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Sean Payton can't wait to get on the road again "» so he can win the right to play at home throughout the NFC playoffs and/or so his team can just play better.

Yes, things are getting duplicitous for the New Orleans Saints (13-2) as they approach their last regular season game Sunday at Carolina (7-8). The Saints have looked a little confused in losing their first two games of the season over the last nine days — 20-17 in overtime to 2-12 Tampa Bay on Sunday in the Superdome in New Orleans and 24-17 on Dec. 19 in the Superdome.

And their primary goal for the last month suddenly looks a little off now, too. Having clinched the playoffs and the NFC South weeks ago, they have been playing for the elusive No. 1 seed and home field advantage in the playoffs ever since, even though they can't seem to win at home lately. Under Payton, the Saints have barely been better at home than on the road.

The Saints are 7-0 on the road this season and have finished with better road records than home in three of Payton's four seasons in New Orleans — 6-2 away to 4-4 at home in 2006 with a home playoff win and a road playoff loss, 4-4 away to 3-5 at home in 2007 and 7-0 away to 6-2 at home in 2009.

"Sometimes at home, there are more distractions for home games," Payton said. "There are visitors coming in, and looking back with my experience, when you come off of a tough loss, sometimes flying, checking into a hotel and really having the focus for 48 hours as opposed to the evening the night before — it's different. We've traveled well. We've played well on the road."

In Payton's four seasons in New Orleans, the Saints are 19-13 on the road and 20-13 in the dome. In playoff games under Payton, the Saints are 1-0 at home and 0-1 on the road.

"I think sometimes it (the road) allows the players to really be in an environment that's really different," Payton said.

When Hurricane Gustav was moving toward Louisiana in August of 2008, Payton pushed for Saints general manager Mickey Loomis to not hesitate to evacuate the team to Indianapolis, where it worked out for a week in preparation for its Sept. 7 home opener against Tampa Bay.

Saints' Payton hopes road trip gets team out of funk | shreveporttimes.com | Shreveport Times

SaintPauly

I'm assuming this article was done before the Vikings lost last night right?

QBREES9

Yes its was .

SaintPauly

I wonder how he feels about it now.... Will be interesting to see how he handles this.

strato

I really think Payton will not play a lot of the starters...this coaching staff has shown me they will coddle players so i dont see that changing...and its really a meaningless game..momentum..lol..i dont think so ..im hoping Brees doesnt see the field ..if he were to get hurt... then what?...play the backups and see what we have in them..we might need some of these guys in the playoffs..

UK_WhoDat

"so ............... his team can just play better."

Carolina game is not meaningless. It is a fantastic opportunity for the returning players to get the rust out their system, make sure their communication is up to scratch before the "real" competition starts.

For me, I say get all of the team firing on all cylinders for maybe 1 quarter perhaps part of 2nd quarter, then throw the backups in.

Rugby Saint II

The team has played well on the road, so this could be a good thing. I have a feeling that Payton is going to play this like it was a preseason game. Get everybody in rhythm and then pull the starters and let the backups play...there is going to be a lot of evaluating on defense this off season so film on the backups will be good for the coaches to have.