2002 New Orleans Saints season
2002 New Orleans Saints season
The Saints were led by general manager Mickey Loomis and head coach Jim Haslett, with Mike McCarthy as offensive coordinator and Rick Venturi as defensive coordinator. They played their home games at the Louisiana Superdome.
Record and standing: 9–7, finished 3rd in the NFC South. They did not qualify for the playoffs.
Highlights and notes: This was the Saints’ 36th NFL season and their 27th season at the Superdome, the third under Haslett. They improved from a 7–9 record the previous year and finished with the league’s third-best total offense, but still missed the playoffs for the ninth time in ten seasons. As of 2022, this remains the only season in which the Saints wore their gold jerseys.
Upset and tough finish: A bright moment came when they swept the reigning Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, three straight losses to teams with losing records, including a 1–13 Cincinnati Bengals, ended their playoff hopes.
Honors: All-Pros included Deuce McAllister (1st team); Michael Lewis and Fred McAfee (special teams). Pro Bowlers were Deuce McAllister, Joe Horn, Michael Lewis, and Fred McAfee.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 10:05 (CET).