1970 New Orleans Saints season


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 winning only two games. The team failed to qualify for the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.
Following a 1–5–1 start, coach Tom Fears was fired by owner John W. Mecom Jr. and replaced by J.D. Roberts, whose first game was a 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; it broke the record held by Bert Rechichar of the Baltimore Colts by seven yards, set seventeen years Dempsey's record was tied by three: Jason Elam, Sebastian Janikowski, and David Akers. broken by Matt Prater of the Broncos in, at 64 yards at elevation in Colorado.
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 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.

Offseason

NFL draft

Personnel

Staff

Roster

Schedule

Standings

Quotes

of WWL Radio describes Tom Dempsey's 63-yard field goal against the Detroit Lions.