2010 New Orleans Saints season
Encyclopedia
The 2010
2010 NFL season
The 2010 NFL season was the 91st regular season of the National Football League.The regular season began with the NFL Kickoff game on NBC on Thursday, September 9, at the Louisiana Superdome as the New Orleans Saints, Super Bowl XLIV champions, defeated the Minnesota Vikings 14–9.Tom Brady,...

 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 was the 44th season for the franchise in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

 (NFL) and city of New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...

, and was the 35th to host home games in the Louisiana Superdome
Louisiana Superdome
The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA...

. The Saints entered their season for the first time as defending Super Bowl
Super Bowl XLIV
Super Bowl XLIV was an American football game between the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion New Orleans Saints to decide the National Football League champion for the 2009 season. The Saints defeated the Colts by a score of...

 and National Football Conference
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...

 (NFC) champions, and played in the NFC South Division
NFC South
The NFC South is a division in the National Football Conference of the National Football League. It was created prior to the 2002 NFL season, when the league realigned divisions after expanding to 32 teams. The NFC South currently has four members: the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New...

. The franchise attempted to better their most successful season in franchise history from 2009
2009 New Orleans Saints season
The 2009 New Orleans Saints season is the franchise's 43rd season in the National Football League and the most successful in franchise history in which they won Super Bowl XLIV. The Saints recorded a franchise record 13 victories, an improvement on their 8–8 record and fourth place finish in the...

, which they began undefeated for 13 consecutive games only to lose their last three games at the end of the season to finish 13–3. In addition, they also attempted to win the NFC South Division title for the third time in history, earn their first second consecutive playoff
NFL playoffs
The National Football League playoffs are a single-elimination tournament held at the end of the regular season to determine the NFL champion. Six teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs based on regular season records, and a tie-breaking procedure exists in the...

 berth since 1991, and successfully defend their conference and league championships. The Saints qualified for the playoffs as a wild card team, but were eliminated in the first round by the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...

, who were the first team with a losing record (7-9) to qualify for the playoffs and win a division title. Sean Payton
Sean Payton
Patrick Sean Payton is the current head coach of the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. Payton was a quarterback at Naperville Central High School and Eastern Illinois University and played professionally in 1987 and 1988...

 served his fifth year as head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...

.

2010 NFL Draft

As the winners of Super Bowl XLIV
Super Bowl XLIV
Super Bowl XLIV was an American football game between the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion New Orleans Saints to decide the National Football League champion for the 2009 season. The Saints defeated the Colts by a score of...

, the Saints acquired the 32nd pick in the first round and drafted in this order.
New Orleans Saints 2010 NFL Draft selections
Draft order Player name Position Height Weight College Contract Notes
Round Choice Overall
1 32 32 Patrick Robinson
Patrick Robinson (cornerback)
-External links:**...

CB 5'11" 190 lbs Florida State
Florida State Seminoles football
The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University in college football. The Florida State Seminoles compete in NCAA Division I-FBS and are members of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...

5 Year
2 32 64 Charles Brown
Charles Brown (offensive lineman)
-New Orleans Saints:Brown was drafted by the Saints with the last pick of the second round. He signed a four-year contract on July 26, 2010.-External links:**...

OT 6'5" 303 lbs USC 4 Year
3 31 95 Jimmy Graham
Jimmy Graham
Jimmy Graham is an American football tight end for the New Orleans Saints of the NFL. He played college football at the University of Miami...

TE 6'6" 260 lbs Miami
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...

4 Year
4 25 123 Al Woods
Al Woods (American football)
Al Joseph Woods is an American football nose tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft...

DT 6'4" 314 lbs LSU
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...

4 Year
5 27 158 Matt Tennant
Matt Tennant
Matthew H. Tennant is an American football center for the New Orleans Saints. He attended Boston College. Tennant was considered one of the best centers available for the 2010 NFL Draft...

C 6'5" 300 lbs Boston College
Boston College Eagles football
The Boston College Eagles football team is the collegiate football program of Boston College. The team is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, a Division I Bowl Subdivision league governed by the NCAA. Within the ACC, the Eagles are one of six teams in the Atlantic Division...

4 Year
6 32 TBD Traded to the Arizona 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...

7 32 239 Sean Canfield
Sean Canfield
Sean Canfield is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the seventh round of the 2010 NFL Draft; he played college football at Oregon State.-Early years:...

QB 6'4" 214 lbs Oregon State
Oregon State Beavers football
The Oregon State Beavers football team represents Oregon State University in NCAA Division I-A college football. The team first fielded an organized football team in 1893 and is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. The head coach is Mike Riley, with Danny Langsdorf as the offensive...

N/A

Roster signings

All signings were to active roster, except where otherwise noted.
Pos. Player Date

Greg Fassitt
Greg Fassitt
Greg Fassitt is a free agent American football cornerback in the National Football League. He was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2007...

February 12, 2010
TE Tyler Lorenzen
Tyler Lorenzen
Tyler John Lorenzen is an American football tight end for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2009...

February 12, 2010
T Jermey Parnell
Jermey Parnell
Jermey Parnell is an American football offensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League.He was signed as a free agent by the New Orleans Saints...

February 12, 2010
WR Matt Simon
Matt Simon
Matthew Simon is a football player. Simon currently plays as a striker for the Australian A-League club Central Coast Mariners.-Club career:...

February 12, 2010
G Na'Shan Goddard
Na'Shan Goddard
Na'Shan Goddard is an American football offensive tackle for the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League. He was signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2006...

