2018 New Orleans Saints season

2018 New Orleans Saints season
Head Coach	Sean Payton
General Manager	Mickey Loomis
Home Field	Mercedes-Benz Superdome
Results
Record	13–3
Place	1st NFC South
Playoff Finish	Won Divisional Playoffs (Eagles) 20–14 Lost NFC Championship (Rams) 23–26 (OT)
Pro Bowlers	QB Drew Brees WR Michael Thomas C Max Unger OT Terron Armstead DE Cameron Jordan RB Alvin Kamara OG Larry Warford OG Andrus Peat
Uniform
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Timeline
Previous season	Next season
2017	2019

The 2018 season was the New Orleans Saints' 52nd in the National Football League, their 43rd at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and their 12th under head coach Sean Payton.

This season was the first since 1984 without owner Tom Benson, who died in March. In Week 11, the Saints defeated the Philadelphia Eagles to reach their first 9–game winning streak since their Super Bowl winning season in 2009, ensuring they clinched their second consecutive winning season for the first time since 2010–2011. They swept their division rivals, the Atlanta Falcons, after a 31–17 victory on Thanksgiving night for the first time since 2015 while extending their second longest winning streak in franchise history to 10 games, which came to an end when the Saints lost to the Dallas Cowboys 13–10, on November 29. On December 9, the Saints clinched their second straight NFC South division championship when they defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, their first back-to-back division titles in franchise history. On December 17, after beating the Carolina Panthers, the Saints improved on their 11–5 record from 2017. After a Week 16 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Saints clinched home field advantage throughout the playoffs for the first time since 2009. The Saints finished the Season with a 13–3 record, tied for the most wins in a season in franchise history.

In the playoffs, the Saints defeated the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles 20–14 in the Divisional Round. However, the Saints' season came to an end in a 26–23 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game in controversial fashion, which ended their hopes of returning to the Super Bowl for the first time since Super Bowl XLIV Additionally, it marked the first time since 1992 that the Saints lost a postseason game at home.

Draft

Main article: 2018 NFL Draft

2018 New Orleans Saints Draft

Round	Selection	Player	Position	College
1	14	Marcus Davenport	DE	UTSA
3	91	Tre'Quan Smith	WR	UCF
4	127	Rick Leonard	OT	FSU
5	164	Natrell Jamerson	S	Wisconsin
6	189	Kamrin Moore	CB	Boston College
6	201	Boston Scott	RB	Louisiana Tech
7	245	Will Clapp	C	LSU

Notes

• The Saints traded their 2018 first-round selection (27th overall), along with their 2019 first-round selection to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for the 14th overall selection.
• The Saints received a 2018 sixth-round selection (189th overall) from the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for running back Adrian Peterson.

Staff

2018 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 Head coach – Sean Payton Assistant head coach/tight ends – Dan Campbell Assistant to the head coach – Kevin Petry Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Pete Carmichael Quarterbacks – Joe Lombardi Running backs – Joel Thomas Senior offensive assistant – Curtis Johnson Wide receivers – Ronald Curry Offensive line – Dan Roushar Assistant offensive line – Brendan Nugent Offensive assistant – Joe Brady			Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Dennis Allen Defensive line – Ryan Nielsen Linebackers – Mike Nolan Secondary – Aaron Glenn Senior defensive assistant – Peter Giunta Defensive assistant/linebackers – Michael Hodges Defensive assistant – Leigh Torrence Pass rush specialist – Brian Young Special teams coaches Special teams coach – Mike Westhoff Special teams coordinator – Bradford Banta Assistant special teams – Kevin O'Dea Coaching assistant – Deuce Schwartz Strength and conditioning Head strength and conditioning – Dan Dalrymple Assistant strength and conditioning – Charles Byrd Assistant strength and conditioning – Rob Wenning

Final roster

2018 New Orleans Saints roster
	Quarterbacks  9 Drew Brees  5 Teddy Bridgewater  7 Taysom Hill KR Running backs 22 Mark Ingram Jr. 41 Alvin Kamara PR 42 Zach Line FB 27 Dwayne Washington Wide receivers 80 Austin Carr 19 Ted Ginn Jr. 18 Keith Kirkwood 11 Tommylee Lewis 10 Tre'Quan Smith 13 Michael Thomas Tight ends 85 Dan Arnold 45 Garrett Griffin 89 Josh Hill 82 Benjamin Watson		Offensive linemen 72 Terron Armstead T 74 Jermon Bushrod T 64 Will Clapp C 77 Derek Newton T 75 Andrus Peat G 71 Ryan Ramczyk T 63 Cameron Tom C 60 Max Unger C 67 Larry Warford G Defensive linemen 92 Marcus Davenport DE 95 Tyeler Davison DT 91 Trey Hendrickson DE 94 Cameron Jordan DE 57 Alex Okafor DE 93 David Onyemata DT 76 Taylor Stallworth DT -- Tyrunn Walker DT		Linebackers 47 Alex Anzalone OLB 59 Vince Biegel OLB 56 Demario Davis OLB 53 A. J. Klein OLB 52 Craig Robertson MLB 51 Manti Te'o MLB Defensive backs 25 Eli Apple CB 31 Chris Banjo FS 24 Vonn Bell SS 29 Kurt Coleman SS 20 Ken Crawley CB 34 Justin Hardee CB 23 Marshon Lattimore CB 32 Josh Robinson CB 43 Marcus Williams FS 26 P. J. Williams CB Special teams  3 Wil Lutz K  6 Thomas Morstead P 49 Zach Wood LS		Reserve lists 90 Jay Bromley DT (IR) 88 Dez Bryant WR (IR) 15 Simmie Cobbs Jr. WR (IR) 14 Travin Dural WR (IR) 61 Josh LeRibeus G (IR) 84 Michael Hoomanawanui TE (IR) 46 Rickey Jefferson SS (IR) 36 Daniel Lasco RB (PUP) 81 Cameron Meredith WR (IR) 65 Michael Ola T (IR) 98 Sheldon Rankins DT (IR) 21 Patrick Robinson CB (IR) Practice squad 16 J. T. Barrett QB 28 Christian Campbell CB 48 J. T. Gray SS 69 Alex Jenkins DE 99 Tomasi Laulile DT 37 Arthur Maulet CB 62 Henry Mondeaux DT 44 Darnell Sankey LB 66 Isaiah Williams G 79 Nate Wozniak T 17 Shane Wynn WR Rookies in italics 53 Active, 11 Inactive, 10 Practice squad

Preseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
1	Template:Dow tooltip	at Jacksonville Jaguars	W 24–20	1–0	TIAA Bank Field	Recap
2	Template:Dow tooltip	Arizona Cardinals	L 15–20	1–1	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap
3	Template:Dow tooltip	at Los Angeles Chargers	W 36–7	2–1	StubHub Center	Recap
4	Template:Dow tooltip	Los Angeles Rams	W 28–0	3–1	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap

Regular season

Schedule

The Saints' 2018 schedule was released on April 19.

