2015 New Orleans Saints season

The 2015 season was the New Orleans Saints' 49th in the National Football League, their 40th playing home games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and their ninth under head coach Sean Payton. On November 16, 2015, the Saints hired Dennis Allen to replace fired defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. However, the Saints still missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season. The Saints set a new league record for the most passing touchdowns allowed with 45.

2015 New Orleans Saints season
Head coach	Sean Payton
General manager	Mickey Loomis
Owner	Tom Benson
Home field	Mercedes-Benz Superdome
Results
Record	7–9
Division place	3rd NFC South
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	Cameron Jordan (DE)
Uniform

2015 draft class

2015 New Orleans Saints Draft

Round	Selection	Player	Position	College
1	13	Andrus Peat	OT	Stanford
	31	Stephone Anthony	ILB	Clemson
2	44	Hau'oli Kikaha	OLB	Washington
3	75	Garrett Grayson	QB	Colorado State
	78	P.J. Williams	CB	Florida State
5	148	Davis Tull	OLB	Chattanooga
	154	Tyeler Davison	DT	Fresno State
	167	Damian Swann	CB	Georgia
7	230	Marcus Murphy	RB	Missouri

Notes

• The Saints acquired an additional first-round selection (No. 31 overall) and center Max Unger as part of a trade that sent their fourth-round selection (No. 109 overall) and tight end Jimmy Graham to the Seattle Seahawks.
• The Saints acquired an additional third-round selection (No. 78 overall) and linebacker Dannell Ellerbe as part of a trade that sent wide receiver Kenny Stills to the Miami Dolphins.
• The Saints acquired an additional fifth-round selection (No. 154 overall) as part of a trade that sent guard Ben Grubbs to the Kansas City Chiefs.
• The Saints acquired an additional fifth-round selection (No. 167 overall) as part of a trade that sent their sixth-round selection (No. 187 overall) and 2016 sixth-round selection to the Washington Redskins.

Staff

2015 New Orleans Saints staff

	Front office Owner – Tom Benson President – Dennis Lauscha General Manager – Mickey Loomis Director of Football Administration – Khai Harley Director of Operations – James Nagaoka Director of Pro Scouting – Terry Fontenot Head coaches Head Coach – Sean Payton Offensive coaches Offensive Coordinator – Pete Carmichael Quarterbacks – Mike Neu Running Backs – Joel Thomas Wide Receivers – John Morton Tight Ends – Dan Roushar Offensive Line – Bret Ingalls Offensive Assistant – Kyle DeVan Offensive Assistant – Greg Lewis Offensive Assistant – Brendan Nugent			Defensive coaches Defensive Coordinator – Dennis Allen Defensive Line – Bill Johnson Inside Linebackers – Joe Vitt Outside Linebackers – Brian Young Secondary – Wesley McGriff Defensive Assistant – Marcus Ungaro Defensive Assistant – James Willis Special teams coaches Special Teams Coordinator – Greg McMahon Assistant Special Teams – Stan Kwan

Final roster

2015 New Orleans Saints final roster

	Quarterbacks  9 Drew Brees 18 Garrett Grayson  3 Matt Flynn Running backs 38 Travaris Cadet 34 Tim Hightower 35 Austin Johnson FB 28 C. J. Spiller 45 Toben Opurum FB 48 Kendall Hunter Wide receivers 16 Brandon Coleman 12 Marques Colston 10 Brandin Cooks 83 Willie Snead Tight ends 89 Josh Hill 84 Michael Hoomanawanui 82 Benjamin Watson		Offensive linemen 72 Terron Armstead T 73 Jahri Evans G 76 Tony Hills T 65 Senio Kelemete C 68 Tim Lelito G 77 Mike McGlynn G 75 Andrus Peat T 66 Ryan Seymour G 64 Zach Strief T 60 Max Unger C Defensive linemen 90 Tavaris Barnes DE 95 Tyeler Davison DT 71 Kaleb Eulls DT 58 Obum Gwacham DE 92 John Jenkins DT 94 Cameron Jordan DE 78 Bobby Richardson DE 93 Kevin Williams DT		Linebackers 50 Stephone Anthony MLB 91 Kasim Edebali OLB 59 Dannell Ellerbe OLB 57 David Hawthorne OLB 53 Ramon Humber OLB 42 James Anderson OLB 44 Hau'oli Kikaha OLB 56 Michael Mauti MLB Defensive backs 40 Delvin Breaux CB 39 Brandon Browner CB 31 Jairus Byrd FS 20 Brian Dixon CB 30 Chris Owens CB 33 Jamarca Sanford SS 32 Kenny Vaccaro SS 24 Kyle Wilson CB Special teams 47 Justin Drescher LS  5 Kai Forbath K  6 Thomas Morstead P		Reserve lists -- Austin Brown DT (IR) 25 Rafael Bush FS (IR) 22 Mark Ingram RB (IR) 23 Marcus Murphy RS (IR) 21 Keenan Lewis CB (IR)  7 Luke McCown QB (IR) 29 Khiry Robinson RB (IR) 43 Vinnie Sunseri SS (IR) 80 Jack Tabb TE (IR) 55 Davis Tull OLB (IR) 96 Lawrence Virgil DT (IR) 27 Damian Swann CB (IR) 36 P.J. Williams CB (IR) Practice squad 11 Reggie Bell WR 52 Henry Coley ILB 41 Alden Darby FS 15 Seantavius Jones WR 74 Ashaad Mabry DT 86 Chris Manhertz TE -- Brandon Dixon CB Rookies in italics 53 active, 13 inactive, 7 practice squad

