New Orleans Saints · Franchise era 5 of 7
Historic offense, incomplete teams: the New Orleans Saints story
Franchise era
2012—2016
Historic offense, incomplete teams
New Orleans Saints
The story in one sentence
New Orleans remained one of football's most prolific passing teams but three straight 7–9 seasons forced a major roster reset.
Brees keeps producing through defensive collapse
Drew Brees, Cameron Jordan and Jimmy Graham gave the era its recognizable core.
Its ending created the conditions for one last contender.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 2012
What came before
The blocked punt in the Superdome reopening began an emotional run that culminated in the franchise's first championship after the 2009 season.
2014-01-04
Wild Card: New Orleans Saints vs Philadelphia Eagles
2014-01-11
Divisional Round: New Orleans Saints vs Seattle Seahawks
After 2016
What came next
A deep young core won four straight division titles, though the Minneapolis Miracle and a controversial NFC title-game loss defined its closest chances.
The core