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Head Coach QA Oct 15
NewOrleansSaints.com,

Opening Statement:


“For an injury update, Rod Harper (foot) did not practice; Leigh Torrence (hamstring) was limited; Jahri Evans (toe) was limited; Malcolm Jenkins (ankle) was limited; Pierre Thomas (hamstring) was limited. The following players were all full: Kendrick Clancy (knee), Darnell Dinkins (foot), Mike Bell (knee), Jermon Bushrod (knee and ankle) and Jason Kyle (knee and ankle).”

What are your impressions of Corey Webster? Has he become one of the more effective cornerbacks in the NFC?

“I think so. Every once in a while you study a guy and you watch grow into a position, and he is playing with a lot of confidence. When you watch them on defense, there are a ton of man situations where he’s playing bump-and-run and taking receivers out of games. He’s a guy that has real good feet and transition and one thing you see is that he has gotten better and better each year.”

With Bushrod back healthy, does he move back ahead of Zach Strief at left tackle?

“Both he and Zach have been taking reps at that left tackle. We’ll see where we’re at. Obviously both of them have played a lot in the last few weeks with Zach playing against the Jets and both of them getting reps in the Buffalo game. We’re healthier there than we were a week ago.”

They seem to both have played solid. Is it a good decision to have to make?

“It’s a good challenge to have this week, because we’re facing arguably one of the best pass rushers in the game in Osi Umenyiora. He’s a guy that plays with great speed and anticipation and he can single-handedly disrupt your game plan if you’re not smart. Both of them have a lot of work ahead of them and they have a big job ahead of them Sunday.”

How have the Giants transitioned defensively with a new coordinator this season?

“I think very well. You see a lot of things that are similar and then there are some wrinkles that are different from a year ago. They have a very active front; they have a lot of confidence in their secondary and they’re playing with a lot of confidence overall. They have played good team defense there now for a while.”

You say that the each game gets more important as the season goes along, but what is the significance of this game as a measuring stick?

“It’s an NFC game and it’s against – in our opinion – one of the better NFC teams from the last three or four years. It’s a great challenge for us.”

Is this a chance to learn something about your team?


“Each week you’re hoping that you can improve and get better from the prior week. We played a real good team a week ago and came away with a win and this is a team that’s different. This is certainly the best quarterback we’ve seen to date and he’s playing with a lot of confidence. He’s throwing the ball accurately, it comes out of his hands, he does a great job with his plays at the line of scrimmage and getting them into the best plays in the running game as well as the protections in the passing game. He’s been in that system now and he’s operating with a lot of confidence and confidence with the players outside too. These receivers have really come on for them.”

Is it important for you to match them physically maybe better than you have with other physical teams in past years?

“We’ve played some good, physical teams and we understand the type of game that it’s going to be and I think we’ll be ready for the challenge.”

What kind of challenges does Brandon Jacobs provide?

“He’s a hard runner. He’s a guy that if he gets going, he can be a load and has had a great career there. They do a great job up front and they’re a team that has rushed the ball very well in the last three years and he has been a big reason for that.”

What are the pros and cons of the Wildcat offense?


“The pros of it are that as soon as the guy taking the snap is a running threat, you gain your one-man advantage back offensively and go back to the old single-wing. When that individual is a runner, you’re really playing back to 11-on-11 rather than the quarterback under center who’s not a runner. It allows teams to run the ball effectively against some down-safety defenses. Throughout the league, teams have dabbled with it but really there’s one team that runs it and if you were to put on tape and study a team that does it and does it very well, it’s Miami.”

Does that offense change the rules defensively as far as what you want to do?

“It changes some rules and some ways to play defensively because of the fact that the guy getting the snap is a running threat and you still have to cover down. So if the quarterback is flexed out, someone has to go with him and now you have a halfback or receiver or whoever they put in that position and it does change how you play defensively.”

Is there a benefit that the runner has the ball in his hands sooner without the time delay of getting a handoff from the quarterback?

“I don’t that’s as much of the benefit. The benefit of it is the additional blocker that you get. Maybe it’s the runner who’s getting the snap and there’s someone right next to him who’s going to be blocking. You get your one man back, if you will. You can account for some of these down-safety looks and you can certainly out-number them in the coverage shell looks.”

Doesn’t it seem like you’re telegraphing that you’re going to run the ball though?


“But that’s still a challenge because you still have to play the correct gaps, especially when you start reading a defensive end and handing it off or keeping it based on how the end plays. You’re seeing that every weekend in college football.”

Would it be something that you would consider just showing opponents that they need to prepare for it in your offense?

“The question is how much time do you want to spend offensively of going through the mechanics of snapping the ball to another player. I’d never discount that we would never do it. Certainly we’re always looking for a way to gain four or five yards and if that’s an opportunity to do that, then we would certainly look at it. But the true commitment when you watch a team like Miami is that you see a difference in how they run it and they run it real well.”

Are you surprised by the varying level of success that teams have had running it?


“Back to the teams that have truly committed to it, if you put the cut-up on and look at all the Wildcat snaps and start with that team, it would be a different cut-up reel than the rest of the teams that dabble in it a little bit. I think it’s something that can be effective and it’s just a matter of how much you want to commit to it because when you do it, you take away other snaps.”

How have the Giants adequately filled the void left by Plaxico Burress?

“They’ve had a lot of young players. Steve Smith is having an outstanding season; he’s leading the league in receiving. You see the Mario Manninghams of the world and the rest of these guys who have all stepped up and there’s a lot of confidence, both from the quarterback’s standpoint and the team’s standpoint in what they have there. They’ve done a real good job and these guys have come on and developed as young players and they’re doing well.”

The trading deadline is next Tuesday. Do you anticipate being involved in any activity?


“I think you pay attention to the deadline but nothing right now that would jumps out. But nonetheless, you still pay attention to that date.”

New Orleans Saints - Head Coach QA Oct 15

Rugby Saint II

I am so impressed with Payton when he talks to the media. He doesn't blow up like some coaches do and he never puts down the questions asked no matter how stupid.