Register All Albums FAQ Community Experience
Go Back   New Orleans Saints Forums - blackandgold.com > Main > Saints

Payton's Warning..

this is a discussion within the Saints Community Forum; Payton warns against making too much of Saints' record Brett Martel The Associated Press Published: Wednesday, October 28, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. Last Modified: Wednesday, October 28, 2009 at 10:16 a.m. METAIRIE — On opening day in the NBA, New ...

Closed Thread
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 11-01-2009, 10:48 PM   #1
Senior Citizen
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Gulfport, MS
Posts: 3,180
Blog Entries: 1
Payton's Warning..

Payton warns against making too much of Saints' record



Brett Martel
The Associated Press


Published: Wednesday, October 28, 2009 at 10:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, October 28, 2009 at 10:16 a.m.

METAIRIE — On opening day in the NBA, New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton chose a basketball analogy to illustrate how he feels about the second-best start in the 43-year history of the New Orleans Saints.

“If a month from now when (NBA fans) are talking about ‘If the playoffs started today,' with 60 games left, that would be similar,” Payton said Tuesday. “We have a lot of tough games left on the schedule.”

Next Monday night against Atlanta in the Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans has a chance to match the 1991 Saints for the best start in team history at 7-0, which would also keep New Orleans atop the NFC.

The Saints are now the only undefeated team left in their conference and have put themselves in pole position of the race for a top playoff seeding heading into the final 10 weeks of the season.

Payton, however, is wary of such talk. After the Saints' 46-34 comeback win at Miami last Sunday, Payton responded to a question about his team's fast start by contrasting the NFL to college football's Bowl Championship Series.

“In the BCS you've got to pay attention to that, but it means nothing after six weeks (in the NFL),” Payton said. “The Alabamas and the LSUs and the Ohio States, well it means something for them, but it doesn't mean anything for us.”

As far back as training camp, Saints coaches and players spoke of how they believed they had a chance to be special this season. They said they had the talent to win and had learned the hard lessons from numerous close losses in 2008, when they were defeated five times by three or fewer points.

“I don't think anybody's surprised here because, me, in all honesty, I feel like we paid our dues,” said running back Reggie Bush, whose soaring touchdown on a reverse helped the Saints storm back from a 21-point deficit against the Dolphins. “We've come a long way. So everybody understands that we have something special here. ... We're making the most of it and we're understanding and appreciating it because of what we had to go through the prior years to get to this point.”

The Saints haven't been to the postseason since 2006, when Payton began his head coaching career by cobbling together a playoff team from the remains of a squad that went 3-13 while displaced to San Antonio because of Hurricane Katrina. During the past two years, however, the Saints were plagued by inconsistency, going 7-9 in 2007 and 8-8 in 2008.

Now that they're 6-0, players who have fresh memories of last year's frustration don't want to get ahead of themselves.

Linebacker Jonathan Vilma echoed a comment made by his position coach, Joe Vitt, saying, “6-0 means you can't go 5-11. That's really about it.”

“For us, it's such a long season,” Vilma continued. “It's not like college football, where you get 10, 11 games. You have a 16-game season. Things can switch easily and quickly.”

Longtime Saints fans know that as well as anyone. That 1991 team that started 7-0 had some key injuries later in the season, including starting quarterback Bobby Hebert's sprained shoulder. The Saints lost five of their last nine games — four losses came while Hebert, a South Lafourche graduate, was out — to finish 11-5. They then lost their first playoff game.

“I do think it's premature — that's just my opinion after six weeks, knowing that there are 10 games left — to begin talking about seeding,” Payton said. “We have a lot of football that we have to play and we don't take that for granted. We understand why there is interest in a team that's 6-0, and yet we do understand that we're still two games away from being at the halfway point.”

What's popular is not always right, and what's right is not always popular.....
SaintPauly is offline  
Old 11-02-2009, 12:05 PM   #2
Hu Dat!
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 6,715
Blog Entries: 13
Re: Payton's Warning..

Agreed. Gotta take care of the NFC South first - starting tonight!!!
neugey is online now  
Old 11-02-2009, 01:15 PM   #3
Moderator
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: New Haven Ct
Posts: 23,985
Re: Payton's Warning..

One game at a time. Don't look back and DON'T look ahead. NFC First.
QBREES9 is offline  
Old 11-02-2009, 01:58 PM   #4
Bounty Money $$$
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: 5800 Airline Dr. Metairie, LA.
Posts: 24,073
Re: Payton's Warning..

Originally Posted by neugey View Post
Agreed. Gotta take care of the NFC South first - starting tonight!!!
I couldn't agree more. I really liked Joe Vitts statement that 6-0 means you can't go 5-11. Let's take care of business.
Rugby Saint II is offline  
Old 11-02-2009, 02:35 PM   #5
Truth Addict
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Spanish Fort, AL (via NO and B/R)
Posts: 24,723
Re: Payton's Warning..

I remember the last time Payton tried the "don't eat the cheese" ploy...

We got pummelled by the 0-8 Rams.


I say Fark it... We're gonna stomp your ass and I dare you to stop us.
Danno is offline  
Old 11-02-2009, 02:37 PM   #6
Guam Saints Fan
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Guam, USA
Posts: 411
Blog Entries: 2
Re: Payton's Warning..

This reminds me of my football days.. Damn how I wish I can play.
jn671 is offline  
Old 11-04-2009, 09:57 PM   #7
Senior Citizen
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Gulfport, MS
Posts: 3,180
Blog Entries: 1
Re: Payton's Warning..

It's good advice to not get ahead of yourself. One game at a time, and take every game VERY serious. Even a wounded Panther, still has teeth. I'm walking side by side with Payton on this one. He hasn't let me down so far, so i'm sticking with his gameplan.
SaintPauly is offline  
Old 11-05-2009, 12:20 AM   #8
Resident antediluvian
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 2,026
Re: Payton's Warning..

Great to say it. Back it up on the field with a solid effort Sunday. Back to back less than stellar efforts have me praying that finding a way to win is not the trend here. We need to just win from the first snap and not have to look back or overcome another deficit to Carolina. We've made some much needed character statements the last few weeks. A nice one would be a statement that we can flat out whoop some butt.
lumm0x is offline  
Old 11-05-2009, 06:51 PM   #9
Truth Addict
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Spanish Fort, AL (via NO and B/R)
Posts: 24,723
Re: Payton's Warning..

Originally Posted by saintpaul25 View Post
It's good advice to not get ahead of yourself. One game at a time, and take every game VERY serious.
You realize you and I don't actually suit up or work for the Saints?

You and I can get as far ahead as we want, it won't affect Sunday.


Disclaimer... If you do actually suit up for the Saints on Sunday, forget what I said.
Danno is offline  
Old 11-06-2009, 01:34 AM   #10
Senior Citizen
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Gulfport, MS
Posts: 3,180
Blog Entries: 1
Re: Payton's Warning..

Originally Posted by Danno View Post
You realize you and I don't actually suit up or work for the Saints?

You and I can get as far ahead as we want, it won't affect Sunday.


Disclaimer... If you do actually suit up for the Saints on Sunday, forget what I said.
I don't think the Saints need a 36 year old, outta shape bouncer, with bad knees, but I do suit up every Sunday, and go to the sports bar, in full battle mode. I don't get ahead when it comes to the Saints. Too many bad memories for that. You young ones go nuts, I will be sitting in the corner sipping my guiness, waiting for the game to end, before I get to excited.
SaintPauly is offline  
Closed Thread


Posting Rules


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:33 PM.


Copyright 1997 - 2020 - BlackandGold.com
no new posts