February 18, 2010
CB Glenn Sharpe
Glenn Sharpe
Glenn Sharpe is a free agent American football cornerback who last played for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was signed by the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2008...

February 18, 2010
DT Earl Heyman February 18, 2010
G Tim Duckworth
Tim Duckworth
Tim Duckworth is an American football guard who is currently a Free Agent in the National Football League. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2007...

February 19, 2010
RB Zak Keasey
Zak Keasey
Zak Keasey is an American football fullback who is currently a free agent in the National Football League....

February 23, 2010
DE Alex Brown April 7, 2010
DE Jimmy Wilkerson
Jimmy Wilkerson
Jimmy Boyd Wilkerson is an American football defensive end for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...

April 20, 2010
LB Clint Ingram
Clint Ingram
Clint Ingram is a professional American football linebacker who is currently a free agent of the National Football League He played college football for the University of Oklahoma Sooners, and was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft.-Early life:Ingram was...

May 19, 2010

Roster releases

Pos. Player Date

D'Juan Woods
D'Juan Woods
D'Juan Woods is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at Oklahoma State....

February 16, 2010 Released after being placed on injured reserve prior to the 2009 season
OL Jamar Nesbit
Jamar Nesbit
Jamar Kendric Nesbit is an American football guard who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 1999. He played college football at South Carolina...

March 4, 2010
LB Mark Simoneau
Mark Simoneau
Mark Lee Simoneau is a former American football linebacker who played for ten seasons in the National Football League. He played college football at Kansas State and was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played for the Falcons from 2000–2002, before he was...

March 4, 2010
DL Charles Grant
Charles Grant (American football)
Charles Gabriel Grant is an American football defensive end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft...

March 5, 2010
G Jamar Nesbit
Jamar Nesbit
Jamar Kendric Nesbit is an American football guard who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 1999. He played college football at South Carolina...

March 5, 2010

Preseason

The Saints preseason schedule was announced on March 31, 2010.
Week | Date | Kickoff | Opponent | Results | Game site | TV | NFL.com
recap
Final score Team record
1 August 12 6:30 p.m. CDT  at New England Patriots
2010 New England Patriots season
The 2010 New England Patriots season was the 41st season for the team in the National Football League and 51st season overall. The Patriots improved on their 10–6 record from 2009 by finishing with a league-best 14–2 record and clinching the top seed in the AFC, before losing to the New York Jets...

 
L 24–27 0–1 Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, 21 miles southwest of downtown Boston and from downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for the New England Patriots football team and the New England Revolution...

 
CST Recap
2 August 21 7:00 p.m. CDT Houston Texans
2010 Houston Texans season
The 2010 Houston Texans season was the team's 9th season in the National Football League. The Texans claimed their first winning season in franchise history, with a 9–7 record in 2009, but narrowly missed the playoffs. The Texans selected Kareem Jackson CB from Alabama, with the 20th overall all...

 
W 38–20 1–1 Louisiana Superdome
Louisiana Superdome
The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA...

 
CST Recap
3 August 27 7:00 p.m. CDT San Diego Chargers
2010 San Diego Chargers season
The 2010 San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's 41st season in the National Football League, and their 51st overall. After a 13–3 record dissolved into a disappointing loss to the New York Jets in the divisional round of the 2009-10 NFL Playoffs, the Chargers had high hopes of winning their...

 
W 36–21 2–1 Louisiana Superdome CBS
NFL on CBS
The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:...

 
Recap
4 September 2 7:00 p.m. CDT at Tennessee Titans
2010 Tennessee Titans season
The 2010 Tennessee Titans season was the team's 41st season in the National Football League, their 51st overall and their 14th season in Tennessee...

 
L 24–27 2–2 LP Field
LP Field
LP Field is a football stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, United States, owned by the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County....

 
CST Recap

Regular season

Listed below are the Saints' opponents for 2010. As the defending Super Bowl
Super Bowl XLIV
Super Bowl XLIV was an American football game between the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion New Orleans Saints to decide the National Football League champion for the 2009 season. The Saints defeated the Colts by a score of...

 champions, the Saints hosted the annual NFL Kickoff Game
National Football League Kickoff game
The NFL Kickoff game, and related festivities, mark the start of the National Football League season. The first game of the season is currently scheduled for the Thursday following Labor Day. A single game is held, preceded by a concert and other ceremonies. Since the 2004 season, the defending...

 on Thursday, September 9, against the Minnesota Vikings
2010 Minnesota Vikings season
The 2010 Minnesota Vikings season was the franchise's 50th season in the National Football League, and the fifth under head coach Brad Childress until November 22, when he was fired and Leslie Frazier was named interim head coach...

, which was a rematch of the 2009
2009 NFL season
The 2009 NFL season was the 90th regular season of the National Football League.The preseason started with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on August 9, 2009, and the regular season began September 10. The season ended with Super Bowl XLIV, the league's championship game, on February 7, 2010 at...

 NFC Championship Game
NFC Championship Game
The National Football Conference Championship Game is one of the two semi-final playoff matches of the National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January and determines the champion of the...

. The pregame concert (Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...

 & Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band, sometimes shortened to DMB, is a U.S. rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991. The founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer/backing vocalist Carter Beauford and saxophonist LeRoi Moore. Boyd Tinsley was...

) and game was televised on NBC
NBC Sunday Night Football
NBC Sunday Night Football is a weekly television broadcast of Sunday evening National Football League games on NBC that began airing on Sunday, August 6, 2006 with the pre-season opening Hall of Fame Game. Al Michaels serves as the play-by-play announcer, with Cris Collinsworth as the color...

