Growing up in New Orleans meant wearing a brown paper bag over your head. I'm not kidding. For decades, the "Aints" were the laughingstock of professional football, a team that seemingly existed just to give other NFL franchises an easy Sunday win. If you look at the Saints record year by year, it’s a wild, often heartbreaking journey from the gutter to a Super Bowl parade and back into the murky waters of rebuilding.
They started in 1967. They didn't have a winning season until 1987. That is twenty years of pure, unadulterated struggle.
The Era of the Aints (1967–1986)
The beginning was actually hopeful. On the very first kickoff in franchise history, John Gilliam ran it back 94 yards for a touchdown against the Rams. The stadium went nuts. Then, reality set in. They lost that game and finished their inaugural season 3–11.
For the next two decades, the Saints were essentially the NFL's basement. You had legendary players like Archie Manning—a man who spent most of his career running for his life behind a Swiss-cheese offensive line—but the wins just wouldn't come.
- 1970: The highlight wasn't even a win streak; it was Tom Dempsey kicking a then-record 63-yard field goal to beat Detroit. They finished 2–11–1.
- 1980: This was the rock bottom. A 1–15 record. Fans started showing up to the Superdome with those famous "Aints" bags on their heads. It was a bleak time to be a Who Dat.
- 1979 & 1983: They flirted with decency, hitting 8–8 marks under Dick Nolan and later Bum Phillips, but they just couldn't quite get over that .500 hump.
Finally, Some Respect: The Mora Years (1986–1996)
Everything changed when Jim Mora arrived. He brought a "no-nonsense" attitude and a defense known as the Dome Patrol. Rickey Jackson, Sam Mills, Vaughan Johnson, and Pat Swilling were terrifying. If you were a quarterback in the late 80s, you didn't want to see these guys coming.
In 1987, the breakthrough finally happened. The Saints went 12–3 in a strike-shortened season. It was their first winning record and first playoff appearance. The city lost its mind. However, the playoffs were a different story. They got hammered 44–10 by the Vikings.
Mora’s teams were consistently "good but not great." They hit the playoffs in 1990, 1991, and 1992. In '91, they actually won the NFC West with an 11–5 record. But the postseason stat was ugly: 0–4. Mora eventually famously snapped at the media with his "Coulda, woulda, shoulda" rant, and by 1996, the era was over.
The Dark Ages and the First Spark (1997–2005)
Then came Mike Ditka. Honestly? It was a disaster. He traded the entire 1999 draft for Ricky Williams. Bold? Sure. Smart? Not even close. The team went 3–13 that year.
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Jim Haslett took over in 2000 and immediately did what no one else could: he won a playoff game. They finished 10–6 and knocked off the "Greatest Show on Turf" Rams in the Wild Card round. Hakem旺 stopped the ball! Wait, wrong player—it was actually Willie Jackson catching three touchdowns and Brian Milne recovering a muffed punt.
But consistency wasn't in the cards. The next few years were a mix of 7–9 and 8–8 seasons. Then 2005 happened. Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. The Saints became nomads, playing home games in San Antonio and Baton Rouge. They finished 3–13. People thought the team might move to another city forever.
The Brees-Payton Dynasty (2006–2021)
Everything changed in 2006. Sean Payton was hired. Drew Brees, coming off a shoulder injury that scared away the Dolphins, signed with New Orleans. In their first game back in the Superdome—the "Domecoming"—Steve Gleason blocked a punt against Atlanta. It’s still the most famous play in team history. They went 10–6 and made it all the way to the NFC Championship.
The pinnacle arrived in 2009.
The Saints started 13–0. They eventually finished 13–3, secured the top seed, and went on a tear.
Super Bowl XLIV: The Crowning Moment
On February 7, 2010, the Saints beat the Indianapolis Colts 31–17. Sean Payton’s ballsy "Ambush" onside kick to start the second half changed the momentum of the game. Tracy Porter’s pick-six off Peyton Manning sealed it. For a city still recovering from a natural disaster, that Saints record wasn't just sports—it was a rebirth.
For the next decade, Brees and Payton rewrote the record books.
- 2011: They went 13–3 again and Brees threw for 5,476 yards. They arguably had the best team in the league but lost a heartbreaker to the 49ers in the playoffs.
- 2017–2020: Four straight NFC South titles. They were 11–5, 13–3, 13–3, and 12–4.
- The Heartbreak: This era was defined by amazing regular seasons and devastating playoff exits. The "Minneapolis Miracle" in 2017. The "NOLA No-Call" against the Rams in 2018. The overtime loss to the Vikings in 2019. It was a rollercoaster of elite play and gut-wrenching finishes.
Post-Brees Transition (2022–2025)
When Drew Brees retired after the 2020 season, the identity of the team shifted. Sean Payton left a year later. Suddenly, the Saints were back to fighting for survival in the middle of the pack.
Dennis Allen took the reins, but the results were mixed. A 7–10 finish in 2022 was followed by a 9–8 record in 2023. They were close, but not quite a playoff threat. The 2024 season was a struggle, finishing 5–12 as the team dealt with aging veterans and a tight salary cap.
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Now, in 2025, with Kellen Moore taking over as head coach, the team is in a clear "new era." They finished the 2025 season with a 6–11 record. It's frustrating for fans who got used to 13-win seasons, but that's the nature of the NFL.
Key Takeaways from the Saints Record Year by Year
If you're looking at the long-term data, some patterns are pretty obvious.
The franchise is currently 423–491–5 all-time.
They've had 18 winning seasons, but more than 30 losing ones.
Success in New Orleans has always been tied to elite coaching and a high-functioning quarterback. Without the Brees-Payton combo, the team has historically struggled to stay above water.
What to do next if you're tracking the Saints:
- Watch the Salary Cap: The Saints are notorious for "kicking the can down the road." Their record often depends on how many veterans they can afford to keep.
- Focus on the Draft: With a 6–11 finish in 2025, they’ll have a high pick. Historically, when the Saints hit on a draft class (like 2017), they jump from losing to winning almost instantly.
- Monitor the Coaching Change: Kellen Moore’s offensive scheme is a departure from the Payton-style system. How the young roster adapts will determine if 2026 is another "Aints" year or a return to the playoffs.