Mercedes-Benz Superdome. It also marked the seventh season under head coachSean Payton, who returned to the team after serving a one-year suspension for his involvement in the team's 2012 bounty scandal
.
The Saints improved their 7–9 record from last season, going 11–5 and making the playoffs as the sixth seed. They earned the franchise's first-ever road postseason victory, with a 26–24 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card round, ending the drought at 0–5. However, the Saints were eliminated by the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round, by a score of 23–15. The 2013 season was also the second time in three years the Saints went 8–0 at home. This was the Saints last playoff appearance and winning season until 2017.
Notes
The Saints did not have selections in the second, fourth, or seventh rounds. They forfeited their second-round selection as part of the punishment for the team's 2012 bounty scandal. They acquired the No. 82 selection in a trade that sent two fourth-round selections, Nos. 106 and 109 overall, to the Miami Dolphins. The No. 106 selection had been acquired in a trade that sent running backChris Ivory to the New York Jets. The Saints traded their seventh-round selection to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for linebackerBarrett Ruud.
Coming off a Week 1 win against Atlanta, the Saints face the Buccaneers. The Saints narrowly won over the Buccaneers 16–14, thus improving them to 2-0.
Week 3: vs. Arizona Cardinals
Week Three: Arizona Cardinals at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
Period
1
2
3
4
Total
Cardinals
7
0
0
0
7
Saints
7
7
3
14
31
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
The Saints meet the Patriots on the road. Despite stopping Tom Brady and the Patriots offense twice in the last 3 minutes of the game, the Saints defense proceeded to give up a game-winning touchdown pass with 5 seconds left on the clock. With the close loss, the Saints fall to 5-1, their first loss of the season.
Week 8: vs. Buffalo Bills
Week Eight: Buffalo Bills at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
Period
1
2
3
4
Total
Bills
0
10
0
7
17
Saints
7
14
7
7
35
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
NO – Marques Colston – 7 receptions, 107 yards, TD
The Saints would dominate the Cowboys at home in the Superdome, recording an NFL-record 40 first downs and 625 total yards of offense. This improves their record to 7-2.
Week 11: vs. San Francisco 49ers
Week Eleven: San Francisco 49ers at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
Period
1
2
3
4
Total
49ers
0
10
7
3
20
Saints
7
7
0
9
23
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
The Saints beat the Falcons on the road. This not only brought the Saints' record to 9-2, but they also sweep the Falcons for the first time since the 2011 season.
Week 13: at Seattle Seahawks
Week Thirteen: New Orleans Saints at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary
SEA – Stephen Hauschka 20-yard field goal, 3:41. Seahawks 20–7. Drive: 10 plays, 82 yards, 5:04.
SEA – Doug Baldwin 4-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Stephen Hauschka kick), 0:13. Seahawks 27–7. Drive: 12 plays, 88 yards, 1:52.
Third quarter
SEA – Derrick Coleman 8-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Stephen Hauschka kick), 7:07. Seahawks 34–7. Drive: 8 plays, 79 yards, 3:47.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays.
Top passers
NO – Drew Brees – 23/38, 147 yards, TD
SEA – Russell Wilson – 22/30, 310 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
NO –
Mark Ingram
– 8 rushes, 22 yards
SEA – Russell Wilson – 8 rushes, 47 yards
Top receivers
NO – Jimmy Graham – 3 receptions, 42 yards, TD
SEA – Zach Miller – 5 receptions, 86 yards, TD
In a Monday Night matchup, the Saints were dominated from the start by the Seahawks. Russell Wilson threw for 310 yard and three touchdowns and rushed for another 47 yards while Seattle's "Legion of Boom" defense limited Drew Brees to 147 yards passing.[2] The loss brought the Saints record down to 9-3.