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
1	September 9	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	L 40–48	0–1	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap
2	September 16	Cleveland Browns	W 21–18	1–1	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap
3	September 23	at Atlanta Falcons	W 43–37 (OT)	2–1	Mercedes-Benz Stadium	Recap
4	September 30	at New York Giants	W 33–18	3–1	MetLife Stadium	Recap
5	Template:Dow tooltip	Washington Redskins	W 43–19	4–1	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap
6	Bye
7	October 21	at Baltimore Ravens	W 24–23	5–1	M&T Bank Stadium	Recap
8	October 28	at Minnesota Vikings	W 30–20	6–1	U.S. Bank Stadium	Recap
9	November 4	Los Angeles Rams	W 45–35	7–1	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap
10	November 11	at Cincinnati Bengals	W 51–14	8–1	Paul Brown Stadium	Recap
11	November 18	Philadelphia Eagles	W 48–7	9–1	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap
12	November 22	Atlanta Falcons	W 31–17	10–1	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap
13	Template:Dow tooltip	at Dallas Cowboys	L 10–13	10–2	AT&T Stadium	Recap
14	December 9	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 28–14	11–2	Raymond James Stadium	Recap
15	Template:Dow tooltip	at Carolina Panthers	W 12–9	12–2	Bank of America Stadium	Recap
16	December 23	Pittsburgh Steelers	W 31–28	13–2	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap
17	December 30	Carolina Panthers	L 14–33	13–3	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week One: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Buccaneers 14 17 10 7 48 Saints 10 14 0 16 40 at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana Date: September 9 Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium) Game attendance: 73,038 Referee: John Parry TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin Recap, Gamebook Game information First quarter NO – Alvin Kamara 5-yard run (Lutz kick) Saints 7-0 Drive 6 plays, 71 yards, 3:19. TB – DeSean Jackson 58-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Catanzaro kick) Tied 7–7 Drive 4 plays, 58 yards, 2:00. NO – Will Lutz 36-yard field goal Saints 10-7 Drive 11 plays, 58 yards, 5:16. TB – Ryan Fitzpatrick 3-yard run (Catanzaro kick) Buccaneers 14-10 Drive 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:27. Second quarter NO – Ted Ginn 28-yard pass from Drew Brees (Lutz kick) Saints 17-14 Drive 4 plays, 74 yards, 2:04. TB – Chandler Catanzaro 33-yard field goal Tied 17-17 Drive 8 plays, 60 yards, 3:42. TB – Chris Godwin 9-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Catanzaro kick) Buccaneers 24-17 Drive 10 plays, 78 yards, 5:00. TB – Justin Evans 34-yard fumble return (Catanzaro kick) Buccaneers 31-17 NO – Michael Thomas 6-yard pass from Drew Brees (Lutz kick) Buccaneers 31-24 Drive 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:32. Third quarter TB – Chandler Catanzaro 36-yard field goal Buccaneers 34-24 Drive 9 plays, 57 yards, 3:36. TB – Mike Evans 50-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Catanzaro kick) Buccaneers 41-24 Drive 4 plays, 74 yards, 2:10. Fourth quarter TB – DeSean Jackson 36-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Catanzaro kick) Buccaneers 48-24 Drive 6 plays, 65 yards, 3:07. NO – Alvin Kamara 1-yard run (Kamara run) Buccaneers 48-32 Drive 10 plays, 75 yards, 3:25. NO – Alvin Kamara 7-yard pass from Drew Brees (Ginn pass from Brees) Buccaneers 48-40 Drive 5 plays, 66 yards, 1:21. Top passers TB – Ryan Fitzpatrick – 21/28, 417 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT NO – Drew Brees – 37/45, 439 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT Top rushers TB – Peyton Barber – 19 carries, 69 yards NO – Alvin Kamara – 9 carries, 29 yards, 2 TD Top receivers TB – Mike Evans – 7 receptions, 147 yards, 1 TD NO – Michael Thomas – 16 receptions, 180 yards, 1 TD

Week 2: vs. Cleveland Browns

Week Two: Cleveland Browns at New Orleans Saints – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Browns 3 3 6 6 18 Saints 3 0 0 18 21 at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana Date: September 16 Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium) Game attendance: 73,086 Referee: Ronald Torbert TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin Recap, Gamebook Game information First quarter CLE – Zane Gonzalez 39-yard field goal, 8:29. Browns 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 25 yards, 3:02.' NO – Will Lutz 31-yard field goal, 2:47. Tied 3–3. Drive: 11 plays, 63 yards, 5:42. Second quarter CLE – Zane Gonzalez 39-yard field goal, 1:55. Browns 6–3. Drive: 7 plays, 45 yards, 2:21. Third quarter CLE – Carlos Hyde 1-yard run (PAT no good), 6:43. Browns 12–3. Drive: 12 plays, 79 yards, 6:27. Fourth quarter NO – Michael Thomas 2-yard pass from Drew Brees (Will Lutz kick), 8:41. Browns 12–10. Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 5:35. NO – Michael Thomas 5-yard pass from Drew Brees (Alvin Kamara run for two-point conversion), 2:40. Saints 18–12. Drive: 4 plays, 18 yards, 2:17. CLE – Antonio Callaway 47-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (PAT no good), 1:16. Tied 18–18. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 1:24. NO – Will Lutz 44-yard field goal, 0:21. Saints 21–18. Drive: 6 plays, 49 yards, 0:55. Top passers CLE – Tyrod Taylor – 22/30, 246 yards, TD, INT NO – Drew Brees – 28/35, 243 yards, 2 TD Top rushers CLE – Carlos Hyde – 16 carries, 43 yards, TD NO – Alvin Kamara – 13 carries, 46 yards Top receivers CLE – Antonio Callaway – 3 receptions, 81 yards, TD NO – Michael Thomas – 12 receptions, 89 yards, 2 TD

