San Diego Chargers quarterback Drew Brees to
15345-424: The divisional playoff game and ordered him to shut down the bounty program immediately. Cornwell contended that Williams was a "rogue coach," and the recently released audio of his meeting with the defense only proved it. Goodell denied the appeals on April 9, meaning that Payton's suspension began as of April 16. However, depending on the Saints' cooperation and that of the individuals involved, Goodell could restore
15510-551: The end, his efforts were negated by a defense that could not get enough stops and a late touchdown run by Marshawn Lynch breaking over a half-dozen tackles with 3:22 left which helped the Seahawks defeat the Saints 41–36. The Saints began their season with a loss against the Green Bay Packers , but the team rebounded for the next four weeks to bring their record to 4–1. A loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers brought
15675-476: The entire 2012 season. However, former commissioner Paul Tagliabue overturned all sanctions against the players in December 2012 after finding that although the players were "very much involved," the coaches and the Saints organization were primarily responsible for the scandal. The NFL has long frowned upon bounties, or "non-contract bonuses" as it officially calls them; but an underground culture of bounties
15840-479: The ex-NFL vice president of officiating on-air, Pereira proved to be a candid voice — not a shill for the almighty NFL". However, Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times wrote that "Pereira has assumed the role of the overzealous defense attorney ... his appearances generally conclude with him concluding that the referees have gotten it right yet again ... Analyst is the title that FOX hangs on Pereira, but advocate
16005-475: The fact those involved "continued to mislead" the league about it was a significant factor in the sanctions. "You have to be accountable and responsible in the NFL," Goodell said. Goodell also implied that Payton would have faced significant punishment in any event, since his contractual obligation to supervise his assistants meant that he at least should have known about the scheme. He also said that there would be zero tolerance for payments for in-game performance in
16170-526: The favored Indianapolis Colts , the team's first and only Super Bowl appearance so far. The Saints, along with the New York Jets , are one of two NFL franchises to win their sole Super Bowl appearance. Local sports entrepreneur Dave Dixon and a local civic group had been seeking an NFL franchise for over five years and had hosted record crowds for NFL exhibition games. To seal the NFL-AFL merger, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle arrived in New Orleans within
16335-414: The final 11 games of the 2012 season for the Saints; Smith played all 16. Fujita played the first four games of the season for the Browns before suffering a season-ending (and ultimately, career-ending) neck injury; he would sign a ceremonial one-day contract with the Saints in the offseason and retire with the team. Hargrove, signed as a free agent by the Green Bay Packers in March 2012, did not play during
16500-447: The first round. Ditka and Williams had a mock wedding picture taken to commemorate the occasion. However, Ditka, most of his coaching staff, and general manager Bill Kuharich were fired at the end of the 1999 season due to the club's 3–13 record . Jim Haslett held the post from 2000 to 2005. In his first year, he took the team to the 2000 playoffs with a 10–6 mark and defeated the defending Super Bowl champion St. Louis Rams for
16665-468: The franchise's early bright moments came on November 8, 1970, when Tom Dempsey kicked an NFL record-breaking 63-yard field goal at Tulane Stadium to defeat the Detroit Lions 19–17 in the final seconds of the game; the previous record was seven yards less, set in 1953 . Dempsey's record was not broken until 2013 by Matt Prater of the Denver Broncos , who kicked one yard farther. In 1980 ,
16830-465: The future for our fans." On March 3, Fox Sports ' Jay Glazer reported that the NFL intended to hand down penalties before the owners' meeting in late March. The NFLPA asked the league to delay any sanctions until the union could conduct its own investigation. CBSSports.com's Pat Kirwan tweeted that within hours of the NFL releasing its report, lawyers for several players were already telling him that their clients were considering legal action against
