NFL Hall of Famer Brett Favre was once a target of a bounty hunting scheme by the New Orleans Saints and opened up 15 years later about that experience in a thread on X Friday.

In 2009, the Saints offered their players cash incentives to injure certain players. Favre, quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings at that time, was on that list. 

The Vikings were considered the top obstacle in the NFC for the Saints to reach the Super Bowl that year. 

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The Saints beat Favre and the Vikings in the NFC championship game that year, a 31-28 overtime thriller. Favre was never injured, but he took multiple hard hits and ended up throwing a costly interception in overtime. 

Favre said he held no "ill will" toward the Saints for the scandal and wished he played better in the game. 

"I played the game with the mindset to be prepared for anything: big hits, injuries, and players trying to knock my head off. I never made excuses for the times I wasn’t successful and played the game within the ruleset. In fact, losing just made me want to work harder and fueled my drive to win next time," Favre wrote. 

"I don’t have any ill-will towards those involved in Bounty Gate. After we lost to the Saints, I rooted for Drew Brees and Sean Payton to win the Super Bowl. Looking back 15 years later, my opinion hasn’t changed. If I could have some of those plays back and done my part, maybe we would have been the ones celebrating a championship victory in 2010." 

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The Saints won the Super Bowl that year against the Indianapolis Colts. 

But once the scandal was uncovered, the Saints received some of the harshest sanctions in NFL history. Former head coach Sean Payton was suspended a year without pay. 

Defensive coordinator Greg Williams, identified as the brains of the plan, was suspended indefinitely but was later reinstated. Former general manager Mickey Loomis was suspended for the first eight games of the 2012 season, and assistant head coach Joe Vitt was suspended for the first six games of that year. 

Former Saints players Scott Fujita, Anthony Hargrove, Will Smith and Jonathan Vilma were all suspended for their roles. 

The Saints also had to pay a $500,000 fine and forfeit their second-round picks in the 2012 and 2013 drafts

The team's bounty hunting plan involved as many as 27 players and at least one assistant coach, the league found in its investigation. Players even contributed to a cash pool. 

The players were paid $1,500 for a "knockout," when a targeted player couldn't return to the game, and $1,000 for a "cart-off," when a player had to be carried off the field.

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It came down to the wire, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the New Orleans Saints in a thriller, 27-19, to win the NFC South. 

Coming into this contest, the Bucs knew they had a win-and-in position, as the Atlanta Falcons needed to defeat the Carolina Panthers and hope for a Tampa Bay loss to sneak into the playoffs as the division winner. 

But Tampa Bay is heading to the playoffs as the No. 4 seed in the NFC, and they will await who they will host in the wild-card round with the loser of the Detroit Lions-Minnesota Vikings game on Sunday night finishing the seeding in the conference. 

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It might have been a jubilation at Raymond James Stadium at the final whistle, but there were a lot of nervous Bucs fans when halftime came around and the Spencer Rattler-led Saints owned a 16-6 lead. 

The Saints were playing in their first game since the senseless act of violence took place in New Orleans’ French Quarter in the wee hours of New Year’s Day, a terror attack that killed 14 and left many more injured. 

A moment of silence was held for all those in the New Orleans community before kickoff, where a true show of patriotism was captured on the Fox Sports broadcast. 

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And it was all New Orleans to start this game, as they scored on each of their first four drives – three field goals and a touchdown pass by Rattler to Dante Pettis. 

Meanwhile, Baker Mayfield and the Bucs were trying to find something, and they got exactly what they needed to begin the second half. Mayfield orchestrated a 10-play, 72-yard drive that ended in a Peyton Durham touchdown to finally get the Bucs a touchdown on the day. The 16-13 deficit was more than manageable. 

However, the Saints’ defense wasn’t helping matters, as they were pesky and forced a Mayfield interception despite the Bucs’ defense getting a three-and-out after their touchdown. 

After adding another field goal, the Saints owned a 19-13 lead heading into the fourth quarter where the Bucs entered desperation mode. Luckily for them, Mayfield wasn’t fazed. 

Early in the fourth quarter, Mayfield stepped up in a collapsing pocket and delivered an absolute strike to Jalen McMillan, who kept two feet in the front right of the end zone for a 32-yard touchdown to give the Bucs a 20-19 lead after the extra point. 