Schedule

Preseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Final score	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
1	August 13	at Baltimore Ravens	L 27–30	0–1	M&T Bank Stadium	Recap
2	August 22	New England Patriots	L 24–26	0–2	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap
3	August 30	Houston Texans	L 13–27	0–3	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap
4	September 3	at Green Bay Packers	L 10–38	0–4	Lambeau Field	Recap

Regular season

Week	Date	Opponent	Final score	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
1	September 13	at Arizona Cardinals	L 19–31	0–1	University of Phoenix Stadium	Recap
2	September 20	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	L 19–26	0–2	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap
3	September 27	at Carolina Panthers	L 22–27	0–3	Bank of America Stadium	Recap
4	October 4	Dallas Cowboys	W 26–20 (OT)	1–3	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap
5	October 11	at Philadelphia Eagles	L 17–39	1–4	Lincoln Financial Field	Recap
6	October 15	Atlanta Falcons	W 31–21	2–4	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap
7	October 25	at Indianapolis Colts	W 27–21	3–4	Lucas Oil Stadium	Recap
8	November 1	New York Giants	W 52–49	4–4	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap
9	November 8	Tennessee Titans	L 28–34 (OT)	4–5	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap
10	November 15	at Washington Redskins	L 14–47	4–6	FedExField	Recap
11	Bye
12	November 29	at Houston Texans	L 6–24	4–7	NRG Stadium	Recap
13	December 6	Carolina Panthers	L 38–41	4–8	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap
14	December 13	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 24–17	5–8	Raymond James Stadium	Recap
15	December 21	Detroit Lions	L 27–35	5–9	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap
16	December 27	Jacksonville Jaguars	W 38–27	6–9	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap
17	January 3	at Atlanta Falcons	W 20–17	7–9	Georgia Dome	Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at Arizona Cardinals

Week One: New Orleans Saints at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	3	7	3	6	19
Cardinals	7	7	3	14	31

at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

• Date: September 13
• Game time: 3:05 p.m. CDT/1:05 p.m. Arizona time
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 62,903
• Referee: Walt Anderson
• TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Pam Oliver
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter ARI – John Brown 10-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 9:46. Cardinals 7–0.Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:14. NO – Zach Hocker 37-yard field goal, 3:55. Cardinals 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 61 yards, 5:51. Second quarter ARI – Andre Ellington 1-yard run (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 11:03. Cardinals 14–3. Drive: 5 plays, 88 yards, 3:04. NO – Brandon Coleman 12-yard pass from Drew Brees (Zach Hocker kick), 5:14. Cardinals 14–10. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 5:49. Third quarter NO – Zach Hocker 23-yard field goal, 12:01. Cardinals 14–13. Drive: 5 plays, 71 yards, 2:59. ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 43-yard field goal, 0:04. Cardinals 17–13. Drive: 5 plays, 35 yards, 2:11. Fourth quarter NO – Zach Hocker 45-yard field goal, 12:24. Cardinals 17–16. Drive: 9 plays, 53 yards, 2:40. ARI – Darren Fells 17-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 9:48. Cardinals 24–16. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:36. NO – Zach Hocker 33-yard field goal, 6:45. Cardinals 24–19. Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 3:03. ARI – David Johnson 55-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 1:33. Cardinals 31–19. Drive: 2 plays, 57 yards, 0:16. Top passers NO – Drew Brees – 30/48, 355 yards, TD, INT ARI – Carson Palmer – 19/32, 132 yards, 3 TD Top rushers NO – Mark Ingram – 9 rushes, 24 yards ARI – Andre Ellington – 12 rushes, 69 yards, TD Top receivers NO – Mark Ingram – 8 rec, 98 yards ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 6 rec, 87 yards Turnovers NO – 1 ARI – 1

With the loss, the Saints began 0-1.

