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1984 New Orleans Saints season

NFL team season


NFL team season

FieldValue
teamNew Orleans Saints
year1984
record7–9
division_place3rd NFC West
coachBum Phillips
general managerBum Phillips
ownerJohn Mecom Jr.
stadiumLouisiana Superdome
playoffs*Did not qualify*
pro_bowlersDE Bruce Clark
LB Rickey Jackson
P Brian Hansen
shortnavlinkSaints seasons

LB Rickey Jackson P Brian Hansen

The 1984 New Orleans Saints season was the team's 18th as a member of the National Football League. They were unable to improve on their previous season's output of 8–8, winning only seven games. The team failed to qualify for the playoffs for the eighteenth consecutive season. The Saints started out winning three of their first five games. However, the Saints would struggle as newly acquired quarterback Richard Todd threw 19 interceptions to just 11 touchdowns as the Saints again finished the season with a losing record at 7-9. It was in week 6 against the Bears that Walter Payton passed Jim Brown to become the NFL's all-time leading rusher.

Todd was acquired from the New York Jets for a first-round draft choice, and he beat out the aging Ken Stabler for the starting job at training camp, the Saints' last at Vero Beach, Florida. Stabler, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016, retired midway through the season. Todd and Stabler both played for the Alabama Crimson Tide under coach Bear Bryant.

Following the loss to the Bears, the Saints traded for Houston Oilers running back Earl Campbell, reuniting the number one selection in the 1978 draft and 1977 Heisman Trophy winner with coach Bum Phillips, the Oilers' coach from 1975-80. Campbell joined 1980 Heisman recipient and 1981 first overall selection George Rogers in the New Orleans backfield.

Late in the season, owner John Mecom Jr., who purchased the Saints as an expansion franchise for $8.5 million in late 1966, announced he would sell the team, with an asking price of $70 million ($212 million in 2024 dollars). Fears abounded across Louisiana the team would be moved to Jacksonville if Mecom could not find a local buyer. Eventually, the team was sold in early 1985 to New Orleans native and car magnate Tom Benson, with Louisiana Governor Edwin Edwards brokering the deal.

Offseason

NFL draft

Main article: 1984 NFL draft

Personnel

Staff

  • Owner – John Mecom Jr.

  • President – Eddie Jones

  • Director of football operations – Pat Peppler

  • Head Coach/General Manager – Bum Phillips

  • Offensive coordinator – King Hill

  • Offensive backfield – John Levra

  • Receivers – Lamar McHan

  • Offensive line – Carl Mauck

  • Quality control – Joe Spencer

  • Defensive coordinator – Wade Phillips

  • Defensive line – Willie Zapalac

  • Linebackers – John Paul Young

  • Defensive backfield – Lance Van Zandt

  • Special teams – Harold Richardson

  • Strength and Conditioning – Russell Paternostro

Roster

  • David Carter G/C

  • Dave Lafary T (IR) [[File:Injury icon.svg|7px]]

Regular season

Transactions

  • October 10, 1984: The New Orleans Saints in exchange for their top choice in the 1985 NFL draft to the Houston Oilers in exchange for running back Earl Campbell.

Schedule

New Orleans Saintsyear=1984border=2}}"WeekNew Orleans Saintsyear=1984border=2}}"DateNew Orleans Saintsyear=1984border=2}}"OpponentNew Orleans Saintsyear=1984border=2}}"ResultNew Orleans Saintsyear=1984border=2}}"RecordNew Orleans Saintsyear=1984border=2}}"VenueNew Orleans Saintsyear=1984border=2}}"Attendance12345678910111213141516
September 2[Atlanta Falcons](1984-atlanta-falcons-season)**L** 28–360–1Louisiana Superdome66,652
September 9[Tampa Bay Buccaneers](1984-tampa-bay-buccaneers-season)**W** 17–131–1Louisiana Superdome54,686
September 16at [San Francisco 49ers](1984-san-francisco-49ers-season)**L** 20–301–2Candlestick Park57,611
September 23[St. Louis Cardinals](1984-st-louis-cardinals-nfl-season)**W** 34–242–2Louisiana Superdome58,723
September 30at [Houston Oilers](1984-houston-oilers-season)**W** 27–103–2Astrodome43,108
October 7at [Chicago Bears](1984-chicago-bears-season)**L** 7–203–3Soldier Field53,752
October 14[Los Angeles Rams](1984-los-angeles-rams-season)**L** 10–283–4Louisiana Superdome63,161
October 21at [Dallas Cowboys](1984-dallas-cowboys-season)**L** 27–30 (OT)3–5Texas Stadium50,966
October 28at [Cleveland Browns](1984-cleveland-browns-season)**W** 16–144–5Cleveland Municipal Stadium52,489
November 4[Green Bay Packers](1984-green-bay-packers-season)**L** 13–234–6Louisiana Superdome57,426
November 11at [Atlanta Falcons](1984-atlanta-falcons-season)**W** 17–135–6Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium40,590
November 19[Pittsburgh Steelers](1984-pittsburgh-steelers-season)**W** 27–246–6Louisiana Superdome66,005
November 25[San Francisco 49ers](1984-san-francisco-49ers-season)**L** 3–356–7Louisiana Superdome65,177
December 2at [Los Angeles Rams](1984-los-angeles-rams-season)**L** 21–346–8Anaheim Stadium49,348
December 9[Cincinnati Bengals](1984-cincinnati-bengals-season)**L** 21–246–9Louisiana Superdome40,855
December 15at [New York Giants](1984-new-york-giants-season)**W** 10–37–9Giants Stadium63,739
**Note:** Intra-division opponents are in **bold** text.