Week 3: at Atlanta Falcons

Week Three: New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Saints 7 9 7 14 43 Falcons 7 7 7 16 37 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia Date: September 23 Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed) Game attendance: 74,457 Referee: Walt Anderson TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, Cris Carter and Sara Walsh Recap, Gamebook Game information First quarter NO – Ted Ginn Jr. 4-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 11:45. Saints 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:15. ATL – Calvin Ridley 18-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 2:45. Tied 7–7. Drive: 12 plays, 81 yards, 6:06. Second quarter NO – Wil Lutz 49-yard field goal, 9:37. Saints 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 31 yards, 2:21. NO – Wil Lutz 21-yard field goal, 3:06. Saints 13–7. Drive: 8 plays, 70 yards, 4:46. ATL – Calvin Ridley 75-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 2:12. Falcons 14–13. Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 0:54. NO – Wil Lutz 45-yard field goal, 0:06. Saints 16–14. Drive: 3 plays, 31 yards, 0:34. Third quarter ATL – Calvin Ridley 9-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 12:00. Falcons 21–16. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:00. Fourth quarter NO – Cameron Meredith 11-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 6:07. Saints 23–21. Drive: 4 plays, 16 yards, 2:29. ATL – Tevin Coleman 5-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Ryan-Austin Hooper pass), 14:11. Falcons 29–23. Drive: 12 plays, 82 yards, 6:56. NO – Zach Line 1-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 9:59. Saints 30–29. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:12. ATL – Mohamed Sanu 5-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Ryan-Mohamed Sanu pass), 6:56. Falcons 37–30. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 3:01. NO – Drew Brees 7-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 1:15. Tied 37–37. Drive: 11 plays, 81 yards, 5:43. Overtime NO – Drew Brees 1-yard run, 2:55. Saints 43–37. Drive: 15 plays, 80 yards, 7:05. Top passers NO – Drew Brees – 39/49, 396 yards, 3 TD ATL – Matt Ryan – 26/35, 374 yards, 5 TD Top rushers NO – Alvin Kamara – 16 carries, 66 yards ATL – Tevin Coleman – 15 carries, 33 yards Top receivers NO – Alvin Kamara – 15 receptions, 124 yards ATL – Calvin Ridley – 7 receptions, 146 yards, 3 TD

Week 4: at New York Giants

Week Four: New Orleans Saints at New York Giants – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Saints 0 12 7 14 33 Giants 7 0 3 8 18 at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey Date: September 30 Game time: 4:25 p.m. EDT/3:25 p.m. CDT Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C), partly cloudy Game attendance: 78,213 Referee: Pete Morelli TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson Recap, Gamebook Game information First quarter NYG – Sterling Shepard 2-yard TD pass from Eli Manning. (Aldrick Rosas kick), 8:42. Giants 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:59. Second quarter NO – Will Lutz – 42 yard field goal, 14:55. Giants 7–3. Drive: 15 plays, 51 yards, 8:29. NO – Will Lutz – 34 yard field goal, 7:18. Giants 7–6 Drive: 9 plays, 69 yards, 3:31. NO – Will Lutz – 37 yard field goal, 3:36. Saints 9–7 Drive: 4 plays, -8 yards, 0:57. NO – Will Lutz – 26 yard field goal, 0:11. Saints 12–7 Drive: 7 plays, 40 yards, 2:21. Third quarter NO – Alvin Kamara – 9 yard TD run. (Will Lutz kick), 7:16. Saints 19–7. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:17. NYG – Aldrick Rosas – 33 yard field goal, 2:02. Saints 19–10. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:14. Fourth quarter NO – Alvin Kamara – 4 yard TD run. (Will Lutz kick), 6:47. Saints 26–10. Drive: 14 plays, 74 yards, 6:39. NYG – Saquon Barkley – 1 yard TD run. (Eli Manning pass to Sterling Shepard for two-point conversion), 3:44. Saints 26–18. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 3:03. NO – Alvin Kamara – 49 yard TD run. (Will Lutz kick), 2:06. Saints 33–18. Drive: 6 plays, 97 yards, 1:38. Top passers NO – Drew Brees – 18/32, 217 yards NYG – Eli Manning – 31/41, 255 yards, 1 TD Top rushers NO – Alvin Kamara – 19 rushes, 134 yards, 3 TD NYG – Saquon Barkley – 10 rushes, 44 yards, 1 TD Top receivers NO – Josh Hill – 3 receptions, 63 yards NYG – Sterling Shepard – 10 receptions, 77 yards, 1 TD

Week 5: vs. Washington Redskins

Week Five: Washington Redskins at New Orleans Saints – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Redskins 3 10 0 6 19 Saints 6 20 14 3 43 at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana Date: Template:Dow tooltip Game time: 7:15 p.m. CDT Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium) Game attendance: 73,028 Referee: Carl Cheffers TV announcers (ESPN/WDSU): Joe Tessitore, Jason Witten, Booger McFarland and Lisa Salters Recap, Gamebook Game information First quarter NO – Mark Ingram Jr. 2-yard run (kick failed), 10:41. Saints 6–0. Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 3:13. WAS – Dustin Hopkins 37-yard field goal, 2:37. Saints 6–3. Drive: 15 plays, 56 yards, 8:04. Second quarter NO – Josh Hill 1-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 10:38. Saints 13–3. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 6:59. WAS – Dustin Hopkins 53-yard field goal, 8:36. Saints 13–6. Drive: 6 plays, 40 yards, 2:02. NO – Mark Ingram Jr. 1-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 3:43. Saints 20–6. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:53. NO – Tre'Quan Smith 62-yard pass from Drew Brees (run failed), 2:36. Saints 26–6. Drive: 1 plays, 62 yards, 0:10. WAS – Alex Smith 4-yard run (Dustin Hopkins kick), 0:26. Saints 26–13. Drive: 3 plays, 16 yards, 0:56. Third quarter NO – Tre'Quan Smith 35-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 12:23. Saints 33–13. Drive: 5 plays, 74 yards, 2:37. NO – Taysom Hill 1-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 6:43. Saints 40–13. Drive: 2 plays, 4 yards, 1:00. Fourth quarter NO – Wil Lutz 44-yard field goal, 14:10. Saints 43–13. Drive: 6 plays, 22 yards, 3:09. WAS – Kapri Bibbs 1-yard run (pass failed), 10:25. Saints 43–19. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:42. Top passers WAS – Alex Smith – 23/39, 275 yards, 1 INT NO – Drew Brees – 26/29, 363 yards, 3 TD Top rushers WAS – Chris Thompson – 8 carries, 17 yards NO – Mark Ingram Jr. – 16 carries, 53 yards, 2 TD Top receivers WAS – Chris Thompson – 6 receptions, 45 yards NO – Cameron Meredith – 5 receptions, 71 yards

