1987 New Orleans Saints season

NFL team season; first playoff berth August 2023 March 2026 New Orleans Saints 1987 12–3 2nd NFC West Jim Mora Carl Smith Steve Sidwell Jim Finks Tom Benson Louisiana Superdome Lost Wild Card Playoffs(vs. Vikings) 10–44 G Brad Edelman T Hoby BrennerRB Reuben MayesLB Sam Mills CB Dave WaymerK Morten Andersen Saints seasons thumb | right | alt=New Orleans Saints' Fleur-de-lis logo from 1967 to 1999 | New Orleans Saints' Fleur-de-lis logo, 1967 - 1999 The 1987 New Orleans Saints season was the team's 21st year in the National Football League (NFL). The strike-shortened year was the Saints' first-ever winning season. The Saints also qualified for the postseason for the first time, riding largely on a nine-game winning streak to close the season. The Saints earned the second-best record in the NFL in 1987, but were in the same division as the team with the best record, the San Francisco 49ers, and entered the playoffs as a wild card. However, they were soundly defeated at home by the Minnesota Vikings in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, by a score of 44–10. The Vikings entered the playoffs with an 8–7 record and needed the Dallas Cowboys to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals on the final day of the season to qualify. The Saints' first winning season would be followed by another six consecutive non-losing seasons. Before the 1987 season, the Saints' non-losing seasons had consisted of only two 8–8 seasons, in 1979 and 1983. Head coach Jim Mora was named NFL Coach of the Year. Offseason NFL draft 1987 NFL draft 1987 New Orleans Saints 1 11 Shawn Knight Defensive end BYU yes 2 40 Lonzell Hill Wide receiver Washington yes 3 67 Michael Adams Cornerback Arkansas State yes 4 96 Steve Trapilo Guard Boston College yes 5 123 Milton Mack Cornerback Alcorn State yes 6 152 Thomas Henley Wide receiver Stanford 7 179 Gene Atkins Safety Florida A&M yes 8 207 Toi Cook Cornerback Stanford yes 9 234 Scott Leach Linebacker Ohio State yes 10 263 Robert Clark Wide receiver North Carolina Central yes 11 290 Arthur Wells Tight end Grambling State 12 319 Tyrone Sorrells Guard Georgia Tech no no https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/nor/1987_draft.htm 1987 New Orleans Saints draftees Pro-Football-Reference.com November 5, 2014 Undrafted free agents + 1987 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeVince AlexanderRunning backSouthern MissEric CuffeeWide receiverNorth TexasTim CunninghamLinebackerIndiana StateStacey DawseyWide receiverIndianaTed ElliottDefensive tackleMinnesota StateDarren GottschalkTight endCal LutheranTim HealyTackleSaint John's (MN)Jeffery HolleyDefensive backTexas A&MFuzzy HuddlestonLinebackerOle MissVince JasperGuardIowa StateErik KramerQuarterbackNC StateAnthony LewisCornerbackMcNeese StateKenneth MarchiolLinebackerMesaLes MillerDefensive endFort Hays StateRicky MyersWide receiverOle MissVictor PattersonGuardMinot StateDan RiceRunning backMichiganMark RussellLinebackerWeber StateDarin SchubeckLinebackerColoradoMonte SharpeWide receiverGeorgia SouthernTony ShelmanTight endSMUTodd SteeleFullbackUSCTerry SummersDefensive tackleDerrick TaylorDefensive backNC StateJunior ThurmanDefensive backUSCAnthony TuggleDefensive backLonnie WhiteWide receiverUSC Personnel Staff 1987 New Orleans Saints Owner/General Partner – Tom Benson President/General Manager – Jim Finks Vice president of administration – Jim Miller Director of player personnel – Bill Kuharich Head coach – Jim Mora Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks – Carl Smith Running backs – Jim Skipper Wide receivers – Steve Walters Offensive line – Paul Boudreau Defensive coordinator – Steve Sidwell Defensive line – John Pease Linebackers – Vic Fangio Defensive backs – Dom Capers Special teams/tight ends – Joe Marciano Strength and conditioning – Russell Paternostro All-Time Roster http://www.neworleanssaints.com/team/history/all-time-roster.html NewOrleansSaints.com February 28, 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20120618110940/http://www.neworleanssaints.com/team/history/all-time-roster.html 2012-06-18 dead NFL replacement players After the league decided to use replacement players during the NFLPA strike, the following team was assembled: 1987 New Orleans Saints replacement rosterQuarterbacks 11 John Fourcade 12 Kevin Ingram 14 Tim Riordan Running backs 30 Vince Alexander (Cut) 34 Jeff Rodenberger 42 Derrick Hughes 43 Garland Jean-Batiste 45 Nate Johnson 47 Dwight