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1978 New Orleans Saints season

{{short description|NFL team season}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{Infobox NFL team season

| team = New Orleans Saints

| year = 1978

| record = 7–9

| division_place = 3rd NFC West

| coach = Dick Nolan

| stadium =

| playoffs = Did not qualify

| pro_bowlers = QB Archie Manning

| shortnavlink = Saints seasons

}}

The 1978 New Orleans Saints season was the Saints’ twelfth season. Quarterback Archie Manning put together one of his finest seasons, earning the NFC Player of the Year award and becoming the Saints’ first Pro Bowl representative since the NFL–AFL merger{{cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/nor/all-pros.htm|title=New Orleans Saints All-Pros and Pro Bowlers|publisher=Pro Football Reference}} as the Saints finished with a franchise-best 7–9 mark under new head coach Dick Nolan. Seven of the Saints’ losses came against teams that qualified for the playoffs (including both Super Bowl XIII teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Dallas Cowboys), whilst all nine losses came against teams who finished at or above .500.

Offseason

  • On August 5, the NFL played its first game in Mexico City. The Saints beat the Philadelphia Eagles by a score of 14–7.NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, {{ISBN|0-7611-2480-2}}, p.284

= NFL draft =

{{main article|1978 NFL draft}}

{{NFL team draft start

| year = 1978

| teamname = New Orleans Saints

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 1

| pick = 3

| player = Wes Chandler

| position = Wide receiver

| college = Florida

| notes =

| maderoster = yes

| probowl = yes

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 2

| pick = 33

| player = James Taylor

| position = Offensive tackle

| college = Missouri

| notes =

| maderoster = no

| probowl = no

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 3

| pick = 60

| player = Barry Bennett

| position = Defensive tackle

| college = Concordia College

| notes =

| maderoster = yes

| probowl = no

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 4

| pick = 87

| player = Don Schwartz

| position = Defensive back

| college = Washington State

| notes =

| maderoster = yes

| probowl = no

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 5

| pick = 115

| player = Eric Felton

| position = Defensive back

| college = Texas Tech

| notes =

| maderoster = yes

| probowl = no

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 6

| pick = 142

| player = Mike Rieker

| position = Quarterback

| college = Lehigh

| notes =

| maderoster = no

| probowl = no

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 6

| pick = 157

| player = Francis Chesley

| position = Linebacker

| college = Wyoming

| notes =

| maderoster = no

| probowl = no

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 8

| pick = 199

| player = Brooks Williams

| position = Tight end

| college = North Carolina

| notes =

| maderoster = no

| probowl = no

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 9

| pick = 226

| player = Richard Carter

| position = Defensive back

| college = North Carolina State

| notes =

| maderoster = no

| probowl = no

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 11

| pick = 283

| player = Nathan Besaint

| position = Defensive tackle

| college = Southern

| notes =

| maderoster = no

| probowl = no

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 11

| pick = 285

| player = Dave Riley

| position = Running back

| college = West Virginia

| notes =

| maderoster = no

| probowl = no

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 12

| pick = 310

| player = Larry Hardy

| position = Tight end

| college = Jackson State

| notes =

| maderoster = yes

| probowl = no

}}

{{NFL team draft end

| hof = no

}}

{{cite web |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/nor/1978_draft.htm |title=1978 New Orleans Saints draftees |work=Pro-Football-Reference.com |access-date=November 10, 2014 }}

Personnel

= Staff =

{{NFL final staff

| year = 1978

| team = New Orleans Saints

| front_office =

| head_coach =

| offensive =

| defensive =

| special_teams =

| strength =

  • Conditioning – Bob Hill

}}

{{cite web |title=All-Time Roster |url=http://www.neworleanssaints.com/team/history/all-time-roster.html |work=NewOrleansSaints.com |access-date=November 4, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120618110940/http://www.neworleanssaints.com/team/history/all-time-roster.html |archive-date=2012-06-18 |url-status=dead }}

