The assistant coach shake-up of the previous two seasons had left the team without a bona fide replacement for Mora, and thus only one win was earned in the second half of the season despite matchups with mediocre opponents.
Here's the sad story-
- 11-27 @49ers never in the game
/ 20-22 Panthers played fairly well- tough loss
/ 15-30 @Bengals four second-half turnovers
/ 14-28 Cardinals two long Johnson runs broke it open
/ 10-17 @Ravens failed on late 4th & inches QB sneak
/ 17-13 Jaguars our luckiest game of the year
/ 27-24 Bears Zellars went nuts, Brien hit winner
/ 07-19 @Panthers inept offense in second half
/ - BYE Jim Mora resigns, Carl Smith fired
/ / 17-24 49ers a good showing
/ / 14-31 Oilers never in the game
/ / 15-17 @Falcons almost came back from awful start
/ / 07-13 @Buccaneers tired D couldn't make one last stop
/ / 10-26 Rams Nuss couldn't lead the team to a score
/ / 15-31 Falcons ugly
/ / 17-03 @Giants dominating D
/ / - 13-14 @Rams second-half field position decided it
/ / /
/ / /
LLLLLWWL|LLLLLLWL
Here's a player-by-player recap (X = started a game, x = played in a game)-
XXXXXXXX|XXXXX XX Jim Everett 267-464-2797 12 TD, 16 INT
| xX Doug Nussmeier 28- 50- 272 1 TD, 1 INT
| Tom Hodson
Everett was the Saints' QB for all but six quarters in 1996. He had a
mediocre year, due in part to a lack of quality recipients of his passes and
handoffs. Nussmeier was unspectacular in his first NFL action. Hodson did
not play at all.
run catch fumbles/lost
XXXxXXXX| xxxXXX Mario Bates 164-584-4 13- 44 4/2
xX xx|XXXXX Ray Zellars 120-475-4 9- 45 4/4
xxXXxxxX|XXXXXXXX Lorenzo Neal 21- 58-1 31-194-1 1/1
xx x xxx|x xxx Ricky Whittle 20- 52 26-162 1/1
xxxxxxxx|xx x Derek Brown 13- 30 8- 54 0/0
| xx xxxx Earnest Hunter 14- 44 17-138 2/1
| Michael Davis
Bates was the starting RB until midseason, at which time Zellars took over
the position. Bates regained the post late in the year when Zellars
injured a disc in his neck. Neither had a particularly impressive season.
Neal saw extensive action as a blocking back and had more receptions than
carries. Brown was the 3rd down back for the first half of the season, but
mid-year acquisition Hunter was Venturi's choice for that role. Rookie
Whittle was afflicted with injuries. Davis spent the year on IR.
catch run
XxXXXXXX|XxXXXxxx Michael Haynes 44-786-4
XXXXXXXX|XXXXXxxx Torrance Small 50-558-2 4-51-1
xxxxxxxx|xXxx XXx Lee DeRamus 15-182-1 1- 2
xXxxxxxx|x Haywood Jeffires 20-215-3
xx x| xxxx Mercury Hayes 4-101 2- 7
| xXX Terry Guess 2- 69-1 2-(4)
XXXXXXX | Irv Smith 15-144
x|xXXXXXXX Tony Johnson 7- 76-1
XxxxxXxX|X xxxxX Paul Green 7- 91
xXxxXxXx|xxxxxxxx Hendrick Lusk 27-210
| Brett Bech
| Steve Rhem
Haynes made some deep catches but was bothered by nagging injuries throughout
the year. Small and DeRamus failed to step into the void left by Quinn Early
and dropped too many balls. Jeffires was a favorite target before injuries
ended his season prematurely. Rookies Hayes and Guess saw limited action. Irv
Smith's season was a disappointing one cut short by a knee injury. Green had
very few passes thrown his way, but rookie Lusk caught a number of balls.
Mid-year pickup Johnson started during the second half of the season. Bech was
activated from the practice squad for the final game but didn't play. Rhem
spent the year on IR.
XXXXXXXX|X XXXX William Roaf
XXXXXXXX|X X Jim Dombrowski
XXXXXXXX|XXXXXXXX Andy McCollum
XXXXXXXX|XXXXXXXX Ed King
XXXXXXXX|XXXXXXXX Clarence Jones
xxxxxxxx|xXxXXXXX Craig Novitsky
|xXXXxxxX Mike Verstegen
| xx Tom Ackerman
| x Keno Hills
| xxxx Donald Willis
Roaf was re-elected to the Pro Bowl despite missing three games with a knee
injury. Dombrowski had a good year but suffered a fractured ankle that placed
him on IR. Line newcomers McCollum, King, and Jones started every game but
didn't open enough holes for rushers. Novitsky was the #1 backup OL, while
Verstegen saw his first NFL action in the second half of the year. Willis
and rookies Hills and Ackerman filled in on a limited basis.
tkl/ast sacks fumble frc/rec
XXXXX | XXXXXXX Darren Mickell 26/ 7 3.0 1/0
XXXXXXXX|XXXXXXXX Wayne Martin 73/15 11.0 3/1
XXXXX|XXXXXXXX Joe Johnson 50/ 9 7.5 3/0
XXXX X |x XxxXxx Renaldo Turnbull 10/ 2 6.5 0/1
xxxxXxXX|Xxxxxxxx Brady Smith 15/ 2 2.0
xxx xXXX|XXxxxxXX Austin Robbins 22/ 7 1.0
XXXxxx x|xxxXXx Willie Broughton 16/ 6 2.0
x xxxxxx|xx Fred Stokes 6/ 1 1.0 1/0
| x Emile Palmer
Mickell started slow and then served a drug-related suspension, but he finished
strong. Martin had another excellent season. Johnson looked good after
missing the first three games due to injury. Turnbull's performance was poor.