This game was one year removed from last season, where the Saints overcame a 15-point deficit against the Redskins at home with three minutes remaining. This time, the Saints dominated the entire game. This game marked Drew Brees passing Brett Favre and Peyton Manning on most passing yards. The win improved the Saints to 4-1.

Week 7: at Baltimore Ravens

Week Seven: New Orleans Saints at Baltimore Ravens – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Saints 0 7 0 17 24 Ravens 0 10 7 6 23 at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland Date: October 21 Game time: 4:05 p.m. EDT/3:05 p.m. CDT Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C), partly sunny Game attendance: 70,639 Referee: John Parry TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin Recap, Gamebook Game information First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter BAL – Justin Tucker 31-yard field goal, 6:04. Ravens 3–0. Drive: 17 plays, 63 yards, 7:23. NO – Benjamin Watson 1-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 1:53. Saints 7–3. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:11. BAL – Lamar Jackson 1-yard run (Justin Tucker kick), 0:04. Ravens 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 1:49. Third quarter BAL – Mark Andrews 8-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Justin Tucker kick), 3:30. Ravens 17–7. Drive: 10 plays, 61 yards, 4:02. Fourth quarter NO – Alvin Kamara 2-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 12:32. Ravens 17–14. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 5:58. NO – Michael Thomas 5-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 4:58. Saints 21–17. Drive: 12 plays, 56 yards, 6:18. NO – Wil Lutz 39-yard field goal, 2:07. Saints 24–17. Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards, 1:12. BAL – John Brown 14-yard pass from Joe Flacco (kick failed), 0:24. Saints 24–23. Drive: 6 plays, 81 yards, 1:43. Top passers NO – Drew Brees – 22/30, 212 yards, 2 TD BAL – Joe Flacco – 23/39, 279 yards, 2 TD Top rushers NO – Alvin Kamara – 17 carries, 64 yards, 1 TD BAL – Alex Collins – 11 carries, 38 yards Top receivers NO – Michael Thomas – 7 receptions, 69 yards, 1 TD BAL – John Brown – 7 receptions, 134 yards, 1 TD

Drew Brees would throw his 500th touchdown pass against Baltimore, and becoming the third quarterback in modern NFL history to defeat all 32 teams playing in the 2018 season — after Peyton Manning and Brett Favre. In doing so, he improved his record against the Ravens to 1-4.

Week 8: at Minnesota Vikings

Week Eight: New Orleans Saints at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Saints 7 10 10 3 30 Vikings 7 6 0 7 20 at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota Date: October 28 Game time: 7:20 p.m. CDT Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium) Game attendance: 66,801 Referee: Craig Wrolstad TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya and Terry McAulay Recap, Gamebook Game information First quarter NO – Alvin Kamara 3-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 10:33. Saints 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 81 yards, 4:27. MIN – Stefon Diggs 1-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Dan Bailey kick), 3:16. Tied 7–7. Drive: 13 plays, 91 yards, 7:17. Second quarter MIN – Latavius Murray 1-yard run (kick failed, wide left), 11:57. Vikings 13–7. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 4:05. NO – Wil Lutz 52-yard field goal, 7:27. Vikings 13–10. Drive: 8 plays, 33 yards, 4:30. NO – Alvin Kamara 1-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 0:30. Saints 17–13. Drive: 2 plays, 18 yards, 0:27. Third quarter NO – Wil Lutz 42-yard field goal, 8:19. Saints 20–13. Drive: 9 plays, 21 yards, 4:09. NO – P. J. Williams 45-yard interception return (Wil Lutz kick), 5:58. Saints 27–13. Fourth quarter NO – Wil Lutz 42-yard field goal, 9:35. Saints 30–13. Drive: 15 plays, 60 yards, 8:15. MIN – Adam Thielen 1-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Dan Bailey kick), 4:26. Saints 30–20. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 5:09. Top passers NO – Drew Brees – 18/23, 120 yards, TD, INT MIN – Kirk Cousins – 31/41, 359 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers NO – Mark Ingram Jr. – 13 rushes, 63 yards MIN – Latavius Murray – 13 rushes, 56 yards, TD Top receivers NO – Michael Thomas – 5 receptions, 81 yards MIN – Stefon Diggs – 10 receptions, 119 yards, TD

The Saints travelled to Minnesota for the first time since the 2017 Divisional round; during which safety Marcus Williams missed a tackle on the game's final play that allowed a 61-yard game-winning touchdown reception by Stefon Diggs. In this divisional round rematch, despite a good offensive showing from Kirk Cousins and Stefon Diggs, and Drew Brees who was held to just 120 passing yards, New Orleans still won the game 30-20 to go to 6-1 and avenge their aforementioned playoff loss.

