2010 New Orleans Saints season
The 2010 season was the New Orleans Saints' 44th in the National Football League (NFL) and their 35th playing home games in the Louisiana Superdome. From 2009, the Saints were coming off their first Super Bowl-winning season and the most successful in franchise history, having begun undefeated for 13 consecutive games only to lose their three final regular season encounters to finish 13–3. The Saints also attempted to win the NFC South Division title for the third time in history, earn their first consecutive postseason berths since 1991, and successfully defend their conference and league championships. The Saints failed to improve on their 13–3 record, finishing 11–5 and qualifying for the playoffs as a wild card team. The Saints were eliminated in the first round by the Seattle Seahawks, who were the first team with a losing record (7–9) to qualify for the playoffs and/or win a division title in a full season. Sean Payton served his fifth year as head coach.
2010 New Orleans Saints season | |
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Owner | Tom Benson |
General manager | Mickey Loomis |
Head coach | Sean Payton |
Home field | Louisiana Superdome |
Results | |
Record | 11–5 |
Division place | 2nd NFC South |
Playoff finish | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Seahawks) 36–41 |
Pro Bowlers | Drew Brees (QB) Jahri Evans (OG) Carl Nicks (OG) Roman Harper (FS) Jonathan Vilma (LB) |
AP All-Pros | Jahri Evans (1st team) Carl Nicks (2nd team) Malcolm Jenkins (2nd team) Darren Sharper (2nd team) |
Uniform | |
This is the first time the Saints made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons since the 1990–92 seasons.
Offseason
2010 NFL Draft
As the winners of Super Bowl XLIV, the Saints acquired the 32nd pick in the first round and drafted in this order.[1]
Draft order | Player name | Position | Height | Weight | College | Contract | Notes | ||
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Round | Choice | Overall | |||||||
1 | 32 | 32 | Patrick Robinson | CB | 5'11" | 190 lbs | Florida State | 5 Year | |
2 | 32 | 64 | Charles Brown | OT | 6'5" | 303 lbs | USC | 4 Year | |
3 | 31 | 95 | Jimmy Graham | TE | 6'6" | 260 lbs | Miami | 4 Year | |
4 | 25 | 123 | Al Woods | DT | 6'4" | 314 lbs | LSU | 4 Year | |
5 | 27 | 158 | Matt Tennant | C | 6'5" | 300 lbs | Boston College | 4 Year | |
6 | 32 | 201 | Traded to the Arizona Cardinals | ||||||
7 | 32 | 239 | Sean Canfield | QB | 6'4" | 214 lbs | Oregon State | N/A |
Roster signings
- All signings were to active roster, except where otherwise noted.
Pos. | Player | Date [2][3] | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
CB | Greg Fassitt | February 12, 2010 | |
TE | Tyler Lorenzen | February 12, 2010 | |
T | Jermey Parnell | February 12, 2010 | |
WR | Matt Simon | February 12, 2010 | |
G | Na'Shan Goddard | February 18, 2010 | |
CB | Glenn Sharpe | February 18, 2010 | |
DT | Earl Heyman | February 18, 2010 | |
G | Tim Duckworth | February 19, 2010 | |
RB | Zak Keasey | February 23, 2010 | |
DE | Alex Brown | April 7, 2010 | |
DE | Jimmy Wilkerson | April 20, 2010 | |
LB | Clint Ingram | May 19, 2010 |
Roster releases
Pos. | Player | Date [2][3] | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
WR | D'Juan Woods | February 16, 2010 | Released after being placed on injured reserve prior to the 2009 season[4] |
OL | Jamar Nesbit | March 4, 2010 | [5] |
LB | Mark Simoneau | March 4, 2010 | [5] |
DL | Charles Grant | March 5, 2010 | [5] |
Schedule
Preseason
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | August 12 | at New England Patriots | L 24–27 | 0–1 | Gillette Stadium | Recap |
2 | August 21 | Houston Texans | W 38–20 | 1–1 | Louisiana Superdome | Recap |
3 | August 27 | San Diego Chargers | W 36–21 | 2–1 | Louisiana Superdome | Recap |
4 | September 2 | at Tennessee Titans | L 24–27 | 2–2 | LP Field | Recap |
Regular season
Standings
NFC South | |||||||||
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W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
(1) Atlanta Falcons | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 5–1 | 10–2 | 414 | 288 | W1 |
(5) New Orleans Saints | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 4–2 | 9–3 | 384 | 307 | L1 |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 8–4 | 343 | 318 | W2 |
Carolina Panthers | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 0–6 | 2–10 | 196 | 408 | L2 |
Preseason results
Preseason Week 1: at New England Patriots
