2012 New Orleans Saints season

NFL team season August 2023 March 2026 New Orleans Saints 2012 7–9 3rd NFC South Sean Payton (suspended entire season)Joe Vitt (Interim, games 7–16)Aaron Kromer (Interim, games 1–6) Tom Benson Mickey Loomis (suspended for first 8 games) Mercedes-Benz Superdome Did not qualify 4 QB Drew Brees T Jermon Bushrod G Jahri Evans P Thomas Morstead 2 G Jahri Evans (1st team) P Thomas Morstead (2nd team) 180px Saints seasons The 2012 season was the New Orleans Saints' 46th in the National Football League (NFL) and their 37th playing home games at the Superdome. The Saints head coach was Sean Payton, but he was suspended by the NFL for the entire season as part of the punishment for the team's bounty scandal. On April 12, 2012, linebackers coach Joe Vitt was named interim head coach to replace Payton while he was suspended.Joe Vitt took over as Saints coach on Monday http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d828442a0/article/joe-vitt-will-take-over-as-saints-coach-on-monday?module=HP11_headline_stack https://web.archive.org/web/20160920174843/http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d828442a0/article/joe-vitt-will-take-over-as-saints-coach-on-monday?module=HP11_headline_stack dead September 20, 2016 NFL.com On August 22, 2012, it was announced that Aaron Kromer would take over while Vitt himself served a six-game suspension to start the regular season.Aaron Kromer will take over head coaching duties for New Orleans Saints during Joe Vitt's suspension http://www.nola.com/saints/index.ssf/2012/08/aaron_kromer_will_take_over_he.html The Saints attempted to make history as the first host team to play the Super Bowl on their own home field, but they were eliminated from post-season contention for the first time since 2008 in Week 16. The Saints’ defense struggled all season and began a long stretch of defensive futility that began to hold the team back from playoff contention. They set an NFL record for most yards given up by a defense, 7,042 yards, surpassing the 1981 Baltimore Colts record of 6,793 yards. 3 Personnel changes After his contract expired, defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was hired by the St. Louis Rams to the same position on January 16, 2012. Former Rams' head coach Steve Spagnuolo replaced Williams. Williams was later handed an indefinite suspension from the NFL for his role in the bounty scandal. Roster changes Signings All signings were to active roster, except where otherwise noted. Pos. Player DateNFL Transactions Report – New Orleans Saints http://www.nfl.com/transactions?transactionMonth=&transactionYear=&transactionTeamAbbr=NO&prevTransactionTeamAbbr=BAL&prevTransactionMonth=0&prevTransactionYear=0 2012-04-04 National Football League 2012 NFL Enterprises LLC. New Orleans Saints – Transactions http://www.neworleanssaints.com/Team/Transactions.aspx 2012-04-04 Neworleanssaints.com NotesWRAndy TannerJanuary 18, 2012CBKamaal McIlwainJanuary 18, 2012Released August 27, 2012.OTPhil TrautweinJanuary 18, 2012Released May 15, 2012OGNick HowellJanuary 18, 2012Released May 15, 2012.QBSean CanfieldJanuary 18, 2012CBJosh VictorianJanuary 18, 2012Released May 15, 2012CBCord ParksJanuary 18, 2012Released July 31, 2012. Re-signed August 2, 2012. Released August 27, 2012.OTFenuki TupouJanuary 18, 2012Placed on injured reserve August 20, 2012.RBChris TaylorJanuary 18, 2012Released June 8, 2012DTMitch KingJanuary 18, 2012DTSwanson MillerJanuary 19, 2012Released August 27, 2012.OGBen GrubbsMarch 15, 2012From the Baltimore RavensDTBrodrick BunkleyMarch 21, 2012From the Denver BroncosLBChris ChamberlainMarch 23, 2012From the St. Louis Rams. Placed on injured reserve August 20, 2012.LBCurtis LoftonMarch 24, 2012From the Atlanta FalconsLBDavid HawthorneApril 3, 2012From the Seattle SeahawksWRCourtney RobyApril 16, 2012Re-signedCBJabari GreerApril 20, 2012Re-signedLBJonathan CasillasApril 24, 2012Re-signedKJohn KasayApril 26, 2012Re-signedDTRemi AyodeleMay 7, 2012Released August 27, 2012.CBMarquis JohnsonMay 11, 2012From the St. Louis RamsOTHutch EckersonMay 14, 2012Released August 27, 2012.LBLawrence WilsonMay 15, 2012CBElbert MackJune 5, 2012From the Tampa Bay BuccaneersQBLuke McCownJune 7, 2012From the Jacksonville Jaguars. Released August 27, 2012.QBDrew BreesJuly 13, 2012Re-signedTEDerek SchoumanJuly 24, 2012DEAlex DanielsJuly 31, 2012LBRamon HumberAugust 6, 2012Re-signedOGPaul FenaroliAugust 11, 2012Released August 27, 2012.TEDaniel GrahamAugust 11, 2012WRGreg CamarilloAugust 20, 2012LBBarrett RuudAugust 20, 2012From the Seattle Seahawks Draft 2012 NFL draft The Saints did not have a first- or second-round selection.Patriots trade [a]Bounty scandal [b] 2012 New Orleans Saints 3 89 Akiem Hicks DT Regina yes yes 4 122 Nick Toon WR Wisconsin yes 5 162 Corey White S Samford yes 6 179 Andrew Tiller OG Syracuse Pick from MIADolphins trade [c] 7 234 Marcel Jones OT Nebraska yes NOTES Patriots trade [a] The team traded its 2012 first-round selection and a 2011 second-round selection to the New England Patriots in exchange for the Patriots' 2011 first-round selection. Bounty scandal [b] The team forfeited their second-round selections in 2012 and 2013 as part of the punishment for the team's bounty scandal. Dolphins trade [c] The team swapped picks in the sixth round with the Miami Dolphins as part of the Reggie Bush trade. Undrafted free agents All undrafted free agents were signed just after the 2012 NFL draft concluded on April 28.Saints Announce 2012 Rookie Free Agent Class http://www.neworleanssaints.com/news-and-events/article-1/Saints-Announce-2012-Rookie-Free-Agent-Class/2d793d2e-04c4-4291-ac35-e457fc797fea NewOrleansSaints.com April 30, 2012 June 8, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120618112101/http://www.neworleanssaints.com/news-and-events/article-1/Saints-Announce-2012-Rookie-Free-Agent-Class/2d793d2e-04c4-4291-ac35-e457fc797fea June 18, 2012 dead mdy-all Position Player College Notes LB Kadarron Anderson Furman Added to the team roster on April 30, will participate in rookie mini-camp WR Malcolm Beyah Middle Tennessee State Added to the team