New Orleans Saints · Franchise era 4 of 7
Brees, Payton and rebirth: the New Orleans Saints story
Franchise era
2006—2011
Brees, Payton and rebirth
New Orleans Saints
The story in one sentence
The blocked punt in the Superdome reopening began an emotional run that culminated in the franchise's first championship after the 2009 season.
An offense and a city rise together
Drew Brees, Marques Colston and Jahri Evans gave the era its recognizable core.
Its ending created the conditions for historic offense, incomplete teams.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 2006
What came before
New Orleans won its first playoff game before Hurricane Katrina forced the team across multiple home fields and placed its future in doubt.
2007-01-13
Divisional Round: Philadelphia Eagles vs New Orleans Saints
2010-01-24
Conference Championship: Minnesota Vikings vs New Orleans Saints
2010-02-07
Super Bowl: New Orleans Saints vs Indianapolis Colts
After 2011
What came next
New Orleans remained one of football's most prolific passing teams but three straight 7–9 seasons forced a major roster reset.
The core