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saints | 0 | 7 | 14 | 3 | 24 |
Patriots | 10 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 27 |
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
- Date: Thursday, August 12, 2010
- Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C), cloudy and cool
- Game attendance: 68,756
- Recap
Preseason Week 2: vs Houston Texans
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Texans | 0 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 20 |
Saints | 14 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 38 |
at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Date: Saturday, August 21, 2010
- Game weather: Indoor Stadium
- Game attendance: 70,025
- Recap
Preseason Week 3: vs San Diego Chargers
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chargers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
Saints | 7 | 10 | 3 | 16 | 36 |
at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Date: Friday August 27, 2010
- Game weather: Indoor Stadium
- Game attendance: 70,025
- Recap
Preseason Week 4: at Tennessee Titans
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saints | 3 | 7 | 3 | 11 | 24 |
Titans | 7 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 27 |
at LP Field, Nashville, Tennessee
- Date: Thursday September 2, 2010
- Game weather: 89 °F (32 °C) Cloudy
- Game attendance: 69,143
- Recap
Regular season results
Week 1: vs. Minnesota Vikings
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vikings | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
Saints | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Date: September 9
- Game time: 7:30 p.m.
- Game weather: None (domed stadium)
- Game attendance: 70,051
- Referee: Terry McAulay (77)
- TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels & Cris Collinsworth
- Recap, Gamebook
Game information | ||
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With their Super Bowl title to defend, the Saints began their season at home in the annual Kickoff Game against the Minnesota Vikings, in a rematch of last season's NFC Championship Game. New Orleans would strike first in the opening quarter with quarterback Drew Brees hooking up with wide receiver Devery Henderson on a 29-yard touchdown pass. The Vikings would take the lead in the second quarter as kicker Ryan Longwell made a 41-yard field goal, followed by quarterback Brett Favre's 20-yard touchdown pass to tight end Visanthe Shiancoe (with a blocked PAT).
In the third quarter, the Saints would regain the lead with a 1-yard touchdown run from running back Pierre Thomas. From there, New Orleans' defense would prevent any further progress from Minnesota.
With the win, New Orleans began their season at 1–0.
Week 2: at San Francisco 49ers
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saints | 9 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 25 |
49ers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 22 |
at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California
- Date: September 20
- Game time: 7:30 pm. CDT
- Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C) (Sunny)
- Game attendance: 69,732
- Referee: Alberto Riveron
- TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden, Ron Jaworski, Suzy Kolber and Michele Tafoya
- Recap
Game information | ||
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Coming off their home win over the Vikings, the Saints flew to Candlestick Park for a Week 2 Monday Night duel with the San Francisco 49ers. New Orleans would deliver the opening punch in the first quarter as 49ers center David Baas' high snap deep within San Francisco territory went out of the back of the endzone for a safety. The Saints would add onto their lead as quarterback Drew Brees hooked up with running back Reggie Bush on a 6-yard touchdown pass. The 49ers would answer in the second quarter as quarterback Alex Smith found running back Frank Gore on a 12-yard touchdown pass.
San Francisco would take the lead with running back Anthony Dixon's 2-yard touchdown run, yet New Orleans would respond with Brees' 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end David Thomas. The Saints would add onto their lead in the fourth quarter as kicker Garrett Hartley made a 46-yard and a 19-yard field goal. The 49ers would strike back as Gore got a 7-yard touchdown run, followed by Smith's 2-point conversion pass to tight end Vernon Davis. In the end, New Orleans got the last laugh as Hartley booted the game-ending 37-yard field goal.
With the win, the Saints improved to 2–0.