.
Bye
Bye (sports)
A bye, in sports and other competitive activities, most commonly refers to the practice of allowing a player or team to advance to the next round of a playoff tournament without playing...

Week | Date | Kickoff | Opponent | Results | Game site | TV | NFL.com
recap
Final score Team record
1 September 9 7:30 p.m. CDT  Minnesota Vikings
2010 Minnesota Vikings season
The 2010 Minnesota Vikings season was the franchise's 50th season in the National Football League, and the fifth under head coach Brad Childress until November 22, when he was fired and Leslie Frazier was named interim head coach...

 
W 14–9 1–0 Louisiana Superdome
Louisiana Superdome
The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA...

 
NBC
NBC Sunday Night Football
NBC Sunday Night Football is a weekly television broadcast of Sunday evening National Football League games on NBC that began airing on Sunday, August 6, 2006 with the pre-season opening Hall of Fame Game. Al Michaels serves as the play-by-play announcer, with Cris Collinsworth as the color...

 
Recap
2 September 20 7:30 p.m. CDT at San Francisco 49ers
2010 San Francisco 49ers season
The 2010 San Francisco 49ers season was the franchise's 65th season, and the second full year with Mike Singletary as the head coach. The 49ers were looking to build upon their 8–8 season in 2009 that ended their streak of seven consecutive losing seasons and to get into the postseason for the...

 
W 25–22 2–0 Candlestick Park  ESPN
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...

 
Recap
3 September 26 12:00 p.m. CDT Atlanta Falcons
2010 Atlanta Falcons season
The 2010 Atlanta Falcons season was the 45th season for the team in the National Football League. In 2009, the team posted consecutive winning seasons for the first time in franchise history, with a 9–7 record, but did not make the playoffs...

 
L 24–27 (OT) 2–1 Louisiana Superdome Fox
NFL on FOX
NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...

 
Recap
4 October 3 12:00 p.m. CDT Carolina Panthers
2010 Carolina Panthers season
-Coaching staff:-Preseason:The Panthers preseason schedule was announced on March 31, 2010.-Regular season:-Week 1: at New York Giants:The Panthers began their season at New Meadowlands Stadium for an NFC duel with the New York Giants. In the first quarter, Carolina got the stadium's very first...

 
W 16–14 3–1 Louisiana Superdome Fox Recap
5 October 10 3:05 p.m. CDT at Arizona Cardinals
2010 Arizona Cardinals season
The 2010 Arizona Cardinals season is the 91st season for the team in the National Football League, and their 23rd season in Arizona. The Cardinals failed to improve on their 10–6 record from 2009, and were eliminated from postseason contention in Week 15....

 
L 20–30 3–2 University of Phoenix Stadium
University of Phoenix Stadium
University of Phoenix Stadium, opened August 1, 2006, is a multipurpose football stadium located in Glendale, Arizona. It is the home of the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League and the annual Fiesta Bowl...

 
Fox Recap
6 October 17 12:00 p.m. CDT at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2010 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 2010 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the club's 35th season as a franchise in the NFL. The Buccaneers entered the season attempting to improve on their 3–13 record and last place finish in the NFC South in 2009, a feat they accomplished after only six games...

 
W 31–6 4–2 Raymond James Stadium
Raymond James Stadium
Raymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events...

 
Fox Recap
7 October 24 12:00 p.m. CDT Cleveland Browns
2010 Cleveland Browns season
The 2010 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 64th season as a professional sports franchise and its 60th season as a member of the National Football League . The team failed to break the longest playoff appearance drought in franchise history, a current streak of eight seasons without reaching...

 
L 17–30 4–3 Louisiana Superdome CBS Recap
8 October 31 7:20 p.m. CDT Pittsburgh Steelers
2010 Pittsburgh Steelers season
The 2010 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the team's 78th season as a professional sports franchise and as a member of the National Football League and the eleventh season under the leadership of general manager Kevin Colbert and the fourth under head coach Mike Tomlin...

 
W 20–10 5–3 Louisiana Superdome NBC Recap
9 November 7 12:00 p.m. CST at Carolina Panthers W 34–3 6–3 Bank of America Stadium
Bank of America Stadium
Bank of America Stadium is a 73,778-seat football stadium located on of land in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. It is the home facility of the Carolina Panthers NFL franchise. It also hosts the annual Belk Bowl which features teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Big East...

 
Fox Recap
11 November 21 3:05 p.m. CST Seattle Seahawks
2010 Seattle Seahawks season
The 2010 Seattle Seahawks season was the 35th season for the team in the National Football League. Jim Mora was fired on January 8, 2010, leading the Seahawks to come to an agreement with Pete Carroll, instating him as head coach the following day. This marks the 9th season that the Seahawks will...

 
W 34–19 7–3 Louisiana Superdome Fox Recap
12 November 25
Thanksgiving Classic
The National Football League's Thanksgiving Classic is a series of games played during the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States. It has been a regular occurrence since the league's inception in 1920. Since 2006, three games are played every Thanksgiving...

 
3:15 p.m. CST at Dallas Cowboys
2010 Dallas Cowboys season
The 2010 Dallas Cowboys season is the 51st season for the team in the National Football League, and the second season playing their home games at Cowboys Stadium...

 
W 30–27 8–3 Cowboys Stadium  Fox Recap
13 December 5 12:00 p.m. CST at Cincinnati Bengals
2010 Cincinnati Bengals season
The 2010 Cincinnati Bengals season was the 41st season for the team in the National Football League , and their 43rd overall. The Bengals looked to improve on their 10–6 record in 2009, during which they swept the AFC North for the first time in team history and made the playoffs as division...