Week 14: vs. Carolina Panthers
Week Fourteen: Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
Period
1
2
3
4
Total
Panthers
6
0
0
7
13
Saints
0
21
3
7
31
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
Date: December 8
Game time: 7:30 p.m. CST
Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
Game attendance: 73,089
Referee:
Walt Anderson
TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
At Bank of America Stadium, the Saints meet the Panthers again. The Saints fall to a close loss by 4 points, allowing a go-ahead touchdown pass with 23 seconds remaining. This drops their record to 10–5. This loss cost the Saints clinching a playoff berth, the NFC South, and a first-round bye. In addition, the Panthers moved ahead of the Saints in the NFC South.
Week 17: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week Seventeen: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
Period
1
2
3
4
Total
Buccaneers
7
7
3
0
17
Saints
14
14
7
7
42
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
The Saints were able to sweep the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the second straight season with the victory. They finish the season 11-5, clinching a playoff berth as the NFC's #6 seed and would face the #3 seeded Eagles in the wild-card round.
^Detroit finished with a better conference record than St. Louis.
^Atlanta finished with a better conference record than Tampa Bay.
^When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division.
In their first playoff matchup since the 2006 season, the Saints defeated the Eagles and earned their first ever postseason win on the road. Drew Brees threw for 250 yards and one touchdown, Mark Ingram rushed for 97 yards and another touchdown, and Shayne Graham went 4-for-4 on field goals, including the game winner with no time left on the clock. Graham started the scoring with a 36-yard field goal in the second quarter. Philadelphia struck back with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Nick Foles to Riley Cooper, but Graham hit another field goal at the end of the half to pull the Saints to within one at 7-6. Early in the third quarter the Saints got their first touchdown when Brees connected with Lance Moore for a 24-yard touchdown pass to take a 13-7 lead, and the Saints extended it to 20-7 on a one-yard run by Ingram. However, Philadelphia came back with a touchdown drive of their own to pull to within six at 20-14 on the strength of a 40-yard completion from Foles to DeShaun Jackson to the Saints 9-yard line and a one-yard run by McCoy for the TD. The Eagles got the ball back in the fourth quarter and pulled to within three on the strength of a 31-yard field goal by Eagles K Alex Henery. The Saints responded with Graham's third field of the night from 35 yards out to make the score 23-17, but Philadelphia went on a 73-yard drive to take the lead, aided by a pass interference on Saints cornerback Corey White and a three-yard touchdown pass from Foles to TE Zach Ertz. On the ensuing kickoff, Saints returner Darren Sproles returned the ball to the Saints 37 and then had fifteen more tacked on because of a horse-collar tackle by the Eagles' Cary Williams. Brees then methodically led the Saints on a 10-play, 34-yard drive to the Eagles' 14 where Graham put his fourth field goal through the uprights for a 26-24 lead as time expired.[4]
NFC Divisional Round: at #1 Seattle Seahawks
NFC Divisional Round: #6 New Orleans Saints at #1 Seattle Seahawks – Game summary
In a much different game than the earlier Monday Night Football matchup, the Saints lost to the Seahawks under stormy and freezing conditions in Seattle. Despite Drew Brees' 309 yards passing, the Saints fumbled once and PK Shane Graham missed two field goal attempts. Seattle jumped out to a 16-0 lead on three Stephen Hauschka field goals and a 15-yard touchdown run by Marshawn Lynch. The Saints got back into the game in the fourth quarter with a 1-yard touchdown rush by Khiry Robinson and a two-point conversion run by Mark Ingram. However, Seattle struck again, this time with a 31-yard touchdown rush by Lynch. The Saints scored their final touchdown on a 9-yard pass from Brees to Marques Colston with only 26 seconds remaining, but the Saints had a chance to tie the game when they recovered the onsides kick. A final attempt at a pass followed by laterals fell short as time expired, sending Seattle to the NFC Championship and the Saints home with a 12-6 record. Lynch finished with a game-high 140 yards on 28 attempts for Seattle while Colston caught 11 balls for 144 yards in a losing effort for the Saints.[5]