| 1974 New Orleans Saints season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | John W. Mecom Jr. |
| Head coach | John North |
| Home stadium | Tulane Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 5–9 |
| Division place | 3rdNFC West |
| Playoffs | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | None |
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The1974 New Orleans Saints season was the team's eighth as a member of theNational Football League (NFL). This was their final season atTulane Stadium as theLouisiana Superdome opened the following season (at the end of the 1973 season, the Saints were scheduled to move into the Superdome in August 1974, but continued construction delays pushed the timeline back one year). They matched theirprevious season's output of 5–9.[1] The team failed to qualify for the playoffs for the eighth consecutive season.
Despite another losing record, the Saints defeated two of the NFC's four playoff entries, oustingthe Los Angeles Rams 20–7 in week 10 andthe St. Louis Cardinals 14–0 in week 13, both at home. The win over the Cardinals was the Saints’ final game at Tulane Stadium.
In between the wins vs. the Rams and Cardinals, New Orleans lost to the teams which faced off inSuper Bowl IX at Tulane Stadium, thePittsburgh Steelers andMinnesota Vikings. The 28-7 setback vs. the Steelers at home was New Orleans' last appearance onMonday Night Football until1979.
The Saints ended an 18-game winless streak on the road when they defeatedthe Atlanta Falcons in week six. However, they would not win again away from New Orleans until 1976 when they defeated theKansas City Chiefs. From 1972 through 1975, the Saints were 1–26–1 on the road.
The win atAtlanta-Fulton County Stadium allowed New Orleans to complete its first season sweep of Atlanta since the Saints and Falcons became division rivals in1970. The Saints entered 1974 with a nine-game losing streak to their archrival, including a humiliating 62–7 routat home in theprevious season's opener. New Orleans did not sweep Atlanta again until1983.
In a rare fluke, the Saints did not wear their black jerseys for any game in the 1974 season. They donned white uniforms at home, and when on the road, each of their opponents opted to wear their colored uniforms.
| 1974 New Orleans Saints draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 | Rick Middleton | Linebacker | Ohio State | |
| 2 | 36 | Paul Seal | Tight end | Michigan | |
| 4 | 88 | Rod McNeill | Running back | USC | |
| 5 | 113 | Joel Parker | Wide receiver | Ohio State | |
| 5 | 121 | Terry Schmidt | Cornerback | Ball State | |
| 8 | 201 | Alvin Maxson | Running back | Southern Methodist | |
| 9 | 217 | Phil LaPorta | Offensive tackle | Penn State | |
| 10 | 235 | Frosty Anderson | Wide receiver | Nebraska | |
| 10 | 242 | Tommy Thibodeaux | Guard | Tulane | |
| 11 | 270 | Kent Merritt | Wide receiver | Virginia | |
| 12 | 295 | Jim Buckmon | Defensive end | Pittsburgh | |
| 13 | 320 | Mike Truax | Linebacker | Tulane | |
| 14 | 348 | Kent Marshall | Defensive back | Texas Christian | |
| 15 | 373 | Larry Cipa | Quarterback | Michigan | |
| 15 | 391 | Jim Polak | Center | Purdue | |
| 16 | 398 | Don Coleman | Linebacker | Michigan | |
| 17 | 426 | Marvin Williams | Wide receiver | Western Illinois | |
| Made roster | |||||
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
| Defensive coaches
|
| Quarterbacks(QB) Running backs(RB) Wide receivers(WR) Tight ends(TE) | Offensive linemen(OL) | Linebackers(LB)
Defensive backs(DB)
Special teams(ST) | Reserve
|
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 15 | San Francisco 49ers | L 13–17 | 0–1 | Tulane Stadium | 65,071 | Recap |
| 2 | September 22 | atLos Angeles Rams | L 0–24 | 0–2 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | 64,178 | Recap |
| 3 | September 29 | Atlanta Falcons | W 14–13 | 1–2 | Tulane Stadium | 62,273 | Recap |
| 4 | October 6 | atChicago Bears | L 10–24 | 1–3 | Soldier Field | 45,818 | Recap |
| 5 | October 13 | atDenver Broncos | L 17–33 | 1–4 | Mile High Stadium | 50,881 | Recap |
| 6 | October 20 | atAtlanta Falcons | W 13–3 | 2–4 | Atlanta Stadium | 47,217 | Recap |
| 7 | October 27 | Philadelphia Eagles | W 14–10 | 3–4 | Tulane Stadium | 64,257 | Recap |
| 8 | November 3 | atDetroit Lions | L 14–19 | 3–5 | Tiger Stadium | 43,256 | Recap |
| 9 | November 10 | Miami Dolphins | L 0–21 | 3–6 | Tulane Stadium | 74,289 | Recap |
| 10 | November 17 | Los Angeles Rams | W 20–7 | 4–6 | Tulane Stadium | 57,287 | Recap |
| 11 | November 25 | Pittsburgh Steelers | L 7–28 | 4–7 | Tulane Stadium | 71,907 | Recap |
| 12 | December 1 | atMinnesota Vikings | L 9–29 | 4–8 | Metropolitan Stadium | 44,202 | Recap |
| 13 | December 8 | St. Louis Cardinals | W 14–0 | 5–8 | Tulane Stadium | 57,152 | Recap |
| 14 | December 15 | atSan Francisco 49ers | L 21–35 | 5–9 | Candlestick Park | 40,418 | Recap |
| Note: Intra-division opponents are inbold text. | |||||||
| NFC West | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| Los Angeles Rams | 10 | 4 | 0 | .714 | 5–1 | 7–3 | 263 | 181 | W1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 6 | 8 | 0 | .429 | 4–2 | 6–5 | 226 | 236 | W2 |
| New Orleans Saints | 5 | 9 | 0 | .357 | 3–3 | 5–6 | 166 | 263 | L1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 3 | 11 | 0 | .214 | 0–6 | 3–8 | 111 | 271 | W1 |