roster on April 30, will participate in rookie mini-camp. Released June 13, 2012. DE Braylon Broughton TCU Added to the team roster on April 30, will participate in rookie mini-camp TE Jake Byrne Wisconsin Added to the team roster on April 30, will participate in rookie mini-camp. Released August 27, 2012. RB Travaris Cadet Appalachian State Added to the team roster on April 30, will participate in rookie mini-camp DB A.J. Davis Jacksonville State Added to the team roster on April 30, will participate in rookie mini-camp. Placed on injured reserve August 11, 2012. Released August 18, 2012. C Brian Folkerts Washburn Added to the team roster on April 30, will participate in rookie mini-camp. Released August 27, 2012. WR Chris Givens Miami (OH) Added to the team roster on April 30, will participate in rookie mini-camp. Placed on injured reserve August 2, 2012. S Jose Gumbs Monmouth Added to the team roster on April 30, will participate in rookie mini-camp WR Kevin Hardy The Citadel Added to the team roster on April 30, will participate in rookie mini-camp. Released July 24, 2012. Re-signed August 6, 2012. Released August 27, 2012. OT Dan Hoch Missouri Added to the team roster on April 30, will participate in rookie mini-camp. Released May 15, 2012. LB Stephen Johnson Temple Added to the team roster on April 30, will participate in rookie mini-camp. Released May 15, 2012. S Jerico Nelson Arkansas Added to the team roster on April 30, will participate in rookie mini-camp RS Laron Scott Georgia Southern Added to the team roster on April 30, will participate in rookie mini-camp. Releases August 6, 2012. OT Aderious Simmons Arizona State Added to the team roster on April 30, will participate in rookie mini-camp LB Aaron Tevis Boise State Added to the team roster on April 30, will participate in rookie mini-camp. Released August 27, 2012. S Johnny Thomas Oklahoma State Added to the team roster on April 30, will participate in rookie mini-camp. Released August 27, 2012. DE/DT Tyrunn Walker Tulsa Added to the team roster on April 30, will participate in rookie mini-camp OG DeOn'tae Pannell Penn State Added to the team roster on May 15 after participating in rookie mini-camp DB Nick Hixson Hillsdale Added to the team roster on May 15 after participating in rookie mini-camp. Released June 8, 2012. Re-signed August 11, 2012. OG Scott Winnewisser California (PA) Signed May 29, 2012. Placed on injured reserve August 6, 2012. RB Joe Banyard UTEP Signed June 7, 2012. WR Derek Moye Penn State Claimed off waivers from the Miami Dolphins on June 13, 2012. Released August 27, 2012. LB Donavan Robinson Jackson State Signed June 22, 2012. Released August 27, 2012. WR Marques Clark Henderson State Signed July 24, 2012. Released August 27, 2012. Staff 2012 New Orleans Saints black white #BB8C3C Owner/president – Tom Benson Owner/executive vice president – Rita Benson LeBlanc Executive vice president/general manager – Mickey Loomis 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 coach – Sean Payton† Interim head coach (games 7-16)/assistant head coach/linebackers – Joe Vitt Interim head coach (games 1-6)/offensive line/running game – Aaron Kromer Offensive coordinator – Pete Carmichael, Jr. Quarterbacks – Joe Lombardi Running backs – Bret Ingalls Wide receivers – Henry Ellard Tight ends – Terry Malone Offensive assistant – Carter Sheridan Offensive assistant – Frank Smith † – suspended for the entire 2012 season (see New Orleans Saints bounty scandal) Defensive coordinator – Steve Spagnuolo Defensive line – Bill Johnson Assistant defensive line – Travis Jones Secondary – Ken Flajole Assistant secondary – Andre Curtis Defensive assistant – Marcus Ungaro Defensive assistant – Brian Young Special teams coordinator – Greg McMahon Assistant special teams – Mike Mallory Head strength and conditioning – Dan Dalrymple Assistant strength and conditioning – Charles Byrd Weight room assistant – Robert Wenning Final roster 2012 New Orleans Saints 53 12 7  9 Drew Brees 10 Chase Daniel 39 Travaris Cadet y 45 Jed Collins FB 28 Mark Ingram II 29 Chris Ivory 43 Darren Sproles RS 12 Marques Colston 18 Saalim Hakim y 19 Devery Henderson 16 Lance Moore 13 Joe Morgan American football 15 Courtney Roby KR 80 Jimmy Graham 81 Michael Higgins American football 85 David Thomas American football 74 Jermon Bushrod T 60 Brian de la Puente C 73 Jahri Evans G 66 Ben Grubbs G 65 Ricky Henry G 69 Eric Olsen American football C/G 68 William Robinson American football T 64 Zach Strief T 77 Brodrick Bunkley DT 98 Sedrick Ellis DT 93 Junior Galette DE 76 Akiem Hicks y DE 96 Tom Johnson defensive tackle, born 1984 DT 94 Cameron Jordan DE 90 Turk McBride DE 91 Will Smith defensive end DE 75 Tyrunn Walker y DT 52 Jonathan Casillas OLB 57 David Hawthorne OLB 54 Will Herring OLB 53 Ramon Humber MLB 50 Curtis Lofton MLB 58 Scott Shanle OLB 51 Jonathan Vilma OLB 95 Martez Wilson OLB 42 Isa Abdul-Quddus FS 25 Rafael Bush SS 20 A. J. Davis cornerback, born 1989 y CB 33 Jabari Greer CB 41 Roman Harper SS 44 Elbert Mack CB 37 Jerico Nelson y FS 32 Johnny Patrick CB 21 Patrick Robinson cornerback CB 47 Justin Drescher LS  5 Garrett Hartley K  6 Thomas Morstead P 71 Charles Brown offensive lineman T IR 56 Chris Chamberlain OLB IR 17 Chris Givens wide receiver, born 1989 y WR IR 79 Bryce Harris y T IR 27 Malcolm Jenkins FS IR 70 Marcel Jones y T IR 99 Greg Romeus DE IR 23 Pierre Thomas American football RB IR 67 Andrew Tiller y G IR 88 Nick Toon y WR IR 24 Corey White American football y CB IR 62 Braylon Broughton y DE 86 Jarred Fayson WR 61 Jermarcus Hardrick y T 63 Ryan Lee American football y G IR 30 Ryan Steed y CB 14 Andy Tanner WR 31 Phillip Thomas safety, born 1990 y S 78 Wayne Tribue y G Schedule Preseason Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap HOF August 5 vs. Arizona Cardinals W 17–10 1–0 Fawcett Stadium (Canton, Ohio) Recap 1 August 9 at New England Patriots L 6–7 1–1 Gillette Stadium Recap 2 August 17 Jacksonville Jaguars L 24–27 1–2 Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap 3 August 25 Houston Texans W 34–27 2–2 Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap 4 