Magical New Orleans Saints since 1966 : The Saints do not just represent a football team, but rather a source of the spirit and resilience of the city of New Orleans and particularly following Hurricane Katrina. The chant Who Dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints? (the so-called Who dat chant) has already turned into a slogan of the fans around the globe.
Founding & Early Years (1967–1974)
- Formation: New Orleans Saints were formed on All Saints Day, November 1, 1966, when the city received an expansion franchise by the NFL.
- Name and Identity: Saints is alluding to the Catholic legacy and jazz tradition of New Orleans and When the Saints Go Marching In. Their most famous logo is a fleur-de-lis, which is a symbol of French history and strong cultural foundations of the city.
- First Season (1967):
O Their first regular season game was on September 17, 1967, at Tulane Stadium.
O John Gilliam, a rookie, took the opening kickoff 94 yards to a touchdown against Los Angeles Rams but a loss of 27-13 occurred to the Saints.
O Their first year was completed with 3-11, which is normal in expansion league.
Fights and the Paper Bag Era (1970s- 1980s)
During the 1970s, the Saints had consecutive losing seasons.
- Famous Names: QB Archie Manning (father of Peyton and Eli Manning) was the star of the team since the year 1971, yet he never had any talent to support him.
- Aints Era: Towards the end of the 1970s and the early 1980s, fans were frustrated with the team and would cover their heads with paper bags to the games since the team was losing over and over again.
- First Winning Season (1987): With coach Jim Mora, the Saints would finally record a winning season (12-3) and make their first appearance in the playoffs, however, they were defeated in the NFC Wild Card game.
Jim Mora Era (1986–1996)
- Defensive Nightmare: The Saints was competitive because it featured the so-called Dome Patrol, a group of linebackers: Rickey Jackson, Sam Mills, Pat Swilling, and Vaughan Johnson.
- Achievements: Four playoffs (1987, 1990, 1991, 1992).
- Trend: The team did not show much success in the after-season even after being successful during the regular season since Mora could not win even a single playoff match.
Mike Ditka & Ricky Williams (1997–1999)
- In 1997, the Saints employed the former coach of Chicago Bears, Mike Ditka.
- In 1999, Ditka was featured after trading away all draft selections of the team (as well as others) to take up Texas running back Ricky Williams.
- Outcomes were catastrophic: the team would 3-13 in 1999, and Ditka would be fired.
First Playoff Win (2000-2005)Jim Haslett Era.
- 2000 Season: Jim Hasley made the Saints a 10-6 team and their first playoff win, with a 31-28 win over the St. Louis Rams in the NFC Wild Card game.
- Even after its initial success, the team did not perform consistently in subsequent seasons.
Hurricane Katrina & Rebirth (2005–2006)
- Interruption:2005 Disaster Hurricane Katrina destroyed New Orleans, and Saints had to play their home games in San Antonio and Baton Rouge. They finished 3–13.
- Sean Payton & Drew Brees Arrived, (2006):
O The Saints employed Sean Payton to be its head coach and signed QB Drew Brees who was recovering a serious shoulder injury.
O The team won 10- 6 and made it to the NFC Championship Game in the first time in the history of the franchise, which led to the hope and represented the resilience of the city.
Super Bowl XLIV Champions (2009 Season)
- Historic Run: The 2009 Saints began with a 13-0 record, and ended at 13-3.
- Players to Watch: Drew Brees, Reggie Bush, Marques Colston, Darren Sharper, and a firm defense with Gregg Williams as the coordinator.
- Playoffs:
O Beat Arizona Cardinals (Divisional Round) and Minnesota Vikings (NFC championship).
O Super Bowl XLIV (February 7, 2010): defeated Indianapolis Colts 31-17.
O Signature Moment: The onside kick by Coach Sean Payton, which lacked any warning, to kick off the second half reversed the tide.
O Drew Brees won the super bowl MVP.
O This win was the first and the only Super Bowl of the Saints and it solidified Brees as a legend of the franchise.
Bountygate Scandal (2012)
- The NFL discovered a bounty program where they purportly paid players bonuses to injure their opponents.
- Penalties:
O Head coach, Sean Payton, was suspended in the whole of 2012.
O Defense coordinator Gregg Williams suspended permanently.
O The general manager, Mickey Loomis, and some of its players were also suspended.
- The Saints ranked 7-9 in this year.
The Brees-Payton Era (2006–2021)
- Record-Breaking QB: Drew Brees was one of the best quarterbacks who made records in career passing yards, completions, and games in a row with a touchdown pass.
- Consistent Contenders:
o Won several titles in the NFC South (2006, 2009, 2011, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020).
o Appeared in NFC Championship Games in 2006, 2009 and 2018.
- Notable Moments:
O Minneapolis Miracle (2017): Saddening down-to-the-wire loss of the playoffs to the Vikings.
O 2018 NFC Championship: No-Call controversy: Pass interference No-Call vs. Rams blocked probable Super Bowl appearance.
Post-Brees Era (2021–Present)
- Drew Brees Retires (2021): Brees ended his career with 15 seasons as the all-time passing leader in the NFL (since Tom Brady).
- Change of Coaching: Sean Payton retired at the end of the 2021 season, and his tenure concluded a 15-year remarkable turnaround.
- Dennis Allen Era (2022– present): Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen succeeded as head coach. The team has been going through the rebuilding process with a question mark at the position of QBs, where it depended on such stars as Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave, and a defense.
Franchise Records & Legacy
- Super Bowl Titles: 1 (2009 season).
- NFC Championships: 1 (2009).
- Division Titles: 9 (as of 2023).
- Key Legends:
O Drew Brees (QB, 2006-2020): future Hall of Famer, 2-time Super Bowl MVP, numerous records in NFL history.
O Rickey Jackson (LB): Inaugural Saint into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (2010).
O Archie Manning, Marques Colston, Deuce McAllister, Willie Roaf, Sam Mills, Cam Jordan.
Conclusion
The life of the New Orleans Saints is a tale of survival, success and reinvention. Since decades of heartbreak in their younger days when the fans dressed the part by wearing paper bags and calling them the Aints, the franchise has been the reflection of the spirit of its city in terms of pride, defiance and unyielding-ness.
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