Week 2: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week Two: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Buccaneers	3	7	13	3	26
Saints	0	7	0	12	19

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

• Date: September 20
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 73,006
• Referee: Carl Cheffers
• TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
• Preview, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter TB – Kyle Brindza 55 yard field goal, 0:45. Buccaneers 3–0. Drive: 5 plays, 4 yards, 3:13. Second quarter NO – Mark Ingram 11 yard run (Zach Hocker kick), 1:23. Saints 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 58 yards, 3:02. TB – Vincent Jackson 15 yard pass from Jameis Winston (Kyle Brindza kick), 0:12. Buccaneers 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 63 yards, 1:11. Third quarter TB – Jameis Winston 1 yard run (Kyle Brindza kick), 13:02. Buccaneers 17–7. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 1:58. TB – Kyle Brindza 35 yard field goal, 6:04. Buccaneers 20–7. Drive: 10 plays, 31 yards, 5:10. TB – Kyle Brindza 22 yard field goal, 2:20. Buccaneers 23–7. Drive: 5 plays, 57 yards, 1:44. Fourth quarter NO – Austin Johnson 1 yard run (two-point pass conversion failed), 10:17. Buccaneers 23–13. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 7:03. NO – Willie Snead 16 yard pass from Drew Brees, 7:15. Buccaneers 23–19. Drive: 2 plays, 30 yards, 0:43. TB – Kyle Brindza 30 yard field goal, 1:51. Buccaneers 26–19. Drive: 5 plays, 21 yards, 1:07. Top passers TB – Jameis Winston – 14/21, 207 yards, TD NO – Drew Brees – 24/38, 255 yards, TD, INT Top rushers TB – Doug Martin – 21 rushes, 78 yards NO – Mark Ingram – 16 rushes, 53 yards, TD Top receivers TB – Louis Murphy – 3 rec, 82 yards NO – Marques Colston – 4 rec, 69 yards Turnovers TB – 2 NO – 3

Hoping to avoid an 0-2 start the Saints met Tampa Bay, led by new quarterback Jameis Winston.

The defense struggled to stop Winston as his heroics stunned New Orleans' home crowd.

Drew Brees left the game with an injured shoulder. The Saints wound up losing the game, 26-19.

Week 3: at Carolina Panthers

Week Three: New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	3	7	6	6	22
Panthers	0	10	10	7	27

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

• Date: September 27
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: 69 °F (21 °C), rain
• Game attendance: 73,402
• Referee: Ed Hochuli
• TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers NO – CAR – Top rushers NO – CAR – Top receivers NO – CAR – Top tacklers NO – CAR –

This game marked the first game Drew Brees missed as a Saint due to injury. Luke McCown, playing in relief of Brees, played well, throwing for 310 yards, before trying to hit Brandin Cooks in the end zone with roughly a minute left in the game. Josh Norman made a diving interception to seal the Panthers win and the Saints 0-3 start.

Week 4: vs. Dallas Cowboys

Week Four: Dallas Cowboys at New Orleans Saints – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Cowboys	3	7	3	7	0	20
Saints	7	0	6	7	6	26

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

• Date: October 4
• Game time: 7:30 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 73,009
• Referee: Brad Allen
• TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter DAL – Dan Bailey 30-yard field goal, 9:46. Cowboys 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 74 yards, 4:19. NO – Josh Hill 3-yard pass from Drew Brees (Zach Hocker kick), 3:52. Saints 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:53. Second quarter DAL – Joseph Randle 1-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 13:37. Cowboys 10–7. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:13. Third quarter NO – Zach Hocker 51-yard field goal, 11:24. Tied 10–10. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 1:23. DAL – Dan Bailey 38-yard field goal, 8:25. Cowboys 13–10. Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 2:59. NO – Zach Hocker 29-yard field goal, 1:30. Tied 13–13. Drive: 13 plays, 69 yards, 6:54. Fourth quarter NO – Khiry Robinson 1-yard run (Zach Hocker kick), 8:02. Saints 20–13. Drive: 11 plays, 67 yards, 4:45. DAL – Terrance Williams 17-yard pass from Brandon Weeden (Dan Bailey kick), 1:56. Tied 20–20. Drive: 8 plays, 91 yards, 2:14. Overtime NO – C. J. Spiller 80-yard pass from Drew Brees, 14:57. Saints 26–20. Drive: 2 plays, 80 yards, 0:13. Top passers DAL – Brandon Weeden – 16/26, 246 yards, TD NO – Drew Brees – 33/41, 359 yards, 2 TD Top rushers DAL – Lance Dunbar – 3 rushes, 54 yards NO – Mark Ingram – 17 rushes, 77 yards Top receivers DAL – Brice Butler – 1 reception, 67 yards NO – C. J. Spiller – 5 receptions, 99 yards, TD Top tacklers DAL – NO –

