The 1983 New Orleans Saints season was the team's 17th as a member of the National Football League. They improved on their previous season’s output of 4–5, winning eight games.1983 New Orleans Saints Despite the improvement, the team failed to qualify for the playoffs for the seventeenth consecutive season.

With an 8–7 record going into the final game of the season at the Superdome against the Los Angeles Rams, the Saints, with a win, would have finished with their first winning season and their first playoff berth. However, Rams kicker Mike Lansford kicked a 42-yard field goal with :06 left to defeat the Saints 26–24, and advance to the playoffs. Other than that field goal, the Rams did not score a single point on offense, instead scoring via a punt return for a touchdown, two interception returns for touchdowns, and a safety.

Two weeks earlier the Saints lost to the New England Patriots in shocking conditions with sleet and snow‘Kickoff Return Practices Pay Off as Patriots Slip Past Saints 7–0’; St. Petersburg Times, December 5, 1983, p. 5C – with the only score being set up by Patriot Ricky Smith returning the initial kickoff to the 3-yard line. As of 2024, this game remains the most recent 7–0 result in NFL history,Pro Football Reference; Games with Final Score 7–0 with only four games since seeing just one score,Pro Football Reference; Games with Final Score 3–0 three with a single field goal and one with a touchdown and a missed extra point.These 3–0 scores occurred in 1993 when the Jets defeated the Redskins in 2007 when the Steelers defeated the Dolphins and in 2023 when the Las Vegas Raiders defeated the Minnesota Vikings. The 6-0 game was the Dallas Cowboys over the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017.

Another damaging loss came on Monday Night Football in week 12, when the New York Jets rallied from a 28-14 deficit by scoring 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, capped off by a 76-yard punt return touchdown by Kirk Springs, to stun the Saints 31–28. The Saints had a chance to force overtime in the closing seconds, but Morten Andersen missed badly to the left on a 51-yard field goal attempt.

Offseason

NFL draft

Personnel

Staff

Roster

Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance 1 September 4 St. Louis Cardinals W 28–17 1–0 Louisiana Superdome 60,430 2 September 11 at Los Angeles Rams L 27–30 1—1 Anaheim Stadium 45,572 3 September 18 Chicago Bears W 34–31 2–1 Louisiana Superdome 64,692 4 September 25 at Dallas Cowboys L 20–21 2—2 Texas Stadium 62,136 5 October 2 Miami Dolphins W 17–7 3–2 Louisiana Superdome 66,489 6 October 9 at Atlanta Falcons W 19–17 4–2 Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium 51,654 7 October 16 San Francisco 49ers L 13–32 4–3 Louisiana Superdome 68,154 8 October 23 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 24–21 5–3 Tampa Stadium 48,242 9 October 30 at Buffalo Bills L 21–27 5–4 Rich Stadium 49,413 10 November 6 Atlanta Falcons W 27–10 6–4 Louisiana Superdome 67,062 11 November 13 at San Francisco 49ers L 0–27 6–5 Candlestick Park 40,022 12 New York Jets L 28–31 6—6 Louisiana Superdome 68,606 13 November 27 Minnesota Vikings W 17–16 7–6 Louisiana Superdome 59,502 14 December 4 at New England Patriots L 0–7 7—7 Sullivan Stadium 24,579 15 December 11 at Philadelphia Eagles W 20–17 8–7 Veterans Stadium 45,182 16 December 18 Los Angeles Rams L 24–26 8—8 Louisiana Superdome 70,148 Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Standings

Notes

References