New Orleans Saints Trivia
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This New Orleans Saints trivia quiz has 48 free questions with answers and covers the whole story of the black and gold: the All Saints' Day franchise announcement in 1966, the opening-kickoff touchdown in the first game, Tom Dempsey's record field goal, the paper-bag 'Aints, Archie Manning, Jim Mora and the Dome Patrol, Mike Ditka's Ricky Williams gamble, the first playoff win in 2000, the Katrina season and the emotional 2006 return, Sean Payton and Drew Brees, the 2009 championship run and the onside kick that turned Super Bowl XLIV, Bountygate, the Minneapolis Miracle and the Rams no-call, and the Benson, Allen and Kellen Moore years since. Early questions suit any Who Dat who has been to the Dome; later ones reward fans who know who kicked the onside kick, which coach was suspended for a full season, and how many Super Bowls the Superdome has hosted. Every answer was checked against encyclopaedia entries before publishing.
30 of 48 questions with answers and explanations. Play the quiz
Q 01Who was the Saints' first head coach?
Tom Fears
Tom Fears, a Hall of Fame receiver before he coached, led the Saints from their 1967 debut until he was fired midway through the 1970 season.
Q 02Which division did the Saints join in the NFL's 2002 realignment?
NFC South
The Saints joined the new NFC South in 2002 after three decades in the NFC West, where the 1970 merger had placed them.
Q 03What happened on the very first play of the Saints' first game in 1967?
John Gilliam took the opening kickoff 94 yards for a TD
On the first play in franchise history, rookie John Gilliam took the opening kickoff 94 yards for a TD in the 1967 opener, a game New Orleans went on to lose 27-13.
Q 04How long was Tom Dempsey's NFL-record field goal for the Saints in 1970?
63 yards
Tom Dempsey, born without toes on his kicking foot, connected from 63 yards on November 8, 1970, beating Detroit 19-17 as time expired.
Q 05Where did the Saints play home games before the Superdome opened?
Tulane Stadium
The Saints played at Tulane Stadium, home of the Sugar Bowl, from their 1967 debut through 1974, then moved into the Superdome in 1975.
Q 06How many seasons did the Saints go before their first winning record?
20
The Saints went 20 seasons without a winning record before Jim Mora's 1987 team finished 12-3 in a strike-shortened year.
Q 07What did sportscaster Buddy Diliberto suggest fans wear during the 0-14 start of 1980?
Paper bags over their heads
Paper bags over their heads became the 'Aints' uniform after Diliberto's on-air suggestion during the 1980 team's 0-14 start; that club finished 1-15.
Q 08Which quarterback did the Saints draft second overall in 1971?
Archie Manning
Archie Manning, the No. 2 pick out of Ole Miss, was the Saints' starter through the 1970s and made the Pro Bowl in 1978 and 1979 without ever enjoying a winning season in New Orleans.
Q 09Which owner bought the Saints in 1985 and hired Jim Mora?
Tom Benson
Tom Benson, a New Orleans car dealer and banker, bought the Saints in 1985 and owned them until his death in 2018.
Q 10What was the nickname of the Saints' star linebacking corps of the Mora era?
The Dome Patrol
The Dome Patrol was the Saints' linebacker quartet of the late 1980s and early 1990s; all four starters were voted to the Pro Bowl after the 1992 season.
Q 11How many playoff games did the Saints win under Jim Mora?
None
None of Mora's four playoff teams (1987, 1990, 1991 and 1992) won a postseason game; all four lost in the wild-card round.
Q 12What did Mike Ditka give Washington to move up and take Ricky Williams?
Every pick that year plus two picks the next year
Every pick that year plus two picks the next year: the Saints sent Washington their whole 1999 draft plus first- and third-round picks the following year for the No. 5 choice, Ricky Williams.
Q 13In which season did the Saints finally win their first playoff game?
2000
Q 21Whom did the Saints beat in Super Bowl XLIV?
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts, the pregame favorites, lost 31-17 in Miami on February 7, 2010, giving the Saints their first championship.
Q 22What did Sean Payton call to open the second half of Super Bowl XLIV?
