2017 New Orleans Saints season

The 2017 season was the New Orleans Saints' 51st in the National Football League (NFL), their 42nd playing home games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and their 11th under head coach Sean Payton. Thanks to a significantly improved defense and consistent quality on offense, the team improved on their 7–9 output from the previous three seasons, while achieving an eight-game winning streak after losing their first two contests, their longest streak (tied with their 2011 team) since 2009, when they won Super Bowl XLIV. In Week 13 the Saints clinched their first winning season since 2013 and swept the Carolina Panthers for the first time since 2011. In Week 16, the Saints clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2013 by defeating the Atlanta Falcons. In Week 17, the Saints clinched the NFC South for the first time since 2011 with the Panthers loss to the Falcons. This was the first of four consecutive NFC South titles for the Saints. On January 7, 2018 the Saints played their divisional rival Carolina Panthers in the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. They beat Carolina 31–26 in the Wild Card, but lost 29–24 to the Minnesota Vikings in the Divisional Round in a shocking ending.

2017 New Orleans Saints season
Owner	Tom Benson
General manager	Mickey Loomis
Head coach	Sean Payton
Offensive coordinator	Pete Carmichael Jr.
Defensive coordinator	Dennis Allen
Home stadium	Mercedes-Benz Superdome
Results
Record	11–5
Division place	1st NFC South
Playoffs	Won Wild Card Playoffs (vs. Panthers) 31–26 Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Vikings) 24–29
All-Pros	2 DE Cameron Jordan (1st team) FLEX Alvin Kamara (2nd team)
Pro Bowlers	7 QB Drew Brees RB Mark Ingram II RB Alvin Kamara WR Michael Thomas G Larry Warford DE Cameron Jordan CB Marshon Lattimore
Uniform
← 2016 Saints seasons 2018 →

This year was Tom Benson's final season as owner of the Saints, as he died at the age of 90 on March 15, 2018 from influenza.^[1]

Offseason

Signings

Position	Player	Age	2016 Team	Contract
OG	Larry Warford	25	Detroit Lions	4 years, $34 million
DT	Nick Fairley	29	New Orleans Saints	4 years, $28 million
LB	A. J. Klein	25	Carolina Panthers	4 years, $24 million
WR	Ted Ginn Jr.	32	Carolina Panthers	3 years, $11 million
RB	Adrian Peterson	32	Minnesota Vikings	2 years, $7 million
LB	Manti Te'o	26	San Diego Chargers	2 years, $5 million
OLB	Alex Okafor	26	Arizona Cardinals	1 year, $2 million
DE	Darryl Tapp	32	New Orleans Saints	1 year, $1 million
TE	John Phillips	29	New Orleans Saints	1 year, $980,000
CB	Sterling Moore	27	New Orleans Saints	1 year, $900,000
QB	Chase Daniel	30	Philadelphia Eagles	1 year, $900,000
FS	Rafael Bush	29	Detroit Lions	1 year, $855,000
RB	Travaris Cadet	28	New Orleans Saints	1 year, $855,000

Releases

Position	Player	Age	2017 Team
OLB	Kasim Edebali	27	Denver Broncos
RB	Tim Hightower	30	San Francisco 49ers
G	Tim Lelito	27	Tennessee Titans
CB	B. W. Webb	27	Chicago Bears
S	Jairus Byrd	30	Carolina Panthers
DE	Paul Kruger	31	TBD
SS	Roman Harper	34	TBD
OG	Jahri Evans	33	Green Bay Packers
CB	Kyle Wilson	29	TBD

Draft

Main article: 2017 NFL draft

2017 New Orleans Saints Draft

Round	Selection	Player	Position	College
1	11	Marshon Lattimore	CB	Ohio State
	32	Ryan Ramczyk	OT	Wisconsin
2	42	Marcus Williams	FS	Utah
3	67	Alvin Kamara	RB	Tennessee
	76	Alex Anzalone	OLB	Florida
	103	Trey Hendrickson	DE	Florida Atlantic
6	196	Al-Quadin Muhammad	DE	Miami

Staff

2017 New Orleans Saints staff

Front office Owner – Tom Benson President – Dennis Lauscha Executive vice president/general manager – Mickey Loomis Asst general manager/college scouting director – Jeff Ireland Vice president of football administration – Khai Harley Director of operations – James Nagaoka Director of pro scouting – Terry Fontenot Head coaches Head coach – Sean Payton Assistant head coach/tes – Dan Campbell Assistant to the head coach – Kevin Petry Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Pete Carmichael Quarterbacks – Joe Lombardi Running backs – Joel Thomas Senior offensive assistant/wide receivers – Curtis Johnson Assistant wide receivers – Ronald Curry Offensive line – Dan Roushar Assistant offensive line – Brendan Nugent Offensive assistant – Joe Brady

Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Dennis Allen Defensive line – Ryan Nielsen Linebackers – Mike Nolan Secondary – Aaron Glenn Senior defensive assistant – Peter Giunta Defensive assistant/linebackers – Michael Hodges Defensive assistant – Leigh Torrence Pass rush specialist – Brian Young Special teams coaches Special teams coordinator – Bradford Banta Assistant special teams – Kevin O'Dea Strength and conditioning Head strength and conditioning – Dan Dalrymple Assistant strength and conditioning – Charles Byrd Assistant strength and conditioning – Rob Wenning

Final roster

2017 New Orleans Saints roster

Quarterbacks (QB)  9 Drew Brees 10 Chase Daniel  7 Taysom Hill Running backs (RB) 33 Trey Edmunds 22 Mark Ingram 41 Alvin Kamara 42 Zach Line FB 27 Jonathan Williams Wide receivers (WR) 80 Austin Carr 16 Brandon Coleman 19 Ted Ginn Jr. 11 Tommylee Lewis 83 Willie Snead 13 Michael Thomas Tight ends (TE) 45 Garrett Griffin 89 Josh Hill 84 Michael Hoomanawanui

Offensive linemen (OL) 72 Terron Armstead LT 77 John Fullington G 65 Senio Kelemete G 61 Josh LeRibeus G 75 Andrus Peat G 71 Ryan Ramczyk RT 63 Cameron Tom C 60 Max Unger C 67 Larry Warford G Defensive linemen (DL) 95 Tyeler Davison DT 91 Trey Hendrickson DE 90 George Johnson DE 94 Cameron Jordan DE 76 Tony McDaniel DT 97 Al-Quadin Muhammad DE 93 David Onyemata DT 98 Sheldon Rankins DT

