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New Orleans Saints Head Coach Sean Payton
Post-Practice Media Availability
Friday, December 6, 2013

Opening Statement: “For us, (today is) just like a Thursday, in regards to the emphasis. Tomorrow will be a little bit different practice than we normally have on a Saturday.”

Ron Rivera has this reputation of being a riverboat gambler. You’ve been aggressive in the past. What goes into your decisions? Do you use analytics? Is it strictly gut?

“Generally it is a combination. We will look closely at situations, timing in the game. A lot of times the decision to go for it on fourth down or hypothetically a two point play is based on whether you still have a play you like. Sometimes, say in short yardage situations, you’ve run a play you really like, converted, maybe you would run another one. A lot of times it depends on if you have that play still that you haven’t shown. That factors in more than you think. I think it also is based on the game in itself and how it is unfolding, what you are doing defensively and what you are doing offensively and paying attention to that and trusting your instincts when the time comes. Each game is different.”

There is so much pressure on you guys as play callers, it seems like it is rare to see guys go for it on fourth down.

“Again, I think a lot of it is if we are playing and getting off the field on defense, it is easier to do or if you feel like maybe you need to shift momentum. A good example last week in the Seahawk game, we were at seven and they were at maybe 20, I can’t think of the exact score, but it was a third down situation where we max blitz because I felt like I was an important stop. Now they converted and made the play to their slot receiver and it was a big play for them, but there was a case where watching that game is it was unfolding we were talking to Rob (Ryan) and saying hey, let’s go after them right here. I think we can get the ball back right here. We could follow up the drive we just had. There are some risks there and obviously you credit the team you are playing to make the play. I think a lot of it is how that game is unfolding. There are times going into it where it is a game you are planning on doing something specific, that would be look specific, whether it is special teams, whether it is offense or defense and you know going in you want to do this based on what you’ve seen on film.”

I know early in your career you went for it about 20 times and now it is less. Do you think it is because you have a better team?

“Yeah that might be the case. I didn’t go for it at all last year, so it should be less. But again, I think as the game is unfolding, 2009 would have been a season where we would have not done it as much because we were playing with a lot of leads. A lot of it is how the game is unfolding and how you feel like the opponent is and to back with what I said do you have something you like. If it is something that is unfolding during the game other than a play you just want to run, you know you want to run, so fourth down decisions I think are more game related. We typically don’t even look at the two point chart until the end of the fourth quarter and then at that point early in the fourth quarter, if that game is unfolding a certain way, we still might not look at it. But if points are hard to come by then you might look at that earlier in the fourth quarter. That would be a good example. But those same things go into playing defense too or using time outs and trying to protect field position. We are pretty aggressive that way at the end of halves, just trying to make the game longer if we are not on offense and get that extra possession.”


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