1992 New Orleans Saints season

1992 New Orleans Saints season
Head coach	Jim Mora
General manager	Jim Finks
Home field	Louisiana Superdome
Results
Record	12–4
Division place	2nd NFC West
Playoff finish	Lost NFC Wild Card

The 1992 New Orleans Saints season saw the Saints qualify for the postseason as a wild card.

The 1992 Saints surrendered only 202 points during the season (12.6 points per game), the lowest total by any team in the 1990s.^[1] They also gave up the fewest passing yards (2,470) and second-fewest total yards (4,075) of any team in 1992.^[2]

The Saints didn't return to the postseason until 2000.

Offseason

The team entered 1992 with great expectations after its NFC West division title season of 1991. It was the franchise's first division championship since entering the NFL in 1967. Most preseason forecasts had the Saints making the playoffs again and another division title possible.

NFL Draft

1992 New Orleans Saints draft
Round	Pick	Player	Position	College	Notes
1	21	Vaughn Dunbar	Running back	Indiana
3	72	Tyrone Legette	Defensive back	Nebraska
4	95	Gene McGuire	Center	Notre Dame
4	106	Sean Lumpkin	Defensive back	Minnesota
5	138	Torrance Small	Wide receiver	Alcorn State
6	164	Kary Vincent	Defensive back	Texas A&M
8	218	Robert Stewart	Defensive tackle	Alabama
9	245	Don Jones	Linebacker	Washington
10	276	Marcus Dowdell	Wide receiver	Tennessee State
11	303	Mike Gisler	Guard	Houston
12	330	Scott Adell	Offensive tackle	North Carolina State
Made roster

^[3]

Personnel

Staff

1992 New Orleans Saints staff
	Front office Owner/General Partner – Tom Benson President/General Manager – Jim Finks Vice President of Administration – Jim Miller Director of Player Personnel – Bill Kuharich Head coaches Head Coach – Jim E. Mora Offensive coaches Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks – Carl Smith Running Backs – Jim Skipper Wide Receivers – Steve Walters Tight Ends – Joe Marciano Offensive Line – Paul Boudreau			Defensive coaches Defensive Coordinator/Inside Linebackers – Steve Sidwell Defensive Line – John Pease Outside Linebackers – Vic Fangio Defensive Backs – Jim L. Mora Special teams coaches Special Teams – Joe Marciano Strength and conditioning Strength and Conditioning – Russell Paternostro

^[4]

Roster

1992 New Orleans Saints roster
	Quarterbacks 16 Mike Buck  3 Bobby Hebert Running backs 32 Vaughn Dunbar 34 Craig Heyward FB 21 Dalton Hilliard 23 Buford Jordan FB 25 Fred McAfee Wide receivers 80 Wesley Carroll 86 Marcus Dowdell 89 Quinn Early 86 Louis Lipps 84 Eric Martin 86 Pat Newman 83 Torrance Small 88 Floyd Turner		Tight ends 85 Hoby Brenner 49 Tommie Stowers 82 John Tice 87 Frank Wainright Offensive linemen 67 Stan Brock T 71 Richard Cooper T 72 Jim Dombrowski G 61 Joel Hilgenberg C 68 Paul Jetton G/C 60 Derek Kennard G 70 Chris Port G/T 65 Steve Trapilo G		Defensive linemen 91 Robert Goff NT 93 Wayne Martin DE 69 Les Miller DE 73 Frank Warren DE 94 Jim Wilks NT Linebackers 57 Rickey Jackson OLB 53 Vaughan Johnson ILB 51 Sam Mills ILB 99 Joel Smeenge OLB 56 Pat Swilling OLB 97 Renaldo Turnbull OLB 90 James Williams ILB 92 DeMond Winston ILB		Defensive backs 28 Gene Atkins FS 26 Vince Buck CB 41 Toi Cook CB 44 Antonio Gibson S 27 Reggie Jones CB 43 Tyrone Legette CB 46 Sean Lumpkin S 47 Cedric Mack CB 39 Brett Maxie SS 37 Jimmy Spencer CB 29 Keith Taylor SS Special teams  7 Morten Andersen K  6 Tommy Barnhardt P Rookies in italics

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Regular season

The team opened 1992 at Philadelphia, their first road opener in 11 years. The usually steely defense showed some chinks as Eagles running back Herschel Walker rushed for more than 100 yards. Turnovers caused by the two great defenses kept the game close, but the Eagles won 15–13. Offensive struggles continued the next week vs. Chicago, as the Bears led 6–0 at halftime. Big plays on both sides of the ball broke it open for the Saints, as quarterback Bobby Hebert connected with wide receivers Eric Martin and Wesley Carroll on touchdown passes of 52 and 72 yards, respectively. Two second half scores by the Saints' defense capped the 28–6 win – a fumble return by Robert "Pig" Goff and an interception return by Reggie Jones. Those plays set the tone for the defensive unit throughout 1992.