In overtime, Drew Brees, who returned from an injured shoulder, nailed an 80-yard pass to C. J. Spiller for the game-winning touchdown. Brees now has 400 career touchdown passes. It was also the fastest regular season overtime in NFL history, with only 13 seconds being played before the touchdown.

This win would make the Lions the only winless team.

Week 5: at Philadelphia Eagles

Week Five: New Orleans Saints at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	7	0	3	7	17
Eagles	0	10	16	13	39

at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• Date: October 11
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C), clear
• Game attendance: 69,296
• Referee: Ron Torbert
• TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis and Tony Siragusa
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers NO – PHI – Top rushers NO – PHI – Top receivers NO – PHI – Top tacklers NO – PHI –

The Saints returned to Philadelphia for their first meeting with the Eagles since their last second victory in the 2013 playoffs, but the Eagles would get their revenge in a blowout. With the loss, the Saints fell to 1-4.

Week 6: vs. Atlanta Falcons

Week Six: Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	0	7	0	14	21
Saints	14	0	10	7	31

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

• Date: October 15
• Game time: 7:25 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 73,018
• Referee: Gene Steratore
• TV announcers (CBS/NFLN): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers ATL – NO – Top rushers ATL – NO – Top receivers ATL – NO – Top tacklers ATL – NO –

The Saints would upset the undefeated Falcons on Thursday Night Football. With the win, the Saints improved to 2-4.

Week 7: at Indianapolis Colts

Week Seven: New Orleans Saints at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	7	13	7	0	27
Colts	0	0	14	7	21

at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

• Date: October 25
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C), mostly cloudy — retractable roof open
• Game attendance: 66,420
• Referee: Carl Cheffers
• TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, John Lynch and Pam Oliver
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers NO – IND – Top rushers NO – IND – Top receivers NO – IND – Top tacklers NO – IND –

In a Super Bowl rematch between the teams, the Saints would lead 27-0 at one point. Indianapolis would make it 27-21, but New Orleans would hold on for the win. With the win, the Saints improved to 3-4.

Week 8: vs. New York Giants

Week Eight: New York Giants at New Orleans Saints – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	7	14	7	21	49
Saints	14	14	14	10	52

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

• Date: November 1
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 73,019
• Referee: Craig Wrolstad
• TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter NYG – Odell Beckham Jr. 2 yard pass from Eli Manning (Josh Brown kick), 9:39. Giants 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 4:01. NO – Willie Snead 34 yard pass from Drew Brees (Kai Forbath kick), 7:36. tied 7–7. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:03. NO – Brandin Cooks 26 yard pass from Drew Brees (Kai Forbath kick), 2:24. Saints 14–7. Drive: 5 plays, 96 yards, 3:03. Second quarter NYG – Odell Beckham Jr. 1 yard pass from Eli Manning (Josh Brown kick), 13:31. tied 14–14. Drive: 9 plays, 79 yards, 3:53. NO – Marques Colston 53 yard pass from Drew Brees (Kai Forbath kick), 11:05. Saints 21–14. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:26. NO – Willie Snead 2 yard pass from Drew Brees (Kai Forbath kick), 1:46. Saints 28–14. Drive: 14 plays, 60 yards, 7:07. NYG – Shane Vereen 2 yard pass from Eli Manning (Josh Brown kick), 0:02. Saints 28–21. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 1:44. Third quarter NYG – Odell Beckham Jr. 50 yard pass from Eli Manning (Josh Brown kick), 12:58. tied 28–28. Drive: 4 plays, 65 yards, 2:02. NO – Brandin Cooks 21 yard pass from Drew Brees (Kai Forbath kick), 10:09. Saints 35–28. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 2:49. NO – Benjamin Watson 20 yard pass from Drew Brees (Kai Forbath kick), 0:29. Saints 42–28. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:46. Fourth quarter NYG – Dwayne Harris 9 yard pass from Eli Manning (Josh Brown kick), 12:15. Saints 42–35. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 3:14. NYG – Dwayne Harris 20 yard pass from Eli Manning (Josh Brown kick), 9:30. tied 42–42. Drive: 3 plays, 65 yards, 1:01. NYG – Trumaine McBride 63 yard interception return (Josh Brown kick), 7:11. Giants 49–42. NO – C. J. Spiller 9 yard pass from Drew Bress (Kai Forbath kick), 0:36. tied 49–49. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 6:35. NO – Kai Forbath 50 yard field goal, 0:00. Saints 52–49. Drive: 1 play, 0 yards, 0:05. Top passers NYG – Eli Manning 30/41, 350 yards, 6 TD NO – Drew Brees 39/50, 505 yards, 7 TD, 2 INT Top rushers NYG – Rashad Jennings 10 carries, 54 yards NO – Mark Ingram 16 carries, 80 yards Top receivers NYG – Odell Beckham Jr. 8 receptions, 130 yards, 3 TD NO – Benjamin Watson 9 receptions, 147 yards, TD