 
W 34–30 9–3 Paul Brown Stadium
Paul Brown Stadium
Paul Brown Stadium is an American sports stadium located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the home venue of the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. It opened on August 19, 2000. The stadium was named after Bengals' founder Paul Brown. The stadium is located on approximately of land and...

 
Fox Recap
14 December 12 3:05 p.m. CST St. Louis Rams
2010 St. Louis Rams season
-Schedule:-Week 1: vs. Arizona Cardinals:The St. Louis Rams began their season at home for an NFC West match against the Arizona Cardinals. The Rams trailed in the 2nd quarter with Cardinals kicker Jay Feely nailing a 22-yard field goal, which was replied when Rams kicker Josh Brown made a 46-yard...

 
W 31–13 10–3 Louisiana Superdome Fox Recap
15 December 19 12:00 p.m. CST at Baltimore Ravens
2010 Baltimore Ravens season
The 2010 Baltimore Ravens season was the 15th for the team in the National Football League and city of Baltimore, Maryland, and the 13th to host home games at M&T Bank Stadium. They played in the NFL's American Football Conference North Division...

 
L 24–30 10–4 M&T Bank Stadium
M&T Bank Stadium
M&T Bank Stadium is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the home of the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. The stadium is immediately adjacent to Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the home of the Baltimore Orioles. Served by the Hamburg Street station of...

 
Fox Recap
16 December 27 7:30 p.m. CST at Atlanta Falcons W 17–14 11–4 Georgia Dome
Georgia Dome
The Georgia Dome is a domed stadium located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, between downtown to the east and Vine City to the west. It is primarily the home stadium for the NFL Atlanta Falcons and the NCAA Division I FCS Georgia State Panthers football team. It is owned and operated by the...

 
ESPN Recap
17 January 2 12:00 p.m. CST Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 13-23 11-5 Louisiana Superdome Fox Recap

Preseason Week 1: 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...

Preseason Week 2: vs Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

Preseason Week 3: vs San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

Preseason Week 4: at Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...

Week 1: vs. Minnesota Vikings

With their Super Bowl title to defend, the Saints began their season at home in the annual Kickoff Game
National Football League Kickoff game
The NFL Kickoff game, and related festivities, mark the start of the National Football League season. The first game of the season is currently scheduled for the Thursday following Labor Day. A single game is held, preceded by a concert and other ceremonies. Since the 2004 season, the defending...

 against the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...

, in a rematch of last season's NFC Championship Game. New Orleans would strike first in the opening quarter with quarterback Drew Brees
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....

 hooking up with wide receiver Devery Henderson
Devery Henderson
-New Orleans Saints:On November 5, 2006, Devery had his best day as a professional in a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he caught 3 passes for 111 yards and 2 touchdowns. Henderson had 158 receiving yards on 5 catches, including a 76 yard touchdown, against the Atlanta Falcons on November...

 on a 29-yard touchdown pass. The Vikings would take the lead in the second quarter as kicker Ryan Longwell
Ryan Longwell
Ryan Walker Longwell is an American football placekicker for the Minnesota Vikings in the National Football League. After playing college football for the California Golden Bears, he started his professional football career with the San Francisco 49ers, but never played a game for the franchise...

 made a 41-yard field goal, followed by quarterback Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...

's 20-yard touchdown pass to tight end Visanthe Shiancoe
Visanthe Shiancoe
Visanthe Shiancoe is an American football tight end who currently plays for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League.-High school:...

 (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
Pierre Thomas (American football)
Charles Pierre Thomas Jr. is an American football running back for the New Orleans Saints in the National Football League.- Early years :...

. 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

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
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...

. New Orleans would deliver the opening punch in the first quarter as 49ers center David Baas
David Baas
David Andrew Baas is an American football Guard/Center for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft...

' 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
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....

 hooked up with running back Reggie Bush
Reggie Bush
Reginald Alfred "Reggie" Bush II is an American football running back for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft...

 on a 6-yard touchdown pass. The 49ers would answer in the second quarter as quarterback Alex Smith
Alex Smith
Alexander Douglas Smith is a professional American football player and starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Smith was drafted with the 1st-overall pick in the 1st round of the 2005 NFL Draft by San Francisco from the University of Utah...

 found running back Frank Gore
Frank Gore
Franklin Gore is an American football running back who plays for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Miami. NFL Network analysts have nicknamed Gore "The Inconvenient Truth".-High school career:Gore attended Coral Gables High...

 on a 12-yard touchdown pass.

San Francisco would take the lead with running back Anthony Dixon
Anthony Dixon
-2010 season:With the announcement of the sudden retirement of second year player Glen Coffee on August 13, former head coach Mike Singletary stated that Dixon and veteran Michael Robinson would compete for the number 2 running back spot behind Pro Bowler Frank Gore...

's 2-yard touchdown run, yet New Orleans would respond with Brees' 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end David Thomas
David Thomas (American football)
John David Thomas is an American football tight end for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft...

. The Saints would add onto their lead in the fourth quarter as kicker Garrett Hartley
Garrett Hartley
Garrett Hartley is an American football placekicker for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2008...

 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
Vernon Davis
-2006 rookie season:Vernon's first reception in the NFL was a 31-yard touchdown catch, against the Arizona Cardinals on September 10, 2006. He added a career-long 52-yard touchdown against the Green Bay Packers on December 10 with a short catch followed by a long run. Davis played in ten games in...

