1984 New Orleans Saints season

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.1984 New Orleans Saints 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

Personnel

Staff

Roster

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 Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance 1 September 2 Atlanta Falcons L 28–36 0–1 Louisiana Superdome 66,652 2 September 9 Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 17–13 1–1 Louisiana Superdome 54,686 3 September 16 at San Francisco 49ers L 20–30 1–2 Candlestick Park 57,611 4 September 23 St. Louis Cardinals W 34–24 2–2 Louisiana Superdome 58,723 5 September 30 at Houston Oilers W 27–10 3–2 Astrodome 43,108 6 October 7 at Chicago Bears L 7–20 3–3 Soldier Field 53,752 7 October 14 Los Angeles Rams L 10–28 3–4 Louisiana Superdome 63,161 8 October 21 at Dallas Cowboys L 27–30 3–5 Texas Stadium 50,966 9 October 28 at Cleveland Browns W 16–14 4–5 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 52,489 10 November 4 Green Bay Packers L 13–23 4–6 Louisiana Superdome 57,426 11 November 11 at Atlanta Falcons W 17–13 5–6 Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium 40,590 12 November 19 Pittsburgh Steelers W 27–24 6–6 Louisiana Superdome 66,005 13 November 25 San Francisco 49ers L 3–35 6–7 Louisiana Superdome 65,177 14 December 2 at Los Angeles Rams L 21–34 6–8 Anaheim Stadium 49,348 15 December 9 Cincinnati Bengals L 21–24 6–9 Louisiana Superdome 40,855 16 December 15 at New York Giants W 10–3 7–9 Giants Stadium 63,739 Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Season summary

Week 1