Saints Team Records That Could Fall in Season Finale
The New Orleans Saints wind up their 2022-23 season by hosting the Carolina Panthers this Sunday. Both the 7-9 Saints and 6-10 Panthers were officially eliminated from playoff contention last weekend.
There may not be a postseason spot at stake for New Orleans, but there are plenty of other reasons for the team to finish strong. Chief among team goals is to defeat NFC South rival Carolina, who the Saints hold a 29-27 advantage over in the all-time series but a squad they lost to back in Week 3.
Players like LB Kaden Elliss, DE Carl Granderson, TE Juwan Johnson have had breakout seasons and would like to finish on a positive note. Rookies like wideouts Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and CB Alontae Taylor have shown glimpses of a bright future and look to finish outstanding rookie years strong.
There are also several franchise records that could fall this week.
Will Lutz, K
- Career Field Goals Made
New Orleans Saints place kicker Wil Lutz (3) kicks a field goal against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Mandatory Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports
Lutz has converted 23 of 29 field goal attempts this season. The 79.3% conversion rate is the lowest of his six-year career. However, he's still one of the best clutch kickers in the league and the most accurate of any regular kicker in franchise history with an 85.5% success rate in his career.
Already the franchise record-holder for most field goals made in a season (32 in 2019), Lutz is rising up the team’s list in several career marks. He's second in career points scored (768) and extra points (285) behind only Hall of Fame K Morten Andersen.
Lutz has also made 165 career field goals. He needs just three more field goals to tie John Carney for second in franchise history, trailing only Andersen's 302 field goals.
Chris Olave, WR
- Rookie Receiving Yards
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave (12) runs after a catch against the San Francisco 49ers. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY
Olave was the team’s first of two first-round picks, the 11th overall selection out of Ohio State. He's had a terrific rookie campaign and is a candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year. Olave leads the Saints with 67 receptions for 982 yards, holding together an underachieving receiving corps until the emergence of fellow rookie Shaheed.
With just 18 more yards, Olave would become just the third wideout in New Orleans history to have 1,000 yards as a rookie, joining Marques Colston (2006) and Michael Thomas (2016). He'd also be the 12th player in team history with 1,000 yards receiving in a season.
Thomas, a fellow Ohio State alum, holds the franchise rookie receiving record with 1,137 yards. Olave would need 156 yards against the Panthers to take over that mark. It would be a career-high, but Olave has three 100-yard outings this season, including 147 against Carolina in Week 3.
Cameron Jordan, DE
- Career Seasons with Double-Digit Sacks
New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan (94) sacks Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder (4). Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY
Jordan already passed one hallowed franchise mark that had stood for 29 years. He surpassed Hall of Famer Rickey Jackson's official total of 115 career sacks. (The NFL did not count sacks as an official statistic until 1982. Jackson had 8 sacks as a rookie, giving him unofficially 123 in his New Orleans career).
Jordan now has 115.5 QB takedowns in his own remarkable 12-year career. A model of consistency, Jordan has six seasons of double-digit sack totals. That ties him with Jackson for the franchise record.
Jordan has 8.5 sacks this season. He'll need just 1.5 to pass Jackson as the franchise's all-time leader in years with double-digit sacks. He has 13.5 sacks in 23 career games against Carolina, including 4.5 in the last two meetings between the two teams.
The Saints have had several difference makers on the defensive side in their franchise history. Cam Jordan is among their best, with production that should eventually land him in the Hall of Fame alongside other elite New Orleans defenders Rickey Jackson and Sam Mills.
Alvin Kamara, RB
- Total Touchdowns
- Rushing Touchdowns
New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) against Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Divine Deablo (5). Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
Kamara's production has been down by his standards, but he leads the Saints with 791 rushing yards and is second on the team with 56 receptions for 487 yards. He's also scored just four touchdowns, the lowest of his six-year career.
Earlier this year, Kamara tied Marques Colston's franchise record of 72 total touchdowns. He's three rushing scores from tying Mark Ingram at the top of the Saints all-time list in that category.
In just six years, Kamara is already the franchise's all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards by a running back and is third in rushing yardage. He's just nine receiving yards away from passing WR Quinn Early into 10th place for Saints receiving yards.
Kamara has scored eight touchdowns in 10 career games against Carolina. He's also rushed for 461 yards and caught 46 passes for another 353 yards against the Panthers.
Team Defense
- Most Consecutive Games of Under 20 Points Allowed
New Orleans Saints linebackers Kaden Elliss (55) and Demario Davis (56) tackle Atlanta Falcons running back Cordarrelle Patterson (84). Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY
The Saints ''Dome Patrol'' defense featuring linebackers Rickey Jackson, Pat Swilling, Sam Mills, and Vaughan Johnson were one the best in NFL from 1987 through 1992. The pinnacle of their production was from 1990 to 1992, when their numbers were among the best in NFL history.
This year’s version of the Saints defense is not at that historical level, but the unit has played at a championship-level for the last half of the year. New Orleans ranks third against the pass, 10th in total yardage, and 13th in points allowed. Over their last nine games, they rank at the top of the league in several major categories.
New Orleans has allowed 20 points or less nine times this year, including in seven straight outings. They've allowed less than 20 points in five straight games. That's one off tying the franchise record of six, set by the elite Dome Patrol units of 1991 and 1992.
Records are a small consolation to competitors that are eyeing up a championship pursuit. However, it also shows that the Saints have quite a bit of talent on their current roster, boding well for the team going into 2023.