In a battle of passing offenses, Drew Brees threw a career-high 7 touchdown passes. The game was tied 49-49 late in the fourth quarter and the Saints returned a punt for 50 yards, good for the game-winning field goal to seal the Saints 52-49 victory.

Week 9: vs. Tennessee Titans

Week Nine: Tennessee Titans at New Orleans Saints – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Titans	10	7	3	8	6	34
Saints	14	7	0	7	0	28

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

• Date: November 8
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 73,075
• Referee: Jerome Boger
• TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers TEN – NO – Top rushers TEN – NO – Top receivers TEN – NO – Top tacklers TEN – NO –

New Orleans would lead 28-20 with 7 minutes left, but the Titans would go down the field to tie it at 28. The Titans would then win the game after Marcus Mariota won it with a touchdown to Anthony Fasano.

With the loss, the Saints fell to 4-5.

Week 10: at Washington Redskins

Week Ten: New Orleans Saints at Washington Redskins – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	7	7	0	0	14
Redskins	14	13	10	10	47

at FedExField, Landover, Maryland

• Date: November 15
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 75,086
• Referee: John Parry
• TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers NO – WAS – Top rushers NO – WAS – Top receivers NO – WAS – Top tacklers NO – WAS –

Traveling to Washington to take on the Redskins, Drew Brees and the Saints suffered a moment of embarrassment as they would go on to be blown out 47-14. Kirk Cousins threw a career-high four touchdowns in the blowout.

A day after, the Saints fired defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, replacing him with Dennis Allen, who would take over for Ryan for the remainder of the season.

Week 12: at Houston Texans

Week Twelve: New Orleans Saints at Houston Texans – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	0	6	0	0	6
Texans	14	0	10	0	24

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

• Date: November 29
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C), cloudy
• Game attendance: 71,778
• Referee: John Hussey
• TV announcers (Fox): Joe Davis, David Diehl and Kristina Pink
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers NO – HOU – Top rushers NO – HOU – Top receivers NO – HOU – Top tacklers NO – HOU –

The Week 12 clash against the Houston Texans would be no better than how the previous game unfolded, with the Saints offense being held to only two field goals (failing to score a touchdown for the first time since Christmas Eve 2005) and Brees failing to throw a touchdown pass the entire game, snapping his 45 game streak of doing so.

With the loss, the Saints fell to 4-6.

Week 13: vs. Carolina Panthers

Week Thirteen: Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	0	13	14	14	41
Saints	14	2	8	14	38

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

• Date: December 6
• Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 73,097
• Referee: Brad Allen
• TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers CAR – NO – Top rushers CAR – NO – Top receivers CAR – NO – Top tacklers CAR – NO –

The Saints made history in this game, becoming the first team in NFL history to block an extra point and return it for two points under new NFL rules that took effect that season (prior to this season, NFL rules did not allow players to return a blocked extra point). Saints rookie Stephone Anthony was the one who returned it, with Kevin Williams blocking it. The Saints, unfortunately, would eventually lose in a shootout and dropped their record to 4-8.

Week 14: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week Fourteen: New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	7	10	7	0	24
Buccaneers	0	10	0	7	17

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

• Date: December 13
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: 81 °F (27 °C), cloudy
• Game attendance: 62,138
• Referee: Clete Blakeman
• TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, David Diehl and Kristina Pink
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers NO – TB – Top rushers NO – TB – Top receivers NO – TB – Top tacklers NO – TB –

The highlight of the game was Drew Brees passing Dan Marino for 4th on the league's all-time passing touchdowns list.