August 30 at Tennessee Titans L 6–10 2–3 LP Field Recap Regular season Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 September 9 Washington Redskins L 32–40 0–1 Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap 2 September 16 at Carolina Panthers L 27–35 0–2 Bank of America Stadium Recap 3 September 23 Kansas City Chiefs L 24–27 (OT) 0–3 Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap 4 September 30 at Green Bay Packers L 27–28 0–4 Lambeau Field Recap 5 October 7 San Diego Chargers W 31–24 1–4 Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap 6 Bye 7 October 21 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 35–28 2–4 Raymond James Stadium Recap 8 October 28 at Denver Broncos L 14–34 2–5 Sports Authority Field at Mile High Recap 9 November 5 Monday Philadelphia Eagles W 28–13 3–5 Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap 10 November 11 Atlanta Falcons W 31–27 4–5 Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap 11 November 18 at Oakland Raiders W 38–17 5–5 O.co Coliseum Recap 12 November 25 San Francisco 49ers L 21–31 5–6 Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap 13 November 29 Thursday at Atlanta Falcons L 13–23 5–7 Georgia Dome Recap 14 December 9 at New York Giants L 27–52 5–8 MetLife Stadium Recap 15 December 16 Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 41–0 6–8 Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap 16 December 23 at Dallas Cowboys W 34–31 (OT) 7–8 Cowboys Stadium Recap 17 December 30 Carolina Panthers L 38–44 7–9 Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. Game summaries Week 1: vs. Washington Redskins New Orleans Saints 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week One: Washington Redskins at New Orleans Saints – Game summary September 9 12:00 p.m. CDT Redskins 10 10 10 10 Saints 7 7 3 15 Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana 72,180 Played indoors (dome stadium) David Scott Fox Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa First quarter WAS – Billy Cundiff 37-yard field goal, 7:05. Redskins 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 49 yards, 7:29. NO – Jimmy Graham 20-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 3:49. Saints 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:16. WAS – Pierre Garçon 88-yard pass from Robert Griffin III (Billy Cundiff kick), 3:28. Redskins 10–7. Drive: 1 play, 88 yards, 0:21. Second quarter WAS – Aldrick Robinson 5-yard pass from Robert Griffin III (Billy Cundiff kick), 11:33. Redskins 17–7. Drive: 12 plays, 57 yards, 6:20. WAS – Billy Cundiff 41-yard field goal, 6:08. Redskins 20–7. Drive: 7 plays, 29 yards, 3:05. NO – Courtney Roby 4-yard return of blocked punt (Garrett Hartley kick), 0:40. Redskins 20–14. Third quarter WAS – Alfred Morris 1-yard run (Billy Cundiff kick), 11:24. Redskins 27–14. Drive: 7 plays, 77 yards, 3:36. WAS – Billy Cundiff 37-yard field goal, 7:10. Redskins 30–14. Drive: 8 plays, 45 yards, 3:40. NO – Garrett Hartley 21-yard field goal, 1:50. Redskins 30–17. Drive: 12 plays, 87 yards, 5:20. Fourth quarter WAS – Billy Cundiff 45-yard field goal, 10:59. Redskins 33–17. Drive: 12 plays, 53 yards, 5:51. NO – Lance Moore 33-yard pass from Drew Brees (Darren Sproles run), 6:19. Redskins 33–25. Drive: 6 plays, 58 yards, 1:04. WAS – Alfred Morris 3-yard run (Billy Cundiff kick), 3:18. Redskins 40–25. Drive: 1 play, 3 yards, 0:05. NO – Darren Sproles 2-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 2:25. Redskins 40–32. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 0:53. Top passers WAS – Robert Griffin III – 19/26, 320 yards, 2 TD NO – Drew Brees – 24/52, 339 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT Top rushers WAS – Alfred Morris – 28 rushes, 96 yards, 2 TD NO – Pierre Thomas – 4 rushes, 17 yards Top receivers WAS – Pierre Garçon – 4 receptions, 109 yards, TD NO – Lance Moore – 6 receptions, 120 yards, TD With the loss, the Saints started their season 0–1. Week 2: at Carolina Panthers New Orleans Saints 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Two: New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers – Game summary September 16 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT Saints 10 3 0 14 Panthers 7 14 7 7 Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina 72,879 71 F C, cloudy Gerald Wright Fox Ron Pitts, Mike Martz and Kristina Pink First quarter NO – Jimmy Graham 1-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 9:39. Saints 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:21. CAR – Charles Godfrey 9-yard interception return (Justin Medlock kick), 5:33. Tied 7–7. NO – Garrett Hartley 22-yard field goal, 1:26. Saints 10–7. Drive: 10 plays, 76 yards, 4:07. Second quarter NO – Garrett Hartley 53-yard field goal, 7:08. Saints 13–7. Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 4:36. CAR – Jonathan Stewart 17-yard pass from Cam Newton (Justin Medlock kick), 3:33. Panthers 14–13. Drive: 8 plays, 74 yards, 3:35. CAR – Mike Tolbert 2-yard run (Justin Medlock kick), 0:11. Panthers 21–13. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 2:20. Third quarter CAR – DeAngelo Williams 3-yard run (Justin Medlock kick), 8:17. Panthers 28–13. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:04. Fourth quarter NO – Mark Ingram 1-yard run (Garrett Hartley kick), 12:53. Panthers 28–20. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 3:35. CAR – Cam Newton 5-yard run (Justin Medlock kick), 9:55. Panthers 35–20. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:58. NO – Drew Brees 1-yard run (Garrett Hartley kick), 1:55. Panthers 35–27. Drive: 12 plays, 81 yards, 2:54. Top passers NO – Drew Brees – 31/49, 325 yards, TD, 2 INT CAR – Cam Newton – 14/20, 253 yards, TD Top rushers NO – Pierre Thomas – 9 rushes, 110 yards CAR – Cam Newton – 13 rushes, 71 yards, TD Top receivers NO – Darren Sproles – 13 receptions, 128 yards CAR – Steve Smith Sr. – 3 receptions, 104 yards With the loss, the Saints fell to 0–2. Week 3: vs. Kansas City Chiefs New Orleans Saints 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Three: Kansas City Chiefs at New Orleans Saints – Game summary September 23 12:00 p.m. CDT Chiefs 3 3 7 11 3 Saints 7 3 14 0 0 Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana 72,226 Played indoors (dome stadium) Don King CBS Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf First quarter NO – Lance Moore 9-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 12:18. Saints 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 83 yards, 2:42. KC – Ryan Succop 25-yard field goal, 4:51. Saints 7–3. Drive: 14 plays, 82 yards, 7:27. Second quarter NO – Garrett Hartley 40-yard field goal, 14:55. Saints 10–3. