1979 Saints vs. 1983 Saints

[CSKreager]

Until Jim Mora and the Dome Patrol, these were the only times the Saints ever seriously flirted with a playoff spot/winning record.

Both were complete opposites- the '79 Saints were fueled by offense (#6 overall in scoring, only Dallas scored more pts in the NFC that year) but betrayed by their defense. Meanwhile, the '83 Saints were kinda sorta in the middle (#17 in points scored, #13 in points allowed) but a bit better on the defensive side of the ball.

They had their hearts broken differently in December- the '79 Saints famously blew a MNF game against the Raiders (they were officially eliminated a week later, but that San Diego 35-0 loss felt inevitable after this collapse), the '83 Saints were done in by two painful defeats (a safety in Dallas, a final drive by the Rams in the season finale).

Who was the better Bourbon Street also-ran?

[74_75_78_79_]

'79 Saints had 5 Pro Bowlers to '83's one...someone who'd end up a big part of that Dome Patrol. '79 beat both Tampa (handily) and Washington on the road along with barely losing to Broncos at Mile High. Had they not blown that Raider game, what a meaningful division/playoff-berth-on-the-line finale it would have been at LA two weeks later regardless what would have happened vs SD (very likely no 0-35 hangover at the very least).

The '83 installment beat the Cards & Miami, both at home, barely lost in Big D, but got schlacked twice by the 10-6 Niners. Not the easiest call to make but I guess I'll allow the 5 PBers-to-1 be the tie-breaker and give the nod to Archie & Co (more 'star'-power). Plus, those two road wins mentioned more impressive than the two homes ones. However, '83 was closer to actually making the playoffs. They, of course were still in it going into the finale only for they to shoot themselves in feet allowing three TDs - neither one offensive.

[CSKreager]

'79 Saints had 5 Pro Bowlers to '83's one...someone who'd end up a big part of that Dome Patrol. '79 beat both Tampa (handily) and Washington on the road along with barely losing to Broncos at Mile High. Had they not blown that Raider game, what a meaningful division/playoff-berth-on-the-line finale it would have been at LA two weeks later regardless what would happened vs SD (very likely no 0-35 hangover).

The '83 installment beat the Cards & Miami, both at home, barely lost in Big D, but got schlacked twice by the 10-6 Niners. Not the easiest call to make but I guess I'll allow the 5 PBers-to-1 be the tie-breaker and give the nod to Archie & Co. Plus, those two road wins mentioned more impressive than the two homes ones. However, '83 was closer to actually making the playoffs. They, of course were still in it going into the finale only for they to shoot themselves in feet allowing three TDs - neither one offensive.

And to think, if they just don't screw up that Dallas game, they would've clinched a playoff spot in the 2nd to last week of '83 at Philly on Morten's long-range OT FG.

OTOH, they also could have won those Jets/Patriots games....

[7DnBrnc53]

The 1978 Saints also had a decent shot at the playoffs, but lost two games to Atlanta in the last minute, and were beaten by the Steelers on a late Bradshaw to Bleier TD pass. That close to 10-6 and the first playoff game in the dome.

[74_75_78_79_]

Dick Nolan & Bum Phillips...two ways to compare them: 1) These very Saints teams and 2) Their tenures with SF and Houston respectively - three straight playoff berths, 2-consecutive of those making it to CC (each losing both to same team, Dallas & Pittsburgh respectively).

[74_75_78_79_]

Yes, reviving an almost-7-year-old thread, but those almost-Saints-playoff teams from the pre-Mora era have always intrigued me.

One was practically all offense as the other was all defense. Just imagine if you put the ’79 offense together with the ’83 defense! And just imagine how bad they’d be if you put ’79 defense with ’83 offense.

Even if they in ’79 get by the Raiders on MNF - and still lose to SD - I’m thinking Rams still win that finale considering how together they were on both sides of ball down the stretch. NO beats Rams in that ’83 finale? They’re up against a now free-falling Dallas team. But would they have had the offensive fire-power to take advantage of that? I guess not.

’83 Saints had the #2 defense in the league! Would you actually place that unit above any of Mora’s Dome Patrolers? Or even above…(dare suggest)…2009??

[7DnBrnc53]

Yes, reviving an almost-7-year-old thread, but those almost-Saints-playoff teams from the pre-Mora era have always intrigued me.

One was practically all offense as the other was all defense. Just imagine if you put the ’79 offense together with the ’83 defense! And just imagine how bad they’d be if you put ’79 defense with ’83 offense.