Week 3: vs. Atlanta Falcons
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Falcons | 7 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 27 |
Saints | 14 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 24 |
at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Date: September 26
- Game time: 1:00 pm. EDT
- Game weather: None (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 70,051
- Referee: Walt Anderson
- TV announcers (FOX): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick and Charissa Thompson
- Recap
Game information | ||
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Hoping to increase their winning streak the Saints played inside their dome for an NFC South rivalry match against the Falcons. The Saints took the early lead when QB Drew Brees made a 2-yard TD pass to TE Jeremy Shockey. The Falcons replied with QB Matt Ryan making a 13-yard TD pass to TE Tony Gonzalez. The Saints re-took the lead with Brees finding WR Lance Moore on an 80-yard TD pass. But the Falcons replied in the second quarter with RB Michael Turner making a 1-yard TD run. The Saints trailed for the first time in the game when kicker Matt Bryant made a 23-yard field goal. But they took the lead with Brees finding Moore again on a 16-yard TD pass. The Falcons would score when Ryan made a 22-yard TD pass to WR Roddy White. The Saints would tie the game with kicker Garrett Hartley making a 32-yard field goal. At overtime, the decision was made when Matt Bryant hit a 46-yard field goal to give the Saints their first loss of the season, bringing their record down to 2–1.
Week 4: vs. Carolina Panthers
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Panthers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
Saints | 0 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 16 |
at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Date: October 3
- Game time: 1:00 pm. EDT
- Game weather: None (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 70,016
- Referee: John Parry
- TV announcers (FOX): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
- Recap
Game information | ||
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The Saints fourth game was inside their dome for an NFC south rivalry match against the Panthers. In the 1st quarter New Orleans took the lead as QB Drew Brees completed a 4-yard TD pass to WR Lance Moore. Carolina replied with QB Jimmy Clausen making a 55-yard TD pass to RB Jonathan Stewart. The Saints took the lead when kicker John Carney nailed a 32-yard field goal, but fell behind when RB DeAngelo Williams made a 39-yard TD run. Then John Carney made two field goals to give the Saints the win. He made a 32-yard field goal in the 3rd quarter and a 25-yard field goal in the 4th.
With the win, the Saints improved to 3–1.
Week 5: at Arizona Cardinals
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saints | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
Cardinals | 0 | 3 | 17 | 10 | 30 |
at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
- Date: October 10
- Game time: 3:05 pm. CDT
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 62,621
- Referee: Tony Corrente
- TV announcers (FOX): Chris Rose and Kurt Warner
- Recap
Game information | ||
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Coming off their close win over the Panthers the Saints flew to University of Phoenix Stadium for an NFC duel with the Cardinals. In the first quarter the Saints took the early lead as kicker John Carney nailed a 31-yard field goal, followed by QB Drew Brees completing a 1-yard TD pass to TE Jeremy Shockey. The Cardinals replied with kicker Jay Feely making a 37-yard field goal, followed by OT Levi Brown recovering a fumble and returning it 2 yards for a touchdown. In the third quarter the Saints fell behind when Feely got a 44-yard field goal, followed the 4th quarter by Feely's 29-yard field goal. Then FS Kerry Rhodes recovered a fumble and ran 27 yards to the end zone for a touchdown. Then the Saints replied with Brees making a 35-yard TD pass to WR Robert Meachem, but had more problems when Brees' pass was intercepted by CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and returned 28 yards to the end zone for a touchdown.
With the loss, the Saints fell to 3–2.
Week 6: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saints | 7 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
Buccaneers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
- Date: October 17
- Game time: 12:00 pm. CDT
- Game weather: 81 °F (27 °C) (Clear)
- Game attendance: 51,759
- Referee: Clete Blakeman
- TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen and Tim Ryan
- Recap
Game information | ||
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Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Cardinals the Saints flew to Raymond James Stadium for an NFC South rivalry match against the Buccaneers. In the first quarter New Orleans took the lead when QB Drew Brees completed a 41-yard TD pass to WR Lance Moore. Followed in the second quarter by Brees making a 42-yard TD pass to WR Robert Meachem. This was followed by kicker Garrett Hartley nailing a 27-yard field goal. The Saints increased their lead when QB Drew Brees made a 4-yard TD pass to FB Heath Evans. Tampa Bay scored in the fourth quarter with QB Josh Freeman making a 2-yard TD pass to WR Micheal Spurlock (With a failed 2-point conversion), but the Saints pulled away as RB Ladell Betts got a 1-yard TD run.
With the win, the Saints improve to 4–2.
Week 7: vs. Cleveland Browns
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Browns | 10 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 30 |
Saints | 0 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 17 |
at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Date: October 24
- Game time: 1:00 pm. EDT
- Game weather: None (domed stadium)
- Game attendance: 70,077
- Referee: Walt Coleman
- TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots
- Recap
Game information | ||
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With the loss, the Saints fell to 4–3.