Linebackers (LB) 58 Kasim Edebali OLB 55 Jonathan Freeny OLB 50 Gerald Hodges OLB 56 Michael Mauti OLB 52 Craig Robertson OLB 51 Manti Te'o MLB Defensive backs (DB) 31 Chris Banjo SS 48 Vonn Bell FS 25 Rafael Bush FS 20 Ken Crawley CB 34 Justin Hardee CB 23 Marshon Lattimore CB 37 Arthur Maulet CB 24 Sterling Moore CB 43 Marcus Williams FS 26 P. J. Williams CB Special teams (ST)  3 Wil Lutz K  6 Thomas Morstead P 49 Zach Wood LS

Practice squad 99 Adam Bighill OLB 14 Travin Dural WR 81 Alex Ellis TE 96 Woodrow Hamilton DT 21 De'Vante Harris CB 69 Gabe Ikard C 74 Alex Jenkins DE (IPP) 59 Shayne Skov OLB 62 Nate Theaker G 28 Mykkele Thompson FS 78 Landon Turner G Reserve 66 Jack Allen C (IR) 47 Alex Anzalone OLB (IR) 85 Dan Arnold WR (IR) 40 Delvin Breaux CB (IR) 90 Nick Fairley DT (NF-Ill.) 82 Coby Fleener TE (IR) 80 Clay Harbor TE (IR) 92 John Hughes DT (IR) 44 Hau'oli Kikaha OLB (IR) 53 A. J. Klein OLB (IR) 29 John Kuhn FB (IR) 36 Daniel Lasco RB (IR) 68 Devaroe Lawrence DT (NF-Inj.) 70 Mitchell Loewen DE (IR) 57 Alex Okafor DE (IR) 58 David Parry DT (IR) 64 Zach Strief T (IR) 54 Nate Stupar MLB (IR) 32 Kenny Vaccaro SS (IR) Rookies in italics 53 active, 19 reserve, 11 practice squad

Preseason

After three years of holding training camp at The Greenbrier resort in West Virginia, the Saints opted to move camp back to the team's headquarters facility in Metairie, Louisiana.^[2]

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
1	August 10	at Cleveland Browns	L 14–20	0–1	FirstEnergy Stadium	Recap
2	August 20	at Los Angeles Chargers	W 13–7	1–1	StubHub Center	Recap
3	August 26	Houston Texans	W 13–0	2–1	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap
4	August 31	Baltimore Ravens	L 13–14	2–2	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap

Regular season

Schedule

On December 13, 2016, the NFL announced that the Saints will play the Miami Dolphins as one of the London Games at Wembley Stadium in London, England, with the Dolphins serving as the home team.^[3] The game will occur during Week 4 (Sunday, October 1), and will be televised in the United States. The network and time will be announced in conjunction with the release of the regular season schedule.^[4]

The Saints' 2017 schedule was revealed on April 20.^[5]

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
1	September 11	at Minnesota Vikings	L 19–29	0–1	U.S. Bank Stadium	Recap
2	September 17	New England Patriots	L 20–36	0–2	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap
3	September 24	at Carolina Panthers	W 34–13	1–2	Bank of America Stadium	Recap
4	October 1	at Miami Dolphins	W 20–0	2–2	Wembley Stadium (London)	Recap
5	Bye
6	October 15	Detroit Lions	W 52–38	3–2	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap
7	October 22	at Green Bay Packers	W 26–17	4–2	Lambeau Field	Recap
8	October 29	Chicago Bears	W 20–12	5–2	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap
9	November 5	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 30–10	6–2	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap
10	November 12	at Buffalo Bills	W 47–10	7–2	New Era Field	Recap
11	November 19	Washington Redskins	W 34–31 (OT)	8–2	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap
12	November 26	at Los Angeles Rams	L 20–26	8–3	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum	Recap
13	December 3	Carolina Panthers	W 31–21	9–3	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap
14	December 7	at Atlanta Falcons	L 17–20	9–4	Mercedes-Benz Stadium	Recap
15	December 17	New York Jets	W 31–19	10–4	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap
16	December 24	Atlanta Falcons	W 23–13	11–4	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap
17	December 31	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	L 24–31	11–5	Raymond James Stadium	Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at Minnesota Vikings

Week One: New Orleans Saints at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	3	3	3	10	19
Vikings	3	13	3	10	29

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

• Date: September 11
• Game time: 6:10 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Referee: Gene Steratore
• TV announcers (ESPN): Sean McDonough, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter NO – Wil Lutz 43-yard field goal, 8:21. Saints 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 56 yards, 6:39. MIN – Kai Forbath 24-yard field goal, 1:01. Tied 3–3. Drive: 14 plays, 78 yards, 7:20. Second quarter NO – Wil Lutz 21-yard field goal, 5:26. Saints 6–3. Drive: 13 plays, 74 yards, 6:49. MIN – Stefon Diggs 18-yard pass from Sam Bradford (Kai Forbath kick), 4:08. Vikings 10–6. Drive: 3 plays, 74 yards, 1:18. MIN – Stefon Diggs 2-yard pass from Sam Bradford (kick failed, wide right), 0:03. Vikings 16–6. Drive: 10 plays, 95 yards, 1:40. Third quarter MIN – Kai Forbath 32-yard field goal, 11:07. Vikings 19–6. Drive: 8 plays, 54 yards, 3:53. NO – Wil Lutz 24-yard field goal, 2:43. Vikings 19–9. Drive: 8 plays, 83 yards, 2:46. Fourth quarter MIN – Kyle Rudolph 15-yard pass from Sam Bradford (Kai Forbath kick), 12:52. Vikings 26–9. Drive: 9 plays, 89 yards, 4:51. NO – Wil Lutz 20-yard field goal, 7:49. Vikings 26–12. Drive: 12 plays, 73 yards, 5:03. MIN – Kai Forbath 45-yard field goal, 4:00. Vikings 29–12. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 3:49. NO – Coby Fleener 8-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 1:56. Vikings 29–19. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 2:04. Top passers NO – Drew Brees – 27/37, 291 yards, TD MIN – Sam Bradford – 27/32, 346 yards, 3 TD Top rushers NO – Adrian Peterson – 6 rushes, 18 yards MIN – Dalvin Cook – 22 rushes, 127 yards Top receivers NO – Coby Fleener – 5 receptions, 54 yards, TD MIN – Adam Thielen – 9 receptions, 157 yards Top tacklers NO – A. J. Klein - 8 tackles, 3 assists MIN – Trae Waynes - 9 tackles, 2 assists

In a playoff preview between these 2 teams, the Saints lost to the Vikings by a score of 29-19. Despite having a 6-3 lead at one time, the Saints were outscored 26-16 for the remainder of the game. With the loss, the Saints began the season 0-1 for the 4th straight season. It was also running back Adrian Peterson's first time playing in Minneapolis since leaving the Vikings via free agency in the offseason.

