2015_New_Orleans_Saints_season
2015 New Orleans Saints season
NFL team season
The 2015 season was the New Orleans Saints' 49th in the National Football League (NFL), their 40th playing home games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and their ninth under head coach Sean Payton. On November 16, 2015, the Saints hired Dennis Allen to replace fired defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. However, the Saints still missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season. The Saints set a new league record for the most passing touchdowns allowed with 45.
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2023) |
| 2015 New Orleans Saints season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Tom Benson |
| General manager | Mickey Loomis |
| Head coach | Sean Payton |
| Offensive coordinator | Pete Carmichael Jr. |
| Defensive coordinator | Rob Ryan (Weeks 1–10, fired) Dennis Allen (Weeks 11–17) |
| Home field | Mercedes-Benz Superdome |
| Results | |
| Record | 7–9 |
| Division place | 3rd NFC South |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | Cameron Jordan (DE) |
| Uniform | |
 | |
| |
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 | Andrus Peat | OT | Stanford |
| 31 | Stephone Anthony | ILB | Clemson | |
| 2 | 44 | Hau'oli Kikaha | OLB | Washington |
| 3 | 75 | Garrett Grayson | QB | Colorado State |
| 78 | P. J. Williams | CB | Florida State | |
| 5 | 148 | Davis Tull | OLB | Chattanooga |
| 154 | Tyeler Davison | DT | Fresno State | |
| 167 | Damian Swann | CB | Georgia | |
| 7 | 230 | Marcus Murphy | RB | Missouri |
Notes
- The Saints acquired an additional first-round selection (No. 31 overall) and center Max Unger as part of a trade that sent their fourth-round selection (No. 109 overall) and tight end Jimmy Graham to the Seattle Seahawks.
- The Saints acquired an additional third-round selection (No. 78 overall) and linebacker Dannell Ellerbe as part of a trade that sent wide receiver Kenny Stills to the Miami Dolphins.
- The Saints acquired an additional fifth-round selection (No. 154 overall) as part of a trade that sent guard Ben Grubbs to the Kansas City Chiefs.
- The Saints acquired an additional fifth-round selection (No. 167 overall) as part of a trade that sent their sixth-round selection (No. 187 overall) and 2016 sixth-round selection to the Washington Redskins.
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Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
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Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
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Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
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Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
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Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
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Reserve lists
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Preseason
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 13 | at Baltimore Ravens | L 27–30 | 0–1 | M&T Bank Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 22 | New England Patriots | L 24–26 | 0–2 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
| 3 | August 30 | Houston Texans | L 13–27 | 0–3 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
| 4 | September 3 | at Green Bay Packers | L 10–38 | 0–4 | Lambeau Field | Recap |
Regular season
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 13 | at Arizona Cardinals | L 19–31 | 0–1 | University of Phoenix Stadium | Recap | ||
| 2 | September 20 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 19–26 | 0–2 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap | ||
| 3 | September 27 | at Carolina Panthers | L 22–27 | 0–3 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap | ||
| 4 | October 4 | Dallas Cowboys | W 26–20 (OT) | 1–3 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap | ||
| 5 | October 11 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 17–39 | 1–4 | Lincoln Financial Field | Recap | ||
| 6 | October 15 | Atlanta Falcons | W 31–21 | 2–4 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap | ||
| 7 | October 25 | at Indianapolis Colts | W 27–21 | 3–4 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap | ||
| 8 | November 1 | New York Giants | W 52–49 | 4–4 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap | ||
| 9 | November 8 | Tennessee Titans | L 28–34 (OT) | 4–5 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap | ||
| 10 | November 15 | at Washington Redskins | L 14–47 | 4–6 | FedExField | Recap | ||
| 11 | Bye | |||||||
| 12 | November 29 | at Houston Texans | L 6–24 | 4–7 | NRG Stadium | Recap | ||
| 13 | December 6 | Carolina Panthers | L 38–41 | 4–8 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap | ||
| 14 | December 13 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 24–17 | 5–8 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap | ||
| 15 | December 21 | Detroit Lions | L 27–35 | 5–9 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap | ||
| 16 | December 27 | Jacksonville Jaguars | W 38–27 | 6–9 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap | ||
| 17 | January 3 | at Atlanta Falcons | W 20–17 | 7–9 | Georgia Dome | Recap | ||
Game summaries
Week 1: at Arizona Cardinals
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saints | 3 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 19 |
| Cardinals | 7 | 7 | 3 | 14 | 31 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
- Date: September 13
- Game time: 3:05 p.m. CDT/1:05 p.m. Arizona time
- Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 62,903
- Referee: Walt Anderson
- TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Pam Oliver
- Recap, Gamebook
With the loss, the Saints began 0-1.