Broughton and Robbins split time along the line. Rookie Smith played fairly
well, but Stokes contributed little before going on IR. Palmer was promoted
from the practice squad late in the season.
tkl/ast sacks INT fumble frc/rec
XXXXXXXX|XXXXXxXX Mark Fields 85/22 2 1/1
XxXXXXXX|XXxXXxXX Winfred Tubbs 84/28 1 1 1/1
XXX XX|XXxxxxXX Rufus Porter 34/ 9
xxxXXXx | xXXXXxx Richard Harvey 37/ 7 2 2/0
Fields showed improvement in his second year, but the performances of Tubbs
and Porter were disappointing. Harvey was a versatile backup and started a
number of games.
tkl/ast INT pass dfns fumble frc/rec
XXXXXXXX|XXXXXXXX Mark McMillian 62/ 5 2 10
XXXXXXXX|XXXXXXXX Anthony Newman 60/21 3 9 1/2
XxXXXXXX|XXXXXXXX Greg Jackson 72/20 3 7 1/0
XXXXXXXX|XXXXXXXX Eric Allen 48/ 3 1 16
xxxxxx|xxXxxXxx Alex Molden 17/ 4 2 3
xxx x xx|xxxxx xx Je'Rod Cherry 6/ 2 1 0/1
xx x |x xxxxxx William Strong 1/ 0
xXxxxxx | Sean Lumpkin 1/ 0
| x Derrick Hoskins
| Israel Byrd
McMillian, Newman, Jackson, and Allen played all the way and were somewhat
better in the second half of the year after a bad start. The impact of rookies
Molden and Cherry was not as large as had been hoped. Lumpkin missed the
second half of the season due to injury. Strong played occasionally. Hoskins
was a late roster addition. Byrd spent the year on IR.
xxxxxxxx|xxxxxxxx Doug Brien 21/25 FG, 18/18 PAT
xxxxxxxx|xxxxxxxx Klaus Wilmsmeyer 87 punts, avg yds- 40.8 gross, 32.5 net
xxxxxxxx|xxxxxxxx Kendall Gammon
xxxxxxxx|xxxxxXxx Tyrone Hughes kicks- 70-1791, punts- 30-152 & 20 FC
xxxxxxxx|xxxxxxxx Ernest Dixon 9 tkl & blocked punt on special teams
xXxxxxxx|xxxxxxxx Brian Jones 17 tkl & 2 frc fumbles on special teams
xxxx x | J.J. McCleskey 4 tkl on special teams
xxx|xxxxxxxx Don Davis 10 tkl & 1 fumble rec on special teams
Brien had an excellent year, as did long-snapper Gammon. Wilmsmeyer was so-so.
Hughes ripped off a number of long kickoff returns, but his punt return ability
seems gone (and his performance in the secondary was poor). J.J. McCleskey
was let go in the middle of the year while injured. LBs Dixon, Davis, and
Jones played most of their minutes here.
catches | runs
|
2 2 1 1 | 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5
5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0
|
N|
-5 |ZB
W|ZBBBB
WI|GDWWZZB
NZ|DWWZZZZBBBBB
NWIBB|GDDEEWWNZZZZZZZZZZBBBBBBBBBB
0 NLWWEI|EWNNNNZZZZZBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB
WZDDT|MDDEWWNNNZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB
SSNNNNLLWE|RDEEWWWWNNZZZZZZZZZZZZBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB
SNNNNLWWWJBBZZ|SDDDEEEWNNNNZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB
SSSNNLLLLLLWWJEBBDD|DEWNNZZZZZZZZZZZZZBBBBBBBBBBBBB
+5 SSSSSSHNNNNNNLWJJEIIRRBD|EWNNNZZZZZZZZZZZBBBBB
SSSSHHNNLLWWWJEEIIIRRBZZTP|MWWZZZBBBBBBBBBB
SSSSSSHHNNLWJEIRRBZP|ENZZZBBBBBBB key- mario Bates
SHHHHNLWWJJJERRZ|ZZZZZZBBBB Derek brown
SSSSHHHHLLLWJEEEEE|SEEZBB Earnest hunter
10 SSHHLLJJEM|DZZZZBB terry Guess
SHHHHHNLLIRT|WNZBBB michael Haynes
SSSHHLLWWJJEZDTG|BBBB Irv smith
SSSHHNLJP|ZZZZB haywood Jeffires
SSSWWJIDT|B hendrick Lusk
15 SNWJIRRBT|W Mercury hayes
SHHHHNJIRP| lorenzo Neal
HHHEITPM|SBB Paul green
SSD|B lee deRamus
HN| torrance Small
20 HR|Z Tony johnson
SN|Z ricky Whittle
SSE|SB ray Zellars
SSNJP|
SM|
25 |
L|
HJ|
LWR|B
H|
30 H|
HHH|
|
|B
H|
35 |
|
I|
|
|
40 |
S|
|
|
|
45 |
H|
H|
|
|
50 M|
HH|
|
|
|
55 |
|
G|
|
|
60 |
|
|
|Z
|
65 |