A 10–7 win over Atlanta followed and set up the annual battle with the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers had worn the title of "Team of the Decade" for the 1980s and were the primary stumbling block for an otherwise resurgent Saints franchise during Jim Mora's tenure as head coach. The Sunday night, prime-time audience saw a tight contest throughout. With the Niners leading 16–10, the Saints faced first-and-goal at the San Francisco 2-yard line. Saints guard Derek Kennard was flagged for holding and, on the next play, a pass into tight coverage was picked off by 49ers cornerback Eric Davis. It was the Saints' sixth consecutive home game against the Niners decided by seven points or less.

The team rebounded with five straight wins and stood at 7–2 in the road game vs. the Niners. For three quarters, the Saints dominated the clock and scoreboard, leading 20–7 on two touchdown passes by Hebert. But the offense couldn't hold the lead as Steve Young led San Francisco on two touchdown drives in the 4th quarter to win 21–20.

Most impressive of the Saints' 12 wins in 1992 came over the next three weeks, when the team won three home games in a 10-day span. The first was a Monday Night win over the Washington Redskins, 20–3, keyed by a Hebert-to-Early touchdown pass and stifling defense.

Another eventual playoff team came to the Superdome the following Sunday, as the Miami Dolphins took a 13–10 lead into the second half. A blindsiding takeaway from Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino by speed-rushing linebacker Pat Swilling led to Robert Goff's second fumble return touchdown of the season. Later, cornerback Vince Buck returned an interception for a score as the Dolphins were defeated, 24–13.

The third game in this trifecta was a Thursday night tilt against Atlanta. Despite several marches up and down the field – and a memorable rumble by fullback Craig "Ironhead" Heyward that left Falcons safety Scott Case staring up at the ring of lights high above the field – the Saints offense managed just five field goals by late in the 4th quarter to lead 15–14. It was another defensive touchdown that saved the game for the Saints, this time an interception by Toi Cook. The Saints won two of their last three to finish 12–4, which was the second-best finish in team history.

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Attendance
1	September 6, 1992	at Philadelphia Eagles	L 15–13	63,513
2	September 13, 1992	Chicago Bears	W 28–6	68,591
3	September 20, 1992	at Atlanta Falcons	W 10–7	67,328
4	September 27, 1992	San Francisco 49ers	L 16–10	68,591
5	October 4, 1992	at Detroit Lions	W 13–7	66,971
6	October 11, 1992	Los Angeles Rams	W 13–10	68,591
7	October 18, 1992	at Phoenix Cardinals	W 30–21	27,735
8	Bye
9	November 1, 1992	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 23–21	68,591
10	November 8, 1992	at New England Patriots	W 31–14	45,413
11	November 15, 1992	at San Francisco 49ers	L 21–20	64,895
12	November 23, 1992	Washington Redskins	W 20–3	68,591
13	November 29, 1992	Miami Dolphins	W 24–13	68,591
14	December 3, 1992	Atlanta Falcons	W 22–14	68,591
15	December 13, 1992	at Los Angeles Rams	W 37–14	47,355
16	December 20, 1992	Buffalo Bills	L 20–16	68,591
17	December 26, 1992	at New York Jets	W 20–0	45,614

Standings

NFC West
	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA	STK
^(1) San Francisco 49ers	14	2	0	.875	431	236	W8
^(4) New Orleans Saints	12	4	0	.750	330	202	W1
Atlanta Falcons	6	10	0	.375	327	414	L2
Los Angeles Rams	6	10	0	.375	313	383	W1

Postseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Attendance
Wildcard	January 3, 1993	Philadelphia Eagles	L 36–20	68,893

NFC Wild Card Game

Despite the .750 winning percentage, the Saints couldn't catch the 14–2 Niners for the division crown. In the Wild Card Game, the Saints faced the Philadelphia Eagles in a rematch of their tough opening game loss and an equally bruising game in 1991 won by the Saints. The Saints dictated the pace during the first half, leading 20–7 on a Heyward touchdown run and a Hebert-to-Early touchdown pass. Big plays on both sides of the ball turned game in the Eagles favor, the first being a Randall Cunningham-to-Fred Barnett touchdown pass and the last an interception return for a score by Eric Allen. The Eagles scored 26 points in the 4th quarter to win, 36–20.

Awards and records

Statistically, the team finished with the top defense in the league in points allowed (202) and second-best in total yards allowed (254.6 per game) They were 5th in the NFL in the giveaway-takeaway ratio(+9)as the defense feasted on 20 fumbles and 18 interceptions. Of those 38 takeaways, six were returned for touchdowns. Sam Mills led the team in tackles with 130. Wayne Martin led the team in sacks, with 15.5. On offense, the team's passing game enjoyed its best season of the Jim Mora era to date. Hebert completed 59 percent of his passes for 3,287 yards and 19 touchdowns. Wide receiver Eric Martin had the third and final 1,000-yard season of his career.

References

1. Pro-Football-Reference.com: In a single season, from 1990 to 1999, in the NFL, in the regular season, sorted by ascending Points Allowed
2. Pro-Football-Reference.com: 1992 NFL Opposition & Defensive Statistics
3. "1992 New Orleans Saints draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 5, 2014.
4. "All-Time Roster". NewOrleansSaints.com. Retrieved February 28, 2011.
5. "1992 New Orleans Saints starters and roster". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 5, 2014.

External links

• Saints on Pro Football Reference
• Saints on jt-sw.com