2019 New Orleans Saints season

The 2019 season was the New Orleans Saints' 53rd in the National Football League, their 44th hosting games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and their 13th under head coach Sean Payton.

2019 New Orleans Saints season
Head coachSean Payton
General managerMickey Loomis
OwnerGayle Benson
Home fieldMercedes-Benz Superdome
Results
Record13–3
Division place1st NFC South
Playoff finishLost Wild Card Playoffs (vs. Vikings) 20–26 (OT)
Pro Bowlers
AP All-Pros
Uniform

The Saints matched their 13–3 record, after losing in the NFC Championship to the Los Angeles Rams, which included a controversial pass interference no-call on the Rams defense, and attempted to make it to the Super Bowl for the first time since Super Bowl XLIV. Despite losing Drew Brees to a thumb injury for Weeks 3 to 7, the Saints went 5–0 in his absence under backup Teddy Bridgewater and won the NFC South for the third consecutive season after beating their division rival Atlanta Falcons on Thanksgiving night. The Saints matched their record from last year after defeating their divisional rivals Carolina Panthers in week 17, sweeping them for the second time in three seasons, but were not able to secure a first round bye due to a three way tiebreaker with the San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers. This was the first time in franchise history the Saints posted back-to-back seasons with 12 or more wins. They hosted the Minnesota Vikings in the wild card round, the fifth meeting between the two teams in the playoffs. It was the most they've ever played one team in NFL postseason history. However, for the third straight time in three years, the Saints were eliminated in the playoffs, losing 20–26 to the Vikings in overtime.

Off-season

Resigned
Position Player Age Contract
QBTeddy Bridgewater271 year, $7.25 million
LBCraig Robertson312 years, $4.1 million
SChris Banjo293 years, $6.9 million
RTMichael Ola301 year, $805,000
LSZach Wood261 year, $645,000
LBVince Biegel251 year, $645,000
CBKen Crawley251 year, $2.025 million
KWil Lutz245 years, $20.25 million
CCameron Tom231 year, $635,000
CBJustin Hardee251 year, $635,000
CBP. J. Williams251 year, $5 million

New signings
Position Player Age 2018 team Contract
C/GNick Easton26Minnesota Vikings4 years, $22.5 million
DTMalcom Brown25New England Patriots3 years, $15 million
RBLatavius Murray28Minnesota Vikings4 years, $14.4 million
DTMario Edwards Jr.24New York Giants2 years, $5 million
CBMarcus Sherels31Minnesota Vikings1 year, $1.02 million
TEJared Cook31Oakland Raiders2 years, $15.5 million

Departures
Position Player Age 2019 team
DEAlex Okafor28Kansas City Chiefs
RBMark Ingram29Baltimore Ravens
WRTommylee Lewis26Detroit Lions
DTTyeler Davison26Atlanta Falcons
TEBenjamin Watson38New England Patriots
GJosh LeRibeus29Tampa Bay Buccaneers
SSKurt Coleman30Buffalo Bills
CBJosh Robinson28Jacksonville Jaguars
DTJay Bromley26San Francisco 49ers
WRDez Bryant30Released
TEMichael Hoomanawanui30Released
SSRickey Jefferson24Released
RBDaniel Lasco26Released
MLBManti Te'o28Released
DTTyrunn Walker29Released
CMax Unger32Retired
OTJermon Bushrod34Retired

NFL Draft
Main article: 2019 NFL Draft
2019 New Orleans Saints draft
Round Pick Player Position College Notes
2 48 Erik McCoy  C Texas A&M
4 105 Chauncey Gardner-Johnson  S Florida
6 177 Saquan Hampton  S Rutgers
7 231 Alize Mack  TE Notre Dame
7 244 Kaden Elliss  LB Idaho
      Made roster    †   Pro Football Hall of Fame    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Notes

  • The Saints traded their 2018 1st (27th overall), 5th (147th overall) and 2019 1st (30th overall) round picks in exchange for the 2018 1st round pick (14th overall) of Green Bay Packers as part of moving up to select Marcus Davenport.
  • The Saints traded their 2019 3rd round pick (93rd overall) to the New York Jets in exchange for quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and their 2019 6th round pick (177th overall).
  • The Saints traded their 2019 4th round pick (132nd overall) and a 2020 7th round pick to the New York Giants in exchange for cornerback Eli Apple.
  • The Saints received a 2019 7th round pick (231st overall) from the Cleveland Browns in exchange for defensive tackle Devaroe Lawrence.