Beverly Wide receivers 26 Stacey Dawsey(Cut) 46 Willis Jacox 80 Joey Gunnells (walked off) 83 Dwight Walker 84 Eric Martin 85 Curtland Thomas 86 Vic Harrison 89 Joe Thomas Tight ends 82 Ken O'Neal 85 Darren Gottschalk 87 Malcolm Scott 88 Mike Waters Offensive linemen 50 Phillip James 59 James Campen 62 Byron Barrett 63 John Benton 66 Kelvin Scott 66 Sam Houston 68 Walt Housman 74 Bill Leach 79 Henry Thomas 79 Ken Kaplan Defensive linemen 69 Pat Swoopes 64 Ted Elliott 93 Kevin Young 75 Bruce Clark 95 Kendall Walls 96 Sheldon Andrus 99 Tony ElliottLinebackers 51 Larry McCoy 52 Marcus Marek 53 Keith Fourcade 54 Bill Roe 55 Joe DeForest 56 Ron Weissenhofer 58 Scott Leach 59 Roland Myers 91 Ken Marchiol 98 Fuzzy Huddleston Defensive backs 20 John Sutton 22 Derrick Taylor 24 Milton Mack 27 Antonio Gibson 28 Gene Atkins 29 Reggie Sutton 32 Darrel Toussaint 33 Junior Thurman 38 Mike Turner 40 Michael Adams 48 Greg Harding Special teams 4 Mike Cofer K 5 Florian Kempf K 6 Tommy Barnhardt P Roster 1987 New Orleans Saints 11 John Fourcade  3 Bobby Hebert 18 Dave Wilson American football 37 Mel Gray return specialist 21 Dalton Hilliard 23 Buford Jordan 36 Rueben Mayes 34 Barry Word y 87 Lonzell Hill y 86 Mike Jones wide receiver, born 1960 84 Eric Martin wide receiver 88 Mark Pattison American football 83 Cliff Benson 85 Hoby Brenner 82 John Tice 67 Stan Brock American football T 59 James Campen C 66 Chuck Commiskey G 70 Bill Contz T 72 Jim Dombrowski T 63 Brad Edelman G 77 Daren Gilbert T 61 Joel Hilgenberg C 60 Steve Korte C 65 Steve Trapilo y G 75 Bruce Clark gridiron football DE 99 Tony Elliott defensive lineman NT 97 Jumpy Geathers DE 69 Pat Swoopes NT 73 Frank Warren American football DE 94 Jim Wilks DE 92 James Haynes American football OLB 57 Rickey Jackson OLB 53 Vaughan Johnson ILB 55 Joe Kohlbrand OLB 51 Sam Mills ILB 56 Pat Swilling OLB 54 Alvin Toles ILB 40 Michael Adams y American football, born 1964 CB 28 Gene Atkins y SS 41 Toi Cook y FS 22 Van Jakes CB 24 Milton Mack y CB 39 Brett Maxie FS 25 Johnnie Poe CB 29 Reggie Sutton CB 44 Dave Waymer CB  7 Morten Andersen K 10 Brian Hansen American football P 89 Robert Clark gridiron football y WR IR 27 Antonio Gibson safety S IR 78 Shawn Knight y DE IR —- Mike Waters American football TE IR Regular season Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance 1 September 13 Cleveland Browns W 28–21 1–0 Louisiana Superdome 59,900 2 September 20 at Philadelphia Eagles L 17–27 1–1 Veterans Stadium 57,485 – September 27 Atlanta Falcons canceled 1–1 Louisiana Superdome 3 October 4 Los Angeles Rams W 37–10 2–1 Louisiana Superdome 29,745 4 October 11 at St. Louis Cardinals L 19–24 2–2 Busch Memorial Stadium 11,795 5 October 18 at Chicago Bears W 19–17 3–2 Soldier Field 46,813 6 October 25 San Francisco 49ers L 22–24 3–3 Louisiana Superdome 60,497 7 November 1 at Atlanta Falcons W 38–0 4–3 Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium 42,196 8 November 8 at Los Angeles Rams W 31–14 5–3 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 43,379 9 November 15 at San Francisco 49ers W 26–24 6–3 Candlestick Park 60,436 10 November 22 New York Giants W 23–14 7–3 Louisiana Superdome 67,639 11 November 29 at Pittsburgh Steelers W 20–16 8–3 Three Rivers Stadium 47,896 12 December 6 Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 44–34 9–3 Louisiana Superdome 66,471 13 December 13 Houston Oilers W 24–10 10–3 Louisiana Superdome 68,257 14 December 20 at Cincinnati Bengals W 41–24 11–3 Riverfront Stadium 43,424 15 December 27 Green Bay Packers W 33–24 12–3 Louisiana Superdome 68,364 Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. Standings Playoffs NFC Wild Card Game Minnesota Vikings 44, New Orleans Saints 10 Vikings 10 21 3 10 Saints 7 3 0 0 Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans 12:30 p.m. EST/11:30 a.m. CST CBS Pat Summerall and John Madden 68,127 In the Saints' first playoff game in history, the Vikings dominated the game by recording two sacks, forcing four turnovers, and allowing only 149 yards. Anthony Carter returned a punt for a touchdown, and future Saints quarterback Wade Wilson threw a Hail Mary pass for a touchdown to Hassan Jones on the last play of the first half, which was actually an untimed play after the Saints were penalized for offsides on the previous play (a half cannot end on an accepted penalty against the defense). References External links 1987 New Orleans Saints at Pro-Football-Reference.com New Orleans Category:New Orleans Saints seasons New