16995-589: The future, saying that payments for good play eventually escalate to bounties for deliberately injuring players. Later, Schefter said on ESPN's SportsCenter that league officials felt Payton was at least as guilty as Williams, despite initial focus on Williams' role as the mastermind in the scheme. On March 30, Payton, Vitt and Loomis appealed their suspensions, and the Saints also appealed the fine and loss of draft picks. Payton, Vitt and Loomis met with Goodell on April 5. After that meeting, Vitt's lawyer, David Cornwell, said that Payton and Loomis met with Williams before
17160-430: The game if someone had put a bounty on him. Favre's agent, Bus Cook, later said that he also felt the Saints were deliberately trying to knock Favre out of the game, and claimed that several hits on Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner in the divisional round a week earlier crossed the line as well. It initially appeared that Cook's argument was strengthened by the fact that Warner was knocked out of that game with
17325-458: The game of professional football ..." He laid primary responsibility for the scandal on Williams and Payton. Had the suspensions of Vilma and Hargrove been upheld, they would have been the longest for an on-field incident in modern NFL history, topping the previous record set in 2006 , when then-Titans defensive end Albert Haynesworth was given a five-game suspension for stomping on the head of Dallas Cowboys center Andre Gurode . Vilma played
17490-409: The game, bounties for intentionally injuring opponents violated an unwritten code. One of those interviewed, Junior Seau , bluntly said that such practices crossed the line into threatening a person's livelihood. (Seau would commit suicide less than two months after the interview was published; it was discovered after his death that he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) as a result of
17655-545: The ground with a high-low hit. McCray hit Favre below the knees, briefly knocking Favre out of the game with an ankle injury. No penalty was called on the play, though NFL vice president of officiating Mike Pereira said one should have been called, saying it was "the type of hit we don't want." Vikings coach Brad Childress later said that there were at least 13 instances where he felt the Saints deliberately went after Favre. Later, CBSSports.com NFL columnist Clark Judge said several Vikings assistants told him they believed McCray
17820-422: The hearing in court) said, "Clearly the judge, by her questions, indicated she thinks Goodell overstepped his authority, and this case was always going to be about if he executed his power fairly... The NFL's retort is that with all due deference, you don't get to second guess (Goodell). Judges only have limited jurisdiction over arbitration issues." All four players appealed their suspensions. On September 7, 2012,
17985-464: The hearing in court) said, "Clearly the judge, by her questions, indicated she thinks Goodell overstepped his authority, and this case was always going to be about if he executed his power fairly... The NFL's retort is that with all due deference, you don't get to second guess (Goodell). Judges only have limited jurisdiction over arbitration issues." Shortly after the Saints' bounty system came to light, four former Washington Redskins players, as well as
18150-655: The higher road, and Fox should "lay down the law to Pereira [and] needs to be told to put the agendas away". Pereira's success led Fox in 2015 to adopt rules analysts for three other Fox properties— Andy Petree (NASCAR, replaced by Larry McReynolds in 2016), David Fay (golf), Joe Machnik and Christina Unkel (FIFA). Pereira's success also led other networks like CBS , NBC , TBS/TNT/TruTv and ESPN having rules analyst to their broadcasts Gene Steratore (CBS/Turner), John Parry (ESPN) and Terry McAulay (NBC). Since June 2017, Pereira has been joined by Dean Blandino , who resigned as NFL senior vice president of officiating
18315-462: The last 15 NFL MVP awards, the team advanced to the 2009 NFC Championship game where they defeated the Minnesota Vikings, led by Brett Favre , 31–28 in overtime, advancing to their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. Television ratings for Super Bowl XLIV (44) were the second highest for any TV program, sports or otherwise, in history, as their successful bid to win the Super Bowl
18480-407: The league to take some sort of action against players involved in that game who had since retired, such as McCray. On May 2, 2012, the NFL suspended four then-current or former Saints players for their involvement in the bounty scandal: Vilma's suspension took effect immediately, while the other three players are allowed to attend training camp. In announcing the suspensions, Goodell said that while