Staff
2019 New Orleans Saints staff
Front office
  • Owner – Gayle Benson
  • President – Dennis Lauscha
  • Executive Vice President/General Manager – Mickey Loomis
  • Asst. General Manager/College Scouting Director – Jeff Ireland
  • Vice President of Football Administration – Khai Harley
  • Director of Operations – James Nagaoka
  • Director of Pro Scouting – Terry Fontenot

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

 Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

Strength and conditioning

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

Final roster
2019 New Orleans Saints final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

 Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

 Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

 Reserve lists


Practice squad


Rookies in italics
 53 active, 15 inactive, 10 practice squad

Preseason
Week Date Opponent Result Record Game site NFL.com
recap
1 August 9 Minnesota Vikings L 25–34 0–1 Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap
2 August 18 at Los Angeles Chargers W 19–17 1–1 Dignity Health Sports Park Recap
3 August 24 at New York Jets W 28–13 2–1 MetLife Stadium Recap
4 August 29 Miami Dolphins L 13–16 2–2 Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap

Regular season

Schedule
Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue NFL.com
recap
1 September 9 Houston Texans W 30–28 1–0 Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap
2 September 15 at Los Angeles Rams L 9–27 1–1 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Recap
3 September 22 at Seattle Seahawks W 33–27 2–1 CenturyLink Field Recap
4 September 29 Dallas Cowboys W 12–10 3–1 Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap
5 October 6 Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 31–24 4–1 Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap
6 October 13 at Jacksonville Jaguars W 13–6 5–1 TIAA Bank Field Recap
7 October 20 at Chicago Bears W 36–25 6–1 Soldier Field Recap
8 October 27 Arizona Cardinals W 31–9 7–1 Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap
9 Bye
10 November 10 Atlanta Falcons L 9–26 7–2 Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap
11 November 17 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 34–17 8–2 Raymond James Stadium Recap
12 November 24 Carolina Panthers W 34–31 9–2 Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap
13 November 28 at Atlanta Falcons W 26–18 10–2 Mercedes-Benz Stadium Recap
14 December 8 San Francisco 49ers L 46–48 10–3 Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap
15 December 16 Indianapolis Colts W 34–7 11–3 Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap
16 December 22 at Tennessee Titans W 38–28 12–3 Nissan Stadium Recap
17 December 29 at Carolina Panthers W 42–10 13–3 Bank of America Stadium Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Houston Texans
Week One: Houston Texans at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Texans 0 14 7728
Saints 0 3 141330

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

Game information

The game was an offensive shootout. The Saints started slow and fell behind 14–3 at halftime. The Saints offense took off in the third quarter and they outscored the Texans 24-7 in the next 29 minutes of the game. With less than one minute to play, Texans QB Deshaun Watson threw a go-ahead touchdown to WR Kenny Stills; however, the Saints and Brees were able to move the ball down the field and K Wil Lutz drilled a 58–yard field goal to lead the team to victory. This was the first time the Saints won their season opener since the 2013 season.

Week 2: at Los Angeles Rams
Week Two: New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Rams – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Saints 0 3 339
Rams 3 3 14727

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California

Game information

In a rematch of last year's controversial NFC Championship game, Drew Brees collided with Aaron Donald while attempting to pass; the hit broke Brees' thumb, forcing him out of action for the next five weeks following surgery. In place of the injured Brees, Teddy Bridgewater was held to just 165 yards passing. On defense, Cam Jordan strip sacked Jared Goff and returned a fumble for 87 yards for a touchdown, which was controversially overturned.

The loss dropped the Saints to 1-1. After the game, head coach Sean Payton agreed to a 5-year contract extension.

Week 3: at Seattle Seahawks
Week Three: New Orleans Saints at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Saints 7 13 7633
Seahawks 7 0 02027

at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington

Game information

In a surprising upset on the road against Seattle without starting QB Drew Brees, the Saints led 27–7 going into the fourth quarter thanks to two touchdown passes from quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, in addition to touchdowns off a punt return and a fumble recovery. The Seahawks scored 20 points in the final period, but a short touchdown run from Alvin Kamara proved the difference between the two teams, to move the Saints to 2–1 on the season.

Week 4: vs. Dallas Cowboys
Week Four: Dallas Cowboys at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Cowboys 3 0 7010
Saints 0 9 0312

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

Game information

The Saints found yet another way to win a game without star QB Drew Brees and with Teddy Bridgewater at the helm, as kicker Wil Lutz scored four field goals. It was the first Saints win since week 8 of the 1998 season to feature no touchdowns.

Week 5: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week Five: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Buccaneers 7 3 7724
Saints 3 14 7731

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

Game information

Bridgewater improved to 3–0 as a starter with a strong performance throwing for 314 yards and 4 touchdowns. The Saints defense sacked Buccaneers QB Jameis Winston 6 times in the win.