Week 2: vs. New England Patriots

Week Two: New England Patriots at New Orleans Saints – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	20	10	3	3	36
Saints	3	10	0	7	20

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

• Date: September 17
• Game time: 12:00 pm. CDT
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 73,168
• Referee: Craig Wrolstad
• TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter NE – Rex Burkhead 19-yard pass from Tom Brady (kick failed, hit left upright), 10:31. Patriots 6–0. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:29. NO – Wil Lutz 46-yard field goal, 7:43. Patriots 6–3. Drive: 7 plays, 34 yards, 2:53. NE – Rob Gronkowski 53-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 5:42. Patriots 13–3. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:09. NE – Chris Hogan 13-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 0:16. Patriots 20–3. Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 3:53. Second quarter NO – Brandon Coleman 5-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 11:52. Patriots 20–10. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:24. NO – Wil Lutz 35-yard field goal, 8:23. Patriots 20–13. Drive: 7 plays, 45 yards, 2:13. NE – Mike Gillislee 2-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 4:52. Patriots 27–13. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:31. NE – Stephen Gostkowski 28-yard field goal, 0:02. Patriots 30–13. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 2:23. Third quarter NE – Stephen Gostkowski 24-yard field goal, 0:44. Patriots 33–13. Drive: 9 plays, 55 yards, 4:15. Fourth quarter NE – Stephen Gostkowski 27-yard field goal, 8:54. Patriots 36–13. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:30. NO – Coby Fleener 4-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 5:04. Patriots 36–20. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 3:45. Top passers NE – Tom Brady – 30/39, 447 yards, 3 TD NO – Drew Brees – 27/45, 356 yards, 2 TD Top rushers NE – Mike Gillislee – 18 rushes, 69 yards, TD NO – Mark Ingram II – 8 rushes, 52 yards Top receivers NE – Rob Gronkowski – 6 receptions, 116 yards, TD NO – Michael Thomas – 5 receptions, 89 yards Top tacklers NE – Patrick Chung and Elandon Roberts - 7 tackles, 1 assist NO – P. J. Williams – 8 tackles, 2 assists

The Saints lose to the defending Super Bowl champions, New England Patriots, thus dropping their record to 0-2.

Week 3: at Carolina Panthers

Week Three: New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	7	10	7	10	34
Panthers	3	3	7	0	13

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

• Date: September 24
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 pm. CDT
• Game weather: 82 °F (28 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 73,775
• Referee: Bill Vinovich
• TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Ronde Barber and Kristina Pink
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter CAR – Graham Gano 32-yard field goal, 6:23. Panthers 3–0. Drive: 15 plays, 61 yards, 8:41. NO – Michael Thomas 5-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 0:29. Saints 7–3. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 5:57. Second quarter CAR – Graham Gano 48-yard field goal, 10:52. Saints 7–6. Drive: 8 plays, 45 yards, 4:36. NO – Brandon Coleman 11-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 5:48. Saints 14–6. Drive: 4 plays, 24 yards, 2:08. NO – Wil Lutz 33-yard field goal, 0:05. Saints 17–6. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 4:43. Third quarter NO – Ted Ginn Jr. 40-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 11:18. Saints 24–6. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:51. CAR – Cam Newton 3-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 1:26. Saints 24–13. Drive: 7 plays, 83 yards, 4:11. Fourth quarter NO – Wil Lutz 50-yard field goal, 12:03. Saints 27–13. Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 4:21. NO – Alvin Kamara 25-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 4:50. Saints 34–13. Drive: 4 plays, 35 yards, 2:16. Top passers NO – Drew Brees – 22/29, 220 yards, 3 TD CAR – Cam Newton – 17/26, 167 yards, 3 INT Top rushers NO – Mark Ingram II – 14 rushes, 56 yards CAR – Jonathan Stewart – 12 rushes, 57 yards Top receivers NO – Michael Thomas – 7 receptions, 87 yards, TD CAR – Christian McCaffrey – 9 receptions, 101 yards

The Saints gain their first victory of the season against the Carolina Panthers. They improve to 1-2.

Week 4: at Miami Dolphins

NFL London Games

Week Four: New Orleans Saints at Miami Dolphins – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	0	3	7	10	20
Dolphins	0	0	0	0	0

at Wembley Stadium, London, England

• Date: October 1
• Game time: 2:30 p.m. BST/8:30 am. CDT
• Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C), clear
• Game attendance: 84,423
• Referee: Ed Hochuli
• TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Charles Davis and Pam Oliver
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter NO – Wil Lutz 43-yard field goal, 0:00. Saints 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 25 yards, 1:10. Third quarter NO – Michael Thomas 3-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 9:01. Saints 10–0. Drive: 11 plays, 77 yards, 5:59. Fourth quarter NO – Wil Lutz 45-yard field goal, 12:32. Saints 13–0. Drive: 12 plays, 34 yards, 6:37. NO – Alvin Kamara 12-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 3:57. Saints 20–0. Drive: 11 plays, 87 yards, 5:41. Top passers NO – Drew Brees – 29/41, 268 yards, 2 TD MIA – Jay Cutler – 20/28, 164 yards, INT Top rushers NO – Mark Ingram II – 14 carries, 45 yards MIA – Jay Ajayi – 12 carries, 46 yards Top receivers NO – Michael Thomas – 8 receptions, 89 yards, TD MIA – DeVante Parker – 6 receptions, 69 yards

Hoping to improve their record to 2-2, the Saints flew to London to take on the Miami Dolphins. With the shutout victory, the Saints improved their season record in the process.

