The New Orleans Saints are a professional football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the National Football League (NFL) as part of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the NFC South division. Established during the 1967 season, the Saints have played at the Merecedes-Benz Superdome since 1975 (except for the 2005 disruption caused by Hurricane Katrina).
At Super Bowl XLIV to conclude the 2009 season, the Saints its first league championship, defeating the Indianapolis Colts, 31 - 17
The Saints were founded on November 1, 1966 (All Saints Day) as an expansion team. After winning Super Bowl I, the Green Bay Packers would be forced to depart with their "Thunder and Lightning" backfield, as Paul Hornung was drafted to the Saints during the 1967 Expansion Draft, while Jim Taylor was signed by New Orleans to a huge contact. Hornung would be forced to retire before ever playing a down for New Orleans, while Taylor played just one season in his home state before retiring in September 1968.
In head-to-head regular season contests, the Packers have defeated the Saints in 15 of 22 games.
The NFL officially awarded an NFL franchise to the city of New Orleans on All Saints Day, November 1, 1966. In December, the team was named the "New Orleans Saints" due to its birthday on the Roman Catholic Church's All Saints Day, a fitting nickname for a team in the largely Catholic New Orleans area. Additionally, New Orleans was famous worldwide as the city of jazz and the famous marching song, "When the Saints Go Marching In",
After the devastation brought by Hurricane Katrina to the city of New Orleans in 2005, the Saints 2009 season brought renewed inspiration as the team completed its most successful season, culminating in the franchise's first league championship. The Saints started the season with a 13–0 record to earn home-field advantage through the NFC playoffs. The Saints would defeat the Arizona Cardinals, 45-14, then defeated Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings in overtime at the NFC Championship game, 31-28.
The Saints rebounded from a 10-0 deficit to defeat the Indianapolis Colts at Super Bowl XLIV to capture the franchise's first and only championship. After recovering a risky onside kick to start the second half, New Orleans took its first lead after Drew Brees connected with Pierre Thomas for a 16-yard touchdown, followed by a 2-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Shockey. As the Colts were driving, Tracy Porter ended the rally with a 74-yard interception return for a touchdown. Drew Brees was named the Super Bowl MVP, completing 32 of 39 passes for 288 yards and two touchdown passes.
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Team history[edit | edit source]
New Orleans Saints