18645-492: The league with 20 interceptions. The offense continued to be excellent, finishing second in yards per game (391.2) and fourth in points per game (28.0). In the wild card round, the Saints defeated the Carolina Panthers in the wild-card round, 31–26. However, in the divisional round, the Saints lost 29–24 to the Minnesota Vikings after the Vikings completed the Minneapolis Miracle . The Minneapolis Miracle
18810-492: The league's findings, he called in Payton and Loomis and ordered the program shut down immediately. However, they did not do so. Loomis had been interviewed during the 2010 investigation as well, and had stated that he knew of no such scheme and would stop it immediately if it was taking place. The league also found that Vitt, whom Payton had assigned to monitor Williams (the two reportedly didn't get along very well), also knew about
18975-624: The month before, in the same role for Fox. Pereira was born to Al and Lydia Pereira and grew up in Stockton, California along with his older sister Linda. Al was a head linesman with the Pacific Coast Athletic Association and Mike Pereira credits his father with teaching him football. He played baseball for Santa Clara University from 1970–72 and graduated with a degree in Finance. In his 30s, Pereira opened
19140-577: The morning to reiterate that the Saints would continue to cooperate fully with the NFL's investigation. On March 22, U.S. Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois announced he would invite Goodell and the heads of the other major American sports leagues to a hearing on bounty systems. He also said that unless the leagues themselves "come up with standards to make sure this isn't going to happen again," he may consider drafting legislation that would extend federal sports bribery laws to cover bounties. On April 5, documentary filmmaker Sean Pamphilon released audio of
19305-418: The name with New Orleans' Archbishop Philip M. Hannan , who "thought it would be a good idea," according to Dixon. "He had an idea the team was going to need all the help it could get." U.S. House Majority Whip from Louisiana Hale Boggs attached the merger to a bill approving an exemption from antitrust sanctions allowing for the merger and the team. John W. Mecom Jr. , a young oilman from Houston, became
19470-557: The numerous head injuries Seau suffered during his 20-year NFL career.) Seau's sentiments were echoed by Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton . In an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal , Tarkenton wrote that he played against the likes of Mean Joe Greene , Ray Nitschke and Dick Butkus , and none of them even considered deliberately trying to hurt him. He also said that he discussed the issue with several players from his era, and they unanimously agreed that players who put bounties on opponents were "cowards." Kevin Seifert, who blogs on
19635-530: The only quarterback to break that barrier more than once), the team finished third in the NFC South, at 7–9. The Saints defense allowed 7,042 yards, setting an NFL record. The Saints finished their 2013 preseason 3–1, and won their first five regular-season games against the Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Arizona Cardinals , Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears. The Saints under Sean Peyton had been winless in Chicago's Soldier Field and had not won in
19800-663: The owner of the Saints and the NBA's New Orleans Pelicans . In the 2018 season, the Saints finished with a 13–3 record and won the NFC South. The Saints defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 20–14 in the Divisional Round. The Saints fell to the Los Angeles Rams 26–23 in overtime in the NFC Championship in a game that had a controversial ending to regulation. In the 2019 season, the Saints finished with
19965-492: The players and team officials interviewed all denied that any bounty program existed, and the player who made the initial report subsequently recanted his allegations. The NFL began investigating the Saints in 2010 in response to allegations of deliberate attempts to injure players during the 2009–10 playoffs , but the investigation stalled until late in the 2011 season. On March 2, 2012, the NFL announced that it had evidence that defensive coordinator Gregg Williams had created
20130-536: The players involved very soon once he gets feedback from the NFLPA. Hours after the sanctions were announced, Kluwe went on KSTP in the Twin Cities and demanded that any players involved in the scheme be severely punished, and that the NFLPA let it be known that "there's no place in the league for that kind of behavior." He even went as far as to call for Vilma—the only player specifically named as being involved in