Week 2: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | 3 | 7 | 13 | 3 | 26 |
| Saints | 0 | 7 | 0 | 12 | 19 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Date: September 20
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 73,006
- Referee: Carl Cheffers
- TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
- Preview, Gamebook
Hoping to avoid an 0-2 start the Saints met Tampa Bay, led by new quarterback Jameis Winston.
The defense struggled to stop Winston as his heroics stunned New Orleans' home crowd.
Drew Brees left the game with an injured shoulder. The Saints wound up losing the game, 26-19.
Week 3: at Carolina Panthers
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saints | 3 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 22 |
| Panthers | 0 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 27 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Date: September 27
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: 69 °F (21 °C), rain
- Game attendance: 73,402
- Referee: Ed Hochuli
- TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
- Recap, Gamebook
This game marked the first game Drew Brees missed as a Saint due to injury. Luke McCown, playing in relief of Brees, played well, throwing for 310 yards, before trying to hit Brandin Cooks in the end zone with roughly a minute left in the game. Josh Norman made a diving interception to seal the Panthers win and the Saints 0-3 start.
Week 4: vs. Dallas Cowboys
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 3 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 20 |
| Saints | 7 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 26 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Date: October 4
- Game time: 7:30 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 73,009
- Referee: Brad Allen
- TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
- Recap, Gamebook
In overtime, Drew Brees, who returned from an injured shoulder, nailed an 80-yard pass to C. J. Spiller for the game-winning touchdown. Brees now has 400 career touchdown passes. It was also the fastest regular season overtime in NFL history, with only 13 seconds being played before the touchdown.
This win would make the Lions the only winless team.
Week 5: at Philadelphia Eagles
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saints | 7 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 17 |
| Eagles | 0 | 10 | 16 | 13 | 39 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Date: October 11
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C), clear
- Game attendance: 69,296
- Referee: Ron Torbert
- TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis and Tony Siragusa
- Recap, Gamebook
The Saints returned to Philadelphia for their first meeting with the Eagles since their last second victory in the 2013 playoffs, but the Eagles would get their revenge in a blowout. With the loss, the Saints fell to 1-4. This also marked the Saints' first loss to the Eagles since the 2007 season.
Week 6: vs. Atlanta Falcons
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
| Saints | 14 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 31 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Date: October 15
- Game time: 7:25 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 73,018
- Referee: Gene Steratore
- TV announcers (CBS/NFLN): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson
- Recap, Gamebook
The Saints would upset the undefeated Falcons on Thursday Night Football. With the win, the Saints improved to 2-4.
Week 7: at Indianapolis Colts
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saints | 7 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 27 |
| Colts | 0 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 21 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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In a Super Bowl rematch between the teams, the Saints would lead 27-0 at one point. Indianapolis would make it 27-21, but New Orleans would hold on for the win. With the win, the Saints improved to 3-4.
Week 8: vs. New York Giants
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giants | 7 | 14 | 7 | 21 | 49 |
| Saints | 14 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 52 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Date: November 1
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 73,019
- Referee: Craig Wrolstad
- TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin
- Recap, Gamebook
In a battle of passing offenses, Drew Brees threw a career-high 7 touchdown passes. The game was tied 49-49 late in the fourth quarter and the Saints returned a punt for 50 yards, good for the game-winning field goal to seal the Saints 52-49 victory.
Week 9: vs. Tennessee Titans
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titans | 10 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 34 |
| Saints | 14 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 28 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Date: November 8
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 73,075
- Referee: Jerome Boger
- TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon
- Recap, Gamebook
New Orleans would lead 28-20 with 7 minutes left, but the Titans would go down the field to tie it at 28. The Titans would then win the game after Marcus Mariota won it with a touchdown to Anthony Fasano.
With the loss, the Saints fell to 4-5.
Week 10: at Washington Redskins
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saints | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Redskins | 14 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 47 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at FedExField, Landover, Maryland
- Date: November 15
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C), sunny
- Game attendance: 75,086
- Referee: John Parry
- TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin
- Recap, Gamebook
Traveling to Washington to take on the Redskins, Drew Brees and the Saints suffered a moment of embarrassment as they would go on to be blown out 47-14. Kirk Cousins threw a career-high four touchdowns in the blowout.
A day after, the Saints fired defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, replacing him with Dennis Allen, who would take over for Ryan for the remainder of the season.
