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SAINTS ADVANCE TO NFC CHAMPIONSHIP BEHIND ROSTER WITH FRANCHISE-RECORD FIVE ASSOCIATED PRESS ALL-PROS AND EIGHT PRO BOWLERS;
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS 2018 SEASON in the league and his 1,592 total yards from scrimmage seventh. Wide receiver Michael Thomas surpassed his IN REVIEW own franchise record to lead the league in receiving with 125 catches for 1,405 yards and nine touchdowns. The New Orleans Saints finished the 2018 season with back-to-back NFC South division titles for the first time in The club’s defense continued what has been a dra- franchise history as a 26-23 loss to the Los Angeles Rams matic two-year improvement from the 2016 campaign. The in overtime of the NFC Championship denied them a trip to club ranked second in the league in all major run-based the Super Bowl. It marked the club’s fifth division title and categories, while the pass rush’s 49 sacks tied for fifth in seventh playoff trip under Head Coach Sean Payton. The the NFL and for the highest total during Payton’s 13- team posted a 13-3 regular season record, finishing 7-1 season tenure as Saints head coach. away from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, tied for the Defensive end Cameron Jordan enjoyed another best road record in the National Football League. Payton standout campaign with 59 tackles, 12 sacks, six passes improved his record to 126-80 (.612). defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery as After a challenging start, where New Orleans lost their he was selected to his fourth Pro Bowl. In the middle of the season opener to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48-41, the defense, linebacker Demario Davis led the team with 110 Saints rode a ten-game winning streak to the top of the tackles, while on the back end, cornerback Marshon Lat- NFC. New Orleans was successful at both running the timore led the team with five takeaways in the regular football and stopping the run, ranking sixth in the NFL in season, adding two interceptions in the postseason rushing yards per game and second in rushing defense. In the playoffs, the Saints defeated the Philadelphia Eight of their 13 regular season victories, seven during the Eagles 20-14 in the divisional round at the Mercedes-Benz ten-game winning streak, were by ten points or more as Superdome powered by a defense that did not give up a they outscored opponents 504-353. point in the final three quarters. Brees passed for 301 Offensively, the Saints were again led by quarterback yards and two touchdowns in the contest and Thomas rec- Drew Brees as he was selected to his franchise-record orded 12 receptions for 171 yards. 11th Pro Bowl as a Saint, 11th overall as he completed New Orleans ended up having a club-record eight Pro 364-of-5489 passes (74.4%) for 3,992 yards with 32 touch- Bowl selections (tackle Terron Armstead, Brees, Jordan, downs and a career-high and league-best 115.7 passer Kamara, guard Andrus Peat, Thomas, center Max Unger rating. Brees surpassed his prior NFL single-season record and guard Larry Warford). Armstead, Brees, Jordan, tackle for completion percentage and also became the league’s Ryan Ramczyk and Thomas were selected as AP All- all-time completions and passing yardage leader. He was Pros. protected by an offensive line that surrendered only 20 sacks for the second con