20295-405: The playoffs after being defeated 14–30 by their divisional rival, the Atlanta Falcons, in the second-to-last week of the season. This season was notorious in Saints history for having the 31st worst-ranked defense in the league, which is one of the main reasons for the Saints' poor 2014 campaign. The only two great performances by the defense out of the entire season came from a 44–23 home win against
20460-435: The pot, and received cash payments based on their performance in the previous week's game. For instance, a special teamer who downed a kick returner inside the receiving team's 20-yard-line earned $ 100. Players could also be fined for mental mistakes and penalties. Players also received "bounties" for "cartoffs" (plays in which an opponent was removed from the field on a stretcher or cart) and "knockouts" (plays that resulted in
20625-470: The previous week's games with host Rich Eisen every Wednesday during the season. In June 2010, it was announced that Pereira would be joining Fox Sports to serve as a rules analyst for the network's college and NFL coverage . He began a column on FoxSports.com and started to provide commentary during Fox Sports football telecasts. During Week 1 of the 2010 NFL season, Pereira correctly predicted that referee Gene Steratore would rule what appeared to be
20790-501: The program soon after his arrival in 2009, and alleged that "between 22 and 27 Saints players" were involved. Williams and the players pooled their own money to pay out performance bonuses. It also asserted that head coach Sean Payton tried to cover up the scheme, and that he and general manager Mickey Loomis failed to shut it down when ordered to do so by team owner Tom Benson . Since then, Williams has been accused of operating similar schemes during his tenure as defensive coordinator of
20955-405: The record to 4–2, but the team bounced back with a 62–7 blowout win against the struggling Indianapolis Colts . A surprise loss to the St. Louis Rams resulted in the record dropping to 5–3. In the next seven weeks the Saints beat talented teams such as the eventual Super Bowl XLVI champion New York Giants , Detroit Lions , and Atlanta Falcons , bringing their season record to 12–3. To cap off
21120-484: The rest of the season. The team failed to hold its momentum however, and lost the next three games, including a loss at Atlanta that also marked the end of Brees' record touchdown streak after 54 games, and a 52–27 blowout loss to the Giants that dropped the Saints to 5–8. Despite winning 2 of their last 3 games, and Brees again leading the league with 5,177 passing yards (his third time to surpass 5,000 yards, as he remained
21285-424: The revelations "an embarrassment for one of the most successful and beloved sports organizations of recent years," and that they were "particularly hard to take for (Saints') fans" in light of the Saints' rebound after Hurricane Katrina . ESPN columnist Gregg Easterbrook claimed that the Saints' behavior threatened the very integrity of the sport since high school and youth players have long emulated what they see in
21450-418: The risk of perjury and jail time if we were lying, and categorically denied there was a bounty," Vilma said in a text message to ESPN's Ed Werder. "Seven people testified, 2 sworn affidavits all saying the same thing. I ask that you and ESPN report the facts. No more bias or b.s. or hearsay. I gave you facts that you can report if so choose." Tulane University Sports Law Program Director Gabe Feldman (who attended
21615-536: The scheme could face fines or suspensions, and the Saints could be docked picks in the 2012 NFL draft and future drafts. Benson issued a statement on the Saints' Website saying, "I have been made aware of the NFL’s findings relative to the “Bounty Rule” and how it relates to our club. I have offered and the NFL has received our full cooperation in their investigation. While the findings may be troubling, we look forward to putting this behind us and winning more championships in
21780-411: The scheme in the NFL's initial announcements—to be banned from the league for life. His sentiments were echoed a day later by Vikings center John Sullivan , who told KFXN-FM in the Twin Cities that any Saint who deliberately tried to hurt Favre in that game should get a lifetime ban. Sullivan called the Saints' treatment of Favre "despicable" and "the exact opposite of sportsmanship," and even called for
21945-423: The season and was replaced by senior defensive assistant Dennis Allen . The Saints had strong play from their 2015 draft class . The Saints' first pick Andrus Peat started at right tackle and left guard at certain points in the season, and other first-round pick Stephone Anthony finished his rookie season with 112 tackles, one sack, one interception, and two forced fumbles. He had two scores, both coming against