Then, the icing on the cake was a broken play that resulted in a Bucky Irving 11-yard rush for the touchdown. 

The Bucs ultimately turned the Saints over on downs on their final drive, and with just seconds left to play, Tampa Bay and its fan base were celebrating the division title and the victory. 

But what made this win even more special was what the Bucs did with their final snap of the game, as veteran receiver Mike Evans needed five catches and 85 yards to reach a $3 million incentive while also becoming the first player in NFL history to have reached 1,000 receiving yards in his first 11 seasons. 

Evans, who was stuck at eight catches for 80 yards, caught a pass for nine yards from Mayfield and he launched the ball in the air after getting tackled, knowing he just made NFL history and $3 million. 

Looking at the stat sheet, Mayfield finished 21-of-32 for 221 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, with Evans catching nine passes for 89 yards. Irving finished with 89 rushing yards on 19 carries. 

For the Saints, Rattler was 26-for-42 for 240 yards with his one touchdown pass, while tight end Juwan Johnson led the way with six catches for 80 yards. 

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There are playoff implications in Tampa Bay on Sunday afternoon, as the Buccaneers look to win the NFC South to make it into the postseason. 

Before the game kicked off, though, a moment of silence was held for the Bucs’ opponent, the New Orleans Saints, as they play in their first game since the deadly terror attack in the early hours of New Year’s Day on Bourbon Street.

Fox Sports captured the somber moment during its telecast, doing so without any interruptions or cutting away.

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"Earlier this week, our nation experienced a horrific act of violence with heartbreaking tragedy in New Orleans. Our hearts are with the New Orleans community, including the brave first responders," the Bucs’ public address announcer said over the Raymond James Stadium speakers. "At this time, please stand and join us in a moment of silent reflection in the memory of the victims, their families and loved ones."

The Saints’ sideline saw the entire team holding hands and bowing their heads, which the Buccaneers and everyone in the stands did as well. 

The uninterrupted moment continued with the national anthem, as Fox Sports showed scenes of both sidelines, the crowd and the all-around patriotism that was seen in Tampa Bay. 

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The Saints were obviously heavily affected by the terror attack, but the team announced, in a joint statement with the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans, that one of the victims was a member of their video production team with ASM New Orleans. 

Matthew Tenedorio, who the Saints said was a "young, talented" member of the video production team, was killed in the senseless act of violence by Shamsud-Din Jabbar. 

The Saints pledged to donate $1 million to relief efforts for the victims of the terror attack in the French Quarter, where 14 people were killed and dozens more were injured. The act of terror came less than two miles away from the Caesars Superdome, which is where the Saints hold their home games. 

"Our community has experienced an unimaginable tragedy and our collective hearts are broken as we mourn for the victims and survivors on the New Year's Day terror attack in New Orleans," Saints owner Gayle Benson said in a statement. "As a league, our cities and teams compete at the highest levels of competition and share spirited rivalries. Our staffs and players work tirelessly towards achieving our goals and we share in victories and defeats. 

"However, through football we are also united and we stand arm-in-arm against all forms of hatred. We will vanquish terror and fear with an unwavering resolve and purpose rooted in love, compassion and kindness. Our focus has always been on providing aid quickly and effectively, and we are grateful for the collaboration with both the Greater New Orleans Foundation (GNOF) and United Way to ensure that these funds reach those who need them most."

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As the New Orleans community continues to grieve those lost in the terrorist attack in the early hours of New Year’s Day, the Saints and Pelicans announced one of those killed was an employee of theirs. 

"We remain heartbroken by the tragic events that claimed innocent lives in our city yesterday morning," the Saints’ statement began. "Among those lost was Matthew Tenedorio, a valued member of the ASM New Orleans video production team. Matthew was young, talented, and had a bright future, helping deliver quality content for both the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans.

"Our thoughts, prayers, and deepest condolences are with the Tenedorio family and everyone affected by this senseless act of terrorism. Together, as a city, state, and region, we will come back stronger from this tragedy." 

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More than a dozen people were killed, and many more were injured, when Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove a truck through a crowd on New Orleans’ historic Bourbon Street. Officials determined it was a terror attack. 