Week 12: at Houston Texans
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saints | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Texans | 14 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 24 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Date: November 29
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C), cloudy
- Game attendance: 71,778
- Referee: John Hussey
- TV announcers (Fox): Joe Davis, David Diehl and Kristina Pink
- Recap, Gamebook
The Week 12 clash against the Houston Texans would be no better than how the previous game unfolded, with the Saints offense being held to only two field goals (failing to score a touchdown for the first time since Christmas Eve 2005) and Brees failing to throw a touchdown pass the entire game, snapping his 45 game streak of doing so.
With the loss, the Saints fell to 4-6.
Week 13: vs. Carolina Panthers
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 0 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 41 |
| Saints | 14 | 2 | 8 | 14 | 38 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Date: December 6
- Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 73,097
- Referee: Brad Allen
- TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
- Recap, Gamebook
The Saints made history in this game, becoming the first team in NFL history to block an extra point and return it for two points under new NFL rules that took effect that season (prior to this season, NFL rules did not allow players to return a blocked extra point).[1] Saints rookie Stephone Anthony was the one who returned it, with Kevin Williams blocking it. The Saints, unfortunately, would eventually lose in a shootout and dropped their record to 4-8.
Week 14: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saints | 7 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
- Date: December 13
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: 81 °F (27 °C), cloudy
- Game attendance: 62,138
- Referee: Clete Blakeman
- TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, David Diehl and Kristina Pink
- Recap, Gamebook
The highlight of the game was Drew Brees passing Dan Marino for 4th on the league's all-time passing touchdowns list.
Week 15: vs. Detroit Lions
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lions | 7 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
| Saints | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 | 27 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Date: December 21
- Game time: 7:30 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 73,017
- Referee: Pete Morelli
- TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters
- Reacp, Gamebook
With the loss, the Saints fell to 5-9.
Week 16: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaguars | 0 | 6 | 13 | 8 | 27 |
| Saints | 14 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 38 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Date: December 27
- Game time: 3:05 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 73,064
- Referee: Ron Torbert
- TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, Steve Beuerlein and Steve Tasker
- Recap, Gamebook
With the win, the Saints improved to 6-9.
Week 17: at Atlanta Falcons
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saints | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 20 |
| Falcons | 3 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: January 3, 2016
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 69,699
- Referee: Craig Wrolstad
- TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, Matt Millen and Peter Schrager
- Recap, Gamebook
With the win, the Saints ended their season 7-9 for the second straight season. This also marked the first sweep against the Falcons since 2013.
Division
| NFC South | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| (1) Carolina Panthers | 15 | 1 | 0 | .938 | 5–1 | 11–1 | 500 | 308 | W1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 1–5 | 5–7 | 339 | 345 | L1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 5–7 | 408 | 476 | W2 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 3–3 | 5–7 | 342 | 417 | L4 |
Conference
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division Leaders | |||||||||||
| 1 | Carolina Panthers | South | 15 | 1 | 0 | .938 | 5–1 | 11–1 | .441 | .438 | W1 |
| 2 | Arizona Cardinals | West | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 4–2 | 10–2 | .477 | .457 | L1 |
| 3 | Minnesota Vikings | North | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–1 | 8–4 | .504 | .449 | W3 |
| 4 | Washington Redskins | East | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 4–2 | 8–4 | .465 | .403 | W4 |
| Wild Cards | |||||||||||
| 5[lower-alpha 1] | Green Bay Packers | North | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .531 | .450 | L2 |
| 6[lower-alpha 1] | Seattle Seahawks | West | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .520 | .431 | W1 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason | |||||||||||
| 7 | Atlanta Falcons | South | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 1–5 | 5–7 | .480 | .453 | L1 |
| 8[lower-alpha 2] | St. Louis Rams | West | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .527 | .482 | L1 |
| 9[lower-alpha 2] | Detroit Lions | North | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .535 | .429 | W3 |
| 10[lower-alpha 2] | Philadelphia Eagles | East | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 4–8 | .508 | .473 | W1 |
| 11[lower-alpha 2] | New Orleans Saints | South | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .504 | .402 | W2 |
| 12[lower-alpha 3] | New York Giants | East | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .500 | .396 | L3 |
| 13[lower-alpha 3] | Chicago Bears | North | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .547 | .469 | L1 |
| 14[lower-alpha 3] | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | South | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .484 | .406 | L4 |
| 15 | San Francisco 49ers | West | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .539 | .463 | W1 |
| 16 | Dallas Cowboys | East | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 3–3 | 3–9 | .531 | .438 | L4 |
| Tiebreakers[lower-alpha 4] | |||||||||||
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