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 4:56. KC – Ryan Succop 45-yard field goal, 4:41. Saints 10–6. Drive: 5 plays, 18 yards, 1:34. Third quarter NO – Jimmy Graham 1-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 13:10. Saints 17–6. Drive: 5 plays, 19 yards, 1:41. NO – Jed Collins 6-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 5:36. Saints 24–6. Drive: 2 plays, 7 yards, 0:45. KC – Jamaal Charles 91-yard run (Ryan Succop kick), 5:18. Saints 24–13. Drive: 1 play, 91 yards, 0:18. Fourth quarter KC – Ryan Succop 34-yard field goal, 13:40. Saints 24–16. Drive: 8 plays, 52 yards, 3:48. KC – Ryan Succop 38-yard field goal, 9:11. Saints 24–19. Drive: 9 plays, 50 yards, 3:32. KC – Drew Brees sacked in endzone by Justin Houston for safety, 5:40. Saints 24–21. KC – Ryan Succop 43-yard field goal, 0:03. Tied 24–24. Drive: 13 plays, 37 yards, 5:30. Overtime KC – Ryan Succop 31-yard field goal, 6:27. Chiefs 27–24. Drive: 12 plays, 40 yards, 5:19. Top passers KC – Matt Cassel – 26/44, 248 yards, INT NO – Drew Brees – 20/36, 240 yards, 3 TD, INT Top rushers KC – Jamaal Charles – 33 rushes, 233 yards, TD NO – Darren Sproles – 7 rushes, 62 yards Top receivers KC – Dwayne Bowe – 7 receptions, 79 yards NO – Lance Moore – 4 receptions, 40 yards, TD With the close loss, the Saints fell to 0–3. Week 4: at Green Bay Packers New Orleans Saints 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Four: New Orleans Saints at Green Bay Packers – Game summary September 30 3:25 p.m. CDT Saints 7 7 10 3 Packers 7 14 0 7 Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin 70,571 64 F C, partly cloudy Jeff Triplette Fox Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver First quarter GB – James Jones 12-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 9:02. Packers 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 62 yards, 2:04. NO – Marques Colston 20-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 3:33. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:29. Second quarter GB – Greg Jennings 9-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 14:15. Packers 14–7. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 4:18. GB – James Jones 14-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 4:50. Packers 21–7. Drive: 13 plays, 92 yards, 6:08. NO – Darren Sproles 6-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 0:27. Packers 21–14. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 4:23. Third quarter NO – Garrett Hartley 20-yard field goal, 9:41. Packers 21–17. Drive: 13 plays, 72 yards, 5:19. NO – Joseph Morgan 80-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 3:49. Saints 24–21. Drive: 4 plays, 92 yards, 1:21. Fourth quarter NO – Garrett Hartley 27-yard field goal, 13:04. Saints 27–21. Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 4:31. GB – Jordy Nelson 11-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 7:00. Packers 28–27. Drive: 7 plays, 57 yards, 3:25. Top passers NO – Drew Brees – 35/54, 446 yards, 3 TD GB – Aaron Rodgers – 31/41, 319 yards, 4 TD, INT Top rushers NO – Darren Sproles – 5 rushes, 20 yards GB – Cedric Benson – 18 carries, 84 yards Top receivers NO – Marques Colston – 9 receptions, 153 yards, TD GB – Jordy Nelson – 8 receptions, 93 yards, TD With the loss, the Saints faced their first 0–4 start since 2007. Week 5: vs. San Diego Chargers New Orleans Saints 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Five: San Diego Chargers at New Orleans Saints – Game summary October 7 7:20 p.m. CDT Chargers 7 10 7 0 Saints 7 7 7 10 Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana 73,109 Played indoors (dome stadium) Carl Cheffers NBC Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya First quarter SD – Robert Meachem 15-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick), 6:56. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 91 yards, 3:26. NO – Devery Henderson 40-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 2:58. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:58. Second quarter SD – Nick Novak 20-yard field goal, 9:58. Chargers 10–7. Drive: 8 plays, 63 yards, 4:08. NO – Marques Colston 19-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 7:19. Saints 14-10. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 2:39. SD – Robert Meachem 44-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick), 0:36. Chargers 17–14. Drive: 4 plays, 86 yards, 1:12. Third quarter SD – Ryan Mathews 13-yard run (Nick Novak kick), 12:27. Chargers 24–14. Drive: 3 plays, 25 yards, 1:19. NO – Marques Colston 16-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 0:11. Chargers 24–21. Drive: 9 plays, 87 yards, 4:28. Fourth quarter NO – Marques Colston 5-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 8:50. Saints 28–24. Drive: 9 plays, 90 yards, 5:49. NO – Garrett Hartley 26-yard field goal, 2:56. Saints 31–24. Drive: 7 plays, 16 yards, 2:49. Top passers SD – Philip Rivers – 27/42, 354 yards, 2 TD, INT NO – Drew Brees – 29/45, 370 yards, 4 TD, INT Top rushers SD – Ryan Mathews – 12 rushes, 80 yards, TD NO – Pierre Thomas – 9 carries, 30 yards Top receivers SD – Malcolm Floyd – 5 receptions, 108 yards NO – Marques Colston – 9 receptions, 131 yards, 3 TD Drew Brees broke Johnny Unitas' record of consecutive games with a touchdown in the first quarter. The record touchdown was witnessed by Unitas' son Joe. Head coach Sean Payton, interim head coach Joe Vitt and general managerMickey Loomis were granted permission to attend the game, despite their suspensions. Brees