Week 8: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Steelers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
Saints | 0 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 20 |
at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Date: October 31
- Game time: 8:20 pm. EDT
- Game weather: indoors
- Game attendance: 70,011
- Referee: Pete Morelli
- TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Andrea Kremer
- Game Book Recap
Game information | ||
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Scoring summary | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Hoping to rebound from their home loss to the Browns, the Saints stayed home for a Week 8 interconference duel with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night. After a scoreless first quarter, New Orleans trailed in the second quarter as Steelers kicker Jeff Reed got a 19-yard field goal. The Saints would answer with a 31-yard field goal from kicker Garrett Hartley.
New Orleans took the lead in the third quarter as Hartley booted a 23-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, the Saints increased their lead as quarterback Drew Brees found wide receiver Marques Colston on a 16-yard touchdown pass. Pittsburgh responded with running back Rashard Mendenhall getting a 38-yard touchdown run, yet New Orleans came right back as Brees connected with wide receiver Lance Moore on an 8-yard touchdown pass.
With the win, the Saints improved to 5–3.
Week 9: at Carolina Panthers
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saints | 7 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 34 |
Panthers | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Date: November 7
- Game time: 1:00 pm. EST
- Game weather: 50 °F (10 °C) (Sunny)
- Game attendance: 73,191
- Referee: Ed Hochuli
- TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, Charles Davis, Jim Mora & Laura Okmin
- Recap
Game information | ||
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Coming off their win over the Steelers the Saints flew to Bank of America Stadium for an NFC South rivalry match against the Panthers. In the first quarter the Saints trailed early after kicker John Kasay made a 20-yard field goal. Then they made a large scoring run to dominate the game after QB Drew Brees completed a 7-yard TD pass to TE Jeremy Shockey. Followed by Brees finding TE Jimmy Graham on a 19-yard TD pass. The lead was extended by kicker Garrett Hartley as he nailed a 31 and a 36-yard field goal. The Saints increased their lead with CB Jabari Greer returning an interception 24 yards for a touchdown. This was followed by RB Ladell Betts getting a 1-yard TD run.
With the win, the Saints headed into their bye week at 6–3 and swept the Panthers for the first time since 2001.
Week 11: vs. Seattle Seahawks
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Seahawks | 3 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 19 |
Saints | 7 | 20 | 7 | 0 | 34 |
at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Date: November 21
- Game time: 3:05 pm. CST
- Game weather: None (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 70,015
- Referee: Mike Carey
- TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman and Brian Billick
- Recap
Game information | ||
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Coming off their bye week the Saints played inside their dome for an NFC duel with the Seahawks. In the first quarter the Saints trailed early as kicker Olindo Mare hit a 20-yard field goal; but they pulled ahead after RB Chris Ivory got a 1-yard TD run. The lead narrowed in the 2nd quarter by Mare getting a 43-yard field goal. The Saints increased it when QB Drew Brees made a 23 and a 3-yard TD pass to WR Marques Colston and WR Robert Meachem. The lead was narrowed again after QB Matt Hasselbeck got a 2-yard TD pass to WR Ben Obomanu; but the Saints replied with Brees throwing a 22-yard TD pass to Colston. The lead narrowed again with Mare hitting a 43-yard field goal. The lead extended in the third quarter with Brees finding Meachem again on a 32-yard TD pass. The Seahawks made the only score of the fourth quarter with Mare making a 20-yard field goal.
With the win, the Saints improved to 7–3.
Week 12: at Dallas Cowboys
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Saints | 17 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 30 |
Cowboys | 0 | 6 | 14 | 7 | 27 |
at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas
- Game time: 4:15 pm EST (3:15 pm CST)
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 93,985
- Referee: Jerome Boger
- TV announcers (FOX): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and Pam Oliver
- Recap
Game information | ||
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The Saints played the Thanksgiving Day game at Cowboys Stadium for an NFC duel against the Cowboys. The Saints commanded the first quarter with RB Chris Ivory getting a 3-yard TD run, followed by kicker Garrett Hartley getting a 50-yard field goal, and then by Ivory making a 6-yard TD run. The lead was narrowed as kicker David Buehler got a 21-yard field goal, but the Saints replied as Hartley nailed a 45-yard field goal. The lead was narrowed again as Buehler hit a 53-yard field goal, followed by Miles Austin getting a 60-yard TD run. The Saints scored with Hartley making a 28-yard field goal, but fell behind with Marion Barber and Tashard Choice getting a 1-yard TD run. The Saints, down 27–23, were well on their way to defeat when John Kitna hit Austin with a long-gainer, but safety Malcolm Jenkins stripped Roy Williams and recovered at the New Orleans 11, enabling the Saints to pull out the win five plays later, with QB Drew Brees completing a 12-yard TD pass to WR Lance Moore, completing an 89-yard drive.