Week 9: vs. Los Angeles Rams

Week Nine: Los Angeles Rams at New Orleans Saints – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Rams 7 10 10 8 35 Saints 14 21 0 10 45 at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana Date: November 4 Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium) Game attendance: 73,086 Referee: Bill Vinovich TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews Preview, Gamebook Game information First quarter NO – Alvin Kamara 11-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 9:25. Saints 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:35. LAR – Todd Gurley 8-yard run (Greg Zuerlein kick), 6:04. Tied 7–7. Drive: 6 plays, 71 yards, 3:21. NO – Alvin Kamara 16-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 1:40. Saints 14–7. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:24. Second quarter LAR – Brandin Cooks 4-yard pass from Jared Goff (Greg Zuerlein kick), 14:12. Tied 14–14. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:28. NO – Tre'Quan Smith 4-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 7:35. Saints 21–14. Drive: 10 plays, 87 yards, 5:31. NO – Benjamin Watson 13-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 1:06. Saints 28–14. Drive: 6 plays, 59 yards, 2:24. NO – Alvin Kamara 1-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 0:26. Saints 35–14. Drive: 6 plays, 34 yards, 0:33. LAR – Greg Zuerlein 56-yard field goal, 0:00. Saints 35–17. Drive: 5 plays, 37 yards, 0:26. Third quarter LAR – Malcolm Brown 18-yard pass from Jared Goff (Greg Zuerlein kick), 9:38. Saints 35–24. Drive: 11 plays, 77 yards, 5:22. LAR – Greg Zuerlein 34-yard field goal, 1:30. Saints 35–27. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 3:56. Fourth quarter LAR – Cooper Kupp 41-yard pass from Jared Goff (Jared Goff-Gerald Everett pass), 9:48. Tied 35–35. Drive: 6 plays, 83 yards, 3:39. NO – Wil Lutz 54-yard field goal, 6:23. Saints 38–35. Drive: 9 plays, 40 yards, 3:23. NO – Michael Thomas 72-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 3:52. Saints 45–35. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 0:58. Top passers LAR – Jared Goff – 28/40, 391 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT NO – Drew Brees – 25/36, 346 yards, 4 TD Top rushers LAR – Todd Gurley – 13 carries, 68 yards, 1 TD NO – Alvin Kamara – 19 carries, 82 yards, 2 TD Top receivers LAR – Brandin Cooks – 6 receptions, 114 yards, 1 TD NO – Michael Thomas – 12 receptions, 211 yards, 1 TD

With the victory, the Saints extended their winning streak to 7 games (Starting from week 2) and ended the previously 8-0 Rams' chances at completing a perfect season. Also, star wide receiver Michael Thomas, after scoring on his 12th reception, paid homage to former Saints wide receiver Joe Horn by pulling out a cell phone from underneath the goalpost pretending to make a call. This celebration drew a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

Week 10: at Cincinnati Bengals

Week Ten: New Orleans Saints at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Saints 7 28 10 6 51 Bengals 7 0 0 7 14 at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio Date: November 11 Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST/1:00 p.m. EST Game weather: 39 °F (4 °C), mostly sunny Game attendance: 52,492 Referee: Tony Corrente TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Charles Davis and Pam Oliver Recap, Gamebook Game information First quarter NO – Michael Thomas 7-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 6:30. Saints 7–0. Drive: 15 plays, 75 yards, 8:30. CIN – John Ross 2-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Randy Bullock kick), 1:56. Tied 7–7. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:34. Second quarter NO – Mark Ingram Jr. 28-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 13:33. Saints 14–7. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:23. NO – Alvin Kamara 4-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 5:34. Saints 21–7. Drive: 9 plays, 90 yards, 4:54. NO – Alvin Kamara 1-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 1:22. Saints 28–7. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 2:40. NO – Michael Thomas 17-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 0:02. Saints 35–7. Drive: 1 plays, 17 yards, 0:06. Third quarter NO – Wil Lutz 29-yard field goal, 9:04. Saints 38–7. Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 4:08. NO – Drew Brees 1-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 2:25. Saints 45–7. Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, 3:56. Fourth quarter NO – Wil Lutz 42-yard field goal, 10:41. Saints 48–7. Drive: 9 plays, 35 yards, 5:52. NO – Wil Lutz 41-yard field goal, 7:17. Saints 51–7. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:35. CIN – Jeff Driskel 27-yard run (Randy Bullock kick), 4:42. Saints 51–14. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:35. Top passers NO – Drew Brees – 22/25, 265 yards, 3 TD CIN – Andy Dalton – 12/20, 153 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers NO – Mark Ingram Jr. – 13 carries, 104 yards CIN – Joe Mixon – 11 carries, 61 yards Top receivers NO – Michael Thomas – 8 receptions, 70 yards, 2 TD CIN – Tyler Boyd – 3 receptions, 65 yards

After losing the newly acquired Dez Bryant for the year with an Achilles' tear in practice, several players, including Michael Thomas, and running backs Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara paid tribute by throwing up Bryant's signature 'X' celebration each time they scored. Safety Marcus Williams returned a long interception to end the first half with the Saints leading 35-7. New Orleans would eventually stun the Bengals in a 51-14 victory and their streak continued, going 8-1.

Week 11: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Week Eleven: Philadelphia Eagles at New Orleans Saints – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Eagles 0 7 0 0 7 Saints 10 14 14 10 48 at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana Date: November 18 Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium) Game attendance: 73,042 Referee: Carl Cheffers TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews Recap, Gamebook Game information First quarter NO – Wil Lutz 38-yard field goal, 9:10. Saints 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 57 yards, 4:14. NO – Austin Carr 3-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 3:12. Saints 10–0. Drive: 11 plays, 86 yards, 4:52. Second quarter NO – Mark Ingram Jr. 14-yard rush (Wil Lutz kick), 12:07. Saints 17–0. Drive: 10 plays, 84 yards, 5:32. PHI – Josh Adams 28-yard rush (Jake Elliott kick), 8:42. Saints 17–7. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:25. NO – Tre'Quan Smith 15-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 0:39. Saints 24–7. Drive: 7 plays, 84 yards, 2:40. Third quarter NO – Michael Thomas 23-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 11:20. Saints 31–7. Drive: 6 plays, 70 yards, 3:40. NO – Mark Ingram Jr. 1-yard rush (Wil Lutz kick), 5:34. Saints 38–7. Drive: 7 plays, 41 yards, 4:22. Fourth quarter NO – Alvin Kamara 37-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 13:15. Saints 45–7. Drive: 7 plays, 87 yards, 3:18. NO – Wil Lutz 19-yard field goal, 6:46. Saints 48–7. Drive: 8 plays, 33 yards, 5:02. Top passers PHI – Carson Wentz - 19/33, 156 yards, 3 INT NO – Drew Brees - 22/30, 363 yards, 4 TD Top rushers PHI – Josh Adams - 7 rushes, 53 yards, 1 TD NO – Mark Ingram - 16 rushes, 103 yards, 2 TD Top receivers PHI – Golden Tate - 5 receptions, 48 yards NO – Tre'Quan Smith - 10 receptions, 157 yards, 1 TD

After head coach Sean Payton lost a golf bet to Eagles head coach Doug Pederson, the Saints, despite being the home team, wore their white color rush uniforms. It was the first time the Saints used the uniforms at home.