= Roster =

{{NFL season roster

| year = 1978

| team = New Orleans Saints

| quarterbacks =

{{NFLplayer|11|Ed Burns|d=American football|rookie=y}}

{{NFLplayer| 8|Archie Manning}}

{{NFLplayer|12|Bobby Scott|d=American football}}

| running_backs =

{{NFLplayer|34|Tony Galbreath}}

{{NFLplayer|45|Jack Holmes|d=American football}}

{{NFLplayer|32|Kim Jones|d=American football}}

{{NFLplayer|42|Chuck Muncie}}

{{NFLplayer|33|Mike Strachan|d=running back}}

| wide_receivers =

{{NFLplayer|89|Wes Chandler|rookie=y}}

{{NFLplayer|82|Ike Harris}}

{{NFLplayer|83|Tinker Owens}}

{{NFLplayer|84|Rich Mauti}}

| tight_ends =

{{NFLplayer|85|Henry Childs}}

{{NFLplayer|87|Larry Hardy|d=American football|rookie=y}}

{{NFLplayer|88|Brooks Williams|d=American football}}

| offensive_linemen =

{{NFLplayer|69|Bill Fifer|rookie=y|G}}

{{NFLplayer|62|John Hill|d=American football|C}}

{{NFLplayer|76|Kevin Hunt|d=American football|T}}

{{NFLplayer|70|Mark Meseroll|rookie=y|T}}

{{NFLplayer|68|Fred Sturt|G}}

{{NFLplayer|71|J. T. Taylor|d=American football|T}}

{{NFLplayer|65|Robert Woods|d=offensive tackle|T}}

| defensive_linemen =

{{NFLplayer|63|Barry Bennett|rookie=y|DT}}

{{NFLplayer|73|Joe Campbell|d=American football, born 1955|DE}}

{{NFLplayer|72|Mike Fultz|DT}}

{{NFLplayer|78|Elois Grooms|DE}}

{{NFLplayer|74|Derland Moore|DT}}

{{NFLplayer|75|Elex Price|DT}}

{{NFLplayer|60|Don Reese|DE}}

| linebackers =

{{NFLplayer|51|Ron Crosby|OLB}}

{{NFLplayer|58|Joe Federspiel|MLB}}

{{NFLplayer|54|Pat Hughes|d=American football|OLB}}

{{NFLplayer|57|Jim Merlo|OLB}}

{{NFLplayer|55|Floyd Rice|OLB}}

{{NFLplayer|52|Skip Vanderbundt|OLB}}

| defensive_back =

{{NFLplayer|27|Ray Brown|d=safety|SS}}

{{NFLplayer|24|Clarence Chapman|CB}}

{{NFLplayer|20|Eric Felton|rookie=y|CB}}

{{NFLplayer|49|Ralph McGill|d=American football|FS}}

{{NFLplayer|37|Tom Myers|d=safety|FS}}

{{NFLplayer|48|Don Schwartz|rookie=y|SS}}

{{NFLplayer|29|Mo Spencer|CB}}

| special_teams =

{{NFLplayer|16|Tom Blanchard|P}}

{{NFLplayer|10|Steve Mike-Mayer|K}}

| reserve_lists =

{{NFLplayer|77|Gary Anderson|d=offensive lineman|G|IR}}

{{NFLplayer|50|Ken Bordelon|LB|IR}}

{{NFLplayer|66|Conrad Dobler|G|IR}}

{{NFLplayer|53|Rick Kingrea|LB|IR}}

{{NFLplayer|56|Rusty Rebowe|rookie=y|LB|IR}}

{{NFLplayer|26|Jimmy Stewart|d=safety|S|IR}}

{{NFLplayer|15|Rich Szaro|K|IR}}

{{NFLplayer|35|Jim Van Wagner|RB|IR}}

{{NFLplayer|67|John Watson|d=American football|T|IR}}

{{NFLplayer|61|Mike Watson|d=offensive lineman|T|IR}}

{{NFLplayer|79|Emanuel Zanders|G|IR}}

| practice_squad =

}}

Regular season

= Schedule =

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|New Orleans Saints|year=1978|border=2}}"| Week

! style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|New Orleans Saints|year=1978|border=2}}"| Date

! style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|New Orleans Saints|year=1978|border=2}}"| Opponent

! style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|New Orleans Saints|year=1978|border=2}}"| Result

! style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|New Orleans Saints|year=1978|border=2}}"| Record

! style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|New Orleans Saints|year=1978|border=2}}"| Venue

! style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|New Orleans Saints|year=1978|border=2}}"| Attendance

style="background:#cfc"

! 1

| September 3

| Minnesota Vikings

| W 31–24

| 1–0

| Louisiana Superdome

| 54,187

style="background:#fcc"

! 2

| September 10

| at Green Bay Packers

| L 17–28

| 1–1

| Milwaukee County Stadium

| 54,336

style="background:#fcc"

! 3

| September 17

| Philadelphia Eagles

| L 17–24

| 1–2

| Louisiana Superdome

| 49,242

style="background:#cfc"

! 4

| September 24

| at Cincinnati Bengals

| W 20–18

| 2–2

| Riverfront Stadium

| 40,455

style="background:#fcc"

! 5

| October 1

| Los Angeles Rams

| L 20–26

| 2–3

| Louisiana Superdome

| 61,659

style="background:#fcc"

! 6

| October 8

| Cleveland Browns

| L 16–24

| 2–4

| Louisiana Superdome

| 50,158

style="background:#cfc"

! 7

| October 15

| at San Francisco 49ers

| W 14–7

| 3–4

| Candlestick Park

| 37,671

style="background:#cfc"

! 8

| October 22

| at Los Angeles Rams

| W 10–3

| 4–4

| Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

| 47,574

style="background:#cfc"

! 9

| October 29

| New York Giants

| W 28–17

| 5–4

| Louisiana Superdome

| 59,807

style="background:#fcc"

! 10

| November 5

| at Pittsburgh Steelers

| L 14–20

| 5–5

| Three Rivers Stadium

| 48,526

style="background:#fcc"

! 11

| November 12

| Atlanta Falcons

| L 17–20

| 5–6

| Louisiana Superdome

| 70,323

style="background:#fcc"

! 12

| November 19

| at Dallas Cowboys

| L 7–27

| 5–7

| Texas Stadium

| 57,920

style="background:#fcc"

! 13

| November 26

| at Atlanta Falcons

| L 17–20

| 5–8

| Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium

| 55,121

style="background:#cfc"

! 14

| December 3

| San Francisco 49ers

| W 24–13

| 6–8

| Louisiana Superdome

| 50,068

style="background:#fcc"

! 15

| December 10

| Houston Oilers

| L 12–17

| 6–9

| Louisiana Superdome

| 63,169

style="background:#cfc"

! 16

| December 17

| at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

| W 17–10

| 7–9

| Tampa Stadium

| 51,207

style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|New Orleans Saints|year=1978|border=2}}"

|colspan="7"| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

= Standings =

{{1978 NFC West standings}}

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

{{New Orleans Saints}}

{{New Orleans Saints seasons}}

{{1978 NFL season by team}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1978 New Orleans Saints season}}

New Orleans Saints

Category:New Orleans Saints seasons

New Orl

Category:1970s in New Orleans

{{Americanfootball-season-stub}}