Week 6: at Jacksonville Jaguars
Week Six: New Orleans Saints at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Saints 3 0 3713
Jaguars 0 3 306

at TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, Florida

Game information

In a defensive game, both offenses struggled to score as the game was tied 3–3 at halftime and 6–6 at the end of the third quarter. A touchdown pass from Bridgewater to Jared Cook proved to be the difference.

With the win, the Saints improved to 5–1 and Bridgewater improved to 4–0 as a starter. RB Alvin Kamara and Cook would suffer injuries within the game.

Week 7: at Chicago Bears
Week Seven: New Orleans Saints at Chicago Bears – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Saints 9 3 141036
Bears 7 3 01525

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

Game information

The Saints dominated the Bears with a strong performance on both sides of the football. Bridgewater threw for 281 yards and 3 touchdowns. RB Latavius Murray, filling in for an injured Alvin Kamara, rushed for over 100 yards on the ground. The Saints stifled the Bears offense for the majority of the game before giving up two touchdowns in garbage time. The win improved the Saints to 6–1 and Bridgewater to 5–0, setting the stage for Drew Brees's comeback.

Week 8: vs. Arizona Cardinals
Week Eight: Arizona Cardinals at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Cardinals 3 3 309
Saints 0 10 71431

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

Game information

With Alvin Kamara still sidelined, Drew Brees returned after missing five weeks following thumb surgery. He threw for 373 yards and 3 touchdowns as the Saints dominated the Cardinals to improve to 7–1.

Week 10: vs. Atlanta Falcons
Week Ten: Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Falcons 3 10 01326
Saints 3 3 309

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

Game information

In a shocking home defeat, the Saints were defeated by the 1–7 Falcons. Drew Brees had a miserable day, being sacked 6 times by an inspired Falcons pass-rush; they had recorded just 7 prior to this game.

The loss dropped them to 7–2. The Saints were flagged 10 times for 120 yards in the loss.

Week 11: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week Eleven: New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Saints 13 7 7734
Buccaneers 0 7 10017

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

Game information

Brees and the Saints bounced back from the previous week. He threw 3 touchdowns and 228 yards in the game. The Saints defense intercepted Buccaneers QB Jameis Winston 4 times, including a pick-six by safety Marcus Williams to ice the game in the 4th quarter. The win improved the Saints to 8–2, and they swept the Buccaneers for the first time since 2014.

Week 12: vs. Carolina Panthers
Week Twelve: Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Panthers 6 9 9731
Saints 14 3 14334

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

  • Date: November 24
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Referee: Alex Kemp
  • TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

The game was close al the way. Both Brees and Panthers QB Kyle Allen played well, with 3 touchdown passes each. After benefiting from a pass interference penalty, the Panthers were set up with a 1st-and-goal at the Saints’ 5, but the Saints defense held strong, and kicker Joey Slye missed a chip-shot field goal. Brees quickly moved the Saints down the field and Wil Lutz made the game winner from 36 yards out.

With the win, the Saints improved to 9–2, ensuring a winning record for the third straight season.

Week 13: at Atlanta Falcons

Thanksgiving Day Games

Week Thirteen: New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Saints 7 10 3626
Falcons 0 9 0918

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

Game information

The Saints played an excellent game and got revenge on their division rivals. The Saints defense played one of its best games of the season with 9 sacks of Matt Ryan and forced 3 takeaways. Taysom Hill blocked a punt early, caught a touchdown pass and ran one in from 30 yards out.

With the win, the Saints clinched the NFC South title for the third straight season in franchise history.

Week 14: vs. San Francisco 49ers
Week Fourteen: San Francisco 49ers at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
1 2 34Total
49ers 7 21 71348
Saints 13 14 61346

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

  • Date: December 8
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 73,038
  • Referee: John Hussey
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Charles Davis and Pam Oliver
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

In one of the NFL’s best games of 2019, Brees and 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo threw for a combined 698 yards and 9 touchdowns as the two teams traded blows all game long. Brees played his best game of the season with his 5 touchdowns against one of the league’s best pass defenses. Although Brees found Tre’Quan Smith late in the game to take a 46-45 lead, Garoppolo connected with TE George Kittle who ran past several Saints defenders on one of the iconic plays of the season. This set up Robbie Gould's game winning 30-yard field goal as time expired.

With the loss, the Saints fell to 10–3.

Week 15: vs. Indianapolis Colts
Week Fifteen: Indianapolis Colts at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Colts 0 0 077
Saints 3 17 14034

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

  • Date: December 16
  • Game time: 7:15 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 73,053
  • Referee: Shawn Hochuli
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Joe Tessitore, Booger McFarland and Lisa Salters
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Drew Brees threw four touchdown passes, passing Peyton Manning for most career touchdown passes. His completion percentage of 96.67% set a new record for single-game completion percentage as the Saints demolished the Colts 34-7, improving to 11–3.