A surprise onside kick
A surprise onside kick, code-named 'Ambush', opened the second half; Chris Reis recovered Thomas Morstead's kick and the Saints drove for the go-ahead touchdown.
Q 23Which Saints cornerback sealed Super Bowl XLIV with a 74-yard interception return?
Tracy Porter
Tracy Porter jumped a Reggie Wayne route and returned the interception 74 yards for the clinching touchdown; he had also picked off the Vikings' quarterback late in the NFC Championship Game.
The 2000 Saints, in Jim Haslett's first season as coach, beat the defending Super Bowl champions 31-28 in the wild-card round for the franchise's first playoff win.
Q 14Why did the Saints play no regular-season home games in New Orleans in 2005?
Hurricane Katrina damaged the Superdome
Hurricane Katrina damaged the Superdome in August 2005; the Saints' first 'home' game was played at Giants Stadium and the team finished 3-13 while displaced.
Q 15Whom did the Saints beat 23-3 in the emotional 2006 return to the Superdome?
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons fell 23-3 on Monday Night Football, September 25, 2006, after U2 and Green Day played the pregame show in the reopened Superdome.
Q 16Whose blocked punt on the opening series is the enduring image of the 2006 Superdome return?
Steve Gleason
Steve Gleason blocked Michael Koenen's punt and Curtis Deloatch recovered it for a touchdown; the 2012 statue 'Rebirth' outside the Superdome depicts the block.
Q 17Which Saints quarterback was nicknamed the 'Cajun Cannon'?
Bobby Hebert
Bobby Hebert, a Louisiana native from Galliano who arrived from the USFL, was the 'Cajun Cannon' and quarterbacked the Saints' first playoff team in 1987.
Q 18From which team did the Saints sign Drew Brees?
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers let Drew Brees walk in free agency after his 2005 shoulder injury, having drafted Philip Rivers as his successor in 2004.
Q 19Where did Drew Brees play college football?
Purdue
At Purdue, Drew Brees set Big Ten career records for completions, attempts and passing yards, yet lasted until the second round (32nd overall) of the 2001 draft.
Q 20What was the Saints' record start in 2009, the best in franchise history?
13-0
The 2009 Saints opened 13-0, passing the 1985 Bears' 12-0 for the best start by an NFC team since the 1970 merger, before losing to Dallas in Week 15.
Q 24How many passes did Drew Brees complete in Super Bowl XLIV, tying the then-record?
32
Drew Brees completed 32 of 39 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns in Super Bowl XLIV, matching Tom Brady's record of 32 completions, and was named MVP.
Q 25The Saints share which championship-game distinction with the New York Jets?
Winning their only appearance
Winning their only appearance describes both: the Jets in Super Bowl III (January 1969) and the Saints in Super Bowl XLIV (February 2010), each 1-0 through Super Bowl LIX.
Q 26How long was Sean Payton suspended for the bounty scandal?
The entire 2012 season
The entire 2012 season was Sean Payton's penalty; general manager Mickey Loomis was banned for half the season and the club was fined $500,000 and docked two second-round picks.
Q 27Which Saints defensive coordinator ran the bounty program?
Gregg Williams
Gregg Williams, Saints defensive coordinator from 2009 to 2011, was suspended indefinitely in March 2012 and reinstated by the league the following February.
Q 28Which Vikings quarterback did opponents claim the Saints deliberately targeted in the 2009 NFC Championship?
Brett Favre
Brett Favre, then 40, absorbed repeated hits in the January 2010 game, and the Vikings' complaints helped trigger the NFL's bounty investigation.
Q 29Whose consecutive-games touchdown pass record did Drew Brees break in 2012?
Johnny Unitas
Johnny Unitas had thrown a touchdown pass in 47 straight games from 1956 to 1960; Brees passed him on October 7, 2012 and his own streak ended at 54.
Q 30Which Saints rookie led the NFL in rushing in 1981 with 1,674 yards?
George Rogers
George Rogers, the 1980 Heisman winner taken first overall, ran for 1,674 yards as a rookie in 1981 to lead the NFL.