. 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

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
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....

 made a 2-yard TD pass to TE Jeremy Shockey
Jeremy Shockey
Jeremy Charles Shockey is an American football tight end for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Giants 14th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft...

. The Falcons replied with QB Matt Ryan
Matt Ryan
Matt Ryan is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre currently playing for Villacher SV of the Austrian Hockey League .-Playing career:...

 making a 13-yard TD pass to TE Tony Gonzalez. The Saints re-took the lead with Brees finding WR Lance Moore
Lance Moore
Lance Andrew Moore is an American football wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2005...

 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
Matt Bryant
Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...

 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
Roddy White
Sharod Lamor White is an American football wide receiver playing for the Atlanta Falcons in the National Football League...

. The Saints would tie the game with kicker Garrett Hartley
Garrett Hartley
Garrett Hartley is an American football placekicker for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2008...

 making a 32-yard field goal. At overtime, the decision was made when Matt Bryant
Matt Bryant
Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...

 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

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
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....

 completed a 4-yard TD pass to WR Lance Moore
Lance Moore
Lance Andrew Moore is an American football wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2005...

. Carolina replied with QB Jimmy Clausen
Jimmy Clausen
James Richard "Jimmy" Clausen is an American football quarterback for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Panthers in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame.-High school career:Clausen had an outstanding prep career...

 making a 55-yard TD pass to RB Jonathan Stewart
Jonathan Stewart
Jonathan Creon Stewart is an American football running back for the Carolina Panthers of the NFL. He was selected by the Panthers in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Oregon.-High school career:Stewart is the career leading rusher in...

. The Saints took the lead when kicker John Carney nailed a 32-yard field goal, but fell behind when RB DeAngelo Williams
DeAngelo Williams
DeAngelo Williams is an American football running back for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. Williams was drafted by the Panthers 27th overall in the 2006 NFL Draft...

 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

Coming off their close win over the Panthers the Saints flew to University of Phoenix Stadium
University of Phoenix Stadium
University of Phoenix Stadium, opened August 1, 2006, is a multipurpose football stadium located in Glendale, Arizona. It is the home of the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League and the annual Fiesta Bowl...

 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
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....

 completing a 1-yard TD pass to TE Jeremy Shockey
Jeremy Shockey
Jeremy Charles Shockey is an American football tight end for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Giants 14th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft...

. The Cardinals replied with kicker Jay Feely
Jay Feely
Thomas James "Jay" Feely is an American football placekicker for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. Jay played for the Temple Terrace Spirit Soccer team that won the National Championships when he was 16....

 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
Kerry Rhodes
Kerry Rhodes is an American football safety for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...

 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
Robert Meachem
Robert Meachem is an American football wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Saints 27th overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tennessee....

, but had more problems when Brees' pass was intercepted by CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
-Arizona Cardinals:Rodgers-Cromartie was drafted by the Cardinals in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. On July 25, he signed a 5-year, $15.1 million contract with the team that includes $9 million in guarantees. Rodgers-Cromartie was named the starting nickelback for the 2008 season, behind...

 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

Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Cardinals the Saints flew to Raymond James Stadium
Raymond James Stadium
Raymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events...

 for an NFC South rivalry match against the Buccaneers. In the first quarter New Orleans took the lead when QB Drew Brees
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....

 completed a 41-yard TD pass to WR Lance Moore
Lance Moore
Lance Andrew Moore is an American football wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2005...

. 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
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....

 made a 4-yard TD pass to FB Heath Evans
Heath Evans
Bryan Heath Evans is a former American football fullback. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft...

. Tampa Bay scored in the fourth quarter with QB Josh Freeman
Josh Freeman
-2009:On November 8, 2009, Freeman started his first professional game at home against the Green Bay Packers. The Buccaneers won, ending an 11-game losing streak. He completed 14 out of 31 passes for 205 yards, 3 passing touchdowns, and 1 INT, including a fourth down touchdown pass to rookie Sammie...

 making a 2-yard TD pass to WR Micheal Spurlock
Micheal Spurlock
Michael Curtis Spurlock is an American football wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was signed by the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2006...

 (With a failed 2-point conversion), but the Saints pulled away as RB Ladell Betts
Ladell Betts
Matthew Ladell Betts is an American football running back who is currently a free agent He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Iowa....

 got a 1-yard TD run.

With the win, the Saints improve to 4-2.

Week 7: vs. Cleveland Browns

Week 8: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Hoping to rebound from their home loss to the Browns, the Saints stayed home for a Week 8 interconference duel with the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...

 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
Garrett Hartley
Garrett Hartley is an American football placekicker for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2008...

.

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
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....

 found wide receiver Marques Colston
Marques Colston
Marques Colston is an American football wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints of the NFL. He was selected in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft as a supplemental compensatory pick. Following the trade of receiver Donté Stallworth, Colston was inserted into the starting lineup for week 1 of...

 on a 16-yard touchdown pass. Pittsburgh responded with running back Rashard Mendenhall
Rashard Mendenhall
Rashard Jamal Mendenhall is an American football running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers 23rd overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Illinois....

 getting a 38-yard touchdown run, yet New Orleans came right back as Brees connected with wide receiver Lance Moore
Lance Moore
Lance Andrew Moore is an American football wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2005...

 on an 8-yard touchdown pass.

With the win, the Saints improved to 5–3.

