SmashMouth

There might be no greater statement about the improvement of the Saints defense than the fact Sean Payton can win the toss, and elect to not send Drew Brees immediately on the field.

According to Jeff Duncan of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, last week against the Bears was just the fourth time in 41 opportunities that the Saints won the toss and deferred to the second half.

The other three times were on the road where weather was a factor, at Washington and Chicago in 2008 and 2010 in San Francisco. But conditions were perfect last Sunday, and Payton said that was part of the reasoning.

“That sun was sitting hard to our left into the field,” Payton said on his radio show. “So if you’re a receiver and you’re looking back into that sun it was going to be really challenging. We felt by the second quarter that was going to be diminished some. With the direction we went, the eyes of our receivers were going to look into a clear blue sky, not the sun. Plus, there was a slight wind advantage [for us in the first quarter].”

Of course, there was also some strategy, since defensive coordinator Rob Ryan threw some new blitzes at the Bears he hadn’t used, forcing a three-and-out and a turnover on the first two Bears possessions.

“I have no clue why we deferred but I know this: He doesn’t do anything without a reason,” punter Thomas Morstead said of Payton.

By the time the Saints closed the first half and opened the second half with scoring drives, they were comfortably ahead 23-7, and Payton’s unique decision had given them another edge.

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dizzle88

Those subtle details are what set SP apart as one of the best head coaches in the NFL, just like counting how many players the vikings had in the huddle in the NFCCG and getting the penalty called

AlaskaSaints

As soon as I saw the field I stated that the sun would be a limiting factor to whomever had it at their backs in the first quarter.

I should have been a football coach... dammit!!!

;-]]

Alaska

neugey

I wouldn't mind if we deferred much more often. It's a nice advantage to manage the time at the end of the first half if you know you are getting the ball to start the second half. Gives us a chance to "double up" an opponent and get/extend a lead.

AlaskaSaints

I am 100-percent defer. There's just really no drawback.

But being able to manage the last four minutes of the first half if you have the ball, then get the ball back is priceless.

Alaska

homerj07

Tough call against Brady on his home turf.