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Carmichael doesn’t foresee slowdown in Saints offense

METAIRIE — If you think the New Orleans Saints’ record-shattering offense is going to change in the absence of suspended coach Sean Payton, you’re mistaken.

And, like a lot of people, if you think there’s no way the Saints can even get close to producing the numbers they put up in 2011, or will struggle mightily because Payton will be gone for the entire season, you’d better think again.

Almost as fast as Darren Sproles can rip off a 15-yard run or Drew Brees can victimize a defensive back with another well-placed pass, the Saints will tell you nothing much changed this past offseason — just like if Payton had been there.

Neither will anything change when the regular season begins.

After piling up an NFL record of 7,474 total yards as a team, which included Brees’ single-season passing record of 5,476 yards, most of that cast is back and looking for more under offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr.

Like Brees, Carmichael has been joined at the hip with Payton since 2006 and is capable of running it with the same efficiency Payton did in producing more total yards than any other team in that six-year span.

“We’ve been with him for six years now and the offseason has always been the same,” Carmichael said. “So for us, when he left, it was the same when he told us to do our job.

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