Week 12: vs. Atlanta Falcons

NFL on Thanksgiving Day

Week Twelve: Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Falcons 3 0 7 7 17 Saints 7 10 7 7 31 at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana Date: Template:Dow tooltip Game time: 7:20 p.m. CST Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium) Game attendance: 73,017 Referee: John Hussey TV announcers (NBC): Mike Tirico, Tony Dungy, Rodney Harrison, Michele Tafoya and Terry McAulay Recap, Gamebook Game information First quarter NO – Tommylee Lewis 28-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 11:11. Saints 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:49. ATL – Matt Bryant 32-yard field goal, 2:35. Saints 7–3. Drive: 8 plays, 25 yards, 3:03. Second quarter NO – Wil Lutz 22-yard field goal, 9:09. Saints 10–3. Drive: 15 plays, 81 yards, 8:26. NO – Austin Carr 12-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 3:20. Saints 17–3. Drive: 7 plays, 42 yards, 4:10. Third quarter NO – Dan Arnold 25-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 5:59. Saints 24–3. Drive: 6 plays, 70 yards, 3:18. ATL – Calvin Ridley 2-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 0:22. Saints 24–10. Drive: 13 plays, 79 yards, 5:37. Fourth quarter NO – Keith Kirkwood 5-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 9:27. Saints 31–10. Drive: 5 plays, 22 yards, 3:00. ATL – Tevin Coleman 4-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 1:51. Saints 31–17. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 1:48. Top passers ATL – Matt Ryan – 35/47, 377 yards, 2 TD, INT NO – Drew Brees – 15/22, 171 yards, 4 TD, INT Top rushers ATL – Matt Ryan – 2 carries, 16 yards NO – Alvin Kamara – 14 carries, 89 yards Top receivers ATL – Julio Jones – 11 receptions, 147 yards NO – Dan Arnold – 4 receptions, 48 yards, TD

Week 13: at Dallas Cowboys

Week Thirteen: New Orleans Saints at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Saints 0 0 10 0 10 Cowboys 10 3 0 0 13 at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas Date: Template:Dow tooltip Game time: 7:20 p.m. CST Game weather: 70 °F (21 °C), clear — retractable roof open Game attendance: 93,004 Referee: Walt Anderson TV announcers (Fox/NFLN): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews and Kristina Pink Recap, Gamebook Game information First quarter DAL – Brett Maher 26-yard field goal, 9:27. Cowboys 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 67 yards, 5:36. DAL – Ezekiel Elliott 16-yard pass from Dak Prescott (Brett Maher kick), 0:57. Cowboys 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 85 yards, 4:10. Second quarter DAL – Brett Maher 46-yard field goal, 0:55. Cowboys 13–0. Drive: 16 plays, 70 yards, 9:09. Third quarter NO – Wil Lutz 33-yard field goal, 10:03. Cowboys 13–3. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 5:00. NO – Keith Kirkwood 30-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 1:08. Cowboys 13–10. Drive: 10 plays, 88 yards, 4:39. Fourth quarter No scoring plays. Top passers NO – Drew Brees – 18/28, 127 yards, TD, INT DAL – Dak Prescott – 24/28, 248 yards, TD Top rushers NO – Alvin Kamara – 11 carries, 36 yards DAL – Ezekiel Elliott – 23 carries, 76 yards Top receivers NO – Michael Thomas – 5 receptions, 40 yards DAL – Michael Gallup – 5 receptions, 76 yards

Week 14: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week Fourteen: New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Saints 0 3 8 17 28 Buccaneers 7 7 0 0 14 at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida Date: December 9 Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST/1:00 p.m. EST Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C), cloudy Game attendance: 53,495 Referee: Jerome Boger TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Ronde Barber and Sara Walsh Recap, Gamebook Game information First quarter TB – Cameron Brate 11-yard pass from Jameis Winston (Cairo Santos kick), 12:19. Buccaneers 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:41. Second quarter NO – Wil Lutz 30-yard field goal, 7:06. Buccaneers 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 52 yards, 4:11. TB – Cameron Brate 1-yard pass from Jameis Winston (Cairo Santos kick), 0:26. Buccaneers 14–3. Drive: 6 plays, 39 yards, 1:56. Third quarter NO – Zach Line 1-yard pass from Drew Brees (Alvin Kamara rush), 4:43. Buccaneers 14–11. Drive: 5 plays, 30 yards, 2:35. Fourth quarter NO – Drew Brees 1-yard rush (Wil Lutz kick), 11:46. Saints 18–14. Drive: 10 plays, 51 yards, 5:35. NO – Mark Ingram Jr. 17-yard rush (Wil Lutz kick), 7:26. Saints 25–14. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 3:08. NO – Wil Lutz 36-yard field goal, 1:12. Saints 28–14. Drive: 11 plays, 41 yards, 4:20. Top passers NO – Drew Brees – 24/31, 201 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT TB – Jameis Winston – 18/38, 213 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT Top rushers NO – Mark Ingram Jr. – 13 carries, 52 yards, 1 TD TB – Jameis Winston – 5 carries, 47 yards Top receivers NO – Michael Thomas – 11 receptions, 98 yards TB – Mike Evans – 4 receptions, 86 yards

The New Orleans Saints trailed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14-3 halfway through the 3rd quarter when Taysom Hill sparked a rally by blocking a punt and setting up New Orleans inside Tampa Bay territory. The Saints would go on to win in a comeback 28-14 and clinching a playoff berth in the process.

