| 1970 New Orleans Saints season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | John W. Mecom Jr. |
| General manager | Vic Schwenk |
| Head coach | Tom Fears (1–5–1) J. D. Roberts (1–6) |
| Home field | Tulane Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 2–11–1 |
| Division place | 4th NFC West |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | None |
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The 1970 New Orleans Saints season was the team's fourth as a member of the National Football League. After spending their first three seasons in the NFL's Eastern Conference, the Saints moved in 1970 to the West Division of the new National Football Conference. They failed to improve on their previous season's output of 5–9, winning only two games,[1] and failed to qualify for the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.
Following a 1–5–1 start, head coach Tom Fears was fired by owner John W. Mecom Jr. and replaced by J.D. Roberts,[2][3][4] whose first game was a 19–17 victory over the Detroit Lions at Tulane Stadium in which Tom Dempsey set an NFL record with a 63-yard field goal on the final play;[5] it broke the record held by Bert Rechichar of the Baltimore Colts by seven yards, set seventeen years earlier.[6][7] Dempsey's record was tied by three: Jason Elam (Denver Broncos, 1998), Sebastian Janikowski (Oakland Raiders, 2011), and David Akers (San Francisco 49ers, 2012). It was broken by Matt Prater of the Broncos in 2013, at 64 yards at elevation in Colorado (Prater's record was broken in 2021 by Justin Tucker of the Baltimore Ravens, who kicked a 66-yard game winner vs. the Lions).
The victory over the Lions was last of the season for the Saints, but both victories came over teams in the thick of the NFC playoff race. The other, a 14–10 triumph over the New York Giants in week three, cost the Giants the NFC East division championship. The Lions qualified for the playoffs as the wild card from the NFC, but were nearly forced into a coin toss with the Dallas Cowboys, a situation which was only averted when the Giants lost their season finale to the Los Angeles Rams.
The Saints' 2–11–1 record was the worst in the NFC and gave them the second overall pick in the 1971 NFL draft; they selected quarterback Archie Manning of Mississippi.
- ^ 1970 New Orleans Saints
- ^ "Saints bounce Fears as head coach". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. November 4, 1970. p. 25.
- ^ "Fears fired by Saints". Pittsburgh Press. UPI. November 4, 1970. p. 73.
- ^ "Saints get new coach". The Bulletin. (Bend, Oregon). UPI. November 4, 1970. p. 11.
- ^ "63-yard FG lifts Saints over Lions". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. November 9, 1970. p. 25.
- ^ "Dempsey's 63 yard FG jolts Lions". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. November 9, 1970. p. 1, part 2.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Colts jolt Bears, 13-9, get record 56-yard field goal". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. September 28, 1953. p. 2, part 2.[permanent dead link]