Week 6: vs. Detroit Lions

Week Six: Detroit Lions at New Orleans Saints – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Lions	7	3	14	14	38
Saints	17	14	14	7	52

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

• Date: October 15
• Game time: 12:00 pm. CDT
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 73,117
• Referee: Jeff Triplette
• TV announcers (Fox): Dan Hellie, Chris Spielman and Peter Schrager
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter NO – Kenny Vaccaro fumble recovery in end zone (Wil Lutz kick), 11:02. Saints 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, -2 yards, 0:54. DET – Golden Tate 45-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 7:02. Tied 7–7. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 4:00. NO – Ted Ginn Jr. 20-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 4:56. Saints 14–7. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 2:06. NO – Wil Lutz 41-yard field goal, 0:04. Saints 17–7. Drive: 9 plays, 69 yards, 3:50. Second quarter NO – Mark Ingram II 1-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 10:46. Saints 24–7. Drive: 6 plays, 31 yards, 2:55. DET – Matt Prater 41-yard field goal, 6:38. Saints 24–10. Drive: 8 plays, 53 yards, 4:08. NO – Mark Ingram II 2-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 1:48. Saints 31–10. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 4:50. Third quarter NO – Michael Hoomanawanui 2-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 9:17. Saints 38–10. Drive: 7 plays, 54 yards, 3:18. NO – Marshon Lattimore 27-yard interception return (Wil Lutz kick), 8:34. Saints 45–10. Drive: 2 plays, 2 yards, 0:43. DET – Marvin Jones Jr. 22-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 5:56. Saints 45–17. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:38. DET – Darren Fells 22-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 1:21. Saints 45–24. Drive: 11 plays, 61 yards, 3:16. Fourth quarter DET – Jamal Agnew 74-yard punt return (Matt Prater kick), 11:03. Saints 45–31. DET – A'Shawn Robinson 2-yard interception return (Matt Prater kick), 6:41. Saints 45–38. Drive: 2 plays, -4 yards, 0:48. NO – Cameron Jordan interception in end zone (Wil Lutz), 5:04. Saints 52–38. Drive: 2 plays, 0 yards, 0:07. Top passers DET – Matthew Stafford – 25/52, 312 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT NO – Drew Brees – 21/31, 186 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers DET – Ameer Abdullah – 14 carries, 54 yards NO – Mark Ingram II – 25 carries, 114 yards, 2 TD Top receivers DET – Golden Tate – 7 receptions, 96 yards, TD NO – Ted Ginn Jr. – 4 receptions, 66 yards, TD

Coming off with the perfect win over Miami, the Saints host the Lions at home in the Superdome. Cameron Jordan gained popularity for his "spider" tackle, as well as a pick six in the end zone. The Saints would beat the Lions for the first time since the 2011 season, and then improve their record to 3-2.

Week 7: at Green Bay Packers

Week Seven: New Orleans Saints at Green Bay Packers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	0	7	9	10	26
Packers	7	7	0	3	17

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

• Date: October 22
• Game time: 12:00 pm. CDT
• Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C), rain
• Game attendance: 78,380
• Referee: Jerome Boger
• TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Charles Davis and Pam Oliver
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter GB – Aaron Jones 46-yard run (Mason Crosby kick), 13:09. Packers 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:00. Second quarter NO – Mark Ingram II 12-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 12:35. Tied 7–7. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 3:13. GB – Brett Hundley 14-yard run (Mason Crosby kick), 08:45. Packers 14–7. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:54. Third quarter NO – Brandon Coleman 22-yard pass from Drew Brees, 11:29. Packers 14–13. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 3:36. NO – Wil Lutz 28-yard field goal, 4:12. Saints 16–14. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 4:40. Fourth quarter GB – Mason Crosby 46-yard field goal, 14:50. Packers 17–16. Drive: 10 plays, 53 yards, 4:18. NO – Wil Lutz 44-yard field goal, 10:26. Saints 19–17. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 4:29. NO – Drew Brees 1-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 4:57. Saints 26–17. Drive: 8 plays, 55 yards, 3:30. Top passers NO – Drew Brees – 27/38, 331 yards, TD, 2 INT GB – Brett Hundley – 12/25, 87 yards, INT Top rushers NO – Mark Ingram II – 22 rushes, 105 yards, TD GB – Aaron Jones – 17 rushes, 131 yards, TD Top receivers NO – Ted Ginn Jr. – 7 receptions, 141 yards GB – Martellus Bennett – 2 receptions, 17 yards

Week 8: vs. Chicago Bears

Week Eight: Chicago Bears at New Orleans Saints – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears	0	3	3	6	12
Saints	7	7	0	6	20

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

• Date: October 29
• Game time: 12:00 pm. CDT
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 73,192
• Referee: Carl Cheffers
• TV announcers (Fox): Justin Kutcher, Chris Spielman and Jennifer Hale
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter NO – Alvin Kamara 8-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 11:08. Saints 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 81 yards, 3:52. Second quarter CHI – Connor Barth 27-yard field goal, 14:52. Saints 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 67 yards, 5:25. NO – Mark Ingram II 1-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 3:41. Saints 14–3. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:30. Third quarter CHI – Connor Barth 44-yard field goal, 5:42. Saints 14–6. Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 3:31. Fourth quarter- NO – Wil Lutz 45-yard field goal, 12:54. Saints 17–6. Drive: 7 plays, 26 yards, 2:26. CHI – Tarik Cohen 1-yard run (pass failed), 3:58. Saints 17–12. Drive: 10 plays, 72 yards, 3:34. NO – Wil Lutz 49-yard field goal, 1:35. Saints 20–12. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 0:16. Top passers CHI – Mitchell Trubisky – 14/32, 164 yards, INT NO – Drew Brees – 23/28, 299 yards Top rushers CHI – Jordan Howard – 23 rushes, 102 yards NO – Mark Ingram II – 18 rushes, 75 yards, TD Top receivers CHI – Tre McBride – 3 receptions, 92 yards NO – Michael Thomas – 7 receptions, 77 yards Top tacklers CHI – Danny Trevathan – 9 tackles, 4 assists NO – Kenny Vaccaro – 6 tackles, 3 assists

Week 9: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week Nine: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Buccaneers	0	3	0	7	10
Saints	9	7	14	0	30