Season summary

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3 (Sunday, September 16, 1984): at [[1984 San Francisco 49ers season|San Francisco 49ers]]

  • Point spread: 49ers by 5½
  • Over/under: 45.0 (over)
  • Time of game:
SaintsGame statistics49ersFirst downsRushes–yardsPassing yardsPassesSacked–yardsNet passing yardsTotal yardsReturn yardsPuntsFumbles–lostPenalties–yardsTime of Possession
2019
31–11932–148
162179
16–34–513–26–1
2–133–20
149159
268307
166160
3–46.05–40.8
0–00–0
4–476–54
31:3828:22

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8

Week 9

Week 10

Week 11

Week 12

Week 13 (Sunday, November 25, 1984): vs. [[1984 San Francisco 49ers season|San Francisco 49ers]]

  • Point spread: 49ers by 2
  • Over/under: 42.0 (under)
  • Time of game:
49ersGame statisticsSaintsFirst downsRushes–yardsPassing yardsPassesSacked–yardsNet passing yardsTotal yardsReturn yardsPuntsFumbles–lostPenalties–yardsTime of Possession
2212
33–21928–131
201118
15–32–014–26–1
1–138–48
18870
407201
107113
6–44.38–45.5
1–01–0
4–603–20
27:4832:12

Week 14

Week 15

Week 16

Standings

References

References

  1. [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/nor/1984.htm 1984 New Orleans Saints]
  2. "1984 New Orleans Saints draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  3. "Oilers Exchange Campbell For Saints' No. 1 Draft Pick". Washington Post.
  4. [http://www.footballdb.com/games/boxscore.html?gid=1984090203 The Football Database]. Retrieved 2017-Nov-29.
  5. [http://www.footballdb.com/games/boxscore.html?gid=1984090912 The Football Database]. Retrieved 2017-Nov-29.
  6. [http://www.footballdb.com/games/boxscore.html?gid=1984091610 The Football Database]. Retrieved 2017-Nov-29.
  7. [http://www.footballdb.com/games/boxscore.html?gid=1984092311 The Football Database]. Retrieved 2017-Nov-29.
  8. [http://www.footballdb.com/games/boxscore.html?gid=1984093011 The Football Database]. Retrieved 2017-Nov-29.
  9. [http://www.footballdb.com/games/boxscore.html?gid=1984100708 The Football Database]. Retrieved 2017-Nov-29.
  10. [http://www.footballdb.com/games/boxscore.html?gid=1984101409 The Football Database]. Retrieved 2017-Nov-29.
  11. [http://www.footballdb.com/games/boxscore.html?gid=1984102109 The Football Database]. Retrieved 2017-Nov-29.
  12. [http://www.footballdb.com/games/boxscore.html?gid=1984102810 The Football Database]. Retrieved 2017-Nov-29.
  13. [http://www.footballdb.com/games/boxscore.html?gid=1984110405 The Football Database]. Retrieved 2017-Nov-29.
  14. [http://www.footballdb.com/games/boxscore.html?gid=1984111110 The Football Database]. Retrieved 2017-Nov-29.
  15. [http://www.footballdb.com/games/boxscore.html?gid=1984111901 The Football Database]. Retrieved 2017-Nov-29.
  16. [http://www.footballdb.com/games/boxscore.html?gid=1984112510 The Football Database]. Retrieved 2017-Nov-29.
  17. [http://www.footballdb.com/games/boxscore.html?gid=1984120208 The Football Database]. Retrieved 2017-Nov-29.
  18. [http://www.footballdb.com/games/boxscore.html?gid=1984120903 The Football Database]. Retrieved 2017-Nov-29.
  19. [http://www.footballdb.com/games/boxscore.html?gid=1984121501 The Football Database]. Retrieved 2017-Nov-29.
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