The Saints take on the Minnesota Vikings at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday 2nd October.
The NFL season is back with a bang, and with that comes the New Orleans Saints return to London, as “Who Dat Nation” host the Minnesota Vikings at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday 2nd October. To prepare for the gridiron clash between two hotly favoured teams in the NFL, here is a brief history of Saints football, and the proud traditions they bring to the state of Louisiana.
The Origins
The New Orleans Saints joined the NFL in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams to join the NFL, prior to the 1970’s merger of the NFL and AFL which formed the backbone of the league that we know today. With that merger, the Saints were placed into the NFC West, creating the basis of their longstanding rivalry with “neighbours” the Atlanta Falcons. From 1995, another rivalry was born with the Carolina Panthers, and all three teams moved to the newly created NFC South in 2002, joined by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
While competitive in their initial first few decades of existence, it took the Saints until the year 2000 for the team to win a playoff game, a wait of 34 seasons. However, the turn of the century brought a sustained period of success to the franchise. From 2006, the Saints signed highly touted coach Sean Payton from the Dallas Cowboys, while also signing quarterback Drew Brees from the San Diego Chargers. They formed a formidable duo, with coach and quarterback creating a high-powered offense that teams struggled to contain.
The Success
2009 was the watermark season in the history of Saints. They started out with 13 wins and no losses, their best record in franchise history, finishing the season with a 13-3 record, and the top seed in the NFC for the first time in history. Upon reaching the playoffs, they defeated the then-reigning Super Bowl Champions, the Arizona Cardinals, before hosting the team they face in London this October, the Vikings, in the match to determine which of the two teams would advance to the Super Bowl. The Vikings, led by Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre, took the Saints to the wire at the Louisiana Superdome, but backed by a ferocious home support, the Saints rallied in overtime to secure the victory 31-28, and with it, a place in their first Super Bowl.
Super Bowl XLIV took place in Miami, Florida, and pitted Brees against another Hall of Fame quarterback in Peyton Manning, and his Indianapolis Colts. Down 10-6 at half time, Coach Payton began the second half with one of the most famous plays in Super Bowl history, ordering his team to deploy an “Ambush” play, where instead of kicking the ball long and giving the opposing team possession, they kicked the ball barely 10 yards in the hope that they could recover possession of the ball and start on an offensive drive in opposition territory. The plan caught the Colts unawares, especially as the Saints lined up in a conventional long kick off formation, and New Orleans recovered the ball which sparked a touchdown drive, giving them their first lead of the game. In the final quarter of the game, with the Colts and Manning driving into a potential game-tying scenario, the Saints defense stepped up and intercepted Manning for a pick-six, leading to the Saints closing out on a famous 31-17 victory. They are the most recent team in NFL history to win in their lone Super Bowl appearance.
The Present
Since their Super Bowl success in 2009, the Saints have remained one of the most competitive franchises in the NFL, securing further playoff successes. Although Coach Payton and quarterback Brees have both since retired, the Saints are hoping for renewed success in 2022, with long-time defensive coordinator Dennis Allen being promoted to Head Coach, and former number 1 overall draft pick Jameis Winston taking the reins at quarterback.
The Saints also made a splash with a new signing at wide receiver, bringing home Jarvis Landry. Landry had a standout career at Louisiana State University, where he formed a formidable partnership with Odell Beckham Jr to give the Tigers the best receiver tandem in college football. After his college career ended with him scoring 15 touchdowns over three seasons, Landry was drafted in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. After a stint at the Cleveland Browns, Landry is back in Louisiana and is looking to form a new partnership with rookie receiver Chris Olave, who the Saints hope will help carry the offense to great success again.
Further Information
Unable to watch the NFL in London, then consider a trip to the USA for an authentic experience. A four night “Big Easy” tour, including LSU v Alabama at Tigers Stadium, and the New Orleans Saints v Baltimore Ravens at the Superdome, is available through Touchdown Trips, from £1895 per person https://touchdowntrips.com/the-big-easy-tour/ Contact: @touchdowntrips / 01904 40 33 55 / ben@touchdowntrips.com
For further information on the New Orleans Saints, please visit https://www.neworleans.com/things-to-do/sports/teams/saints/
For further information on Louisiana sports, including the LSU Tigers, please visit https://www.louisianatravel.com/activities/sports
Ends
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