Week 9: at Carolina Panthers

Coming off their win over the Steelers the Saints flew to Bank of America Stadium
Bank of America Stadium
Bank of America Stadium is a 73,778-seat football stadium located on of land in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. It is the home facility of the Carolina Panthers NFL franchise. It also hosts the annual Belk Bowl which features teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Big East...

 for an NFC South rivalry match against the Panthers. In the first quarter the Saints trailed early after kicker John Kasay
John Kasay
John David Kasay is an American football kicker for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 1991 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia...

 made a 20-yard field goal. Then they made a large scoring run to dominate the game after QB Drew Brees
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....

 completed a 7-yard TD pass to TE Jeremy Shockey
Jeremy Shockey
Jeremy Charles Shockey is an American football tight end for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Giants 14th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft...

. Followed by Brees finding TE Jimmy Graham
Jimmy Graham
Jimmy Graham is an American football tight end for the New Orleans Saints of the NFL. He played college football at the University of Miami...

 on a 19-yard TD pass. The lead was extended by kicker Garrett Hartley
Garrett Hartley
Garrett Hartley is an American football placekicker for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2008...

 as he nailed a 31 and a 36-yard field goal. The Saints increased their lead with CB Jabari Greer
Jabari Greer
Jabari Amin Greer is an American football cornerback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was signed by the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football at Tennessee....

 returning an interception 24 yards for a touchdown. This was followed by RB Ladell Betts
Ladell Betts
Matthew Ladell Betts is an American football running back who is currently a free agent He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Iowa....

 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

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
Olindo Mare
Olindo Franco Mare is an American football placekicker for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 1996...

 hit a 20-yard field goal; but they pulled ahead after RB Chris Ivory
Chris Ivory
Christopher Ivory is an American football running back for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was signed as a free agent by the Saints after the 2010 NFL Draft...

 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
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....

 made a 23 and a 3-yard TD pass to WR Marques Colston
Marques Colston
Marques Colston is an American football wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints of the NFL. He was selected in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft as a supplemental compensatory pick. Following the trade of receiver Donté Stallworth, Colston was inserted into the starting lineup for week 1 of...

 and WR Robert Meachem
Robert Meachem
Robert Meachem is an American football wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Saints 27th overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tennessee....

. The lead was narrowed again after QB Matt Hasselback got a 2-yard TD pass to WR Ben Obomanu
Ben Obomanu
Benjamin Ebenezer Obomanu is an American football wide receiver who was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the 7th round of the 2006 NFL Draft. Obomanu played college football for the Auburn Tigers.-High School years:...

; 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 (Thanksgiving Classic)

The Saints played their Thanksgiving Classic at Cowboys Stadium for an NFC duel against the Cowboys. The Saints commanded the first quarter with RB Chris Ivory
Chris Ivory
Christopher Ivory is an American football running back for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was signed as a free agent by the Saints after the 2010 NFL Draft...

 getting a 3-yard TD run, followed by kicker Garrett Hartley
Garrett Hartley
Garrett Hartley is an American football placekicker for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2008...

 getting a 50-yard field goal, and then by Ivory making a 6-yard TD run. The lead was narrowed as kicker David Buehler
David Buehler
-Dallas Cowboys:He was drafted in the 5th round by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2009 NFL Draft, and the first kicker taken. He was the first USC kicker to be drafted since Cole Ford in 1995. He handles the team's kickoffs and missed his only field goal attempt in the Cowboys' opening regular season...

 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
Miles Austin
Miles Jonathon Austin III is an American football wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He was signed by the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2006...

 getting a 60-yard TD run. The Saints scored with Hartley making a 28-yard field goal, but fell behind with Marion Barber
Marion Barber III
Marion Sylvester Barber III is an American football running back for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Minnesota....

 and Tashard Choice
Tashard Choice
Tashard J. Choice , is an American football running back for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He played collegiately at Georgia Tech. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft.Choice began his collegiate career at The University of Oklahoma but...

 getting a 1-yard TD run. The Saints scored to pull out the win with QB Drew Brees
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....

 completing a 12-yard TD pass to WR Lance Moore
Lance Moore
Lance Andrew Moore is an American football wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2005...

.

With the win, the Saints improved to 8–3.

Week 13: at Cincinnati Bengals

Coming off their win over the Cowboys the Saints played an interconference duel with the Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium
Paul Brown Stadium
Paul Brown Stadium is an American sports stadium located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the home venue of the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. It opened on August 19, 2000. The stadium was named after Bengals' founder Paul Brown. The stadium is located on approximately of land and...

. In the first quarter, the Saints took the early lead as kicker Garrett Hartley
Garrett Hartley
Garrett Hartley is an American football placekicker for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2008...

 nailed a 48-yard field goal. The Bengals replied with kicker Clint Stitser
Clint Stitser
Clint Stitser is an American football placekicker who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the New York Jets as a street free agent in 2010...

 hitting a 29-yard field goal, but the Saints scored again with RB Chris Ivory
Chris Ivory
Christopher Ivory is an American football running back for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was signed as a free agent by the Saints after the 2010 NFL Draft...

 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
Carson Palmer
Carson Palmer is an American professional football quarterback for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals first overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played collegiately at the University of Southern California and won the Heisman Trophy in 2002...

 made a 5-yard TD pass to WR Terrell Owens
Terrell Owens
Terrell Owens is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. A six-time Pro Bowl selection, Owens has been one of the dominant receivers of his era...

 (With a failed PAT as the kick went wide right), followed by RB Cedric Benson
Cedric Benson
Cedric Myron Benson is an American football running back for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears fourth overall in the 2005 NFL Draft...

 getting a 1-yard TD run. The Saints responded as QB Drew Brees
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....

 completed a 52-yard TD pass to WR Robert Meachem
Robert Meachem
Robert Meachem is an American football wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Saints 27th overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tennessee....