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

• Date: November 5
• Game time: 12:00 pm. CST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 73,121
• Referee: Bill Vinovich
• TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Chris Spielman and Peter Schrager
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter NO – Wil Lutz 40-yard field goal, 8:49. Saints 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 58 yards, 6:11. NO – Justin Hardee 7-yard return of block punt (kick blocked), 6:31. Saints 9–0. Second quarter TB – Patrick Murray 50-yard field goal, 2:57. Saints 9–3. Drive: 10 plays, 40 yards, 5:44. NO – Alvin Kamara 33-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 0:55. Saints 16–3. Drive: 7 plays, 93 yards, 2:02. Third quarter NO – Alvin Kamara 6-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 9:59. Saints 23–3. Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 3:31. NO – Ted Ginn Jr. 36-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 9:39. Saints 30–3. Drive: 1 plays, 36 yards, 0:07. Fourth quarter TB – Luke Stocker 8-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Patrick Murray kick), 6:48. Saints 30–10. Drive: 3 plays, 19 yards, 1:26. Top passers TB – Ryan Fitzpatrick – 8/15, 68 yards, TD NO – Drew Brees – 22/27, 263 yards, 2 TD Top rushers TB – Peyton Barber – 11 carries, 34 yards NO – Mark Ingram II – 16 carries, 77 yards Top receivers TB – DeSean Jackson – 2 receptions, 25 yards NO – Michael Thomas – 8 receptions, 65 yards Top tacklers TB – Ryan Smith - 4 tackles, 5 assists NO – Cameron Jordan - 5 Tackles, 2 assists, 1.5 sacks

Week 10: at Buffalo Bills

Week Ten: New Orleans Saints at Buffalo Bills – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	7	10	20	10	47
Bills	3	0	0	7	10

at New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York

• Date: November 12
• Game time: 1:00 pm. EST/12:00 pm. CST
• Game weather: 42 °F (6 °C), cloudy
• Game attendance: 67,501
• Referee: Terry McAulay
• TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Ronde Barber and Kristina Pink
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter BUF – Stephen Hauschka 37-yard field goal, 10:58. Bills 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 4:02. NO – Mark Ingram II 1-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 6:18. Saints 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:40. Second quarter NO – Mark Ingram II 3-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 9:03. Saints 14–3. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 4:47. NO – Wil Lutz 23-yard field goal, 1:39. Saints 17–3. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:04. Third quarter NO – Alvin Kamara 5-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 9:40. Saints 24–3. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 5:20. NO – Mark Ingram II 3-yard run (Wil Lutz PAT failed), 8:24. Saints 30–3. Drive: 1 play, 3 yards, 0:05. NO – Drew Brees 7-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 0:22. Saints 37–3. Drive: 10 plays, 94 yards, 6:33. Fourth quarter NO – Wil Lutz 53-yard field goal, 4:53. Saints 40–3. Drive: 14 plays, 38 yards, 9:25. NO – Trey Edmunds 41-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 3:04. Saints 47–3. Drive: 2 plays, 44 yards, 0:51. BUF – Nick O'Leary 7-yard pass from Nathan Peterman (Stephen Hauschka kick), 1:54. Saints 47–10. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 1:10. Top passers NO – Drew Brees – 18/25, 184 yards BUF – Nathan Peterman – 7/10, 79 yards, TD Top rushers NO – Mark Ingram II – 21 carries, 131 yards, 3 TD BUF – LeSean McCoy – 8 carries, 49 yards Top receivers NO – Michael Thomas – 9 receptions, 117 yards BUF – Kelvin Benjamin – 3 receptions, 42 yards

Week 11: vs. Washington Redskins

Week Eleven: Washington Redskins at New Orleans Saints – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Redskins	10	7	7	7	0	31
Saints	10	3	0	18	3	34

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

• Date: November 19
• Game time: 12:00 pm. CST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 73,138
• Referee: Walt Coleman
• TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter WSH – Nick Rose 38-yard field goal, 11:40. Redskins 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 27 yards, 2:11. NO – Wil Lutz 52-yard field goal, 5:30. Tied 3–3. Drive: 11 plays, 48 yards, 6:10. WSH – Chris Thompson 16-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Nick Rose kick), 2:11. Redskins 10–3. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:19. NO – Mark Ingram II 36-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 0:35. Tied 10–10. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 1:36. Second quarter WSH – Samaje Perine 1-yard run (Nick Rose kick), 10:44. Redskins 17–10. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:51. NO – Wil Lutz 29-yard field goal, 0:00. Redskins 17–13. Drive: 10 plays, 69 yards, 1:39. Third quarter WSH – Ryan Grant 40-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Nick Rose kick), 1:37. Redskins 24–13. Drive: 12 plays, 94 yards, 5:44. Fourth quarter NO – Wil Lutz 42-yard field goal, 9:19. Redskins 24–16. Drive: 5 plays, 27 yards, 2:02. WSH – Jeremy Sprinkle 7-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Nick Rose kick), 5:58. Redskins 31–16. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:21. NO – Josh Hill 3-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 2:53. Redskins 31–23. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:05. NO – Alvin Kamara 18-yard pass from Drew Brees (Alvin Kamara run for two-point conversion), 1:05. Tied 31–31. Drive: 5 plays, 19 yards, 1:05. Overtime NO – Wil Lutz 28-yard field goal, 7:25. Saints 34–31. Drive: 3 plays, 51 yards, 1:29. Top passers WSH – Kirk Cousins – 22/32, 322 yards, 3 TD NO – Drew Brees – 29/41, 385 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers WSH – Samaje Perine – 23 carries, 117 yards, TD NO – Mark Ingram II – 11 carries, 134 yards, TD Top receivers WSH – Josh Doctson 4 receptions, 81 yards NO – Coby Fleener – 5 receptions, 91 yards

This would be the last time the team allowed a 100-yard rusher until December 13, 2020. This is also the first time since the 2009 season for the Saints to beat the Redskins and the first season to beat Kirk Cousins.

