1992 New Orleans Saints season
Encyclopedia
The 1992
New Orleans Saints
season saw the Saints qualify for the postseason.
, Nebraska, DB,
Gene McGuire, Notre Dame, C, Sean Lumpkin, Minnesota, DB, Torrance Small, Alcorn State, WR, Kary Vincent, Texas A&M, DB, Robert Stewart, Alabama, DT, Donald Jones, Washington, LB, Marcus Dowdell, Tennessee State, WR, Mike Gisler, Houston, G, Scott Adell, North Carolina State, T. Of this batch of draftees, only Small and Lumpkin became regular starters at any point in their Saint careers.
A 10-7 win over Atlanta followed and set up the annual battle with the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers had worn the title of "Team of the Decade" for the 1980s and were the primary stumbling block for an otherwise resurgent Saints franchise in Jim Mora's tenure as head coach. The Sunday night, prime-time audience saw a tight contest throughout. With the Niners leading 16-10, the Saints faced first-and-goal at the Niner 2-yard line. But, guard Derek Kennard was flagged for holding and, on the next play, a pass into tight coverage was picked off by 49ers CB Eric Davis. It was the sixth consecutive home game against the Niners decided by seven points or less.
The team rebounded with five straight wins and stood at 7-2 in the road game vs. the Niners. For three quarters, the Saints dominated the clock and scoreboard, leading 20-7 on two touchdown passes by Hebert. But the offense couldn't hold the lead as the Steve Young led San Francisco on two touchdown drives in the 4th quarter to win 21-20.
Most impressive of the Saints' 12 wins in 1992 came during the next three weeks, when the squad won three home games in a 10-day span. The first was a Monday night win over the Washington Redskins, 20-3, keyed by a Hebert-to-Early touchdown pass and stifling defense. Another eventual playoff team came to the Superdome the following Sunday, as the Miami Dolphins took a 13-10 lead into the second half. A blindsiding takeaway from Dan Marino by speed-rushing linebacker Pat Swilling led to Goff's second fumble return touchdown of the season. Later, cornerback Vince Buck
returned an interception for a score as the Dolphins were defeated, 24-13. The third game in this trifecta was a Thursday night tilt against Atlanta. Despite several marches up and down the field - and a memorable rumble by fullback Craig "Ironhead" Heyward that left Falcons safety Scott Case staring up at the ring of lights high above the field - the Saints offense managed just five field goals by late in the 4th quarter to lead 15-14. It was another defensive touchdown that saved the game for the Saints, this time an interception by Toi Cook. The Saints won two of their last three to finish 12-4, which was the 2nd best finish in team history.
1992 NFL season
The 1992 NFL season was the 73rd regular season of the National Football League.Due to the damage caused by Hurricane Andrew, the New England Patriots–Miami Dolphins game that was scheduled for September 6 at Joe Robbie Stadium was rescheduled to October 18. Both teams originally had that...
New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
season saw the Saints qualify for the postseason.
Offseason
The team entered 1992 with great expectations after its NFC West division title season of 1991. It was the franchise's first division championship since entering the NFL in 1967. Most preseason forecasts had the Saints making the playoffs again and another division title possible.NFL Draft
A rusher was one of several needs on offense coming into 1992. Vaughn Dunbar, from Indiana University, was selected in the first round to address the need. Other picks included Tyrone LegetteTyrone Legette
Tyrone Christopher Legette is a former professional American football cornerback in the National Football League. He played seven seasons for the New Orleans Saints, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the San Francisco 49ers....
, Nebraska, DB,
Gene McGuire, Notre Dame, C, Sean Lumpkin, Minnesota, DB, Torrance Small, Alcorn State, WR, Kary Vincent, Texas A&M, DB, Robert Stewart, Alabama, DT, Donald Jones, Washington, LB, Marcus Dowdell, Tennessee State, WR, Mike Gisler, Houston, G, Scott Adell, North Carolina State, T. Of this batch of draftees, only Small and Lumpkin became regular starters at any point in their Saint careers.