With the win, the Saints improved to 8–3.
Week 13: at Cincinnati Bengals
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saints | 3 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 34 |
Bengals | 0 | 6 | 6 | 18 | 30 |
at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Date: December 5
- Game time: 1:00 pm. EST
- Game weather: 32 °F (0 °C) (Cloudy)
- Game attendance: 59,963
- Referee: Jeff Triplette
- TV announcers (Fox): Ron Pitts, John Lynch and Nischelle Turner (blacked out locally)
- Recap
Game information | ||
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Coming off their win over the Cowboys the Saints played an interconference duel with the Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. In the first quarter, the Saints took the early lead as kicker Garrett Hartley nailed a 48-yard field goal. The Bengals replied with kicker Clint Stitser hitting a 29-yard field goal, but the Saints scored again with RB Chris Ivory getting a 55-yard TD run, with the Bengals responding as Stitser made a 23-yard field goal. The Saints increased their lead as Hartley made a 24-yard field goal, followed by Ivory getting a 1-yard TD run. The lead was broken down as QB Carson Palmer made a 5-yard TD pass to WR Terrell Owens (With a failed PAT as the kick went wide right), followed by RB Cedric Benson getting a 1-yard TD run. The Saints responded as QB Drew Brees completed a 52-yard TD pass to WR Robert Meachem, but fell behind with Benson getting a 4-yard TD run (With a successful 2-point conversion as Palmer passed to TE Jermaine Gresham), followed by Stitser making a 47-yard field goal. Still, they managed to score to take the win as Brees threw a 3-yard TD pass to WR Marques Colston.
With the win, the Saints improved to 9–3.
Week 14: vs. St. Louis Rams
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rams | 0 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 13 |
Saints | 14 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 31 |
at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Date: December 12
- Game time: 3:05 pm. CST
- Game weather: None (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 70,015
- Referee: Tony Corrente
- TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, Charles Davis, Jim Mora & Laura Okmin
- Recap
Game information | ||
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With the win, the Saints improved to 10–3.
Week 15: at Baltimore Ravens
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saints | 7 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 24 |
Ravens | 7 | 14 | 3 | 6 | 30 |
at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
- Date: December 19
- Game time: 1:00 pm. EST
- Game weather: 34 °F (1 °C) (Partly Cloudy)
- Game attendance: 71,432
- Referee: Walt Anderson
- TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick, & Chris Myers
- Recap
Game information | ||
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With the loss, the Saints fell to 10–4.
Week 16: at Atlanta Falcons
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saints | 3 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
Falcons | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: December 27
- Game time: 8:30 pm. EST
- Game weather: None (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 70,144
- Referee: Ed Hochuli
- TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Jon Gruden, Michele Tafoya and Suzy Kolber
- Recap
Game information | ||
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Looking to clinch a playoff berth and avenge their Week 3 loss against the Falcons, the Saints traveled to Atlanta for a Monday Night rematch. New Orleans would score first with Garrett Hartley kicking a FG from 52 yards late in the first quarter. RB Pierre Thomas would add to the Saints' lead with a 2-yard TD run; however, Atlanta would respond with a Matt Ryan 7-yard TD pass to Roddy White to cut the lead to three. After a scoreless third quarter, the Falcons took the lead with Chauncey Davis returning an interception 26 yards for a touchdown. New Orleans reclaimed the lead late in the 4th with a Drew Brees 6-yard TD pass to Jimmy Graham. Atlanta attempted to come back; however, New Orleans held on for the win.
With the win, the Saints improved to 11–4 and clinched a playoff berth, becoming the first team in the NFC South to earn consecutive playoff appearances.