Week 15: vs. Detroit Lions

Week Fifteen: Detroit Lions at New Orleans Saints – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Lions	7	14	7	7	35
Saints	3	0	7	17	27

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

• Date: December 21
• Game time: 7:30 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 73,017
• Referee: Pete Morelli
• TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters
• Reacp, Gamebook

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers DET – NO – Top rushers DET – NO – Top receivers DET – NO – Top tacklers DET – NO –

With the loss, the Saints fell to 5-9.

Week 16: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Week Sixteen: Jacksonville Jaguars at New Orleans Saints – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Jaguars	0	6	13	8	27
Saints	14	10	7	7	38

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

• Date: December 27
• Game time: 3:05 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 73,064
• Referee: Ron Torbert
• TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, Steve Beuerlein and Steve Tasker
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers JAX – NO – Top rushers JAX – NO – Top receivers JAX – NO – Top tacklers JAX – NO –

With the win, the Saints improved to 6-9.

Week 17: at Atlanta Falcons

Week Seventeen: New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	7	7	3	3	20
Falcons	3	14	0	0	17

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

• Date: January 3, 2016
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 69,699
• Referee: Craig Wrolstad
• TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, Matt Millen and Peter Schrager
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers NO – ATL – Top rushers NO – ATL – Top receivers NO – ATL – Top tacklers NO – ATL –

With the win, the Saints ended their season 7-9 for the second straight season.

Standings

Division

NFC South
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
^(1) Carolina Panthers	15	1	0	.938	5–1	11–1	500	308	W1
Atlanta Falcons	8	8	0	.500	1–5	5–7	339	345	L1
New Orleans Saints	7	9	0	.438	3–3	5–7	408	476	W2
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	6	10	0	.375	3–3	5–7	342	417	L4

Conference

NFC
#	Team	Division	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV	STK
Division Leaders
1	Carolina Panthers	South	15	1	0	.938	5–1	11–1	.441	.438	W1
2	Arizona Cardinals	West	13	3	0	.813	4–2	10–2	.477	.457	L1
3	Minnesota Vikings	North	11	5	0	.688	5–1	8–4	.504	.449	W3
4	Washington Redskins	East	9	7	0	.563	4–2	8–4	.465	.403	W4
Wild Cards
5[lower-alpha 1]	Green Bay Packers	North	10	6	0	.625	3–3	7–5	.531	.450	L2
6[lower-alpha 1]	Seattle Seahawks	West	10	6	0	.625	3–3	7–5	.520	.431	W1
Did not qualify for the playoffs
7	Atlanta Falcons	South	8	8	0	.500	1–5	5–7	.480	.453	L1
8[lower-alpha 2]	St. Louis Rams	West	7	9	0	.438	4–2	6–6	.527	.482	L1
9[lower-alpha 2]	Detroit Lions	North	7	9	0	.438	3–3	6–6	.535	.429	W3
10[lower-alpha 2]	Philadelphia Eagles	East	7	9	0	.438	3–3	4–8	.508	.473	W1
11[lower-alpha 2]	New Orleans Saints	South	7	9	0	.438	3–3	5–7	.504	.402	W2
12[lower-alpha 3]	New York Giants	East	6	10	0	.375	2–4	4–8	.500	.396	L3
13[lower-alpha 3]	Chicago Bears	North	6	10	0	.375	1–5	3–9	.547	.469	L1
14[lower-alpha 3]	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	South	6	10	0	.375	3–3	5–7	.484	.406	L4
15	San Francisco 49ers	West	5	11	0	.313	1–5	4–8	.539	.463	W1
16	Dallas Cowboys	East	4	12	0	.250	3–3	3–9	.531	.438	L4
Tiebreakers[lower-alpha 4]
Green Bay finished ahead of Seattle based on head-to-head victory. St. Louis and Detroit finished ahead of Philadelphia and New Orleans based on conference record. St. Louis finished ahead of Detroit based on head-to-head victory. Detroit finished ahead of Philadelphia and New Orleans based on head-to-head sweep, while Philadelphia finished ahead of New Orleans based on head-to-head victory. The New York Giants and Chicago each finished ahead of Tampa Bay based on head-to-head victory, while the Giants finished ahead of Chicago based on conference record. When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division.

References

External links

• 2015 New Orleans Saints at Pro-Football-Reference.com