The 2001 New Orleans Saints team was a team with high expectations. They reached the playoffs in 2000, and won their first match against the St. Louis Rams. NFL analysts praised the Saints’ young quarterback Aaron Brooks as well as their defense. They were expected to make the Super Bowl and enter the elite ranks of football. They were defeated 38-0 by San Francisco. What went wrong?
The Saints lost to Minnesota Vikings in the playoffs, but their defense won the Super Bowl with a win. This team had only 34 yards of rushing and 6 sacks. Chris Oldham returned a Dante Culpepper fumble for a touchdown and John Carney tied a team record with five field goals. Meanwhile, Ricky Williams rushed for 136 yards and three touchdowns.
The New Orleans Saints completed their 34th season in 2001 with a record 7-4. They finished third in the West Division, and scored 333 points while giving up 409 points. Aaron Brooks directed the Saints’ offense and threw for 3,832 yards. Joe Horn was the Saints’ receiver corps while Ricky Williams ran for 1,245 yards. The Saints defense was outstanding, with Charlie Clemons recording 13 quarterback sacks. The Saints had 53 quarterback sacks in total.
The 2001 New Orleans Saints finished their regular season with a record score of 7-9. They were 3-5 at home and 4-4 away. Their opponents were in the West Division of the National Football Conference, and they went 4-4 against them. The Saints didn’t make the playoffs, and their point differential was negative. These statistics don’t reflect how well the 2001 New Orleans Saints played, but they can still be a good benchmark for evaluating future teams.