22110-558: The season with four straight losses and a last-place spot in the NFC South. The team finally broke through with a win in Week 5, against the San Diego Chargers, a game that also saw quarterback Drew Brees break Johnny Unitas's longstanding record for consecutive games with a touchdown pass. After their bye week, the Saints went on to win 4 of their next 5 games, to bring their record to an even 5–5. Joe Vitt returned after his six-game suspension to serve as interim head coach for
22275-478: The season, quarterback Drew Brees broke the single-season passing record held for over 25 years, on the way to a Saints division-winning game. The Saints won the NFC South title on December 26 and ended the 2011 season as the third seed in the NFC. They finished with a 13–3 record, beating Carolina 45–17 and also giving running back Darren Sproles the record for most all-purpose yards in a single season. The team broke numerous records that year including most yards in
22440-568: The season, the Saints proceeded to win their next 8 games en route to an 11–5 finish, winning their first NFC South title since 2011. The Saints' turnaround was largely attributable to their draft , where they drafted cornerback Marshon Lattimore , offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk , safety Marcus Williams , and running back Alvin Kamara . It is widely considered one of the best draft classes in NFL history. The defense drastically improved, as they allowed just 20.4 points per game while finishing third in
22605-411: The season-long bans Paul Hornung and Alex Karras received in 1963 for gambling. Freeman wrote that his sources in the league office had told him that the players, Williams, Payton and Loomis would all face suspensions of at least six games, as well as heavy fines. Freeman's sources also said that Payton's sanctions were likely to dwarf those handed down to the New England Patriots ' Bill Belichick in
22770-402: The second consecutive Saints coach to win a division title in his first season. After the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Dallas Cowboys 23–7 on Christmas Day 2006, the Saints clinched a first-round playoff bye for the first time in franchise history, finishing the regular season with a record of 10–6. After the first-round bye, the Saints beat the Philadelphia Eagles 27–24 in the Superdome in
22935-478: The second straight season with Sean Payton as the head coach, but finish just 3–5 on the road. Key losses included a 7–34 blowout against the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football in Seattle which cost them homefield advantage throughout the playoffs, a 16–27 upset against the St. Louis Rams in St. Louis which led to the Saints needing to win their next game against Carolina to control their own playoff destiny, and
23100-405: The second team to do so in NFL history. In 2003 , the Saints again missed the playoffs after finishing 8–8. The 2004 season started poorly for the Saints , as they went 2–4 through their first six games and 4–8 through their first twelve games. At that point Haslett's job appeared to be in jeopardy; however, he managed to win the three straight games leading up to the season finale, leaving
23265-400: The sidelines. In June 2012, the league revealed that it possessed a ledger detailing the weekly earnings of the players, which are earned for cartoffs ($ 1000) and "whacks" ($ 400) and deducted for "mental errors." However, on July 26, 2012, Vilma and seven witnesses from the Saints testified in front of a federal judge in New Orleans that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell got his facts wrong in
23430-482: The start of the 2023 season. During the 2023 season, The Saints brought in a new quarterback in Derek Carr hoping that he would solidify the position. Dennis Allen and the Saints had one of the easiest schedules in the league, but finished with a 9–8 record missing the playoffs after a 3rd straight season. Dennis Allen was fired on November 4, 2024, following a 23–22 loss to division rivals Carolina Panthers and
23595-474: The state of Louisiana (with the location of New Orleans marked with a star in the state outline). The logo replaced the striping pattern that had been on the uniforms since the team's inception; save for color variations, the striping pattern was similar to that used by the Washington Redskins (until 1979), Green Bay Packers (until 1997), and Cleveland Browns (until 2014), which is likely why
23760-411: The story broke, Williams issued a statement calling his involvement "a terrible mistake." Williams said that he knew all along the slush fund broke the rules, and that "I should have stopped it" rather than get further involved. Goodell said in a statement that he found it "particularly disturbing" that the Saints were deliberately trying to injure other players. He said that players and coaches involved in