Staff
Roster
Regular season
The team opened 1992 against Philadelphia, their first road opener in 11 years. The usually steely defense showed some chinks as the Eagles' Herschel Walker rushed for more than 100 yards. Turnovers caused by the two great defenses kept the game close, but the Eagles won 15-13. Offensive struggles continued the next week vs. Chicago, as the Bears led 6-0 at halftime. Big plays on both sides of the ball broke it open for the Saints, as Bobby Hebert connected with Eric Martin and Wesley Carroll on touchdown passes of 52 and 72 yards, respectively. Two second half scores by the defense capped the 28-6 win - a fumble return by Robert "Pig" Goff and an interception return by Reggie Jones. Those plays set the tone for the defensive unit throughout 1992.A 10-7 win over Atlanta followed and set up the annual battle with the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers had worn the title of "Team of the Decade" for the 1980s and were the primary stumbling block for an otherwise resurgent Saints franchise in Jim Mora's tenure as head coach. The Sunday night, prime-time audience saw a tight contest throughout. With the Niners leading 16-10, the Saints faced first-and-goal at the Niner 2-yard line. But, guard Derek Kennard was flagged for holding and, on the next play, a pass into tight coverage was picked off by 49ers CB Eric Davis. It was the sixth consecutive home game against the Niners decided by seven points or less.
The team rebounded with five straight wins and stood at 7-2 in the road game vs. the Niners. For three quarters, the Saints dominated the clock and scoreboard, leading 20-7 on two touchdown passes by Hebert. But the offense couldn't hold the lead as the Steve Young led San Francisco on two touchdown drives in the 4th quarter to win 21-20.
Most impressive of the Saints' 12 wins in 1992 came during the next three weeks, when the squad won three home games in a 10-day span. The first was a Monday night win over the Washington Redskins, 20-3, keyed by a Hebert-to-Early touchdown pass and stifling defense. Another eventual playoff team came to the Superdome the following Sunday, as the Miami Dolphins took a 13-10 lead into the second half. A blindsiding takeaway from Dan Marino by speed-rushing linebacker Pat Swilling led to Goff's second fumble return touchdown of the season. Later, cornerback Vince Buck
Vince Buck
Vincent Lamont Buck is a former American football safety in the National Football League for the New Orleans Saints. He played college football at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, where Buck was an NAIA All-American and NAIA Player of the Year in his senior year 1989...
returned an interception for a score as the Dolphins were defeated, 24-13. The third game in this trifecta was a Thursday night tilt against Atlanta. Despite several marches up and down the field - and a memorable rumble by fullback Craig "Ironhead" Heyward that left Falcons safety Scott Case staring up at the ring of lights high above the field - the Saints offense managed just five field goals by late in the 4th quarter to lead 15-14. It was another defensive touchdown that saved the game for the Saints, this time an interception by Toi Cook. The Saints won two of their last three to finish 12-4, which was the 2nd best finish in team history.
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 6, 1992 | at Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 15-13 | |
| 2 | September 13, 1992 | Chicago Bears Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 28-6 | |
| 3 | September 20, 1992 | at Atlanta Falcons Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 10-7 | |
| 4 | September 27, 1992 | San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and... |
L 16-10 | |
| 5 | October 4, 1992 | at Detroit Lions Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and... |
W 13-7 | |
| 6 | October 11, 1992 | Los Angeles Rams St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,... |
W 13-10 | |
| 7 | October 18, 1992 | at Phoenix Cardinals Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 30-21 | |
| 8 | Bye | |||
| 9 | November 1, 1992 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West... |
W 23-21 | |
| 10 | November 8, 1992 | at New England Patriots New England Patriots The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National... |
W 31-14 | |
| 11 | November 15, 1992 | at San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and... |
L 21-20 | |
| 12 | November 23, 1992 | Washington Redskins Washington Redskins The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,... |
W 20-3 | |
| 13 | November 29, 1992 | Miami Dolphins Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 24-13 | |
| 14 | December 3, 1992 | Atlanta Falcons Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 22-14 | |
| 15 | December 13, 1992 | at Los Angeles Rams St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,... |
W 37-14 | |
| 16 | December 20, 1992 | Buffalo Bills Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 20-16 | |
| 17 | December 26, 1992 | at New York Jets New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 20-0 | |
Postseason
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildcard | January 3, 1993 | Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 36-20 | |