, but fell behind with Benson getting a 4-yard TD run (With a successful 2-point conversion as Palmer passed to TE Jermaine Gresham
Jermaine Gresham
Jermaine Gresham is an American football tight end for the Cincinnati Bengals. He was drafted by the Bengals with the 21st pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, despite the fact that he had missed all of the previous season with a knee injury....

), 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
Marques Colston
Marques Colston is an American football wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints of the NFL. He was selected in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft as a supplemental compensatory pick. Following the trade of receiver Donté Stallworth, Colston was inserted into the starting lineup for week 1 of...

.

With the win, the Saints improved to 9–3.

Week 14: vs. St. Louis Rams

Week 15: at Baltimore Ravens

Week 16: at Atlanta Falcons

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
Garrett Hartley
Garrett Hartley is an American football placekicker for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2008...

 kicking a FG from 52 yards late in the first quarter. RB Pierre Thomas
Pierre Thomas
Pierre Thomas, sieur du Fossé was a French scholar and author, and was the son of a master of accounts at Rouen. He was sent as a child to be educated to the Jansenists at Port-Royal des Champs. There he received his bent towards the life of a recluse, and even of a hermit, which drew him to...

 would add to the Saints' lead with a 2-yard TD run; however, Atlanta would respond with a Matt Ryan
Matt Ryan
Matt Ryan is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre currently playing for Villacher SV of the Austrian Hockey League .-Playing career:...

 7-yard TD pass to Roddy White
Roddy White
Sharod Lamor White is an American football wide receiver playing for the Atlanta Falcons in the National Football League...

 to cut the lead to three. After a scoreless third quarter, the Falcons took the lead with Chauncey Davis
Chauncey Davis
Chauncey Antoine Davis is an American football defensive end for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-Early years:Davis was born in Bartow,Florida,...

 returning an interception 26 yards for a touchdown. New Orleans reclaimed the lead late in the 4th with a Drew Brees
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....

 6-yard TD pass to Jimmy Graham
Jimmy Graham
Jimmy Graham is an American football tight end for the New Orleans Saints of the NFL. He played college football at the University of Miami...

. 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

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
Connor Barth
Connor Thomas Barth is an American football placekicker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at North Carolina....

 hit a 43-yard field goal, but took the lead with QB Drew Brees
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....

 throwing a 4-yard TD pass to TE Jimmy Graham
Jimmy Graham
Jimmy Graham is an American football tight end for the New Orleans Saints of the NFL. He played college football at the University of Miami...

. The Buccaneers replied with QB Josh Freeman
Josh Freeman
-2009:On November 8, 2009, Freeman started his first professional game at home against the Green Bay Packers. The Buccaneers won, ending an 11-game losing streak. He completed 14 out of 31 passes for 205 yards, 3 passing touchdowns, and 1 INT, including a fourth down touchdown pass to rookie Sammie...

 completing a 2-yard TD pass to WR Dezmon Briscoe
Dezmon Briscoe
Dezmon Jerrod Briscoe is an American football wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Kansas.-Early years:Briscoe was born in Dallas, Texas to...

, but the Saints tied the game with kicker Garrett Hartley
Garrett Hartley
Garrett Hartley is an American football placekicker for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2008...

 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 Results Game Site TV Recap
Final score Team record
WC January 8 1:30 PM PST Seattle Seahawks
2010 Seattle Seahawks season
The 2010 Seattle Seahawks season was the 35th season for the team in the National Football League. Jim Mora was fired on January 8, 2010, leading the Seahawks to come to an agreement with Pete Carroll, instating him as head coach the following day. This marks the 9th season that the Seahawks will...

L 41-36 0–1 Qwest Field
Qwest Field
CenturyLink Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Seattle, Washington, United States. It serves as the home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League and Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer...

NBC
NFL on NBC
NFL on NBC is the brand given to NBC Sports coverage of National Football League games until 1998, when NBC lost the NFL American Football Conference rights to CBS...

Recap

NFC Wild Card playoffs: at Seattle Seahawks

Entering the postseason as the NFC's #5 seed, the Saints began their playoff run at Qwest Field
Qwest Field
CenturyLink Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Seattle, Washington, United States. It serves as the home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League and Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer...

 for the NFC Wild Card Round against the #4 Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...

 in a rematch of their Week 11 duel. New Orleans delivered the game's opening strike in the first quarter with a 26-yard field goal from kicker Garrett Hartley
Garrett Hartley
Garrett Hartley is an American football placekicker for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2008...

, followed by quarterback Drew Brees
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....

 finding fullback Heath Evans
Heath Evans
Bryan Heath Evans is a former American football fullback. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft...

 on a 1-yard touchdown pass. The Seahawks would answer with quarterback Matt Hasselbeck
Matt Hasselbeck
Matthew Michael Hasselbeck is a National Football League quarterback for the Tennessee Titans. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 1998 NFL Draft, and traded to Seattle in 2001. After becoming the starter in 2003, Hasselbeck led Seattle to six playoff appearances and...

 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
Julius Jones
Julius Andre Maurice Jones is an American football running back who played college football at the University of Notre Dame and is currently a member of the Free Agent Class of the National Football League. Before signing with the Saints on October 12, 2010, Julius had stints with the Dallas...

, but Seattle took the lead with Hasselbeck's 7-yard touchdown pass to Carlson, kicker Olindo Mare
Olindo Mare
Olindo Franco Mare is an American football placekicker for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 1996...

 making a 29-yard field goal, and Hasselbeck completing a 45-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Stokley
Brandon Stokley
Brandon Stokley is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft...