Week 12: at Los Angeles Rams

Week Twelve: New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Rams – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	7	3	0	10	20
Rams	10	7	3	6	26

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California

• Date: November 26
• Game time: 3:25 pm. CST/1:25 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 62,006
• Referee: John Parry
• TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter LAR – Sammy Watkins 5-yard pass from Jared Goff (Greg Zuerlein kick), 10:53. Rams 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 4:07. LAR – Greg Zuerlein 50-yard field goal, 3:02. Rams 10–0. Drive: 11 plays, 51 yards, 5:28. NO – Alvin Kamara 74-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 2:14. Rams 10–7. Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 0:48. Second quarter LAR – Josh Reynolds 7-yard pass from Jared Goff (Greg Zuerlein kick), 4:22. Rams 17–7. Drive: 8 plays, 86 yards, 4:18. NO – Wil Lutz 50-yard field goal, 0:58. Rams 17–10. Drive: 8 plays, 44 yards, 3:24. Third quarter LAR – Greg Zuerlein 46-yard field goal, 3:37. Rams 20–10. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 3:13. Fourth quarter LAR – Greg Zuerlein 49-yard field goal, 14:11. Rams 23–10. Drive: 6 plays, 50 yards, 3:20. NO – Wil Lutz 21-yard field goal, 10:05. Rams 23–13. Drive: 10 plays, 72 yards, 4:06. LAR – Greg Zuerlein 26-yard field goal, 2:27. Rams 26–13. Drive: 13 plays, 67 yards, 5:28. NO – Alvin Kamara 15-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 1:45. Rams 26–20. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 0:42. Top passers NO – Drew Brees – 22/32, 246 yards, TD LAR – Jared Goff – 28/43, 354 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers NO – Alvin Kamara – 5 carries, 87 yards, TD LAR – Todd Gurley – 17 carries, 74 yards Top receivers NO – Ted Ginn Jr. – 7 receptions, 71 yards LAR – Cooper Kupp – 8 receptions, 116 yards Top tacklers NO – Vonn Bell - 8 tackles, 2 assists, 1 sack LAR – Alec Ogletree - 5 tackles, 2 assists

The Saints weren't able to beat the Rams, thus dropping to 8-3.

Week 13: vs. Carolina Panthers

Week Thirteen: Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	7	7	0	7	21
Saints	7	14	7	3	31

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

• Date: December 3
• Game time: 3:25 pm. CST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 73,171
• Referee: John Hussey
• TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter NO – Alvin Kamara 2-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 10:15. Saints 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 70 yards, 4:45. CAR – Jonathan Stewart 2-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 5:09. Tied 7–7. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:06. Second quarter NO – Mark Ingram II 3-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 11:32. Saints 14–7. Drive: 3 plays, 84 yards, 1:36. NO – Michael Thomas 10-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 7:21. Saints 21–7. Drive: 6 plays, 31 yards, 3:18. CAR – Christian McCaffrey 21-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 1:56. Saints 21–14. Drive: 4 plays, 45 yards, 1:54. Third quarter NO – Alvin Kamara 20-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 8:10. Saints 28–14. Drive: 8 plays, 67 yards, 5:04. Fourth quarter NO – Wil Lutz 31-yard field goal, 6:08. Saints 31–14. Drive: 6 plays, 34 yards, 2:47. CAR – Devin Funchess 24-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 3:57. Saints 31–21. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:11. Top passers CAR – Cam Newton – 17/27, 183 yards, 2 TD NO – Drew Brees – 25/34, 269 yards, TD Top rushers CAR – Cam Newton – 6 carries, 51 yards NO – Mark Ingram II – 14 carries, 85 yards, TD Top receivers CAR – Christian McCaffrey – 5 receptions, 33 yards, TD NO – Mark Ingram II - 6 receptions, 37 yards Top tacklers CAR – Luke Kuechly - 8 tackles, 1 assist NO – Cameron Jordan - 5 tackles, 1 assist and A. J. Klein - 3 tackles, 2 assists, 1 sack

The Saints clinched a winning record for the first time since 2013 and swept the Carolina Panthers for the first time since the Saints' 2011 Season. This improved their record to 9-3.

Week 14: at Atlanta Falcons

Week Fourteen: New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	3	7	7	0	17
Falcons	3	7	0	10	20

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

• Date: December 7
• Game time: 8:25 pm. EST/7:25 pm. CST
• Game weather: Played indoor (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 72,866
• Referee: Clete Blakeman
• TV announcers (NBC/NFLN/Amazon Video): Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth and Heather Cox
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter NO – Wil Lutz 34-yard field goal, 9:50. Saints 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 5:10. ATL – Matt Bryant 28-yard field goal, 5:33. Tied 3–3. Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 4:17. Second quarter ATL – Devonta Freeman 1-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 4:29. Falcons 10–3. Drive: 15 plays, 90 yards, 8:27. NO – Tommylee Lewis 26-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 1:53. Tied 10–10. Drive: 5 plays, 66 yards, 2:36. Third quarter NO – Michael Thomas 1-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 13:10. Saints 17–10. Drive: 4 plays, 29 yards, 1:36. Fourth quarter ATL – Mohamed Sanu 8-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 9:55. Tied 17–17. Drive: 11 plays, 69 yards, 7:06. ATL – Matt Bryant 52-yard field goal, 3:49. Falcons 20–17. Drive: 8 plays, 38 yards, 3:57. Top passers NO – Drew Brees – 26/35, 271 yards, 2 TD, INT ATL – Matt Ryan – 15/27, 221 yards, TD, 3 INT Top rushers NO – Mark Ingram II – 12 carries, 49 yards ATL – Devonta Freeman – 24 carries, 91 yards, TD Top receivers NO – Michael Thomas – 10 receptions, 117 yards, TD ATL – Mohamed Sanu – 6 receptions, 83 yards, TD Top tacklers NO – Manti Te’o - 8 tackles, 2 assists ATL – Deion Jones - 7 tackles, 6 assists, 1 INT

After a costly Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalty committed by Sean Payton, the Saints were defeated by the Falcons. They fell to 9-4.

Week 15: vs. New York Jets

Week Fifteen: New York Jets at New Orleans Saints – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Jets	0	10	3	6	19
Saints	10	7	0	14	31