Even if they in ’79 get by the Raiders on MNF - and still lose to SD - I’m thinking Rams still win that finale considering how together they were on both sides of ball down the stretch. NO beats Rams in that ’83 finale? They’re up against a now free-falling Dallas team. But would they have had the offensive fire-power to take advantage of that? I guess not.

’83 Saints had the #2 defense in the league! Would you actually place that unit above any of Mora’s Dome Patrolers? Or even above…(dare suggest)…2009??

Even if the Saints beat the Raiders (in 1979), that SD loss (in Week 15) would have knocked them out of the playoffs. NO would have only been 8-7 going into the finale (Rams finished 9-7), and they lost to the Rams earlier that year at home (they also had a worse record inside the division).

[sheajets]

1983 Saints had a very Jet-like loss to the Jets to a 4-7 Jets team at home on MNF. Leading 28-14 in the 4th, Kirk Springs ran a punt back something like 80 yards to give the Jets a very surprising 31-28 win. That was a gut punch in the same vein as the 1979 Raiders fiasco

Unlike 79 they did recover the following week to edge out Minnesota.

They also had a brutal 7-0 loss to NE in Foxboro late in the year...guessing weather was a factor in that one

That 83 Saints team had a bad passing offense. Stabler on his last legs...could get ugly at times. He was 38 and looked mid 50s. You had glimpses of the old magic but his arm was never powerful and he really struggled making some throws. Not that he had much to work with. Jeff Groth was their best receiver. Solid plucky player...but he'd be a #3 receiver most anywhere else. Only Pitt and the Colts threw for fewer yards as a team

[74_75_78_79_]

Yes, reviving an almost-7-year-old thread, but those almost-Saints-playoff teams from the pre-Mora era have always intrigued me.

One was practically all offense as the other was all defense. Just imagine if you put the ’79 offense together with the ’83 defense! And just imagine how bad they’d be if you put ’79 defense with ’83 offense.

Even if they in ’79 get by the Raiders on MNF - and still lose to SD - I’m thinking Rams still win that finale considering how together they were on both sides of ball down the stretch. NO beats Rams in that ’83 finale? They’re up against a now free-falling Dallas team. But would they have had the offensive fire-power to take advantage of that? I guess not.

’83 Saints had the #2 defense in the league! Would you actually place that unit above any of Mora’s Dome Patrolers? Or even above…(dare suggest)…2009??

Even if the Saints beat the Raiders (in 1979), that SD loss (in Week 15) would have knocked them out of the playoffs. NO would have only been 8-7 going into the finale (Rams finished 9-7), and they lost to the Rams earlier that year at home (they also had a worse record inside the division).

Good correction, 7Dn! My mistake. Can't believe that for this long I thought that Wk#16 would have brought us a de facto 'NFC West Championship Game' had Saints simply beat Oakland but still lost to SD. It's like me thinking for very long that the Oilers still had the division to play for that very week going into their finale vs Philly when the Steelers beating Bills, 28-0, in the early game already clinched it for them.

Sure enough Saints losing at home to SD by that 35-0 score was a product of them being deflated a bit in allowing that big comeback to Oakland. But given the 35-0 score that was, I'd imagine had NO held on vs Raiders, Chargers still beat them the following week. Not at all as lopsided, but no nail-biter either.

I'll stick to what I initially posted here 7 years back in giving it to '79 over '83. More 'star'-power and 'bite' to them. Usually I'd give a nod to a more D-heavy team than an O-heavy one, but I'll award '79 as the best pre-Mora Saints squad with '83 a close 2nd. I'm also just finding out now that Ed Hughes was the Saints' OC under Nolan!

The '78 Saints have already been mentioned. 1984, who also finished 7-9, were not too bad either. #4 in defense and FWIW beat the Cards again as well as beating the AFCC-participant-to-be, Steelers, in Wk#12 on MNF. A little 'revenge', perhaps, for Noll not letting Bum "kick the SOB in" the previous decade.

[JohnTurney]

I'll stick to what I initially posted here 7 years back in giving it to '79 over '83. More 'star'-power and 'bite' to them.

I'd also give them the nod. Pass protection was good, as you mention good QB, RB, WR. A couple of good DL, Federspiel, a solid
MLBer. They played the flex defense, one of three teams to play it. Decent safeties. I think their CBs and one OLBer
not up to snuff.

The 1983 secondary pretty good...LBers good, too. Oddly they replaced Bruce Clark on passing downs for the first couple of games
they finally started using him as a LDT on passing downs in the 3rd game and he spend rest of his career doing that - 3-4 DE
and a 40 DT . . . like a poor man's Howie Long