:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53083683/183567896.0.jpg)
Get your Brandon Browner comments ready, because the New Orleans Saints dramatically decreased their penalties year over year. Per SportsFacts, here’s the cool graphics to show you the decrease in penalty flags and yardage.
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7927719/nfl_penalty_flags_by_team.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7927723/nfl_penalty_yards_by_each_team.jpg)
If you go a bit further, the Saints were one of the least penalized teams in 2016, finishing with just 100 accepted penalties on 2,943 plays. The 2015 squad, primarily highlighted by Browner, had 130 accepted penalties on just 10 more plays.
Saints Penalty Comparison
| Year | Plays | Accepted Count | Accepted Yds | Beneficiary Count | Beneficiary Yards | Pre-Snap Count | Declined | Offsetting | Total Flags | Home | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Plays | Accepted Count | Accepted Yds | Beneficiary Count | Beneficiary Yards | Pre-Snap Count | Declined | Offsetting | Total Flags | Home | Away |
| 2015 | 2953 | 130 | 1112 | 114 | 887 | 44 | 13 | 3 | 146 | 63 | 67 |
| 2016 | 2943 | 100 | 910 | 97 | 818 | 39 | 11 | 3 | 114 | 43 | 57 |
Quarterback Drew Brees was the team’s most penalized player with 10 (seven delay of game calls with three intentional groundings), which caused him to be rep a recent “All-Penalty Team”. Guards Andrus Peat and Jahri Evans were next in line with five penalties each. Last season, Browner was responsible for an NFL record 24 (21 accepted). For some perspective, the Saints cornerbacks had 16 total committed penalties in 2016. The only difference? It was across eight players.