SmashMouth

More words from the national media, more specifically Pete Prisco:

Payton returning to Saints, but is he a changed man?

I thought all along Sean Payton would never leave the New Orleans Saints.

That team is his baby.

And he has work to do to fix it. Payton is a competitor, a feisty one at that. He loves a challenge. And now he's facing one in trying to show the Saints can get back to their winning ways since he has reportedly agreed in principle to stay on as head coach.

A loophole in his contract gave him a chance to move on to another team, but he's staying in the Big Easy. There was talk he might go to the Cowboys, but the Cowboys aren't expected to make a change. I never thought he'd go, anyway.

Payton can now show people just how valuable he is to the team. If the Saints win, it's all about him since he missed the 2012 season serving a suspension for his alleged role in the Bountygate scandal and the team has floundered.


Oh, and he also has Drew Brees. How many places can he go where the quarterback is that good?

Payton's year away will probably be good for him. He needed to be taken down a notch. The arrogance factor grew when he won the Super Bowl. Opposing coaches and front-office executives all noticed the change in him. So did many in the media.

I did, too.

I have always been a Sean Payton backer on the football field. There is no better play-caller in the game. His arrogance shows on the football field, but that's where it's needed. He isn't afraid to take chances.

To me, he's innovative, creative, can adjust on the fly and isn't afraid if something fails. That's what makes him a great coach.

But that game-day arrogance is also what led to his suspension. You have to abide by the rules. Nobody is bigger than the game. And when the arrogance carries over away from the field, that's a problem. And trouble comes with it. You think you are invincible, and as the Saints found out, nobody is bigger than the NFL shield.

Payton is a smart guy. I'll bet he's also a changed man. Spending time away from the madness of the NFL probably ate at him in a big way, especially seeing his team stink it up, but it was probably also humbling. I hope it was.

The NFL isn't the same without Payton. He brings a swagger to the game, which I love. He brings offensive wizardry to the sideline, which I admire.

Not having Payton in New Orleans just wouldn't have seemed right. He is the puppeteer that makes Brees go. He is the checks and balances to the greatness that is Brees.

I joked this season that Brees was the interim coach of the Saints. Watching practice in the preseason, it sure looked that way. Who would tell him no? Aaron Kromer? Joe Vitt? Not a chance.

But Payton can and will.

I always thought Payton's ego would keep him on the sideline in New Orleans. That hunch, coupled with a fat, new contract to help make it possible, has now played out.

Here's hoping the Sean Payton who once seemed humble to even be calling plays as a coordinator a half-decade ago will be back running the team.

I'm all for having a swagger, but you can't be dumb about the way you use it.

Payton let his get the best of him, but he's back now and can show that madness is all behind him.

Payton returning to Saints, but is he a changed man? - CBSSports.com

SDSaintsFan

I am ECSTATIC about this. I had no doubts but I did have fears that Jerry Jones might just woo him over to the Dark Side but this is a very, very happy day for me.

So let's do the math for the 2013 season: a lot of defensive people walk for cap space reasons allowing a newer, better scheme to be built ground-up by Spags. At the same time, Payton and Brees come back with all their weapons and a ton of "chip on their shoulder" pushing them to destroy everyone in their path a la Patriots 2007 post Spygate. Oh, I can't wait. Ready for more 62-3 games? I sure as hell am! How cool would it be if they pull off an 18-0 season going into next year's SB? Can't wait.

onebyone

Nice to get off an extra long, make you miserable shift at work to such great news!

I never really doubted that he was going to come back, but am glad it is all final now. He's back. Fear the Reaper biatches!

SaintsBro

All along it seemed odd to me, that apparently nobody from the NFL said boo about this terrible contract problem, for almost a year, then all of a sudden there was this HUGE problem with it and the contract was "voided," and "Payton could be going to Dallas" suddenly became a big media story... and all of this broke immediately AFTER the Cowboys lost to the Giants at home in October and were 3-4, the hometown fans actually booed Garrett and the Cowboys in Jerry's new stadium, and Jason Garrett was on the hot seat over his playcalling decisions down the stretch in that game...from the very start the timing on this was really weird if you put those two media stories together.

Vrillon82

It was odd for the NFL to put language in the contract if Loomis was suspended or left that the contract would be voided.

Then turn around and suspend Loomis for this so called Bounty situation, when you really think about it, the Loomis suspension made not a lick of sense in the first place, hes the GM, not a coach or player, hes pretty much in the same ball park as Tom Benson.

Sounds like the NFL and Goodell has some strong intentions in mind for this season.

TheOak

he has only has 16 weeks to write a new offense. and drink.

TheOak

LivnaLieTimay

Glad to have Sean back. This isn't a surprise to me. Over the last few weeks I've had friends ask if I was nervous about him coming back and I told them no. We stood by him from the beginning and I always felt he wanted to come back. The whole Dallas thing was a media driven story that I never felt had any truth to. Looking forward to 2013.

xan

He can now figure out how to stop brees from throwing ridiculous interceptions.

Boutte

LOL! Xan you are relentless!