specifically requested for the three to be in attendance at the Superdome.Copeland Kareem October 3, 2012 Sean Payton, Joe Vitt Allowed To Attend Saints Game https://www.nfl.com/news/sean-payton-joe-vitt-allowed-to-attend-saints-game-0ap1000000069267 live https://web.archive.org/web/20121006234042/http://wap.nfl.com/news/0ap1000000069267/brees-request-allows-payton-vitt-to-attend-saints-game/ October 6, 2012 May 15, 2022 NFL.com With the surprising win, the Saints go into their bye week at 1–4. Week 7: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers New Orleans Saints 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Seven: New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary October 21 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT Saints 7 21 0 7 Buccaneers 14 7 0 7 Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida 58,906 77 F C, sunny Jerome Boger Fox Dick Stockton, John Lynch and Jennifer Hale First quarter TB – Tiquan Underwood 13-yard pass from Josh Freeman (Connor Barth kick), 12:22. Buccaneers 7–0. Drive: 1 play, 13 yards, 0:05. TB – Doug Martin 36-yard run (Connor Barth kick), 5:55. Buccaneers 14–0. Drive: 10 plays, 76 yards, 4:58. NO – Marques Colston 17-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 1:46. Buccaneers 14–7. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:09. Second quarter TB – Vincent Jackson 17-yard pass from Josh Freeman (Connor Barth kick), 13:18. Buccaneers 21–7. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:28. NO – Darren Sproles 9-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 9:24. Buccaneers 21–14. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:54. NO – Joe Morgan 48-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 4:35. Tied 21–21. Drive: 5 plays, 79 yards, 2:45. NO – David Thomas 20-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 0:15. Saints 28–21. Drive: 9 plays, 72 yards, 1:38. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter NO – Pierre Thomas 5-yard run (Garrett Hartley kick), 13:23. Saints 35–21. Drive: 12 plays, 95 yards, 5:01. TB – Dallas Clark 3-yard pass from Josh Freeman (Connor Barth kick), 4:10. Saints 35–28. Drive: 14 plays, 81 yards, 6:18. Top passers NO – Drew Brees – 27/37, 377 yards, 4 TD, INT TB – Josh Freeman – 24/42, 420 yards, 3 TD Top rushers NO – Pierre Thomas – 13 rushes, 32 yards, TD TB – Doug Martin – 16 rushes, 85 yards, TD Top receivers NO – Lance Moore – 9 receptions, 121 yards TB – Vincent Jackson – 7 receptions, 216 yards, TD With the win, the Saints improved to 2–4. Also, QB Drew Brees increased his number of consecutive games with a touchdown pass to 49. Week 8: at Denver Broncos New Orleans Saints 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Seven: New Orleans Saints at Denver Broncos – Game summary October 28 7:20 p.m. CDT/6:20 p.m. MDT Saints 0 7 0 7 Broncos 7 10 7 10 Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado 76,832 59 F C, partly cloudy Mike Carey NBC Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya First quarter DEN – Willis McGahee 1-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 4:39. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 98 yards, 4:39. Second quarter NO – Darren Sproles 29-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 14:53. Tied 7–7. Drive: 4 plays, 55 yards, 1:53. DEN – Eric Decker 13-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 6:43. Broncos 14–7. Drive: 5 plays, 56 yards, 2:17. DEN – Matt Prater 33-yard field goal, 0:00. Broncos 17–7. Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 4:24. Third quarter DEN – Demaryius Thomas 1-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 9:30. Broncos 24–7. Drive: 11 plays, 93 yards, 5:30. Fourth quarter DEN – Eric Decker 2-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 14:54. Broncos 31–7. Drive: 4 plays, 51 yards, 1:57. DEN – Matt Prater 33-yard field goal, 5:27. Broncos 34–7. Drive: 7 plays, 42 yards, 3:29. NO – Jimmy Graham 18-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 2:03. Broncos 34–14. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 4:24. Top passers NO – Drew Brees – 22/42, 213 yards, 2 TD, INT DEN – Peyton Manning – 22/30, 305 yards, 3 TD Top rushers NO – Pierre Thomas – 8 rushes, 43 yards DEN – Willis McGahee – 23 rushes, 122 yards, TD Top receivers NO – Jimmy Graham – 5 receptions, 73 yards, TD DEN – Demaryius Thomas – 7 receptions, 137 yards, TD With the loss, the Saints fell to 2–5. However, despite the loss, QB Drew Brees increased his record of consecutive games with a touchdown pass to 50. Week 9: vs. Philadelphia Eagles New Orleans Saints 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Nine: Philadelphia Eagles at New Orleans Saints – Game summary November 5 7:30 p.m. CST Eagles 0 3 10 0 Saints 7 14 7 0 Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana 73,099 Played indoors (dome stadium) Clete Blakeman ESPN Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters First quarter NO – Patrick Robinson 99-yard interception return (Garrett Hartley kick), 2:36. Saints 7–0. Second quarter PHI – Alex Henery 22-yard field goal, 12:03. Saints 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 76 yards, 5:33. NO – Chris Ivory 22-yard run (Garrett Hartley kick), 8:33. Saints 14–3. Drive: 7 plays, 76 yards, 3:30. NO – Marques Colston 1-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 1:13. Saints 21–3. Drive: 7 plays, 74 yards, 3:46. Third quarter PHI – DeSean Jackson 77-yard pass from Michael Vick (Alex Henery kick), 8:42. Saints 21–10. Drive: 2 plays, 83 yards, 0:49. PHI – Alex Henery 37-yard field goal, 7:00. Saints 21–13. Drive: 5 plays, 3 yards, 1:34. NO – Jimmy Graham 6-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 1:20. Saints 28–13. Drive: 10 plays, 70 yards, 5:40. Fourth quarter No scoring plays. Top passers PHI – Michael Vick – 22/41, 272 yards, TD, INT NO – Drew Brees – 21/27, 239 yards, 2 TD Top rushers PHI – LeSean McCoy – 19 rushes, 119 yards NO – Chris Ivory – 10 rushes, 48 yards, TD Top receivers PHI – DeSean Jackson – 3 receptions, 100 yards, TD NO – Jimmy Graham – 8 receptions, 72 yards, TD With the win, the Saints improved to 3–5. Also, QB Drew Brees increased his streak of games with at least one passing touchdown to 51. Week 10: vs. Atlanta Falcons New Orleans Saints 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Ten: Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints – Game summary November 11 12:00 p.m. CST Falcons 10 7 0 10 Saints 7 14 7 3 Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana 73,126 Played indoors (dome stadium) Tony Corrente Fox Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa First quarter ATL – Mike Johnson 1-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 11:38. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:22. ATL – Matt Bryant 37-yard field goal, 9:19. Falcons 10–0. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 2:07. NO – Chris Ivory 56-yard run (Garrett Hartley kick), 6:49. Falcons 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 78 yards, 2:30. Second quarter NO – Jimmy Graham 29-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 13:33. Saints 14–10. Drive: 11 plays, 90 yards, 5:23. ATL – Tony Gonzalez 2-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 6:27. Falcons 17–14. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 7:06. NO – Jimmy Graham 14-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 0:34. Saints 21–17. Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 1:43. Third quarter NO – Marques Colston 7-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 9:23. Saints 28–17. Drive: 7 plays, 81 yards, 3:31. Fourth quarter ATL – Tony Gonzalez 6-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 13:27. Saints 28–24. Drive: 12 plays, 91 yards, 5:46. ATL – Matt Bryant 20-yard field goal, 9:08. Saints 28–27. Drive: 6 plays, 62 yards, 2:42. NO – Garrett Hartley 31-yard field goal, 5:54. Saints 31–27. Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 3:14. Top passers ATL – Matt Ryan – 34/52, 411 yards, 3 TD, INT NO – Drew Brees – 21/32, 298 yards, 3 TD, INT Top rushers ATL – Jacquizz Rodgers – 3 rushes, 29 yards NO – Chris Ivory – 7 rushes, 72 yards, TD Top receivers ATL – Tony Gonzalez – 11 receptions, 122 yards, 2 TD NO – Jimmy Graham – 7 receptions, 146 yards, 2 TD After their huge win over the Eagles, the Saints stayed home for a game against their heated rival Falcons. Sitting at 3–5, the Falcons came into this game at 8–0. The Saints surprisingly won their 4th-straight game against the Falcons and improved their record to 4–5 while the Falcons dropped to 8–1. Drew Brees brought his total of games with a passing touchdown to 52. Week 11: at Oakland Raiders New Orleans Saints 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Eleven: New Orleans Saints at Oakland Raiders – Game summary November 18 3:05 p.m. CST/1:05 p.m. PST Saints 14 7 14 3 Raiders 0 7 3 7 O.co Coliseum, Oakland, California 56,880 61 F C, partly cloudy Pete Morelli Fox Dick Stockton, John Lynch and Jennifer Hale First quarter NO – Jimmy Graham 1-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 7:53. Saints 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:02. NO – Malcolm Jenkins 55-yard interception return (Garrett Hartley kick), 4:06. Saints 14–0. Second quarter OAK – Brandon Myers 1-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 4:10. Saints 14–7. Drive: 4 plays, 81 yards, 2:17. NO – Lance Moore 38-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 0:48. Saints 21–7. Drive: 8 plays, 90 yards, 3:22. Third quarter NO – Mark Ingram 27-yard run (Garrett Hartley kick), 14:43. Saints 28–7. Drive: 1 play, 27 yards, 0:17. OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 40-yard field goal, 10:22. Saints 28–10. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 4:21. NO – Lance Moore 15-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 3:26. Saints 35–10. Drive: 6 plays, 58 yards, 2:46. Fourth quarter NO – Garrett Hartley 47-yard field goal, 10:28. Saints 38–10. Drive: 9 plays, 31 yards, 4:26. OAK – Juron Criner 3-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 4:00. Saints 38–17. Drive: 7 plays, 93 yards, 2:03. Top passers NO – Drew Brees – 20/27, 219 yards, 3 TD OAK – Carson Palmer – 22/40, 312 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers NO – Mark Ingram – 12 rushes, 67 yards, TD OAK – Marcel Reece – 19 rushes, 103 yards Top receivers NO – Marques Colston – 4 receptions, 69 yards OAK – Marcel Reece – 4 receptions, 90 yards After 2 straight dominant home wins, the Saints traveled to Oakland to take on the Raiders. The Saints again dominated this game after the Raiders took the first points of the game. The Saints would win and improve to 5–5 on the season keeping their playoff hopes alive. Also Drew Brees brought his streak of at least 1 passing touchdown in a single game to 53. Week 12: vs. San Francisco 49ers New Orleans Saints 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Twelve: San Francisco 49ers at New Orleans Saints – Game summary November 25 3:25 p.m. CST 49ers 7 7 14 3 Saints 7 7 7 0 Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana 73,147 Played indoors (dome stadium) John Parry Fox Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver First quarter SF – Colin Kaepernick 7-yard run (David Akers kick), 7:21. 49ers 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 62 yards, 2:06. NO – David Thomas 6-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 1:45. Tied 7–7. Drive: 10 plays, 79 yards, 5:36. Second quarter NO – Marques Colston 10-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 7:53. Saints 14–7. Drive: 2 plays, 11 yards, 0:48. SF – Ahmad Brooks 50-yard interception return (David Akers kick), 0:22. Tied 14–14. Third quarter SF – Frank Gore 6-yard pass from Colin Kaepernick (David Akers kick), 12:17. 49ers 21–14. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:43. SF – Donte Whitner 42-yard interception return (David Akers kick), 11:30. 49ers 28–14. NO – Jed Collins 2-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 7:19. 49ers 28–21. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:11. Fourth quarter SF – David Akers 27-yard field goal, 7:50. 