1997 New Orleans Saints Schedule
| Regular Season | ||
| Aug 31 | Rams | L 24-38 |
| Sep 7 | Chargers | L 6-20 |
| Sep 14 | 49ers | L 7-33 |
| Sep 21 | Lions | W 35-17 |
| Sep 28 | Giants | L 9-14 |
| Oct 5 | Bears | W 20-17 |
| Oct 12 | Falcons | L 17-23 |
| Oct 19 | Panthers | 0-13 |
| Oct 26 | 49ers | L 0-23 |
| Nov 2 | BYE | |
| Nov 9 | Raiders | W 13-10 |
| Nov 16 | Seahawks | W 20-17 |
| Nov 23 | Falcons | L 3-20 |
| Nov 30 | Panthers | W 16-13 |
| Dec 7 | Rams | L 37-34 |
| Dec 14 | Cardinals | W 27-10 |
| Dec 21 | Chiefs | L 13-25 |
6 Wins 10 Loses
Coach: Mike Ditka
First Round Draft Pick: Chris Naeole Offensive Guard, Colorado
Da’ Coach
Enter the Ditka Era. Hall of Famer Mike Ditka took over as Head Coach of the New Orleans Saints following the disaster of 1996. 6 wins were produced despite an anemic offense that saw 4 different quarterbacks shuffled in and out of the starting blocks. New-Kid-on-the-Block Heath Shuler was obtained from Washington, but failed to do much of anything. Veteran backup Doug Nussmier didn’t do any better. Heisman Trophy award winner Danny Weurfeul showed flashes of greatness but remained inconsistent. The offense finally began to show a little life when Billy Joe Hobert was picked up after being dropped by Buffalo midway through the season.
Despite the inaptness of the offense, the defense was the surprise of the season. Together with the special teams (with performances from kick returner Eric Guillford and kicker Doug Brian) the Saints managed to keep most of the games close. They were fourth in total defense and set a new team record for sacks in a season: 58.
Saints Offensive Stats 1997
Saints Defensive Stats 1997
1997 New Orleans Saints Roster