Week 15: at Carolina Panthers

Week Fifteen: New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Saints 3 3 0 6 12 Panthers 7 0 0 2 9 at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina Date: Template:Dow tooltip Game time: 7:15 p.m. CST/8:15 p.m. EST Game weather: 48 °F (9 °C), clear skies Game attendance: 74,188 Referee: Tony Corrente TV announcers (ESPN): Joe Tessitore, Jason Witten, Booger McFarland and Lisa Salters Recap, Gamebook Game information First quarter CAR – Chris Manhertz 50-yard pass from Christian McCaffrey (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 4:02. Panthers 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 90 yards, 3:24. NO – Wil Lutz 46-yard field goal, 2:20. Panthers 7–3. Drive: 5 plays, 23 yards, 1:46. Second quarter NO – Wil Lutz 24-yard field goal, 10:00. Panthers 7–6. Drive: 12 plays, 69 yards, 5:50. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter NO – Alvin Kamara 16-yard rush (pass failed), 12:12. Saints 12–7. Drive: 11 plays, 84 yards, 6:13. CAR – Donte Jackson New Orleans two-point conversion attempt interception return: 2 points Carolina. Saints 12–9. Top passers NO – Drew Brees – 23/35, 203 yards, INT CAR – Cam Newton – 16/29, 131 yards, INT Top rushers NO – Alvin Kamara – 14 carries, 67 yards, TD CAR – Christian McCaffrey – 15 carries, 53 yards Top receivers NO – Michael Thomas – 7 receptions, 49 yards CAR – Christian McCaffrey – 8 receptions, 67 yards

Week 16: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Week Sixteen: Pittsburgh Steelers at New Orleans Saints – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Steelers 3 11 14 0 28 Saints 7 10 7 7 31 at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana Date: December 23 Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium) Game attendance: 73,086 Referee: Craig Wrolstad TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson Recap, Gamebook Game information First quarter PIT – Chris Boswell 49-yard field goal, 5:32. Steelers 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 29 yards, 4:46. NO – Mark Ingram Jr. 1-yard rush (Wil Lutz kick), 2:57. Saints 7–3. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:35. Second quarter PIT – Chris Boswell 30-yard field goal, 14:05. Saints 7–6. Drive: 9 plays, 78 yards, 3:52. NO – Alvin Kamara 8-yard rush (Wil Lutz kick), 10:22. Saints 14–6. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:43. PIT – Jaylen Samuels 3-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Ben Roethlisberger-Eli Rogers pass), 0:40. Tied 14–14. Drive: 15 plays, 97 yards, 6:04. NO – Wil Lutz 43-yard field goal, 0:02. Saints 17–14. Drive: 4 plays, 50 yards, 0:38. Third quarter NO – Alvin Kamara 1-yard rush (Wil Lutz kick), 9:13. Saints 24–14. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:47. PIT – Antonio Brown 3-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Chris Boswell kick), 4:48. Saints 24–21. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:25. PIT – Antonio Brown 20-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Chris Boswell kick), 1:02. Steelers 28–24. Drive: 4 plays, 66 yards, 1:36. Fourth quarter NO – Michael Thomas 2-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 1:25. Saints 31–28. Drive: 10 plays, 46 yards, 2:41. Top passers PIT – Ben Roethlisberger – 33/50, 380 yards, 3 TD NO – Drew Brees – 27/39, 326 yards, 1 TD Top rushers PIT – Jaylen Samuels – 12 carries, 53 yards NO – Mark Ingram Jr. – 11 carries, 35 yards, 1 TD Top receivers PIT – Antonio Brown – 14 receptions, 185 yards, 2 TD NO – Michael Thomas – 11 receptions, 109 yards, 1 TD

With the win, the Saints clinched home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs

Week 17: vs. Carolina Panthers

Week Seventeen: Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Panthers 13 10 7 3 33 Saints 0 0 0 14 14 at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana Date: December 30 Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium) Game attendance: 73,028 Referee: Bill Vinovich TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Ronde Barber and Kristina Pink Recap, Gamebook Game information First quarter CAR – Kyle Allen 1-yard rush (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 10:04. Panthers 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 4:56. CAR – Cameron Artis-Payne 15-yard rush (kick failed), 2:07. Panthers 13–0. Drive: 9 plays, 89 yards, 4:51. Second quarter CAR – Ian Thomas 8-yard pass from Kyle Allen (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 2:00. Panthers 20–0. Drive: 16 plays, 90 yards, 7:45. CAR – Chandler Catanzaro 22-yard field goal, 0:00. Panthers 23–0. Drive: 7 plays, 66 yards, 1:28. Third quarter CAR – Curtis Samuel 53-yard pass from Kyle Allen (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 3:46. Panthers 30–0. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:34. Fourth quarter NO – Tre'Quan Smith 9-yard pass from Teddy Bridgewater (Wil Lutz kick), 13:28. Panthers 30–7. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 5:18. CAR – Chandler Catanzaro 51-yard field goal, 8:17. Panthers 33–7. Drive: 9 plays, 42 yards, 5:11. NO – Taysom Hill 9-yard rush (Wil Lutz kick), 3:47. Panthers 33–14. Drive: 4 plays, 57 yards, 1:23. Top passers CAR – Kyle Allen – 16/27, 228 yards, 2 TD NO – Teddy Bridgewater – 14/22, 118 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Top rushers CAR – Cameron Artis-Payne – 16 carries, 56 yards NO – Dwayne Washington – 11 carries, 108 yards Top receivers CAR – D.J. Moore – 4 receptions, 81 yards NO – Tre'Quan Smith – 3 receptions, 30 yards

Teddy Bridgewater started in this game. With the loss, the Saints finish the season 13-3.

Standings

Division

NFC South
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
(1) New Orleans Saints	13	3	0	.813	4–2	9–3	504	353	L1
Atlanta Falcons	7	9	0	.438	4–2	7–5	414	423	W3
Carolina Panthers	7	9	0	.438	2–4	5–7	376	382	W1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	5	11	0	.313	2–4	4–8	396	464	L4

