1996 New Orleans Saints season

NFL team season August 2023 March 2026 New Orleans Saints 1996 3–13 5th NFC West Jim Mora (resigned October 21, 2–6 record)Rick Venturi (interim; 1–7 record) Carl Smith Jim Haslett Louisiana Superdome Did not qualify T Willie Roaf Saints seasons thumb | right | alt=New Orleans Saints' Fleur-de-lis logo, (1967 - 1999) | New Orleans Saints' Fleur-de-lis logo, (1967 - 1999) The 1996 New Orleans Saints season was the team's 30th as a member of the National Football League. They were unable to match their previous season's output of 7–9 and finished with the second-worst sixteen-game record in franchise history at 3–13.https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/nor/1996.htm 1996 New Orleans Saints Statistics & Players Pro-Football-Reference.com The team failed to qualify for the playoffs for the fourth straight year. Jim Mora, who had been the team's head coach since 1986, resigned from his position after eight games with a 2–6 record to that point and was replaced by linebackers coach Rick Venturi, who went 1–7 to close the season. Mora's resignation came one day after the Saints lost to the Carolina Panthers, where he ripped into his team's performance during the game, calling it “horseshit” and “embarrassing” and saying the Saints could not do “diddley poo” offensively.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QzPvOsjYvg&app=desktop Saints v Panthers hightlights Mora's rant (full version) Todd Williams 22 March 2008 YouTube The week 14 game vs. the St. Louis Rams drew a minuscule 26,310, the lowest-attended home game in Saints history, and 3,335 fewer than a 1987 game vs. the Rams played with replacement players due to that season's strike by the National Football League Players Association. After the season, Jim Dombrowski, who had been with the team since 1986, retired. Offseason NFL draft 1996 NFL draft 1996 New Orleans Saints 1 11 Alex Molden Cornerback Oregon yes 2 40 Je'Rod Cherry Defensive back California yes 3 70 Brady Smith Defensive end Colorado State yes 4 103 Ricky Whittle Running back Oregon yes 5 136 Mercury Hayes Wide receiver Michigan yes 5 145 Tom Ackerman Guard Eastern Washington yes 5 165 Terry Guess Wide receiver Gardner–Webb yes 6 179 Keno Hills Guard Louisiana–Lafayette yes 6 204 Toderick Malone Wide receiver Alabama 7 246 Henry Lusk Tight end Utah yes no no https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/nor/1996_draft.htm 1996 New Orleans Saints Draftees Pro-Football-Reference.com January 3, 2014 Personnel 1996 New Orleans Saints Owner – Tom Benson Executive vice-president/general manager – Bill Kuharich Director of pro personnel – Chet Franklin Director of college scouting – Bruce Lemmerman Head coach – Jim E. Mora (resigned October 21) Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks – Carl Smith Running backs – Dave Atkins Wide receivers – Steve Walters Tight ends – Bruce Arians Offensive line – John Matsko Offensive assistant – Jeff Davidson Defensive coordinator – Jim Haslett Defensive line – Wayne Nunnely Linebackers – Rick Venturi (elevated to interim head coach October 21) Defensive backs – Jim L. Mora Defensive assistant – John Pagano Special teams – Bobby April Strength and conditioning – Russell Paternostro Strength and Conditioning Assistant – Glenn Mayeaux 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 Roster 1996 New Orleans Saints 17 Jim Everett 14 Tommy Hodson 13 Doug Nussmeier 24 Mario Bates 20 Derek Brown running back 32 Earnest Hunter 22 Lorenzo Neal 23 Ricky Whittle American football y 19 Brett Bech 87 Lee DeRamus 18 Terry Guess y 89 Mercury Hayes y 81 Michael Haynes wide receiver 83 Torrance Small 85 Paul Green American football 86 Tony Johnson tight end y 88 Henry Lusk y 69 Tom Ackerman y C/G American football 76 Keno Hills y T 74 Clarence Jones American football T 61 Ed King American football G 67 Andy McCollum C 60 Craig Novitsky G 77 Willie Roaf T 66 Mike Verstegen G/T 63 Donald Willis G 94 Joe Johnson defensive end DE/DT 93 Wayne Martin American football DT 92 Darren Mickell DE 75 Emile Palmer y no DT 95 Austin Robbins DT 91 Brady Smith American football y DE 97 Renaldo Turnbull DE 53 Don Davis linebacker OLB 56 Ernest Dixon American football OLB 55 Mark Fields linebacker OLB 52 Richard Harvey American football OLB 58 Brian Jones American football linebacker MLB 59 Rufus Porter American football OLB 54 Winfred Tubbs MLB 21 Eric Allen CB 37 Je'Rod Cherry y FS 28 Derrick Hoskins SS 33 Tyrone Hughes CB/KR/PR 47 Greg Jackson American football FS 29 Mark McMillian CB 25 Alex Molden y CB 30 Anthony Newman American football SS 41 William Strong no CB 10 Doug Brien K 62 Kendall Gammon LS  4 Klaus Wilmsmeyer P 99 Willie Broughton DT IR 45 Israel Byrd CB NF-Inj. 72 Jim Dombrowski G IR 80 Haywood Jeffires WR IR 46 Sean Lumpkin FS IR 84 Steve Rhem WR IR 82 Irv Smith Sr. TE IR 71 Fred Stokes DE IR 34 Ray Zellars FB IR 52 active, 9 inactive, 3 practice squad 98 Herb Coleman no DE 40 Don Esposito no RB 64 Kevin Farkas y no T Regular season Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance 1 September 1 at San Francisco 49ers L 11–27 0–1 3Com Park 63,970 2 September 8 Carolina Panthers L 20–22 0–2 Louisiana Superdome 43,288 3 September 15 at Cincinnati Bengals L 15–30 0–3 Cinergy Field 45,412 4 September 22 Arizona Cardinals L 14–28 0–4 Louisiana Superdome 34,316 5 September 29 at Baltimore Ravens L 10–17 0–5 Memorial Stadium 61,063 6 October 6 Jacksonville Jaguars W 17–13 1–5 Louisiana Superdome 34,231 7 October 13 Chicago Bears W 27–24 2–5 Louisiana Superdome 43,512 8 October 20 at Carolina Panthers L 7–19 2–6 Ericsson Stadium 70,888 9 Bye 10 November 3 San Francisco 49ers L 17–24 2–7 Louisiana Superdome 53,297 11 November 10 Houston Oilers L 14–31 2–8 Louisiana Superdome 34,121 12 November 17 at Atlanta Falcons L 15–17 2–9 Georgia Dome 43,119 13 November 24 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 7–13 2–10 Houlihan's Stadium 40,203 14 December 1 St. Louis Rams L 10–26 2–11 Louisiana Superdome 26,310 15 December 8 Atlanta Falcons L 15–31 2–12 Louisiana Superdome 32,923 16 December 15 at New York Giants W 17–3 3–12 Giants Stadium 52,530 17 December 21, 1996 at St. Louis Rams L 13–14 3–13 Trans World Dome 57,681 Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. Standings References Category:New Orleans Saints seasons New Orleans Saints Season, 1996 New