. 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 deilvered a punishing blow as running back Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Terrell Lynch is an American football running back for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. In his rookie year, Lynch became the Bills' first 1,000-yard rookie rusher since Greg Bell in 1984...

 got a 67-yard touchdown run. New Orleans tried to catch up with Brees connecting with wide receiver Devery Henderson
Devery Henderson
-New Orleans Saints:On November 5, 2006, Devery had his best day as a professional in a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he caught 3 passes for 111 yards and 2 touchdowns. Henderson had 158 receiving yards on 5 catches, including a 76 yard touchdown, against the Atlanta Falcons on November...

 (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.

Coaching staff

New Orleans Saints 2010 staff
Front Office
  • Owner/President – Tom Benson
    Tom Benson
    See also Tom Benson and Tom Benson for the Northern Ireland Unionist.Tom Benson is the owner of the New Orleans Saints. He is currently the owner of several automobile dealerships in the Greater New Orleans and San Antonio areas...

  • Owner/Executive Vice President – Rita Benson LeBlanc
  • Executive Vice President/General Manager – Mickey Loomis
    Mickey Loomis
    Mickey Loomis is the General Manager of the NFL's New Orleans Saints. He was awarded the NFL executive of the year for 2006.He attended Northwest Christian University in Eugene, Oregon, where he played basketball...

  • Director of Football Administration – Khai Harley
  • Director of Pro Scouting – Ryan Pace
  • Director of College Scouting – Rick Reiprish
  • Assistant Director of College Scouting – Brian Adams


Head Coaches
  • Head Coach – Sean Payton
    Sean Payton
    Patrick Sean Payton is the current head coach of the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. Payton was a quarterback at Naperville Central High School and Eastern Illinois University and played professionally in 1987 and 1988...

  • Assistant Head Coach/Linebackers – Joe Vitt
    Joe Vitt
    Joe Vitt is the linebackers coach and assistant head coach of the New Orleans Saints.Vitt played four seasons as a linebacker for Towson State near Baltimore, even though he was an undersized 5'10" and smallish 190 pounds...



Offensive Coaches
  • Offensive Coordinator – Pete Carmichael, Jr.
    Pete Carmichael, Jr.
    Pete Carmichael, Jr. is the current offensive coordinator of the New Orleans Saints of the NFL. Carmichael was named offensive coordinator January 12, 2009, replacing Doug Marrone who was hired as the Syracuse Orange head football coach. Carmichael grew up in Medway, MA.-References:...

  • Quarterbacks – Joe Lombardi
  • Running Backs – Bret Ingalls
  • Wide Receivers – Curtis Johnson
    Curtis Johnson (football coach)
    Curtis Johnson is the current wide receivers coach for the New Orleans Saints of the NFL.While coaching at the University of Miami, Johnson coached Reggie Wayne and Andre Johnson. During the November 30th, 2009 Monday night football game, Jon Gruden praised Johnson as one of the best receiver...

  • Tight Ends – Terry Malone
    Terry Malone
    Terry Malone is the current tight ends coach for the New Orleans Saints of the NFL. Prior to the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season, Malone had been the offensive coordinator for the Michigan Wolverines football team...

  • Offensive Line/Running Game – Aaron Kromer
    Aaron Kromer
    Aaron Kromer is the current running backs coach for the New Orleans Saints of the NFL.He coached the 2000 Northwestern football camp.-References:...

  • Offensive Assistant/Wide Receivers – Carter Sheridan
 
Defensive Coaches
  • Defensive Coordinator – Gregg Williams
    Gregg Williams
    Gregg Williams is the defensive coordinator of the New Orleans Saints and the former head coach of the Buffalo Bills. Considered one of the most respected defensive minds in the game, Williams is known for running aggressive, attacking 4-3 schemes that put heavy pressure on opposing...

  • Defensive Line – Bill Johnson
  • Assistant Defensive Line – Travis Jones
    Travis Jones
    Travis Jones is the current assistant defensive line coach for the New Orleans Saints of the NFL.-External links:*...

  • Secondary – Dennis Allen
    Dennis Allen (American football)
    Dennis Allen is the Defensive Coordinator for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League.Allen previously coached for the New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons, Tulsa University and his alma mater, Texas A&M University. His father Grady Allen was also a standout linebacker for the Aggies and...

  • Assistant Secondary – Tony Oden
    Tony Oden
    Tony Oden is the current assistant secondary coach for the New Orleans Saints of the NFL.-External links:*...



Special Teams Coaches
  • Special Teams Coordinator – Greg McMahon
    Greg McMahon
    Greg McMahon is the current special teams coordinator for the New Orleans Saints of the NFL.-References:...

  • Assistant Special Teams – Mike Mallory
    Mike Mallory
    Mike Mallory is a former American football linebacker who played for the University of Michigan Wolverines from 1982 to 1985. He was the Most Valuable Player for the 1984 Wolverines team and was a finalist for the Butkus Award in 1985...



Strength and Conditioning
  • Head Strength and Conditioning – Dan Dalrymple
  • Assistant Strength and Conditioning – Charles Byrd
  • Strength and Conditioning Assistant – Robert Wenning


Coaching Assistants
  • Frank Smith, Marcus Ungaro, Blake Williams, Brian Young
    Brian Young (American football)
    Brian Young is a former American football defensive tackle who played for the St. Louis Rams and New Orleans Saints of the National Football League...



Final roster

External links

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