Week 17: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Buccaneers | 3 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 23 |
Saints | 7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 13 |
at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Date: January 2
- Game time: 12:00 pm. CST
- Game weather: None (dome stadium)
- Referee: Gene Steratore
- TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman and Brian Billick
Game information | ||
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The Saints' sixteenth game was an NFC South rivalry rematch against the Buccaneers inside their dome. In the first quarter the Saints trailed early as kicker Connor Barth hit a 43-yard field goal, but took the lead with QB Drew Brees throwing a 4-yard TD pass to TE Jimmy Graham. The Buccaneers replied with QB Josh Freeman completing a 2-yard TD pass to WR Dezmon Briscoe, but the Saints tied the game with kicker Garrett Hartley nailing a 45-yard field goal. However, they fell behind again with Barth hitting a 32-yard field goal, followed by Freeman making an 18-yard TD pass to WR Mike Williams. The Saints tried to narrow the gap with Hartley making a 38-yard field goal, but the Buccaneers pulled away with Barth nailing a 48-yard field goal.
With the loss, the Saints finish their regular season on an 11–5 record.
Postseason results
Week | Date | Kickoff | Opponent (seed) | Results | Game Site | TV | Recap | |
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Final score | Team record | |||||||
WC | January 8 | 1:30 pm PST | at Seattle Seahawks (4) | L 36–41 | 0–1 | Qwest Field | NBC | Recap |
NFC Wild Card playoffs: at Seattle Seahawks
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Saints | 10 | 10 | 0 | 16 | 36 |
Seahawks | 7 | 17 | 10 | 7 | 41 |
at Qwest Field, Seattle, Washington
- Date: January 8
- Game time: 4:30 p.m. EST/1:30 p.m. PST
- Game weather: 40 °F (4 °C) (Cloudy)
- Game attendance: 66,336
- Referee: Walt Coleman
- TV announcers (NBC): Tom Hammond (play-by-play), Mike Mayock (color commentator), and Alex Flanagan (sideline reporter)
- Reference
Game information | ||
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Entering the postseason as the NFC's #5 seed, the Saints began their playoff run at Qwest Field for the NFC Wild Card Round against the #4 Seattle Seahawks in a rematch of their Week 11 duel. The Seahawks entered the playoffs as the only team to ever make the playoffs with a losing record, theirs being 7–9. New Orleans delivered the game's opening strike in the first quarter with a 26-yard field goal from kicker Garrett Hartley, followed by quarterback Drew Brees finding fullback Heath Evans on a 1-yard touchdown pass. The Seahawks would answer with quarterback Matt Hasselbeck completing an 11-yard touchdown pass to tight end John Carlson. The Saints struck back in the second quarter with a 5-yard touchdown run from running back Julius Jones, but Seattle took the lead with Hasselbeck's 7-yard touchdown pass to Carlson, kicker Olindo Mare making a 29-yard field goal, and Hasselbeck completing a 45-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Stokley. New Orleans would close out the half with Hartley's 22-yard field goal.
The Seahawks continued to hack away in the third quarter as Hasselbeck threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mike Williams, followed by Mare's 39-yard field goal. The Saints tried to rally in the fourth quarter as Jones got a 4-yard touchdown run, followed by Hartley's 21-yard field goal, but Seattle delivered a punishing blow as running back Marshawn Lynch got a 67-yard touchdown run. New Orleans tried to catch up with Brees connecting with wide receiver Devery Henderson (with a failed two-point conversion), but a failed onside kick sealed any hope of a comeback.
With the loss, the Saints, with an overall record of 11–6, were dethroned as Super Bowl champions. This was the sixth consecutive year the defending world champions failed to repeat their title.
Personnel
Coaching staff
New Orleans Saints 2010 staff | ||||||
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Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
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Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
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Final roster
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
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Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
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Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
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Reserve lists
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References
- ESPN.com staff (February 8, 2010). "2010 NFL draft order". ESPN.com. ESPN Internet Ventures. Archived from the original on February 8, 2010. Retrieved February 8, 2010.
- "NFL Transactions Report – New Orleans Saints". National Football League. 2010 NFL Enterprises LLC. Retrieved February 20, 2010.
- "New Orleans Saints – Transactions". Neworleanssaints.com. Archived from the original on February 10, 2010. Retrieved February 20, 2010.
- King, Kevin (February 19, 2010). "Former OSU Receiver D'Juan Woods Cut By Saints". KTUL. American Broadcasting Company. Retrieved February 20, 2010.
- Staton, Ed (March 5, 2010). "New Orleans Saints; Charles Grant, Jake Delhomme, Mark Simoneau". BayouBuzz.com. Louisiana Daily News. Archived from the original on March 8, 2010. Retrieved March 5, 2010.