The attack prompted the postponement of the Sugar Bowl, a College Football Playoff quarterfinal matchup between Georgia and Notre Dame at the Caesars Superdome. 

The game was originally scheduled for Wednesday night but was moved to Thursday afternoon. 

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Authorities opened Bourbon Street hours before the game Thursday, which Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry is expected to attend. 

"Security is going to be tight," Landry said during an appearance on "Fox & Friends." "We have all confidence that we’re gonna put this game on. The Superdome is completely secure. Again, the FBI continues to pour resources into the state."

Many reacted to the senseless act of violence, including Notre Dame head football coach Marcus Freeman, who spoke to his team about what happened. 

"The first part of that meeting was to mourn and pray for our country," he said during an appearance on ESPN.

"In the toughest moments, the culture of any program, of a nation, are revealed. I have a lot of faith we're going to rally around the city of New Orleans and support all the victims and families that were affected today."

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey also posted on social media platform X. 

"We remain stunned and saddened by the New Year’s Day tragedy in New Orleans," Sankey wrote.

"We are also grateful for the work of so many to adjust and adapt to make a football game possible today for @GeorgiaFootball and @NDFootball."

The winner of the Sugar Bowl will move on to face No. 6 Penn State, which defeated No. 3 Boise State New Year’s Eve. 

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It's been a forgettable season for the Las Vegas Raiders except when it comes to rookie tight end Brock Bowers, who shattered two league records against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. 

Bowers, the team's first-round pick out of Georgia back in April, went into this contest with Mike Ditka's all-time rookie receiving yards record for tight ends in view, and he smashed it. 

Ditka, the Chicago Bears legend, held the rookie tight end receiving yards record for 63 years until Bowers caught a 13-yard pass from quarterback Aidan O’Connell to move ahead of him in the record books. 

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Bowers came into the game with 1,067 yards receiving, just 10 behind Ditka’s longtime record. Ditka, though, played in a time when there were only 14 games in a season, needing just 56 passes to tally that many yards. 

But Ditka’s record wasn’t the only one Bowers was eyeing before his inaugural season came to an end. 

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Puka Nacua, who emerged as a star with the Los Angeles Rams last season, broke the rookie receptions record in 2023 with 105 in his breakout campaign. Well, Bowers was just four receptions shy of it entering this game as well. 

Bowers led the Raiders with seven catches for 77 yards, breaking Nacua’s record in the process on what became a quite eventful day for the Raiders, who won back-to-back games. 

Las Vegas took down New Orleans, 25-10, as O’Connell threw for 242 yards and two touchdowns on 20-of-35 through the air. 

His touchdown recipients were Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker, while Ameer Abdullah rushed for 115 yards on 20 carries to lead the way on the ground. 

The win for the Raiders continues to have NFL Draft implications, as they’re now 4-12 on the season with just one week left to play. 

Meanwhile, the Saints moved to 5-11 after another Spencer Rattler-led game didn’t result in a victory. 

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New Orleans Saints punter Matthew Hayball was on the receiving end of interim head coach Darren Rizzi’s wrath on Sunday during their matchup against the New York Giants.

Hayball punted a ball to returner Ihmir Smith-Marsette in the second quarter. Smith-Marsette made a move and took the punt all the way back for what the Giants thought was a touchdown, even nearly fumbling the ball on his way to the end zone.

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As the Giants celebrated, players started to realize a flag had been thrown on the play. New York was called for holding, wiping Smith-Marsette’s punt-return touchdown off the board.

Rizzi was seen on the sideline tearing into Hayball. Saints running back Alvin Kamara had to get in between his coach and his teammate. It was a 43-yard punt, but it appeared Rizzi was upset with how it was kicked to Smith-Marsette.

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The Saints’ special teams clearly holds a special place in Rizzi’s heart. He joined the Saints as their special teams coordinator in 2019 after serving in the same role with the Miami Dolphins. He was promoted to special teams coordinator and associate head coach in 2022.

Rizzi took over as the team’s interim head coach in the middle of this season after New Orleans fired Dennis Allen.

He’s 2-1 as Saints head coach, and the Saints were leading the Giants 7-3 at the time the incident with his punter occurred.

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