23925-554: The team had sold out the Louisiana Superdome for the entire season with season tickets alone (68,354 seats), a first in franchise history. The September 25, home opener, the first home game in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina , was won by the Saints 23–3 against the Atlanta Falcons , who were undefeated in the 2006 season at that time. The attendance for the game was a sellout crowd of 70,003. Meanwhile,
24090-400: The team's first majority stockholder. The team's colors, black and gold, symbolized both Mecom's and New Orleans' strong ties to the oil industry. Trumpeter Al Hirt was part owner of the team. Tom Fears was named as the team's first head coach. The inaugural game on September 17, 1967 , started with Saints receiver John Gilliam returning the opening kickoff 94-yards for a touchdown, in
24255-553: The team's first-ever playoff win. The team lost the following week to the Minnesota Vikings . After winning the 2000 NFL Executive of the Year Award, General Manager Randy Mueller was fired between the 2001 and 2002 seasons without explanation by Benson. The Saints failed to make the playoffs in 2001 and 2002, although in the latter year they had the distinction of beating the eventual Super Bowl XXXVII champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers in both of their regular-season meetings, only
24420-473: The televised opening festivities of the evening would begin with Taylor Swift and Dave Matthews Band . On December 27, 2010, with a 17–14 win against the Atlanta Falcons in Atlanta, the Saints clinched a playoff appearance (wild card). This marked the first time a team in the NFC South had made back-to-back playoff appearances since the division was formed in 2002. The Saints would face the Seattle Seahawks for
24585-457: The time, Michael Ornstein, was closely involved in the scheme from the beginning, having pledged $ 10,000 to the pot in 2009 in addition to an undisclosed amount in 2011. After later investigations in the 2012 offseason, the NFL also found evidence that the Saints put bounties on several Seattle Seahawks players during their 2011 wildcard playoffs game . Specific players targeted included Matt Hasselbeck , Marshawn Lynch , and Mike Williams . It
24750-516: The wake of the 2007 "Spygate" affair. He also believed that Goodell was going to use the scandal to "end the practice of bounty football forever," much like the penalties imposed against the Patriots after "Spygate" effectively ended the longstanding practice of illicit videotaping. After the sanctions were announced, CBSSports.com's Gregg Doyel wrote that the severity of the punishments handed down to Williams, Payton and Loomis proved that Goodell
24915-414: The wild-card opener at Qwest Field. The Seahawks were the first NFL team to capture their division with a sub-.500 regular-season record (7–9). Drew Brees completed a postseason-record 39 passes for 404 yards and two touchdowns. Despite throwing 60 passes and hindered by a lack of depth at running back, last year's Super Bowl MVP was not intercepted and rallied the Saints within 34–30 in the fourth quarter. In
25080-469: The worst passing defense in NFL history. They also set the NFL record in opposing passer rating (116.2), while finishing last in points allowed (29.8) and yards allowed per play (6.6). Atrocious play by defensive captain Brandon Browner, who set the NFL record for most penalties with 23, did not help the struggling Saints defense. Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan was fired near the half-way point in
25245-431: Was a stunning finish in which Vikings quarterback Case Keenum completed a pass towards the sideline to Stefon Diggs , then Marcus Williams missed a tackle and Diggs was able to run to the end zone for a 61-yard touchdown with no time left on the clock. On March 15, 2018, the Saints' owner Tom Benson died from flu at the age of 90 after he was hospitalized on February 16, 2018. Benson's wife Gayle Benson succeeded him as
25410-412: Was acting on direct orders from Williams, with at least one being so outraged that he threatened to "punch [Williams] in the face" the next time they met. Vikings owner Zygi Wilf even went as far as to complain to the league about what happened to Favre, though no action was taken at the time. Favre took such a severe beating that Vikings punter Chris Kluwe and placekicker Ryan Longwell wondered during
25575-437: Was also revealed that the Saints' bounty on Favre was worth up to $ 35,000. In addition to Vilma's contribution to the pot, Ornstein and Saints defensive end Charles Grant each pledged $ 10,000, while Vitt pledged $ 5,000. The league found that Payton not only knew about the scheme, but tried to cover it up during both league investigations. During the 2010 investigation, Payton told Williams and Vitt to "make sure our ducks are in