Conference

NFC
#	Team	Division	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV	STK
Division leaders
1	New Orleans Saints	South	13	3	0	.813	4–2	9–3	.482	.488	L1
2	Los Angeles Rams	West	13	3	0	.813	6–0	9–3	.480	.428	W2
3	Chicago Bears	North	12	4	0	.750	5–1	10–2	.430	.419	W4
4	Dallas Cowboys	East	10	6	0	.625	5–1	9–3	.488	.444	W2
Wild cards
5	Seattle Seahawks	West	10	6	0	.625	3–3	8–4	.484	.400	W2
6	Philadelphia Eagles	East	9	7	0	.563	4–2	6–6	.518	.486	W3
Did not qualify for the playoffs
7	Minnesota Vikings	North	8	7	1	.531	3–2–1	6–5–1	.504	.355	L1
8	Atlanta Falcons	South	7	9	0	.438	4–2	7–5	.482	.348	W3
9	Washington Redskins	East	7	9	0	.438	2–4	6–6	.486	.371	L2
10	Carolina Panthers	South	7	9	0	.438	2–4	5–7	.508	.518	W1
11	Green Bay Packers	North	6	9	1	.406	1–4–1	3–8–1	.488	.417	L1
12	Detroit Lions	North	6	10	0	.375	2–4	4–8	.504	.427	W1
13	New York Giants	East	5	11	0	.313	1–5	4–8	.527	.487	L3
14	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	South	5	11	0	.313	2–4	4–8	.523	.506	L4
15	San Francisco 49ers	West	4	12	0	.250	1–5	2–10	.504	.406	L2
16	Arizona Cardinals	West	3	13	0	.188	2–4	3–9	.527	.302	L4
Tiebreakers

Single player milestone

Late in the first half of the Week 5, Monday Night game against the Washington Redskins, Quarterback Drew Brees surpassed Brett Favre (71,838) and Peyton Manning (71,940) for the most career passing yards. Brees surpassed Favre on a 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Josh Hill, and later he surpassed Manning with a 62-yard touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver Tre'Quan Smith, giving him the NFL's All-Time Career pass yardage record. Brees also threw his 500th touchdown pass against the Baltimore Ravens, with a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Benjamin Watson.

Postseason

Playoff round	Date	Opponent (seed)	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
Wild Card	First-round bye
Divisional	January 13, 2019	Philadelphia Eagles (6)	W 20–14	1–0	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap
NFC Championship	January 20, 2019	Los Angeles Rams (2)	L 23–26 (OT)	1–1	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap

NFC Divisional Playoffs: vs. (#6) Philadelphia Eagles

NFC Divisional Playoffs: (#6) Philadelphia Eagles at (#1) New Orleans Saints – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Eagles 14 0 0 0 14 Saints 0 10 7 3 20 at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana Date: January 13, 2019 Game time: 3:40 p.m. CST Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium) Game attendance: 73,027 Referee: Carl Cheffers TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Charles Davis, Pam Oliver and Peter Schrager Recap, Gamebook Game information First quarter PHI – Jordan Matthews 37-yard pass from Nick Foles (Jake Elliott kick), 10:41. Eagles 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 76 yards, 4:05. PHI – Nick Foles 1-yard rush (Jake Elliott kick), 4:37. Eagles 14–0. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:14. Second quarter NO – Keith Kirkwood 2-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 7:23. Eagles 14–7. Drive: 12 plays, 79 yards, 6:12. NO – Wil Lutz 45-yard field goal, 0:06. Eagles 14–10. Drive: 7 plays, 67 yards, 1:12. Third quarter NO – Michael Thomas 2-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 1:40. Saints 17–14. Drive: 18 plays, 92 yards, 11:29. Fourth quarter NO – Wil Lutz 39-yard field goal, 10:28. Saints 20–14. Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, 3:31. Top passers PHI – Nick Foles – 18/31, 201 yards, TD, 2 INT NO – Drew Brees – 28/38, 301 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers PHI – Wendell Smallwood – 10 carries, 33 yards NO – Alvin Kamara – 16 carries, 71 yards Top receivers PHI – Alshon Jeffery – 5 receptions, 63 yards NO – Michael Thomas – 12 receptions, 171 yards, TD

NFC Championship: vs. (#2) Los Angeles Rams

Further information: 2018 NFC Championship Game

NFC Championship: (#2) Los Angeles Rams at (#1) New Orleans Saints – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Rams 0 10 7 6 26 Saints 13 0 7 3 23 at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana Date: January 20, 2019 Game time: 2:05 p.m. CST Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium) Game attendance: 73,028 Referee: Bill Vinovich TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews and Chris Myers Recap, Gamebook Game information First quarter NO – Wil Lutz 37-yard field goal, 10:04. Saints 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 56 yards, 4:56. NO – Wil Lutz 29-yard field goal, 7:06. Saints 6–0. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 1:29. NO – Garrett Griffin 5-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 1:35. Saints 13–0. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 3:51. Second quarter LAR – Greg Zuerlein 36-yard field goal, 9:45. Saints 13–3. Drive: 14 plays, 57 yards, 6:50. LAR – Todd Gurley 6-yard run (Greg Zuerlein kick), 0:23. Saints 13–10. Drive: 7 plays, 81 yards, 1:29. Third quarter NO – Taysom Hill 2-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 8:34. Saints 20–10. Drive: 12 plays, 71 yards, 5:31. LAR – Tyler Higbee 1-yard pass from Jared Goff (Greg Zuerlein kick), 3:06. Saints 20–17. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:28. Fourth quarter LAR – Greg Zuerlein 24-yard field goal, 5:03. Tied 20–20. Drive: 9 plays, 85 yards, 5:52. NO – Wil Lutz 31-yard field goal, 1:41. Saints 23–20. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 3:22. LAR – Greg Zuerlein 48-yard field goal, 0:15. Tied 23–23. Drive: 9 plays, 45 yards, 1:26. Overtime LAR - Greg Zuerlein 57-yard field goal, 11:47. Rams 26–23. Drive: 5 plays, 15 yards, 2:12. Top passers LAR – Jared Goff – 25/40, 297 yards, TD, INT NO – Drew Brees – 26/40, 249 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers LAR – C. J. Anderson – 16 rushes, 44 yards NO – Mark Ingram – 9 rushes, 31 yards Top receivers LAR – Brandin Cooks – 7 receptions, 107 yards NO – Alvin Kamara – 11 receptions, 96 yards

The game was marred with controversy after the referees missed a pass interference call of Nickell Robey-Coleman's hit on Tommylee Lewis on 3rd-and-10 with 1:45 remaining in the 4th quarter. Some fans, players, and analysts believe the missed call is among the worst in NFL history. The NFL admitted to missing the call soon after the game was over, but did not apologize for the situation until a week and a half later. The fallout from the missed call was a factor in the NFL's decision to expand instantly replay, making pass interference (including non-calls) reviewable.

External links

• Official website