| 2018 New Orleans Saints season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Gayle Benson[1] |
| General manager | Mickey Loomis |
| Head coach | Sean Payton |
| Offensive coordinator | Pete Carmichael Jr. |
| Defensive coordinator | Dennis Allen |
| Home field | Mercedes-Benz Superdome |
| Results | |
| Record | 13–3 |
| Division place | 1st NFC South |
| Playoff finish | Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. Eagles) 20–14 Lost NFC Championship (vs. Rams) 23–26 (OT) |
| Pro Bowlers | 8
|
| AP All-Pros | 5
|
| Uniform | |
 | |
The 2018 season was the New Orleans Saints' 52nd in the National Football League (NFL), their 43rd at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and their 12th under head coach Sean Payton.
This season was the first since 1984 without owner Tom Benson, who died in March. In Week 11, the Saints defeated the Philadelphia Eagles to reach their first nine-game winning streak since their Super Bowl winning season in 2009, ensuring they clinched their second consecutive winning season for the first time since 2010–2011. They swept their division rivals, the Atlanta Falcons, after a 31–17 victory on Thanksgiving night for the first time since 2015 while extending their second longest winning streak in franchise history to 10 games,[2] which came to an end when the Saints lost to the Dallas Cowboys 13–10, on November 29. On December 9, the Saints clinched their second straight NFC South division championship when they defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, their first back-to-back division titles in franchise history. On December 17, after beating the Carolina Panthers, the Saints improved on their 11–5 record from 2017. After a Week 16 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Saints clinched home field advantage throughout the playoffs for the first time since 2009. The Saints finished the season with a 13–3 record, tied for the most wins in a season in franchise history.
In the playoffs, the Saints defeated the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles 20–14 in the Divisional Round. However, the Saints' season came to an end in a 26–23 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game in controversial fashion, which ended their hopes of returning to the Super Bowl for the first time since Super Bowl XLIV. Additionally, it marked the first time since 1992 that the Saints lost a postseason game at home.
- ^ "Gayle Benson becomes Saints, Pelicans owner". ProFootballTalk - NBC Sports. March 15, 2018. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
- ^ "Falcons vs. Saints - Game Summary - November 22, 2018 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 19, 2018.