Obviously we know which was the best season, but

yeah that was the worst. we were 9-4, we had to beat Minnessota who had 3 wins (and we couldn't stop culpepper from running in from the 20, and he ran in the 2 point conversion), the bengals who were 0-14 (and we couldn't stop em), and the bottom dwelling panthers.

that was the year Brooks tore his labrum but still played those last three games. the last game was the first time we didn't allow over 20 points in a game the whole season. we allowed 10, but we only scored 6.

a couple of years later delhomme brings the panthers to the sb and we lucked out and got Brees 2 years after and here we are.

there were so many it's hard to pick. That one is certainly among the top though. 2000 was a tease, then that collapse against those teams is what sealed it for me that Haslett didn't have what it took to be a NFL head coach. That was very similar to another coaching landmark-

In the way back machine, another that sticks out painfully poignant was in 1979...
Into the 13th season and the team still had never broke .500 yet. This was the apex of Thunder & Lightning. Manning was NFC Player of the Year. Wes Chandler! They started 0-3 but then made a run. They were 7-6. A big MNF was next and if they won they were going to start selling playoff tickets. They were ahead 28-14 at half but were dominating more than that score. The offense completely shutdown and misfired in the 2nd half. Oakland came back and won 42-35. It was devastating not only for playoffs but psychologically they way it ended. I stated at that game that was the end of Dick Nolan. He didn't finish the next year when the bags came out. Right on the cusp of playoffs and turning the corner! But instead turned into another burrow of the Mecom ownership era.

1980 for me. 1978 and 1979 they finally seemed to be getting on track and then the bottom fell out.

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there were so many it's hard to pick.

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This x100. Heart aches galore.

for me 2007 sucked. we followed up what was, at that point, the best season in saints history with a mediocre season. i was so embarrased when we just didnt even show up against the colts. we lost the first 4 then we won 4 straight. it just pissed me off because no team really "ran away" with the division. i was just dissapointed because there was so much hype

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1983 broke my heart. I was 9. We were 8-7 and playing the Rams in the Dome. If we won, we would have gone to the playoffs for the first time ever. Mike Lansford kicks a FG at the end to give the Rams the win and send us to 8-8 and out of the playoffs.

It was crushing for a kid to see that.

I'm surprised that that game/season end does not get more play in Saints lore. It was horrible.

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I was in Korea for that game. I was dying to find out what happened and it was about 12 hours after the fact before I was able to see the end of the game. (Remember kids, there actually WAS a time when we didn't have a world wide web, SKYPE, and all the goodies we have today.)

What really got me afterwards was learning that Bum could have had Morten try a FG that would have forced the Rams to go for a TD instead but he passed on it. As far as I'm concerned, that was the beginning and the end for both him and John Mecom.

Still, 1980 was the worst by far. As I tell the youngins, be glad that you weren't around for it. That season aged everyone at least 5 years. The absolute worst part of that year was being in Candlestick Park in SF, watching the Saints blow a 35 - 7 lead and losing 38 - 35 in OT. That was very nearly drive to the Golden Gate and take the ultimate Nestea Plunge time.