2000 season-in-review team reports —
NFC West
As published in print Jan. 31, 2001
|
| Overview |
| With a new staff led by rookie head coach Jim Haslett and general manager
Randy Mueller and a team that included 31 new players, the Saints enjoyed one of the most
successful seasons in their history. Despite losing eight starters between training camp
and the end of the season — including QB Jeff Blake and RB Ricky Williams, who became
the team’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 1989 — the Saints won their first
playoff game ever and clinched their second NFC West title in franchise history. |
| Turning point |
| The Saints’ Week 13 win in St. Louis proved once and for all that
they were worthy of being considered a bona fide playoff contender. The Saints were coming
off a loss to Oakland that was preceded by a six-game winning streak in which none of the
victories came against teams with winning records. With QB Aaron Brooks making his first
pro start, it appeared the team might be in big trouble vs. the Rams. Think again. |
| Offensive MVP |
| On a team that repeatedly lost players at the skill positions, WR Joe
Horn was a constant big-play threat. Horn set Saints records with 94 receptions and 1,340
receiving yards. He also tied a team mark with five 100-yard receiving performances while
posting two of the team’s top five all-time receiving efforts. |
| Defensive MVP |
| DRT La’Roi Glover was the top performer on a top-notch defensive
line. He led the league in sacks with 17 and finished the season just one sack short of
the all-time single-season mark for a defensive tackle, held by Minnesota’s Keith
Millard. Glover came up with three-sack performances in three different games. |
| Biggest surprise |
| There are a lot of candidates on a team that made such a big turnaround,
but the biggest surprise had to be QB Aaron Brooks, who showed amazing poise and
athleticism while replacing the injured Jeff Blake down the stretch. Brooks earned himself
a legitimate shot at the starting job in 2001, becoming the first quarterback ever to
register a 400-yard passing performance and a 100-yard rushing performance in the same
season. |
| Biggest disappointments |
| The early season-ending injuries to TE Cam Cleeland, Charlie Clemons and
CB Steve Israel. Cleeland in particular was expected to be a key weapon in offensive
coordinator Mike McCarthy’s new West Coast scheme. |
| Rookie recap |
| Top pick Darren Howard, an early second-rounder, set a team rookie record
with 11 sacks, displaying great natural pass-rush instincts. Until he went down with
late-season back problems, second-round pick Terrelle Smith was playing as well as any
fullback in the league, according to Jim Haslett. Fifth-round pick Chad Morton showed some
potential as the team’s third-down back. CB Michael Hawthorne (sixth round) has
impressive size (6-3, 196 pounds) and starting potential. |
| Free-agent/trade review |
| Could the Saints have done any better? Jeff Blake was just getting
comfortable in the starting role when he suffered a season-ending foot injury in Week 12.
Then Aaron Brooks came on and didn’t miss a beat. Joe Horn became a steady go-to
receiver. Norman Hand effectively clogged up the middle, taking on double-teams and
helping fellow DT La’Roi Glover become the league’s most productive sacker. MLB
Darrin Smith did a superb job replacing injured free-agent pickup Charlie Clemons, while
TE Andrew Glover held his own replacing the injured Cam Cleeland. WR Willie Jackson came
out of the woodwork to register six TD catches and become a force to be reckoned with down
the stretch. Free agents Darren Perry, Chris Oldham and Fred Thomas and trade acquisition
Kevin Mathis all made key contributions to a surprisingly solid Saints secondary. Brian
Milne and Fred McAfee made their presence felt on special teams. RBs Terry Allen and
Jerald Moore helped pick up the slack when Ricky Williams went down for the season. |
Top of page
|
Regular-season record: 10-6
|
| Team leaders |
|
Rushing — Ricky
Williams, 1,000 yards on 248 carries, 4.0 avg., 8 TDs.
Passing — Jeff
Blake, 184-302 attempts for 2,025 yards, 13 TDs, 9 interceptions, 82.7 rating.
Receiving — Joe
Horn, 94 receptions for 1,340 yards, 14.3 avg., 8 TDs.
Scoring — Doug
Brien, 106 points on 37 PATs and 23 FGs.
Kickoff returns — Chad
Morton, 44 for 1,029 yards, 23.4 avg., 0 TDs.
Punt returns — Chad
Morton, 30 for 278 yards, 9.3 avg., 0 TDs.
Punting — Toby
Gowin, 74 for 41.1 avg., 32.3 net, 8 TB, 22 inside 20, 0 blk., 58L.
Interceptions — Sammy
Knight, 5 for 68 yards, 13.6 avg., 2 TDs.
Sacks — La’Roi
Glover, 17. |
| Results |
|
| Pointspread Shown Refers to New Orleans. |
| Date |
Opponent |
Spread |
Score |
| Sept. 3 |
Detroit |
(-1) |
10-14 |
| Sept. 10 |
At San Diego |
(+5) |
28-27 |
| Sept. 17 |
At Seattle |
(+5.5) |
10-20 |
| Sept. 24 |
Philadelphia |
(-1.5) |
7-21 |
| Oct. 1 |
BYE |
|
|
| Oct. 8 |
At Chicago |
(+4) |
31-10 |
| Oct. 15 |
Carolina |
(-3) |
24-6 |
| Oct. 22 |
At Atlanta |
(-3) |
21-19 |
| Oct. 29 |
At Arizona |
(-6) |
21-10 |
| Nov. 5 |
San Francisco |
(-4.5) |
31-15 |
| Nov. 12 |
At Carolina |
(+1.5) |
20-10 |
| Nov. 19 |
Oakland |
(+3) |
22-31 |
| Nov. 26 |
At St. Louis |
(+14) |
31-24 |
| Dec. 3 |
Denver |
(-1.5) |
23-38 |
| Dec. 10 |
At San Francisco |
(+3) |
31-27 |
| Dec. 17 |
Atlanta |
(-10) |
23-7 |
| Dec. 24 |
St. Louis |
(+4) |
21-26 |
| POSTSEASON |
| Dec. 30 |
St. Louis |
(+6.5) |
31-28 |
| Jan. 6 |
At Minnesota |
(+8) |
16-34 |
|
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