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A short week isn’t changing the New Orleans Saints’ preparation schedule.
After film and treatment Monday, the players will have Tuesday off, then practice Wednesday and Thursday and a short workout on Friday before Saturday night’s game against the Dallas Cowboys in the Superdome.
But it doesn’t really work that way.
“There are no days off in the NFL,” quarterback Drew Brees said Monday. “That’s the truth of it.They may say Tuesday is a day off, but the majority of guys will be in here watching film, getting treatment, lifting weights and doing whatever they need to do to get themselves ready to play."
Saints Coach Sean Payton said the only difference in the team’s schedule is that “we need to be a little smarter in our Friday practice.”
The Cowboys’ game is the franchise’s first Saturday home game since a 34-23 loss to Green Bay in 1995.
It’s also the Saints first on the NFL Network, and follows a Thursday NFL Network game featuring Indianapolis, the league’s only other undefeated team, against Jacksonville.
“Who would have thought that six months ago when they made up the schedule that something like that would happen?” Brees said. “That shows why this is the best sport in the country.”
No Regrets – It could have been the Saints’ Bill Belichick moment. The Saints’ failure to execute a fake field-goal attempt from the Falcons’ 15 with 2:07 left gave Atlanta a chance to send the game into overtime with a field goal.
Fortunately for the Saints, Jonathan Vilma ended the last two drives by the Falcons with an interception and a game-ending tackle on fourth-and-2.
“It could have been, but it wasn’t," said quarterback/holder Mark Brunell, who threw incomplete to Darnell Dinkins on the play. “Thank goodness for the defense.”
Brunell, who hadn’t thrown a pass in a game since 2006, said the play was designed to go to Dinkins to pick up the first down and that in retrospect he should have gotten rid of the ball quicker.
Instead, he looked to Carl Nicks in the end zone before coming back to Dinkins, who would have been a yard short of the first down if he had caught it.
Peyton said he still felt it was a good call.
“It’s something we looked at and felt good about,” he said. “The opportunity came up, we took it and hopefully it will work the next time.”
But Brunell seemed less confident that the play would remain in the playbook.
“I don’t know about that,” he said. “We’ll just have to see.”

'Off day' for New Orleans Saints players really isn't a day off | Tulane Sports Central - - NOLA.com