The 2009 New Orleans Saints season is the franchise's 43rd season in the National Football League (NFL) and the most successful in franchise history in which they won Super Bowl XLIV. The Saints recorded a franchise record 13 victories, an improvement on their 8–8 record and fourth place finish in the National Football Conference (NFC)'s southern division from 2008. As a result, the Saints returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2006. For head coach Sean Payton, this was his fourth season with the franchise, commanding a club overall record of 36–24. After becoming 8–0 with their win over the Carolina Panthers on November 8, it marked the Saints' best start to a season in its franchise history. They would go on to set the record for the longest undefeated season opening (13–0) by