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

• Date: December 17
• Game time: 12:00 pm. CST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 73,018
• Referee: Ronald Torbert
• TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon and Otis Livingston
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter NO – Wil Lutz 23-yard field goal, 11:36. Saints 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 71 yards, 3:24. NO – Mark Ingram II 1-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 3:07. Saints 10–0. Drive: 13 plays, 82 yards, 5:25. Second quarter NYJ – Bilal Powell 2-yard run (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 10:58. Saints 10–7. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 7:09. NO – Alvin Kamara 10-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 6:12. Saints 17–7. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:46. NYJ – Chandler Catanzaro 29-yard field goal, 0:09. Saints 17–10. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 1:05. Third quarter NYJ – Chandler Catanzaro 26-yard field goal, 8:07. Saints 17–13. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 3:49. Fourth quarter NO – Michael Thomas 4-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 7:39. Saints 24–13. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 4:43. NYJ – Elijah McGuire 2-yard pass from Bryce Petty (pass failed), 1:51. Saints 24–19. Drive: 6 plays, 70 yards, 1:32. NO – Mark Ingram II 50-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 1:33. Saints 31–19. Drive: 2 plays, 55 yards, 0:18. Top passers NYJ – Bryce Petty – 19/39, 179 yards, TD, 2 INT NO – Drew Brees – 26/36, 281 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers NYJ – Bilal Powell – 13 carries, 44 yards, TD NO – Mark Ingram II – 12 carries, 74 yards, 2 TD Top receivers NYJ – Elijah McGuire – 3 receptions, 48 yards, TD NO – Michael Thomas – 9 receptions, 93 yards, TD Top tacklers NYJ – Jamal Adams - 6 tackles, 2 assists and Demario Davis - 3 tackles, 5 assists NO – Kenny Vaccaro - 8 tackles, 2 assists

The Saints beat the Jets for the first time since the 2009 Season, improving their record to 10-4.

Week 16: vs. Atlanta Falcons

Week Sixteen: Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	0	0	3	10	13
Saints	3	10	7	3	23

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

• Date: December 24
• Game time: 12:00 pm. CST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 73,188
• Referee: Pete Morelli
• TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Charles Davis and Pam Oliver
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter NO – Wil Lutz 40-yard field goal, 7:31. Saints 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 40 yards, 4:04. Second quarter NO – Wil Lutz 29-yard field goal, 1:19. Saints 6–0. Drive: 16 plays, 68 yards, 8:21. NO – Ted Ginn Jr. 54-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 0:14. Saints 13–0. Drive: 3 plays, 64 yards, 0:36. Third quarter ATL – Matt Bryant 37-yard field goal, 9:34. Saints 13–3. Drive: 7 plays, 29 yards, 2:23. NO – Mark Ingram II 26-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 2:52. Saints 20–3. Drive: 4 plays, 54 yards, 2:01. Fourth quarter ATL – Matt Bryant 48-yard field goal, 10:18. Saints 20–6. Drive: 5 plays, 18 yards, 1:06. NO – Wil Lutz 45-yard field goal, 3:38. Saints 23–6. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 0:22. ATL – Tevin Coleman 14-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 2:40. Saints 23–13. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 0:58. Top passers ATL – Matt Ryan – 22/36, 288 yards, TD, INT NO – Drew Brees – 21/28, 239 yards, TD, INT Top rushers ATL – Devonta Freeman – 11 carries, 36 yards NO – Mark Ingram II – 13 carries, 44 yards, TD Top receivers ATL – Julio Jones – 7 receptions, 149 yards NO – Ted Ginn Jr. – 4 receptions, 76 yards, TD Top tacklers ATL – Keanu Neal and Deion Jones - 8 tackles, 2 assists (Jones also has a INT) NO – Craig Robertson - 7 tackles, 3 assists

The Saints meet the Falcons again, but this time, they beat them by 10 points. This also brought their record up to 11-4.

Week 17: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week Seventeen: New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	14	0	3	7	24
Buccaneers	7	6	0	18	31

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

• Date: December 31
• Game time: 4:25 pm. EST/3:25 pm. CST
• Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C), clear
• Game attendance: 55,376
• Referee: Walt Anderson
• TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Chris Spielman and Peter Schrager
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter TB – Peyton Barber 1-yard run (Patrick Murray kick), 9:42. Buccaneers 7–0. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 5:18. NO – Alvin Kamara 106-yard kickoff return (Wil Lutz kick), 9:29. Tied 7–7. NO – Alvin Kamara 7-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 2:36. Saints 14–7. Drive: 6 plays, 65 yards, 3:24. Second quarter TB – Jameis Winston 1-yard run (kick failed), 5:50. Saints 14–13. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 6:15. Third quarter NO – Wil Lutz 48-yard field goal, 2:44. Saints 17–13. Drive: 9 plays, 50 yards, 5:18. Fourth quarter TB – Isaiah Johnson 7-yard fumble return (Patrick Murray kick), 14:04. Buccaneers 20–17. NO – Zach Line 3-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 7:07. Saints 24–20. Drive: 13 plays, 92 yards, 6:57. TB – Patrick Murray 42-yard field goal, 4:31. Saints 24–23. Drive: 10 plays, 51 yards, 2:36. TB – Chris Godwin 39-yard pass from Jameis Winston (Jameis Winston-Mike Evans pass), 0:09. Buccaneers 31–24. Drive: 11 plays, 95 yards, 1:49. Top passers NO – Drew Brees – 22/30, 245 yards, TD TB – Jameis Winston – 28/51, 363 yards, TD, 3 INT Top rushers NO – Alvin Kamara – 9 carries, 44 yards, TD TB – Peyton Barber – 17 carries, 71 yards, TD Top receivers NO – Michael Thomas – 6 receptions, 94 yards TB – Chris Godwin – 7 receptions, 111 yards, TD Top tacklers NO – TB –

The Saints meet the Buccaneers on the road. However, Jameis Winston would win this game. The Saints finish their regular season 11-5 and advance to the Wild Card playoff game.

Standings

Division

NFC South
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
(4) New Orleans Saints	11	5	0	.688	4–2	8–4	448	326	L1
(5) Carolina Panthers	11	5	0	.688	3–3	7–5	363	327	L1
(6) Atlanta Falcons	10	6	0	.625	4–2	9–3	353	315	W1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	5	11	0	.313	1–5	3–9	335	382	W1