Week 16: at Tennessee Titans
Week Sixteen: New Orleans Saints at Tennessee Titans – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Saints 0 10 21738
Titans 14 0 7728

at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee

Game information

The Saints started the game poorly, falling into an early 14-0 deficit. However, from there they scored 24 unanswered points to take the lead. With the Titans driving and only down 3, Kalif Raymond suffered a brutal hit by C. J. Gardner-Johnson and lost a fumble; the hit was controversially not flagged.

The Saints improved to 12–3. Michael Thomas broke Marvin Harrison’s 18-year-old record for most receptions in a single season with 145. Alvin Kamara rushed for two touchdowns, his first since Week 3 and bringing his season total to four.

Week 17: at Carolina Panthers
Week Seventeen: New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Saints 14 21 7042
Panthers 0 3 7010

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

  • Date: December 29
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST/1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game attendance: 72,203
  • Referee: Ronald Torbert
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Ronde Barber and Lindsay Czarniak
  • Preview
Game information

The Saints dominated the Panthers to end their regular season. Kamara rushed for 2 more touchdowns and Brees threw three against a bad Panthers defense. Linebacker AJ Klein intercepted an errant pass by Panthers QB Will Grier and returned it for a 14-yard pick six.

The win improved the Saints to 13–3. However, they were unable to clinch a first-round bye thanks to victories by the Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers.

Standings

Division
NFC South
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(3) New Orleans Saints 13 3 0 .813 5–1 9–3 458 341 W3
Atlanta Falcons 7 9 0 .438 4–2 6–6 381 399 W4
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7 9 0 .438 2–4 5–7 458 449 L2
Carolina Panthers 5 11 0 .313 1–5 2–10 340 470 L8

Conference
# Team Division W L T PCT DIV CONF SOS SOV STK
Division leaders
1[lower-alpha 1] San Francisco 49ers West 13 3 0 .813 5–1 10–2 .504 .466 W2
2[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2] Green Bay Packers North 13 3 0 .813 6–0 10–2 .453 .428 W5
3[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2] New Orleans Saints South 13 3 0 .813 5–1 9–3 .486 .459 W3
4 Philadelphia Eagles East 9 7 0 .563 5–1 7–5 .455 .417 W4
Wild Cards
5 Seattle Seahawks West 11 5 0 .688 3–3 8–4 .531 .463 L2
6 Minnesota Vikings North 10 6 0 .625 2–4 7–5 .477 .356 L2
Did not qualify for the playoffs
7 Los Angeles Rams West 9 7 0 .563 3–3 7–5 .535 .438 W1
8[lower-alpha 3] Chicago Bears North 8 8 0 .500 4–2 7–5 .508 .383 W1
9[lower-alpha 3] Dallas Cowboys East 8 8 0 .500 5–1 7–5 .479 .316 W1
10[lower-alpha 4] Atlanta Falcons South 7 9 0 .438 4–2 6–6 .545 .518 W4
11[lower-alpha 4] Tampa Bay Buccaneers South 7 9 0 .438 2–4 5–7 .500 .384 L2
12 Arizona Cardinals West 5 10 1 .344 1–5 3–8–1 .529 .375 L1
13 Carolina Panthers South 5 11 0 .313 1–5 2–10 .549 .469 L8
14 New York Giants East 4 12 0 .250 2–4 3–9 .473 .281 L1
15 Detroit Lions North 3 12 1 .219 0–6 2–9–1 .506 .375 L9
16 Washington Redskins East 3 13 0 .188 0–6 2–10 .502 .281 L4
Tiebreakers[lower-alpha 5]
  1. San Francisco finished ahead of Green Bay and New Orleans based on head-to-head sweep.
  2. Green Bay finished ahead of New Orleans based on conference record.
  3. Chicago finished ahead of Dallas based on head-to-head victory.
  4. Atlanta finished ahead of Tampa Bay based on division record.
  5. 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.

Postseason
See also: 2019–20 NFL playoffs

Schedule
Round Date Opponent (seed) Result Record Venue NFL.com
recap
Wild Card January 5, 2020 Minnesota Vikings (6) L 20–26 (OT) 0–1 Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap

Game summaries

NFC Wild Card Playoffs: vs. (#6) Minnesota Vikings
NFC Wild Card Playoffs: (#6) Minnesota Vikings at (#3) New Orleans Saints – Game summary
1 2 34OTTotal
Vikings 3 10 70626
Saints 3 7 010020

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

Game information

With this loss, the Saints suffered their first one-and-done postseason campaign since 2010, their sixth straight playoff loss by one possession, their second straight overtime playoff loss and became the first-ever 13-3 team to lose in the Wild Card round.

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