25740-529: Was certain that Williams operated a similar bounty system while he was defensive coordinator of the Oilers/Titans from 1997 to 2000. He also believes that Williams put a bounty on Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning during Super Bowl XLIV, and targeted Manning on several occasions while with the Titans. The revelation of the bounty system also caused renewed speculation about a 2006 game between
25905-411: Was ever a bounty program in place. In an interview with NFL Network 's Rich Eisen , Goodell said that the threat to player safety, as well as the fact the Saints lied about it, demanded significant punishment. "I don't think you can be too hard on people that put at risk our players' health and safety," Goodell told Eisen. He reiterated this in an interview later that day with ESPN's Schefter, saying that
26070-492: Was hired to replace Mora. Although this initially generated a lot of excitement among Saints fans, Ditka's tenure ended up being a failure. The Saints went 6–10 in their first two seasons under Ditka ( 1997 and 1998 ). During the 1999 NFL draft , Ditka traded all of his picks for that season, as well as the first-round and third-round picks for the following season, to the Washington Redskins in order to draft University of Texas Heisman Trophy running back Ricky Williams in
26235-415: Was indeed a "bounty" program in place. League officials, convinced that this information was irrefutable evidence a program was indeed in place, alerted Benson of their findings just before the Saints' first-round playoff game against the Detroit Lions . The investigation continued during the 2011–12 playoffs and continued through the 2012 offseason. On March 2, 2012, ESPN 's Adam Schefter reported that
26400-581: Was only the second playoff win in team history. The season ended on January 21, 2007, when the Saints lost a 39–14 blowout to the Chicago Bears in the NFC Championship game . The Saints announced that for the second year in a row, the Louisiana Superdome had sold out every ticket for the season. The first game of the season was against the defending Super Bowl XLI champion Indianapolis Colts . The Saints lost this game, 41–10, and lost their next three games. In one of these three games, against
26565-578: Was sacked six times, and nearly lost his voice when a Saints player kicked him in the throat. Later in the game, offensive tackle Frank Omiyale yanked a Saints defender off Cutler when he saw what he later called "some dirty stuff." Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman reported that the Saints tendency toward illegal hits was common knowledge among the Tampa Bay coaching staff. Preparations for Saints games included warnings to offensive players to keep their knees protected, especially on plays near
26730-451: Was seen by many to represent the city's resurgence after the devastating Hurricane Katrina. The Saints' 2010 season began in the Superdome as the defending Super Bowl champions defeated the Minnesota Vikings 14–9, in a rematch of the 2009 NFC Championship Game. It was played on Thursday, September 9, 2010, and televised on NBC, making it the first time the Saints have opened the NFL's season at home. On Sunday, August 8, 2010, NBC announced
26895-403: Was suspended indefinitely, though this would be overturned the following year. Head coach Sean Payton was suspended for the entire 2012 season —the first time since Chuck Fairbanks in 1978 that a head coach had been suspended and the first time a head coach was suspended by the league. General manager Mickey Loomis was suspended for the first eight games of the 2012 season—the first time that
27060-560: Was the team's most successful season, which culminated in the franchise's first league championship win against the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV . After achieving a record of 13–0 with their win over the Atlanta Falcons , it marked the Saints' best start to a season in its franchise history. The result clinched an NFC playoff berth and a bye in the first round of the playoffs. By winning their first 13 games,
27225-406: Was truly sincere in his desire to "take the thuggishness out of the NFL." Doyel also said that while many players had chafed at what they saw as Goodell's heavy-handed approach to discipline, he was actually standing up for their safety in the Saints' case. Pereira, now an analyst for Fox Sports, wrote that based on his experience in the league office, he wasn't surprised that Goodell came down hard on
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