Conference

NFC v t e
#	Team	Division	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV	STK
Division leaders
1[a]	Philadelphia Eagles	East	13	3	0	.813	5–1	10–2	.461	.433	L1
2[a]	Minnesota Vikings	North	13	3	0	.813	5–1	10–2	.492	.447	W3
3[b]	Los Angeles Rams	West	11	5	0	.688	4–2	7–5	.504	.460	L1
4[b][c]	New Orleans Saints	South	11	5	0	.688	4–2	8–4	.535	.483	L1
Wild Cards
5[c]	Carolina Panthers	South	11	5	0	.688	3–3	7–5	.539	.500	L1
6	Atlanta Falcons	South	10	6	0	.625	4–2	9–3	.543	.475	W1
Did not qualify for the postseason
7[d]	Detroit Lions	North	9	7	0	.563	5–1	8–4	.496	.368	W1
8[d]	Seattle Seahawks	West	9	7	0	.563	4–2	7–5	.492	.444	L1
9[d]	Dallas Cowboys	East	9	7	0	.563	5–1	7–5	.496	.438	W1
10	Arizona Cardinals	West	8	8	0	.500	3–3	5–7	.488	.406	W2
11[e]	Green Bay Packers	North	7	9	0	.438	2–4	5–7	.539	.357	L3
12[e]	Washington Redskins	East	7	9	0	.438	1–5	5–7	.539	.429	L1
13	San Francisco 49ers	West	6	10	0	.375	1–5	3–9	.512	.438	W5
14[f]	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	South	5	11	0	.313	1–5	3–9	.555	.375	W1
15[f]	Chicago Bears	North	5	11	0	.313	0–6	1–11	.559	.500	L1
16	New York Giants	East	3	13	0	.188	1–5	1–11	.531	.458	W1
Tiebreakers[g]
Philadelphia claimed the No. 1 seed over Minnesota based on winning percentage vs. common opponents. Philadelphia's cumulative record against Carolina, Chicago, the Los Angeles Rams and Washington was 5–0, compared to Minnesota's 4–1 cumulative record against the same four teams. LA Rams claimed the No. 3 seed over New Orleans based on head-to-head victory. New Orleans clinched the NFC South division over Carolina based on head-to-head sweep. Detroit finished ahead of Dallas and Seattle based on conference record, while Seattle finished ahead of Dallas based on head-to-head victory. Green Bay finished ahead of Washington based on record vs. common opponents. Green Bay's cumulative record against Dallas, Minnesota, New Orleans and Seattle was 2–3, compared to Washington's 1–4 cumulative record against the same four teams. Tampa Bay finished ahead of Chicago based on head-to-head victory. When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division.

Postseason

Playoff round	Date	Opponent (seed)	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
Wild Card	January 7, 2018	Carolina Panthers (5)	W 31–26	1–0	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap
Divisional	January 14, 2018	at Minnesota Vikings (2)	L 24–29	1–1	U.S. Bank Stadium	Recap

NFC Wild Card Playoffs: vs. (5) Carolina Panthers

NFC Wild Card Playoffs: (5) Carolina Panthers at (4) New Orleans Saints – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	0	9	3	14	26
Saints	7	14	3	7	31

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

• Date: January 7, 2018
• Game time: 3:40 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 73,186
• Referee: Tony Corrente
• TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews and Chris Myers
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

1st quarter NO – Ted Ginn Jr. 80-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 1:46. Saints 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 80 yards, 0:18. 2nd quarter CAR – Graham Gano 27-yard field goal, 14:12. Saints 7–3. Drive: 6 plays, 66 yards, 2:34. NO – Josh Hill 9-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 9:04. Saints 14–3. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 5:08. CAR – Graham Gano 39-yard field goal, 2:47. Saints 14–6. Drive: 12 plays, 54 yards, 6:17. NO – Zach Line 1-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 0:43. Saints 21–6. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 2:04. CAR – Graham Gano 58-yard field goal, 0:00. Saints 21–9. Drive: 5 plays, 35 yards, 0:43. 3rd quarter CAR – Graham Gano 29-yard field goal, 10:58. Saints 21–12. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 4:02. NO – Wil Lutz 57-yard field goal, 6:05. Saints 24–12. Drive: 10 plays, 36 yards, 4:53. 4th quarter CAR – Greg Olsen 14-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 12:47. Saints 24–19. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 3:45. NO – Alvin Kamara 2-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 5:08. Saints 31–19. Drive: 5 plays, 62 yards, 3:02. CAR – Christian McCaffrey 56-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 4:09. Saints 31–26. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 0:59. Top passers CAR – Cam Newton – 24/40, 349 yards, 2 TD NO – Drew Brees – 23/33, 376 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers CAR – Jonathan Stewart – 11 rushes, 51 yards NO – Alvin Kamara – 10 rushes, 23 yards, TD Top receivers CAR – Greg Olsen – 8 receptions, 107 yards, TD NO – Michael Thomas – 8 receptions, 131 yards

The Saints meet the Panthers in the Playoffs for the first time. It also marked their first Wild Card victory against their division rival by five points. With their victory over the Panthers, the Saints extend their season by improving to 12-5 and advancing to the Divisional Playoff game.

NFC Divisional Playoffs: at (2) Minnesota Vikings

See also: Minneapolis Miracle

NFC Divisional Playoffs: (4) New Orleans Saints at (2) Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	0	0	7	17	24
Vikings	10	7	0	12	29

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

• Date: January 14, 2018
• Game time: 3:40 pm. CST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 66,612
• Referee: Gene Steratore
• TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews and Chris Myers
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter MIN – Jerick McKinnon 14-yard run (Kai Forbath kick), 9:45. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 55 yards, 4:15. MIN – Kai Forbath 20-yard field goal, 4:42. Vikings 10–0. Drive: 7 plays, 79 yards, 2:27. Second quarter MIN – Latavius Murray 1-yard run (Kai Forbath kick), 9:58. Vikings 17–0. Drive: 12 plays, 58 yards, 6:08. Third quarter NO – Michael Thomas 14-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 1:18. Vikings 17–7. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:40. Fourth quarter NO – Michael Thomas 3-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 13:19. Vikings 17–14. Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 3:00. MIN – Kai Forbath 49-yard field goal, 10:12. Vikings 20–14. Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 2:57. NO – Alvin Kamara 14-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 3:01. Saints 21–20. Drive: 4 plays, 40 yards, 2:20. MIN – Kai Forbath 53-yard field goal, 1:29. Vikings 23–21. Drive: 9 plays, 40 yards, 1:32. NO – Wil Lutz 43-yard field goal, 0:25. Saints 24–23. Drive: 11 plays, 50 yards, 1:04. MIN – Stefon Diggs 61-yard pass from Case Keenum (run failed), 0:00. Vikings 29–24. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 0:25. Top passers NO – Drew Brees – 25/40, 294 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT MIN – Case Keenum – 25/40, 318 yards, TD, INT Top rushers NO – Alvin Kamara – 11 rushes, 43 yards MIN – Latavius Murray – 19 rushes, 50 yards, TD Top receivers NO – Michael Thomas – 7 receptions, 85 yards, 2 TD MIN – Stefon Diggs – 6 receptions, 137 yards, TD