The New Orleans Saints had their season ended at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks during the divisional weekend, being comfortably beaten by the eventual Super Bowl champions.

Up until then, it had been a good season for Sean Payton's side, who claimed a wildcard spot after being pipped to the NFC South title by the Carolina Panthers.

Sport Mole looks back at their 2013 season:

Pre-season expectations

Despite having Payton back from a one-year coaching suspension, the Saints were widely written off after their poor 2012 season. Departing defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo had supposedly left a mess behind him, and although talents like Drew Brees and Jimmy Graham remained on offense, the Saints were not a popular playoff pick for many. ESPN actually had the team finishing dead-last in their division, predicting them to win just five matches all season.

Highlight of the season

Upon defying the doubters and securing a second place finish in the NFC South, the Saints travelled to the Philadelphia Eagles on wildcard weekend knowing that they had never won a road playoff game. In cold conditions, the Saints were once again written off, but a strong display saw them edge victory in a dramatic contest. Although Payton's team scored one touchdown fewer than the hosts, Shayne Graham held his nerve in the final seconds to kick the game winning points.

Biggest disappointment

Although it's easy to pick a playoff game which they won as a highlight and one which they lost as a disappointment, for the Saints of 2013, that really was the case. Having broken their away-day duck in Philadelphia, they were faced with the task of number-one ranked Seattle in the divisional round. A poor first-half showing had Brees struggling to find his rhythm as the team fell 16 points behind, while Graham was left without a touch of the ball until the fourth quarter. A Marques Colston touchdown with 26 seconds left and a recovered onside kick gave them genuine hope of a historic comeback, but an awful pass play from Colston himself on their final play meant the season finished with a whimper.

Player of the season

It really is tough to ignore Jimmy Graham, despite his poor showing once the Saints reached the post-season. During the regular campaign, the tight end was in excellent form, scoring a league-high 16 touchdowns and posting 1,215 yards receiving. Averaging over 14 yards per catch and securing over 60 first downs, Graham's remarkable play had pundits suggesting that he was more of a wide receiver than a tight end, and this was off the back of wrist surgery last summer.

Unsung hero

Can a Pro Bowl selection be regarded as unsung? Probably not, but defensive end Cameron Jordan deserves a mention as he wasn't the Saints' best player in 2013, but he still played admirably. Drafted in the first round in 2011, Jordan enjoyed a breakout campaign for his team, recording 47 total tackles and a team-high 12.5 sacks. With four interceptions and two forced fumbles, the 24-year-old cemented himself as a key part of the Saints unit.

Off-season changes

The highest-profile name with doubt surrounding his future is Graham, and it's vital that the Saints can keep hold of him going forward. Both management and teammates have expressed their desire for Graham to remain in New Orleans, but the player himself has stated it will be "unfortunate" if they used their franchise tag on him. Aside from Graham, Lance Moore and Pierre Thomas could well be cut due to their high wages, while on the coaching staff, Bret Ingalls is now the offensive line coach and Dan Roushar has been hired to work with the running backs.

2014 prospects

General manager Mickey Loomis has recently told ESPN that although he was satisfied with the 2013 campaign, expectations going forward are now higher. "We expect and want to play in that game, and we want to win it," Loomis said bluntly. In a strong NFC conference with the likes of San Francisco, Seattle and Green Bay, the Saints will do well to reach Super Bowl XLIX in Arizona. However, it is not to say that they don't have the talent, with Brees capable of winning games on his own. With some strengthening, they should fancies their chances of another post-season appearance.