49ers 31–21. Drive: 16 plays, 84 yards, 9:28. Top passers SF – Colin Kaepernick: 16/25, 231 yards, TD, INT NO – Drew Brees: 26/41, 267 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT Top rushers SF – Frank Gore: 19 rushes, 83 yards NO – Chris Ivory: 8 rushes, 34 yards Top receivers SF – Delanie Walker: 3 receptions, 81 yards NO – Darren Sproles: 7 receptions, 65 yards The loss dropped the team to 5–6, but Brees's record of games with at least 1 passing touchdown stood at 54. This loss was brought up by the ejection of nose tackle Brodrick Bunkley. Week 13: at Atlanta Falcons New Orleans Saints 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Thirteen: New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary November 29 8:20 p.m. EST/7:20 p.m. CST Saints 0 7 6 0 Falcons 7 10 0 6 Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia 70,514 Played indoors (dome stadium) Scott Green NFLN Brad Nessler, Mike Mayock and Alex Flanagan First quarter ATL – Michael Turner 3-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 11:09. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:51. Second quarter ATL – Tony Gonzalez 17-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 14:08. Falcons 14–0. Drive: 5 plays, 49 yards, 2:28. ATL – Matt Bryant 45-yard field goal, 8:53. Falcons 17–0. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 0:51. NO – Mark Ingram 1-yard run (Garrett Hartley kick), 3:17. Falcons 17–7. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:36. Third quarter NO – Garrett Hartley 21-yard field goal, 8:24. Falcons 17–10. Drive: 15 plays, 83 yards, 6:36. NO – Garrett Hartley 52-yard field goal, 3:53. Falcons 17–13. Drive: 8 plays, 36 yards, 2:49. Fourth quarter ATL – Matt Bryant 29-yard field goal, 14:48. Falcons 20–13. Drive: 7 plays, 30 yards, 2:50. ATL – Matt Bryant 55-yard field goal, 4:25. Falcons 23–13. Drive: 11 plays, 43 yards, 5:38. Top passers NO – Drew Brees – 28/50, 341 yards, 5 INT ATL – Matt Ryan – 18/33, 165 yards, TD Top rushers NO – Pierre Thomas – 14 rushes, 84 yards ATL – Michael Turner – 12 rushes, 83 yards, TD Top receivers NO – Lance Moore – 7 receptions, 123 yards ATL – Tony Gonzalez – 4 receptions, 58 yards, TD After the tough home loss to the Niners, the Saints traveled to take on the Falcons in a TNF matchup. The Saints' 4-game winning streak against the Falcons would be snapped as the team dropped to 5–7. Also, QB Drew Brees's streak of consecutive games with at least 1 passing touchdown would come to an end as he threw a career-high 5 interceptions in one game on the night. Regardless, his total passing touchdowns at this point was 31 bringing him his 5th straight season with 30+ passing touchdowns. Week 14: at New York Giants New Orleans Saints 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Fourteen: New Orleans Saints at New York Giants – Game summary December 9 4:25 p.m. EST/3:25 p.m. CST Saints 7 6 14 0 Giants 14 7 14 17 MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey 81,437 42 F C, rain Jeff Triplette Fox Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver First quarter NO – Elbert Mack 73-yard interception return (Garrett Hartley kick), 9:38. Saints 7–0. NYG – David Wilson 97-yard kickoff return (Lawrence Tynes kick), 9:25. Tied 7–7. NYG – Martellus Bennett 6-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick), 4:19. Giants 14–7. Drive: 4 plays, 35 yards, 2:24. Second quarter NO – Garrett Hartley 32-yard field goal, 9:46. Giants 14–10. Drive: 14 plays, 81 yards, 5:44. NO – Garrett Hartley 25-yard field goal, 1:57. Giants 14–13. Drive: 8 plays, 67 yards, 4:06. NYG – Domenik Hixon 5-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick), 0:20. Giants 21–13. Drive: 10 plays, 69 yards, 1:37. Third quarter NYG – David Wilson 6-yard run (Lawrence Tynes kick), 13:04. Giants 28–13. Drive: 4 plays, 20 yards, 1:40. NYG – Hakeem Nicks 25-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick), 8:13. Giants 35–13. Drive: 6 plays, 62 yards, 3:09. NO – Darren Sproles 13-yard run (Lawrence Tynes kick), 7:21. Giants 35–20. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 0:52. NO – Darren Sproles 9-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 1:51. Giants 35–27. Drive: 6 plays, 68 yards, 3:09. Fourth quarter NYG – Victor Cruz 10-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick), 14:20. Giants 42–27. Drive: 5 plays, 25 yards, 2:31. NYG – Lawrence Tynes 39-yard field goal, 10:19. Giants 45–27. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 1:31. NYG – David Wilson 52-yard run (Lawrence Tynes kick), 5:10. Giants 52–27. Drive: 1 play, 52 yards, 0:10. Top passers NO – Drew Brees – 26/43, 354 yards, TD, 2 INT NYG – Eli Manning – 22/35, 259 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT Top rushers NO – Mark Ingram – 13 rushes, 68 yards NYG – David Wilson – 13 rushes, 100 yards, 2 TD Top receivers NO – Joe Morgan – 2 receptions, 106 yards NYG – Victor Cruz – 8 receptions, 121 yards, TDThe Saints were dominated by the defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants. They fell to 5-8 with the loss. Week 15: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers New Orleans Saints 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Fifteen: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints – Game summary December 16 12:00 p.m. CST Buccaneers 0 0 0 0 Saints 7 17 7 10 Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana 73,096 Played indoors (dome stadium) Mike Carey Fox Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick, and Laura Okmin First quarter NO – David Thomas 9-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 11:12. Saints 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 74 yards, 3:48. Second quarter NO – Garrett Hartley 25-yard field goal, 13:23. Saints 10–0. Drive: 11 plays, 74 yards, 5:23. NO – Darren Sproles 2-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 4:57. Saints 17–0. Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 4:26. NO – Lance Moore 7-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 0:09. Saints 24–0. Drive: 5 plays, 38 yards, 0:55. Third quarter NO – Joe Morgan 34-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 9:05. Saints 31–0. Drive: 8 plays, 92 yards, 4:24. Fourth quarter NO – Garrett Hartley 36-yard field goal, 8:09. Saints 34–0. Drive: 8 plays, 63 yards, 2:46. NO – Mark Ingram 11-yard run (Garrett Hartley kick), 4:54. Saints 41–0. Drive: 3 plays, 43 yards, 1:32. Top passers TB – Josh Freeman – 26/47, 279 yards, 4 INT NO – Drew Brees – 26/39, 307 yards, 4 TD Top rushers TB – LeGarrette Blount – 4 rushes, 25 yards NO – Mark Ingram – 14 rushes, 90 yards, TD Top receivers TB – Vincent Jackson – 6 receptions, 81 yards NO – Jimmy Graham – 5 receptions, 69 yards With the win, the Saints improved to 6–8 and swept the Buccaneers for the first time since 2006 and posted their first shutout win since 1995 to the New York Jets 12–0. The Saints did not post another shutout until 2021, when they beat the Buccaneers 9-0. This is also the Saints' largest margin of victory over the Buccaneers in franchise history. Week 16: at Dallas Cowboys New Orleans Saints 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Sixteen: New Orleans Saints at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary December 23 12:00 p.m. CST Saints 7 10 7 7 3 Cowboys 0 14 3 14 0 Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas 92,570 Played indoors (retractable roof closed) Walt Coleman Fox Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa First quarter NO – Mark Ingram 9-yard run (Garrett Hartley kick), 10:25. Saints 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:35. Second quarter DAL – Dez Bryant 58-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 12:47. Tied 7–7. Drive: 3 plays, 74 yards, 1:28. DAL – Dez Bryant 58-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 5:43. Cowboys 14–7. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 3:23. NO – Lance Moore 6-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 1:11. Tied 14–14. Drive: 12 plays, 90 yards, 4:32. NO – Garrett Hartley 37-yard field goal, 0:00. Saints 17–14. Drive: 5 plays, 51 yards, 0:47. Third quarter DAL – Dan Bailey 47-yard field goal, 10:26. Tied 17–17. Drive: 9 plays, 47 yards, 4:34. NO – Pierre Thomas 5-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 4:03. Saints 24–17. Drive: 3 plays, 5 yards, 0:14. Fourth quarter NO – David Thomas 3-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 11:10. Saints 31–17. Drive: 10 plays, 98 yards, 4:53. DAL – Dwayne Harris 16-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 3:35. Saints 31–24. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 1:10. DAL – Miles Austin 19-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 0:15. Tied 31–31. Drive: 7 plays, 64 yards, 1:14. Overtime NO – Garrett Hartley 20-yard field goal, 10:33. Saints 34–31. Drive: 7 plays, 72 yards, 3:00. Top passers NO – Drew Brees – 37/53, 446 yards, 3 TD DAL – Tony Romo – 26/43, 416 yards, 4 TD Top rushers NO – Mark Ingram II – 21 rushes, 53 yards, TD DAL – DeMarco Murray – 11 rushes, 40 yards Top receivers NO – Marques Colston – 11 receptions, 153 yards DAL – Dez Bryant – 9 receptions, 224 yards, 2 TD With the win, the Saints improved to 7–8. However, the Saints were eliminated from postseason contention, thus rendering them unable to play Super Bowl XLVII on their own home turf. Week 17: vs. Carolina Panthers New Orleans Saints 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Seventeen: Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints – Game summary December 30 12:00 p.m. CST Panthers 3 10 14 17 Saints 0 17 7 14 Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana 73,124 Played indoors (dome stadium) Alberto Riveron Fox Ron Pitts, Mike Martz and Krista Voda First quarter CAR – Graham Gano 20-yard field goal, 5:41. Panthers 7–0. Drive: 15 plays, 76 yards, 7:06. Second quarter CAR – Mike Tolbert 1-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 8:18. Panthers 10–0. Drive: 3 plays, 82 yards, 1:12. NO – Marques Colston 7-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 5:14. Panthers 10–7. Drive: 7 plays, 76 yards, 3:04. NO – Jonathan Vilma 18-yard interception return (Garrett Hartley kick), 4:31. Saints 14–10. CAR – Graham Gano 30-yard field goal, 0:39. Saints 14–13. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 3:52. NO – Garrett Hartley 53-yard field goal, 0:00. Saints 17–13. Drive: 5 plays, 47 yards, 0:39. Third quarter NO – Jimmy Graham 19-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 10:45. Saints 24–13. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:15. CAR – DeAngelo Williams 54-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 8:48. Saints 24–20. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 1:57. CAR – Mike Tolbert 1-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 2:29. Panthers 27–24. Drive: 3 plays, 36 yards, 1:18. Fourth quarter CAR – Mike Tolbert 1-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 10:16. Panthers 34–24. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:36. CAR – DeAngelo Williams 12-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 8:23. Panthers 41–24. Drive: 1 play, 12 yards, 0:06. NO – Marques Colston 19-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 5:10. Panthers 41–31. Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 3:13. CAR – Graham Gano 42-yard field goal, 4:08. Panthers 44–31. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 1:02. NO – Darren Sproles 33-yard pass from Drew Brees, 2:52. Panthers 44–38. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 1:16. Top passers CAR – Cam Newton – 16/33, 248 yards, INT NO – Drew Brees – 29/43, 396 yards, 3 TD, INT Top rushers CAR – DeAngelo Williams – 21 rushes, 210 yards, 2 TD NO – Mark Ingram – 10 carries, 39 yards Top receivers CAR – Steve Smith Sr. – 3 receptions, 73 yards NO – Lance Moore – 4 receptions, 121 yards With the loss, the Saints finished with their first losing season since 2007 at 7–9. Also, the team was swept by the Panthers for the first time since 2008. Standings References External links 2012 New Orleans Saints at Pro-Football-Reference.com New Orleans Category:New Orleans Saints seasons New Category:2012 in New Orleans